Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she will consider mandating the use of declaration of use forms for suppliers of sodium nitrate.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Poisons Act 1972 sets out the legal obligations in relation to the sale, purchase, and use of explosives precursors and poisons for suppliers, professional users, and members of the public.
The Poisons Act was amended in October 2023 to strengthen controls, and enhance suspicious activity reporting requirements, including new obligations for online marketplaces. As well as the requirement to report suspicious transactions, economic operators supplying any reportable substances must now demonstrate that their personnel are aware about which of their products contain listed substances, and are instructed on their obligations.
Sodium nitrate is a reportable explosives precursor listed in Part 4 of Schedule 1A of the Poisons Act 1972; this means it is lawful to sell this substance in Great Britain without further controls, however suppliers have a legal obligation to report any suspicious transactions.
The Home Office work with retailers and suppliers to raise awareness and emphasise their legal obligation to report suspicious activity for regulated and reportable substances. Government expertise in relation to substances of concern is also shared to inform retailer sales practices. This includes encouraging suppliers to use declaration of use forms for sales of such substances. This work will continue to ensure suppliers are meeting their requirements under the Poisons Act.
As set out in CONTEST, The United Kingdom’s Strategy for Countering Terrorism, the Government is committed to reducing the ability of terrorists to access and use materials and technology of concern. We continue to keep dangerous substances under review to ensure appropriate regulation and controls are in place to keep the public safe.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will take steps to restrict purchases of sodium nitrate in quantities that (a) pose a significant risk to life and (b) could be used in acts of terrorism.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Poisons Act 1972 sets out the legal obligations in relation to the sale, purchase, and use of explosives precursors and poisons for suppliers, professional users, and members of the public.
The Poisons Act was amended in October 2023 to strengthen controls, and enhance suspicious activity reporting requirements, including new obligations for online marketplaces. As well as the requirement to report suspicious transactions, economic operators supplying any reportable substances must now demonstrate that their personnel are aware about which of their products contain listed substances, and are instructed on their obligations.
Sodium nitrate is a reportable explosives precursor listed in Part 4 of Schedule 1A of the Poisons Act 1972; this means it is lawful to sell this substance in Great Britain without further controls, however suppliers have a legal obligation to report any suspicious transactions.
The Home Office work with retailers and suppliers to raise awareness and emphasise their legal obligation to report suspicious activity for regulated and reportable substances. Government expertise in relation to substances of concern is also shared to inform retailer sales practices. This includes encouraging suppliers to use declaration of use forms for sales of such substances. This work will continue to ensure suppliers are meeting their requirements under the Poisons Act.
As set out in CONTEST, The United Kingdom’s Strategy for Countering Terrorism, the Government is committed to reducing the ability of terrorists to access and use materials and technology of concern. We continue to keep dangerous substances under review to ensure appropriate regulation and controls are in place to keep the public safe.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to take steps to (a) reduce public access to sodium nitrate and (b) raise awareness among suppliers of the potential dangers associated with its misuse.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Poisons Act 1972 sets out the legal obligations in relation to the sale, purchase, and use of explosives precursors and poisons for suppliers, professional users, and members of the public.
The Poisons Act was amended in October 2023 to strengthen controls, and enhance suspicious activity reporting requirements, including new obligations for online marketplaces. As well as the requirement to report suspicious transactions, economic operators supplying any reportable substances must now demonstrate that their personnel are aware about which of their products contain listed substances, and are instructed on their obligations.
Sodium nitrate is a reportable explosives precursor listed in Part 4 of Schedule 1A of the Poisons Act 1972; this means it is lawful to sell this substance in Great Britain without further controls, however suppliers have a legal obligation to report any suspicious transactions.
The Home Office work with retailers and suppliers to raise awareness and emphasise their legal obligation to report suspicious activity for regulated and reportable substances. Government expertise in relation to substances of concern is also shared to inform retailer sales practices. This includes encouraging suppliers to use declaration of use forms for sales of such substances. This work will continue to ensure suppliers are meeting their requirements under the Poisons Act.
As set out in CONTEST, The United Kingdom’s Strategy for Countering Terrorism, the Government is committed to reducing the ability of terrorists to access and use materials and technology of concern. We continue to keep dangerous substances under review to ensure appropriate regulation and controls are in place to keep the public safe.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to introduce additional (a) regulation and (b) monitoring of sodium nitrate further to the provisions within the Poisons Act 1972.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Poisons Act 1972 sets out the legal obligations in relation to the sale, purchase, and use of explosives precursors and poisons for suppliers, professional users, and members of the public.
The Poisons Act was amended in October 2023 to strengthen controls, and enhance suspicious activity reporting requirements, including new obligations for online marketplaces. As well as the requirement to report suspicious transactions, economic operators supplying any reportable substances must now demonstrate that their personnel are aware about which of their products contain listed substances, and are instructed on their obligations.
Sodium nitrate is a reportable explosives precursor listed in Part 4 of Schedule 1A of the Poisons Act 1972; this means it is lawful to sell this substance in Great Britain without further controls, however suppliers have a legal obligation to report any suspicious transactions.
