Dan Norris Portrait

Dan Norris

Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham

5,319 (10.4%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 4th July 2024


1 APPG membership (as of 7 May 2025)
War Crimes
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) (Rural Affairs and Environment)
9th Jun 2009 - 6th May 2010
Members' Allowances
9th Feb 2009 - 6th May 2010
Human Rights (Joint Committee)
12th Jul 2005 - 17th Jul 2006
Assistant Whip (HM Treasury)
12th Jun 2001 - 13th Jun 2003


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Dan Norris has voted in 77 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Dan Norris Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour)
(3 debate interactions)
Lisa Nandy (Labour)
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
(3 debate interactions)
Lola McEvoy (Labour)
(2 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Legislation Debates
Dan Norris has not made any spoken contributions to legislative debate
View all Dan Norris's debates

North East Somerset and Hanham Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Dan Norris has not participated in any petition debates

Latest EDMs signed by Dan Norris

Dan Norris has not signed any Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Dan Norris, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Dan Norris has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Dan Norris has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

Dan Norris has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Dan Norris has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
13th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information his Department holds on the number of breaches of minimum wage legislation by employers in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency in the last three years.

Data on National Minimum Wage (NMW) breaches by region is available in the published government’s Enforcement and Compliance report at: National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage: government evidence on enforcement and compliance, 2023 - GOV.UK

Region

Year

Jobs paid below minimum wage

South West

2020/21

18,000

2021/22

44,000

2022/23

31,000

Justin Madders
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support small businesses in rural areas in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Small businesses are the beating heart of our high streets, our communities, and essential to our economic success. This Government will hardwire the voice of small business into everything we do.

Businesses in North East Somerset and Hanham can access support through the West of England Growth Hub, which provides businesses of all sizes and sectors with advice and support throughout the business journey.

The Government provides further support for small businesses through Business Support Service, Help to Grow, the UK Export Academy, International Trade Advisors, the Export Support Service, and the British Business Bank.

Gareth Thomas
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
25th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support people who rely on heating oil in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

The government will continue to deliver the Warm Home Discount which provides a £150 annual rebate on energy bills for eligible low-income households. We will invest an extra £13.2 billion through our Warm Homes Plan over the next Parliament to upgrade 5 million homes and cut bills for families.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
10th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to support research into artificial intelligence.

The Government actively supports AI research by collaborating with academic institutions and industry, investing in talent development, and funding research projects.

UKRI has allocated over £1 billion to AI research including doctoral training, the Alan Turing Institute, Bridge AI, Responsible AI UK, and BRAID programmes.

We are focused on reducing barriers to research through initiatives such as AISI’s Systemic Safety Grants Programme, which provides funding of up to £200,000 to innovative projects addressing AI risks.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help support (a) residents and (b) businesses without a broadband connection ahead of the proposed public switched telephone network switch-off in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

The government is focused on ensuring that the industry-led switch-off of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) will cause minimum inconvenience to residents and businesses and is working with the industry to ensure safe and secure transition. A customer's PSTN landline will not be switched off unless an alternative connection is available, and since Voice over internet Protocol landline only requires a minimum stable connection, landline-only customers can order it without purchasing a broadband connection.

The Department will shortly publish a definition of customers who will require additional support from their communication providers during the PSTN switch-off. This includes landline-dependent customers. The government has also published guidance on how residential and business consumers can prepare for the PSTN switch-off. The link for guidance is: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-transition-from-analogue-to-digital-landlines

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help improve mobile phone coverage in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

The Government is committed to improving UK mobile coverage. Ofcom’s reporting shows that 92% of the then constituency of North East Somerset had 4G geographic coverage from all four mobile operators, and non-standalone 5G is available from at least one mobile operator outside 94% of premises. I am aware that Ofcom’s data does not always reflect consumers’ experience at a local level, and I am intent on ensuring Ofcom takes all necessary steps to improve its accuracy.

