theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of people who had visas sponsored by Jhoots Group who had those visas (a) transferred and (b) renewed to Allied Pharmacies in the last six months. \p Mike Tapp: UKVI does not produce published visa data related to individual sponsors.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Tim Farron:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost price is of a child citizenship application. \p Mike Tapp: The Home Office publishes the fees charged and the estimated unit cost of processing immigration and nationality applications on Gov.UK. This can be reviewed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-fees-transparency-data.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of new immigration rules on people who arrived under the Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement Programme. \p Mike Tapp: In line with our Public Sector Equality Duty, Equality Impact Assessments are undertaken for new policies to ensure that there are no unintended or disproportionate impacts on people with protected characteristics. This includes consideration of nationalities.
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Maya Ellis:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to modify the UK Ancestry visa. \p Mike Tapp: The Government values the UK’s close cultural and historical ties with its fellow Commonwealth countries. This is reflected in our immigration system by the UK Ancestry visa, which allows Commonwealth citizens with a UK-born grandparent to live and work in the UK.

The Home Office keeps all visa routes under regular review. While we have no current plans to reform the UK Ancestry route specifically, we have set out a number of proposed reforms to the wider immigration system in the Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May. On 20 November we launched a public consultation on our new earned settlement model, and we encourage interested parties to take part. Details of any changes will be set out in due course in the usual way.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps has she taken to ensure Home Office casework involving allegations of domestic abuse linked to spousal visa arrangements is investigated with appropriate (a) sensitivity and (b) cultural awareness. \p Mike Tapp: We are committed to reducing Violence against Women and Girls and this means continuing to support migrant victims of domestic abuse on spousal or partner visas.

That is why we offer immediate settlement for migrant victims of domestic abuse, under the Immigration Rules (Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse (Appendix VDA)) for those granted permission to stay as a spouse or partner under the family Immigration Rules.

We consulted with a range of expert stakeholders including refuge service providers, specialist migrant domestic abuse charities, and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner when we published the first version of the Appendix VDA casework guidance in January 2024 to capture the significant cultural and language barriers that exist for migrant victims.

All applications under Appendix VDA are made directly to a specialist and experienced decision-making team to consider all the information and evidence provided to decide whether, on the balance of probabilities, the applicant can be granted settlement as a victim of domestic abuse. They are explicitly instructed to deal with cases sensitively, flexibly and cooperatively giving applicants support to demonstrate their eligibility where this is needed.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of the UK and Ireland sharing data on revoked British passports to prevent the misuse of the common travel area by travellers transiting to the UK via Ireland. \p Mike Tapp: The UK and Ireland have a close and collaborative working relationship on a range of issues, including migration and border security. That collaboration includes a joint commitment to protect the Common Travel Area from abuse, while preserving the rights of British and Irish citizens.
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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department collects on incidents of transnational repression. \p Dan Jarvis: We continually assess potential threats in the UK using a multi-source model, drawing on intelligence assessments, engagement with international partners, and insights from civil society and affected individuals. In 2024, policing introduced a new recording system to capture reports that may include foreign interference, including TNR.

The Home Office is also developing official statistics for the National Security Act, which will include relevant offences that could amount to TNR.

The Government takes the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously, and will continue to strengthen its understanding of TNR and ensure that systems to detect, deter, and counter this activity remain effective and proportionate.
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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to assess and prevent the transnational repression of Sudanese nationals and their families. \p Dan Jarvis: The first duty of this Government is to keep the country safe. Any attempt by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will not be tolerated, irrespective of the perpetrating country.

The Government has conducted a comprehensive review of the UK’s response to transnational repression (TNR) and found that the UK has tools and system-wide safeguards in place to robustly counter this threat. In particular, the National Security Act 2023 has provided a comprehensive suite of powers to counter activity amounting to TNR.

The police and intelligence services have mature mechanisms to continually assess potential threats in the UK. They use a wide range of tactics to counter the most acute forms of state-directed threats and protect those individuals identified as at risk. On 4 March, I announced a new package of training for frontline police officers and staff to improve law enforcement’s ability to detect and investigate incidents which may be state-directed.

