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To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to the public purse of adding sickle cell disease to the list of medical conditions conferring exemption from prescription charges; and what estimate she has made of the number of...
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to the public purse of adding sickle cell disease to the list of medical conditions conferring exemption from prescription charges; and what estimate she has made of the number of...
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to the Hon Member for North Devon on 18 August in response to Question 18253.
No specific estimates regarding this matter have been made.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the equity implications of the list of medical conditions conferring exemption from prescription charges; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing that list in respect of...
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the equity implications of the list of medical conditions conferring exemption from prescription charges; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing that list in respect of...
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to the Hon Member for North Devon on 18 August in response to Question 18253.
No specific estimates regarding this matter have been made.
What steps he is taking to increase the speed of the delivery of the Rapid Deployment Cells Programme.
What steps he is taking to increase the speed of the delivery of the Rapid Deployment Cells Programme.
What plans she has to ensure consistent financial support for kinship carers in local authority areas outside Kinship Zones pilot areas.
What plans she has to ensure consistent financial support for kinship carers in local authority areas outside Kinship Zones pilot areas.
We know that sickness absence and stress are often related to people’s workplaces. With £17 million now invested in Northampton general hospital for a new urgent treatment centre, and enhanced A&E opening this summer, does the Secretary of State agree that this is proof again that this Labour Government are investing in the infrastructure that our staff need to keep them safe and keep us safe too?
We know that sickness absence and stress are often related to people’s workplaces. With £17 million now invested in Northampton general hospital for a new urgent treatment centre, and enhanced A&E opening this summer, does the Secretary of State agree that this is proof again that this Labour Government are investing in the infrastructure that our staff need to keep them safe and keep us safe too?
I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. He is absolutely right to point to the record investment that this Labour Government are putting in, not just for the day-to-day running of the health service, but the critical capital investment, after the capital budget was starved for so many years under the Conservative party.
The Northampton-based McManus Pub Company runs 18 pubs and employs 370 people. I spoke to Tom McManus yesterday, who told me that successive Governments have ignored hospitality and that in the past five years business costs have made it harder for him to turn a profit. Tom has asked me to lobby the Government to cut VAT to 10%. What message does the Minister have for family businesses such as Tom’s?
The Northampton-based McManus Pub Company runs 18 pubs and employs 370 people. I spoke to Tom McManus yesterday, who told me that successive Governments have ignored hospitality and that in the past five years business costs have made it harder for him to turn a profit. Tom has asked me to lobby the Government to cut VAT to 10%. What message does the Minister have for family businesses such as Tom’s?
I thank my hon. Friend for his question, for raising the preferences of businesses in his constituency and for his continued engagement on this issue on behalf of his constituents. He will know of the recent announcements on the temporary great British summer savings scheme, which will reduce VAT from 20% to 5% on selected hospitality activities between June and September. He will also know that we keep all taxes under review. He should say to his constituents, and particularly to his businesses and pubs, that we are absolutely committed to working with the industry and the sector to support them to thrive. They are vital to our local communities, people and jobs, and I know that he knows that too.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending 0% VAT relief to clean heating technologies, including heat batteries.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending 0% VAT relief to clean heating technologies, including heat batteries.
The Government is supporting heat batteries by including them in the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, with a £2,500 grant to support homes that are not suitable for heat pumps. Heat batteries will become eligible once new product and installation standards are in place, ensuring quality and consumer protection and we expect applications to open in 2026/27, once standards, regulations and guidance have been completed.
Installations of qualifying energy-saving materials (ESMs) in residential accommodation and buildings used solely for a charitable purpose benefit from a temporary VAT zero rate until March 2027, after which they will revert to the reduced rate of VAT at five per cent.
