Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made representations to the Government of China on the potential merits of the release of Pastor Ezra Jim Mingri.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to question 75048 on 16 September.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of the proposed application of electric vehicle pay-per-mile taxation on people living in rural communities in Scotland.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
At the Budget, the Chancellor confirmed the introduction of Electric Vehicle Excise Duty from April 2028 - recognising that electric vehicles contribute to congestion and wear-and-tear on our roads but pay no equivalent to fuel duty.
While those living in rural areas tend to drive more than those living in urban areas, they are also more likely to have a dedicated home charger for their electric vehicle - with the lowest charging costs.
Our electric vehicles consultation provides further detail on how the duty will work and seeks views on its implementation from stakeholders across the UK.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will amend the electricity fixed-cost banding rule to permit evidence-based band migration based on actual usage and capacity within the permitted band limits.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
By law, network charging is a matter for Ofgem, the independent regulator.
Fixed charge banding rules, including migration, are set out in the DCUSA industry code (Schedule 32). They limit migration to exceptional circumstances, including significant change in capacity or consumption. There are some proposals to change banding rules (DCPs 412, 420, 454, and 466), which will be subject to final Ofgem approval. The DCUSA Secretariat can provide information about these rules/ proposals.
Ofgem has launched the Cost Allocation and Recovery Review (CARR), which is assessing whether there are more efficient and fairer ways to allocate and recover system costs.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of UK carbon pricing on the refinery sector; and whether her has made an assessment of the potential merits of carbon price linkage to the EU.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK’s refining capacity is very important to our energy security, resilience, as an industrial base to the continued growth of our regions. This government recognises the wider challenges facing the sector and know that tackling these together is vitally important.
Under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, free allocations are provided to the refining sector to mitigate the risk of carbon leakage and reduce exposure to the carbon price.
Linking the UK ETS and EU ETS is expected to bring significant economic benefits to the UK, including a cheaper path towards decarbonisation by providing businesses with access to a larger, stable carbon market and creating the conditions for mutual CBAM exemptions, removing a major barrier to trade and lowering costs for UK firms.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will grant EII status to the Horticulture Sector in the Energy Intensive Industries exemption scheme.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Currently, the Controlled Environment Horticulture (CEH) sector is ineligible for the British Industry Supercharger, which the Energy Intensive Industry (EII) Exemption Scheme is a part of. The CEH sector does not meet the necessary thresholds of electricity and trade intensity, nor does it have an eligible Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code to be classed as an EII. The Department for Business and Trade intends to review and publicly consult on the sector eligibility for the British Industry Supercharger in 2026. I encourage the CEH sector to engage with this consultation when the opportunity arises.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she has plans to include the horticultural sector in the CBAM from January 2028.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government is introducing a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) from 1 January 2027. It will apply to imported goods from the aluminium, cement, fertiliser, hydrogen, and iron and steel sectors.
When considering which sectors should be included in the scope of the CBAM, the government looked primarily at three factors: inclusion in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), carbon leakage risk, and feasibility and effectiveness of applying the CBAM.
It has been considered that currently the horticultural sector does not meet these factors. The sectoral scope of the CBAM will be kept under review beyond 2027 as new evidence comes to light to reflect methodological and technological advances.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the risk of carbon leakage for refineries before and after January 2028, compared to other industrial sectors.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK ETS Authority recently concluded a review into free allocation policy which confirmed refining is at risk of carbon leakage and will continue to be eligible to receive support through free allocation, measured against an efficiency standard. The review also determined that the efficiency standard used to set free allocations would be maintained in 2027, providing operators in the sector with the necessary certainty to plan for the forthcoming allocation period. This will provide continuity and additional time for industrial sectors to plan for future benchmark updates, which are expected in 2028. Ahead of this the UK ETS Authority will perform and assessment of impacts on businesses, including those in the Refining sector.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports of attacks on places of worship for Christian communities in Ethiopia.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We remain concerned about attacks on places of worship in Ethiopia, and their impact on civilians. We note the 4 November statement of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Ethiopia condemning recent attacks on Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Muslim communities. We continue to call on all parties to engage in dialogue to address the underlying causes of conflict. Through our Human Rights and Peacebuilding Programme, the UK supports dialogue efforts by local peacemakers, women's groups and the Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia. The UK also supports the investigative capacity of Ethiopian Human Rights Commission to follow up on reports of violations affecting civilians.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the proposed visit to China later this month is planned to be proceeded with irrespective of the outcome of His Majesty’s Government’s determination of the planning application for China’s new embassy.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister's travel will be confirmed in the usual way.
This Government is taking a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing the UK's relations with China, rooted in UK and global interests. We will co-operate where we can and challenge where we must.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking in collaboration with the Government of Nigeria to address violence and discrimination affecting Christians in northern Nigeria.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the written ministerial statement published on 27 November 2025 (HCWS1105).