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Written Question
Carbon Emissions: Taxation
Tuesday 11th November 2025

Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when her Department plans to publish its response to proposals submitted by the fuels sector on the inclusion of refined oil products in the scope of the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

From 2027, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will apply to imported goods from the aluminium, cement, fertiliser, hydrogen, and iron & steel sectors. When considering which sectors should be included in the scope of the CBAM, the government looked primarily at three factors: inclusion in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), carbon leakage risk, and feasibility and effectiveness of applying the CBAM.

Whilst the refining of fuel is within scope of the UK ETS and is considered at risk of carbon leakage, there are concerns about the sector’s ability to ascertain the carbon content of imported goods at a product level due to high levels of co-production in the sector. Therefore, refined oil products will not be included in the scope of the CBAM from January 2027.

The sectoral scope of the CBAM will be kept under review beyond 2027 as new evidence comes to light to reflect methodological and technological advances.


Written Question
Carbon Emissions: Taxation
Tuesday 11th November 2025

Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress her Department has made on considering the inclusion of refined oil products in the scope of the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

From 2027, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will apply to imported goods from the aluminium, cement, fertiliser, hydrogen, and iron & steel sectors. When considering which sectors should be included in the scope of the CBAM, the government looked primarily at three factors: inclusion in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), carbon leakage risk, and feasibility and effectiveness of applying the CBAM.

Whilst the refining of fuel is within scope of the UK ETS and is considered at risk of carbon leakage, there are concerns about the sector’s ability to ascertain the carbon content of imported goods at a product level due to high levels of co-production in the sector. Therefore, refined oil products will not be included in the scope of the CBAM from January 2027.

The sectoral scope of the CBAM will be kept under review beyond 2027 as new evidence comes to light to reflect methodological and technological advances.


Written Question
Criminal Injuries Compensation
Monday 10th November 2025

Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many applications to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority are outstanding for more than (a) 12 months, (b) 18 months and (c) two years.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 (the 2012 Scheme) does not prescribe a time limit for applications to be decided.

The majority of applications are decided within 12 months. Each case must be considered on its own facts. In most cases, CICA needs to get information from third parties such as the police and medical authorities.

Some applications will by necessity take longer to decide. This could be where information is not available due to ongoing court proceedings, where CICA needs time to assess the long-term impact of complex injuries (e.g. brain injuries), or where there is an application for loss of earnings (which requires at least 28 weeks of loss).

In the financial year 2024-25, the average time to make a decision was 370 days*.

The following table** shows the number of applications awaiting a first decision for more than 12, 18 and 24 months as at 31 March 2025.

Months

Applications awaiting a first decision

12-18

6,711

18-24

4,877

24+

9,604

* This figure is based on cases that were decided in 2024-25. The applications may have been received in earlier years.

**The table does not include applications deferred under paragraph 98 of the 2012 Scheme.


Written Question
Criminal Injuries Compensation
Monday 10th November 2025

Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average waiting time is for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority to (a) process and (b) determine claims for compensation.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 (the 2012 Scheme) does not prescribe a time limit for applications to be decided.

The majority of applications are decided within 12 months. Each case must be considered on its own facts. In most cases, CICA needs to get information from third parties such as the police and medical authorities.

Some applications will by necessity take longer to decide. This could be where information is not available due to ongoing court proceedings, where CICA needs time to assess the long-term impact of complex injuries (e.g. brain injuries), or where there is an application for loss of earnings (which requires at least 28 weeks of loss).

In the financial year 2024-25, the average time to make a decision was 370 days*.

The following table** shows the number of applications awaiting a first decision for more than 12, 18 and 24 months as at 31 March 2025.

Months

Applications awaiting a first decision

12-18

6,711

18-24

4,877

24+

9,604

* This figure is based on cases that were decided in 2024-25. The applications may have been received in earlier years.

**The table does not include applications deferred under paragraph 98 of the 2012 Scheme.


Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 04 Nov 2025
Supporting High Streets

"Family businesses are crucial to our high streets, including mine in Inverurie, Ellon, Turriff and Huntly. Indeed, they are the backbone of our high streets, yet this Government’s national insurance contributions changes and Employment Rights Bill, and their slashing of business property relief, will have a huge impact on them …..."
Harriet Cross - View Speech

View all Harriet Cross (Con - Gordon and Buchan) contributions to the debate on: Supporting High Streets

Division Vote (Commons)
4 Nov 2025 - Supporting High Streets - View Vote Context
Harriet Cross (Con) voted Aye - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 96 Conservative Aye votes vs 0 Conservative No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 106 Noes - 321
Division Vote (Commons)
4 Nov 2025 - Welfare Spending - View Vote Context
Harriet Cross (Con) voted Aye - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 90 Conservative Aye votes vs 0 Conservative No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 92 Noes - 403
Division Vote (Commons)
29 Oct 2025 - Sentencing Bill - View Vote Context
Harriet Cross (Con) voted Aye - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 97 Conservative Aye votes vs 0 Conservative No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 170 Noes - 328
Division Vote (Commons)
29 Oct 2025 - European Convention on Human Rights (Withdrawal) - View Vote Context
Harriet Cross (Con) voted Aye - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 87 Conservative Aye votes vs 0 Conservative No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 96 Noes - 154
Division Vote (Commons)
29 Oct 2025 - Sentencing Bill - View Vote Context
Harriet Cross (Con) voted Aye - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 96 Conservative Aye votes vs 0 Conservative No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 182 Noes - 311