Our ambition is for all populated areas to have high-quality standalone 5G by 2030, and we are committed to ensuring we have the right policy and regulatory framework to support investment and competition.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help improve broadband coverage in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

According to the independent website ThinkBroadband.com, over 98% of premises in the North East Somerset and Hanham constituency have access to superfast broadband speeds (>=30 Mbps) and over 86% can access a gigabit-capable (>1000 Mbps) connection.

Remaining premises that are not expected to receive an upgrade through suppliers’ commercial rollout are being considered for support through Project Gigabit. Under a framework agreement with Openreach, we plan to procure a contract to deliver fast, reliable broadband to eligible premises in the area.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with Ofcom on tackling child sexual abuse via the Online Safety Act 2023.

Ministers have regular meetings with Ofcom on a range of subjects, including on providers’ duties to tackle child sexual abuse via the Online Safety Act and ensuring effective implementation of the Act’s duties. Both the Secretary of State and the Minister for the Future Digital Economy and Online Safety have met with Ofcom’s Chief Executive to discuss Ofcom’s work in ensuring children are protected online. The strongest protections in the Online Safety Act are against child sexual abuse and exploitation. Details of Ministerial meetings are published on the gov.uk website.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
8th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an estimate of the number of (a) domestic and (b) international tourists visiting North East Somerset and Hanham constituency annually.

This data is shared by all constituencies in the ceremonial county of Somerset:

  • Inbound: Somerset saw 496K visits, 3.2M nights, and a spend of £296M in 2022.

  • Domestic: Somerset saw 2M trips, 6.7M bednights, and a spend of £460.4M - annual average based on 24 months between Sep 21-Sep 23

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
14th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to next update guidance on removing pupils from the classroom.

In July 2022, the department published the updated ‘behaviour in schools’ guidance, which is the primary source of advice for schools on developing and implementing a behaviour policy, providing clarity and support to schools on removing pupils from the classroom.

Updates to the guidance were informed by a call for evidence in June 2021 and public consultation in March 2022.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent guidance her Department has provided on best practice for (a) responding to disclosures of bullying and (b) managing complex cases of bullying in schools.

All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying. They have the freedom to develop their own anti-bullying strategies appropriate to their environment and are held to account by Ofsted.

The department has published guidance for schools, which outlines schools’ responsibilities to support children who are bullied. These responsibilities to support children who are bullied include where bullying has a severe impact and the bullying incident should be addressed as a child protection concern under the Children Act 1989, where there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or where a child is likely to suffer significant harm. The guidance makes clear that schools should make appropriate provision for a bullied child's social, emotional and mental health needs. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
20th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his plans to tackle wildlife crime are in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects all wild birds and some wild animals in England and Wales. There are strict penalties in place for anyone who commits an offence under this and other wildlife legislation. Where any wildlife is harmed illegally the full force of the law should apply to proven perpetrators of the crime.

Defra supports the valuable work of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). Defra is providing £424,000 for the NWCU in 2025-2026. The NWCU helps prevent and detect wildlife crime by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis which highlights local or national threats and assisting law enforcers with investigations. The NWCU has also provided training to police officers across the UK, including three officers in Avon and Somerset Police. This training reflects the National Police Chiefs' Council wildlife crime strategy and provides comprehensive training in UK wildlife crime priorities and emerging trends. Additionally, the NWCU has supported Avon and Somerset with ten wildlife crime cases since January 2024.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
19th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many trees he expects to be planted in the Western Forest by the end of (a) 2025, (b) 2030, (c) 2035 and (d) 2040.

The Western Forest has been selected as the first new national Forest in 30 years. The Western Forest is working with the National Forest Company to implement their plans. It is aiming to plant 20 million trees across the West of England by 2050. The forests target for end 2025 is 50 hectares of tree cover and contributing to 2,500 hectares by 2030. As planting density varies dependent on the type of woodland created or site-specific factors, we cannot accurately predict the number of trees to be planted by specific milestones.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
13th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timeline is for launching a consultation on the phasing out of the use of cages for farm animals.

