theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help improve transport connectivity in (a) Heywood and (b) Middleton. \p Simon Lightwood: We are committed to maximising transport investment benefits for housing and regeneration across Greater Manchester, including in Middleton and Heywood. Working with Mayors and local leaders, we are developing local plans for new housing and jobs through better transport connectivity.

We are providing substantial transport funding for the Greater Manchester region, including over £1bn from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) for 2022/23 – 2026/27. Additionally, an extra £200m for CRSTS was announced in October to further support transport in major city regions, including Greater Manchester. This supports tram, bus, and active travel improvements, such as tram-train infrastructure between Oldham, Rochdale, Heywood, and Bury.

We're also backing Greater Manchester’s Bee Network with £66.3m for buses in 2025/26, protecting and supporting services, and delivering Bus Service Improvement Plans. Additionally, £15.8m will go towards highways maintenance in Greater Manchester in 2025/26.
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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what contracts (a) BFS Group Limited and (b) subsidiary companies of BFS Group Limited hold with (i) her Department and (ii) agencies of her Department. \p Mike Kane: After a review of DfT central’s (DfTc) internal systems, we can confirm no contracts were identified with BFS Group Limited and subsidiary companies of BFS Group Limited. Following a commission to DfTc’s Executive Agencies, we can confirm that Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) and Active Travel England (ATE) all confirmed they also had no contracts with BFS Group Limited and subsidiary companies of BFS Group Limited.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing regulations on the replacement of windscreens on cars and other road vehicles equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. \p Lilian Greenwood: All drivers are responsible for keeping their vehicles in a roadworthy condition at all times. The annual MOT test for cars over 3 years old inspects safety-critical components. Servicing is not directly regulated, and vehicle owners have the freedom to decide how their vehicle’s roadworthiness is maintained. However, it is recommended that, if your windscreen is replaced and your vehicle has Advanced Driver Assistance Sytems (ADAS), you use a trained expert who can ensure that those systems are correctly calibrated afterwards.

Department for Transport officials have been considering how Advanced Driver Assistance Systems could be tested at the MOT, including through calibration, and officials have consulted with experts to better understand what technology is available and how such a test could work. This information gathering is ongoing and, once proposals are ready, ministers will consider the practicality and effectiveness of any measures before a decision is made.
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Mike Amesbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consultation she has undertaken with local communities on Heathrow airport expansion. \p Mike Kane: The Government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer.

Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement in line with the requirements of the Planning Act 2008, and in doing so the Secretary of State will comply with any statutory requirements relating to consultation and publicity.
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Siân Berry:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential cost of building one new runway at Heathrow Airport. \p Mike Kane: The Government is clear that any expansion scheme will be financed in its entirety by the private sector.

The exact cost of the runway will be determined by the parameters of any scheme brought forward by scheme promoters.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, for what purposes the UK Space Agency has used AI in the last 12 months. \p Feryal Clark: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country. As part of a government-wide trial run by the Government Digital Service, the UK Space Agency has access to the Microsoft Copilot AI tool. This capability has been used to support internal-facing information exploitation activity such as generating minutes for meetings, creating summaries of transcripts and documentation, and producing initial drafts of documents. During the trial, the UK Space Agency has drawn on a range of resources, published on GOV.UK, such as the Generative AI Framework, the Ethics, Transparency and Accountability Framework, and the Data Ethics Framework, to inform its use of AI tools, and has been working closely with the Government Digital Service, part of the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, for expert advice and to provide feedback on the Copilot tool.
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Ruth Cadbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the potential impact of the use of AI models on (a) visual artists and (b) the wider creative sector. \p Feryal Clark: The Government published a consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024.

It sets out potential legislative changes to copyright law to support the development and use of AI technology, while continuing to reward human creators. It also seeks views on digital replicas and other related emerging issues.

The Government has published an assessment of options alongside the consultation. Further information and evidence on the economic impact of the use of AI models on visual artists and the wider creative sector is welcomed as part of the consultation, to help shape Government’s thinking.

The consultation closes on 25 February.
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Ruth Cadbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of introducing an opt-out for AI firms using copyright works on (a) visual artists and (b) other creators. \p Feryal Clark: The Government published a consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024.

This consultation seeks views on a number of issues relating to copyright and AI, including on how to give rights holders of creative works greater control over use of their material.

