Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to topical medication for prisoners.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of young people recalled to prison due to landlord refusal to install home monitoring equipment.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Recall is a vital tool to protect the public.
Recalling a child to custody is a last resort. Local Youth Offending Teams will explore other options before deciding to recall a child. This could include a curfew that is not electronically monitored but managed by Youth Offending Teams instead.
Adult offenders released on home detention curfew are still serving the custodial element of their sentence and it is a statutory requirement that the curfew is electronically monitored for at least 9 hours a day. In cases where it is no longer possible to electronically monitor offenders in the community, through no fault of their own, they will be recalled until it is possible for them to monitored in the community.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether applications received before March 2025 for therapeutic services under the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund will be considered for therapies beginning in the (a) current and (b) 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
To reduce gaps in therapy, adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) applications which were received before 31 March 2025 were permitted to extend up to 12 months, allowing children and families to receive continuing therapy across financial years. Where applications were approved, therapy which started up to and including March 2025 could continue into the next financial year, under previously agreed transitional funding arrangements.
Following an announcement on 1 April, the department is delighted to confirm that £50 million has been allocated to the ASGSF for the current financial year. More details on applications for funding for the 2025/26 financial year will be published shortly.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether it remains his policy to release land to Homes England through the Defence Infrastructure Organisation to meet the government's housebuilding commitments.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
On average the Ministry of Defence releases enough surplus land for over 3,500 new homes a year.
There is no policy mandating this land is released to Homes England, however, along with other Government Departments the Ministry of Defence works with Homes England where appropriate.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether it remains her policy for Homes England to acquire Ministry of Defence land through the Defence Infrastructure Organisation to meet the government's housebuilding commitments.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Homes England works closely with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, the Ministry of Defence and other landowning Departments, providing targeted and expert support to help prepare land for sale, tackling issues that have previously delayed or prevented land release.
Homes England can acquire public sector sites where this offers the best option – and value for money – to accelerate the remediation and release of a site and its build out for housing.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with (a) OpenAI, (b) Google, (c) Anthropic and (d) Meta on workers’ rights.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Plan to Make Work Pay sets out an ambitious agenda to ensure employment rights are fit for a modern economy, empower working people and contribute to economic growth.
Its reforms will strengthen the rights of workers, address the fragmented labour market enforcement framework, and support workers in balancing responsibilities outside work.
The Government is committed to working in partnership with businesses, trade unions and other stakeholders to deliver the Plan to Make Work Pay.
We have not had any engagement with OpenAI, Google, Anthropic or Meta on workers' rights.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what criteria his Department is using to select sites as AI Growth Zones.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Central government will lay out a selection process, and local / regional authorities will be able to nominate themselves to host an AI Growth Zone. Important criteria will include power infrastructure or line of sight to power, along with supportive local planning authorities.
The selection process will open in spring 2025, and we welcome interest from areas with strong power infrastructure and economic potential.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of investing in industrial sites in Luton North constituency.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
DBT works with all regions in the UK to understand in detail the areas sector by sector potential for investors. In Luton, DBT has a strong working relationship with Luton Borough Council and the South Midlands Growth Hub, where we have a shared understanding of Luton’s strengths in areas such as manufacturing, automotive, creative & digital and the green economy.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to (a) protect and (b) increase employment in AI growth zones.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
AI Growth Zones (AIGZs) will be closely aligned with wider government initiatives, including Local Growth Plans. This is to ensure AIGZs deliver substantial regional and national benefits, such as upskilling and employment opportunities.
The investment in AI-enabled data centres will have a spillover effect in local communities, providing construction jobs, enhancing local skills, rejuvenating areas, and therefore driving the UK’s ambition to become a global hub for AI talent and investment.
UK government and local authorities will actively seek to secure the best deal possible for local communities where data centres are built, ensuring they benefit from ongoing direct employment.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of designating industrial sites in Luton North constituency as AI growth zones.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We are committed to working in partnership with regional and local authorities on AI Growth Zones (AIGZs). The selection process will open in spring 2025, and we welcome interest from areas with strong access to power infrastructure and economic potential. AIGZs will be closely aligned with wider government initiatives, including Local Growth Plans, to ensure they deliver substantial regional and national benefits.