Will Forster MP: written questions
417 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Pension Credit: WokingDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55904More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are (a) eligible for pension credit and (b) have yet to apply for it in Woking constituency.
Answer: Published DWP Pension Credit Take-up statistics estimate that up to 760,000 households who were entitled to receive Pension Credit did not claim the benefit. These statistics are only available at Great Britain level and cannot be broken down to smaller g...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPension Credit: WokingDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55903More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have applied for Pension Credit in Woking constituency since 29 July 2024.
Answer: Statistics on Pension Credit application volumes, for Great Britain only, were published on 29th May 2025. This includes numbers of applications that were received, awarded and not awarded, and outstanding, from week commencing 3rd April 2023 up to week c...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordWaterloo StationDepartment for TransportTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55902More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has considered improving pedestrian (a) access and (b) egress at Waterloo Station.
Answer: There are a series of improvement works underway at Waterloo station to improve pedestrian access and egress, including the recent refurbishment of the lift to Waterloo Road and with further escalator works to be completed by summer 2026. Network Rail is ...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: WokingDepartment for TransportTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55901More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking following the nationalisation of South Western Railway to improve (a) train services and (b) access to train stations in Woking.
Answer: South Western Railway (SWR) services transferred into public ownership on 25 May. This was a watershed moment in our work to return the railways to the service of passengers. The new Managing Director of SWR will develop a detailed plan to improve perform...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordRegeneration: WokingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55900More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether levels of deprivation in (a) Goldsworth Park, (b) Canalside ward and (c) other areas are taken into account when deciding levels of funding allocated to local authoritie
Answer: In the 2025-26 Settlement, the new, one-off, Recovery Grant, worth £600 million, was targeted towards areas with greater need and demand for services, with deprivation used as a proxy for this, and less ability to raise income locally. The metrics used ar...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: WokingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55899More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has considered extending the remit of Woking Borough Council’s Commissioners to assist the new shadow unitary authority in Woking following local government reorganis
Answer: Commissioners were appointed to Woking Borough Council in 2023 to facilitate recovery and improvement, following historic commercial mismanagement and major governance failures, with the Council having accumulated an extraordinary level of debt, far excee...
Answered 5 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: WokingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55898More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help support the construction of new homes in Woking constituency that have planning permission but construction has not yet commenced.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the Planning Reform Working Paper: Speeding Up Build Out (which can be found on gov.uk here) and the technical consultation on implementing measure to improve Build Out transparency (which can be found on gov.uk here) published ...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordBuildings: WokingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55897More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many of the (a) rejected and (b) withdrawn applications to the Building Safety Regulator under the Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (England) Regulations 2023 wer
Answer: Building Safety Regulator officials have confirmed that there have been no building control applications for approval (regardless of application status or outcome) in any of the postcodes that make up the Woking constituency (GU18-24 and KT14-18).
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: SurreyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55895More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has for new specialist mental health crisis centres in Surrey.
Answer: Individuals experiencing a mental health crisis in Surrey can access support 24/7 through the Mental Health Crisis Helpline, operated by the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. The service is staffed by trained professionals who provide i...
Answered 10 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPalestinians: Recognition of StatesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55894More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to recognise the State of Palestine following the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implem
Answer: The UK commitment to a two-state solution is unwavering. On the 25 May at the Madrid conference, I met with partners to discuss how to deliver a two-state solution with a reconstructed Gaza no longer run by Hamas. We are committed to recognising a Palest...
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSewage: DorsetDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55893More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many sewage discharges there have been into the (a) River Bourne, (b) River Wey and (c) Hoe Stream in the last five years.
Answer: The Environment Agency (EA) has reviewed its records of sewage related pollution incidents in the Woking constituency in the last five years. This shows the Addlestone Bourne has had two incidents, the River Wey/Navigation has had one incident, and the Ho...
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordDedicated Schools Grant: SurreyDepartment for EducationTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55892More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to consider Surrey County Council's request to extend the deadline for balancing the Dedicated Schools Grant by 2026-27.
Answer: The department is continuing to work with Surrey County Council to deliver their safety valve plan, including ongoing support from both financial and special educational needs and disabilities advisers. We regularly review the implementation of all safety...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordDedicated Schools Grant: SurreyDepartment for EducationTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55891More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to help ensure that Surrey County Council meets its Safety Valve support package conditions.
