Asked by: Connor Rand (Labour - Altrincham and Sale West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to ensure building construction sites secure cavity nesting bird habitats.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 22080 on 15 January 2025.
Asked by: Connor Rand (Labour - Altrincham and Sale West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people left the police in each of the last five years; and whether her Department holds information on the five most common reasons given by those departing the police voluntarily.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office collects and publishes data on the number of police personnel who leave the police service in England and Wales, on an annual basis, in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales
Information on the number of leavers, by worker type and reason for leaving (including voluntary resignations), between the years ending 31 March 2007 and 2024, can be found in the ‘Leavers Open Data Table’ here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64ba76662059dc000d5d27c0/open-data-table-police-workforce-leavers-260723.ods
The Home Office does not hold data on the specific reasons for voluntary resignations.
Asked by: Connor Rand (Labour - Altrincham and Sale West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of police officers (a) were eligible for and (b) took statutory paternity leave in each of the last five years; and what the average number of weeks taken were for the same time period.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not collect data on the number of police officers eligible for paternity leave or the length of time they were on paternity leave.
Asked by: Connor Rand (Labour - Altrincham and Sale West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with European counterparts on joining the EU in applying tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
This government is continuing to work closely with EU partners to identify areas to strengthen cooperation, including the economy, energy, security and resilience.
The government will take a consistent, long-term and strategic approach to managing the UK’s relations with China, rooted in the national interest. It is for the independent Trade Remedies Authority to investigate whether trade remedy measures are needed to protect our industries, and any action taken on Chinese electric vehicles imports has to be the right one for UK industry.
The government is in close contact with the sector about this and wider issues, including the recent announcement of over £2 billion of capital and R&D funding to 2030 for zero emission vehicle manufacturing and their supply chains
Asked by: Connor Rand (Labour - Altrincham and Sale West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of the national security risks of (a) electric vehicles and (b) connected cars using (i) Chinese and (ii) Russian software.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government takes national security extremely seriously. The Department of Transport (DfT) works closely with the transport sector and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and other government departments, including the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), to understand and respond to risks associated with all connected vehicles, including electric vehicles.
The UK has also led the development of international requirements for all car manufacturers to tackle any possible cyber risk in their designs, and we will continue to work with international partners to safeguard national security risks.
Asked by: Connor Rand (Labour - Altrincham and Sale West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the criteria are for automotive companies to access the support for transition to electric vehicles announced in the Budget.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Budget committed over £2 billion to 2030 for zero emission vehicle manufacturing and their supply chains. Government will engage with industry as we take forward these plans, and further details will be set out in due course as part of the Industrial Strategy. In the meantime, investors can continue to apply to the Automotive Transformation Fund and Advanced Propulsion Centre R&D programmes.
The Budget also confirmed £120 million in grants supporting the purchase of new zero-emission vans and wheelchair-accessible vehicles. Eligibility is assessed on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis. Updates on other grants will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Connor Rand (Labour - Altrincham and Sale West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of using electronic travel authorisations on the speed in which Hong Kong (a) BNO status holders and (b) political prisoners can leave Hong Kong.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Electronic travel authorisations (ETAs) were expanded to all eligible non-European nationalities on 27 November, and will be a requirement for travel to the UK from 8 January. ETAs have been introduced to strengthen the UK’s border security and help prevent the arrival of those who present a threat to the UK.
The application is quick and light-touch, and many applications are decided within minutes. Individuals who already have a UK immigration status, including a British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) visa, will not need to obtain an ETA to travel to the UK.
Asked by: Connor Rand (Labour - Altrincham and Sale West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will implement schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to improving the implementation of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) to help mitigate flood risk and reduce the quantity of water that ends up in our drainage infrastructure. SuDS also provide filtration, amenity and biodiversity benefits.
The current implementation route for SuDS in new developments is via the National Planning Policy Framework, see paragraphs 173 and 175.
We believe that stronger SuDS outcomes can be achieved through either improving the current planning led approach using powers now available or commencing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. It is also important to ensure that appropriate adoption and maintenance arrangements are in place.
To help inform thinking, the Government asked a question on flooding in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation that concluded in September 2024.
Asked by: Connor Rand (Labour - Altrincham and Sale West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UK-Singapore cyber dialogue held in London on 13 June 2023; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of his Department holding similar discussions with counterparts in Taiwan.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK-Singapore Cyber Dialogue held on 13 June 2023 in London was followed by a second iteration in Singapore from 12-13 June 2024. The Dialogues strengthen our close ties on cyber collaboration and align our approaches in cyber governance and tackling cyber threats.
The UK's longstanding position on Taiwan has not changed. We do not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan but a strong, unofficial relationship with deep and growing ties in a range of areas, underpinned by shared democratic values.
Asked by: Connor Rand (Labour - Altrincham and Sale West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations of the China Strategic Risks Institute's report entitled Mapping out the UK's response to grey zone escalations against Taiwan, published in May 2024.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has a clear interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and has restated its importance alongside G7 partners. We consider the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. We do not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo. This includes increased Chinese assertiveness towards Taiwan. We support Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organisations as a member where statehood is not a prerequisite, and as an observer or guest where it is.