Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether British students will be able to take part in the Erasmus+ exchange programme by January 2027.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
As set out at the UK-EU Summit in May, the UK agreed to work towards association to the Erasmus+ programme on mutually agreed financial terms.
Negotiations are ongoing, and the timelines for any association are subject to ongoing discussion. We are open to associating to Erasmus+ for 2027 in principle, but only if we can reach agreement on financial terms, which should ensure a fair balance as regards the contributions of and benefits to the UK.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2025 to Question 92513, if he will confirm who the relevant authorities are.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
The Secretary of State is aware that the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Legal Ombudsman have been responding to the implications for clients in England and Wales of the firm’s closure. It would not be appropriate for him to comment any further and any inquiries should be directed to these relevant authorities.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to improve access to affordable credit.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises that affordable and responsible credit can help households manage unexpected costs and cash flow.
In November, we published the Financial Inclusion Strategy, developed with consumer groups and industry. The Strategy includes a pilot scheme for small sum lending and measures to strengthen the community finance sector, including encouraging partnerships with mainstream financial firms.
We will continue to work closely with stakeholders to implement the Strategy and improve access to affordable credit.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to increase levels of household savings.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Everyone should have access to affordable and appropriate products for their financial wellbeing. The government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and ensuring individuals and households have greater financial security.
This is why the government offers several ways to help people save and increase their financial resilience. The overall ISA allowance of £20,000 ensures that savers can put significant sums away in a tax-free savings account. For those who save outside of an ISA, the Personal Savings Allowance provides up to £1,000 of tax-free savings interest for basic rate taxpayers, and £500 for higher rate taxpayers.
The Help to Save scheme supports financial resilience for working people on low incomes by encouraging consistent, long-term saving and helping them build a financial buffer to plan and prepare for the future. The scheme is currently available to working individuals in receipt of Universal Credit, ensuring it remains targeted at its intended population.
As announced at Autumn Budget 2025, the government will make the Help to Save scheme permanent and, from April 2028, will expand eligibility to include all Universal Credit claimants who receive the child element, the caring element or both.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 1 December 2025 to Question 93633, if he will publish that assessment.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
To protect negotiation-sensitive information the Department for Business and Trade will not be publishing a full assessment of the potential economic impact of mutual recognition agreements on conformity assessment between the UK and EU. This Government remains committed to tackling barriers to trade with the EU, addressing areas of mutual benefit to both the UK and EU.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what further steps she will take to make the cost of business loans more transparent.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government receives representations from a range of stakeholders about matters across financial services and the economy. Disputes are a matter for the Financial Ombudsman Service rather than the Government.
I would refer my honourable friend to the answers I provided on the topic of SME lending on 24 November, 26 November and 27 November, including in relation to the rates for short-term lending to small and medium sized businesses in the UK.
As set out in my previous response, interest rates, including those offered by individual providers, are a commercial matter decided by the lender concerned, reflecting the base rate, the risk of the applicant, and a margin to make the loan commercially viable given the cost of underwriting and broader funding costs. The Government does not intervene in commercial offerings, and SMEs should shop around to find the product that best suits their needs when choosing finance, which in turn helps drive competition, improves choice, and may support pricing.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has received representations on the cost of lending required by (a) Maxcap business loans, (b) Capify business loans and (c) Funding Circle’s Flexipay product.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government receives representations from a range of stakeholders about matters across financial services and the economy. Disputes are a matter for the Financial Ombudsman Service rather than the Government.
I would refer my honourable friend to the answers I provided on the topic of SME lending on 24 November, 26 November and 27 November, including in relation to the rates for short-term lending to small and medium sized businesses in the UK.
As set out in my previous response, interest rates, including those offered by individual providers, are a commercial matter decided by the lender concerned, reflecting the base rate, the risk of the applicant, and a margin to make the loan commercially viable given the cost of underwriting and broader funding costs. The Government does not intervene in commercial offerings, and SMEs should shop around to find the product that best suits their needs when choosing finance, which in turn helps drive competition, improves choice, and may support pricing.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the number of of small business finance applications rejected by (a) high street banks and (b) all banks in (i) total and (ii) just for non asset backed lending applications in the most recent year for which figures are available.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government, and specifically the Treasury, is responsible for the legislative framework for financial services, and does not collect significant volumes of market data. External bodies including the British Business Bank, Bank of England, UK Finance, and other such parties, produce certain information on the SME lending market, some of which may offer insights of this nature.
However, HM Treasury publishes statistics on the use of the Government’s Bank Referral Scheme on an annual basis, which is a Scheme designed to help match loan applicants rejected for finance with potential alternatives. The latest release covers statistics up until Q3 2024 and can be found on the Government’s website. This data represents businesses that have been rejected by designated banks under the Scheme and can be used to understand some of the rejection rate trends in the market.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what further steps he will take to help small businesses take advantage of the UK's trade deals.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Our department is helping businesses take advantage of trade deals through engagement, guidance, and practical support. Events to promote understanding of FTAs have been held in all parts of the UK this year, including during International Trade Week.
Guides to ensure business have clear advice on taking advantage of FTAs have been published on recent FTAs, and are being prepared for the UK-India FTA. SMEs can also access support on FTAs through the new Business Growth Service.
The Government’s Plan for Small Businesses strengthens the business environment, improves finance access, creates growth opportunities, and boosts SME competitiveness across the UK.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the findings of Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods, whether he will take steps to encourage private sector growth in the most deprived neighbourhoods in England.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Strong neighbourhoods and communities are vital to drive growth. The Pride in Place strategy sets out how we will deliver up to £5 billion funding and support over ten years to 339 neighbourhoods experiencing the highest levels of double deprivation.
Neighbourhood Boards will have a wide range of options available to them to improve local opportunities and promote growth in their communities. Furthermore, we strongly encourage the boards to build partnerships with philanthropists and businesses that are rooted in place, to help build more sustainable funding models and crowd in more capital over the long-term. This will build strong, vibrant local communities and economies, led by those who know their area best.