Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what evidence her has received on the role of independent hoteliers.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to supporting the hospitality sector as a valuable contributor to the UK economy. While DBT oversees the wider hospitality industry, DCMS holds policy responsibility for accommodation including hotels so I am replying as the Minister responsible. Both departments receive industry evidence through direct stakeholder engagement and through the Visitor Economy Advisory Council (VEAC) and the Hospitality Sector Council respectively. Following a recent VEAC meeting at the IHG Kimpton Fitzroy, I was pleased to visit the hotel and see firsthand the excellence and professionalism of our hotel sector.
The Government is providing a number of targeted support measures for hospitality businesses, including permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties.
The Government has set out a package of five pro-growth regulatory changes for the retail and hospitality sectors. The Government has also committed to reviewing the methodologies by which pubs and hotels are valued for business rates purposes and will, if necessary, make changes to ensure these valuations accurately reflect the rental market for these properties at the next revaluation.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what evidence her has received on the challenges facing independent hoteliers.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to supporting the hospitality sector as a valuable contributor to the UK economy. While DBT oversees the wider hospitality industry, DCMS holds policy responsibility for accommodation including hotels so I am replying as the Minister responsible. Both departments receive industry evidence through direct stakeholder engagement and through the Visitor Economy Advisory Council (VEAC) and the Hospitality Sector Council respectively. Following a recent VEAC meeting at the IHG Kimpton Fitzroy, I was pleased to visit the hotel and see firsthand the excellence and professionalism of our hotel sector.
The Government is providing a number of targeted support measures for hospitality businesses, including permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties.
The Government has set out a package of five pro-growth regulatory changes for the retail and hospitality sectors. The Government has also committed to reviewing the methodologies by which pubs and hotels are valued for business rates purposes and will, if necessary, make changes to ensure these valuations accurately reflect the rental market for these properties at the next revaluation.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her is taking to help support the independent hotelier sector.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to supporting the hospitality sector as a valuable contributor to the UK economy. While DBT oversees the wider hospitality industry, DCMS holds policy responsibility for accommodation including hotels so I am replying as the Minister responsible. Both departments receive industry evidence through direct stakeholder engagement and through the Visitor Economy Advisory Council (VEAC) and the Hospitality Sector Council respectively. Following a recent VEAC meeting at the IHG Kimpton Fitzroy, I was pleased to visit the hotel and see firsthand the excellence and professionalism of our hotel sector.
The Government is providing a number of targeted support measures for hospitality businesses, including permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties.
The Government has set out a package of five pro-growth regulatory changes for the retail and hospitality sectors. The Government has also committed to reviewing the methodologies by which pubs and hotels are valued for business rates purposes and will, if necessary, make changes to ensure these valuations accurately reflect the rental market for these properties at the next revaluation.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he last met with the Competitions and Markets Authority to discuss fair competition in the hotel market.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There has been no specific meeting between Ministers and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to discuss competition in the hotel market. Responsibility for assessing competition in individual markets, including the hotel market, lies with the CMA, which operates independently of Government. The CMA keeps markets under review and can carry out market studies, investigations or enforcement action where it has concerns that competition is not working well for consumers. If you have evidence of a specific competition issue in the hotel market, I would encourage you to pass it to the CMA for consideration.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure fair competition in the hotel market.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There has been no specific meeting between Ministers and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to discuss competition in the hotel market. Responsibility for assessing competition in individual markets, including the hotel market, lies with the CMA, which operates independently of Government. The CMA keeps markets under review and can carry out market studies, investigations or enforcement action where it has concerns that competition is not working well for consumers. If you have evidence of a specific competition issue in the hotel market, I would encourage you to pass it to the CMA for consideration.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of fair competition in the hotel market.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There has been no specific meeting between Ministers and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to discuss competition in the hotel market. Responsibility for assessing competition in individual markets, including the hotel market, lies with the CMA, which operates independently of Government. The CMA keeps markets under review and can carry out market studies, investigations or enforcement action where it has concerns that competition is not working well for consumers. If you have evidence of a specific competition issue in the hotel market, I would encourage you to pass it to the CMA for consideration.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the technical difficulties affecting Ukrainian Visa Extension scheme applications will be resolved.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
UKVI is not aware of any current technical issues impacting the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme. In rare circumstances, applications submitted to UKVI may encounter technical difficulties, which are not related to one specific area. Once identified, UKVI strives to resolve these issues as quickly as possible, however, timescales depend on each application’s individual issues.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Ukraine visas extensions applications have been affected by technical issues in each of the last three years.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The number of applications affected by technical issues does not form part of any current transparency data or migration statistics and is not published.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if plans to create a wider digital targeting web across the UK’s Armed Forces by 2027 are on schedule.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Department, through Cyber and Specialist Operations Command, is progressing plans to create a wider digital targeting web across the UK’s Armed Forces by 2027. This includes the establishment of the Defence Targeting Enterprise Office, which will enable the orchestration of cross-defence activity.
The Ministry of Defence remains committed to delivering this Strategic Defence Review recommendation and will continue to monitor progress to ensure that delivery remains on track.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential of ASGARD for UK armed forces.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
ASGARD will create a digitally enabled reconnaissance and strike network, bringing together sensors, decision-support tools and precision weapons to improve decision-making and increase lethality. With continued investment and oversight, ASGARD will deliver incremental capability upgrades between 2026 and 2029, aligned with the Army Command Plan, NATO standards and Defence’s Digital Target Web.
The overall cost of ASGARD will continue to develop and change as it progresses, however future funding plans for ASGARD are being considered as part of the Defence Investment Plan.
With regards to the implementation of ASGARD, I refer the hon. Member to Question 73577, which remains extant and explains the current position for the project.
The next iteration of ASGARD, focused at Corps level operations, will be tested in Quarter two 2026.