Guidance is available on GOV.UK to provide those who believe themselves to be at-risk of TNR with practical advice for their safety both physically and online. Anyone who thinks they might be a victim should report incidents or suspicious activity to the Police via 101, a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Statutory Instrument, The Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025, on her Department's plans to phase out animal testing. \p Dan Jarvis: The Statutory Instrument to amend the Public Order Act 2023 does not alter the Government’s commitment to phasing out animal testing or maintaining high standards of animal welfare. All establishments licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) will remain subject to its full requirements. ASPA provides a robust regulatory framework that protects animals in science, including compliance checks and audits by the Home Office.

It is anticipated that amendments to the Public Order Act can help to safeguard animal welfare through enabling scientific establishments to continue their operations in compliance with ASPA without disruptions which could put at risk their activity to protect animals.

The Animals in Science Regulation Unit conducts announced and unannounced audits to ensure establishments comply with licence conditions, the Code of Practice, and ASPA. The Home Office has published guidance on administering and enforcing ASPA, alongside a Code of Practice that sets standards for the care and accommodation of animals used for scientific purposes.

The UK’s legal framework already requires that animals are only used in science where no validated alternatives exist. The Government is accelerating efforts to develop and adopt these alternatives. In November 2025 the Government published a strategy setting out a long-term vision for a world where the use of animals in science is eliminated except in exceptional circumstances, by creating a research and innovation system that drives the development and validation of alternative methods.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has had recent discussions with universities and cultural institutions on the potential merits of establishing scholarships or research funding for communities impacted by Britain's colonial legacy. \p Ian Murray: Whilst no such discussions have taken place directly, the Department is in contact with National Museums Liverpool (NML) on the development and refurbishment of the International Slavery Museum, which is being co-produced working closely with Liverpool’s communities. Current proposals include a space for a new National Centre for Teaching Black History, which will continue NML’s partnership with the University of Liverpool by developing a research lab with the Centre for the Study of International Slavery and supporting organisations, through the Transatlantic Slavery & Legacies in Museums Forum.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding her Department has provided to Irish cultural heritage groups in the last 12 months. \p Ian Murray: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport recognises the importance of Irish Heritage, with funding administered through Arms-Length Bodies.

Since November 2024, the National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded three grants totaling £290,074 to projects exploring the history and experiences of the Irish diaspora in Britain.

A grant of £138,758 was awarded to the project St. Brigid’s Arms: Voices of Womxn of Irish Heritage in the North of England in Trafford in Greater Manchester from Emerald LENS CIC, which is exploring the stories and experience of womxn of Irish heritage in the north of England. A grant of £57,210 was awarded to Liverpool Irish Festival Resolve. This project will continue the Liverpool Irish Famine Trail heritage work by bringing compelling stories to audiences through innovative, accessible approaches as we approach the 180th anniversary of An Gorta Mór. A grant of £94,106 was awarded to the project Mix’n’Mortar: Plugging into Camden. This will go towards local audience development and co-programming for the world's first Museum of Youth Culture opening Spring 2026, which includes experiences of the Irish diaspora.
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Liam Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the policy papers entitled Spending Review 2025, published on 30 June 2025, and Budget 2025, published on 28 November 2025, what their Department’s capital Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) will be in each year of the Spending Review period; how much capital funding has been allocated to each of their Department’s programmes; and how much and what proportion of the capital DEL allocation remains unallocated in each year. \p Ian Murray: As detailed at Budget 2025, DCMS has £0.7bn of Capital DEL in each year of the Spending Review. The Department is currently completing its Business Planning process, which will allocate the funding to specific programmes. As such, we cannot yet confirm programme by programme allocations or what remains unallocated in each year.
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Mr Louie French:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2025 to Question 78837 on Rural Areas: Economic Situation, what assessment she has made of the difference between the increase in costs for horseracing due to (a) the change in business rates, (b) the increase in the national minimum wage, and (c) the increase in Employer's National Insurance Contributions and the expected levy yield. \p Ian Murray: We continue to engage with racing and betting stakeholders to understand the impact of recent changes made by His Majesty’s Treasury.