The Government assesses whether to add ESMs to this relief by evaluating them against the following tests: the primary purpose of the technology must be to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions; relieving the technology of VAT must be a cost effective lever for encouraging installations; and it must be practical for business to operate and for HMRC to administer.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending 0% VAT relief to clean heating technologies such as heat batteries, including on initial costs, the number of households adopting low-carbon heating systems, and the level of exposure to changes in gas...
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending 0% VAT relief to clean heating technologies such as heat batteries, including on initial costs, the number of households adopting low-carbon heating systems, and the level of exposure to changes in gas...
The Government is supporting heat batteries by including them in the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, with a £2,500 grant to support homes that are not suitable for heat pumps. Heat batteries will become eligible once new product and installation standards are in place, ensuring quality and consumer protection and we expect applications to open in 2026/27, once standards, regulations and guidance have been completed.
Installations of qualifying energy-saving materials (ESMs) in residential accommodation and buildings used solely for a charitable purpose benefit from a temporary VAT zero rate until March 2027, after which they will revert to the reduced rate of VAT at five per cent.
The Government assesses whether to add ESMs to this relief by evaluating them against the following tests: the primary purpose of the technology must be to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions; relieving the technology of VAT must be a cost effective lever for encouraging installations; and it must be practical for business to operate and for HMRC to administer.
The Minister will be aware that freight services using East West Rail infrastructure already terminate at Northampton Gateway. Will the Minister work with me to ensure Northampton is included in East West Rail’s long-term vision for passenger services, ensuring connectivity across the Oxford-Cambridge corridor?
The Minister will be aware that freight services using East West Rail infrastructure already terminate at Northampton Gateway. Will the Minister work with me to ensure Northampton is included in East West Rail’s long-term vision for passenger services, ensuring connectivity across the Oxford-Cambridge corridor?
I thank my hon. Friend for his advocacy on this issue. He will know that, as set out in the recent project consultation, East West Rail services are not currently planned to serve Northampton. However, current work does not preclude that, and East West Rail will provide important interchanges with major rail lines. I would be very keen to work with my hon. Friend as he seeks to take this campaigning issue further.
What steps she is taking to improve passenger rail services.
What steps she is taking to improve passenger rail services.
Great British Railways will create a railway run by the people for the people, turning the tide on a decade of decline under the previous Government. Eighty per cent of the rail journeys that will ultimately be run by GBR are now being run by publicly owned operators, and we are already seeing more reliable services as a result.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her department will update the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services to require applicable government agencies to purchase higher welfare products, including cage-free eggs and pork, and chicken sourced from production systems that adhere to...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her department will update the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services to require applicable government agencies to purchase higher welfare products, including cage-free eggs and pork, and chicken sourced from production systems that adhere to...
The National Procurement Policy Statement underscores the government’s commitment to increasing procurement of food that meets higher environmental standards, supporting local suppliers and upholding ethical sourcing practises, including sourcing products raised to high UK welfare standards.
While Defra has begun collecting new data to understand public sector food sourcing, the Government is open to considering all lawful means to increase sustainable and locally sourced food.
The Government is also considering policy options including the potential for updating the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department will be strengthening the animal welfare provisions of the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department will be strengthening the animal welfare provisions of the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services.
The National Procurement Policy Statement underscores the government’s commitment to increasing procurement of food that meets higher environmental standards, supporting local suppliers and upholding ethical sourcing practises, including sourcing products raised to high UK welfare standards.
While Defra has begun collecting new data to understand public sector food sourcing, the Government is open to considering all lawful means to increase sustainable and locally sourced food.
The Government is also considering policy options including the potential for updating the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department expects to implement the policy of requiring government catering contracts to favour high-quality, high-welfare products.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department expects to implement the policy of requiring government catering contracts to favour high-quality, high-welfare products.
The National Procurement Policy Statement underscores the government’s commitment to increasing procurement of food that meets higher environmental standards, supporting local suppliers and upholding ethical sourcing practises, including sourcing products raised to high UK welfare standards.
