Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure small businesses are supported during the implementation of the extended producer responsibility scheme.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The aim of packaging extended producer responsibility is to ensure businesses - rather than taxpayers - are responsible for the cost of dealing with packaging when it becomes waste. These plans will encourage manufacturers to reduce the amount of packaging they use and increase recyclable and reusable alternatives.
Packaging extended producer responsibility cost obligations will only apply to large producers with a turnover over £2 million and who place more than 50 tonnes of packaging on the market. This threshold exempts around 70% of producers from paying these fees. Any large producers who supply the exempt producers with empty packaging will pay the fees associated with that packaging.
We have made a full assessment of the impacts that implementing packaging extended producer responsibility will have. This includes assessment of the impacts on small businesses, which can be found in Section 8 of the impact assessment: The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has of the cost of the Extended producer responsibility scheme for small businesses.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The aim of packaging extended producer responsibility is to ensure businesses - rather than taxpayers - are responsible for the cost of dealing with packaging when it becomes waste. These plans will encourage manufacturers to reduce the amount of packaging they use and increase recyclable and reusable alternatives.
Packaging extended producer responsibility cost obligations will only apply to large producers with a turnover over £2 million and who place more than 50 tonnes of packaging on the market. This threshold exempts around 70% of producers from paying these fees. Any large producers who supply the exempt producers with empty packaging will pay the fees associated with that packaging.
We have made a full assessment of the impacts that implementing packaging extended producer responsibility will have. This includes assessment of the impacts on small businesses, which can be found in Section 8 of the impact assessment: The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support landlords to improve the EPC ratings of their properties.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is now consulting on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector, including proposals for rented homes to achieve EPC C or equivalent by 2030. The consultation sets out proposals on maximum spend required from landlords and the exemptions regime to manage the cost burden placed on landlords and the impact on the rental market, whilst still achieving our ambition to deliver significant bill savings for tenants and lift households out of fuel poverty. We are considering how we can best support landlords to meet the new standards and welcome responses from landlords to the consultation.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the time limit on bringing forward a civil legal claim for abuse.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The basic principle of limitation law is to provide fair and equitable access to justice for claimants by setting reasonable time limits, whilst for defendants the law offers fairness, finality and certainty in terms of the period in which they may face litigation. Rules exist to enable the possibility for extensions in exceptional cases where this is justified.
The position on personal injury cases (such as abuse claims) is that claims should be brought within three years (from the age of 18 for minors), although the legislation specifically provides for courts to extend this where it is satisfied that would be equitable.
The Government considers that the current law as set out in the Limitation Act 1980 is fair and balanced, but reforms are being considered in relation to child sexual abuse claims. The Government will be publishing its consultation response to time limits for those cases shortly.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for reopening the main Capital Grant offer for new applications.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Capital Grants scheme is currently under review after exceptional demand over the Autumn. Officials are currently reviewing the offer to ensure funding goes further to improve outcomes for food security and nature conservation. This review will include looking again at spending controls removed by the last Government. Defra will explain the outcome of that review and provide an update to all applicants, including farmers who have submitted but not yet been offered an agreement, in early 2025.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner's request for emergency funding to pay chief constables' salaries.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
In 2025-26, Devon and Cornwall Police will receive up to £454.9 million. This is an increase of up to £25.5 million compared to the 2024-25 settlement.
Police and Crime Commissioners whose forces are facing unexpected additional costs may request funding through the Police Special Grant, in line with the published guidance.
Special grant guidance - GOV.UK
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for announcing the outcome of bids submitted to the Water Restoration Fund in spring 2024.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Water Restoration Fund, which launched in April 2024, was established to reinvest water company environmental fines and penalties into projects to improve the water environment. Defra is continuing to work with His Majesty’s Treasury regarding continued reinvestment of the water company fines and penalties on water environment improvement.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on steps to ensure sustainable funding is provided to local authorities for domestic abuse and sexual violence services.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
This Government has set out an ambition to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) within a decade and will treat it as the national emergency that it is. We will deliver a cross-government, transformative approach, underpinned by a new VAWG Strategy published later this year.
We are already driving forward activity which supports local government to tackle VAWG. The government has increased funding to local authorities to £160 million for 2025-26, an uplift of £30 million from the previous year, to provide further support in safe accommodation for domestic abuse survivors. The Home Office has confirmed a number of grants held for the next financial year (2025-26) with charities supporting victims of VAWG. We have sought to protect frontline services and give them certainty, so they can plan ahead effectively.
Furthermore, the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 will, once in force, require local policing bodies, local authorities, and integrated care boards to collaborate in relation to the commissioning of certain victim support services, and to prepare and publish a joint commissioning strategy for victims of domestic abuse in their area. This strategy will be informed by a joint needs assessment.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the recognition of overseas medical qualifications of Ukrainian refugees.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The General Medical Council (GMC) is the independent regulator of doctors, physician associates, and anaesthesia associates in the United Kingdom. It is responsible for setting standards that must be met by both domestic and international applicants wishing to be added to their registers to ensure registrants are safe to practise.
A page has been published on GOV.UK specifically for Ukrainian refugees which aims to provide an overview of the processes required by specific healthcare professional regulators, and is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-in-healthcare-in-the-uk-homes-for-ukraine.
The GMC provides help with fees associated with registration. Individuals can seek further information from the GMC’s website.
It is our ambition that all Ukrainian refugees who are healthcare professionals in their home country and meet the standards required in the UK are able to achieve registration efficiently and use their skills within our National Health Service.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether additional funding will be made available to students from England on graduate entry medicine courses under the Lifelong Learning Entitlement.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Under the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, the government will make available an additional entitlement for priority subjects and longer courses, above an individual’s core four year entitlement.
Learners will be able to access this additional entitlement to study a limited number of priority subjects, such as medicine. This will ensure that learners can always gain skills in priority areas, regardless of remaining entitlement or previous qualifications.
In 2025, the department will outline in more detail the specific courses that will be eligible for this additional entitlement.