Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the proposed UK–EU reset and reduction of barriers to trade on continuing the ban on exports of livestock for slaughter and fattening.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is currently negotiating a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and regulatory barriers for British producers and retailers. These negotiations are ongoing, and the Government will not be providing a running commentary. Details of the Agreement are subject to negotiation, but the Government has been clear about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards.
Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to (1) keep, (2) amend, or (3) repeal the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024 as part of the proposed UK–EU reset and reduction of trade barriers.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is currently negotiating a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and regulatory barriers for British producers and retailers. These negotiations are ongoing, and the Government will not be providing a running commentary. Details of the Agreement are subject to negotiation, but the Government has been clear about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards.
Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost of the standard rate of Insurance Premium Tax to (1) listed property homeowners, and (2) the homeowners of properties that are not listed; and what plans they have to (a) exempt, or (b) lower, the rate of Insurance Premium Tax on listed building insurance premiums.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) receipts are not broken down by type of insurance; therefore it is not possible to assess the IPT paid by owners of listed and non-listed properties. Insurance pricing is affected by a wide range of factors, and the taxes that insurers pay are just one part of this.
IPT is a broad-based tax which raises important revenue to fund essential public services. The rate of IPT has been unchanged since 2017. The Government keeps all taxes under review and the Chancellor makes decisions at Budgets in the context of the overall public finances.
Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Sherlock on 6 February (HL14003 and HL14004), what plans they have to invite to the Operational Stakeholder Engagement Forum a civilian charity that assists amputees.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As part of the Operational Stakeholder Engagement Forum (OSEF), the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) maintains a diverse membership that includes organisations supporting people with a range of disabilities, including amputees. We continually review representation to identify and address any gaps and welcome approaches from organisations that align with our Terms of Reference. We also engage a broader range of stakeholders beyond the OSEF portfolio through insight workshops and one-to-one sessions to support the development of DWP services.
Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Making Tax Digital, if any, on the tax gap attributable to intentional tax evasion; and what plans they have to implement such a scheme directly to address that issue.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax helps taxpayers pay the right amount of tax. It is expected to generate almost £1 billion in additional tax revenue in 2030–31 by encouraging timely and accurate record keeping and reducing that part of the tax gap caused by taxpayer errors and failure to take reasonable care.
HMRC is committed to closing the tax gap further and tackling other types of non-compliance such as tax evasion, tax avoidance, criminal attacks, hidden economy activity, legal interpretation issues, and non-payment.
Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to open the public consultation on the proposed High Value Council Tax Surcharge.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government will consult on the High Value Council Tax Surcharge in due course.
Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to exempt listed properties from their proposals for rented homes to achieve a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of C or equivalent by 2030.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Currently, listed buildings are generally able to register exemptions from energy efficiency requirements where compliance would unacceptably alter the character or appearance of the existing building. The aim should be to improve energy efficiency as far as reasonably practicable without prejudicing the character of the host building or risking the long-term deterioration of the fabric or fittings. Government recognises there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to tackling the UK’s diverse building stock, and we will continue to engage with various stakeholders including those from the historic and listed buildings sector.
Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether listed property owners will benefit from the Warm Homes Plan; and, if so, how.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Warm Homes Plan will invest £15 billion; the biggest ever public investment in home upgrades. We will help millions of households benefit from solar panels, batteries, heat pumps and insulation to cut bills, reaching up to five million homes by 2030 through direct support for those on low-incomes and in fuel poverty, grants and innovative low-interest finance available to all. The recent Electrification of Heat Demonstration project has shown that heat pumps can work effectively in UK homes from all historic periods.
A new Warm Homes Agency will be operational from 2027, providing consumers with information and advice on the schemes available to them, including owners of listed properties.
Historic England advocates taking a whole-building approach to retrofit of historic homes, and has produced a range of technical advice and guidance, including an advice note on energy efficiency, retrofit and Net Zero: https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/technical-advice/energy-efficiency-and-historic-buildings/
Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with amputee charities regarding helping amputees into work.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Good work is good for health, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, including amputees, whoever they are and wherever they live. Backed by £240 million investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched in November 2024 is driving forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity.
Blesma, the veterans’ limbless charity, are members of the Operational Stakeholder Engagement Forum and have been members of a Universal Credit stakeholder forum and the Health Transformation Forum.
Disabled people are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.
Existing measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care and WorkWell. We are also rolling out Connect to Work, our supported employment programme for anyone who is disabled, has a health condition or is experiencing more complex barriers to work.
We set out our plan for the “Pathways to Work Guarantee” in our Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, and are building towards our guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for disabled people and people with health conditions on out of work benefits. The guarantee is backed by £1 billion a year of new, additional funding by the end of the decade. We anticipate the guarantee, once fully rolled out, will include: a support conversation to identify next steps, one-to-one caseworker support, periodic engagement, and an offer of specialist long-term work health and skills support.
Additionally, we have developed a digital information service for employers, oversees the Disability Confident Scheme, and continues to increase access to Occupational Health.
The 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, builds on existing work to better integrate health with employment support and incentivise greater cross-system collaboration, recognising good work is good for health. The Plan also states the Government’s intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. It outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.
Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support is available to amputees seeking work.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Good work is good for health, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, including amputees, whoever they are and wherever they live. Backed by £240 million investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched in November 2024 is driving forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity.
Blesma, the veterans’ limbless charity, are members of the Operational Stakeholder Engagement Forum and have been members of a Universal Credit stakeholder forum and the Health Transformation Forum.
Disabled people are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.
Existing measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care and WorkWell. We are also rolling out Connect to Work, our supported employment programme for anyone who is disabled, has a health condition or is experiencing more complex barriers to work.
We set out our plan for the “Pathways to Work Guarantee” in our Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, and are building towards our guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for disabled people and people with health conditions on out of work benefits. The guarantee is backed by £1 billion a year of new, additional funding by the end of the decade. We anticipate the guarantee, once fully rolled out, will include: a support conversation to identify next steps, one-to-one caseworker support, periodic engagement, and an offer of specialist long-term work health and skills support.
Additionally, we have developed a digital information service for employers, oversees the Disability Confident Scheme, and continues to increase access to Occupational Health.
The 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, builds on existing work to better integrate health with employment support and incentivise greater cross-system collaboration, recognising good work is good for health. The Plan also states the Government’s intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. It outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.