The Government has published an assessment of options alongside the consultation. Further information and evidence on the impact of a rights-reservation (or “opt-out”), including the impact on visual artists and other creators is welcomed as part of the consultation, to help shape Government’s thinking.

The consultation closes on 25 February.
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Matt Bishop:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress has been made on the rollout of the shared rural network in the Forest of Dean constituency. \p Chris Bryant: There have already been improvements via the Shared Rural Network in the Forest of Dean since the programme began in 2020. I have raised my concerns about the reporting of mobile connectivity with Ofcom, but according to Ofcom’s Connected Nations reports, 4G coverage from all four mobile network operators has risen from 73% to 85% and 99% of the constituency now has 4G coverage from at least one mobile network operator, up from 97% in 2020.
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Ruth Cadbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to assess the potential implications for the Government's policies of the unlawful use of copyrighted (a) images, (b) books, (c) films and (d) music by AI firms. \p Feryal Clark: In the UK, licences are required from copyright owners when protected works (such as images, books, films, music) are used in AI training, unless an exception to copyright applies.

The law in this area is complex and disputed.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport jointly published a consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024, seeking views which will help the Government develop an approach which can provide greater legal certainty in this space.

The consultation closes on 25 February.
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether (a) his Department and (b) Ofcom has provided funding to the Centre for Countering Digital Hate. \p Feryal Clark: As far as we are aware, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Ofcom have not provided funding to the Centre for Countering Digital Hate.
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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what contracts (a) BFS Group Limited and (b) subsidiary companies of BFS Group Limited hold with (i) his Department and (ii) agencies of his Department. \p Feryal Clark: DSIT and its agencies do not hold any information on contracts with BFS Group Limited and its subsidiary companies.
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Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will provide an update on cross-departmental plans to phase-out animal testing in the UK. \p Feryal Clark: The Government has committed to partnering with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the requirements for phasing out of animal testing, and supporting the uptake and development of approaches that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs).

We are currently engaging with partners from sectors with interests in animal science and on a cross Government level as to how we will take this commitment forward, including the publishing of a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods. We expect to publish this strategy later this year.
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Ruth Cadbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of copyright law for ensuring visual artists are remunerated for the use of their work in training AI models. \p Feryal Clark: At present, copyright law regarding AI training is disputed. This makes it difficult for creators, such as visual artists, to control whether their works can be used to train AI models, and to seek payment for this.

The Government published a consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024.

This consultation seeks views on how to create clarity in this area. This includes seeking views on proposals which would enable right holders to reserve their rights, so they can prevent, or license, the use of their content to train AI models in the UK.

The consultation closes on 25 February.
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Ruth Cadbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help protect (a) visual artists and (b) other creators from copyright infringement by AI developers. \p Feryal Clark: Copying protected material in the UK will infringe copyright unless it is licensed, or an exception to copyright applies.

The Government published a consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024.

This consultation seeks views on a package of measures, which include a requirement for AI model developers to be more transparent about how they obtain their training material, to enable copyright to be more easily enforced.

The proposals would also enable right holders to reserve their rights, so they can prevent the use of their content to train AI models in the UK.

