Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2024 to Question 12667 on African Swine Fever: Disease Control, whether his Department plans to continue to provide funding to Dover District Council beyond financial year 2024-25.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra, like all Government departments, is undergoing a zero-based review so this policy is being measured against all others. Any ongoing funding will be subject to approvals as part of the Spending Review.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) increase domestic recycling capacity for end-of-life vehicle tyres and (b) reduce reliance on exports.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government is committed to beginning the transition to a circular economy. The Secretary of State has asked his Department to work with experts from industry, academia, civil society, and the civil service to develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England and a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the Government will make on a sector-by-sector basis, supporting Government’s Missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower. We will consider the evidence for action right across the economy and evaluate what further interventions may be needed as we develop the Circular Economy Strategy.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help support the development of domestic (a) infrastructure and (b) technology for tyre recycling.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government is committed to beginning the transition to a circular economy. The Secretary of State has asked his Department to work with experts from industry, academia, civil society, and the civil service to develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England and a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the Government will make on a sector-by-sector basis, supporting Government’s Missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower. We will consider the evidence for action right across the economy and evaluate what further interventions may be needed as we develop the Circular Economy Strategy.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help support households in rural areas in Scotland that do not have a (a) mobile and (b) radio signal and cannot install a smart meter in advance of the closure of the radio teleswitch service in June 2025.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Where a household is one of the 0.7% of premises in Great Britain without Wide Area Network (WAN) coverage, energy suppliers can provide pre-configured smart meters, which operate like analogue meters, until a WAN connection can be established.

The Office for Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) has been clear that energy suppliers are obligated under their licence conditions to ensure that a suitable metering system is installed, and that the customer's heating and hot water is not disrupted.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help prepare households for the closure of the radio teleswitch service in June 2025.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) is an industry-led initiative, with the switch-off being overseen by the energy industry, Energy UK and Ofgem. I recently met with Ofgem and Energy UK to discuss plans for the switch-off. I will continue to meet them regularly to track progress.

Ofgem and Industry have convened a Taskforce involving energy suppliers, network operators, consumers groups and the Government, to coordinate activities to rapidly increase the pace of RTS replacements. A new campaign has launched highlighting the need for RTS customers to book a meter replacement as soon as their energy supplier contacts them.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to provide funding to households that cannot afford to replace their total heating total control heating system when it stops working following the closure of the radio teleswitch service in June 2025.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department is aware of the complexity of a Total Heating Total Control (THTC) metering system and the tariff requirements of customers with such a system installed. Energy suppliers are best placed to advise on suitable replacement systems and tariffs for their customers, and Ofgem has been clear that suppliers must take all reasonable steps to ensure former RTS consumers stay on a closely equivalent tariff.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2024 to Question 12669 on Animal Products: Smuggling, if he will make an assessment of the likelihood of (a) banned and (b) African swine fever infected meat entering the UK via commercial channels without being intercepted at Sevington.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Meat imported commercially via Border Control Posts is subject to local authority-led official controls to ensure that it complies with UK import conditions. The Home Office’s Border Force has lead responsibility for identifying and seizing meat imported illegally other than via Border Control Posts.

Defra monitors animal disease outbreaks worldwide and assesses the risk that they might enter the United Kingdom (UK) through legal or illegal trade in animal products. Its team of veterinary and risk experts provide rapid outbreak assessments to inform import decisions and enforcement action and undertake full qualitative risk assessments in certain cases. These assessments are published on gov.uk at www.gov.uk/government/collections/animal-diseases-international-monitoring. The African swine fever (ASF) assessments consider the likelihood of banned and ASF-infected meat entering the UK without interception and are used to review and strengthen, where necessary, measures to prevent the disease reaching the UK.

To further mitigate the risks, it is illegal in the UK to feed catering or domestic food waste to livestock, including pigs.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what data her Department holds on the number of furnished holiday let properties registered for tax purposes in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK as of January 2025.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC does not hold data on the number of furnished holiday let properties registered for tax purposes. Landlords are not required to register individual properties, or to declare the number of properties that they let.

Furnished holiday lettings currently have access to several tax reliefs that non-FHL property businesses do not, such as Business Asset Disposal relief. They also currently receive more generous treatment on finance cost expenses, as they are not subject to the finance cost restriction, and are able to claim capital allowances. However, they also have restrictions on losses which can only be used against profits from the same FHL business and not other property profits, which in some cases will mean they pay more tax as a result of the regime.

The most recent estimate on the overall amount of tax relieved as a result of the regime in 2023-24 was calculated at Autumn Budget 2024, and estimated the total tax relief in that year to be £165m, rounded to the nearest £5m.

This figure is for the whole of the UK. It is not possible to identify FHL properties located in Scotland separately to the rest of the UK.

This estimate was based on tax returns for 2022-23, and takes into account the various impacts of the regime mentioned above.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what sectoral impact assessments her Department has conducted on changes to Business Property Relief since the Autumn Budget 2024; and whether she has made an estimate of the number of businesses at risk of closure following the introduction of those changes.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the Honourable Member to the answers provided in response to her previous questions on this topic: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-11-25/15987/ and https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-11-25/15989/.

