Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, how many apprentices her Department recruited in (a) 2022, (b) 2023, (c) 2024 and (d) 2025.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The Attorney General’s Office recruited the following number of apprentices in the years requested.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has considered changing the basis for determining Vehicle Excise Duty rates on motorcycles in line with other vehicles; and whether her Department plans to reduce Vehicle Excise Duty on motorcycles.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) is a tax on vehicles used or kept on public roads. Different rates apply to cars, vans and motorcycles, and the rate for each vehicle is calculated according to a range of factors, such as date of first registration, engine size, and CO2 emissions. VED for motorcycles is based on engine size.

Zero emission motorcycles now pay the lowest VED rate which applies to the smallest engine size of 150cc or less (currently £26, and increasing to £27 from 1 April 2026 in line with the Retail Price Index).

The government does not currently have any plans to reform the VED system for motorcycles.

The Government annually reviews the rates and thresholds of taxes and reliefs to ensure that they are appropriate and reflect the current state of the economy. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the public finances.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many apprentices her Department recruited in (a) 2022, (b) 2023, (c) 2024 and (d) 2025.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

Apprenticeships are a valuable tool for improving skills, productivity, and social mobility, whilst also supporting the development of our workforce. My Department continues to offer apprenticeships whenever a suitable vacancy arises.

My Department recruited three apprentices in 2022, three in 2023, and none in 2024 or 2025.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposal for unused pension funds and death benefits to be subject to Inheritance Tax on beneficiaries; and if she will make it her policy to cap the level of Inheritance Tax paid on such funds and benefits.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Most unused pension funds and death benefits payable from a pension will form part of a person’s estate for inheritance tax purposes from 6 April 2027. This removes distortions resulting from changes that have been made to pensions tax policy over the last decade, which have led to pensions being openly used and marketed as a tax planning vehicle to transfer wealth, rather than as a way to fund retirement. These reforms also remove inconsistencies in the inheritance tax treatment of different types of pensions.

The Government has published a tax information and impact note, which is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/inheritance-tax-unused-pension-funds-and-death-benefits/inheritance-tax-unused-pension-funds-and-death-benefits.

The legislation for this reform is included in Finance Act 2026. A cap on the level of inheritance tax related to unused pension funds and death benefits payable from a pension would be inconsistent with the policy objective and reduce the revenue to help fund public services. More than 90 per cent of UK estates will continue to have no inheritance tax liability in 2030-31 following these changes and the reforms will only affect a minority of those with inheritable pension wealth.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many apprentices her Department recruited in (a) 2022, (b) 2023, (c) 2024 and (d) 2025.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The department did not exist in 2022 and although we have not undertaken external apprenticeship recruitment between 2023 and 2025, we recruit apprentices from within. 57 existing members of DSIT staff are undertaking an apprenticeship or have completed an apprenticeship between 2023 and 2025.(GOV.UK)

Found: ) Melanie Onn (Labour; Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes) Mike Reader (Labour; Northampton South) Bradley Thomas

Found: Polly Billington; Lizzi Collinge; Torcuil Crichton; Graeme Downie; Melanie Onn; Mike Reader; Bradley Thomas