Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Department will treat the transfer of Dartford Crossing toll revenues to a private Lower Thames Crossing operator as a loss of income to the Department.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government's preferred financing option at this stage is the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model. Under the RAB model, ownership and operations of the Dartford Crossing would transfer to a new regulated private sector entity, which would be responsible for operating and maintaining both the Dartford Crossing and the new Lower Thames Crossing, ensuring a consistent and reliable service. This entity will be overseen by a regulator to ensure it performs and protects users. Charges from the Dartford Crossing and the new Lower Thames Crossing would be received by the entity under this model and this means charges will be used towards keeping the crossings well‑maintained and journeys running smoothly for users. This approach brings in private capital to fund the majority of construction, delivering better value for taxpayers and reducing the overall pressure on public budgets. The Department has built the effect of this into its financial forecasts.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which local authorities have received funding from Government-funded schemes supporting the procurement of new buses, including zero-emission, electric, hydrogen and hybrid buses, in each of the last five years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
My department has published which local authorities have received funding from Government-funded schemes to procure new buses through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas programme on gov.uk.1
The West Midlands Combined Authority also received £50m in 2021 for the Coventry All Electric Bus City.
In addition, various local authorities have used devolved funding schemes to procure new zero emission buses.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what policy reason route-level impact assessments were not published for ferry-dependent communities ahead of laying secondary legislation for the domestic maritime UK ETS.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It is neither proportionate nor expected to conduct individual route-level impact assessments for all routes in scope of the ETS. An Impact Assessment was published alongside the main Authority Response to the "UK Emissions Trading Scheme Scope Expansion: maritime sector” consultation, which includes analysis of regional and distributional impacts.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of whether the administrative costs of extending the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to domestic maritime represent value for money relative to the expected abatement investment, as set out in the Impact Assessment.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government’s Impact Assessment explains that the aggregate administrative cost of extending the United Kingdom Emissions Trading Scheme to domestic maritime appears high because including all at berth emissions brings a large number of operators into scope, including those whose activity is predominantly international. The assessment shows that the administrative cost per operator is modest and reflects the need to onboard all operators in the first phase of maritime inclusion. The Net Present Social Value remains positive, and the policy is assessed as value for money.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
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 level of risk of double charging of emissions at berth under both the UK ETS and EU ETS for vessels calling at UK ports.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
From 1 July 2026, the emissions from the maritime sector to which the UK Emissions Trading Scheme will apply are:
• emissions from voyages beginning and ending in the UK, and
• emissions at berth and from movements within ports in the UK.
The EU Emissions Trading System does not apply to these emissions, and so there will be no double charging of emissions under both the UK ETS and the EU ETS.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he plans to take to reduce the potential impact of construction traffic on villages in Mid Buckinghamshire constituency during the construction of the new Category C prison.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
We are committed to delivering crucial new prison places in Buckinghamshire and are working constructively with Buckinghamshire Council to agree how to manage construction traffic.
We have committed to making improvements to a key junction and funding will be provided to improve local bus services.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what timetable exists for the rollout of shore power and grid capacity upgrades at UK ports ahead of the UK ETS entering force for domestic maritime in July 2026.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The policies in the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, including the expansion of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) to domestic maritime, will encourage investment in maritime decarbonisation. Vessel operators and ports are best placed to determine the timeline for when they invest in shore power rollout.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the combined effect of higher rateable values and reduced business rates relief on the number of hospitality closures and empty units on high streets over the next three years.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base.
At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government announced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years, including protection for ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. This means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest.
Without our support, the pub sector as a whole would have faced a 45% increase in the total bills they pay next year. Because of the support we’ve put in place, this has fallen to just 4%.
More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. We are doing this by introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties, including those on the high street.
The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since Covid. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit.
The National Insurance Contributions (NICs) Employment Allowance has been more than doubled to £10,500, ensuring that over half of businesses with National Insurance liabilities, including those in the hospitality sector, will either gain or see no change this year. A Tax Information and Impact Note was published alongside changes to employer NICs.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the NHS England Neurology Transformation Programme on access to specialised neurology care, including care from specialist nurses, for people living with multiple sclerosis.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), including those in the Mid Buckinghamshire constituency, including the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology.
NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme has developed a new model of integrated care for neurology services, to support systems to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including those with MS. This focuses on providing access equitably across the country, care as close to home as possible, and early intervention to prevent illness and deterioration in patients with long-term neurological conditions.
The Neurology Transformation Programme has developed guidance on improving access to disease-modifying treatments for MS with the aim of enabling people to receive care closer to home. The guidance includes successful delivery models and good practice case studies, and has been made available to National Health Service colleagues. The Neurology Transformation Programme is working with a number of systems across England to implement change, which will be implemented within individual systems, and which would also assess the impact on access to specialised neurology care, including care from specialist nurses, for people living with MS.
On 13 August 2025, NHS England updated its service specification for specialised adult neurology services, following extensive consultation. A copy of this service specification is attached. The service specification includes guidance on both the specialised and core neurology services that should be available for patients with MS with a clear model for networked care to improve access to specialist services in underserved areas. The service specification outlines that specialised neurology centres must include access to treatment services for MS and have clear pathways for access to disease-modifying therapies.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support people living with multiple sclerosis to access timely, high-quality care and treatment in Mid Buckinghamshire constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), including those in the Mid Buckinghamshire constituency, including the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology.
NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme has developed a new model of integrated care for neurology services, to support systems to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including those with MS. This focuses on providing access equitably across the country, care as close to home as possible, and early intervention to prevent illness and deterioration in patients with long-term neurological conditions.
The Neurology Transformation Programme has developed guidance on improving access to disease-modifying treatments for MS with the aim of enabling people to receive care closer to home. The guidance includes successful delivery models and good practice case studies, and has been made available to National Health Service colleagues. The Neurology Transformation Programme is working with a number of systems across England to implement change, which will be implemented within individual systems, and which would also assess the impact on access to specialised neurology care, including care from specialist nurses, for people living with MS.
On 13 August 2025, NHS England updated its service specification for specialised adult neurology services, following extensive consultation. A copy of this service specification is attached. The service specification includes guidance on both the specialised and core neurology services that should be available for patients with MS with a clear model for networked care to improve access to specialist services in underserved areas. The service specification outlines that specialised neurology centres must include access to treatment services for MS and have clear pathways for access to disease-modifying therapies.