Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many Community Interest Companies registered have had Striking Off action suspended due to objections pertaining to Bounce Back Loans being received by the registrar.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As of July 2026, there are 392 Community Interest Companies in receipt of a Bounce Back Loan which have an active objection in place.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what opportunities he has identified for Scottish manufacturers within the Government's defence spending programme.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Scottish manufacturers are well placed to benefit from the increased defence spending confirmed in the Defence Investment Plan. This includes opportunities arising from investment in maritime capabilities and the multi-billion pound transformation of HM Naval Base Clyde.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has considered deploying the UK International Search and Rescue team to support the international response following the earthquakes in Venezuela.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Statement I made to the House on 6 July (HCWS185), announcing the deployment of a 68-person UK International Search and Rescue (UK ISAR) team with six specialist search dogs.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has assessed the adequacy of existing public interest powers to scrutinise potential takeovers of strategically important airlines.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK has a robust framework for scrutinising acquisitions where relevant public interest or national security concerns arise. Existing powers, including the National Security and Investment Act 2021, enable Government scrutiny and intervention where statutory tests are met.
In addition, any change of ownership involving a UK airline would need to satisfy the relevant aviation regulatory requirements and approvals. The Civil Aviation Authority are responsible for assessing compliance with those requirements and may refer matters to the Secretary of State.
The Government has no current plans to introduce additional public interest powers relating specifically to airline ownership.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans her Department has to publish national guidance on the environmental impacts of AI data centres.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
DSIT engages regularly with DEFRA, the Environment Agency and DESNZ, to discuss the impact of AI data centres on the environment. Through the AI Energy Council, the Government is assessing and promoting energy efficiency and clean power solutions.
DSIT will also publish a National Policy Statement, which will establish clear expectations on the design and environmental considerations for data centres seeking development consent through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects planning process.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to publish a timetable for ending emergency authorisations of neonicotinoid pesticides; and what discussions she has had with the Scottish Government on supporting farmers to transition to alternative means of pest management.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government has already taken decisive action on neonicotinoids: it set out plans to change existing policies to prevent the use of three neonicotinoid pesticides that threaten vital pollinators, including through emergency authorisations, in our policy statement of 21 December 2024. The Health and Safety Executive published updated guidance for emergency authorisations of pesticides on 11 September 2025. Negotiations are underway on a Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement with the EU; any further action can be considered once the new pesticides regulatory framework for Great Britain is agreed.
We regularly meet the devolved governments, including the Scottish government, to discuss pesticide use.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she will exempt Lifetime ISA account holders from the withdrawal charge that can no longer purchase a house due to a significant change of personal circumstances.
Answered by Rachel Blake
The Lifetime ISA is intended to support saving for a first home or later life, and the withdrawal charge helps ensure that Government support is used for those purposes. Introducing exemptions based on individual circumstances would undermine the LISA’s objectives. It would also require judgements about which circumstances should qualify and increase complexity for both savers and providers.
However, the Government is currently consulting on a new First Time Buyer ISA, which would pay Government bonus at the point a saver purchases their first home. This would remove the need for a withdrawal charge and allow savers to withdraw their own contributions should their circumstances change. The consultation was published 23 June 2026 and can be found here: First Time Buyer ISA consultation - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to 13.167 of the Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations, if she will provide a list of the identity documents that can be requested by service providers seeking to confirm the biological sex of someone seeking to access a single sex space.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The draft Code does not specify a list of identity documents. It makes clear that providers should clearly communicate their access policies, for example through signage.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she is planning to consult with the bus manufacturing and operating sector on timescales for the Zero-Emission Bus mandate.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Bus Services Act 2025 includes a measure to accelerate decarbonisation of bus services, by placing a requirement on bus operators ultimately not to use new non-zero emission buses (ZEBs) on local bus routes in England.
The date from which new non ZEBs cannot be used will not be prior to 2030, giving time to the sector to plan a smooth transition. The Government has been engaging with the bus industry, including bus manufacturers and operators and will continue working with the sector.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an estimate of the potential impact of reducing VAT to 10 per cent for food and beverage hospitality businesses on revenue to her Department.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
At £90,000, the UK has the second highest registration threshold among all 38 OECD countries, which keeps the majority of businesses outside the VAT system.
VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Reduced rates of VAT come at a significant cost to the Exchequer and reduce the revenue available for vital public services. Any reduction in tax revenue would mean higher borrowing, lower spending, or increases in other taxes.
HMRC estimates that reducing the standard rate of VAT to 10% on accommodation and food and beverage services would cost approximately £11 billion a year.
The Government is already supporting hospitality through targeted measures, including permanently lower business rates multipliers, a £4.3 billion business rates support package, and the temporary Great British Summer Savings scheme, which will reduce VAT from 20 per cent to 5 per cent on eligible family attractions and children's menu meals between 25 June and 1 September.