Dean Russell Portrait

Dean Russell

Conservative - Watford

First elected: 12th December 2019


Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill
7th Jun 2023 - 11th Jul 2023
Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Bill
1st Mar 2023 - 8th Mar 2023
Human Rights (Joint Committee)
2nd Mar 2020 - 6th Feb 2023
Online Safety (Re-committed Clauses and Schedules) Bill
7th Dec 2022 - 15th Dec 2022
Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Bill
7th Dec 2022 - 14th Dec 2022
Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill
30th Nov 2022 - 7th Dec 2022
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
20th Sep 2022 - 27th Oct 2022
Health and Social Care Committee
2nd Mar 2020 - 25th Oct 2022
Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill
10th Oct 2022 - 12th Oct 2022
Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill
7th Sep 2022 - 4th Oct 2022
Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill
20th Jul 2022 - 7th Sep 2022
Online Safety Bill
18th May 2022 - 28th Jun 2022
National Insurance Contributions Bill
16th Jun 2021 - 22nd Jun 2021
Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Bill [Lords]
4th Feb 2021 - 9th Feb 2021


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Dean Russell has voted in 927 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Dean Russell Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 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
Matt Hancock (Independent)
(16 debate interactions)
Chris Philp (Conservative)
Minister of State (Home Office)
(16 debate interactions)
Boris Johnson (Conservative)
(13 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department of Health and Social Care
(34 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(23 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Online Safety Act 2023
(6,858 words contributed)
Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021
(3,621 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Dean Russell's debates

Watford 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).

Petition Debates Contributed

As the Coronavirus escalates, there are concerns that a trade deal between the UK Government and the US deal might not exempt our NHS, leaving it vulnerable to privatisation and in direct contradiction to promises this would not happen.

I would like the government to review and increase the pay for healthcare workers to recognise the work that they do.

To revoke the Immigration Health Surcharge increases for overseas NHS staff. The latest budget shows an increase of £220 a year for an overseas worker to live and work in the UK, at a time when the NHS, and UK economy, relies heavily on them.

We would like the government to support and regard social care: financially, publicly and systematically on an equal par as NHS. We would like parliament to debate how to support social care during COVID-19 and beyond so that it automatically has the same access to operational and financial support.

Give NHS workers who are EU and other Nationals automatic UK citizenship if they stay and risk their own lives looking after the British people during the COVID crisis.


Latest EDMs signed by Dean Russell

Dean Russell has not signed any Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Dean Russell, 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.


Dean Russell has not been granted any Urgent Questions

3 Adjournment Debates led by Dean Russell

Monday 22nd January 2024
Tuesday 20th December 2022
Tuesday 23rd March 2021

4 Bills introduced by Dean Russell


A Bill to prohibit employers retaining tips and gratuities intended for staff; to make provision about the division of tips and gratuities between staff; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 40%

Last Event - 2nd Reading
Friday 14th January 2022

A Bill to require consultation of bus users before changes are made to bus services; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Tuesday 28th March 2023
(Read Debate)

A Bill to make mental health first-aid part of first-aid training requirements; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Tuesday 23rd March 2021
(Read Debate)

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
7th Mar 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress has been made on his Department's target to train senior civil servants as Wellbeing Confident Leaders.

The Wellbeing Confident Leaders training was a cross-government initiative led by Civil Service HR (CSHR).

When the programme concluded on 31 March 2019, 61% of Cabinet Office Senior Civil Servants had received the Wellbeing Confident Leaders Training.

This programme was removed due to the development of the new Civil Service Teaming, which is open to all grades, and continues to be available.



8th Jun 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department records data on the number of deaths within 28 days of receiving a covid-19 vaccine.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
7th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to provide financial support for the hospitality sector.

The Government recognises that the hospitality sector is facing financial pressures.

The Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) will provide all eligible UK businesses and other non-domestic energy users with a discount on high energy bills from 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2024.

The Government has also announced business rates support measures worth £13.6 billion over the next 5 years.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
5th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions she has had with (a) representatives and (b) trade bodies from the hospitality sector on potential challenges facing the hospitality sector.

We meet regularly with representatives and trade bodies from the hospitality sector and have convened a Hospitality Sector Council to deliver the 2021 Hospitality Strategy, with the aim of building the sector’s long-term resilience. A Delivery Report showing progress made was published in March. The Council is scheduled to meet next in July.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
10th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of (a) consumer rights and (b) support available to consumers who purchase goods and services from a company that becomes insolvent.

In 2014 the Government asked the Law Commission to examine the protections for consumers in insolvency situations who have prepaid for goods and services. Its report was published in 2016 and found that the combination of existing law and chargeback rules provided important protection, and that substantial amounts could be refunded in this way.

The Government’s response to the Commission’s recommendations was published in 2018 and has already led to new guidance to insolvency office-holders on chargeback provisions.

