Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to increase the childcare tax free cap in line with inflation.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The £2,000 Tax-Free Childcare top-up, which can be claimed per year and per child up to age 11 (and £4,000 per disabled child, up to age 16), was set at this level because it strikes the right balance between helping parents with their childcare costs, and managing the public finances in a responsible way.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the orchestra tax relief to include choirs.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government supports the creative industries, including orchestras, through funding and through the tax system. Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) provides tax relief on productions costs and provided £33 million of support in 2022-23.

To qualify for OTR, a concert must be performed by a group of at least 12 instrumentalists. The voice is not considered to be an instrument. However, orchestra concerts with a vocal element are eligible for the relief providing that the orchestra also contains at least 12 instrumentalists, not including the voice, and the instrumentalists are the primary focus. These rules help ensure OTR fulfils its objective of supporting and incentivising orchestra concerts specifically.

Whilst the Government has no plans to extend OTR to choirs, all taxes are kept under review. The Chancellor makes announcements on tax at fiscal events in the context of the overall public finances.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on promoting tourism in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

We all recognise the importance of tourism to Northern Ireland, and I am working with Cabinet colleagues and the Executive to support a thriving and competitive economy, including drawing on the many wonderful things there are to see and do in Northern Ireland.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the final report by the Complaints Commissioner entitled The FCA’s handling of Safe Hands Plans Limited, published on 11 March 2025, if she will make recommendations to the Financial Conduct Authority based on that report.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

I am sympathetic to all the Safe Hands customers who have lost money, following the collapse of the firm in 2022.

Once concerns were raised about the funeral plan market, the Government legislated to bring all pre-paid funeral plan providers and intermediaries within the regulatory remit of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This made it illegal to sell pre-paid funeral plans without authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority, protecting 1.6 million customers and their families.

The FCA has published its response to the Financial Regulator Complaints Commissioner. The FCA has been clear that it is not possible to immediately act on every piece of anonymous intelligence they receive.

We support the FCA's handling of Safe Hands, and it is clear that they acted reasonably in this case, as they had a clear plan to properly scrutinise Safe Hands’ business during the authorisations process. As the Commissioner acknowledges, there is also no evidence that alternative action from the FCA would have led to different outcomes for Safe Hands customers.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to answer Question 41236 on BBC Radio: Ireland.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

An answer was provided to the Hon Member on 22nd April. I apologise for the delay.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the cessation of BBC Sounds coverage outside of the UK on listeners living in border counties on the Island of Ireland.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The BBC is operationally and editorially independent of the Government, and decisions on how it discharges its obligations, such as its changes to its BBC Sounds service, are a matter for the BBC. The Government has therefore not assessed the potential impact of the BBC’s changes to its BBC Sounds service. The BBC has announced its own decision to delay the blocking of BBC Sounds outside of the UK while working on plans to continue to make other BBC stations available to listeners outside the UK.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) meets regularly with representatives of the BBC on a range of matters, including how it engages listeners both in the UK and internationally.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is taking steps to compensate victims of Libyan-sponsored IRA terrorism.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government reiterates its sympathy for UK victims of Qaddafi-sponsored terrorism, and indeed all victims of the Troubles. The UK's position with regards to victims of Libyan-sponsored Irish Republican Army (IRA) terrorism is that it is the responsibility of the Libyan Government to provide compensation. We will continue to call for Libyan authorities to address the Libyan State's historic responsibility for the Qaddafi regime's support for the IRA.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with the National Council for the Training of Journalists on establishing a mutual recognition of professional qualifications agreement with the Republic of Ireland.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The UK government encourages regulators and industry bodies to engage with their counterparts in the Republic of Ireland to ensure professionals are able to practise in both jurisdictions. Independent UK regulators and industry bodies are responsible for agreeing recognition agreements with their overseas counterparts.

The Department for Business and Trade has not held discussions with the National Council for the Training of Journalists on establishing a mutual recognition of professional qualifications agreement with the Republic of Ireland.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to hold consultation events in Northern Ireland on the Pathways to work Green Paper.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We are committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people and people with health conditions at the heart of everything we do.

In the Green Paper, we have announced that we will set up collaboration committees to develop parts of our reforms further. This will involve bringing together disabled people and other experts with civil servants around specific issues to collaborate, provide ideas, challenge, and input into recommendations.

We intend to run a number of accessible virtual and face-to-face events on the Green Paper to hear from stakeholders, including disabled people and their representative organisations, directly. The Department will be holding a consultation event in Northen Ireland and is working with officials there on the planning stages.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether there will be a Barnett consequential for Northern Ireland following the roll out of free breakfast clubs in England.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

At Phase 1 of the 2025 Spending Review, over £30 million was allocated to the Department for Education to fund breakfast clubs in 2025-26. The Barnett formula was applied in the usual way to changes in the Department for Education’s Delegated Expenditure Limit (DEL) budget.

