Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure (a) safe, (b) healthy and (c) adequate living conditions for people seeking asylum in (i) initial and (ii) dispersed accommodation; and if she will end the use of hotel accommodation for unaccompanied children.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office remains committed to ensuring the wellbeing and safety of those receiving asylum support. There are mechanisms in place, managed by Migrant Help, to allow asylum seekers to request assistance, provide feedback and/or report issues. This support is available 24/7 by telephone, webchat or email.
The Home Office has not accommodated unaccompanied children in UASC emergency hotels since 31 January 2024.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will publish the levels of funding allocated from UK Research and Innovation’s Natural Environment Research Council budget to the (a) British Antarctic Survey and (b) National Oceanography Centre in each of the last five years.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
DSIT has allocated £13.9 billion to the R&D budget for the 2025/26 financial year. Below are UK Research and Innovation's Natural Environment Research Council budget allocations over the past five financial years for the British Antarctic Survey (including the Antarctic Logistics and Infrastructure (ALI) Partition, which is a ringfenced slice of the science budget to support the UK presence in Antarctica); and the National Oceanography Centre:
| £ | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
| British Antarctic Survey | 80,357,000.000 | 96,960,602.940 | 101,985,482.620 | 102,245,360.580 | 118,574,122.818 |
| of which relates Antarctic Logistics and Infrastructure Partition | 65,731,000 | 82,631,00 | 89,905,620 | 83,397,732 | 94,307,687 |
| National Oceanography Centre | 63,105,666 | 43,202,228 | 45,351,605 | 53,420,185 | 54,245,697 |
Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding has been allocated from UK Research and Innovation’s Natural Environment Research Council budget to the European Marine Energy Centre to date.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The European Marine Energy Centre has not been allocated any funding from UK Research and Innovation’s Natural Environment Research Council to date.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will publish the total allocation of UK Research and Innovation funding to the Natural Environment Research Council since 2021-22.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The allocation of UKRI funding to the Natural Environment Research Council was published in the following reports:
Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the expansion of Heathrow Airport on the environment.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement, which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow.
The government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals need to demonstrate that they contribute to economic growth, can be delivered in line with the UK’s legally binding commitments on carbon and meet strict environmental requirements on air quality and noise pollution.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the expansion of Heathrow Airport on economic growth.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement, which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow.
The government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals need to demonstrate that they contribute to economic growth, can be delivered in line with the UK’s legally binding commitments on carbon and meet strict environmental requirements on air quality and noise pollution.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what external analysis her Department has commissioned on the potential impact of Heathrow expansion.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement, which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow.
The government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals need to demonstrate that they contribute to economic growth, can be delivered in line with the UK’s legally binding commitments on carbon and meet strict environmental requirements on air quality and noise pollution.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has undertaken a health impact assessment on the expansion of Heathrow airport.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement, which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow.
The government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals need to demonstrate that they contribute to economic growth, can be delivered in line with the UK’s legally binding commitments on carbon and meet strict environmental requirements on air quality and noise pollution.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned publication date is of the ME/CFS Delivery Plan; and for what reason it has been delayed.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We aim to publish the final delivery plan by the end of June. We have listened to key myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), stakeholders to allow for more time to develop the plan and help ensure we can be as ambitious as possible to make the most impact for those living with ME/CFS.
It will also enable the final delivery plan to align more closely with wider related Government strategies such as the forthcoming 10-Year Health Plan. The extension to the publication timeline will allow vital further engagement with the ME/CFS Task and Finish Group and those, across Government and beyond, responsible for actions in the final delivery plan. Through this engagement, we will further scope and develop new and stronger actions seeking to deliver meaningful change for the ME/CFS community.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the terms of GWR’s National Rail contract require it to seek her permission before making any changes to (a) ticket offices, (b) staffing levels and (c) stations’ operations.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Any changes to Ticket Office opening hours, in relation to regulated stations covered by Schedule 17 of the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement, must be made following the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement conditions and Secretary of State guidance. The Secretary of State has not had any recent discussions with Great Western Railway on changes related to Ticket Offices at any of its stations.