Answer: The department is continuing to work with Surrey County Council to deliver their safety valve plan, including ongoing support from both financial and special educational needs and disabilities advisers. We regularly review the implementation of all safety...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordTrade Agreements: USADepartment for Business and TradeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55890More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an estimate of the number of (a) businesses and (b) people in Woking that will benefit from the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal.
Answer: The Economic Prosperity Deal is a unique deal that ensures the most important UK industries are protected. This deal protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors - sectors that employ around 29,000 people across ...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordTrade Agreements: IndiaDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55887More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an estimate of the number of (a) businesses and (b) people in Woking that will benefit from the UK-India Free Trade Agreement.
Answer: This comprehensive agreement is estimated to increase bilateral trade by £25.5 billion, increase UK GDP by £4.8 billion and boost wages by £2.2 billion each and every year in the long run. This deal will unlock new opportunities for businesses and consume...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: InsulationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52799More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to prevent leaseholders from absorbing the cost of increases in insurance premiums for buildings undergoing remediation works for flammable cl
Answer: Leaseholders are usually responsible for paying for buildings insurance, according to the terms of their lease. Buildings insurance premiums for all buildings have risen considerably since the Grenfell tragedy; some leaseholders in buildings with fire saf...
Answered 22 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving TestsDepartment for TransportTabled 15 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52798More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the length of time for which a driving theory test certificate is valid.
Answer: It is important road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point a person drives unsupervised for the first time. The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is i...
Answered 22 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRenewable Energy: National GridDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 15 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52797More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many renewable energy projects are waiting to be connected to the National Grid.
Answer: Data from the National Energy System Operator (NESO) shows there were 1759 renewable energy projects in the transmission queue at the end of March 2025.
Answered 23 May 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: Post-traumatic Stress DisorderDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52796More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) support, (b) benefits and (c) resources her Department provides to (i) humanitarian and (ii) healthcare workers with PTSD who have worked in warzones and are unable to return to work.
Answer: For all Universal Credit (UC) customers with health conditions and disabilities additional support is based on the outcome of a Work Capability Assessment (WCA). The outcome may be that they are found to have Limited Capability for Work (LCW), Limited Cap...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordTomography: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52527More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has considered providing dedicated capital funding for new (a) MRI and (b) CT scanners for radiotherapy departments.
Answer: The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the reforms needed to return to the 18-week Referral to Treatment (RTT) constitutional standard by March 2029, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015. This will inc...
Answered 22 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRadiotherapy: ProcurementDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52526More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to review the use of block contracts for radiotherapy services, in the context of (a) recent trends in levels of patient numbers and (b) Lord Darzi's Independent Investigation of t
Answer: NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for ensuring that the healthcare needs of local communities are met. These responsibilities include ensuring adequate healthcare provision, care, and wider support for local populations, including...
Answered 22 May 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Professions: RecruitmentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52525More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of (a) clinical oncologists, (b) therapeutic radiographers, (c) medical physicists and (d) engineers as part of the NHS 10 year plan.
Answer: A central part of the 10-Year Health Plan will be our workforce and those who support our workforce, and how we ensure the National Health Service has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordIndia: PakistanForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52524More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support people affected by political persecution in the India- Pakistan conflict.
Answer: The agreement to cease further military action reached on 10 May is a hugely welcome development. The UK's long-standing position is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting political resolution on Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordHeat Networks: RegulationDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52523More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to extend Ofgem’s regulatory powers to include heat networks.
Answer: DESNZ is introducing heat network regulation which aims to provide consumers with comparable protections to existing gas and electricity regulations. This new regulatory framework was signed into law earlier this year, establishing Ofgem as the market reg...
Answered 20 May 2025
Original Parliament recordReservoirs: ConstructionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52155More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with (a) water companies and (b) local authorities on building new reservoirs to ensure water security.
Answer: Ministers and officials have regular discussions with a range of stakeholders, including water companies and local authorities, on many issues related to the water sector. Water companies have a statutory duty to provide a secure supply of water for custo...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament record
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