Asked by: Alison Taylor (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to make representations to his G20 counterparts for the abolition of the death penalty in member countries; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of proposing a ban on the death penalty at the forthcoming UK G20 summit.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to the global abolition of the death penalty; this government firmly opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We continue to support international efforts to encourage all states to establish a moratorium on executions and move towards full abolition in line with global human rights commitments. Planning for the UK's G20 Presidency in 2027 is underway, and the government will set out its priorities in due course.
Asked by: Alison Taylor (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will include the use of the death penalty by member countries on the formal agenda for the forthcoming UK G20 summit.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to the global abolition of the death penalty; this government firmly opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We continue to support international efforts to encourage all states to establish a moratorium on executions and move towards full abolition in line with global human rights commitments. Planning for the UK's G20 Presidency in 2027 is underway, and the government will set out its priorities in due course.
Asked by: Alison Taylor (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department has taken to support local authorities with bus franchising.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We passed the Bus Services Act last year, to give local leaders greater control over their bus services. Local authorities can choose the model that works best for their area, including franchising.
We are backing that choice with funding, expert advice and practical support. Although decisions on transport are devolved, I’d encourage the Scottish Government to follow in our footsteps to deliver better outcomes for passengers.
Asked by: Alison Taylor (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps are being taken to improve trade between the UK and the USA and in particular what steps are being taken to seek improvements on trade with the USA, wherever UK Exporters remain on less favourable terms than their competitors in the European Union.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Contrary to the implication of the question, through negotiations on the Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD), the UK is the only country to have achieved a 10% tariff for autos within quota, a 0% tariff for pharmaceuticals and a preferential 25% tariff on core steel and aluminium exports.
Furthermore, in April, President Trump announced the removal of tariffs on UK whisky exports, which is worth around £1bn each year.
Discussions on the EPD are ongoing, and the UK continues to engage with the US administration at all levels, working to benefit UK exporters.
Asked by: Alison Taylor (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he is considering ways to reduce the UK Government office foot print in the centre of London.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
By 2030, 11 government buildings will close, including 102 Petty France and 39 Victoria Street, delivering £94m in savings per year from 2032. More departments in London will colocate, enabling greater collaboration on delivering the Government’s Plan for Change.
Asked by: Alison Taylor (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure SMEs in Paisley and Renfrewshire North are being kept up to date and receiving practical guidance on trading with the USA in a rapidly changing trade and tariff environment.
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)
DBT supports SMEs across the UK, including in Paisley and Renfrewshire North, to expand and trade internationally.
In May 2025, the UK concluded a landmark economic deal with the US, which protects jobs and helps drive economic growth. In April 2026, we achieved the removal of tariffs on UK whisky, exports to the US are worth £1bn each year.
Discussions on the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal continue to address tariff barriers, increase digital and services trade, and unlock new commercial opportunities for both nations.
SMEs can access the latest information on trade negotiations and other support via business.gov.uk and through Business Gateway Renfrewshire and Find Business Support Scotland, alongside the Export Support Service and UK Business Academy.
Asked by: Alison Taylor (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that homes of the future are being built with British materials, including UK grown timber, and securing cement and concrete supply chains across the UK.
Answered by Samantha Dixon
The Building Regulations do not govern material supply chains. They are intended to protect people’s safety, health and welfare by setting minimum acceptable standards for new building work, including materials and workmanship, when a building is being designed, constructed, or subject to major re-design or alteration. Statutory guidance in Approved Document 7 makes clear that materials must be appropriate for the circumstances in which they’re used and offers a number of ways to assess their suitability. Standards, materials and workmanship are enforced through the Building Control process. The Timber in Construction Roadmap supports use of homegrown timber in construction, which offers a renewable low-carbon resource, a potential to reduce emissions, create jobs and build the homes we need.
Asked by: Alison Taylor (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to review the effectiveness of the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism following its introduction in 2027.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is designed to reduce the risk of carbon leakage for sectors within scope of the policy by ensuring that importers face a comparable carbon price to that paid in the UK by those producing the same goods. As with all taxes, the government will keep CBAM under review.
Asked by: Alison Taylor (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will hold discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority on airport owners increasing (a) airport and (b) drop-off charges above the cost of inflation.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department does not intend to hold discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on these matters.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has concurrent powers with the CMA to enforce the prohibitions in the Competition Act 1998 as they relate to airport operation services and the supply of air traffic services.
In relation to drop-off charges, in 2016, the CAA published a review of market conditions for surface access at UK airports. This concluded that there was insufficient evidence that passengers were not being well-served by the current market structure of surface access charges, where these are decided and managed by the airport operator, to warrant a review.
Although the Government and the CAA do not regulate airport car parking charges, including drop-off charges, the Department expects car parking at airports to be managed appropriately and for consumers to be treated fairly. Many UK airports offer free drop-off alternatives either a short walk from the airport or provide free shuttle bus services.
Asked by: Alison Taylor (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to allow an hon. Member's office to be the accountable body for Town of Culture bids for 2028 when the Local Authority is not willing to participate in the bid process.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
We are delighted by the interest and excitement there has been in the UK Town of Culture competition. The competition has now closed and there has been strong interest from many places right across the UK.
Local authority participation is important as it will be critical for delivery. That is why published criteria stated ‘We expect bids to be from a partnership for your bidding place and include the relevant local authorities.’