I refer the Hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole, Vikki Slade, on 29 April 2025, PQ 47556.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
13th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take with the farming sector to ensure high standards of welfare for farmed animals kept in cages and other close confinement systems.

This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Department is engaging with key stakeholders as part of the development of our overarching approach to animal welfare. We will be outlining more details on this in due course.

The Laying Hen Housing for Health and Welfare Grant was recently offered to commercial laying hen and pullet keepers in England. It supports these farmers to improve the health, welfare, and productivity of their flocks through access to £22.6 million in grants towards the cost of upgrading their housing. Applications closed on 18 September 2024, and all applicants have been contacted to notify them of next steps.

The use of cages and other close confinement systems for farmed animals is an issue which we are currently considering very carefully.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
27th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with authorities responsible for local nature recovery strategies on the land use framework consultation.

The consultation on Land Use in England is underway and the outcome will inform the publication of a Land Use Framework planned for later this year. Many of the authorities responsible for Local Nature Recovery Strategies were involved in discussions that informed the proposals and questions in the Land Use Consultation

During the consultation period, Government officials will be consulting with a wide range of respondents, including authorities responsible for Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
13th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) pheasants and (b) partridges were imported for shooting in 2024.

See the below table showing the number of Partridges and Pheasants imported into Great Britain in 2024. We cannot confirm whether the purpose of these imports was for hunting, as this is not recorded on the Import of products, animals, food and feed (IPAFF) system.

Species

Number of animals

Partridges

455,194

Pheasants

487,488

Total

942,682

This information is drawn from external IPAFF systems not directly controlled by the department.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
16th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he has made on meeting the UK's obligations under the (a) United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 10 and (b) Paris Agreement.

The 2015 Paris Agreement, Article 7 established the global goal on adaptation. At COP28, the UK adopted the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience and agreed to launch a two-year work programme on indicators related to those targets. Defra is working to meet these targets alongside other Government departments.

The UK has a Paris Agreement aligned, ambitious and credible Nationally Determined Contribution target to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81% by 2035, compared to 1990 levels, excluding international aviation and shipping emissions.

The UK submitted its first UNFCCC Biennial Transparency Report in December 2024, detailing the UK’s mitigation efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and support for developing countries to tackle climate change.

The UK over-achieved against the first, second and third carbon budgets. We will deliver an updated Plan in due course out to the end of Carbon Budget 6 in 2037 with full detail of policy packages for all sectors.

Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what animal welfare protections exist for farmed animals at slaughterhouses.

The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015 and assimilated Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing set out extensive requirements to protect the welfare of animals at slaughterhouses. Official Veterinarians of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are present in all approved slaughterhouses to monitor and enforce these animal welfare requirements. The FSA has a zero-tolerance policy to animal welfare breaches and will take appropriate action where these occur.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the RSPCA on animal cruelty at RSPCA-approved abattoirs.

The Department engages regularly with the RSPCA on a range of animal welfare topics.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many prosecutions there have been for slaughterhouses in England not having CCTV in the last five years.

All approved slaughterhouses in England must have CCTV systems installed as required by the Mandatory Use of Closed-Circuit Television in Slaughterhouses (England) Regulations 2018. There have been no prosecutions for slaughterhouses in England for not having CCTV in the last five years.

Where non-compliances with the legislation are identified the Food Standards Agency will apply their enforcement hierarchy, from verbal and written warnings to enforcement notices and referral to the Crown Prosecution Service for prosecution.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
4th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for publishing a response to the Fairer Food Labelling consultation, which closed in May 2024.

A public consultation on fairer food labelling was undertaken between March and May 2024 by the previous Government. This sought views on proposals to improve and extend current mandatory method of production labelling. The consultation also sought views on whether new rules should be introduced on country-of-origin labelling. We are now carefully considering all responses before deciding on next steps and will respond to this consultation in due course.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
21st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the outcomes of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16); and what steps he is taking to help achieve those outcomes.

The UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) was the first opportunity for Parties to take stock of the progress made in implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) adopted at COP15. 27 important decisions were taken at COP16, including relating to climate change, health, and the marine environment. The decision adopted on digital sequence information (DSI) on genetic resources agreed the modalities for operationalising the multilateral benefit sharing mechanism for the use of DSI, and this has the potential to generate new financial resources for nature restoration globally. At the same time, the Government remains disappointed that COP16 concluded before it was possible to reach an agreement on the strategy for mobilising more international finance for nature, and we look forward to resuming discussions on this critical issue as quickly as possible.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
8th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the import of (a) beef, (b) lamb and (c) mutton through the free trade agreement between the UK and Australia on UK farmers.

This Government's commitment to farmers and the vital role they play, remains steadfast. We will never forget that farmers are the beating heart of our great country. It is their hard work that puts food on our tables and stewards our beautiful countryside.

The Government's estimate of the potential economic impact of the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) can be found in the published Impact Assessment (IA), and suggests that gross output could be reduced by around 3% for beef and 5% for sheepmeat. Since the FTA came into force on the 31st May 2023, imports from Australia have not yet reached the levels estimated in the IA. Australia continues to focus on geographically closer markets and used 20% of its sheepmeat quota and 8% of its beef quota in 2023 since the FTA has been in force.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with national park authorities where trail hunting takes place.

This is a devolved matter with regard to Scotland and Northern Ireland; hunting with dogs is a reserved matter with respect to Wales and therefore, the information provided relates to England and Wales only.

The Government committed to enacting a ban on Trail Hunting in line with our manifesto commitment. Work to determine the best approach for doing so is ongoing and is at a very early stage. Initial discussions have been held with officials from other departments but, to date, none have taken place with the National Parks Authorities.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help mitigate the risk from Asian hornets to bees.

Contingency action has been taken against the Yellow-Legged Hornet (YLH) since the first GB incursion in 2016. Contingency action is delivered on the ground by the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit (NBU). The NBU have located and destroyed 1-4 nests each year since 2016. However, in 2023 72 nests were located and destroyed.

Genetic analysis of hornet samples is carried out to inform the response for the following year. From the analysis of samples from 2023, some areas were identified where there was a risk that hornet queens may have been released, overwintered and created new nests in the spring.

In 2024 the NBU carried out spring trapping at these locations and caught a small number of lone hornets. Results from analyses of these hornets provided evidence that hornets had overwintered. However, this is not considered to be evidence of YLH being established in GB.

From August 2024 the NBU have been responding to credible sightings of YLH and as of 7th October 2024, have located and destroyed 19 YLH nests.

Raising awareness is a key aspect of the response, allowing swift and effective action to be taken to stamp out the threat posed by Asian hornets.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the devolved administrations on a timetable for introducing activity regulations under the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023.

Animal welfare is a devolved matter and we continue to work closely with the devolved administrations on animal welfare policies.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
25th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the continued use of neonicotinoid pesticides on bee populations.

This government recognises that nature is at a crisis point across Britain. We will therefore change existing policies to prevent the use of those neonicotinoid pesticides that threaten our vital pollinators.

Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
13th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on a land use framework.

Yes, I can reassure My Honourable Friend that our departments are working closely together to deliver on this manifesto commitment. You will notice that the recently published consultation on the principles for a land use framework specifically reference transport issues and include questions about its role. This is because both departments recognise:

- that different spatial choices will impact trip generation and travel patterns;

- that transport data – such as our emerging national measure of connectivity – are key to guide decisions about land; and

- that vision-led approaches can help better coordinate land use and transport issues.

I can reassure My Honourable Friend that we will continue to work closely with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on land use questions; firstly, to respond to the representations received through the consultation and then to ensure that transport issues and fully considered in the future development of the Land Use Framework.

Mike Kane
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
13th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to create (a) cycling and (b) walking routes (i) to and (ii) through green spaces.

