Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment with the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the potential merits of implementing a tapered clawback mechanism for agricultural property relief for farmers whose agricultural assets marginally exceed the £1 million threshold.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 gets the balance right between supporting farms and fixing the public finances in a fair way. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but it still means those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and the position before 1992.

The Government has no plans to implement a tapered clawback mechanism.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans his Department has to support small-medium enterprises in Cornwall, in the context of the proposed rise in employers' National Insurance contributions.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government is reforming business rates to offer permanent reductions for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties, which represent a significant portion of Cornwall's SMEs. We have also shielded the smallest businesses and charities from the impact of increased Employer National Insurance by raising the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500.

Looking ahead, the government has announced plans to launch a Business Growth Service, designed as a national initiative with local delivery at its core, and will publish a Small Business Strategy Command Paper later this year.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed increase in employer's National Insurance on public services provided by Cornwall Council.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

We recognise the challenges that local authorities are facing as demand increases for critical services. That is why the government is providing an additional £2 billion of grant funding through the Settlement, which includes £502 million of additional grant funding to manage the impact of employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) changes on council budgets.

Additional funding for employer NICs has been determined based on a national assessment of the costs for directly employed staff and the grant distribution methodology has been published in an explanatory note on the government website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/updated-explanatory-note-on-the-employer-national-insurance-contribution-grant-2025-to-2026.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed rise in employers' National Insurance contributions on small businesses.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations as well as an overview of the equality impacts.

The Government has protected the smallest businesses and charities from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, which means that 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all next year, more than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from this package, and all eligible employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Prime Minister's oral response to the hon. Member for North Cornwall during Prime Minister's Questions on 16 October 2024, if she will meet with hon. Members representing Cornish constituencies.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Deputy Prime Minister held a meeting with all six Cornish Members of Parliament on 17 December 2024. There has also been a significant number of meetings with Cornish MPs individually and collectively with government ministers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of raising the maximum age threshold of driving volunteer minibus services to 80.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

An individual driving a minibus using additional entitlements through a Category B (Car) driving licence, may drive a minibus after the age of 70 but must demonstrate they meet higher Group 2 medical standards for reasons of passenger safety and safety to other road users. There are no plans to change this.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the maximum authorised mass permitted for volunteer minibus drivers to over 3.5 tonnes.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Drivers wishing to operate a passenger carrying vehicle with 8-16 seats must have the D1 entitlement on their driving licence. For drivers using their car licence to drive a minibus where the licence was first obtained after 1 January 1997, this weight is limited to 3,500kgs. Many minibuses come under the proscribed weights and can therefore be driven using additional entitlements on a category B (Car) licence. Any decision to amend existing rules would require a careful assessment of the road safety implications and our international obligations. The Department has no current plans to conduct such an assessment.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the expected timeframe is between an ICC arrest warrant being issued and an arrest being made in the UK; and whether any preparatory legal or operational steps can be taken in advance of an individual's arrival in the UK to ensure immediate enforcement upon entry.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We respect the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern. There is a domestic legal process through our independent courts that determines whether to endorse an ICC arrest warrant in accordance with the UK's ICC Act 2001. The process has not been used to date because the UK has never been visited by an individual subject to an ICC arrest warrant. An individual subject to an ICC arrest warrant must be in the UK for any arrest to be made. The Government is unaware of any planned visits to the UK by individuals subject to ICC arrest warrants.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will ensure that (a) warrants requested by the International Criminal Court are prepared promptly and (b) he is aware of potential visits by individuals subject to International Criminal Court scrutiny.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We respect the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern. There is a domestic legal process through our independent courts that determines whether to endorse an ICC arrest warrant in accordance with the UK's ICC Act 2001. The Government is unaware of any planned visits to the UK by individuals subject to ICC arrest warrants.

Supporting British farmers

Female football boots

Unleashed Theatre Company and the King's Award for Voluntary Service

Registration scheme for short-term lets and local communities

South Devon College wins Green Gown Award for Sustainability Institution of the Year

Found: Moorlands) (Chair) Shaun Davies (Labour; Telford) Mr Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat; Wimbledon) Ben Maguire

Submit Evidence (by 9 Apr 2025)

This short inquiry is aimed at influencing the content of the Government’s new VAWG strategy, which is expected later this year.