First elected: 7th May 2015
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Reform the Grocery Supply Code of Practice to better protect farmers
Gov Responded - 27 Nov 2023 Debated on - 22 Jan 2024 View Daniel Zeichner's petition debate contributionsWe want the Government to amend the Grocery Supply Code of Practice (GSCP) to require retailers, without exception, to:
- Buy what they agreed to buy
- Pay what they agreed to pay
- Pay on time
We believe the current GSCP is inadequate and doesn't protect farmers from unfair behaviour.
End the Cage Age for all farmed animals
Gov Responded - 20 Aug 2021 Debated on - 20 Jun 2022 View Daniel Zeichner's petition debate contributionsEvery year across the UK, millions of farmed animals are kept in cages, unable to express their natural behaviours and experiencing huge suffering. These inhumane systems cannot be the future of British farming. The UK Government must legislate to ‘End the Cage Age’ for all farmed animals.
Ban the shooting of badgers immediately
Gov Responded - 12 Oct 2020 Debated on - 21 Mar 2022 View Daniel Zeichner's petition debate contributionsShooting of Badgers is licensed by Natural England as part of the DEFRA Badger cull. 24,000+ Badgers were shot in 2019.
Mark Allen's Law - we want throwline stations around all bodies of open water
Gov Responded - 1 Jul 2021 Debated on - 24 Jan 2022 View Daniel Zeichner's petition debate contributionsMark Allen, aged 18, drowned after jumping into a freezing reservoir on a hot day in June 2018.
In May 2019 we watched whilst 3 throwlines were installed where he died.
Mark could have possibly been saved if they were in place beforehand.
#Reggieslaw - Regulate online animal sales
Gov Responded - 1 Jul 2021 Debated on - 13 Dec 2021 View Daniel Zeichner's petition debate contributionsGiven how many animals are sold online, we want Government to introduce regulation of all websites where animals are sold. Websites should be required to verify the identity of all sellers, and for young animals for sale pictures with their parents be posted with all listings.
Replace Breed Specific Legislation with a new statutory framework
Gov Responded - 17 Apr 2020 Debated on - 5 Jul 2021 View Daniel Zeichner's petition debate contributionsBreed Specific Legislation fails to achieve what Parliament intended, to protect the public. It focuses on specific breeds, which fails to appreciate a dog is not aggressive purely on the basis of its breed. It allows seizure of other breeds, but the rules are not applied homogeneously by councils.
End the Cage Age: ban cages for all farmed animals.
Gov Responded - 22 Mar 2019 Debated on - 16 Mar 2020 View Daniel Zeichner's petition debate contributionsAcross the UK, millions of farmed animals are kept in cages, unable to express their natural behaviours. This causes huge suffering.
We call on the UK government to end this inhumane practice by banning all cages for farmed animals. Cages are cruel.
Provide 15 hours free childcare to working parents for children over 9 months.
Gov Responded - 8 May 2019 Debated on - 9 Mar 2020 View Daniel Zeichner's petition debate contributionsAfter 9 months of maternity leave, most working mums do not receive any maternity pay and need to go back to work. I think all working parents should be entitled to 15 hours free childcare from the time a child is 9 months. It makes more sense to provide this funding from 9 months instead of 2 years
These initiatives were driven by Daniel Zeichner, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Daniel Zeichner has not been granted any Urgent Questions
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to give powers to local authorities to regulate dockless bicycle-sharing schemes; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision about the exercise of taxi and private hire vehicle licensing functions in relation to persons about whom there are safeguarding or road safety concerns; and for connected purposes.
Short and Holiday-Let Accommodation (Registration) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Karen Buck (Lab)
Animals (Recognition of Sentience) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Kerry McCarthy (Lab)
Charity Trustees (Time Off for Duties) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Susan Elan Jones (Lab)
Terms of Withdrawal from the EU (Referendum) (No. 2) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Geraint Davies (Ind)
Plastics Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Geraint Davies (Ind)
Automatic Travel Compensation Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Huw Merriman (Con)
Minimum Service Obligation (High Street Cashpoints) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Huw Merriman (Con)
European Union Withdrawal Agreement (Public Vote) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Gareth Thomas (LAB)
Terms of Withdrawal from EU (Referendum) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Geraint Davies (Ind)
Automatic Electoral Registration (No. 2) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Jo Stevens (Lab)
The UK will formally take up the presidency of the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on 31 October 2021 in the opening plenary of the conference. The primary responsibility of the UK as the COP26 presidency is to preside over the meetings of the conference and steward the formal negotiations to a successful conclusion.