The consultation closes on 25 February.
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Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason the letter from him and the Secretary of State for the Home Department to the Planning Inspector in relation to the planning and listed building consent applications by the Chinese Embassy in the UK for the redevelopment of the Royal Mint Court site in Tower Hamlets is dated 14 January 2024. \p Catherine West: It was human error that caused the joint Foreign Secretary/Home Secretary letter to the Planning Inspector to be dated 14 January 2024. The letter was sent to the inquiry on 14 January 2025.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help promote governance standards on Pitcairn Island. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK Government is working with the governments of the Overseas Territories to achieve the highest standards in governance. In the Pitcairn Islands the Governor and Administrator are working with the Council to improve the delivery of public services. The Governor has commissioned a restructure of the Pitcairn Public Service to better service the needs of the community. The Minister for the Overseas Territories discussed the ongoing public services review with the Mayor of Pitcairn at the Joint Ministerial Council in 2024. The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office undertakes audits of the budgetary support it provides to the Government of the Pitcairn Islands, for which a fiduciary risk assessment has recently been undertaken by PWC.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on initiatives outlined in the International Women and Girls Strategy 2023–2030. \p Anneliese Dodds: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to putting women and girls at the heart of all we do across our diplomatic and development activity. The Foreign Secretary and I have regular discussions with the Chancellor, including on Official Development Assistance (ODA). The FCDO's ODA programme allocations for 2024/25 will be published shortly. Ministers will consider ODA allocations for 2025/26 over the coming months and will publish them in the Annual Report & Accounts in summer 2025. The second phase of the Spending Review, concluding in late spring 2025, will set departmental ODA budgets for future years, including to support women and girls.
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Abtisam Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart on transnational repression. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK strongly supports individuals' rights to expression without censorship, intimidation or unnecessary restriction, both in the UK and overseas. During my visit to Pakistan in November, I raised the importance of upholding civil and political rights with senior Ministers, including the Minister for Human Rights and Interior Minister. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to respect these fundamental freedoms, underlining that any human rights violations should be fully investigated in line with international human rights law.
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Chris Hinchliff:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of renewed operations by Israel around the refugee camp in Jenin; and what diplomatic representations he (a) has made and (b) plans to make to (i) his Israeli counterpart and (ii) other international partners. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Stability in the West Bank is crucial to ensure that the fragile ceasefire in Gaza can last. All sides should work to ensure a lowering of tension in the West Bank at this time. The Israeli authorities must exercise restraint. We are urging both sides to accept and honour the terms of the ceasefire deal and move to implement it in full - including an end to the fighting, the release of hostages and more aid getting into Gaza. The UK is ready to play a leading role in this process with international and regional partners. It should be predicated on tangible progress towards a Palestinian state, with Gaza and the West Bank united under one government. The Foreign Secretary has also met Palestinian community members in the West Bank where he heard how communities are affected.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help stop the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan; and if he will have discussions with his Pakistani counterpart on steps to protect Ahmadi Muslims and their mosques and graves, in the context of the recent demolition of an Ahmadi mosque in Daska, Punjab, by local authorities on 16 January 2025. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Promoting the rights of religious minorities is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan. I underlined the importance of promoting religious tolerance and harmony when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November, and discussed this issue in Parliament on 28 November. We are aware of reports of the desecration of an Ahmadi Mosque in Daska and continue to monitor the situation. In response to this incident, the British High Commissioner raised the issue of Ahmadi Muslim rights in a message to the Punjab Minorities Minister on 23 January. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in accordance with international standards.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2025 to Question 21997 on Syria: Armed Conflict, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that aid will reach women and girls. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Support to women and girls is at the heart of the UK's policy and programmes in Syria. In the financial year of 2023/24, 53 percent of UK humanitarian programming in Syria has helped provide health, sexual and reproductive health services, education and vocational training to over 690,000 women and girls. UK support delivered through trusted aid organisations on the ground, including United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) and non-governmental organisations - targets those most vulnerable in a crisis, including women and girls, the elderly, and people with disabilities. We continue to call for unhindered access for and facilitation of humanitarian operations across the whole of Syria.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 25832 on Pakistan: Development Aid and Visas, if he will make it his policy to raise potential punitive measures with his counterparts in Pakistan during future visits. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We continuously examine all levers at our disposal to deliver for UK interests, including in the removal of Foreign National Offenders to countries including Pakistan. This government is fully committed to making our communities safer by deporting those who break our laws. I raised this matter with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi during my visit to Pakistan in November. Pakistan is an indispensable partner in keeping the UK safe from irregular migration, terror threats and organised crime, and some of the technical assistance we provide through UK ODA is integral to these efforts.
