theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71268 on Department for Transport: Ministers' Private Offices, what the expenditure of £2,769.49 was on; and if she will provide a breakdown of each item of spending. \p Simon Lightwood: Since 4 July 2024 the Department has spent £211.34 on redecoration of Ministers' Private Offices. Following a review and a correction to the answer to Question 71268, I can confirm that no costs were incurred on furniture and fittings.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that accessible electric vehicle charging standards fully meet disabled users’ needs. \p Keir Mather: The Government is committed to ensuring that public charging infrastructure is accessible for all. Earlier this year, the Government and Motability Foundation co-sponsored a review of the Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 1899:2022 standards for chargepoint accessibility to ensure they fully meet disabled users’ needs. We will continue to monitor the adoption of the standards and their impact on accessibility to assess the need for further measures.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Alex Brewer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the availability of public transport to (a) Gatwick Airport and (b) other airports for those travelling on the first flights of the day. \p Keir Mather: The Government expects airports to work closely with local stakeholders to develop masterplans and surface access strategies to respond to the needs of the airport. The government recommends that masterplans and surface access strategies be updated every five years to meet the evolving requirements of airport. This can include ensuring suitable transport options to support passengers wanting to catch either the first flight of the day or those arriving on the final flight. We continue to work closely with Gatwick and other airports as they develop their plans.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Mr Paul Kohler:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Autumn Budget 2024, how the funding allocated for electric vehicle charging infrastructure will be apportioned between (a) local, (b) en-route, (c) home, and (d) workplace charging. \p Keir Mather: In the Autumn Budget 2024, £320 million funding was allocated to support electric vehicle uptake in financial year 2025/26. Support available includes plug-in grants and the new Electric Car Grant, plus continued support for zero emission HGVs and infrastructure, home and workplace charging and resources for local authorities. New schemes to support cross-pavement charging, charging for NHS fleets, and helping businesses install charging points at depots have also been launched.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Navendu Mishra:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to introduce legislation to provide UK seafarers with equivalent (a) redundancy, (b) dismissal protections and (c) other employment rights to onshore workers. \p Keir Mather: The Government is committed to strengthening workers’ rights at sea, and the Employment Rights Bill includes measures to improve protections for seafarers facing collective redundancy, and powers to protect the working conditions of seafarers aboard frequent international services. My Department will continue to engage with the maritime trade unions and the sector more broadly about the application of employment rights to seafarers, as well as working with like-minded states and social partners to drive up international standards.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the proportion of UK cars powered solely by electric. \p Keir Mather: In the 12 months ending June 2025, 4.4% of all licensed cars in the UK were zero emission battery electric cars, equivalent to 1.5 million cars.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact on E10 petrol production following the closure of the Vivergo bioethanol plant. \p Keir Mather: On 15 August 2025 Vivergo announced the closure of its UK bioethanol production plant in Hull, which at full capacity could produce 420 million litres of bioethanol per year from wheat for blending with petrol.

Whilst the UK retains bioethanol production capacity elsewhere, the closure of Vivergo represents a significant loss.  However, it is not considered likely to impact the production or supply of E10 petrol in the UK. It is expected that the supply of bioethanol for petrol suppliers will continue to be met by both bioethanol produced at the remaining UK plants and by imports.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the Department has made of the potential impact of (a) rostering and (b) minimum service agreements on the number of (i) lightly used and (ii) empty trains operating on the network. \p Keir Mather: The Department requires train operators to provide services across a wide range of markets to support access to transport and connectivity to jobs and services. This means that some trains do operate with low passenger numbers and operational reasons mean it is not practical to match demand to capacity on every service. We expect operators to provide their services in a way that best balances passenger needs, performance and value for money for taxpayers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many public electric vehicle chargepoints were installed in each year since 2020; and how many have been installed to date in 2025. \p Keir Mather: The net increase in the number of charging devices in the UK’s public charging network in each year since 2020 is presented in the below table.

