Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of applying an interest rate of RPI plus 3% to Plan 2 student loans for graduates earning over £50,270 on the disposable income of those graduates.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Plan 2 student loans were designed and implemented by previous governments. Students in England starting degrees under this government have different arrangements.
Plan 2 loans interest rates are applied at the Retail Price Index (RPI) only, then variable up to RPI +3% depending on earnings. Interest rates do not impact monthly repayments made by student loan borrowers, which stay at a constant rate of 9% above an earnings threshold to protect lower earners. If a borrower’s salary remains the same, their monthly repayments will also stay the same. Any outstanding loan and interest is written off at the end of the loan term, and debit is never passed on to family members or descendants.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 202 to Question 105434 on Retail Trade: Business Rates, what proportion of the 23% of ratepayers expected to see a reduction in business rates are from the retail sector.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Data on the change in the rateable value of non-domestic properties as a result of the 2026 revaluation, including for the retail sector, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-non-domestic-rates-collected-by-councils-in-england-forecast-2025-to-2026
Bills will be issued in due course by local councils.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the methodology used by the Valuation Office Agency to calculate recent rateable value increases for self-catering accommodation.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Self-catered accommodation is valued in the same way as any other class of non-domestic property; through applying the statutory and common law principles that apply across non-domestic rating.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what factors the Valuation Office Agency takes into consideration in (a) coastal and (b) tourism-dependent areas when setting rateable values for self-catering accommodation.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Self-catered accommodation is valued in the same way as any other class of non-domestic property; through applying the statutory and common law principles that apply across non-domestic rating.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made a recent assessment of the eligibility of tenants who purchase electricity via landlord-supplied prepayment card systems for support under the Warm Home Discount Scheme.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In 2025, the Government consulted on whether to expand the Park Homes Warm Home Discount Scheme to other households without a direct relationship with their energy supplier (including those pay their landlord for energy). Given the cost of the scheme falls on energy bills it was decided not to expand the scheme in this way. Households who are ineligible for a rebate payment may still be eligible for support through Warm Home Discount Industry Initiatives.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to review the UK Emissions Trading Scheme once the International Maritime Organisation rules come into force.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Addressing international emissions from shipping is critical and it is important action is taken globally through the International Maritime Organization (IMO). If the IMO Net-Zero Framework is introduced, the Government will review the scope of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to assess the effectiveness and fairness of the system for operators.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of implementing the recommendations in the APPG on Pharmacy’s report entitled The Future of Community Pharmacy in England, published in November 2025.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I am grateful to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pharmacy for its report. I agree that pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system and recognise the challenges the sector faces. The Department will consider the recommendations set out by the report, some of which overlap with commitments already set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, such as introducing an independent prescribing service in community pharmacy.
For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. As is custom and practice, the Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed or future changes to reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase funding for community pharmacies; and whether there are plans for a long-term, inflation-linked funding settlement for the sector.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I am grateful to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pharmacy for its report. I agree that pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system and recognise the challenges the sector faces. The Department will consider the recommendations set out by the report, some of which overlap with commitments already set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, such as introducing an independent prescribing service in community pharmacy.
For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. As is custom and practice, the Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed or future changes to reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much revenue his Department expects to raise annually from the inclusion of domestic maritime in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme; and what proportion of that revenue will be recycled into maritime decarbonisation projects.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government’s Impact Assessment estimates that bringing domestic maritime into the United Kingdom Emissions Trading Scheme will increase allowance purchasing revenue by around £1.9 billion over the 20year appraisal period, averaging approximately £95 million a year.
Receipts from the United Kingdom Emissions Trading Scheme support the Government’s wider priorities, including spending that helps deliver the transition to net zero.
The Government recognises that decarbonising the maritime sector requires a suite of policies, and continues to provide funding, guidance and policy support to facilitate the uptake of cleaner technologies across the sector.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
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 align UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) maritime rules with the EU ETS to help (a) prevent (i) carbon leakage and (ii) port avoidance and (b) maintain competitiveness.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has assessed the impacts of expansion of the Emissions Trading Scheme to domestic maritime. That Impact Assessment concluded that the policy is not expected to materially affect the competitiveness of ports or operators, and that applying the scheme consistently to domestic voyages and at berth emissions does not create a credible incentive for traffic diversion.
This is in part because many of the core maritime rules closely mirror those for the EU Emissions Trading System. This will reduce administrative burden for operators participating in both regimes, and it will also ensure no double charging between the two regimes.