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Luke Akehurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Department’s policy paper entitled UK-Occupied Palestinian Territories development partnership summary July 2023, published on 17 July 2023, whether he has made an assessment of trends in the level of educational content that (a) incites violence, (b) glorifies terrorism and (c) contains antisemitism in (i) textbooks and (ii) other curriculum materials provided to children in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Education is an essential component of the humanitarian response in Gaza, and critical to building the foundations for a sustainable and lasting peace for the Israeli and Palestinian people, grounded in a two-state solution. It is therefore essential that partners delivering education services across the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) uphold the highest standards of neutrality. The majority of education services across Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem are delivered by the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) or the Palestinian Authority. Catherine Colonna's Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality notes the most recent UNRWA Rapid Review of textbooks from the Palestinian Authority (2022/2023) "found that 3.85 per cent of all textbook pages contain "issues of concern to UN values, guidance, or position on the conflict," either because they are deemed "educationally inappropriate" or because they are not in line with UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) standards." The UK supports the Colonna review's conclusion that "the presence of even a small fraction of problematic content in textbooks, supplemental material and teaching content remains a serious issue." We welcome the initiatives launched by UNRWA to ensure neutrality of its educational material and teaching, in addition to its longstanding work with UNESCO and the Palestinian Authority to reform curricula and educational materials. £1 million of UK funding to UNRWA this financial year has been earmarked for the implementation of the Colonna review's recommendations. We also welcome the Palestinian Authority's commitment to enriching curricula and supporting development of educational material in its Education Sector Strategic Plan (2024-2027), with the support of UNESCO. On January 22nd, I met Marcus Sheff, CEO of the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se), to discuss opportunities for further educational development.
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Abtisam Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his US counterpart on (a) compliance with international humanitarian law and (b) Palestinians’ rights to self-determination. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary look forward to working with President Trump, to continue our shared mission to ensure the prosperity and security of our two great nations. We will continue to work with the new US administration to ensure regional security and stability in the Middle East, including ensuring lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians. The UK will continue working with partners to support a path to long term peace and stability with a two-state solution: a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria he will use to evaluate the commitment of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham regime to (a) inclusive governance and (b) human rights. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK fully supports a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition process leading to an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government. As a next step, we hope to see representative figures from across Syria appointed to the transitional government and the recently announced Legislative Council and Preparatory Committee. We hope there will be a clear process and timeline for this next phase of the transition, which respects the rights of all Syrians.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps with the (a) International Criminal Court, (b) International Court of Justice and (c) UN agencies to investigate allegations of genocide in Gaza during the ceasefire. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK is fully committed to international law. We respect the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern.  The UK also respects the independence of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). It is the UK government's long-standing position that any determination as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court, and not for governments or non-judicial bodies and agencies. The ICJ South Africa v Israeli case is ongoing, and we await their decision.
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Sir Iain Duncan Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has received representations from the Metropolitan Police on the called-in application for the proposed new Chinese embassy. \p Catherine West: The FCDO has not received any representations from the Metropolitan Police on the called-in application for the proposed new Chinese embassy.
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David Reed:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what conditions he has placed on the restoration of funding to UNRWA. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Since the Foreign Secretary restored funding to UNRWA in July 2024, the UK has committed £41 million to UNRWA to deliver essential services for civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, and to Palestinian refugees across the region. A Memorandum of Understanding governs UK financial support to UNRWA. We continue to monitor UNRWA's activity through due diligence and annual assessments.
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Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has reviewed policy on recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus since 2020. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK's long-standing position is not to recognise the so-called "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" as an independent state. This is in accordance with several UN Security Council Resolutions and in line with the rest of the international community, with the sole exception of Turkey. As a Guarantor Power and a friend to all parties, we will continue to support the efforts of the UN and all Cypriot communities towards a just and lasting settlement.
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Abtisam Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his planned timetable is to publish the Government's new human rights strategy. \p Anneliese Dodds: On 10 December 2024, the Foreign Secretary and Lord Collins, Minister for Human Rights, set out their five priorities for promoting and protecting human rights, rule of law and democratic governance: 1) defending civic space; 2) upholding the rule of law; 3) championing equal rights for all; 4) supporting accountable, effective, inclusive institutions; and 5) responding to global challenges, including climate, conflict and technology by prioritising human rights and governance principles. Lord Collins's speech was published on gov.uk on 11 December [https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/human-rights-day-2024-lord-collins-speech]. This government is now focused on operationalising this strategic approach.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help protect Ahmadi places of worship worldwide. \p Anneliese Dodds: The UK Government is committed to championing the right to freedom of religion or belief, for all, everywhere. We are aware of reports of the desecration of Ahmadi Mosques in Pakistan and continue to monitor the situation. The Minister for the Middle East underlined the importance of promoting religious tolerance and harmony when he met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November, and also discussed this issue in Parliament on 28 November. In response to the desecration of an Ahmadi Mosque in Daska on 16 January, the British High Commissioner raised the issue of Ahmadi Muslim rights in a message to the Punjab Minorities Minister, on 23 January. We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people, including religious minorities, in accordance with international standards.
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Alex Easton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the Open Doors 2025 World Watch List on levels of religious persecution. \p Anneliese Dodds: The UK Government notes the launch of the Open Doors World Watch List 2025 report. The UK strongly believes that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. We continue to champion the right to freedom of religion or belief, whilst promoting tolerance and mutual respect, through our engagement in multilateral fora, including through our position at the UN and Article 18 Alliance. We also use our global diplomatic network to engage directly with governments. In November last year, we lit up FCDO buildings to commemorate 'Red Wednesday', in solidarity with Christians, and all people across the world facing discrimination due to their religion or belief.
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Alison Griffiths:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America in official documents. \p Catherine West: We have long-standing processes on establishing geographical feature names for UK use, which will continue to govern future labelling.