Year

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025 (up to 1st September)

Increase in public charging devices

4,270

7,600

8,680

16,622

19,657

11,829

The figures in this table represent the net increase in the number of public charging devices in the source dataset from year to year. This is the number of devices added to the source data minus the number of devices removed from the source data (e.g. if decommissioned) each year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of awarding the first certification for a remotely operated and unmanned vessel under the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Workboat Code Edition 3 Annex 2 to the ACUA Ocean PIONEER on (a) civilian passenger transport and (b) commercial shipping. \p Keir Mather: The Department for Transport, in collaboration with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), recognises the certification of ACUA Ocean’s PIONEER under Workboat Code Edition 3 Annex 2 as a significant milestone in innovation in the UK’s maritime regulatory landscape. This certification marks the first formal regulatory approval for a remotely operated unmanned vessel (ROUV) under the revised Workboat Code, setting a precedent for future autonomous maritime operations.

The PIONEER is not designed for passenger carriage, is not certificated for passenger carriage and does not operate in contexts involving civilian transport. As such, the direct impact on civilian passenger transport is minimal at this stage. The Department continues to monitor technological advancements and public safety considerations in this area.

The certification of PIONEER is expected to have a more immediate and transformative impact on commercial shipping. The vessel’s hydrogen-powered propulsion and autonomous capabilities align with the UK’s Clean Maritime Plan and decarbonisation goals. It is designed for offshore surveillance, environmental monitoring, and infrastructure inspection, offering a lower-emission alternative to conventional crewed vessels.

This development supports the broader regulatory framework for autonomous and remotely operated vessels, enabling safer, more efficient, and environmentally sustainable operations in commercial sectors such as offshore energy, logistics, and hydrographic survey operations.

The Department remains committed to working with industry stakeholders to ensure that safety, environmental, and operational standards evolve in step with technological innovation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Sir Andrew Mitchell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been allocated from the Active Travel England fund to local authorities in the West Midlands. \p Lilian Greenwood: From 2020/21 to 2025/26, Active Travel England has allocated a total of £101,488,475 to the West Midlands. Funding from 2025/26 for the combined authority has been provided through the Integrated Settlement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71274 on THINK! Campaign, what the total amount of savings from reduced spending on the THINK! Road Safety communications campaign is since July 2024. \p Lilian Greenwood: For the financial year 2024/2025, the budget for the THINK! road safety campaign has reduced by £1,299,424 compared to the previous financial year. This was in line with the Government’s review of campaign spending.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Sarah Green:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to introduce operator licensing or equivalent regulatory requirements for vans with a maximum authorised mass of over 2,500kg and up to and including 3,500kg when operating for hire or reward domestically within the UK. \p Keir Mather: Under the current guidelines Operator Licences are only required for domestic operators with vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. My Department is currently considering a range of reform options aiming to ensure that the Operator Licensing regime remains robust and effective.

Currently there are no plans to extend the domestic Operator Licensing regime to include vans with a maximum authorised mass of over 2,500kg and up to and including 3,500kg when those vehicles are undertaking hire or reward operations domestically within the UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Sarah Green:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the absence of regulatory requirements for vans with a maximum authorised mass of over 2,500kg and up to and including 3,500kg when operating for hire or reward domestically within the UK on fair competition within the UK market. \p Keir Mather: The Department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact of the current domestic regulatory requirements for vans with a maximum authorised mass between 2,500kg and 3,500kg operating for hire or reward on fair competition within the UK market.

Although these vehicles lie outside the UKs operator licensing framework if they are used solely domestically, operators of these vehicles are still required to keep them correctly taxed and insured and appropriately maintained, including annual MOT testing once the vehicle is more than three years old. Employers are also required to ensure that their drivers have the correct licences, that all loads carried are appropriately secured and that the relevant drivers’ hours rules are followed.

