Wera Hobhouse MP: written questions 2026
58 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Asylum: AppealsHome OfficeTabled 15 Sept 2026Awaiting answerUIN 30000More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made for the reason in the increase in the number of asylum appeals being withdrawn before being heard by the first-tier tribunal.
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordAsylum: AppealsHome OfficeTabled 15 Sept 2026Awaiting answerUIN 29999More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects her department to resume publishing asylum appeals statistics as part of the quarterly migration statistics.
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordAsylum: ApplicationsHome OfficeTabled 15 Sept 2026Awaiting answerUIN 29998More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her department's policy to reduce the percentage of asylum claims granted.
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordHeat Networks: InfrastructureDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 15 Sept 2026Awaiting answerUIN 29980More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has had discussions with the Treasury on developing a regulated asset base-style funding model for strategic heat network infrastructure.
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordHeat NetworksDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 15 Sept 2026Awaiting answerUIN 29979More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of electricity policy costs on the competitiveness of low-carbon heat networks relative to gas heating; and if she will conside
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordChildren in CareDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 9 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 28362More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) introducing a "special circumstances" policy permitting 16- and 17-year-olds with specific
Answer: 16- and 17-year-olds with specific care needs can be accommodated in services registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), provided the service is delivering a CQC-regulated activity and does not meet the statutory definition of a children's home.We...
Answered 15 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordChildren: Social ServicesDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 28361More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) introducing a "special circumstances" policy permitting 16- and 17-year-olds with specific care needs t
Answer: Young people aged under 18 may, in certain circumstances, be accommodated in services registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Whether registration with CQC is appropriate depends on the facts of the individual case, the nature of the service be...
Answered 15 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordFood: WasteDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 28360More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to bring forward regulations to introduce a public food waste reporting requirement for large businesses.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of improving food waste data to help reduce food waste and improve resource efficiency. Defra is engaging with industry to improve reporting and data quality, while considering a range of policy options.
Answered 17 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsDepartment for Business, Innovation, Science and TradeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21321More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether the Government remains committed to delivering the Replacing Animals in Science Strategy; whether it is his Department that will be leading on this; and when an update on p
Answer: The Government remains committed to delivering the Replacing Animals in Science strategy, which sets out a long-term, cross-government programme to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods. Delivery is underway across Gover...
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordWind Power: ScotlandDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18676More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for its policies of analysis from Aurora Energy Research which notes that rebalancing a share of planned Scottish offshore wind tow
Answer: The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is delivering the first Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP). This will consider the cost optimal types and locations of future energy infrastructure including onshore and offshore wind - whilst also factoring in...
Answered 21 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordWind Power: ScotlandDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18675More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to engage with the Scottish Government on the inclusion of onshore wind in Scotland in the upcoming Strategic Spatial Energy Plan.
Answer: The Strategic Spatial Energy Plan is being developed by the National Energy System Operator, following joint commissioning by the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments. It will assess electricity generation and storage across Great Britain, including onshore...
Answered 21 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordEnergy Supply: InfrastructureDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 9 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 17385More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the ADE: Demand report entitled Powered by People, Powered by Place, what assessment has his Department has made of the appropriateness of the exclusion of contracted consum
Answer: The Government has noted the Association for Decentralised Energy's report, Powered by People, Powered by Place. The National Energy System Operator (NESO) will be developing Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESPs) to support whole-system distribution-lev...
Answered 17 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordEnergy Supply: InfrastructureDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 9 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 17384More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to Regional Energy Strategic Plans, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the 10% voting share for demand-side stakeholders on Strategic Boards, as highlighted in the
Answer: Responsibility for the development of Regional Energy Strategic Planning (RESP) and the governance arrangements sits with the National Energy System Operator (NESO), under Ofgem’s policy framework and guidance.Following their consultation, NESO is current...
Answered 17 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordNational Grid: InfrastructureDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 9 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 17383More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential for empowering local authorities to assess flexibility and microgrid opportunities before pursuing network buildout, in the context of the recomme
Answer: The Government has noted the Association for Decentralised Energy's report, Powered by People, Powered by Place, and recognises the importance of local evidence in identifying flexibility and other opportunities before network investment decisions are mad...
