Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for steel production in Scotland.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland

This Government is steadfast in its commitment to the steel industry, and that includes Scotland. On 1 July, we took bold steps to limit tariff-free steel imports, with the aim that half of the steel used in the UK is made here.

We are closely engaged on Dalzell - the UK's only heavy steel plate mill. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland and I routinely engage with ministerial colleagues to ensure Scotland's specific circumstances are reflected in the Government's wider approach to supporting the domestic steel sector.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how the Government plans to help ensure that guaranteed-hours offers calculated by reference to hours worked during a seasonal peak do not require employers to provide the same hours during periods of lower seasonal demand.

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 government is currently consulting on the regulations of the zero hours measures and will carefully consider the responses received before finalising the policy detail. Employers will still to be able to manage seasonal demand in a number of ways, including through fixed-term contracts where reasonable.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if the Department will publish an assessment of the potential impact of the guaranteed-hours provisions in the Employment Rights Act 2025 on (a) seasonal recruitment and (b) employment opportunities for people under 25 in the tourism and hospitality sectors.

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 government has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts of the zero hours contract measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025. This includes consideration of impacts on young, entry-level workers and sectors where variable demand is common.

The Government is now consulting on the detailed regulations for the right to guaranteed hours, including issues relevant to seasonal recruitment such as reference periods and temporary need. We are engaging with employers, workers and representative bodies, before determining a way forward for regulations.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of taking account of recurring seasonal fluctuations in demand in the tourism and hospitality sectors when developing regulations on guaranteed hours.

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 government is engaging with multiple stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality sectors during the consultation period and will carefully consider views on seasonal fluctuations in demand when developing the regulations.

Employers will continue to be able to manage fluctuating demand in a number of ways, including through fixed-term contracts where reasonable.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a Statutory Sick Pay rebate or reimbursement scheme for small and medium-sized employers following the changes introduced on 6 April 2026.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Strengthening Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is part of the Government’s Plan to Make Work Pay ensuring the safety net of sick pay is available to those who need it most. Widening eligibility to the up to 1.3mn employees who were previously not entitled to SSP, and removing the waiting period so that SSP is paid from the first day of work missed due to sickness, were introduced to help ensure that no one should have to worry about whether they can take time off when they are ill.

The government conducted a Regulatory Impact Assessment on the changes to strengthen Statutory Sick Pay in the Employment Rights Act, which was published in October 2024 and can be found here: Impact assessment: Improve access Statutory Sick Pay removing Lower Earnings Limit and waiting period.

Previous SSP rebate schemes that were available to employers, such as the Percentage Threshold Scheme were seen as complex, expensive to administer, underused by small businesses and did not encourage employers to support their employees during sickness absence.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate the Department has made of the additional annual cost to employers arising from the removal of the Statutory Sick Pay waiting period and Lower Earnings Limit, broken down by (a) business size and (b) industrial sector.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Strengthening Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is part of the Government’s Plan to Make Work Pay ensuring the safety net of sick pay is available to those who need it most. Widening eligibility to the up to 1.3m employees who were previously not entitled to SSP, and removing the waiting period so that SSP is paid from the first day of work missed due to sickness, were introduced to help ensure that no one should have to worry about whether they can take time off when they are ill.

Prior to the introduction of the SSP reforms, the Government published an impact assessment which can be found at Impact assessment: Improve access Statutory Sick Pay removing Lower Earnings Limit and waiting period.

The government will monitor the impact of the SSP changes and consider the experiences of employers as part of the post implementation review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on the number of occasions on which local authorities failed to implement an order of the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) within the applicable time limit under regulation 44 of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 in each of the last three years, broken down by (a) local authority, (b) type of order, (c) length of delay and (d) whether the appeal had been conceded by the local authority.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

It is essential that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the provision specified in their education, health and care plan, and that local authorities meet their statutory responsibilities, including complying with SEND Tribunal orders.

The department has never collected the data requested. However, as part of our SEND reforms, we set out proposals to improve parental confidence that local authorities will act on Tribunal judgments and to ensure that improvements are made to future decision-making. This includes publishing an annual SEND Tribunal outcomes dashboard, providing anonymised outcomes of SEND Tribunals by local authority.

We are currently considering all consultation feedback and will publish final proposals in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many representations her Department received in each of the last three years concerning an alleged failure by a local authority to (a) secure provision required under section 42 of the Children and Families Act 2014 and (b) comply with a SEND Tribunal order; in how many such cases her Department took action under sections 496 or 497 of the Education Act 1996; and if she will publish that information by local authority.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

It is essential that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the provision specified in their education, health and care plan, and that local authorities meet their statutory responsibilities, including complying with SEND Tribunal orders.