The resulting Barnett consequentials were included in the Northern Ireland Executive’s £18.2 billion settlement for 2025-26, which includes an additional £1.5 billion through the operation of the Barnett formula.

This is the largest spending review settlement in real terms since devolution and ensures that the Northern Ireland Executive continues to receive over 24% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK, including the 2024 restoration financial package.

The Block Grant Transparency publication breaks down all changes in the devolved governments’ block grant funding from the 2015 Spending Review up to and including Main Estimates 2023-24. The most recent report was published in July 2023. An update to Block Grant Transparency to include Autumn Budget 2024 changes will be published in due course:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/block-grant-transparency-july-2023

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to apply for permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal from the Upper Tribunal judgement Secretary of State for Work and Pensions v MJ [2025] UKUT 035 (AAC).

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

In relation to the recent judgment in Secretary of State for Work and Pensions v MJ [2025] UKUT 035 (AAC), the Secretary of State will not be seeking permission to appeal the outcome.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help resolve the blockade of food and aid reaching Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary has raised the urgent need for restarting the flow of humanitarian aid with his Israeli counterpart repeatedly and will continue to make representations to the Government of Israel on this matter. We are constantly pressing Israel publicly and privately to allow the flow of aid into Gaza. On 23 April, we issued a statement, together with France and Germany, calling for Israel to immediately re-start a rapid and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, ensure aid workers are protected and urge all parties to return to a ceasefire with remaining hostages released. On 29 April, the UK made a statement to the UN Security Council where we shared our concerns about the dwindling supply of food, which leaves a million children at risk of starvation, disease and death.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what governance arrangements are in place for the Cyber Local fund in Northern Ireland; and what steps he plans to take to allow local groups in Northern Ireland to provide input into the initiative.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

For the 2024/25 Cyber Local pilot, regional steering groups were established to review expressions of interest from potential applicants. The Northern Ireland steering group comprised individuals from industry, academia, and the NI Executive, and was responsible for ensuring that proposals met a local need and did not duplicate existing interventions. Endorsement from the steering group was a prerequisite for accessing a Cyber Local grant via Innovate UK.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to (a) directly invite the views of disabled people and (b) directly engage with stakeholder groups on the Pathway to Work proposals.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

This government strongly values the input of disabled people and representative organisations, and that is why we have brought forward this Green Paper and opened a public consultation. The consultation welcomes all views, and we hope that a wide range of voices will respond before it closes on the 30 June 2025.

We have published a full suite of accessible versions of the Green Paper to ensure that everyone can engage. Our schedule of virtual and in-person public consultation events across the country will further facilitate input and help us to hear from disabled people and stakeholders directly. The events accommodate any reasonable adjustments for individuals who wish to attend, including re-imbursing travel costs and arranging accessible venues and accessibility requirements such as BSL interpreters or stenographers for attendees.

We are continuing to facilitate other ways to involve stakeholders and disabled people in our reforms. In addition to the consultation itself, we will establish ‘collaboration committees’ that bring groups, including disabled people and other experts, together for specific work areas. Our wider review of the PIP assessment, led by myself, will also bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure the consultation events on the Pathway to Work are accessible to people with disabilities.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

This government strongly values the input of disabled people and representative organisations, and that is why we have brought forward this Green Paper and opened a public consultation. The consultation welcomes all views, and we hope that a wide range of voices will respond before it closes on the 30 June 2025.

We have published a full suite of accessible versions of the Green Paper to ensure that everyone can engage. Our schedule of virtual and in-person public consultation events across the country will further facilitate input and help us to hear from disabled people and stakeholders directly. The events accommodate any reasonable adjustments for individuals who wish to attend, including re-imbursing travel costs and arranging accessible venues and accessibility requirements such as BSL interpreters or stenographers for attendees.

We are continuing to facilitate other ways to involve stakeholders and disabled people in our reforms. In addition to the consultation itself, we will establish ‘collaboration committees’ that bring groups, including disabled people and other experts, together for specific work areas. Our wider review of the PIP assessment, led by myself, will also bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience.

Humanitarian aid into Gaza

Impact of No Recourse to Public Funds on child poverty

Arms exports to Israel

Import of goods from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

Ensuring stability for Ukrainian refugees in the UK

Trans+ History Week

Climate and Nature Bill

Gaza occupation proposals

Blockade of aid to Gaza

Legal protection of the nurse job title

Injury on Duty Award Scheme

Securing habitat for endangered swifts and other cavity nesting birds

Overseas aid budget

Pesticides in public spaces

LGBTQI+ people in immigration detention

National oversight mechanism

Israeli Defence Force attacks on humanitarian workers

News journalism and artificial intelligence tools

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