However, the Department recognises stakeholder concerns regarding the different regulatory requirements associated with light goods vehicles and heavy goods vehicles, and how this interacts with fair competition in the UK haulage industry. The Department continues to monitor developments in this sector.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Sarah Green:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an estimate of the potential revenue that would be generated from introducing operator licensing for vans with a maximum authorised mass of over 2,500kg and up to and including 3,500kg when operating for hire or reward domestically within the UK; and whether that revenue could be used to strengthen enforcement against non-compliant operators of such vehicles. \p Keir Mather: The Department has not made a formal estimate of the potential revenue that could be generated from introducing operator licensing for vans with a maximum authorised mass between 2,500kg and 3,500kg operating for hire or reward domestically within the UK.

While operator licensing fees contribute to the costs associated with the administration and enforcement of the goods vehicle licensing regime, any future extension of the regime to smaller, lighter vehicles used solely domestically for hire and reward would require detailed financial modelling and consultation with stakeholders, as changes would almost certainly have a financial impact on businesses.

For government, whilst it is anticipated that making this change would see an increase in revenue, this would be offset by a rise in costs associated with developing the system, as well as compliance, monitoring and enforcement. However, this is something that the Department for Transport keeps under review.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the costs to her Department of climate-related extreme weather since 1 January 2020. \p Keir Mather: Climate change projections suggest the UK will experience more frequent and severe weather events which have the potential to disrupt transport. The Department reports on the risks and opportunities from climate change through the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). This was included in DfT’s 2024-25 annual reports and accounts, in which the Department highlighted flooding and sea-level rise as a high-impact, high-cost climate risk.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 May 2025 to Question 53316 on HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Grant Scheme, what recent progress she has made on the review of the scheme; and when she will publish interim findings. \p Keir Mather: The HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme (MFGS) was launched in 2022 to fund investment in: HGV driver welfare facilities, lorry parking provision, site security, and decarbonisation. These priorities were identified through the National Survey of Lorry Parking (2022) and aim to improve the working conditions of HGV drivers.

The scheme has been extended until March 2026 to allow more time for projects to be completed.

My department has commissioned an independent evaluation of the scheme, to consider the application and delivery process, the role of the scheme in improving lorry driver facilities in England and the impact of the site improvements for drivers.

The report is due to be finalised and published by spring 2026.
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Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Certificate of Professional Competence scheme. \p Keir Mather: The Department for Transport, along with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, keep the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (DCPC) under review to ensure it meets the requirements of drivers and their employers.

