Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the cost and feasibility of undergrounding new electricity transmission infrastructure in rural areas, including Suffolk.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Network developers, not Government, are responsible for assessing the cost and feasibility of construction methods for new electricity transmission infrastructure. This includes consideration of whether construction methods are technically deliverable and an assessment of any environmental impacts.
Undergrounding is significantly more expensive, with the Institution of Engineering and Technology (April 2025) estimating that it costs around four and a half times more than overhead lines. As these costs are ultimately borne by electricity bill payers, overhead lines are the Government’s starting presumption for new transmission infrastructure.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to include physiotherapy graduates in the Graduate Guarantee Scheme.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are currently no plans to expand the Graduate Guarantee to physiotherapy graduates.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an estimate of the lifetime net cost of a small boat migrant accepted by the UK.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has not carried out an assessment of the lifetime net cost of a small boat migrant who arrives in the UK and we have no plans to do so.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many foreign nationals have been excluded from the UK since 2010, broken down by type of grounds for refusal.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas in the ‘Immigration system statistics quarterly release - GOV.UK’. Data on visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D01’ whilst data on outcomes of visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the detailed entry clearance visas dataset. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data is from January 2005 up to the end of September 2025. Please note that data on refusals by reason is not available from published statistics.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of safeguarding in nursery settings.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The safety of our youngest children is our utmost priority and the department continually monitors and reviews safeguarding requirements to make sure children are kept as safe as possible.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements early years providers must meet to ensure that children are kept healthy and safe. It is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68c024cb8c6d992f23edd79c/Early_years_foundation_stage_statutory_framework_-_for_group_and_school-based_providers.pdf. In September 2025, changes were introduced to strengthen the safeguarding requirements in the EYFS, including clearer expectations on safer recruitment, child absences, safer eating, safeguarding training and whistleblowing.
A new safeguarding training annex now sets out what training must cover. To support providers, a free online safeguarding training package is being developed with the NSPCC, aligned to the new requirements.
We are also appointing an expert panel to inform whether CCTV should be mandated within early years settings, along with the development of guidance on the safe and effective use of digital devices and CCTV within safeguarding, setting out best practice, technical information and clear expectations.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what representations did he receive from women with (a) endometriosis and (b) adenomyosis on provisions within the Employment Rights Bill to support employees with these conditions.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is committed to improving women’s health and supporting employees through the Employment Rights Act (ERA). Officials have engaged with women’s health organisations, including endometriosis groups, informing voluntary Employer Action Plans on menopause from April 2026. We’re helping people with health conditions stay and thrive at work through programmes such as Keep Britain Working and greater access to flexible working. Statutory Sick Pay may also apply which, from April, becomes payable from day one of sickness absence. Beyond the ERA, endometriosis and adenomyosis may be considered disabilities, and if so, employers must offer reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will meet with the Valuation Office Agency to discuss the potentail impact of changes to business rates relief on pubs and breweries.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
From April, every pub and live music venue will get 15% off its new business rates bill on top of the support announced at Budget and then bills will be frozen in real terms for a further two years.
Three-quarters of pubs will see bills flat or falling in April. The new relief is worth £1,650 for the average pub next year. As a sector pubs will pay 8% less in business rates in 2029 than they do right now.
The Government will also launch a review which will explore how pubs are valued for business rates.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding from the Overseas Development Assistance budget has been directed towards housing (a) asylum seekers, (b) refugees and (c) illegal migrants in their first year living in the UK in each year since 2020.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK reports its Official Development Assistance spend on a calendar year basis in the Statistics on International Development, including the amount spent on in-donor refugee costs.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the level of Packaging Recovery Note fraud in 2025.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency is aware of this challenge and is exploring ways to address the acknowledged issue, including changing the way it measures waste crime.
The value of recovery notes varies according to the waste type and market trends. Since 2023 the value of most Packaging Recovery Notes (PRNs) and Packaging Export Recovery Notes has decreased.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with her US counterpart on the US sanctions applied to Zaher Birawi and the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of designating Zaher Birawi under the Counter-Terrorism (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMT is unable to provide details on any OFSI actions or investigations that may or may not be ongoing. HMT regularly reviews targets for designation to explore whether they meet our criteria for designation under the Counter-Terrorism (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.