Active Travel England (ATE) recently announced £222.5 million of funding for local authorities to support the development and build out of local networks. It is for local authorities to decide on priorities for this investment, including to and through green spaces.

In addition, ATE is providing £30 million to Sustrans to develop the National Cycle Network in both rural and urban areas. This is on top of £100,000 previously awarded to each National Park Authority in England to develop active travel network plans. These are also designed to improve access to green space for residents and visitors alike.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Great Western Railway trains were cancelled due to lack of drivers in December 2024.

Great Western Railway cancelled just under two per cent of total services in December due to driver related issues, particularly on Sundays. We acknowledge that performance is not where it needs to be on Great Western Railway and the Department is working closely with the Operator to improve performance and ensure greater resilience going forward.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many reports of untaxed vehicles the DVLA have sent to NSL Services Ltd in (a) Bath and North East Somerset, (b) South Gloucestershire and (c) England.

The information requested can only be provided at disproportionate cost. A scan of both the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency’s and the NSL Services Ltd databases would be required. Subsequent manual scrutiny and organisation of the data would be necessary to obtain the information requested.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many enforcement visits NSL Services Ltd made in (a) Bath and North East Somerset, (b) South Gloucestershire and (c) England in (i) September, (ii) October, (iii) November and (iv) December 2024.

The information requested can only be provided at disproportionate cost. A scan of both the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency’s and the NSL Services Ltd databases would be required. Subsequent manual scrutiny and organisation of the data would be necessary to obtain the information requested.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of which initiatives in Bus Service Improvement Plans create the highest levels of modal shift.

It is too early in the lifetime of the Bus Service Improvement Plans programme to fully understand which initiatives have had the most impact.

The Department for Transport has commissioned an evaluation of the Bus Service Improvement Plan Programme, a £1.1 billion tranche of funding that has been allocated to 34 Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) across England. The work will answer questions around how effectively the plans were delivered, the scheme's impact on bus usage, and its value for money. It will also include an assessment of the scheme’s impact on increasing passenger numbers.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will hold discussions with the Office of Road and Rail on the potential merits of setting up a new Heritage Rail Safety and Standards Board.

Officials in my department have had several meetings over the last year with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) about the Heritage Rail Association’s (HRA) plans to establish a Heritage Rail Safety and Standards Board. We understand that the HRA is progressing with its plans, and my officials will continue their engagement with the ORR as this develops.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
13th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time taken was to (a) process and (b) pay Access to Work claims once an invoice had been submitted in each of the last five years.

In response to what the average time taken was to (a) process Access to work claim in each of the last 5 years, Access to work can provide this for the last 4 years. The average time taken was:

2021-2022 = 28.1 days

2022-2023 = 57.8 days

2023-2024 = 45.1 days

2024-2025 = 56.9 days

(b) the average time taken to process a payment once an invoice has been submitted is not available as there is no reporting systems in place.

Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
20th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether estates managed by his Department are participating in the No Mow May initiative.

The Department has no estate with grass or lawned areas, and therefore is not participating in the No Mow May initiative.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) verbal warnings, (b) written warnings, (c) enforcement notices and (d) referrals to the Crown Prosecution Service for prosecution there have been for slaughterhouses in England not having CCTV in the last five years.

Regulations for mandatory closed-circuit television (CCTV) in slaughterhouses in England came into force on 5 May 2018, with a six-month transitionary period to 5 November 2018, from when enforcement action could be taken. 100% compliance of the regulations was achieved by March 2019. There were therefore no enforcements for not having a CCTV system in place in slaughterhouses in England in the last five years.

16th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of people there are in care homes without access to dental treatment in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

We recognise that certain groups of patients may be vulnerable to oral health problems and may find it difficult to access dental care. Specialised dental services are in place to provide dental treatment in several settings, including care homes.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary care dental services, including domiciliary care. Domiciliary care may be delivered by any dentist holding a contract to deliver general dental services, or it may be commissioned as an additional service.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of prostate cancer services in (a) Bath and North East Somerset, (b) Swindon and (c) Wiltshire.

