Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of February 2025 changes to the licencing of real estate brokers within Turks and Caicos; and whether she has recently consulted with industry representatives.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I met Premier Misick of the Turks and Caicos Islands at the recent Joint Ministerial Council (JMC). Total trade between the UK and the Overseas Territories is worth around £17 billion annually, supported by tariff-free access to the UK for Overseas Territory exporters. The JMC included sessions with British Expertise International, UK Export Finance and a business engagement and networking event with UK companies. Supporting economic growth and diversification is a key UK Government priority.
Business licensing is a devolved matter for the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Turks and Caicos government on investor confidence in the territory.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I met Premier Misick of the Turks and Caicos Islands at the recent Joint Ministerial Council (JMC). Total trade between the UK and the Overseas Territories is worth around £17 billion annually, supported by tariff-free access to the UK for Overseas Territory exporters. The JMC included sessions with British Expertise International, UK Export Finance and a business engagement and networking event with UK companies. Supporting economic growth and diversification is a key UK Government priority.
Business licensing is a devolved matter for the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will set out the proposed changes to business licence legislation within the Turks & Caicos Islands.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I met Premier Misick of the Turks and Caicos Islands at the recent Joint Ministerial Council (JMC). Total trade between the UK and the Overseas Territories is worth around £17 billion annually, supported by tariff-free access to the UK for Overseas Territory exporters. The JMC included sessions with British Expertise International, UK Export Finance and a business engagement and networking event with UK companies. Supporting economic growth and diversification is a key UK Government priority.
Business licensing is a devolved matter for the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken to prevent third-party sales of DVLA practical driving tests.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country.
The measures the Secretary of State for Transport announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee.
In the coming months, DVSA will:
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support people living with mental health conditions and on benefits into the workplace.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Good work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, 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.
Disabled people and people with health conditions, including people with mental health conditions, 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 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 and WorkWell. We are also rolling out Connect to Work, our supported employment programme for anyone who is disabled, and has a health condition or is experiencing more complex barriers to work.
In recognition of employer’s vital role in addressing health-related economic activity we appointed Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead the Keep Britain Working independent review, which was published on 5 November. In partnership with DBT and DHSC colleagues we are immediately launching Vanguards to test new employer-led approaches to support individuals to stay in work, putting his key recommendations into action from day one. In the review, Sir Charlie has recommended that mental health in young people should be a priority area as a deep dive for the Vanguards.
The NHS 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, stated 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.