Will Forster MP: written questions
131 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Students: Fees and ChargesDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46569More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department monitors the fee levels charged by higher education providers to (a) Ukrainian students and (b) other students.
Answer: The government sets the maximum fees that higher education (HE) providers can charge home fee students on undergraduate courses. HE providers are autonomous and responsible for setting their own fees up to the maximum caps provided for in legislation. The...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordOverseas Students: UkraineDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46568More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 42205 on Overseas Students: Ukraine, what is meant by the term generally in relation to Ukrainian refugees qualifying for (a) home fee status and (b) student
Answer: The government sets the maximum fees that higher education (HE) providers can charge home fee students on undergraduate courses. HE providers are autonomous and responsible for setting their own fees up to the maximum caps provided for in legislation. The...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPackaging: RecyclingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46567More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme on meeting the Government’s circular economy goals.
Answer: Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) is the first step in realising the Government’s circular economy manifesto commitment. This forms part of a set of interconnected reforms, including Simpler Recycling in England, the Plastic Packaging ...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordConstruction: TrainingDepartment for EducationTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45398More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to amend the Construction Industry Training Board’s legislative scope order to include (a) plumbing and (b) electrical work.
Answer: Plumbing and electrical works are excluded from the Industrial Training Board’s (ITBs) current legislative scope order.The 2023 independent review of the two remaining ITBs, Construction and Engineering Construction, recommended that there should be consu...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordBeer: InvestmentDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45397More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme on brewers’ ability to invest in the UK; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of
Answer: In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme on packaging producers as a whole. This impact assessment did not split the assessment by sector.
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity CareDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45396More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support and expand Urgent Community Response teams.
Answer: Increasing access to urgent community response (UCR) services is a requirement within the 2025/26 NHS Operational Planning guidance, with integrated care board plans showing increases in capacity across the country. UCR also features as a key service with...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity CareDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45395More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of enabling urgent community response teams to administer urgent care at home.
Answer: Increasing access to urgent community response (UCR) services is a requirement within the 2025/26 NHS Operational Planning guidance, with integrated care board plans showing increases in capacity across the country. UCR also features as a key service with...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGaza: Aid WorkersForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43754More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many British aid workers are in Gaza.
Answer: We do not have exact figures for the number of British aid workers in Gaza. Humanitarian partners in Gaza are not required to provide staffing numbers to the UK government.
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordIsrael: Occupied TerritoriesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43749More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to formally respond to the International Court of Justice judgment on Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian Territories.
Answer: The UK is fully committed to international law and respects the independence of the International Court of Justice. We continue to consider the Court's Advisory Opinion carefully, with the seriousness and rigour it deserves.
Answered 23 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordM25: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43669More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to highway authorities affected by the M25/A3 roadworks to cover the increased wear and tear and maintenance costs on diversion routes.
Answer: The strategic and local road networks are frequently used to support diversions for one another, typically without the need for compensation from either party. From the early stages of the project, extensive engagement was undertaken with Surrey County Co...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordOverseas Students: UkraineDepartment for EducationTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42205More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the fee status is of Ukrainian refugees when applying for university; which fee level they fall under; and what financial support they are provided with.
Answer: Those who have been granted leave under one of the Ukraine schemes generally qualify for home fee status and higher education student support in England, without being required to meet the normal 3 year ordinary residence test.Higher education providers s...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGCSE: Sign LanguageDepartment for EducationTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42158More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a British Sign Language GCSE.
Answer: The department is in the process of developing a British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE. This landmark GCSE is an important step towards greater recognition of BSL as a language and will foster better communication between Deaf and hearing communities.The depar...
Answered 4 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGCSE: Ukrainian LanguageDepartment for EducationTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42156More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a GCSE in Ukrainian.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member for Woking to the answer of 2 April 2025 to Question HL5393.