In December 2024, reforms to the DCPC for drivers operating in the UK only reduced the minimum course length from 7 to 3.5 hours and allowed for more on-line training, providing more flexibility in how and when the training is delivered. In February 2025, the Department introduced the Return to Driving course which makes it easier for some with a valid licence to return to the profession by taking an initial 7-hour course and completing a further 28 hours of training within the next 12 months.
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Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to scrap the Certificate of Professional Competence scheme. \p Keir Mather: The Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (DCPC) is designed to support road safety and the ensure professionalism of vocational drivers. It is a requirement for UK and EU freight and passenger vehicle licence holders operating within the UK and those travelling to, from or within the European Union, including the Republic of Ireland. Therefore, the Government has no plans to scrap the DCPC.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the number of volumetric concrete mixers (a) currently operational and (b) that will be unusable when the weight limit is changed in 2028. \p Keir Mather: In the concrete delivery sector, the Department for Transport (DfT) estimates there are in the region of 1,000 VCMs in operation alongside approximately 20,000 barrel mixer vehicles that deliver pre-mixed concrete. Existing vehicles can continue to operate beyond the end of the temporary arrangement provided they are loaded to the lower weight limits (for example, up to 32 tonnes for 4 or more axle rigid vehicles).
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71243 on c2c: Nationalisation, how many (a) senior management and (b) specialist operational staff have left c2c since its transfer to public ownership on 20 July 2025; and what steps her Department has taken to retain such expertise within the publicly owned rail network. \p Keir Mather: Since c2c’s transfer to public ownership two months ago no senior management have left. Eight operational staff have left and have been or are being replaced. This is within usual levels of attrition and c2c continues to deploy its workforce planning strategies to ensure sufficient expertise.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the annual cost to the public purse for payments associated with rolling stock leasing agreements following the transfer of train operating companies into state control. \p Keir Mather: It is expected that future transfers will see existing rolling stock leasing arrangements novate to the new public sector operator on existing terms as part of the transfer of operations into public ownership. Therefore, we do not expect changes to current cost estimates as a result of the transfer of operations into public ownership.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department plans to publish the regulated rail fare levels for 2026. \p Keir Mather: No decisions have yet been taken on the regulated fares change for 2026, but our aim is that prices balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers. There will be an update on changes to regulated rail fares in due course.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71256 on Railways: Automation, if she will make it her policy to link government investment to conditions on greater take-up of automated train operation technology. \p Keir Mather: The Government is committed to investing in a modern railway that is reliable for passengers and supports economic growth for taxpayers. This has included investment in automated train operation in recent years, as noted in the answer of 8 September, on schemes such as Thameslink and the Elizabeth Line, and I would expect this to continue to be a consideration for future investment where it can drive efficiency and improved performance for the railway.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that passenger service levels for trains are aligned with levels of demand for train services. \p Keir Mather: The Department requires its operators to plan services and rail timetables that are designed to meet expected passenger demand. These should be resilient and provide value for money for the taxpayer. We expect all operators to regularly review their timetabled services to ensure they are both attractive to passengers and reduce the tax-payer support required for the railway. Great British Railways will be created as a new arm’s length body, bringing together the management of the network and the delivery of passenger services to deliver a more sustainable, affordable and reliable railway.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of rail workers' (a) contracts and (b) rosters on the level of subsidy for running (i) lightly-used and (ii) empty rail services. \p Keir Mather: Rail workers' contracts and rosters are a matter for train operating companies, and while inevitably for operational reasons some services will have low loadings, we expect all operators to regularly review their timetabled services to ensure they are both attractive to passengers and reduce the tax-payer support required for the railway. Great British Railways will be created as a new arm’s length body, bringing together the management of the network and the delivery of passenger services to deliver a more sustainable, affordable and reliable railway.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he has taken ensure the continued availability of post office services in rural communities in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire since his appointment. \p Blair McDougall: The Government protects the sustainability of the Post Office network - and the rural network in particular - by providing an annual Network Subsidy. This ensures Post Office Limited maintains a minimum number of branches and a geographical spread of branches in line with the Government-set access criteria.

This financial year we are providing £83 million in subsidy, up from £50 million previously, and building on the uplift provided last year. The access criteria ensures that, however the network changes, 99% of the UK population live within three miles of their nearest Post Office.
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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to (a) expand the role of post offices as one-stop-shops for a range of needs and (b) enhance their role in government service delivery. \p Blair McDougall: Government published a Green Paper on 14 July, seeking views on the future of the Post Office, from the services it provides, how we modernise and strengthen the network, through to changing the culture and the way in which the Post Office is managed.

The consultation closed on 6 October and we thank all individuals and organisations for their detailed responses to our Green Paper which included proposals on expanding the role of post offices and on the provision of Government services. Government is carefully considering all responses to the Green Paper and aims to respond in early 2026.
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Lizzi Collinge:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what his planned implementation date is for the Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority. \p Blair McDougall: This Government is delivering several important reforms in the field of employment rights, and in other areas to support the mission of growing the UK's economy.

This means that the volume of legislation before Parliament is very high and, subsequently, the Government no longer intends to bring the draft Audit Reform and Corporate Governance Bill forward for Pre-Legislative Scrutiny in this session of Parliament.