The UK regime sets some of the highest standards of consumer protection in the world. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill currently before Parliament establishes new tools to drive competition in digital markets, and boosts consumer rights and enforcement against unscrupulous businesses.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
28th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she has taken to implement her hospitality strategy policies on improving the resilience of (a) pubs, (b) brewers and (c) other hospitality businesses in (i) Watford and (ii) the UK.

We are working closely with the Hospitality Sector Council to deliver the 2021 Hospitality Strategy, and brought forward a Delivery Report on 1 March to show progress made. Business-led working groups are considering ways to improve business resilience, including innovation and sustainable practices, energy efficiency, jobs and skills, local partnerships, and improving access to finance.

The Government continues to support businesses with their costs, and we are legislating to increase the new Draught Relief from 5% to 9.2% for beer and cider draught products and from 20% to 23% for wine, spirits based and other fermented draught products.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
20th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to provide long term (a) financial and (b) other support to the hospitality sector.

The Spring Budget 2023 included an increase in Draught Relief from 1 August to 9.2%, freezing the duty charged on a typical pint of beer in the pub and ensuring this will always be lower than in the supermarket.

The Autumn Statement 2022 included a package of changes to business rates worth £13.6bn over the next 5 years in lower bills. This is in addition to the Energy Bills Discount Scheme; the increased Employment Allowance of £5,000, which takes the smallest 40% of businesses out of paying any National Insurance at all; and setting the Annual Investment Allowance at £1 million permanently.

My department recently published an update on progress towards delivery of the Government’s Hospitality Strategy, with the key ambition of building the sector’s long-term resilience.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
25th May 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reason the covid-19 guidance for amateur choirs issued by his Department was revised on 18 May 2021.

The Performing Arts guidance was updated on 18 May to reflect the arrangements for Step 3 of the roadmap.

Non-professional groups of up to six people can now sing indoors, in line with the rule of 6 applying to many other indoor activities and gatherings, and can perform or rehearse in groups of up to 30 outdoors. In addition, multiple groups of 30 can now sing outdoors, provided the groups are kept separate throughout the activity, in line with other large events that follow the organised events guidance for local authorities.

This is an important step forward in the return of non-professional performing arts activity from Step 2. We will continue to keep guidance and restrictions under review, in line with the changing situation. Further detail on step 4 will be set out as soon as possible.

25th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the importance of advertising planning notices in local newspapers to (a) the elderly and vulnerable, (b) other local residents and (b) local media organisations.

Local planning authorities are required to publicise certain types of planning applications in local newspapers as set out in Article 15 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015.

We are mindful of the potential impact that any changes to the requirements might have on transparency and local democracy, as well as the potential effect on local newspaper revenue. Indeed the independent Cairncross Review into the future of journalism found that statutory notices, including planning notices, provide an important strand of revenue for many local publishers and that their withdrawal would do serious damage to parts of the sector. We also recognise the importance of local newspapers to communities and the continued need to reach out to people who cannot digitally access information.

Proposals to reform publicity requirements are being considered through the “Planning for the Future” White Paper which aims to make it simpler, quicker and more accessible for local people to engage with the planning system using digital tools. MHCLG is considering consultation responses and will publish a response in due course, and the impact on transparency and local democracy, as well as on local newspaper revenue will be considered before any decisions are taken.

4th Feb 2021
What steps his Department is taking to support UK film and TV productions during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government’s Film & TV Production Restart Scheme and our industry-led guidance has enabled production to continue on film sets up and down the country - including at Warner Bros studios in Leavesden, home to the Harry Potter and Mission Impossible franchises.

This week the Secretary of State spoke to the BFI’s CEO and Colin Firth about how important the Restart Scheme has been to restoring sector confidence and kickstarting new productions - ensuring the UK remains a world leader in Film and TV.

16th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the role of ultrafast full fibre broadband to the economic recovery after the covid-19 outbreak; and what progress his Department has made on the rollout of that service.

World class digital connectivity is key to the UK economy and the Government remains committed to delivering nationwide gigabit-capable and full fibre broadband as soon as possible.

A recent study commissioned by Ofcom finds that investment in broadband has had significant benefits to the UK economy and that increased connectivity has a positive relationship with economic growth and productivity. Furthermore a study undertaken for Cityfibre has predicted that the total economic impact of deploying ‘full fibre’ (FTTP) broadband networks across 100 distinct UK city and towns, could reach £120 billion over a 15 year period. In addition, work commissioned by the NIC estimated net benefits from investment in FTTP with 100% coverage of up to £28 billion (in present value terms) by 2050. This is before taking account of the potential for FTTP to deliver wider economic benefits, for example, improvements in productivity.

Good progress has been made over the past year. The latest Ofcom figures demonstrate full fibre coverage has increased to 3.5 million premises (or 12% of the UK), and by 1.5 million premises in the past year. Estimates of gigabit coverage are even higher at over 20% of UK premises, as a result of Virgin Media’s upgrades of its existing network.