Answered 4 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEstonia: Armed Forces and Armoured Fighting VehiclesMinistry of DefenceTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42155More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) troops, (b) tanks and (c) other military vehicles the United Kingdom had in Estonia on 27 March (i) 2025 and (ii) 2021.
Answer: Since 2017, the UK has been the Framework Nation to Estonia as part of the NATO construct, enhanced Force Presence (eFP). This construct provides members of the Alliance positioned along the Eastern Flank of NATO (Host Nations) with bilateral guarantees f...
Answered 4 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNATO: Military ExercisesMinistry of DefenceTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42154More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the United Kingdom is contributing to the NATO Hedgehog Exercises.
Answer: The UK has endorsed the deployment of 4 Brigade and four Typhoons to Exercise HEDGEHOG. The UK will provide roughly 2,500 Service personnel towards the exercise, in addition to the Forward Land Forces armoured battle group already deployed in Estonia, com...
Answered 4 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving Instruction: TrainingDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42109More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase the availability of approved driving instructor (ADI) tests; and if she will make it her policy to temporarily extend the two-year qualification period applicable
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) understands that waiting times remain high for approved driving instructor (ADI) tests and has a rolling programme of recruitment and training for ADI examiners.Since December 2024, the DVSA has also made ava...
Answered 2 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Insurance: PricesDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42054More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the extra cost of car insurance premiums faced by (a) all drivers and (b) those drivers who have not previously claimed.
Answer: The Government committed in its manifesto to tackle the high costs of motor insurance. Our cross-Government Motor Insurance Taskforce, launched in October, is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and the Financial Conduct Authority ...
Answered 1 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordUSA: Foreign PolicyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 903555More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen diplomatic cooperation with European allies in the context of US foreign policy.
Answer: In March, the Prime Minister convened international leaders to shape our support for Ukraine. The Foreign Secretary met EU High Representative Kallas, spoke to his Polish and French counterparts, and attended a Weimar+ meeting in Madrid. We are setting up...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordFirst Aid: TrainingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41765More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking through the NHS 10-Year Plan to improve public access to first aid (a) training and (b) equipment.
Answer: The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. The detail of the plan will be set out in due cour...
Answered 1 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDefibrillators and Heart Diseases: WokingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41763More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase (a) survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and (b) the availability of defibrillators in Woking.
Answer: In a bid to improve patients' survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, the Government has committed to improving access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving ...
Answered 1 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: Voluntary WorkDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41756More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to work with volunteers to (a) add resilience to the NHS workforce, (b) reduce waiting lists and (c) move care out-of-hospital and into the community.
Answer: The National Health Service has always benefitted from the generous support of volunteers. Volunteers will continue to play an important and complementary role in the NHS and care system, supporting patients, families, and staff.NHS England invested £10 m...
Answered 2 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordTurkey: Human RightsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41697More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Turkey.
Answer: The Government is closely monitoring the situation in Turkey. The UK expects Turkey to uphold its international commitments and the rule of law, including swift and transparent judicial processes. We have been engaging with the Turkish government and ther...
Answered 2 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPostnatal Care: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41633More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps with NHS England to improve the provision of respite homes for mums and babies post traumatic birth.
Answer: The Department recognises the significant physical and psychological consequences of birth trauma and the devastating impact this can have on some women. We are fully committed to improving the quality and consistency of care for women throughout pregnanc...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGlass: RecyclingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 20 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40125More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the brewing industry of extended producer responsibility fees on glass beer bottles.
Answer: It is the responsibility of producers to estimate the cost of their fees. Producers are required to submit the next round of 2024 data by 1 April 2025. Following this and pending satisfactory regulatory checks, Defra intend to use these data to publish pE...
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRussia: UkraineForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38926More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to provide funding to help (a) track and (b) return children kidnapped following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Answer: The UK has supported 'Save Ukraine', an NGO which helps to return Ukrainian children, and 'Bring Kids Back UA' through The Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine. We were pleased to see another group of children returned via Qatari mediation in Septembe...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament record
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