It is a matter for the US how it labels geographical features around its own coastline.
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Sorcha Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will amend the Historical Institutional Abuse (Northern Ireland) Act 2019 to include siblings and parents in the entitlement to claim compensation in respect of deceased person criteria. \p Hilary Benn: The Historical Institutional Abuse (Northern Ireland) Act 2019 provides for a redress scheme for victims who suffered abuse while resident in these institutions in Northern Ireland.

The legislation was put in place by the previous UK Government due to the prolonged absence of the Northern Ireland Assembly during that period. As a devolved matter, however, it was drafted by The Executive Office, which is now responsible for administering the Scheme. The Executive Office is therefore the appropriate department to which the Honourable Member for Lagan Valley should direct her query.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_183

Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what contracts (a) BFS Group Limited and (b) subsidiary companies of BFS Group Limited hold with (i) his Department and (ii) agencies of his Department. \p Hilary Benn: The Northern Ireland Office does not hold any contracts with BFS Group Limited or subsidiary companies of BFS Group Limited.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_184

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on supporting the Northern Ireland health service. \p Fleur Anderson: Improving health outcomes across the UK is a priority mission for this Government. Although health is devolved in Northern Ireland, the Government has been clear that it wants to work with the Northern Ireland Executive to transform its public services and improve outcomes for people living in Northern Ireland.

UK Government Ministers regularly engage with Executive Ministers in Northern Ireland, including the Health Minister, to discuss plans to improve public services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_185

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what his threshold is for using the Stormont brake mechanism within the Windsor Framework. \p Hilary Benn: The statutory duties applicable to the Secretary of State in respect of the Stormont Brake are provided for in domestic law under Schedule 6B to the Northern Ireland Act 1998. This sets out the criteria against which any notification by MLAs is assessed.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_186

Leigh Ingham:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of ensuring that compensation payments for victims of the infected blood scandal are not subject to Inheritance Tax in circumstances where payments are transferred to a deceased victim’s next of kin and then passed on again to the next of kin's benefactors in a will. \p James Murray: Infected Blood compensation payments are relieved from inheritance tax under Schedule 15 of the Finance Act 2020. This is applied to the estate of the recipient of the compensation payment. Where these payments are subsequently inherited, they become part of the beneficiary’s estate and are subject to standard inheritance tax rules, in line with normal practice for compensation schemes.

This ensures victims receive full compensation without tax burdens whilst maintaining fairness in the tax system and protecting the public finances.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_187

Alison Bennett:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to take steps to support the used electric vehicle market. \p James Murray: The Government is fully committed to the transition to electric vehicles and a strong second-hand market for EVs plays an important role in this.

The Company Car Tax regime helps support the used electric vehicle markets, where electric company cars are sold after the end of their lease. The majority of cars are bought in the UK’s second hand markets. At Autumn Budget the Government announced new Company Car Tax rates for 2028-29 and 2029-30 which will maintain very generous incentives to support electric vehicle take-up, and therefore the entry of electric vehicles into the second-hand market.

More widely, the UK has a range of measures to support people to transition to zero emission vehicles. At Autumn Budget we announced £2.3bn of funding for the automotive sector up to 2030 to support the transition. We also announced support including investment in the plug-in grant for vans, favourable taxation rates, and funding for charging infrastructure across all of England. The UK’s charging network continues to grow at pace – there are now over 73,000 public chargepoints - a year on year increase of over 37%.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_188

Steve Darling:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the Government is spending on public awareness campaigns to inform people about the opportunity to buy back missing National Insurance years before the 5 April 2025 deadline. \p James Murray: Since April 2024, approximately 37,000 customers have topped up more than 68,000 years and £35 million has been paid via HMRC’s digital services.