The Government is taking action to further reduce barriers to broadband deployment, including through the Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold) Property Bill, which will make it easier to connect properties where there is an unresponsive landlord. The department is also committed to investing £5 billion to deliver nationwide gigabit-capable coverage to the hardest to reach parts of the country, so that no areas are left behind.

7th Dec 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that children and young people with SEND are able to access appropriate support.

In the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan, published in March, the department outlined its commitment for children and young people with SEND (or attending alternative provision) to enjoy their childhood, achieve good outcomes and feel well prepared for adulthood and employment.

The department will give families greater confidence that their child will be able to fulfil their potential through improved mainstream provision in their local setting and strengthened accountability across the system so that everyone is held to account for supporting children and young people with SEND. For those children and young people with SEND who do require an Education, Health and Care plan and specialist provision, the department will ensure they get access to the support they need, and that parents do not face an adversarial system to secure this.

High needs revenue funding will rise to £10.5 billion in 2024-25, a 60% increase on 2019/20 allocations. An additional £2.6 billion of funding will support local authorities to deliver new places in mainstream, special schools and alternative provision and to improve the suitability of existing buildings. Through the £70 million Change Programme, the department is testing and refining the Improvement Plan reforms to improve outcomes and experiences for children and young people with SEND and their families.

The department is committed to improving the supply, training and deployment of key workforces, to make the best use of professional expertise, at whatever age or stage it is needed, and prevent needs from escalating. This includes training up to 7,000 early years specialists and investing a further £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists.

To ensure teachers have the knowledge and skills to deliver high-quality teaching for pupils with SEND, the department is implementing a ‘golden thread’ of evidence-based teacher training reforms from initial teacher training through to an early career framework based induction and on to National Professional Qualifications (NPQ) for more experienced teachers. This support includes the introduction of a new leadership level NPQ for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators that will begin teaching in autumn 2024.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
7th Dec 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department provided to Hertfordshire County Council for the delivery of their statutory responsibilities to (a) SEND children and (b) their families in the latest period for which data is available.

High needs funding for the provision of education for children and young people with complex Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is increasing by 60% from the 2019/20 allocations to over £10.5 billion in the 2024/25 financial year. The department has announced provisional 2024/25 high needs allocations for local authorities. Hertfordshire County Council’s allocation is £187 million, which is £8.4 million more than the Council will receive this year, a cumulative increase of 29% per head over the three years from 2021/22.

Funding for other services for children with SEND and their families is provided to local authorities through the local government finance settlement from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
7th Dec 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of early intervention mental health support in schools for children and young people.

The mental health of children is a priority for this government, and the department understands that early intervention in schools can play a vital role. The department is committed to ensuring schools and colleges are safe, calm and supportive environments which promote and support mental wellbeing.

The department knows that school-based provision such as counselling works best in schools that take a whole-school approach, with all staff clear about how mental health is supported. That is why the department is offering senior mental health lead training grants to all state schools by 2025, with over 14,400 settings claiming a grant so far.

The department is also extending NHS Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) to cover at least 50% of pupils in schools and learners in further education by spring 2025. These teams deliver direct interventions for mild to moderate mental health needs, support education staff with their whole-school approach, and liaise with external specialists to help children and young people get the right support. The MHSTs programme received early independent evaluation, available at: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/brace/projects/children-and-young-people%27s-mental-health-trailblazer-programme.aspx. An independent impact evaluation of both MHSTs and the senior mental health lead training programme is expected in 2026.

Bodies such as the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) have also produced reports reviewing the effectiveness of a variety of mental health interventions. A 2021 report from the EIF is available at: https://www.eif.org.uk/report/adolescent-mental-health-a-systematic-review-on-the-effectiveness-of-school-based-interventions.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
19th Oct 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to encourage people to become mathematics teachers.

There are now over 468,000 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state-funded schools in England, an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010. This makes it the highest FTE of teachers since the School Workforce Census began in 2010.

The Department knows there is further to go to improve recruitment in some subjects, including mathematics. This is why the Department has put in place a range of measures, including bursaries worth £28,000 tax free and scholarships worth £30,000 tax free, to encourage talented trainees to teach mathematics, as well as physics, chemistry and computing. The initial teacher training financial incentives package for the 2024/25 recruitment cycle is worth up to £196 million, a £15 million increase on the last cycle.

19th Oct 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to encourage students to take up STEM subjects.

The Department is investing in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education at all levels to ensure people have access to high quality teaching and can access career opportunities in STEM related sectors. The Department is working with other Government Departments through the UK Science & Technology Framework to deliver talent and skills for critical technologies.

The Department funds several programmes to encourage young people into STEM, including:

  • The Stimulating Physics Network, which provides support to schools to increase rates of progression to physics A level.
  • An inclusion in schools project to increase the uptake of A level physics from students in underrepresented groups.
  • The Isaac Physics programme to increase the numbers of students, particularly from typically underrepresented backgrounds, studying physics in higher education.