It will bring forward its planned legislation when Parliamentary time allows.
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Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the potential impact of the guaranteed-hours provisions in the Employment Rights Bill on (a) levels of self-employment (b) the ratio of fixed-term contracts to permanent contracts. \p Kate Dearden: The Government has published its Impact Assessment and Economic Analysis for the Employment Rights Bill.

As stated, the guaranteed hours provisions aim to reduce the risk of workers being pushed into casual employment, increase predictability for workers with variable hours, and still allow those who prefer zero-hours contracts to keep them.

The Bill contains provisions to tackle avoidance mechanisms that might be used by employers to avoid the new rights, for example use of fixed-term contracts where work is ongoing. Whether an individual is self-employed or a worker is not a choice but depends on the reality of the relationship.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to strengthen protections for small businesses against “phoenixing” as part of the Government’s late payment reforms in West Dorset constituency. \p Blair McDougall: This Government will legislate to end the scourge of late payments which costs the UK economy £11bn per year and closes down 38 UK businesses every day. We published a consultation on our proposed legislative measures on 31st July which is live until 23rd October.

The Insolvency Service is committed to working closely with HMRC and Companies House to tackle the harm caused by companies who use ‘Phoenixing’ as a means of avoiding liabilities. There is a range of ongoing activity being led by the Treasury that includes a desire to develop a detailed cross-government threat assessment.
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Melanie Onn:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department is taking fiscal steps to help support employment agencies in the context of trends in the level of costs in that sector. \p Blair McDougall: The department recognises the vital role employment agencies play in our labour market. While there are no specific fiscal measures targeted exclusively at employment agencies, the government is conscious about the cost of conducting business. That is why we have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500. This means that 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, more than half of employers see no change or gain overall from this package and employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.

Employment agencies will also benefit from the new tools to unlock access to finance, action to address late payments and regulatory costs, improve digital adoption and create easier pathways to business support through the Business Growth Service.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support people impacted by failures in the Horizon Post Office system in Lincolnshire. \p Blair McDougall: The Government continues to support those affected by the Horizon scandal. This includes launching redress schemes tailored to specific victims’ needs, such as the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme and the Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals process. We have also committed to provide first offers on receipt of fully completed claims within 40 working days in 90% of cases. As of 30 September 2025, approximately £1,229 million has been paid to more than 9,100 claimants – a fivefold increase since July 2024.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Kate Osamor:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether alternative non-digital methods of identity verification will be available for company directors following the rollout of mandatory identity verification via GOV.UK One Login from 18 November 2025. \p Blair McDougall: Companies House is continuing to develop alternative options that will offer more support to individuals who are unable to verify their identities through the standard route. Further guidance will be issued but, in the meantime, Companies House is ensuring that staff are on hand to help users who require assistance via its helpline and by email.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential barriers to UK investment in Singapore. \p Chris Bryant: UK companies and investors experience relatively few barriers to investment in Singapore. At the end of 2023, the stock of Foreign Direct Investment from the UK in Singapore was £15.9 billion, a 23% increase on the end of 2022.

UK investors can benefit from provisions in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which provides guarantees on market access and treatment they will receive when accessing and operating in Singapore. This includes ensuring that they are not discriminated against relative to domestic investors.

The Government continues to invite business views and feedback regarding any potential barriers.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal receive (a) timely and (b) adequate compensation in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Blair McDougall: As of 30 September 2025, approximately £1,229 million has been paid in total redress to over 9,100 claimants across all Horizon redress schemes. This represents a more than fivefold increase since July 2024, with more than 6,300 victims receiving compensation for the first time.

We are taking a variety of measures to increase the pace of the delivery of redress across our schemes. This includes launching the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS) and Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals process, committing to providing first offers on receipt of detailed claims within 40 working days.