The Chancellor also recently wrote to the Chair of the Treasury Select Committee about the reforms to Agricultural and Business Property Relief, which may be of interest: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/45691/documents/226235/default/.

In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will publish an updated impact assessment of changes to Business Property Relief; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those changes on family-owned businesses in (a) Scotland and (b) the United Kingdom.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the Honourable Member to the answers provided in response to her previous questions on this topic: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-11-25/15987/ and https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-11-25/15989/.

The Chancellor also recently wrote to the Chair of the Treasury Select Committee about the reforms to Agricultural and Business Property Relief, which may be of interest: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/45691/documents/226235/default/.

In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information her Department holds on the total value of tax relief claimed under the furnished holiday let tax regime in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK in the 2023-24 financial year.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC does not hold data on the number of furnished holiday let properties registered for tax purposes. Landlords are not required to register individual properties, or to declare the number of properties that they let.

Furnished holiday lettings currently have access to several tax reliefs that non-FHL property businesses do not, such as Business Asset Disposal relief. They also currently receive more generous treatment on finance cost expenses, as they are not subject to the finance cost restriction, and are able to claim capital allowances. However, they also have restrictions on losses which can only be used against profits from the same FHL business and not other property profits, which in some cases will mean they pay more tax as a result of the regime.

The most recent estimate on the overall amount of tax relieved as a result of the regime in 2023-24 was calculated at Autumn Budget 2024, and estimated the total tax relief in that year to be £165m, rounded to the nearest £5m.

This figure is for the whole of the UK. It is not possible to identify FHL properties located in Scotland separately to the rest of the UK.

This estimate was based on tax returns for 2022-23, and takes into account the various impacts of the regime mentioned above.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of planned changes to the furnished holiday let tax regime on tourism accommodation capacity in (a) rural Scotland and (b) the UK.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government will abolish the Furnished Holiday Lettings (FHLs) tax regime from April 2025. This will equalise the tax treatment of FHL and non-FHL landlords’ income and gains.

The Government wants to support visitor accommodation alongside housing for longer-term residents to rent or buy. Achieving this balance is crucial in supporting the tourism sector and many of the people that work in the sector, who need access to local housing.

Draft legislation to abolish the FHL tax regime was published on 29 July 2024, providing businesses and other parties across the UK - including Scottish stakeholders - an opportunity to share their views on the changes with the Government.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with (a) VisitScotland, (b) the Scottish Tourism Alliance and (c) other tourism sector representatives on the planned changes to the furnished holiday let tax regime.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government will abolish the Furnished Holiday Lettings (FHLs) tax regime from April 2025. This will equalise the tax treatment of FHL and non-FHL landlords’ income and gains.

The Government wants to support visitor accommodation alongside housing for longer-term residents to rent or buy. Achieving this balance is crucial in supporting the tourism sector and many of the people that work in the sector, who need access to local housing.

Draft legislation to abolish the FHL tax regime was published on 29 July 2024, providing businesses and other parties across the UK - including Scottish stakeholders - an opportunity to share their views on the changes with the Government.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had discussions with (a) the Scottish Government and (b) local authorities in Scotland on the abolition of the Furnished Holiday Let tax regime.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government will abolish the Furnished Holiday Lettings (FHLs) tax regime from April 2025. This will equalise the tax treatment of FHL and non-FHL landlords’ income and gains.

The Government wants to support visitor accommodation alongside housing for longer-term residents to rent or buy. Achieving this balance is crucial in supporting the tourism sector and many of the people that work in the sector, who need access to local housing.

Draft legislation to abolish the FHL tax regime was published on 29 July 2024, providing businesses and other parties across the UK - including Scottish stakeholders - an opportunity to share their views on the changes with the Government.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the Furnished Holiday Let tax regime on rural tourism businesses.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government will abolish the Furnished Holiday Lettings (FHLs) tax regime from April 2025. This will equalise the tax treatment of FHL and non-FHL landlords’ income and gains.

The Government wants to support visitor accommodation alongside housing for longer-term residents to rent or buy. Achieving this balance is crucial in supporting the tourism sector and many of the people that work in the sector, who need access to local housing.

Draft legislation to abolish the FHL tax regime was published on 29 July 2024, providing businesses and other parties across the UK - including Scottish stakeholders - an opportunity to share their views on the changes with the Government.

Found: Members in attendance: • Maureen Burke MP • Harriet Cross MP1 • Patricia Ferguson MP (Chair) • Lillian

Found: Q8 Harriet Cross: Good morning, Scott.

Found: Q8 Harriet Cross: Good morning, Scott.

Found: Q8 Harriet Cross: Good morning, Scott.

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Submit Evidence (by 27 Mar 2025)

The Committee’s work on industrial transition in Scotland has two parts. The first part of the inquiry considers Scotland’s industrial past, how its industrial landscape has changed over time, and the socio-economic impact of industrial transition on communities. The second part examines the future of Scotland’s industrial landscape and the extent to which the UK Government’s forthcoming industrial strategy ‘Invest 2035’ is geared towards the challenges and opportunities facing Scotland today.