While Defra has begun collecting new data to understand public sector food sourcing, the Government is open to considering all lawful means to increase sustainable and locally sourced food.
The Government is also considering policy options including the potential for updating the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the volume of structural timber required to meet the government’s housing delivery ambitions during this Parliament.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the volume of structural timber required to meet the government’s housing delivery ambitions during this Parliament.
We recognise the important role timber can play in supporting Net Zero, including through reducing embodied emissions in construction and storing carbon. The Government relaunched a more ambitious Timber in Construction Roadmap in February 2025 to increase sustainable timber use. The UK currently meets only around a fifth of its timber demand from domestic production, and even with increased planting and improved management, imports will continue to be essential to meet demand and balance wider land use priorities. Using a combination of domestic and imported timber, as well as other construction materials will allow the Government to meet its housing delivery ambitions.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the extent to which imported timber will be used in future housing construction.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the extent to which imported timber will be used in future housing construction.
We recognise the important role timber can play in supporting Net Zero, including through reducing embodied emissions in construction and storing carbon. The Government relaunched a more ambitious Timber in Construction Roadmap in February 2025 to increase sustainable timber use. The UK currently meets only around a fifth of its timber demand from domestic production, and even with increased planting and improved management, imports will continue to be essential to meet demand and balance wider land use priorities. Using a combination of domestic and imported timber, as well as other construction materials will allow the Government to meet its housing delivery ambitions.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the quantity of (a) commercial forest timber and (b) waste wood products that will be needed to achieve the government’s target of 1.5million homes in this parliament; and what proportion of...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the quantity of (a) commercial forest timber and (b) waste wood products that will be needed to achieve the government’s target of 1.5million homes in this parliament; and what proportion of...
We recognise the important role timber can play in supporting Net Zero, including through reducing embodied emissions in construction and storing carbon. The Government relaunched a more ambitious Timber in Construction Roadmap in February 2025 to increase sustainable timber use. The UK currently meets only around a fifth of its timber demand from domestic production, and even with increased planting and improved management, imports will continue to be essential to meet demand and balance wider land use priorities. Using a combination of domestic and imported timber, as well as other construction materials will allow the Government to meet its housing delivery ambitions.
Twenty-five per cent of the manufacturing output of the east midlands is in the food and drink sector, but that sector feels left behind in the clean energy transition without support from Government programmes, such as the British industrial competitiveness scheme. What support can the Minister give to the food and drink sector to ensure that it continues to prosper in the east midlands and to create jobs in constituencies such as mine?
Twenty-five per cent of the manufacturing output of the east midlands is in the food and drink sector, but that sector feels left behind in the clean energy transition without support from Government programmes, such as the British industrial competitiveness scheme. What support can the Minister give to the food and drink sector to ensure that it continues to prosper in the east midlands and to create jobs in constituencies such as mine?
The Government and I recognise the importance of the food and drink sector. My hon. Friend is right to point out that the sector is not included in the British industrial competitiveness scheme, but our boiler upgrade scheme does apply to these industries. One thing that I am doing is looking at the role of third-party intermediaries. The Department intends to provide a regulatory role for Ofgem, and subject to parliamentary time, we should be bringing forward measures that will benefit the food and drink industry.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she has considered the skills needed for the Restoration and Renewal Programme and the funding of FE courses that contribute to the skills base required for the Programme.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she has considered the skills needed for the Restoration and Renewal Programme and the funding of FE courses that contribute to the skills base required for the Programme.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he has assessed the potential impact of the freeze on Local Housing Allowance on levels of poverty among older private renters.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he has assessed the potential impact of the freeze on Local Housing Allowance on levels of poverty among older private renters.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Gambling Commission on the suitability of the current ownership arrangements of the Health Lottery.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Gambling Commission on the suitability of the current ownership arrangements of the Health Lottery.
DCMS Ministers and officials have had no discussions with the Gambling Commission on the ownership arrangements of the Health Lottery.