The Department is committed to improving the adequacy of all cancer services including for prostate cancer, including cancer services in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire.

NHS England has funded 10 clinical audits, including a national prostate cancer audit. Using routine data, collected on patients diagnosed with cancer in a National Health Service setting, the audit is looking at what is being done well, where it’s being done well, and what needs to be done better. This will seek to reduce unwarranted variation in treatment and reduce inequalities across different groups.

The Government recognises that a cancer-specific approach is needed to meet the challenges in cancer care, and to improve all cancer services and outcomes for people living with cancer including those with prostate cancer. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new national cancer plan, which will include further details on how we will improve cancer services across England.

We are now in discussions about what form that plan should take, and what its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider Health Mission should be and will provide updates on this in due course.

3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Food Standards Agency welfare checks carried out by official veterinarians took place (a) on the farm, (b) during transport to the slaughterhouse, (c) upon arrival at the slaughterhouse and (d) whilst on site up to the point of slaughter in 2024.

As of 1 December 2024, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and their Service Delivery Partner between them employed 282 Official Veterinarians (OVs) and 596 Meat Hygiene Inspectors / Official Auxiliaries, as well as 12 Trainee Official Auxiliaries.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Welsh Government have policy responsibility for animal welfare controls within approved slaughterhouses. Application of the controls is carried out by the FSA in England and Wales under a Service Level Agreement with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Welsh Government.

FSA OVs that are based in approved slaughterhouses during operating periods monitor animal welfare. Animal Welfare checks are incorporated into the OVs daily Official Controls duties and are conducted at unloading, at ante mortem i.e. pre-slaughter, and during the slaughter operations for all animals being processed.

The FSA is responsible for enforcement of breaches of animal welfare legislation by the slaughterhouse operator or their operatives. In 2024, there were 190 slaughterhouse non-compliance cases in which FSA took enforcement action.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Welsh Government have policy responsibility for animal welfare controls on farm or during transportation. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and Local Authority (LA) animal welfare teams are responsible for enforcement. Where checks by the OV at the slaughterhouse identify farm and transport breaches, they are referred to APHA and the LA. In 2024, there were 4,210 farm and transport non-compliance cases that FSA OVs referred to APHA and LAs to investigate and enforce.

Application of animal welfare controls at slaughterhouses are carried out by the FSA in England and Wales under a Service Level Agreement with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Welsh Government.

Monitoring and reporting requirements are built into the Service Level Agreement between the FSA, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Welsh Government to provide assurance on the adequacy of animal welfare at abattoirs. This includes monthly reporting of all non-compliance cases, additional welfare assurance checks conducted by a specifically trained team of Meat Hygiene Inspectors, annual animal welfare themed audits undertaken by veterinary auditors, and biennial slaughter sector surveys. This reporting is supplemented by regular liaison over operational issues and formal quarterly review meetings.

3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to change meat inspection charges from April 2026.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) charges operators to recover costs of meat inspection across its geographic remit of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The FSA conducts an annual review of inspection charges ahead of each financial year. Charges applicable from April 2026 will be determined by means of the next annual review and will be published in early 2026.

3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) official veterinarians and (b) meat hygiene inspectors there were as of 1 December 2024.

As of 1 December 2024, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and their Service Delivery Partner between them employed 282 Official Veterinarians (OVs) and 596 Meat Hygiene Inspectors / Official Auxiliaries, as well as 12 Trainee Official Auxiliaries.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Welsh Government have policy responsibility for animal welfare controls within approved slaughterhouses. Application of the controls is carried out by the FSA in England and Wales under a Service Level Agreement with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Welsh Government.

FSA OVs that are based in approved slaughterhouses during operating periods monitor animal welfare. Animal Welfare checks are incorporated into the OVs daily Official Controls duties and are conducted at unloading, at ante mortem i.e. pre-slaughter, and during the slaughter operations for all animals being processed.

