Wera Hobhouse MP: written questions
71 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Solar PowerDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 23 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122850More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the revised timeline for the Contracts for Difference eighth allocation round, what steps his Department is taking to support large solar projects that have begun planning f
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of providing clarity and certainty for investors and developers participating in the Contracts for Difference scheme, which is why we have confirmed we intend to open the next Allocation Round in July. We will conf...
Answered 31 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRenewable EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 23 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122849More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the alignment between the new timings for Contracts for Difference eighth allocation round and statutory planning decisions for large re
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of providing clarity and certainty for investors and developers participating in the Contracts for Difference scheme, which is why we have confirmed we intend to open the next Allocation Round in July. We will conf...
Answered 31 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: British Nationals AbroadDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121764More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether consideration was given to laying the provision maintaining the frozen pensions policy, currently within the Social Security Up-Rating Regulations 2026 laid on the 6 March, as a standalone instr
Answer: The Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations 2026 are in general consequential on the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2026 and can only be laid once the Up-rating Order has been approved by Parliament. The Up-rating Regulations were laid on...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: British Nationals AbroadDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121763More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will set out what criteria is used to determine whether provisions relating to the frozen overseas state pensions policy are laid under the Negative rather than Affirmative procedure.
Answer: The provisions in the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations 2026 cannot be included in the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2026 because the powers on which the Up-rating Order relies are insufficiently wide to include these provisions. T...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordEnergy: HousingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 115022More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Future Homes Standard on the delivery of high-quality, future-proofed homes that reduce energy bills for re
Answer: Homes built under the Future Homes Standard will be future proofed with low carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and cutting consumer energy bills. A full impact assessment will be published in due course....
Answered 3 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordJoint ReplacementsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 115010More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to help ensure that the merging of ICBs will not result in wider use of BMI as a pre-requisite for joint replacement surgery in England.
Answer: It is the responsibility of individual integrated care boards (ICBs) to determine clinical commissioning policies, such as eligibility for joint replacement surgery, for their local areas, including when an ICB is the result of a merger.As with all surger...
Answered 3 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRheumatology: RecruitmentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 115009More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the number of rheumatologists working in England.
Answer: We set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England that over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts, with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.This Government is commi...
Answered 3 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordIntegrated Care Boards: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 115008More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many integrated care boards have activity management plans in place; and which integrated care boards have activity management plans in place for planned care.
Answer: NHS England does not hold this information centrally. Integrated care boards have contractual powers to manage activity by providers, which were enhanced in 2025/26 with central support for setting and managing activity. The NHS Standard Contract includes...
Answered 3 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordEating Disorders: ResearchDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113693More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department are taking to help support the Eating Disorders Genetic Initiative UK, including to improve understanding of the genetic and environmental factors associated with such con
Answer: The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care including eating disorders.Through the...
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordEating Disorders: Mental Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113692More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Royal College of Psychiatrists' report entitled National Audit of Eating Disorders Service Mapping Report 2025, published in December 2025, what assessment he has made of the
Answer: While no such specific assessment has been made, we recognise the devastating impact an eating disorder can have on someone’s life, and that the earlier treatment is provided, the greater the chance of recovery. We are carefully considering the findings o...
Answered 3 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordMental Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113691More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will take forward the recommendations of the report entitled Mental health clinically-led review of standards - Models of care and measurement: consultation response, publish
Answer: Following the clinically-led review, data is now available showing the number of referrals for urgent mental health crisis care (specifically Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Teams), by level of urgency, and the number responded to within the appropri...
Answered 3 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordEating Disorders: Children and Young PeopleDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113690More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of commissioning national training to support the workforce delivering eating disorder services for children and young people.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that the workforce delivering eating disorder services for children and young people has the right skills and training.NHS England already has extensive eating disorder training in place for staff acros...
Answered 3 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordEating Disorders: Children and Young PeopleDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113689More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to help reduce geographic variation in waiting times for children and young people to start community eating disorder treatment.
Answer: The Government recognises that there is unacceptable geographic variation in waiting times for children and young people accessing community eating disorder treatment.We are reforming eating disorder services to ensure that children and young people can a...