The horserace betting levy is based on the profits of bookmakers, which fluctuate according to the results of races. The levy is designed in this way so that the risk is shared between betting and racing stakeholders.

The levy, which reached £108m in 2024/5 represents a small proportion of racing’s overall income when compared with contributions from betting operators for media rights, income from racegoers and contributions from owners and trainers. The levy yield for the year to 31 March 2025 is a new high since the Levy collection reforms of 2017/18, exceeding the 2023/24 figure of £105m.
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of (a) named day questions and (b) ordinary written questions were responded to by her Department within the required timescale in (i) May 2025, (ii) June 2025, (iii) July 2025, (iv) August 2025, (v) September 2025, (vi) October 2025 and (vii) November 2025. \p Ian Murray: The Government recognises the importance of the effective and timely handling of written parliamentary questions (PQs).

The House of Commons Procedure Committee monitors departmental PQ performance and publishes a report of the government's consolidated PQ data following the end of each session.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps have been taken to support the heritage sector in maintaining and restoring historic buildings. \p Ian Murray: The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) is committed to supporting the heritage sector in maintaining and restoring historic buildings,through direct funding and partnership working.

We provide significant financial support through our Arm's-Length Bodies, primarily Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, who last year spent £287.2m on heritage. We have introduced dedicated funding streams, such as the £4.85m Heritage Revival Fund and the £15m Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, which provides support for the rescue, repair, and adaptive reuse of neglected historic buildings, often focusing on community-led projects and regeneration in deprived areas.

DCMS also supports maintenance through specialist schemes, including the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme which helps cover the cost of VAT on repairs and has been extended until March 2026.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help protect cultural heritage sites at risk from conflict or natural disaster. \p Ian Murray: The UK’s principal mechanism for safeguarding cultural heritage at risk from conflict and natural disaster internationally is delivered by DCMS’s International Cultural Heritage Protection Programme (ICHP). This operates in 25 ODA-eligible countries predominantly across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia and in Ukraine. The primary initiative is the Cultural Protection Fund (CPF) delivered by the British Council.

In addition, DCMS has funded the project ‘Climate Change & UNESCO Heritage’. Delivered by the UK National Commission for UNESCO, this has developed open-source tools to support UNESCO heritage sites to address climate challenges.
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Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of current regulatory protections, such as age verification and advertising restrictions, in preventing gambling among young people. \p Ian Murray: All gambling operators in the UK must comply with robust advertising codes, which are enforced by the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) independently of Government. These codes apply across all advertising platforms, including broadcast, online and social media. The codes are regularly reviewed and updated and include a wide range of provisions designed to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm. DCMS regularly engages with the ASA to discuss these changes and the impact of the regulations.

In addition, all operators in the UK are required to comply with the Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice, which includes new provisions relating to direct marketing and socially responsible promotions and bonuses. The impact of these measures will be assessed in due course.

We are also working with colleagues across Government and other regulators to assess the effectiveness of age assurance tools on online platforms. We are considering a wide range of evidence to ensure children are best protected from gambling related harm.
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Maya Ellis:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to continue funding grant programmes operated by (a) Arts Council England, (b) National Lottery Project Grants and (c) National Portfolio Organisation. \p Ian Murray: Yes. DCMS plans to continue funding grant programmes operated by Arts Council England (which includes the National Portfolio). Arts Council England also continues to receive funding from the National Lottery, which goes towards supporting a range of programmes including National Lottery Project Grants.
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Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to require gambling operators and online platforms to provide greater transparency regarding how gambling advertisements are targeted and delivered to users. \p Ian Murray: The advertising codes that apply to all licensed gambling operators state that advertising must not be targeted at children or vulnerable people. The Government welcomes measures implemented by the Gambling Commission which have given customers greater control over the direct marketing they receive, and include further restrictions to make sure bonuses are constructed in a responsible way which does not encourage excessive or harmful gambling.