Answered 17 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordGreat Western Main Line: FaresDepartment for TransportTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9654More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will publish data on unregulated fare movements by GWR since the regulated freeze was announced on the Bath Spa to London Paddington route.
Answer: The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publishes annual statistics on changes in rail fares, for both regulated and unregulated fares. The most recent data covers 2024-25 and is available on the ORR website at https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/finance/r...
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDeposit Return SchemesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9653More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she if taking to help ensure that the digital infrastructure underpinning the Deposit Return Scheme includes next-generation barcodes and digital product information.
Answer: Exchange for Change, a not-for-profit, industry-led organisation, has been appointed to design and deliver the UK’s Deposit Return Scheme across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, including the specifics of the digital infrastructure and labelling re...
Answered 22 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRenewable Energy: Supply ChainsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 8668More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the timetable for auction being brought forward on large renewable projects that have had their Contracts for Difference AR8
Answer: The Contracts for Difference Scheme (CfD) runs annually. For Allocation Round 8, the Government confirmed in March it would open the round in July (in AR7, the round opened in August). The Supply Chain Plan (SCP) process opened in April, with results now ...
Answered 19 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordWorking HoursDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4566More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in respect of guaranteed hours provisions what assessment has been made of the potential impact of a 12 week reference period on employers whose staffing needs vary significantly over the year.
Answer: The Department has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts of the zero hours contract measures and will publish further analysis in due course.The government has also now published its consultation. The government has stated a prefer...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordWorking HoursDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4565More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment has been made of how different low hours thresholds and different reference period lengths in respect of guaranteed hours provisions may impact workforce flexibility.
Answer: The Department has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts of the zero hours contract measures and will publish further analysis in due course as we implement these measures.The consultation includes specific questions on the potenti...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordHospitality Industry and Retail Trade: Working HoursDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4564More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what evidence the Department has used to inform the proposed definition of low hours for the purposes of the guaranteed hours provisions; and whether an impact assessment will be published for the reta
Answer: The Department has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts of the zero hours contract measures and will publish further analysis in due course. This includes an assessment of the impact of different hours thresholds and the impacts o...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordWorking HoursDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4563More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Department has considered setting the definition of low hours for the purposes of the guaranteed hours provisions at 8 hours per week or below.
Answer: In its consultation, the government has expressed a preference for an hours threshold for the right to guaranteed hours of between 8 and 20 hours per week, on the basis that this is likely to offer the best balance of costs and benefits. The consultation ...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordZero Hours ContractsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4562More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of extending the guaranteed hours provisions beyond zero-hours contracts to include low-hours contracts on workers; and what steps he is taking to he
Answer: The government has published impact assessments for the zero hours contract measures in the Employment Rights Act.The government has assessed that extending the right to guaranteed hours to workers who already have some hours guaranteed could improve inco...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordUkraine: Foreign RelationsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4561More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if the UK will encourage allocation of resources for Ukraine local government support at the forthcoming Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk.
Answer: The UK remains steadfast in our support to Ukraine, having provided £21.8 billion in military and non-military assistance since the start of the full scale invasion. This includes support for Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction, including through our £5...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordUkraine: Foreign RelationsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4560More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether there are plans to deliver Pillar 9.5 of the UK-Ukraine 2025 Partnership Agreement.
Answer: Delivery of Pillar 9, paragraph 5 of the 100 Year Partnership Agreement is progressing. We want more local authorities to twin with Ukrainian counterparts to enable cooperation that delivers material benefits for people in the UK and Ukraine. Local author...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordHospitality Industry and Retail Trade: Zero Hours ContractsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 27 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 129875More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what evidence his Department has used to inform the proposed definition of low hours for the purposes of the guaranteed hours provisions; and whether an impact assessment will be published for the reta
Answer: It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Answered 29 Apr 2026
Original Parliament record
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