Answered 3 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordEating Disorders: Children and Young PeopleDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113688More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in the waiting times for children and young people to start community eating disorder treatment, based on the data published by NHS England.
Answer: The Government keeps waiting time data for children and young people’s community eating disorder services under close review, drawing on the statistics published regularly by NHS England.We recognise that demand for eating disorder services has increased ...
Answered 3 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHeart Diseases: BathDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111783More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) increase survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and (b) increase the availability of defibrillators in Bath.
Answer: In order to increase survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, NHS England has worked in partnership with St John’s Ambulance and others to increase access to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training. Local ambulance trusts, charities includ...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordFirst Aid: CurriculumDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111782More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance and support are provided to schools to meet basic first aid requirements in the curriculum, including CPR and defibrillator awareness.
Answer: All state funded schools are required to teach first aid as part of the statutory health education set out in the Relationships, Sex and Health education (RSHE) statutory guidance. Independent schools are required to cover health education as part of thei...
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordYouth Services: FinanceDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111781More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her proposed timetable is for announcing current and future funding streams for the National Youth Strategy including Richer Young Lives, Youth Facilities and the Youth Workforce.
Answer: ‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’ is a 10 year plan to ensure every young person across the country has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of.This is backed by over £500 million of new youth funding over...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordYouth Services: Voluntary WorkDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111780More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the contribution of uniformed and non-uniformed youth volunteering organisations to the aims of the National Youth Strategy.
Answer: On the 10th December 2025, the Government published ‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’. It is a 10 year plan to ensure every young person across the country has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of. It i...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordYoung Futures Hubs: First AidDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111779More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will review the inclusion of first aid education within Young Futures Hubs after the initial phase of early adopters.
Answer: Specific services and activities available in each hub will depend on the needs of the community and its young people, with a focus on upstream intervention. Some Young Futures Hubs may choose to include first aid education.
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordHeat BatteriesTreasuryTabled 8 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97939More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of including heat batteries for central heating on the list of Energy Saving Materials.
Answer: Installations of qualifying energy-saving materials (ESMs) in residential accommodation and buildings used solely for a charitable purpose benefit from a temporary VAT zero rate until March 2027, after which they will revert to the reduced rate of VAT at ...
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPupils: Eating DisordersDepartment for EducationTabled 8 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97922More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure school staff have access to training and resources to identify and support pupils at risk of developing an eating disorder.
Answer: Education staff’s daily contact with pupils enables them to identify those who may need support and make timely referrals to the appropriate services.To support them, the department provides a range of guidance and practical resources to help them identif...
Answered 7 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordNuclear Liabilities Financing Assurance BoardDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97287More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when the Nuclear Liabilities Financing Assurance Board last met; and whether the minutes from previous meetings in the last 10 years will be published.
Answer: The NLFAB last met on 27 November 2025. Due to commercial sensitivities the NLFAB minutes are not published. However, the full NLFAB report and supplementary Annexes which were issued to the Secretary of State to inform his decision on the Sizewell C Fund...
Answered 12 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97285More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she will set out the reasons for the reduction in the Fair Access Limit for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund from £5,000 to £3,000 from April 2025; and what assessment she has made of
Answer: The new criteria for the adoption and special guardianship support fund will enable as many children and families as possible to access support. So far this year, nearly 14,000 applications have been approved. The department continues to monitor and asses...
Answered 15 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRecyclingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 25 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94453More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she intends to publish the Circular Economy Growth Plan; and what opportunity stakeholders will have to formally respond to plan.
Answer: This Government remains committed to transitioning towards a circular economy and driving economic growth. This is why we will publish our Circular Economy Growth Plan in the new year that sets out how government will deliver a more circular and more pros...
Answered 3 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy SupplyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 25 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94446More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his Department will publish modelling undertaken by Ofgem on how suppliers may respond to projected Transmission Use of System charge increases over the 2026-31 price control period.
Answer: Ofgem, as the independent regulator, sets funding and investment allowances for gas and electricity transmission, and gas distribution networks through its RIIO-3 price control process. Final Determinations for RIIO-3 will be confirmed by Ofgem in Decembe...
Answered 3 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
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