The Department also supports the STEM ambassadors programme, which inspires young people from underrepresented backgrounds to engage with STEM subjects. Secondary schools are also expected to provide pupils with at least one meaningful interaction with employers per pupil per year, with a focus on STEM employers.

The Department is harnessing expertise through the Digital and Computing Skills Education Taskforce to increase the number of people taking digital and computing qualifications and to attract a diverse range of individuals into digital jobs. The Department is also investing over £100 million in the National Centre for Computing Education to improve the teaching of computing and to increase participation in computer science at GCSE and A level.

The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Maths works with a network of 40 maths hubs to help local schools improve the quality of their teaching. In April, the Prime Minister announced that every young person will study some form of mathematics up to the age of 18, and that the Department will expand and extend the work of maths hubs.

The Prime Minister also recently announced plans to develop a new baccalaureate-style qualification called the Advanced British Standard (ABS) for 16 to 19 year-olds, which will bring together the best of A levels and T Levels into a single qualification, and ensure students continue with some form of mathematics and English study until they are 18.

The Department is making a £600 million downpayment for the ABS, focused on recruiting and retaining teachers in key STEM and technical shortage subjects, ensuring better attainment in mathematics and English, and providing better resources for teachers and pupils. As part of this, it is investing around £100 million a year to give early career STEM teachers, working in disadvantaged schools and all further education colleges up to £6,000 tax free annually on top of their pay, and an additional £60 million over two years to improve mathematics education. This will help to ensure our young people receive high quality specialist teaching to equip them with the mathematics and science skills the UK needs.

The Department also funds the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme which delivers high quality teacher professional development as well as focused support and enrichment for students and institutions to improve participation and provision in level 3 mathematics.

20th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the nutritional value of meals served in schools.

The standards for school food are set out in the Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014. These regulations are designed to ensure that schools provide pupils with healthy food and drink options, and to make sure that pupils have the energy and nutrition they need throughout the school day.

The Department believes the current standards provide a robust yet flexible framework to ensure that pupils in England continue to receive high quality and nutritious food, that builds healthy eating habits for life. The standards remain under review.

17th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what educational support is in place for visually impaired students in (a) Watford and (b) England.

I refer my hon. Friend, the member for Watford to the answer I gave on 13 February 2023 to Question 140375.

Claire Coutinho
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
17th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an estimate of the number of teachers for people with hearing impairments in (a) Watford and (b) England.

Information on the number of qualified teachers for people with hearing impairments is not collected by the department.

Information on the school workforce in England is collected as part of the annual School Workforce Census each November. Information is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

Claire Coutinho
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
18th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on the proportion of qualified classroom teachers expected to move up the pay scale through progression or promotion in academic year 2022-23; what the maximum pay increase is a qualified classroom teacher could receive in academic year 2022-23; what proportion of teachers were at the top of their pay scale as of 1 January 2023; and what proportion of qualified classroom teachers are expected to move up the pay scale through progression or promotion in academic year 2022-23 who are not already at the top of their pay scale.

The Department has implemented in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s (STRB) recommendation of an 8.9% pay rise for early career teachers outside London, and a 5% pay rise for experienced teachers in 2022/23. This is the highest pay award in 30 years.

Teachers who remain in consecutive service are often eligible for a pay rise over and above the headline pay award, due to pay progression or promotion, as they move through the main and upper pay scales.

The Department’s written evidence to the STRB in 2021 estimated that, on average, 85% of teachers in early career (on the first five advisory pay points of the main pay range M1-M5) and 40% of experienced teachers below the top of the upper pay range (on M6-U2) received such a pay rise each year. This analysis was based on school workforce census and teacher pension scheme data, with the same pattern identified across several years. By combining these estimated progression rates with the distribution of classroom teachers on each advisory pay point, the Department estimates that around 40% of all qualified classroom teachers who remain in consecutive service receive a pay rise from progression or promotion. In 2022/23, teachers who progressed up the pay scale could see pay rises of up to 15.9% in total from the combination of the pay award and progression or promotion.

Some teachers are not eligible for progression. Close to a third of qualified classroom teachers are not eligible because they are at the top of the upper pay range (UPR). Last September, these teachers saw their pay rise to at least £43,685. The Department has previously published the estimated distribution of classroom teachers by advisory pay point in the rest of England pay region. The distribution used in the calculations above is based on the school workforce census with data from November 2021, as more recent data is not available, and is generated using a methodology consistent with both the statistical publication and previously published evidence to the STRB. This data is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

If we exclude the third of teachers who are already at the top of their pay range, as outlined above, the Department estimates that around 60% of the remaining teachers are expected to receive a pay rise over and above the headline award due to progression or promotion.

Teachers can also receive additional payments for taking on extra responsibilities, and there is a separate pay range for those in leadership roles.

12th May 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on exam standards of Ofqual’s decision to release optional exam board materials in advance to students.