Once confirmed as the COP26 President, I will remain President of the COP until late the following year, when the next presidency takes over at the commencement of the next conference. The UK will fulfil its formal mandate during this year in chairing the COP Bureau, and working with the incoming presidency to prepare for COP27. Specific details of plans and objectives for the UK’s presidency year will be forthcoming after COP26, once the outcomes and agreements reached by the 197 Parties of the UNFCCC are known.
The national gender pay gap is now at a record low, with the full-time gender pay gap at only 7%. Peterborough and Cambridgeshire also have pay gaps below the national average. Despite this, we need to keep making progress on this issue. Across the country, we will continue to make it easier for women to get into higher-paid jobs and sectors. As we build back from COVID-19 we will also look to increase the number of women in STEM professions, and to increase the availability of flexible working for everyone, to ensure the gender pay gap continues to reduce going forwards.
Offences of poaching are usually charged under one of the following:
There is no requirement to specify in an offence which type of animal the defendant was seeking to take or had taken, and in many cases it is not specified.
Therefore, the CPS is not able to keep any records of which species are involved in its prosecutions for poaching.
This information is not held centrally
Details of Government contracts above £10,000, and £25,000 in the wider public sector, are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search
This information is not held centrally
Details of Government contracts above £10,000, and £25,000 in the wider public sector, are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search
Information on the number of individuals that have transferred under TUPE regulations to an organisation under contract with the Cabinet Office is not held.
This Government knows that excellence in procurement practice is essential to delivering high quality services for the public.
The Sourcing Playbook sets out the Government's policies with regards to outsourcing.
Its introduction by this Conservative Government improves decision making and the quality of contracts government places with industry. The playbook is focussed on getting things right from the start, and includes 11 key policies which help government and industry work together to deliver high quality public services and emphasises that government contracts are let on the basis of value for money.
We are increasing opportunities for SMEs in a variety of ways - from transparently publishing contract pipelines to simplifying bidding processes. The new procurement regime this Conservative government is putting in place with our new freedoms outside the European Union will create a simpler and significantly more transparent system that will further open up public procurement to SMEs so that they can compete for and win more public contracts.
The latest procurement figures for 2020/21 show that £19.3bn was paid to SMEs to help deliver vital public services. This figure is an increase of £3.7bn on the previous year and the highest since a Conservative led Government began recording the amount spent on SMEs in 2013, something not done under the last Labour government.
SMEs in the food supply chain have been consulted as part of supplier engagement activities for the proposed Buying Better Foods framework. Feedback from these activities shaped the procurement strategy for the framework agreement. SME producers will have increased opportunities to work with the public sector.
Customers will be able to request nominated local products (subject to the local supplier/producer meeting the minimum technical standards). These products would be consolidated into a single delivery with their food order. This is in addition to the SME’s already supplying the Wholesale market. This agreement will further support SMEs as KPIs will be established within the procurement evaluation to establish and monitor SME participation with action plans for growth; giving more data and transparency within the sector.
SMEs in the food supply chain were consulted as part of supplier engagement activities. Feedback from these activities shaped the procurement strategy for the proposed framework agreement.
SME producers will have increased opportunities to work with the public sector. Customers will be able to request nominated local products (subject to the local supplier/producer meeting the minimum technical standards). These products would be consolidated into a single delivery with their food order.
Many other Public Buying Organisations (PBOs) offer food and or drink commercial solutions, to the public sector which is not managed by CCS as a central government organisation. CCS consulted with a number of PBO’s as part of their food strategy development.
CCS’ initial proposed commercial solution value will have a headroom to accommodate £100 million worth of spend over the 4 year agreement period. This equates to less than 5% of the £2.1 billion public sector food spend.
Crown Commercial Service (CCS), representing the Cabinet Office, Defra and its Ministers have worked closely together throughout the development of the proposed agreement.
Defra approached CCS in 2019 to consider the concept of developing a commercial strategy and procurement solution for food produce, specifically a holistic approach to the ordering, fulfilment, consolidation and delivery of food produce to customers.
CCS have been working alongside Defra to design a commercial solution, and Defra will be responsible for establishing the updated Government Buying Standards for Food. CCS and Defra continue to work closely together on this issue.