The department has never collected the data requested. However, as part of our SEND reforms, we set out proposals to improve parental confidence that local authorities will act on Tribunal judgments and to ensure that improvements are made to future decision-making. This includes publishing an annual SEND Tribunal outcomes dashboard, providing anonymised outcomes of SEND Tribunals by local authority.

We are currently considering all consultation feedback and will publish final proposals in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on the number of children and young people with education, health and care plans for whom the special educational provision specified in section F of their plan was not secured in full for more than (a) four weeks, (b) one school term and (c) two school terms in each of the last three academic years by (i) local authority, (ii) type of provision and (iii) placement type.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Once a local authority issues a final education, health and care plan it is under a duty to secure the special educational provision set out in the plan. Parents of a child or a young person have the right to complain to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman if they believe the local authority is failing to secure that provision.

The department does not collect any of the data requested.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on the number of children and young people with education, health and care plans who did not have an appropriate education placement available at the beginning of the academic year in each of the last three years, broken down by (a) local authority, (b) length of time without a placement, (c) whether interim education was provided, (d) average weekly hours of interim education and (e) whether the child subsequently received education otherwise than at school; and if she will publish that data, including for West Sussex.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Once a local authority issues an education, health and care (EHC) plan naming a setting of a type specified in section 43 of the Children and Families Act 2014 (such as a state school), that setting must admit the child or young person.

The department has consulted on proposals to strengthen the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system so all children and young people with SEND have their needs met through high-quality support. We want children and young people to be able to learn at an education setting close to their home, alongside their peers. We are carefully reviewing all responses submitted to the consultation, which closed in May, alongside feedback from over 200 engagement events we held. We will set out our response in due course. The department has also launched a consultation on 10 July seeking views on how the government can better support children and young people receiving education otherwise than at school, to ensure they receive the right support for their wellbeing and long term outcomes.

The department does not collect data on children or young people with an EHC plan who are awaiting a placement in the setting named on their plan.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what data the Department holds on enforcement operations against retail premises suspected of selling illicit tobacco products or non-compliant nicotine products in each of the last three years, including the number of (a) premises searched, (b) arrests made, and (c) premises closed, broken down by (i) England and Wales, (ii) West Sussex, and (iii) Bognor Regis and Littlehampton constituency.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publishes estimates of the tobacco tax gap, including revenue lost through the illicit trade in cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco, in the annual Measuring Tax Gaps publication. The latest tax gap figures are available for 2024 25 tax year.

HMRC does not routinely collect or publish data on the number of retail premises suspected of selling illicit tobacco products. Although HMRC records information on illicit tobacco investigations, those investigations are not routinely categorised by linked criminality type.

HMRC recognises that the illicit tobacco trade is linked to organised criminality and can cause significant social and economic harm to local communities. HMRC works closely with law enforcement partners to target and disrupt organised crime groups involved in the illicit tobacco supply chain. The joint HMRC and Border Force strategy, Stubbing out the problem, published in 2024, sets out the government's approach to reducing demand for illicit tobacco and tackling the organised crime groups that dominate the market.

HMRC publishes annual outputs for tackling tobacco smuggling on GOV.UK, including data for 2025–26. Detail on outputs from Operation CeCe, our joint initiative with Trading Standards to tackle illicit tobacco at local retail level, can be found in the 2025-26 Annual Report and Accounts.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answers provided to UIN 128189, UIN 107092, and UIN 84365 for more information.

Data is not produced for localised geographical areas and therefore is not available for West Sussex or for the Bognor Regis and Littlehampton constituency.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what data the Department holds on investigations involving illicit tobacco or nicotine products in which there were also suspected links to (a) drug trafficking, (b) modern slavery or human trafficking, (c) fraud, and (d) money laundering in each of the last three years, broken down by (i) England and Wales and (ii) West Sussex.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publishes estimates of the tobacco tax gap, including revenue lost through the illicit trade in cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco, in the annual Measuring Tax Gaps publication. The latest tax gap figures are available for 2024 25 tax year.

HMRC does not routinely collect or publish data on the number of retail premises suspected of selling illicit tobacco products. Although HMRC records information on illicit tobacco investigations, those investigations are not routinely categorised by linked criminality type.

HMRC recognises that the illicit tobacco trade is linked to organised criminality and can cause significant social and economic harm to local communities. HMRC works closely with law enforcement partners to target and disrupt organised crime groups involved in the illicit tobacco supply chain. The joint HMRC and Border Force strategy, Stubbing out the problem, published in 2024, sets out the government's approach to reducing demand for illicit tobacco and tackling the organised crime groups that dominate the market.