The optional sets of questions provided by the exam boards are intended to be a helpful tool for teachers to use, if they choose, in gathering evidence to determine their pupils’ grades this year. They are one element of the overall approach to assessing pupils’ performance. These sets of questions are not exams and pupils across the country may complete them at different times or in different formats. They are openly published to ensure there is equality of access to the materials for all pupils at the same time – an approach supported by 66% of respondents to the Department’s and Ofqual’s joint consultation on how GCSE, AS and A level grades should be awarded in summer 2021.

As well as the sets of questions and other support materials, the exam boards have provided grade descriptors to exemplify the established performance standard that is to be applied in grading judgements this summer.

The materials derived from examinations are, thereby, part of a package of measures designed to deliver fairness for pupils given differential teaching experiences caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

30th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with stakeholders on the definition of an XL bully type dog.

Defra convened a group of experts and other stakeholders to define the physical characteristics of the breed type. This included representatives from the police, local authorities, devolved administrations and the Animal Welfare Committee, which advises the Government on animal welfare issues. The definition and guidance have been published on Gov.uk to help the police and owners understand whether a dog should be defined as an XL Bully.

Mark Spencer
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
30th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help support veterinary practices following the ban on American XL Bully dogs.

The Government has produced specific guidance for vets relating to their role in the neutering and euthanasia of XL Bully dogs. Vets can refer to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Code of Conduct with regard to their professional responsibilities.

Mark Spencer
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
30th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that dogs with similar characteristics to the American XL Bully are not incorrectly affected by the new ban.

During the transition period, it is up to owners to identify whether they think their dog may be in scope of the XL Bully ban and whether they wish to apply for a Certificate of Exemption.  We recommend taking a precautionary approach. If they are unsure if their dog is a XL Bully or whether any puppies may grow up to be of this dog type, owners should comply with the relevant requirements and restrictions as they come into force. The definition and guidance have been published on gov.uk to help owners and enforcement officers understand whether a dog should be defined as an XL Bully. Dog Legislation Officers are responsible for identifying prohibited breed types for the purposes of Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and enforcing the ban once it comes into force. We will be supporting the police to deliver additional training to Dog Legislation Officers to ensure they are upskilled and able to consistently apply the breed standard for the XL Bully breed type.

Mark Spencer
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
28th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made in analysing the responses to the Consultation on cat and dog microchipping legislation in England.

We will shortly issue the summary of responses and the Government’s response to the ‘Consultation on cat and dog microchipping legislation in England’ which was launched in Spring 2022.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
28th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to reduce litter in (a) Watford constituency and (b) nationally.

Our new Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan sets out how we will support councils to take tougher action against those who litter. This includes significantly raising the upper limit on fixed penalty notices from £150 to £500, and measures to help councils issue more penalties.

Our Litter Strategy for England sets out our aim to deliver a substantial reduction in litter and littering within a generation. It contains a number of commitments and progress reports are available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/litter-strategy-for-england-progress-reports.

Since publishing the Litter Strategy, we have published guidance on the provision of litter bins and provided nearly £1 million across 44 councils to help councils purchase new bins. Watford Borough Council were one of the recipients of this grant funding.

We have also announced our plans for a Deposit Return Scheme for drinking containers. We estimate that where the rate of return reaches 90% in year 3 of the scheme there will be an equivalent 90% reduction of in-scope containers discarded as litter.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
20th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to support small businesses to reduce the use of single-use plastics.

We are taking steps to help small businesses reduce their use of single-use plastic items.

The 5p single-use carrier bag charge was introduced in England in October 2015 and has had a dramatic impact. The number of single-use plastic carrier bags sold by the main retailers has fallen from 7.6 billion in 2014, to 197 million in 2021/2022, a reduction of over 97%. To build on the success of the charge so far and to create a level playing field for all large and small businesses alike, we increased the charge from 5p to 10p and extended it to all retailers from 21 May 2021.

We recently announced measures to ban the supply of single-use plastic plates, cutlery, and balloon sticks, and expanded and extruded polystyrene food and beverage containers, including cups from October 2023. This ban will apply to all businesses including small businesses.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
20th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the local council’s powers to deal with litter (a) nationally and (b) in Watford constituency.

In recent years we have bolstered local authority enforcement powers by raising the upper limit on fixed penalty notices for littering and introducing powers to issue the keeper of a vehicle, from which litter is thrown, with a civil penalty. We have also published guidance on the provision of litter bins and provided nearly £1 million across 44 councils to help them purchase new bins.

We will be undertaking a research project which considers the effectiveness of the different enforcement options available to local authorities, including fixed penalties, and the barriers they face in using these. The results of this research will inform policy development in this area.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
20th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect the (a) populations and (b) habitats of (i) hedgehogs, (ii) red squirrels and (iii) rare species of wildlife in the UK.