In the Integrated Review the Government committed to review and reinforce the cross-government approach to biosecurity. The refreshed UK Biological Security Strategy (BSS), due to be published in late 2022, will outline the 2030 Vision for biological security and the outcomes and deliverables to achieve this vision. Both the Department for Health and Social Care and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have been integral to developing the refreshed strategy and will be key implementation leads for commitments. The BSS will outline the UK Government’s ambition and priorities for responsible innovation, including to safeguard against the mis-use of DNA screening.
Verify continues to work well, supporting 19 services. More than 8 million Verify accounts have been created, with over 2.3 million added since the start of the pandemic as citizens accessed critical online services.
Building on the lessons and experiences of Verify, and as we announced in last year's Spending Review, the Government Digital Service is collaborating with other departments - including the Department for Work and Pensions, HMRC and Home Office - to develop a new login and identity assurance system that will make it easier for more people to use online services safely. While this new system is being developed, users and connected services will continue to rely on GOV.UK Verify. The Government has therefore decided to extend the current Verify service, enabling new users to sign up until April 2022.
Verify continues to work well, in support of 22 government services. Over 8 million people have used Verify, with 2 million added in the last year as citizens accessed critical online services during the pandemic.
Building on the lessons and experiences of Verify, and as we announced in last year's Spending Review, the Government Digital Service is collaborating with other departments to develop a new login and identity assurance system that will make it easier for more people to use online services safely.
For example, we know that extra data sources will be needed for a more inclusive service, so we are also working with the Home Office on its digitisation of birth, marriage and death records.
In December 2020, the Government published the 2025 Border Strategy. As we set out in this strategy, we are committed to developing a Single Trade Window for the UK, which will create a single portal through which information required to import and export can be submitted to border agencies. We will invest £16m during 2021-22 to take forward the foundational elements of this project across Government.
Alongside the work to develop the UK’s Single Trade Window, we continue to identify and pursue opportunities to digitise border documentation wherever possible, including paperwork which stems from international requirements. Aligned with this, we are identifying opportunities to make permanent a number of digitisation changes which have been implemented as a short term response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
The right of MPs to take up constituents’ cases and other issues directly with the Government is an important part of the democratic process and underlines the accountability of Ministers to Parliament. It is essential that MPs receive carefully considered and prompt responses to their enquiries from all Government Departments, which address constituents’ concerns.
Further to the Leader of the House of Common’s comments during the Business Statement of 6 May 2020, the Cabinet Office guidance for departments on handling correspondence states that replies to letters from MPs by officials should only be authorised in certain exceptional cases, for example, when dealing with a large volume of letters on the same issue or under certain circumstances where an official reply would be more appropriate.
The Government has postponed this poll for 12 months as part of the Coronavirus Act which is the same for all local, mayoral and Police and Crime Commissioner elections scheduled for 7 May. This decision was taken following advice from the Government’s medical experts in relation to the response to the Covid-19 virus and those delivering elections.
Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales, including for the Cambridgeshire police force area, will now take place on the next ordinary day of elections on 6 May 2021.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has established a safety study to understand the risks presented by e-bikes and e-scooters. This includes understanding available data, investigating incidents, enforcement action when needed, targeting unsafe products at the border, and providing public safety information on safe use and charging.
OPSS commissioned Warwick Manufacturing Group, part of Warwick University, to conduct research examining the safety of the lithium-ion batteries within Personal Light Electric Vehicles.
These activities form part of cross Government work involving the Home Office, Department for Transport and OPSS, which is part of the Department for Business and Trade.
I refer the Hon. Member for Cambridge to the answer I gave him today, UIN: 153796.
Since the creation of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) there have been no such discussions with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on international food prices nor food security.
Information on meetings that pre-date DBT is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Since the creation of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) there have been no such discussions with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on international food prices nor food security.
Information on meetings that pre-date DBT is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Since the creation of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) there have been no such discussions with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on international food prices nor food security.
Information on meetings that pre-date DBT is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) Demonstrator builds on the Whole House Retrofit programme to test innovative approaches to retrofitting at scale. SHDF awarded around £179m of Government funding under Wave 1 to improve the energy performance of up to 20,000 social homes, and £778 million of Government funding to see proposed energy performance improvements to around 90,000 social homes under Wave 2.1.
SHDF cost cap policy shows the maximum grant funding permitted for capital costs for retrofit works by starting characteristic of homes, based on the average cost per home. It is available in Section 2.10.2 of the Wave 1 guidance (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1016303/shdf-wave-1-competition-guidance.pdf) and Section 2.11 of the Wave 2.1 guidance (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1114571/shdf-wave-2.1-competition-guidance.pdf).
