Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether small to medium-sized commercial work and fishing vessels could be incorporated in the RTFO framework, allowing carbon credits to be applied to each litre of fuel and reducing the cost per litre of HVO.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Last year the Government published the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, setting out the pathway to zero emissions by 2050. This will be delivered through five key policies, including fuel regulation and emissions trading. Alongside this we published a Call for Evidence on decarbonising smaller vessels, and we will publish a summary of responses to this later this year.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households who are no longer subject to the two-child benefit cap will still be subject to the overall benefit cap.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The requested information is published as part of the Universal Credit (removal of the two child limit) Bill. It is available in Table 7 of the Regulatory impact assessment template (2023 reforms)
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans the Department has to promote the National Year of Reading in a) early years settings, b) primary schools, c) secondary schools, d) further education and e) higher education.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Truro and Falmouth to the answer of 23 February to Question 112757.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will amend Gift Aid regulations to ensure refund rights required under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 do not invalidate eligibility.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC has updated its Gift Aid guidance (para 3.13.4) (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charities-detailed-guidance-notes/chapter-3-gift-aid) to confirm that charities’ eligibility for Gift Aid will not be affected by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. Refund rights for membership schemes and contracts acquired through the operation of consumer law will not make charities ineligible to claim Gift Aid.
The government will keep all related guidance and regulations under review.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a specific exemption and tailored regime for charities under the subscription provisions in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This government recognises the significant public value delivered by the UK’s charitable sector.
We have consulted on the implementation of the subscriptions regime in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. The consultation received over 70 responses, including 15 from charitable organisations. The government is reflecting on their responses and engaging closely with the sector to understand the impacts on both consumers and these bodies.
We will provide guidance to support implementation of regulations ahead of commencement.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to publish guidance to charities on the implementation of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This government recognises the significant public value delivered by the UK’s charitable sector.
We have consulted on the implementation of the subscriptions regime in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. The consultation received over 70 responses, including 15 from charitable organisations. The government is reflecting on their responses and engaging closely with the sector to understand the impacts on both consumers and these bodies.
We will provide guidance to support implementation of regulations ahead of commencement.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of using empty school classrooms for health services.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
As set out in our Education Estates Strategy, to support strategic planning at a local level, we will work with the sector to develop a decision-making framework for the use of mainstream school space through demographic change.
This will ensure that we are balancing the opportunities created by the current fall in birth rates, including delivery of priorities such as support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and Best Start Family Hubs, with a collective view on the long-term risks. This will be informed by new pathfinders to pilot flexible use of surplus spaces for join up with Best Start Family Hubs, housing, neighbourhood health service and youth centres and will build on the success of the school-based nursery programme, which is delivering thousands of nursery places to support children to get the best start in life.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to provide local authorities with standards to help support the construction of flood resilient social homes.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 81948 on 21 October 2025.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress the VMD has made with its roadmap to help address the presence of chemicals from pet flea and tick treatments in UK waterways.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) leads the cross‑government Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PiE) Group and is taking forward a programme of work to address the presence of chemicals from pet flea and tick treatments in UK waterways. In response to detections of fipronil and imidacloprid above toxicity thresholds for aquatic invertebrates, the VMD published a roadmap setting out planned actions.
Progress includes holding the first PiE stakeholder workshop in Summer 2025, commissioning research on pet owner behaviours and exposure modelling, and working with environment agencies to improve monitoring data consistency. The VMD is also undertaking an evidence‑based review of the legal distribution categories for products containing these substances and contributing to international work to consider updates to environmental risk assessment approaches.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will provide an estimate of the proportion of UK-funded aid to Gaza that has been held up at the Israeli border and prevented from entering Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic, and the UK is doing all we can to alleviate suffering. All allocations under our Humanitarian Programme are publicly available on Development Tracker. While much UK‑funded aid has entered Gaza, many urgently needed supplies remain stuck at the border due to Israeli restrictions. The UK will continue to press for the entry of all consignments of UK‑funded aid that have been delayed by restrictions and closed routes, so that assistance reaches those who need it most.