We continue to seek the views of the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board to ensure fairness and consider ways we can speed up redress.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment his Department has made of the long-term (a) social and (b) economic impact of the Post Office Horizon scandal on affected individuals in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Blair McDougall: The Department welcomes the findings of Volume 1 of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry report which illustrates the significant and wide-ranging impacts on affected postmasters across the UK. As part of our response to that report we have made several changes which will improve postmasters experience in claiming for redress and ensure that the redress they receive is full and fair.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_167

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he has taken to ensure the continued availability of in-person post office services in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire since 5 September 2025. \p Blair McDougall: The Government protects the sustainability of the Post Office network – and the rural network in particular – by providing an annual Network Subsidy. This ensures Post Office Limited maintains a minimum number of branches and a geographical spread of branches in line with the Government-set access criteria. This financial year we are providing £83 million in subsidy, up from £50 million previously, and building on the uplift provided last year. The access criteria ensures that, however the network changes, 99% of the UK population live within three miles of their nearest Post Office.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_168

Olivia Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to (a) increase statutory paternity pay and (b) extend the duration of protected paternity leave. \p Kate Dearden: The standard rate of Statutory Pay, including Statutory Paternity Pay, is reviewed annually at the discretion of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. From April 2025, the rate increased from £184.03 to £187.18 per week.

When considering calls to increase entitlements for parents, the Government must balance the needs of parents, the impact on employers, and affordability for taxpayers. However, we recognise that more can be done to support working families. On 1 July we launched the Parental Leave and Pay Review, which will consider all existing and upcoming parental leave entitlements, including paternity leave and pay.
wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_169
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_169

Jo Platt:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2025 to Question 58428 on Cooperatives: Government Assistance, when he plans to publish the call for evidence into co-operative growth. \p Blair McDougall: The Department for Business and Trade committed to launching a Call for Evidence on co-operative and mutual business by the end of the year.
wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_170
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_170

Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of Government-funded business development support in the co-operative and mutual sectors. \p Blair McDougall: The Department for Business and Trade committed to launch a Call for Evidence on co-operative and mutual business. The Call for Evidence will focus on how the government can continue to support co-operative and mutual businesses, to start, grow and scale, as well as support for existing businesses who want to transition to become a co-operative or mutual.

As part of this, we will be collecting data on existing business support for co-operatives and mutuals, including, but not limited to government funded support.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_171

Mr Paul Kohler:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of support provided by his Department to help small and medium-sized enterprises increase their exports to EU markets. \p Chris Bryant: DBT offers a range of support for SMEs, with our Small Business Plan setting out the most comprehensive package of support for SMEs in a generation. This includes Unlock Europe, a programme from UK Export Academy designed to help businesses build relationships with European customers and increase exporting potential to the EU.

DBT has a robust monitoring and evaluation framework in place for export support. This data can be found in DBT’s Annual Report.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_172

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2025 to Question 74315, how much his Department has spent on promotion through social media influencers since July 2024, by influencer. \p Kate Dearden: The Department for Business and Trade has spent a total of £39,700 on social media influencer promotion since July 2024. Please note this figure is inclusive of whole costs, including agency fees. We are unable to provide details of how much was paid to each person due to confidentiality provisions in the individual agreements.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_173

Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether any Ministers from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills were involved in the disposal of RBS Sempra Commodities to JP Morgan in the 2009-10 financial year. \p Kate Dearden: Any such information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_174

Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has for the future of the Warrior armoured vehicle fleet. \p Luke Pollard: I can confirm that the Army has recently established a Disposals team which is working on next steps for all in-service equipment, including the Warrior fleet of vehicles. Options planning is ongoing, which includes programming against the expected drawdown of in-service equipment. A balance of readiness risk against sales opportunity is being carefully considered under scoping of future plans.
wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_175
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_175

Dr Andrew Murrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Israeli (a) civilians, (b) military officers, (c) military other ranks and (d) defence healthcare workers have previously accessed UK (i) defence courses (ii) training in each year for which records are available. \p Al Carns: Our records indicate 174 Israelis have previously accessed UK-based defence courses and training, between the years of 1976 and 2024. Further detail is provided in the Annex. Data has been obtained from all available sources but is not guaranteed to be exhaustive given the length of time and because training data is not held in a central database.

