Zöe Franklin MP: written questions 2026
158 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Artificial Intelligence: TrainingDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126029More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what processes are in place to assess the performance of external providers commissioned to deliver Government-funded AI training courses.
Answer: The government is committed to building a digitally skilled workforce to support long-term economic growth, drive innovation and expand individual opportunity. As part of this ambition, DSIT has launched the AI Skills Boost campaign to upskill 10 million ...
Answered 20 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordNoise: SafetyDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 125754More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to help prevent noise-induced hearing damage and tinnitus at live music events; and whether he is considering (a) guidance and (b) regulation to promote saf
Answer: There is no specific legislation setting limits for the audience exposure to noise and the Government has no plans to legislate further in this area at present. However, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides advice for when noise levels are expec...
Answered 20 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: PlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 125753More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's press release "Housebuilding around train stations will be given default yes" published on 18 November 2025, whether he pans to define the area
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 122451 on 1 April 2026.
Answered 20 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordAstronomy and Space: FinanceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 23 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 123095More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with the Science and Technology Facilities Council on proposed reductions to funding for astronomy and space science; and what assessment she has made of th
Answer: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has committed a record £58.5 billion investment in R&D over the next 4 years. This includes £38.6 billion allocated to UKRI. The overall Government spend on R&D over the next 4 years is ...
Answered 31 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: Disability and Older PeopleMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 123094More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of national planning policy in supporting the delivery of adaptable housing.
Answer: Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals for local planning authorities to set requirements f...
Answered 31 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 123093More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework on the ability of charitable housing providers to me
Answer: Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, did not propose to amend the NPPF definition of affordable housing to i...
Answered 31 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAlmshouses: Affordable HousingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 123092More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the draft National Planning Policy Framework, whether almshouses and other charitable housing providers are treated as affordable housing for planning purposes.
Answer: Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, did not propose to amend the NPPF definition of affordable housing to i...
Answered 31 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordFlats: Fire PreventionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 123091More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to extend statutory leaseholder protections to residents in buildings under 11 metres where freeholders seek to pass on the cost of remediation or other major w
Answer: Regarding cladding, the Department is committed to protecting residential leaseholders from bearing the costs of remediating historic fire safety-related defects as far as is proportionate and offering support to both residents and leaseholders.The Remedi...
Answered 13 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordLeasehold: Service ChargesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 123090More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the extent to which leaseholders are protected from unreasonable service charges and other costs passed on by freeholders.
Answer: On 4 July 2025, the government published a consultation, jointly with the Welsh Government, on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. The consultation included proposals to increase transparency over service charges and enhance a...
Answered 31 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordStudents: HousingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121987More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of recent housing and tenancy reforms on student accommodation.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 59225 on 19 June 2025.
Answered 1 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordVisas: Care WorkersHome OfficeTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121955More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure that delays in deciding visa extension and in-country switching applications for existing care workers do not lead to the loss of experienced staff from care ho
Answer: UK Visas and Immigration is not currently experiencing any delays in the processing of visa extensions or applications for switching in-country. Up to date processing times can be found at: Visa processing times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK, and,...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal government: ElectionsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121035More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of standalone council elections that do not align with another principal authority as a result of local government
Answer: Where the government makes a structural changes order to implement a proposal for local government reorganisation in an area, the legislation can provide for the alignment of parish councils to the electoral cycle of their new principal council. This is a...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Licences: Older PeopleDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119755More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has held discussions with optical providers on participation in a scheme for eyesight testing for drivers aged 70 and over renewing their licence; and whether she is taking steps to ensur
Answer: On 7 January 2026 we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. Alongside the strategy, we launched five consultations including a consultation on introducing mandatory eyesight testing for olde...
Answered 17 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordNHS: Conditions of EmploymentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117578More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of staff providing NHS services being employed on different contractual terms to NHS Agenda for Change staff on (a) equality and (b) the workforc
Answer: This specific assessment has not been made. Independent organisations commissioned by the National Health Service in England, such as general practices or social enterprises, are free to develop and adapt their own terms and conditions of employment, incl...
Answered 11 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordNHS: Conditions of EmploymentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117577More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that NHS commissioning ensures equivalent employment practices in outsourced NHS services.
Answer: The Government is committed to making work pay and ensuring that outsourced services are delivered in a way that improves quality, gives greater stability and longer-term investment in the workforce, and delivers better value for money as part of the broa...
Answered 11 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordBreast Cancer: ScreeningDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117576More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of commissioning arrangements in NHS breast screening services that result in staff providing NHS services being employe
Answer: Breast screening services that deliver the NHS Breast Screening Programme are mainly within National Health Service trusts, with staff on Agenda for Change terms or conditions or medical staff on the consultant, both medical and dental, pay scale. The exc...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: ElectionsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 115978More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has produced a risk assessment on the ability of local authorities affected by the reversal of the 2026 local election postponement to deliver those electi
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement of 23 February (HCWS1349). It is a longstanding principle that government does not comment on or publish legal advice. Councils are being supported to deliver elections. The...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: ElectionsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 115977More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much his Department has paid for legal costs arising from proceedings concerning the proposed postponement of the 2026 local elections.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement of 23 February (HCWS1349). It is a longstanding principle that government does not comment on or publish legal advice. Councils are being supported to deliver elections. The...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: ElectionsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 115976More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to local authorities arising from the postponement of the 2026 local elections and the subsequent reversal of that decision; and
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement of 23 February (HCWS1349). It is a longstanding principle that government does not comment on or publish legal advice. Councils are being supported to deliver elections. The...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: ElectionsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 115975More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he consulted (a) Cabinet and (b) the Prime Minister prior to the decision to (i) postpone the 2026 local elections and (ii) reverse that postponement.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement of 23 February (HCWS1349). It is a longstanding principle that government does not comment on or publish legal advice. Councils are being supported to deliver elections. The...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: ElectionsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 115974More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he sought legal advice prior to the decision to postpone the scheduled 2026 local elections.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement of 23 February (HCWS1349). It is a longstanding principle that government does not comment on or publish legal advice. Councils are being supported to deliver elections. The...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordChildren: ProtectionHome OfficeTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114523More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what operational guidance (including authorised professional practice, College of Policing guidance, National Police Chiefs’ Council guidance, or Home Office circulars) governs police involvement in s
Answer: The police play a vital role in safeguarding children and relevant guidance materials. This includes the College of Policing's Authorised Professional Practice (APP) and the statutory guidance for safeguarding partners Working Together to Safeguard Childr...
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordCommunity Protection Notices: Mental HealthHome OfficeTabled 6 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111548More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of use of Community Protection Warnings in cases involving people experiencing a mental health crisis
Answer: The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, 2014 (‘the 2014 Act’) provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers that they can use to respond to anti-social behaviour. This includes Community Protec...
Answered 16 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordLegal Aid SchemeMinistry of JusticeTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110625More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to prevent individuals subject to active civil court orders from receiving Legal Aid.
Answer: Anyone can receive civil legal aid, provided that their case is in scope of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) and they pass the applicable means and merits tests, along with any necessary evidence requirements.Criminal...
Answered 11 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordLegal Aid SchemeMinistry of JusticeTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110624More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to monitor and evaluate the adequacy of Legal Aid funding awarded under the Schedule 1 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.
Answer: Schedule 1 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) describes the civil services in scope of legal aid under s.9 LASPO.In January 2023, the Ministry of Justice launched a comprehensive Review of Civil Legal Aid (RoCLA), to...
Answered 11 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
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