We will continue to explore whether more can be done to further raise standards in this area, particularly on online platforms.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with stakeholders to improve tennis facilities in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis, along with representatives from other other sports, to discuss this.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport in England through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. This includes long term investment in the Lawn Tennis Association which will receive up to £14.5 million for seven years from 2022 to 2029 to invest in community tennis initiatives that will benefit as many people as possible.
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Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to support wards receiving funding through the Pride in Place programme in a) Telford, b) West Midlands and c) England. \p Ian Murray: The flagship Pride in Place Programme will provide up to £20 million in flexible funding and support to 244 places over the next decade. The neighbourhoods selected to receive funding and support from the Pride in Place Programme include Woodside in Telford and 28 places in the West Midlands. In addition, 7 local authorities across the West Midlands have been awarded funding through the Pride in Place Impact Fund, with each receiving up to £1.5m over two years. In total, the Government is investing up to £570.5 million across the West Midlands through the Pride in Place Programme and the Pride in Place Impact Fund.

Areas selected through the Pride in Place Programme will receive dedicated support from the Communities Delivery Unit within the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which will work in partnership with Neighbourhood Boards and local authorities, and will provide access to place-specific data, guidance and capability support tailored to local needs.

Through the Pride in Place strategy, DCMS is delivering interventions that are key to creating stronger communities and restoring civic pride. These include £400 million funding for grassroots sports facilities, our £85 million Creative Foundations Fund for revitalising arts and cultural assets and the National Youth Strategy, which will put young people at the centre of the policies that matter to them. My department is engaging with the MHCLG Community Delivery Unit to ensure these programmes have the impact that is needed in the right places.
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Jenny Riddell-Carpenter:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of firework regulations in protecting animals and vulnerable people; and whether he plans to review the existing framework. \p Kate Dearden: There currently has been no assessment to the effectiveness of firework regulations in protecting animals and vulnerable people. The Government's intention is to minimise negative impacts of fireworks and to support their considerate use, reducing the risks and disturbances to individuals, animals, and property.

To inform future decisions about the regulation of fireworks, I am engaging with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues and impacts of fireworks. The safety of the public and the impact on people, animals and property will be central in how the Government proceeds in relation to the regulation of fireworks.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment his Department has made of the economic impact of Small Business Saturday on high streets and local economies. \p Blair McDougall: The Department has not done, and does not plan to do an assessment of the economic impact of Small Business Saturday on high streets and local economies.

The Small Business Saturday campaign has done its own analysis; they suggest that Small Business Saturday could deliver a £5 billion boost for the sector. The Department has also launched its Backing Your Business campaign, designed to raise awareness of the support being provided to SMEs within the Small Business Plan, including on high streets and local economies.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of Government support schemes on small business participation in Small Business Saturday. \p Blair McDougall: I congratulate Small Business Britain on another excellent Small Business Saturday, during which the Government launched the new ‘Backing your Business’ campaign to drive uptake of the Business Growth Service and boost awareness of the Small Business Plan. We have been delivering on our promise to back SMEs across Britain.

This includes work to tackle late payments and cut the administrative costs of regulation saving SME owners time and money so they can focus on running successful businesses and continue to participate in important campaigns such as Small Business Saturday.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a programme to subsidise domestic electric battery manufacturing. \p Chris McDonald: The battery sector currently employs 10,500 people across the UK and is one of the frontier industries highlighted in our Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan.

The Government recently made the UK's largest single commitment to battery R&D and commercialisation of £452 million to 2030 in the new Battery Innovation Programme (BIP).

BIP targets technical skills gaps to develop engineers and scientists of the future, connects academic researchers with UK industry, and funds investor partnerships that improve access to investment for innovative battery companies ready to commercialise and scale in the UK.