From October 2024 we have been running a significant communications campaign to raise awareness of the opportunity for customers to buy back missing National Insurance years, ahead of the 5 April 2025 deadline.

Activity has included a wide range of direct communications, messages on our telephony lines, digital platforms, stakeholder engagement, and press/social media to reach our target audience in a fully integrated way. There have been over 20,000 views of HMRC’s YouTube video in 5 months. Stakeholder resource packs have been sent out via FCDO and British Embassies to support customers who may have lived and worked abroad and through Pension providers.

HMRC has also provided information bulletins directly to more than 2 million employers and other representative organisations.

Ahead of the deadline we will step this up further to remind customers that there are only 2 months left to make any additional contributions.

During this period and where appropriate we will supplement this extensive activity with strategic and targeted paid-for activity to speak to elements of the audience who may not have been reached. It is not yet possible to provide a final cost for this activity, but all costs involved in the campaign will be published as part of the regular transparency reports on gov.uk
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_189

Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 12 December 2023 to Question 5762 on World Economy, what recent discussions she has had with international partners on strengthening the international debt architecture. \p Emma Reynolds: The Government is committed to tackling unsustainable debt and the Chancellor has called for international partners to work together on this, including through enhancing debt transparency and promoting adoption of Climate Resilient Debt Clauses (CRDCs). HM Treasury continues to engage regularly with international partners, including the IMF, World Bank, borrower countries, other official creditors, private sector, and civil society organisations, on strengthening the international debt architecture. These discussions take place through various international fora, including the G7, G20, Paris Club and the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_190

Matt Vickers:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many commercial farms she has visited since announcing the changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief. \p James Murray: The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms.

The Government, HM Treasury officials, and Ministers meet with stakeholders on a regular basis.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_191

Alison Bennett:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of exempting the transfer of property between co-habiting siblings from inheritance tax. \p James Murray: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given to UIN 3433.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_192

Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the review of the UK’s national resilience will include the impact of wealth inequality on society. \p James Murray: The Government is committed to making sure the wealthiest in our society pay their fair share of tax. That is why the Chancellor announced a series of reforms at Autumn Budget 2024 to help fix the public finances in as fair a way as possible.

While income and wealth are not always directly correlated, distributional analysis shows that Government decisions at Autumn Budget 2024 and Spending Review 2025, Phase 1 are progressive and benefit households in the lowest income deciles the most, on average as a percentage of income in 2025-26. The increases in tax are concentrated on the highest income households. Overall, on average, all but the richest 10% of households will benefit from policy decisions in 2025-26.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_193

Graham Leadbitter:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she had made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to business property relief on (a) family businesses and (b) the UK economy. \p James Murray: At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government took a number of difficult but necessary decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to restore economic stability, fix the public finances, and support public services. These were tough decisions given the situation we inherited from the previous administration, but the Government has done so in a way that makes the tax system fairer and more sustainable.

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms.

In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_194

Laurence Turner:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what contracts (a) BFS Group Limited and (b) subsidiary companies of BFS Group Limited hold with (i) her Department and (ii) agencies of her Department. \p James Murray: HM Treasury and its executive agencies do not hold any such contracts.

Details of government contracts over £10,000 are published on the Contracts Finder website.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-04 conversation_195

Mark Sewards:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of using (a) tax incentives and (b) other methods to encourage people to renovate older properties. \p James Murray: This Government is committed to improving the quality and sustainability of our housing stock, through improvements such as low carbon heating, insulation, solar panels, and batteries. As the first step of our Warm Homes Plan, at the Autumn Budget, the Government committed an initial £3.4 billion towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency between 2025-2028.

A reduced rate of VAT at five per cent applies to the renovation of properties that have been empty for two years or more prior to the renovation work. This incentivises the restoration of buildings to a state in which they can be occupied, thereby supporting the property market.

Any assessment of further tax incentives to encourage people to renovate older properties would require a comprehensive evaluation of a variety of factors including, but not limited to, complexity, fairness, and simplicity for the taxpayer. The Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the usual tax policy making process and welcomes representations to help inform future decisions on tax policy.