The Government remains committed to taking action to recover our threatened native species, that is why we have set four legally binding targets to drive and measure improvements in nature recovery in England. These targets are: to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030; then to reverse declines by 2042; to reduce the risk of species extinction by 2042; and restore or create more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat, also by 2042. We have set out our plan and policies to deliver against our species biodiversity targets in the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23) published 31 January 2023. The EIP23 revises the 25-Year Environment Plan as part of our obligations under the Environment Act.

Measures introduced in the Environment Act such as biodiversity net gain and Local Nature Recovery Strategies will help deliver actions to recover species such as the hedgehog. Additionally, our new environmental land management schemes will pay for sustainable farming practices, creating and preserving habitat such as such as woodland, heathland and species-rich grassland, as well as making landscape-scale environmental changes, all of which could benefit species such as hedgehog.

Defra, Natural England and the Forestry Commission are signatories to the United Kingdom Squirrel Accord. This partnership, of over 40 organisations seeks, to secure and expand red squirrel populations through the delivery of actions set out in the England Red Squirrel Action Plan. Additionally, Defra has provided £300k, to support research and development of fertility control methods to reduce numbers of grey squirrels and impacts on red squirrels, tree health and forestry. Work to reduce grey squirrel impacts will be supported by Defra’s commitment in the EIP to update the 2014 Grey Squirrel Action Plan, detailing commitments to support landowners to manage the numbers of grey squirrels.

20th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on ensuring all dogs are microchipped.

Under the Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations 2015, it is an offence to not microchip a dog. Around 90% of dogs in the UK are now microchipped. The Government works with stakeholders to remind the public of the legal requirement and the benefits of microchipping.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
20th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on introducing compulsory cat microchipping.

We plan to lay regulations soon which will bring compulsory cat microchipping into force in England. Once in force, cat keepers will have 12 months to comply with the new requirements.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
31st Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps her Department has taken to monitor storm overflows.

No government has done more to tackle the issue of storm overflow discharges. Last year this Government launched The Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan. This will require water companies to deliver their largest infrastructure programme in water company history – a £56 billion capital investment over 25 years.

We are taking action now. Between 2020 and 2025 water companies are investing £3.1 billion in storm overflow improvements. We have increased the number of storm overflows monitored across the network from 5% in 2016 to almost 90% now, and we will reach 100% cover by the end of the year. All the data is published online.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
31st Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps her Department has taken to reduce single-use plastic waste.

In October 2020 we legislated to prevent the incineration or landfilling of certain separately collected material, including plastic, paper, metal and glass, unless it has undergone a treatment process first and only if landfill or incineration is the best environmental outcome. This is in addition to existing permit conditions that already prevent acceptance of recyclable material at landfills and waste incinerators.

We also want to make recycling easier. Following support at public consultation, the new s45 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 stipulates that all local authorities in England must make arrangements for a core set of materials to be collected for recycling from households, including plastic packaging. In April last year, we brought in the Plastic Packaging Tax. This will stimulate increased levels of recycling and collection of plastic waste. The introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility in 2024 will also encourage businesses to think carefully about how much plastic packaging they use, to design and use plastic packaging that is easily recyclable and encourage use of reusable and refillable packaging. These measures will reduce plastic waste and divert plastic packaging away from landfill and incineration.

We have restricted the supply of plastic straws, plastic drink stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds and introduced a carrier bag charge which has reduced the use of single-use carrier bags in the main supermarkets by over 97%. More recently we announced the supply of single-use plastic plates, cutlery, balloon sticks and expanded and extruded polystyrene food and beverage containers will also be banned in England from October this year.

We are committed to going further and addressing other sources of plastic pollution, which is why we also ran a call for evidence to help us gather information to help inform future policy on other problematic plastic items and help inform future policy making. Our response can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/single-use-plastic-banning-the-supply-of-commonly-littered-single-use-plastic-items/outcome/summary-of-responses-and-government-response.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
31st Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on delivering the 25 Year Environment Plan; and whether her Department plans to takes additional steps to help restore nature.

The Environment Act 2021 designated the 25 Year Environment Plan (25YEP), published in 2018, as the first Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP). As committed to in the Environment Act, on the 31st January the Government published its revised Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23) which continues to use the 25YEP's ten goals as a basis.

EIP23 sets out the progress made against all ten goals, the specific targets and commitments made in relation to each goal, and our plan to continue to deliver existing targets and the overarching goals.

Under the Environment Act 2021, Defra must report annually on the implementation of the EIP and review it every five years, so will continue to publish an Annual Progress Report setting out progress over the previous 12 months, alongside the 25 YEP Outcome Indicator Framework. Our annual progress reports can be found here:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/25-year-environment-plan-progress-reports

This Government is committed to halting and reversing nature’s decline, and the UK has been leading international efforts in developing an ambitious and transformative framework of global targets under the Convention of Biological Diversity. EIP23 sets out how the Government plans to restore nature by improving the quality of our environment.

31st Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to increase access to green spaces.