The Home Office work with retailers and suppliers to raise awareness and emphasise their legal obligation to report suspicious activity for regulated and reportable substances. Government expertise in relation to substances of concern is also shared to inform retailer sales practices. This includes encouraging suppliers to use declaration of use forms for sales of such substances. This work will continue to ensure suppliers are meeting their requirements under the Poisons Act.
As set out in CONTEST, The United Kingdom’s Strategy for Countering Terrorism, the Government is committed to reducing the ability of terrorists to access and use materials and technology of concern. We continue to keep dangerous substances under review to ensure appropriate regulation and controls are in place to keep the public safe.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities to bring forward brownfield land for housing development in areas where flooding presents a significant barrier to delivery.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework expects proposals for homes and other identified needs to be approved where they would use suitable brownfield land, unless substantial harm would be caused.
At the same time, the Framework recognises the importance of minimising the risk of flooding, and so it steers development away from areas of relatively high flood risk, while recognising that some land where significant flood risk exists will be unsuitable for housing.
Where development is, exceptionally, found to be justified in areas at risk of flooding, the Framework requires that it be appropriately flood resistant and resilient, and safe for its lifetime.
This may apply to some brownfield land but would need to be considered on a site-by-site basis taking into consideration information on flood risk and opportunities for mitigation and ensuring safety.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to reduce child poverty in Guildford, following the Spring Statement 2025.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government. The Ministerial Taskforce is working to publish a Child Poverty Strategy looking at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across government and work underway in Devolved Government
The Taskforce is listening to experts and campaigners across the UK and ensuring the voices of families and children with experience of poverty are brought into policy thinking and decision making as part of the development of the Child Poverty Strategy. This includes three key stands of work – a Parents and Carers Forum, engagement with the Changing Realities Project and research with children and young people.
We know that good work can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty. The Get Britain Working (GBW) White Paper, with £240 million investment, sets out ambitious plans to reform employment support, including £15 million to support trailblazers and local development of GBW plans.
The vital work of the Taskforce comes alongside our commitments to triple investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million, introduce a Fair Repayment Rate for deductions from Universal Credit, improve the adequacy of the standard allowance with the first sustained above inflation rise in the basic rate of Universal Credit since it was introduced and increase the National Living Wage to £12.21 an hour to boost the pay of three million workers.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to (a) simplify the exemption process for dental charges for people on Universal Credit and (b) introduce a real-time exemption checker for use in dental practices similar to those used in pharmacies.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Free National Health Service dental care is available to people who meet the following criteria:
- under 18 years old, or under 19 years old and in full-time education;
- pregnant, or have had a baby in the previous 12 months;
- being treated in an NHS hospital and the treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist, although patients may have to pay for any dentures or bridges; or
- receiving low-income benefits, or under 20 years old and a dependant of someone receiving low-income benefits.
Support is also available through the NHS Low Income Scheme for those patients who are not eligible for an exemption or for full remission of dental patient charges. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/who-is-entitled-to-free-nhs-dental-treatment-in-england/
It is the patient’s responsibility to check their eligibility for exemptions from dental patient charges and to help with health costs. The Department has provided information to dental practices on signposting patients to the NHS Business Services Authority’s resources on dental patient charges. This includes the ‘Check before you Tick’ website which provides an immediate way to check eligibility for free dental treatment. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/dont-get-caught-out-penalty-charges/check-you-tick
There are no current plans to expand Real Time Exemption Checking beyond the pharmacy setting.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of barring non-compliant developers from being awarded public sector contracts until cladding issues from past projects are resolved.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Major developers have already signed a Developer Remediation Contract with government, under which they are obligated to fix or pay to fix the buildings for which they are responsible. Developers who fail to comply with their contractual obligations face significant consequences, including in many cases prohibitions that would be imposed on the developer if it fails to comply with the requirements of the statutory Responsible Actos Scheme. Those prohibitions would prevent a developer from carrying out major development and from gaining building control sign-off in England, subject to limited exceptions.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with (a) local authorities and (b) private companies that own electrical infrastructure that delivers public services on using existing (i) electric infrastructure and (ii) lamp posts to create additional EV charging points.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to expanding the electricity network to enable decarbonisation and is working closely with Ofgem and industry to mobilise the required investment. In the current distribution price control, Ofgem has allowed £22.2bn for upfront investment in low voltage networks, including £3.1bn for network upgrades to support low-carbon technologies, including infrastructure to support EV charging.
The Government regularly engages with the electricity network companies, which are responsible for maintaining and upgrading electrical infrastructure.
The Government also meets regularly with chargepoint operators and local authorities that plan and deliver on-street chargepoints. The £381m LEVI Fund supports local authorities in England to work with industry and transform the availability of EV charging for drivers without off-street parking. This includes lamp post chargepoints.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has plans to increase registration fees for social workers.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
As set out in the Children and Social Work Act 2017, Social Work England (SWE) is responsible for setting the level of the registration fee for social workers. Before determining the level of any fee, including any change, SWE must both consult publicly and gain the approval of my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. Further information is available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2017/16/part/2/enacted#section-36-4.
SWE’s public consultation runs until 13 May 2025 and is available at: https://www.socialworkengland.org.uk/news/public-consultation-on-changes-to-our-fees-is-now-open/.