This sits alongside DRIVE35, our long-term £2.5 billion commitment to zero emission vehicle manufacturing which provides capital support and additional R&D funding for strategic vehicle technologies, like batteries, accelerating their commercial scale-up.
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Mr Lee Dillon:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to increase requirements for builders to hold licensing fees. \p Chris McDonald: The Government is fully committed to implementing the Grenfell Inquiry recommendation that principal contractors working on higher-risk buildings should be licenced through a scheme managed by the Building Safety Regulator. We have accepted this recommendation as an important step in enhancing building safety standards.

We continue to engage with stakeholders as to whether a wider licencing scheme would improve standards of consumer protection. This work is progressing alongside our broader initiatives to enhance competency across the construction sector through the Industry Competence Committee, ensuring a comprehensive approach to raising standards throughout the industry.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has made an estimate of the cost savings from expanding DNA testing in criminal trials. \p Sarah Sackman: The Ministry of Justice does not collect or hold data which would link the use of DNA testing, or any other type of evidence produced by the prosecution, with the overall efficiency of criminal trials. Therefore, it is not possible to make an estimate of any cost savings.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to the right to jury trial on the number of appeals and judicial review applications. \p Sarah Sackman: Following reforms to the criminal courts, appellants will continue to have the right to appeal convictions and sentences received in both magistrates’ courts and the Crown Court. Permission to appeal will be granted by the judiciary where the appeal has a real prospect of success.
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Robert Jenrick:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many transgender prisoners with convictions for (a) sexual and (b) violent offences are housed within the general female prison estate; and how many of those prisoners have been granted a Ministerial exemption to remain there in the last 12 months. \p Jake Richards: As of 1 December, there were no transgender women, including individuals with Gender Recognition Certificates, in the general women's prison estate with any convictions for sexual offences and five or fewer transgender women with convictions for violent offences. (Where statistics include a total of five or fewer, the exact figure is not given, for data protection reasons.)

The individuals with convictions for violent offences received Ministerial exemptions to be held in the general women's estate under the previous Government. No exemptions have been provided by this Government since it came into power.
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Robert Jenrick:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether any offenders currently detained in (a) separation and (b) close supervision centres are challenging their detention. \p Jake Richards: There are no ongoing judicial review challenges made with regards to separation centres and no ongoing challenges that have reached the courts with regards to close supervision centres.
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Robert Jenrick:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reasons Jonathan Hall KC’s review into Separation Centres has not yet been published; and when he plans to publish that review. \p Jake Richards: The Government is carefully considering the recommendations made by Jonathan Hall KC and will publish his report in due course.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many perpetrators of cyber crime were (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted in (i) 2022, (ii) 2023 and (iii) 2024. \p Jake Richards: There are no offences specifically defined in legislation as “cyber crime,” however the Computer Misuse Act 1990 has a number of offences that could be considered as such.

The Ministry of Justice routinely publishes data concerning prosecutions and convictions available here: Criminal Justice Statistics.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of magistrates come from working class backgrounds in (a) England and (b) Greater Manchester. \p Sarah Sackman: The Judicial Office collects demographic information on magistrates, including professional background; however, providing this information is voluntary. Low declaration rates mean that there is insufficient data to allow for any meaningful analysis or interpretation at this time. We, and the judiciary, are committed to working to improve the completeness and quality of socio-economic data across the judiciary, including magistrates.
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Robert Jenrick:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the proposed removal of the right to trial by jury for offences carrying a maximum sentence of less than three years will apply retrospectively to defendants who have already entered a plea of not guilty and elected for jury trial. \p Sarah Sackman: Ministers will introduce detailed proposals to Parliament as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
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Alex Brewer:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government has taken to review the provisions of the Marriage Act 1949. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The Government announced on 2 October that we intend to reform weddings law when parliamentary time allows. The reforms reflect a commitment to making marriage law fairer, simpler and more modern, whilst also protecting the solemnity and dignity of marriage. We want to create a level playing field for all groups, including allowing humanist weddings to be legally recognised for the first time. We will be consulting on the details early next year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of removing the right to elect for a jury trial on perceptions of the justice system of a) victims, b) witnesses and c) defendants. \p Sarah Sackman: The Government inherited a justice system in crisis, with a record and rising open caseload of nearly 80,000 criminal cases waiting to be heard and too many victims waiting years for justice. One of the first priorities of this Government has been to tackle this crisis, which is why we asked Sir Brian Leveson to undertake his independent review. On 2 December, the Deputy Prime Minister responded to the first part of that review and set out why reform is necessary, alongside investment and modernisation.