The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and are working to ensure this is safe and appropriate. We committed in our Environmental Improvement Plan published this week to work across government to help ensure that everyone lives within 15 minutes’ walk of a green or blue space.

The Government is delivering a number of policies to increase access to nature including:

  • Working to complete the England Coast Path which, at around 2,700 miles, will be the longest waymarked and maintained coast walking route in the world. Over 2,000 miles have now been approved as England Coast Path, with nearly 800 miles already open. It will also create 250,000 hectares of new open access land within the coastal margin.
  • Delivering the £9m Levelling Up Parks Fund to improve green space in over 100 disadvantaged neighbourhoods in the UK.
  • Designating Wainwright’s coast to coast route across the north of England as a National Trail.
  • Delivering the £14.5m ‘Access for All’ programme, which consists of a package of targeted measures in our protected landscapes, national trails, forests and the wider countryside to make access to green and blue spaces more inclusive.
  • Our commitment to the provision of safe and appropriate public access in as many woodlands as possible as set out in the England Trees Action Plan. The recently published Environmental Improvement Plan reiterates our commitment to publish our ambition for improving the quantity, quality, and permanency of woodland access.
  • Through programmes with the Community Forests and Forestry England we are enabling creation of large scale publicly accessible woodlands near towns and cities.
  • We continue to support land managers to provide woodland access through our Countryside Stewardship (CS) and England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) schemes.
  • Under the new Environmental Land Management (ELM) offer, for woodlands, we are providing societal benefits by bringing people closer to nature, allowing long term permissive access for recreation and contributing to the rural economy.
15th Jul 2021
What recent assessment she has made of the potential benefits of the free trade deal with Australia for the East of England.

More than 1,600 East of England firms exported to Australia in 2020. A removal of tariffs on the East of England’s key exports to Australia in life sciences, clothing and motor industry can create more opportunities for businesses in the region.

Cutting red tape and aligning standards could also support growth in exports of life sciences.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
20th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made on implementing the Nine-point plan for seafarers published 6 July 2022.

Since announcing the Nine Point Plan the Government has:

  • Brought in the Seafarers’ Wages Act which will ensure that seafarers employed aboard ships regularly operating from UK ports will be paid at least an equivalent to the National Minimum Wage in UK waters.
  • Worked with industry and unions to develop the Seafarers’ Charter, which will encourage and recognise ferry operators taking extra steps to provide good working conditions.
  • Published a consultation on a draft Code of Practice on Fire and Rehire, the responses to which are now being considered by the Department for Business and Trade.
  • Supported amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention to improve access to food and drinking water and appropriately sized PPE, and led development of guidance to support seafarers who face abandonment.
  • Commissioned research into seafarer fatigue to give us more robust evidence about the impact of roster patterns.
  • Commissioned research into improving internet connectivity for seafarers, as connectivity to shore and communication with friends and family is important for those at sea.

Seafarer welfare is inextricably linked to international maritime law and regulation. As such it must be addressed with international partners and through international fora. The UK will continue to lead the way in seafarer welfare and will not shy away from its role as an international leader in championing this important cause.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
28th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the progress of bilateral wage corridor negotiations for seafarers.

The UK’s Seafarers’ Wages Act obtained Royal Assent earlier this month. I am also pleased to report progress in the French National Assembly of the French Government’s legislation on minimum wages for seafarers. When our respective legislation comes into force, the UK and France will have created a minimum wage corridor on the short strait, enhancing the livelihoods of the seafarers that work on this important route.

We continue to engage with a range of international partners, including France, to further enhance seafarer protections internationally.

Richard Holden
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
25th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the importance of advertising Traffic Regulation Orders in local newspapers to (a) the elderly and vulnerable, (b) other local residents and (b) local media organisations.

The most recent assessments we have made about Traffic Regulation Orders are in two reports. The first discovery research report was published in 2019 and laid the foundations for the second report available here:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-regulation-orders-identifying-improvements-to-the-legislative-process-in-england.

Each of these reports considered the impacts on different groups of potential improvements to the legislative process.

The Department plans to consult on proposed reforms to Traffic Regulation Orders more generally later in 2021. An Impact Assessment will accompany this consultation.

5th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he is taking steps to support the Hidden Disabilities sunflower lanyard scheme.

People with non-visible disabilities can experience difficulties or be disadvantaged in their ability to access services. Their difficulty can be exacerbated because service provider personnel are unaware of their disability and any different or additional needs they may have.

During the pandemic, the green Sunflower Lanyard scheme gained popularity to indicate an individual's non-visible disability in relation to mask exemption. The Sunflower Lanyard scheme is recognised by some retailers and transport authorities as an indication that a customer or passenger may need additional help because of a non-visible disability. Some individuals prefer to make their non-visible disability known to others by wearing a visible indication of their disability - the Sunflower Lanyard scheme is one such option.

However, this is a personal choice. It is not the Government's intent to promote any one voluntary scheme, nor to suggest that disabled people should feel that they have to make their disability known to others.

