Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure that online companies such as (a) Temu and (b) Shein are paying their due and import taxes for sales of products in the United Kingdom.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government recognises the increasing popularity of overseas retailers.

VAT is due on all imports of goods into the UK at the same rate as domestic transactions, meaning that overseas retailers contribute to the Exchequer. Imports valued below £135 can be imported into the UK without paying customs duty. Imports valued above £135 must pay the relevant duty.

HMRC’s compliance strategy seeks to ensure that overseas retailers pay the tax and duty they are liable for and addresses all forms of non-compliance.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's document entitled Local highways maintenance: additional funding from 2023 to 2034, updated on 23 January 2025, whether the £132 million of Network North funding for Hampshire County Council will be provided between the 2023-24 and 2034-35 financial years.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This Government is determined to help local authorities such as Hampshire County Council tackle the poor state of our roads. The previous Government made a series of questionable funding promises in its Network North plan, and this Government has had to review their affordability. We have already announced a £500 million funding uplift for local highway authorities for 2025/26 and will say more on future years’ funding after the conclusion of the Spending Review. Hampshire County Council will benefit from an additional £14.1 million in 2025/26, an increase of around 36% on top of the Network North uplift in 2024/25, to help it carry out vital preventative maintenance works across the county.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to clarify long-term residency options for Ukrainian refugees in the UK beyond December 2026.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

We recognise the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. It is important our approach respects these wishes.

This is why the temporary Ukraine Schemes do not lead to settlement in the UK. Similarly, time spent in the UK with permission granted under the Ukraine Schemes cannot be relied upon towards the continuous qualifying period for the purposes of a Long Residence application.

There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure adequate safeguards are in place for (a) older and (b) vulnerable people during the transition from the Public Switched Telephone Network to digital landlines.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

This is an issue that the new Government takes especially seriously. The Government is determined to ensure that any risks arising from the industry-led migration from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated, for all customers across the UK.

A definition of vulnerable customers who may require additional support in the context of the digital switchover was published in November 2024. It includes those who are telecare users and those dependent on their landline. Any customer, including the elderly, can also self-identify as requiring additional support.

Communication providers and network operators signed voluntary charters in December 2023 and March 2024, committing to protect vulnerable consumers during the PSTN migration. On 18 November 2024, the major communication providers agreed to adhere to further safeguards set out in the non-voluntary migrations checklist before restarting non-voluntary migration of customers.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in China on the treatment of (a) Falun Gong and (b) Shen Yun practitioners outside China.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Within China, the environment for freedom of religion or belief is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. This government will work to uphold the right to freedom of religion and belief for all abroad, for example through bilateral engagement. The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, and Chancellor all raised human rights recently with their counterparts (President Xi, Foreign Minister Wang and Vice Premier He respectively).

The freedom of speech and other fundamental rights of all people in the UK are protected under UK law, regardless of their nationality.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle (a) crime networks and (b) money laundering systems operating behind (i) barbers and (ii) nail shops.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

Addressing cash-based money laundering is one of the strategic priorities of the National Economic Crime Centre, which sits within the National Crime Agency and who are currently working with partners to facilitate an increased operational response to this threat.

In parallel the National Police Chiefs Council economic crime co-ordinators are engaged in the development of Clear Hold Build strategies to help police forces tackle serious and organised crime.

Clear Hold Build aims to reclaim and rebuild neighbourhoods affected by organised crime and increase public confidence in the police and partner agencies. This includes tackling financial crime on the high street.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has considered making the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority a surrogacy regulator.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Law Commissions of England, Wales, and Scotland published a review of surrogacy in March 2023. One of the recommendations in the report was for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to have a new regulatory role for surrogacy organisations.

The Government is considering the Law Commissions’ report and will publish a response as time allows.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the updated Homes for Ukraine Scheme on Ukrainian refugees' ability to access housing.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Thank you payments have been extended for the full 18-month period under Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme to support Homes for Ukraine guests to remain in sponsorship and to thank sponsors for their continued generosity.

We hope that the extension of this support will provide enough time for guests and sponsors to plan for next steps, including to secure independent accommodation if needed or convert a sponsorship to a lodging arrangement.

To fund this support and ensure it is affordable within government budgets, from 1 April 2025, all thank you payments will be paid at a rate of £350 per month for all sponsors of guests on Homes for Ukraine and UPE visas, regardless of how long guests have been in the UK.

We are signposting sponsors to the Government’s ‘rent a room’ scheme for those who wish to convert their sponsorship to a lodging arrangement. If sponsors move to an arrangement where they charge rent, they will no longer be eligible for thank you payments.

Councils receive a tariff of £5,900 per Homes for Ukraine arrival in their area to support guests to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into communities. Councils have the flexibility to use the funding to support households as best suits the local area. This could include measures to support guests to access employment, English language provision and provide integration measures that support Ukrainians to access private rented accommodation.

We engage closely with councils and the voluntary and community sector to ensure that we understand the needs of Ukrainians living in the UK and that adequate support is available. We continue to closely monitor the homelessness pressures relating to Ukrainian homelessness and separately publish statistics here: Homelessness management information - Ukrainian nationals: England - GOV.UK

Found: Danny Beales; Ben Coleman; Jen Craft; Josh Fenton-Glynn; Andrew George; Paulette Hamilton; and Gregory Stafford