HMRC publishes annual outputs for tackling tobacco smuggling on GOV.UK, including data for 2025–26. Detail on outputs from Operation CeCe, our joint initiative with Trading Standards to tackle illicit tobacco at local retail level, can be found in the 2025-26 Annual Report and Accounts.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answers provided to UIN 128189, UIN 107092, and UIN 84365 for more information.

Data is not produced for localised geographical areas and therefore is not available for West Sussex or for the Bognor Regis and Littlehampton constituency.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what data the Department holds on the number of retail premises suspected of selling illicit tobacco products or non-compliant nicotine products in (a) England and Wales, (b) West Sussex, and (c) Bognor Regis and Littlehampton constituency; and how many of those premises are suspected of links to organised crime groups.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publishes estimates of the tobacco tax gap, including revenue lost through the illicit trade in cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco, in the annual Measuring Tax Gaps publication. The latest tax gap figures are available for 2024 25 tax year.

HMRC does not routinely collect or publish data on the number of retail premises suspected of selling illicit tobacco products. Although HMRC records information on illicit tobacco investigations, those investigations are not routinely categorised by linked criminality type.

HMRC recognises that the illicit tobacco trade is linked to organised criminality and can cause significant social and economic harm to local communities. HMRC works closely with law enforcement partners to target and disrupt organised crime groups involved in the illicit tobacco supply chain. The joint HMRC and Border Force strategy, Stubbing out the problem, published in 2024, sets out the government's approach to reducing demand for illicit tobacco and tackling the organised crime groups that dominate the market.

HMRC publishes annual outputs for tackling tobacco smuggling on GOV.UK, including data for 2025–26. Detail on outputs from Operation CeCe, our joint initiative with Trading Standards to tackle illicit tobacco at local retail level, can be found in the 2025-26 Annual Report and Accounts.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answers provided to UIN 128189, UIN 107092, and UIN 84365 for more information.

Data is not produced for localised geographical areas and therefore is not available for West Sussex or for the Bognor Regis and Littlehampton constituency.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department issues to local authorities on maintaining (a) a named accountable case officer, (b) continuity of communication with families and (c) a single written action plan where a child’s education, health and care plan is simultaneously subject to Tribunal proceedings, complaints, placement commissioning and outstanding provision; and whether those requirements will be included in the revised SEND Code of Practice and National Inclusion Standards.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The statutory guidance on the education, health and care plan system, the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice 2015, explains expectations on local authorities for working with families. The code also reflects a range of statutory duties on local authorities about how they must communicate their decisions to families and provide them with information and support.

The department has consulted on a range of proposals to strengthen the SEND system. We are carefully reviewing all responses submitted to the consultation alongside feedback from engagement events. We will set out our response in due course.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate HM Revenue and Customs has made of the tax and duty revenue foregone through illicit trade in (a) cigarettes, (b) hand-rolling tobacco, (c) heated tobacco products, (d) vaping products, and (e) nicotine pouches in the latest year for which data are available; and whether those estimates are available for (i) West Sussex and (ii) Bognor Regis and Littlehampton constituency.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publishes estimates of the tobacco tax gap, including revenue lost through the illicit trade in cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco, in the annual Measuring Tax Gaps publication. The latest tax gap figures are available for 2024 25 tax year, and can be found here: Measuring tax gaps 2026 edition: tax gap estimates for 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK

HMRC does not produce estimates for heated tobacco products. Nicotine pouches are not subject to excise duty, and no estimate is made for vaping products as Vaping Products Duty will not come into force until October 2026.

Estimates are not produced for localised geographical areas and therefore are not available for West Sussex or for the Bognor Regis and Littlehampton constituency.

Found: Redditch) John Cooper (Conservative; Dumfries and Galloway) Sarah Edwards (Labour; Tamworth) Alison Griffiths

Found: present: Mr Toby Perkins (Chair); Olivia Blake; Julia Buckley; Jonathan Davies; Barry Gardiner; Alison Griffiths

Found: present: Mr Toby Perkins (Chair); Olivia Blake; Julia Buckley; Jonathan Davies; Barry Gardiner; Alison Griffiths

Found: present: Mr Toby Perkins (Chair); Olivia Blake; Julia Buckley; Jonathan Davies; Barry Gardiner; Alison Griffiths

Found: the meeting Members present: Liam Byrne (Chair); Antonia Bance; Chris Bloore; John Cooper; Alison Griffiths