Jury trials are the cornerstone of our justice system and will remain in place for the most serious crimes. It is the obligation of Government to guarantee everybody a fair trial and timely justice is fundamental to fairness.

The vast majority of criminal cases are already heard in magistrates’ courts without juries, with 90% of all criminal cases being dealt with by magistrates. But the status quo is not working for victims, defendants or anyone involved in the justice system. We need to do things differently and prevent defendants from gaming the system. Currently, triable-either-way offences make up around 40% of all cases. Triable-either-way offences allow a defendant to insist on their choice of having a jury trial at the taxpayer’s expense and greater length, irrespective of the seriousness of the offence. What this means it that, currently, according to Crown Prosecution Service figures, over 4,000 defendants, whose cases could have been heard in the magistrates’ court with magistrates’ court sentencing powers, were heard in the Crown Court because the defendant was able to insist on a full jury trial. This means that in each of those cases, money and significant time and resource was spent on a jury trial, not only at taxpayer’s expense but all those in the system.

Under the Government’s proposals, the mode of trial will be triaged by the Court, which will determine whether a case needs to be heard in the Crown Court, or could be heard more swiftly in the Magistrates’ Court. The latest figures show offences heard by magistrates already complete more than four times faster than similar cases in the Crown Court. Only reform will free up the space and time needed to prioritise the most serious cases – including those that can and should have a jury trial. We think that will benefit victims, witnesses, and defendants alike.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_205

Anneliese Midgley:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what funding his Department has committed to providing specialist support services for survivors of technology-facilitated abuse and online violence against women and girls. \p Alex Davies-Jones: My Department is committed to the Government’s pledge to halve Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in a decade.

The Ministry of Justice will be investing £550 million in victim support services over the next three years – the biggest investment in victim support services to date.

I have committed two years of grant funding to the 42 Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales. They commission local practical, emotional, and therapeutic support services for victims of all crime types, including victims of technology-facilitated abuse and online violence against women and girls. The funding from the Ministry of Justice includes ‘core’ funding, which is for PCCs to allocate at their discretion, based on their assessment of local need, as well as funding that is ring-fenced for sexual violence and domestic abuse services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_206

Wendy Chamberlain:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff are employed by HMRC in national minimum wage enforcement in 2025-26; and how many of these staff are a) based in Scotland and b) cover Scotland in their role responsibilities. \p Dan Tomlinson: As of September 2025, HMRC employed 442 people as part of its National Minimum Wage (NMW) Enforcement unit. Of these, 44 are based in Scotland.

The NMW teams which are based in Edinburgh and East Kilbride are part of HMRC’s National NMW compliance function. These team’s work not only incorporates NMW compliance activity within Scotland, but it also covers activity across the UK. Some NMW compliance activity in Scotland is also undertaken by other UK based NMW teams.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_207

Sarah Olney:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it is her policy to reform the business rates system to support physical businesses against online retailers. \p Dan Tomlinson: The Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto.

The Government is doing this by introducing permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties, while ensuring that warehouses used by online giants will pay more. These new lower tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties.

Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit.

The Government is paying for lower tax rates for RHL through higher rates on the top one per cent of most expensive properties. Large distribution warehouses, such as those used by online giants, will pay around £100m more in 2026/27, with this going directly to lower bills for in-person retail.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_208

Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will set out the difference between (a) recovered unpaid taxes and (b) outstanding unpaid taxes in the period since July 2024 to date. \p Dan Tomlinson: HMRC is committed to making sure that individuals and businesses who can pay, do so on time. Since Autumn Budget 2024, HMRC has received £782 million of investment in its debt collection activities, which will help it to collect over £12 billion more debt by the end of 2030-31.