Years of world-leading green investment has meant we have connected the second highest amount of renewable electricity in Europe since 2010. This has put pressure on the electricity network and reducing connection timescales is a high priority for Government.
The Government is working to better understand the impacts the operation of the current Voluntary Scheme on investments in the UK and access to medicines. We are therefore in direct conversations with companies to understand these impacts. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is in close discussions with the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department responsible for the Voluntary Scheme, about the business environment for life sciences and its impact on investment and patient access.
Following the HM Treasury review of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, a new energy support scheme for businesses, including within the hospitality sector, will run from April 2023 until March 2024. Eligible non-domestic customers that have a contract with a licensed energy supplier and are exposed to high prices will see a discount applied to their gas and electricity bill. A substantially higher level of support will be provided to businesses in sectors identified as being the most energy and trade intensive. The Energy Bill Discount Scheme strikes a balance between supporting businesses and limiting taxpayer’s exposure to volatile energy markets, with a cap set at £5.5 billion.
In September 2022, as part of the announcement on the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS), the Government committed to carry out a review of the scheme and publish details of what support would be given from 1 April 2023. The aim was to give businesses certainty as soon as possible on further support after the EBRS. Over the course of the review, Government engaged with businesses, trade associations and other organisations to understand which are most in need of further support after the EBRS ended.
The Energy Bill Relief Scheme provides a discount on the wholesale element of gas and electricity bills to ensure that all eligible businesses are protected from high energy costs over the winter period. The Energy Bill Discount Scheme, a new energy support scheme for businesses, will run from April until March 2024. businesses who have a contract with a licensed energy supplier, and are exposed to high prices, will see a discount applied to their gas and electricity bill. A substantially higher level of support will be provided to businesses in sectors identified as being the most energy and trade intensive.
The Government actively supports and funds the development and dissemination of techniques that replace, reduce, and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs). This is achieved primarily through funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) for the National Centre for the 3Rs (NC3Rs). Since the NC3Rs was launched in 2004, it has committed £100 million in research to develop 3Rs technologies.
UKRI also funds a portfolio of research projects involving non-animal technologies. This includes a £4 million joint funding call focussed on supporting next generation non-animal technologies, such as organ-on-a-chip and computer modelling, to work towards providing more reliable and applicable alternatives to reduce the use of animals in research.
In the Integrated Review the Government committed to review and reinforce the cross-government approach to biosecurity. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is feeding into this review, led by the Cabinet Office.
An overarching Equality Impact Assessment has been completed for all offices, including Cambridge, affected by the plan to restructure the Insolvency Service’s estate to eleven regional offices. A copy of this document will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Following the closure of the Cambridge Office in December 2023, interviews will be held in either a local interview facility or at one of the Insolvency Service 11 Regional Centres.
Alternatively, interviews will be conducted remotely using telephone and online channels, this is already established practice where it works for the individual and the Service.
The Insolvency Service engaged with a number of personal and business debt advice organisations over proposals to restructure its estate for improved efficiencies. It issued a news story on GOV.UK and a social media post to advise all stakeholders of the proposals.
The Government currently has no plans to introduce a cap on fees charged by third-party food delivery apps to restaurants.
All Innovate UK (IUK) funded projects are listed in the transparency data published on the GOV.UK website. This includes postcode, Region, LEP, and Local Authority information. Details of funded projects can be accessed here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/innovate-uk-funded-projects.
The Government engaged with stakeholders and published guidance in January 2020 on the removal of the exception for affected institutions during the transition period. The UK’s orphan works licensing scheme continues to be available, as do exceptions to copyright for purposes including research and private study. The Government presently has no plans to update these.
Vivacity Labs is one of many COVID-19 related projects funded through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The Vivacity Labs project referred to was supported through the Innovate UK COVID-19 call for business-led innovation in response to global disruption due to the pandemic.
Vivacity Labs used smart sensors that do not pick up images to monitor road usage.
The data sets being used in this project date from April 2019. This project is applying a new algorithm to this existing data and analyses the spatial differences (gaps, interactions etc.) between different modes of transport and not individuals.
Departments publish quarterly details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations on GOV.UK. Details for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings.
The latest published data covers January to March 2020. Data for April to June 2020 will be published in due course.
