Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will take steps to ensure that leasehold owners who were unable to sell their properties in the 2020-21 financial year due to cladding remediation works can qualify for the temporarily reduced Stamp Duty Land Tax rates that were in place during that period.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SLDT) rates were reduced from July 2020 to September 2021 in response to exceptional circumstances in the housing market. The SDLT rates applicable to a purchase are those in place on the date of the transaction. SDLT remains an important source of Government revenue, raising around £12 billion each year to help pay for the essential services the Government provides.
A refund of the higher rate of SDLT paid when purchasing additional property can be claimed in exceptional circumstances, or if an old main residence is sold within three years of the purchase of the new main residence. This includes those paying higher rates of SDLT because they have been unable to sell a main residence due to issues with unsafe cladding. HMRC consider each individual case on its own merits.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 60392 on Ophthalmic Services, if he will have discussions with the (a) Welsh and (b) Scottish governments on the requirement for pre-visit notifications for domiciliary eye care services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no current plans to have discussions with the Welsh or Scottish administrations about the requirement for pre-visit notifications for domiciliary eye care services in England.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps the Commission is taking to ensure that (a) transgender and (b) non-binary people visiting Parliament are treated (i) inclusively and (ii) with respect.
Answered by Nick Smith
Everyone is welcome at UK Parliament and should feel safe being here. We strive to be an organisation that treats all visitors with respect.
All visitors are reminded of the Parliamentary Behaviour Code, which applies to everyone who visits and works in Parliament. The Behaviour Code requires users of the Estate to treat each other with respect. Visitors who behave in ways that constitute intimidation, bullying or harassment may be asked to leave the Estate.
Parliament employs a Visitor Experience team whose role is to welcome and assist all visitors arriving via the main visitor entrances to the Palace. The team’s role is to ensure that Parliament is accessible to all.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 58821 on Access to Work Programme: Self-employed, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the changes to Access to Work on claimants who are (a) self-employed and (b) working for smaller employers; and whether the consultation entitled Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, includes consideration of the needs of claimants in those groups.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As announced in the Green Paper, we are consulting on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people into and on in work. We also understand that the role of employers is key to the creation of accessible and inclusive workplaces.
This Government values the input of disabled people and people with health conditions including those who are self-employed or work for smaller employers, in addition to the representative organisations and people that support them. That is why we brought forward the Green Paper and opened a public consultation. The consultation closed on the 30 June 2025.
We will review all aspects of Access to Work, including provision for the self-employed and those working for smaller employers, as we develop plans for reform following the consultation. We will assess the impact of potential changes once they have been identified.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with supported housing providers on the potential (a) administrative, (b) financial and (c) homelessness impacts of the implementation of the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government consulted on proposals to implement the measures in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act between 20 February 2025 and 15 May 2025. The government is assessing the responses to the consultation and will continue to work with supported housing providers, residents and stakeholders before publishing a government response in due course.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the report by the Migration Advisory Committee entitled Family visa financial requirements review, published on 10 June 2025, if she will expedite her response to the recommendations relating to children; and what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on those recommendations.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The report of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) is now under review and the Home Office will respond to the review in due course.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2025 to Question 59473 on Israel: Military Aid, how many IDF personnel are (a) currently enrolled in (b) have been enrolled on UK run combat courses in each of the last three years.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
No IDF personnel have enrolled on UK run combat courses in the last three years.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the UK’s 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution emissions reduction target, what his emissions reduction target is against a 2019 emissions baseline.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK has set an ambitious 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), to reduce its net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81% by 2035, compared to base year levels. The base year is 1990 for carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide and 1995 for hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride and nitrogen trifluoride.
The latest 2019 emissions statistic can be found in the Government’s publication of UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions here.
UK 2035 NDC performance will be assessed in 2037 based on the latest emissions estimates available at the time. Historical emissions estimates are revised annually to incorporate new data, improved methods and changes to international guidelines. Therefore, the % reductions on specific years (excluding the base year) are subject to change.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the provisions to restrict eligibility for the personal independence payment in the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill on housing for people who use some of the money they receive from PIP towards paying their rent.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
PIP provides a cash contribution to support people with the extra costs of living with a long term health condition or disability. Claimants have freedom and choice to spend their PIP as they see fit and we have been clear this should be maintained.
PIP uses a functional assessment that acts as a proxy for determining if somebody has extra costs arising from their health conditions or disabilities and the Department does not make an assessment of actual extra costs. We know from research that people use their PIP payments, pooled together with other sources of income, on a wide range of extra costs linked to their disability. Our starting point for reform has therefore been to focus PIP more on those with the greatest needs.
We are mindful of the impact this change to PIP eligibility could have on people. That is why we have committed that existing claimants who lose eligibility as a result of these changes will continue to receive PIP and its associated benefits and entitlements for 13 weeks following their award review. This protection is non-negotiable and is included on the face of the Bill.This transitional cover is one of the most generous ever and more than three times the length of protection provided for the transition from DLA to PIP.
The Government announced through the Spending Review that Discretionary Housing Payments will be included in the new Crisis and Resilience Fund from April 2026. This will provide £842 million per year (£1 billion including Barnett consequential) to reform how crisis support is delivered locally, including to those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the provisions to restrict eligibility for the personal independence payment in the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill on (a) private renters and (b) levels of homelessness.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here: Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill publications - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament.
No one will lose access to PIP immediately - and most people will not lose access at all. Our intention is that changes will start to come into effect from November 2026 for PIP, subject to parliamentary approval.
After that date, no one will lose PIP without first being reassessed by a trained assessor or healthcare professional, who assesses individual needs and circumstance. Reassessments happen on average every 3 years.
We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including ensuring health and care needs are met.
We have also announced a wider review of the PIP assessment to make it fair and fit for purpose, which I am leading. We are bringing together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this. We will provide further details as plans progress.