HMRC published an update to its tax debt strategy at Budget 2025, outlining how the recent investment is helping to close the tax gap and reduce tax debt year-on-year as a percentage of receipts. The tax debt balance as a percentage of receipts fell from 5.2% in 2023-24 to 5% in 2024-25, and HMRC is aiming for this to decrease to between 3% and 4% by 2029-30.

HMRC has effective processes in place to collect debt including telephone and letter campaigns, strategic partnerships with private sector debt collection agencies, and where necessary, enforcement action. For customers who need financial support, it offers flexible Time to Pay payment plans which collect debt in affordable and sustainable instalments.

HMRC publishes quarterly performance updates on GOV.UK. You can find this here:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_209

Wendy Morton:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of introducing a 3p-per-mile charge for electric cars and 1.5p for plug-in hybrids on low-income households, the environment, society and the economy. \p Dan Tomlinson: As announced at Budget 2025, the Government is introducing Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) from April 2028, a new mileage charge for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, recognising that EVs contribute to congestion and wear and tear on the roads but pay no equivalent to fuel duty.

The Government has set out estimated impacts on household incomes from tax, welfare and public service spending decisions taken at Budget 2025, including eVED. These impacts are available at GOV.UK: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69269c6222424e25e6bc31bb/Impact_on_households.pdf

The Government has also set out Exchequer and behavioural impacts from eVED and other Budget measures in the Budget 2025 Policy Costings document at GOV.UK: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/692872fd2a37784b16ecf676/Budget_2025-Policy_Costings.pdf
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_210

Wendy Morton:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how she plans to assess and administer the new high-value property charge; what steps she is taking to prevent avoidance and undervaluation; and whether there will be transitional relief for homeowners whose property value has recently increased due to market fluctuations. \p Dan Tomlinson: The Valuation Office Agency will be conducting a targeted valuation to identify properties in scope of the High Value Council Tax Surcharge (HVCTS). HVCTS will then be collected by local authorities.

The Government will consult on the detailed implementation of the HVCTS in the new year, including the provision of support for those who may find it more difficult to pay. Further information on HVCTS is available at the following link:

High Value Council Tax Surcharge - GOV.UK
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_211

Joe Robertson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the revenues generated from the ending of free allowances under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme for aviation; and whether she plans to allocate those revenues to support the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel. \p Dan Tomlinson: The UK ETS Authority announced in July 2023 that free allocation would end for the Aviation sector in 2026, after considering stakeholder feedback which largely supported the finding that removing aviation free allocation did not pose a significant risk to carbon leakage.

The independent Office for Budget Responsibility is responsible for forecasting receipts from the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), and has published its methodology for forecasting ETS receipts on its website.

Receipts from the UK ETS accrue to the consolidated fund, and go to funding government priorities, which includes decarbonisation support for the aviation sector.

The UK Government is supporting the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) industry by building demand through the SAF Mandate, supporting first-of-a-kind SAF production plants through the Advanced Fuels Fund, and derisking SAF projects by introducing legislation for the Revenue Certainty Mechanism. In 2025, the government announced £400,000 to get new fuels to market quicker, delivering on the UK’s clean energy ambitions and powering up economic growth as part of the Plan for Change.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_212

Jerome Mayhew:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the effect of business rates increases at Gatwick, Manchester and other UK airports on passenger ticket prices and airline route planning. \p Dan Tomlinson: The government is committed to enabling investment so that airports can play their full role in the growth mission.

Properties seeing large bill increases as a result of the business rates revaluation - including airports - will benefit from a redesigned transitional relief scheme worth £3.2 billion over the next 3 years.

At Budget 2025, the government also published a Call for Evidence on Business Rates and Investment. It will explore the concerns that airports and a small number of other ratepayers have raised around the ‘Receipts & Expenditure’ valuation methodology and its impacts on long-term, high value investments. The government is seeking to address issues raised ahead of the 2029 revaluation, aiming to conclude this work in sufficient time before pre-list discussion commences.