The data obtained does not differentiate between defence courses and training.

I would also note that positions on some UK courses are offered to the Israeli Ministry of Defence – who then allocate positions across the Israel Defence Force.

As you will be aware, the Government took the decision to pause Israeli Defence attendance on UK professional military education given our concerns about the military operation in Gaza. We are keeping this decision under review.
wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_176
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_176

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on dismantling HMS Swiftsure. \p Luke Pollard: To date almost 550 tonnes of conventional waste have been removed and recycled from Swiftsure, with 90% of her total weight expected to be recycled in due course. In June 2025, Swiftsure’s fin was cut and removed, marking a key project milestone. This unique project is providing a safe, environmentally responsible and cost-effective solution for the recycling of the UK’s decommissioned nuclear fleet and supports 200 highly-skilled jobs in Rosyth.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_177

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will set out the remaining (a) scope and (b) cost to completion for the MENSA programme. \p Luke Pollard: The MENSA programme continues to make progress and is nearing the end of its construction and commissioning stage. As set out in the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25, the latest cost estimate to deliver the programme is £2.9 billion.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_178

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 135 of his Department's document entitled Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 2 June 2025, what progress he has made in increasing renewable energy production on overseas bases. \p Luke Pollard: The priority for Defence is to maintain resilience to enable our warfighting capability both in the UK and Overseas. Assessments into energy resilience of our overseas bases have been undertaken and where it has been identified that renewables, fuel diversification or energy storage will enhance our operational resilience, then these projects have been raised onto the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) for consideration of funding. That plan is still under consideration.
wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_179
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_179

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what maritime autonomous systems are within the scope of the Mine Hunting Capability programme. \p Luke Pollard: The Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) programme continues to deliver an advanced suite of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) into service within the Royal Navy, enabling frontline mine warfare specialists to enhance operational effectiveness. These cutting-edge autonomous mine-hunting systems are deployed by the Mine and Threat Exploitation Group for evaluation, training, and operational deployment.

The comprehensive scope of the MHC programme encompasses multiple USVs, UUVs, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for identification and neutralisation, and a state-of-the-art, sovereign mine-sweeping capability. Additionally, the programme has delivered HMS STIRLING CASTLE, a dedicated support vessel designed to enhance the deployment and sustainment of autonomous systems.
wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_180
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_180

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on implementing a repurposed dry dock as part of the Submarine Waterfront Infrastructure Future project. \p Luke Pollard: The Submarine Waterfront Infrastructure Future (SWIF) programme will provide facilities to locations such as Devenport that include a new non-tidal maintenance berth in 5 Basin, a refurbished 10 Dock, and supporting buildings and services. Significant planning has been undertaken in preparation for build, including working with the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and de-risking the site for construction.

The construction phase of the berth has commenced, with the excavation of more than 18,000 cubic metres of material, which will form the 280-metre-long tunnel that will carry electrical, water, communications and air services vital to the nuclear safety and maintenance of berthed submarines. The berth wall will be formed from a series of precast concrete reinforced sections secured by rock anchor to provide the required stability; as a precursor to this work four trial anchors are currently under construction.

Progress against 10 dock refurbishment includes trial build activity and the fabrication of a dockyard concrete batching plant, which will support the pace required during main dock construction. Significant volumes of concrete were also poured in the Spring this year, the biggest single pour in 20 years at the dockyard, to form the base of the caisson which seals the dock. The next phase of caisson construction activity is due to commence in the coming days.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-17 conversation_181

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Protector programme will receive approval for a review note. \p Luke Pollard: A revised Review Note will be submitted to re-baseline the Protector RG Mk1 programme once the Defence Investment Plan has been released and the impact is understood.