Publishing risk assessments is not a legal obligation, but we are asking companies to consider publishing the results of their risk assessments whenever possible. We recommend that larger companies – those with over 50 workers – publish the results of their risk assessments. The results of a risk assessment, however, must be shared with employees if requested.
Investors in People is responsible for awarding the Investors in People standard. Since 1 February 2017 this has been a Community Interest Company, which is not part of the Government.
The Government’s university research sustainability taskforce is examining how best to respond to the challenges for the sector resulting from COVID-19, with the aim of sustaining the university research base and its capability to contribute effectively to UK society and economy in the recovery from COVID-19 and beyond. Given the broader focus and urgency of addressing the impacts of COVID-19, at this time, the outcome of the UKRI Open Access Review does not form part of the taskforce's consideration.
The OA Review is independent from Plan S. Working internationally however, is important to help achieve open access. UKRI has joined cOAlition S, a consortium comprising research funders and foundations from across the world and supported by the European Commission and the European Research Council. The coalition aims to help make full and immediate Open Access to research publications a reality, and is built around the Plan S principles. UKRI will consider outcomes of the work of cOAlition S as part of its ongoing Open Access Review alongside other evidence and inputs. The outcomes of the review will determine decisions on UKRI’s OA policy.
As part of the UKRI open access review, UKRI is working with BEIS to consider implications for stakeholders. UKRI has commissioned an independent analysis to help assess the possible implications for various groups, including higher education institutions. This analysis will include direct costs and benefits and wider social and economic implications, and will be considered alongside other evidence gathered through the review, including via the consultation on a proposed UKRI policy which has recently closed. The consideration of the COVID-19 impacts on research sector, including economic implications, will be taken into account in the UKRI review.
The Government’s university research sustainability taskforce is examining how best to respond to the challenges for the sector resulting from COVID-19, with the aim of sustaining the university research base and its capability to contribute effectively to UK society and economy in the recovery from COVID-19 and beyond. Given the broader focus and urgency of addressing the impacts of COVID-19, at this time, the outcome of the UKRI Open Access Review does not form part of the taskforce's consideration.
The OA Review is independent from Plan S. Working internationally however, is important to help achieve open access. UKRI has joined cOAlition S, a consortium comprising research funders and foundations from across the world and supported by the European Commission and the European Research Council. The coalition aims to help make full and immediate Open Access to research publications a reality, and is built around the Plan S principles. UKRI will consider outcomes of the work of cOAlition S as part of its ongoing Open Access Review alongside other evidence and inputs. The outcomes of the review will determine decisions on UKRI’s OA policy.
As part of the UKRI open access review, UKRI is working with BEIS to consider implications for stakeholders. UKRI has commissioned an independent analysis to help assess the possible implications for various groups, including higher education institutions. This analysis will include direct costs and benefits and wider social and economic implications, and will be considered alongside other evidence gathered through the review, including via the consultation on a proposed UKRI policy which has recently closed. The consideration of the COVID-19 impacts on research sector, including economic implications, will be taken into account in the UKRI review.
The Government’s university research sustainability taskforce is examining how best to respond to the challenges for the sector resulting from COVID-19, with the aim of sustaining the university research base and its capability to contribute effectively to UK society and economy in the recovery from COVID-19 and beyond. Given the broader focus and urgency of addressing the impacts of COVID-19, at this time, the outcome of the UKRI Open Access Review does not form part of the taskforce's consideration.
The OA Review is independent from Plan S. Working internationally however, is important to help achieve open access. UKRI has joined cOAlition S, a consortium comprising research funders and foundations from across the world and supported by the European Commission and the European Research Council. The coalition aims to help make full and immediate Open Access to research publications a reality, and is built around the Plan S principles. UKRI will consider outcomes of the work of cOAlition S as part of its ongoing Open Access Review alongside other evidence and inputs. The outcomes of the review will determine decisions on UKRI’s OA policy.
As part of the UKRI open access review, UKRI is working with BEIS to consider implications for stakeholders. UKRI has commissioned an independent analysis to help assess the possible implications for various groups, including higher education institutions. This analysis will include direct costs and benefits and wider social and economic implications, and will be considered alongside other evidence gathered through the review, including via the consultation on a proposed UKRI policy which has recently closed. The consideration of the COVID-19 impacts on research sector, including economic implications, will be taken into account in the UKRI review.
Guidance for Local Authorities on the Local Authority Discretionary Fund was published on 13 May. This guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-business-support-grant-funding-guidance-for-businesses
At this stage, there are no plans to publish further guidance.