Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
o ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will set out a timeline for the establishment of the UK-EU Youth Mobility Scheme.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK-EU youth experience scheme will give young people the opportunity to broaden their horizons through travel, experiencing other cultures and learning languages, as well as working and studying abroad. We are working to conclude negotiations on the youth experience scheme as quickly as possible. Precise timelines are subject to negotiation.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
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 domestic abuse on levels of youth homelessness; and what steps her Department is taking to improve housing support for young people experiencing domestic abuse.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This government is determined to safeguard young people affected by domestic abuse whether within their homes, families or their own relationships, preventing homelessness and supporting victims, as part of its ambitions to end homelessness and rough sleeping, and halve violence against women and girls in a decade.
As set out in our National Plan to End Homelessness we are developing a Domestic Abuse Homelessness Prevention Toolkit to help councils prevent homelessness and improve support for survivors of domestic abuse, including young people. We have recently published a new youth chapter in the Homelessness Code of Guidance, which is clear that housing authorities should consider whether a young person’s homelessness arises from domestic abuse. The new chapter can be found on gov.uk here. We are also developing a national youth homelessness prevention toolkit to support councils to deliver services that meet the needs of young people.
Where remaining at home is not a safe and suitable option, Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 requires Tier 1 local authorities in England to assess the need for, and commission, support for victims and their children in safe accommodation. We are providing £499 million from April 2026 to March 2029 to support councils to fulfil these duties. The statutory guidance, which can be found on gov.uk here, is clear that local authorities should consider the needs of all victims, including children and young people, when planning and commissioning support.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he plans to provide an update on the 10% commission charge on park home sales in the near future.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 33490 on 20 October 2026
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the impact of beer duty rates on (a) pubs, (b) brewers and (c) consumers in Rushcliffe.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
An assessment of the impacts of decisions taken by the Chancellor at the Budget is published within the relevant Tax Impact and Information Note (TIIN). The TIINs for the inflation-linked uprating to alcohol duty announced at Autumn Budget 2024 and 2025 are available here:
Alcohol Duty uprating - GOV.UK
Alcohol Duty uprating - GOV.UK
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the size and power of modern agricultural machinery on the appropriateness of the minimum age and weight thresholds for driving agricultural vehicles on public roads; and whether she plans to review those thresholds and their effect on employment and apprenticeship opportunities for young people in rural areas.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The size of agricultural vehicles in the UK is limited by a 2016 amendment to the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986. This allows for a maximum laden weight of 31 tonnes. This weight is the total laden weight for a tractor and trailer, with the weight of a loaded trailer limited to 18.29 tonnes. Standard vehicles may operate at a width of 2.5 metres and up to 40 miles per hour, while some more specialised wider vehicles must operate at slower speeds and must notify the local police force before undertaking any journey.
A person can hold a category F (agricultural tractors) licence from age 16 but is restricted to tractors and trailers up to 2.45 metres wide, with trailers limited to two wheels or four close-coupled wheels. These restrictions cease to apply from age 17, subject to the driver holding the appropriate entitlement.
There are currently no plans to review weight limits for agricultural vehicles or the minimum age requirements for driving agricultural vehicles on public roads. The government recognises that modern agricultural machinery has increased in size and complexity but feels the current regulatory framework limits the amount of damage done to British roads and supports road safety while also providing benefits to the UK economy. DVSA is considering whether the practical testing arrangements for driving tractors and other specialist vehicles remain appropriate.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he will take steps to ensure that compensation paid under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and War Pension Scheme does not affect veterans' entitlement to means-tested benefits.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
There are already significant protections to ensure that compensation paid under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and the War Pension Scheme does not adversely affect entitlement to means-tested benefits. Under Universal Credit, War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments are fully disregarded as income, while lump sums paid under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme are treated as capital, and disregarded for 12 months. If such compensation is held in a trust or used to purchase an annuity, both the capital and any income arising from those arrangements may then be disregarded indefinitely.
Housing Benefit regulations permit local authorities to disregard, in whole or part, any War Pensions and guaranteed income payments under the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme. In Pension Credit, the first £10 per week of any War Pension Scheme payment or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme award paid due to injury or disablement is disregarded.
The Government remains committed to the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant and to ensuring that those who have served are not disadvantaged due to their service.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
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 the potential impact of standing charges on single member households, particularly where standing charges make up a disproportionate share of the bill.
Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government knows that many people are concerned with the proportion of their bill that is made up of standing charges. This is why, at the Autumn Budget on 28 October, the Chancellor announced that the Government has asked Ofgem to abolish gas standing charges on domestic energy bills, aiming for delivery by the end of 2027 or as soon as possible after then.
Ofgem will ensure that energy suppliers recover these costs through gas unit rates instead and work with suppliers and consumer groups to maintain a stable, fair and competitive retail market.
This change will be implemented fairly, including through the Government setting out targeted mitigation.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support local authorities in wider adoption of accessibility rating systems.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This department has no plans relating to accessibility rating systems. The Building Regulations 2010 apply to new building work, or where existing buildings are undergoing a material alteration, extension or change of use. Part M of the Regulations requires that reasonable provision is made for people to gain access to and use a building and its facilities. Section 20 of the Equality Act 2010 requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. This means they must anticipate what adjustments could be needed by customers with different types of disability, support and access needs.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the security of GOV.UK's One Login system; and if she will introduce a statutory guarantee of free and equivalent non-digital alternatives.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
GOV.UK One Login’s delivery is tightly governed through departmental controls, HM Treasury oversight and independent assurance by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) as part of the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP). GOV.UK One Login is also independently assured and certified under the UK Digital Verification Services Trust Framework.
The programme follows the highest security standards for government and private sector services - including dedicated 24/7 eyes-on monitoring, incident response and appropriate security controls. It has a risk-based and multi-layered approach to security, with dedicated security experts and additional assurance provided through independent testing and National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) advice.
GOV.UK One Login is not mandatory to use. Users who do not wish to or cannot use One Login also have alternative routes to accessing the service, provided by the relevant government service.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when his Department expects to publish the next six-monthly report on Hong Kong, and whether it will set out the Government's assessment of the case of Joshua Wong.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The further charges brought against Joshua Wong have reinforced concerns about the increasingly broad application of national security legislation to stifle opposition and dissent in Hong Kong. We continue to call for the repeal of the National Security Law and an end to the prosecution of those charged under it, and Ministers continue to raise our concerns with the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities at every opportunity. The 59th Six-Monthly Report on Hong Kong, covering events from January - June 2026, was laid in Parliament by the Foreign Secretary on 22 October.