Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether he plans to ask the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate whether existing consumer protection legislation is being complied with in cases where consumers using online accommodation booking platforms have experienced duplicate transactions, fraud losses and difficulties obtaining refunds.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is the UK’s independent competition and consumer protection authority. The CMA operates independently of Government in carrying out its enforcement functions and decision making. This independence helps ensure that enforcement decisions are impartial and based on evidence and the law, giving businesses and consumers confidence in the fairness of the system.
The Government has strengthened consumer enforcement powers through Part 3 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, including tough fines and new powers for the CMA to act more swiftly and directly.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support children’s programming.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The government is committed to supporting high-quality, UK-made children’s TV and video content, and the diverse benefits it brings. The government provides generous tax reliefs at a rate of 39% of UK production costs for children’s TV and for animation (equivalent to 29.25% net after tax), with no cap on the total funds available.
Through the Media Green Paper we are also working with industry to promote voluntary arrangements to make content from our public service media providers, including children’s content, more prominent on video sharing platforms. We want all parts of the sector to work together to meet audiences where they are and ensure high-quality programming is easily accessible. The government has not ruled out the use of legislation in the event voluntary solutions are not realised.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the Young Audience Content Fund on delivering high-quality children’s programming and regional economic benefits, and if she will commit to reintroducing the Fund.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Young Audiences Content Fund, which ran from April 2019 to March 2022, was awarded £44.1 million to support the creation of quality and distinctive content for audiences up to the age of 18. The three-year fund supported 61 new commissions and funded the development of 160 projects. The end of term evaluation can be found at: https://www.bfi.org.uk/get-funding-support/create-films-tv-or-new-formats-storytelling/young-audiences-content-fund.
The government has no plans to reintroduce the Fund. The government continues to support children's content through UK-wide television tax reliefs. In 2024/25, animation and children’s TV received approximately £67 million in UK tax relief (£38m for animation, £29m for children’s TV).
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the international competitiveness of the audiovisual expenditure credit for children’s television content.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The UK’s creative sector tax reliefs are internationally competitive.
Under the Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit, children’s television programmes benefit from an enhanced credit rate of 39 per cent, compared with the standard 34 per cent rate for film and high-end television. In 2024-25, £29 million of tax relief was provided to children’s television productions.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs,what steps he is taking to support water infrastructure in Ukraine.
Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip
On 08 October, the Foreign Secretary visited Kyiv where he met Ukrainian people still living, almost five years on, under constant threat of Russian strikes, energy blackouts and death.
While in Kyiv, the Foreign Secretary announced a £54 million combined humanitarian and energy support package, which includes £20 million to protect and maintain electricity, heating and water supply for Ukrainian families ahead of the winter.
Alongside this, our £34 million humanitarian package will help around 700,000 vulnerable people, including by maintaining and restoring heating and water services.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the prevalence of fly-tipping in urban residential areas; and what steps her Department is taking to support local authorities in tackling persistent fly-tipping hotspots.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government recognises the impact fly-tipping has on urban residential areas. We have published guidance to support local councils to seize vehicles and raised the upper limit for fixed penalties for fly-tipping from £1000 to £5000. We have recently secured powers to issue statutory enforcement guidance to local councils.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure landlords make appropriate arrangements for waste disposal and property clearances.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Everyone has a duty of care to ensure their waste is managed correctly and not fly-tipped. The Defra chaired National Fly-tipping Prevention Group has supported local authorities to raise awareness of the duty of care among householders and businesses, including landlords. This includes tips for choosing or creating an effective campaign.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average processing time was for Student visa applications made outside the UK in each of the last 12 months; how many applications remain outstanding beyond the published service standard; and what steps her Department is taking to reduce the time taken for the processing of Student visas.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
UKVI continued to meet published service standards for straightforward Student visa applications during the 2026 summer peak, despite sustained high demand.
Some applications require additional checks and may take longer where this is necessary to verify the information provided, assess individual circumstances or protect the integrity of the UK immigration system. Applicants will be notified if their application cannot be concluded within the published service standard.
Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Sponsors can use established escalation routes where applications have exceeded published service standards and enrolment deadlines are at risk. Information on visa processing times and service standards is available at Visa processing times - GOV.UK.
UKVI continues to work with the UK and International Education sectors to encourage applicants to apply in good time and submit the correct documentation. UKVI also keeps its guidance and training materials under review to ensure they remain clear and accurate.
The Home Office publishes statistics on student visa applications in its quarterly Immigration System Statistics. The latest figures are available at Why do people come to the UK? Study - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the reasons are for the time taken to process Student visa applications ahead of the 2026-27 academic year; and what steps she is taking to ensure applicants receive decisions before the start of their courses.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
UKVI continued to meet published service standards for straightforward Student visa applications during the 2026 summer peak, despite sustained high demand.
Some applications require additional checks and may take longer where this is necessary to verify the information provided, assess individual circumstances or protect the integrity of the UK immigration system. Applicants will be notified if their application cannot be concluded within the published service standard.
Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Sponsors can use established escalation routes where applications have exceeded published service standards and enrolment deadlines are at risk. Information on visa processing times and service standards is available at Visa processing times - GOV.UK.
UKVI continues to work with the UK and International Education sectors to encourage applicants to apply in good time and submit the correct documentation. UKVI also keeps its guidance and training materials under review to ensure they remain clear and accurate.
The Home Office publishes statistics on student visa applications in its quarterly Immigration System Statistics. The latest figures are available at Why do people come to the UK? Study - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, how many cargoes from the (a) Yamal LNG and (b) Sakhalin-2 terminals were (i) transported, (ii) insured and (iii) financed by UK persons between 20 January and 19 May 2026.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade does not hold data on how many cargoes from the Yamal LNG and Sakhalin-2 terminals were transported, insured and financed by UK persons between 20 January and 19 May 2026. Further information on the nature of the UK's involvement in transportation, insurance and financing from the Yamal LNG and Sakhalin-2 terminals can be found in the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 Impact Assessment, published in May 2026.