Tom Pursglove
Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
15th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring all workplaces to have a trained mental health first aider.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for the Health and Safety (First-Aid Regulations) 1981 which require employers to provide first aid to employees who are injured or become ill at work.

The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations are designed to help individuals who require immediate intervention or support where necessary until professional emergency care arrives. They already require employers to consider mental health alongside physical health when undertaking a first aid needs assessment.


Training employees in mental health first aid can have a role to play as part of a holistic approach to raising awareness of and responding to potential mental health issues in the workplace. However, this should be risk based and informed by the employer’s assessment of first aid needs. Regulatory change to prescriptively mandate mental health first aid training would not allow employers to tailor their approach to workplace mental health to meet their particular needs and would likely introduce substantial financial burden that may be unwarranted.

The Government commissioned ‘Thriving at Work’ review recommended, in 2017, that employers adopt a set of core mental health standards that will provide a comprehensive approach to transforming mental health in the workplace. HSE is continuing its work with the Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Health and Social Care, Joint Work and Health Directorate, to help employers better support all employees to remain in and thrive at work, including those with mental ill health or wellbeing.

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
23rd Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support pensioners.

The Secretary of State announced on 17 November that State Pensions and benefits will be up-rated from April 2023 by 10.1%, in line with the increase in the Consumer Prices Index in the year to September 2022, subject to parliamentary approval.

The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living, which is why, in addition to the £37 billion of support we have provided for cost of living pressures in 2022/23, we are acting now to ensure support continues throughout 2023/24.

Over 8 million UK households on eligible means tested benefits, including the 1.4 million currently in receipt of Pension Credit, will receive additional Cost of Living Payments totalling up to £900 in the 2023/24 financial year.

In addition, eight million pensioner households will receive a £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment as a top-up to their Winter Fuel Payment, and pensioners in receipt of an eligible disability benefit will receive the £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment.

Laura Trott
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
14th Jul 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to publish a dental recovery plan.

We are currently working on a plan for dentistry, to be published shortly, to improve access to dental care across England. There are several fronts where we need to take further action to support and recover activity in National Health Service dentistry, to improve access to care for all ages.

Our plan for dentistry will build upon the first package of reforms agreed in July 2022, which included changes to banding and the introduction of a minimum Units of Dental Activity value, and the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, which committed to increasing dentistry training places by 40% so that there are over 1,100 places by 2031/32.

Our plan will address how we continue to improve access, particularly for new patients, and how we make NHS work more attractive to ensure NHS dentists are incentivised to deliver more NHS care.

30th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure early diagnosis of Corticobasal Degeneration and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.

While the Department is not taking steps to ensure early diagnosis of Corticobasal Degeneration and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy specifically, the 2021 UK Rare Diseases Framework aims to improve the awareness of all rare diseases which includes these conditions. England’s second Rare Diseases Action Plan, published in February 2023, reports on progress made to help patients get a final diagnosis faster and outlines new actions such as commissioning research on how best to measure the diagnostic odyssey.

An individual with Corticobasal Degeneration and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy can be affected in many ways, therefore support available will depend on individual need. Patients with these conditions would typically be supported through the usual range of commissioned health and social care services, including neurology services. There is not a separately commissioned service for this diagnosis.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
30th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to provide support for people with (a) Corticobasal Degeneration and (b) Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.

While the Department is not taking steps to ensure early diagnosis of Corticobasal Degeneration and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy specifically, the 2021 UK Rare Diseases Framework aims to improve the awareness of all rare diseases which includes these conditions. England’s second Rare Diseases Action Plan, published in February 2023, reports on progress made to help patients get a final diagnosis faster and outlines new actions such as commissioning research on how best to measure the diagnostic odyssey.

An individual with Corticobasal Degeneration and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy can be affected in many ways, therefore support available will depend on individual need. Patients with these conditions would typically be supported through the usual range of commissioned health and social care services, including neurology services. There is not a separately commissioned service for this diagnosis.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
21st Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support is in place for people with psychosis.

It is for individual integrated care boards to commission mental health services, including those for people with psychosis, in order to meet the needs of their local population.

We have introduced waiting times standards for early intervention in psychosis services and are expanding and transforming National Health Service mental health services, backed by additional investment of £2.3 billion a year by March 2024 to enable an extra 2 million people in England to access NHS funded mental health support.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
25th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on determining the successful bids for the government's New Hospital Programme.

We received 128 expressions of interest for new hospitals and the Government has now confirmed that five of these schemes will join the New Hospital Programme.

These hospitals all have significant amounts of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, and have been independently assessed as unsafe to operate beyond 2030. Government is therefore prioritising these major rebuilds. Considering this, the Government is not inviting further schemes to join the programme at this time. Going forward, new schemes will be considered through a rolling programme of capital investment in hospital infrastructure to secure the building of new hospitals beyond 2030.