The FSA is responsible for enforcement of breaches of animal welfare legislation by the slaughterhouse operator or their operatives. In 2024, there were 190 slaughterhouse non-compliance cases in which FSA took enforcement action.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Welsh Government have policy responsibility for animal welfare controls on farm or during transportation. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and Local Authority (LA) animal welfare teams are responsible for enforcement. Where checks by the OV at the slaughterhouse identify farm and transport breaches, they are referred to APHA and the LA. In 2024, there were 4,210 farm and transport non-compliance cases that FSA OVs referred to APHA and LAs to investigate and enforce.

Application of animal welfare controls at slaughterhouses are carried out by the FSA in England and Wales under a Service Level Agreement with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Welsh Government.

Monitoring and reporting requirements are built into the Service Level Agreement between the FSA, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Welsh Government to provide assurance on the adequacy of animal welfare at abattoirs. This includes monthly reporting of all non-compliance cases, additional welfare assurance checks conducted by a specifically trained team of Meat Hygiene Inspectors, annual animal welfare themed audits undertaken by veterinary auditors, and biennial slaughter sector surveys. This reporting is supplemented by regular liaison over operational issues and formal quarterly review meetings.

19th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce the waiting list for people seeking treatment to relieve the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

We recognise that patients have been let down whilst they wait for the care they need, including within neurology services. The NHS Constitution sets out that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment. We will deliver an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments per week, as a first step in our commitment to ensuring patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks.

At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with Parkinson’s disease, including the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit. These initiatives aim to reduce variation and deliver care more equitably across the country.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance, Parkinson’s disease: Diagnosis and management in primary and secondary care, updated in 2017, sets out best practice for clinicians in the identification and treatment of Parkinson’s, in line with the latest available evidence. The guidance states that if Parkinson's is suspected, people should be referred quickly to a specialist with expertise in the differential diagnosis of this condition.

We expect integrated care boards (ICBs) and National Health Service trusts to have due regard to relevant NICE guidelines. It is the responsibility of ICBs to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, in line with these NICE guidelines.

Once diagnosed, and with a management strategy in place, most people with Parkinson’s can be cared for through routine access to primary and secondary care. NHS England commissions the specialised elements of Parkinson’s care that patients may receive from 27 specialised neurological treatment centres across England. Within specialised centres, neurological multidisciplinary teams ensure patients can access a range of health professionals, including Parkinson’s disease nurses, psychologists, and allied health professionals such as dieticians and speech and language therapists, and that they can receive specialised treatment and support, according to their needs.

4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to recruit more dentists in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

We are determined to rebuild National Health Service dentistry, but it will take time and there are no quick fixes. Strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions.

Integrated care boards have started to advertise posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most, for three years.

To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
19th May 2025
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that people who (a) rely on cash and (b) choose to use cash can access it in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

The Government recognises that cash continues to be used by millions of people across the UK, including those in vulnerable groups, and is committed to protecting access to cash for individuals and businesses.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) assumed regulatory responsibility for access to cash in September 2024. Its rules require the UK’s largest banks and building societies to assess the impact of a closure or material alteration of a relevant cash withdrawal or deposit facility and put in place a new service if necessary. Assessments are undertaken by LINK, the industry designated coordinating body responsible for conducting cash access assessments. LINK take into account a number of factors including those unique to each location, such as the size and vulnerability of the population and whether it is reasonable for people to travel to nearby facilities, factoring in geographic barriers such as hills, rivers and major roads.

The Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK by the end of this Parliament. These hubs will provide small businesses and individuals with critical cash and in-person banking services. Over 225 banking hubs have been recommended to date and over 150 are already open.

James Murray
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
20th Jan 2025
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many adults who are eligible for the Child Trust Fund have not accessed their fund in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Information on Child Trust Funds is available in HMRC’s Annual Savings Statistics.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-savings-statistics-2024

HMRC does not hold information on the geographical locations of Child Trust Fund account holders, therefore the requested constituency breakdown cannot be provided.

James Murray
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)