Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the consultation entitled Amendments to secondary legislation on the police removal, storage and disposal of vehicles, closed on 8 July 2025, if her Department will make and assessment of the potential merits of (a) donating seized vehicles, motorbikes and e-bikes to charity and (b) using them for the delivery of public services.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office has no plans to regulate the method of disposal following vehicle seizure. Decisions on the best method of vehicle disposal is an operational matter for Chief Officers of local forces to decide based on the specific circumstances and how they can recoup the vehicle recovery costs as set out in the statutory fees.

We will support the police and recovery operators to ensure they have the necessary tools to deal with vehicle recovery.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that veterans with recognised service-related conditions are able to access specialist-prescribed private treatments under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) may cover medical expenses for seriously injured veterans living abroad after discharge, provided the treatment aligns with UK best clinical practice at the time of decision. This is a specific exception and the AFCS does not generally fund private medical care.

For UK-based Serving personnel and veterans whose injuries or illnesses are service-related, the NHS is the official and recommended healthcare provider, delivering specialised, high-quality care tailored to their needs.

In its 7th Report, the Independent Medical Expert Group reaffirmed support for this model, advocating continued reliance on the NHS rather than establishing a separate, parallel system and we continue to work closely with our partners in the NHS.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme provides reimbursement for clinically prescribed private (a) healthcare and (b) medication in cases where NHS treatment pathways are (i) unavailable and (ii) ineffective.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) may cover medical expenses for seriously injured veterans living abroad after discharge, provided the treatment aligns with UK best clinical practice at the time of decision. This is a specific exception and the AFCS does not generally fund private medical care.

For UK-based Serving personnel and veterans whose injuries or illnesses are service-related, the NHS is the official and recommended healthcare provider, delivering specialised, high-quality care tailored to their needs.

In its 7th Report, the Independent Medical Expert Group reaffirmed support for this model, advocating continued reliance on the NHS rather than establishing a separate, parallel system and we continue to work closely with our partners in the NHS.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to introduce a new valuation method for the business rates of grassroots music venues.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Please see the response to UIN 22711 here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-01-08/22711

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the reduction in business rate relief on grassroots music venues with a rateable value of over £500,000.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government will introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values (RVs) below £500,000, including grassroots music venues, from 2026-27. This permanent tax cut will ensure they benefit from much-needed certainty and support.

The Government is sustainably funding this by introducing a higher multiplier on properties with RVs of £500,000 and above. When the new multipliers are set, HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.

The Government has met with a wide range of stakeholders on business rates reform. The Transforming Business Rates: Interim Report, published on 11 September, brings together extensive feedback from a broad range of stakeholders and outlines the Government’s next steps to deliver a fairer business rates system that supports investment and is fit for the 21st century.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she had held discussions with grassroots music venues on business rates reform.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government will introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values (RVs) below £500,000, including grassroots music venues, from 2026-27. This permanent tax cut will ensure they benefit from much-needed certainty and support.

The Government is sustainably funding this by introducing a higher multiplier on properties with RVs of £500,000 and above. When the new multipliers are set, HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.

The Government has met with a wide range of stakeholders on business rates reform. The Transforming Business Rates: Interim Report, published on 11 September, brings together extensive feedback from a broad range of stakeholders and outlines the Government’s next steps to deliver a fairer business rates system that supports investment and is fit for the 21st century.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to introduce a new valuation method for the business rates of grassroots music venues above the £500,000 rateable venue that (a) have restricted opening hours and (b) cannot make commercial use of their whole space.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Please see the response to UIN 22711 here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-01-08/22711

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made a comparative assessment of measures taken to prevent or restrict third-party resellers of Electronic Travel Authorisations in (a) the UK and (b) other countries.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

We would always recommend that applications for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) be made via the official ETA app, and have consistently advised against the use of third party websites that offer ETAs. The overwhelming majority of applications are made via the app or the official web portal.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 65111 on Tickets: Sales Methods, when her Department plans to publish its response to the consultation entitled Putting Fans First: consultation on the resale of live events tickets, published on 10 January 2025; and for what reason the response has been delayed.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

This Government is committed to introducing new protections for consumers on ticket resales, which is why we launched the Putting Fans First consultation on the resale of live events tickets.

We are considering the evidence provided in response to our consultation earlier this year and will set out our plans soon.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to improve access to Padcev for (a) patients who have undergone chemotherapy and (b) all patients.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service in England on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded for eligible patients based on an assessment of the evidence of clinical and cost effectiveness.

NICE issued guidance that recommends enfortumab vedotin (Padcev) with pembrolizumab (Keytruda), within its marketing authorisation, as an option for untreated unresectable or metastatic urothelial cancer in adults when platinum-based chemotherapy is suitable. It is now available for NHS patients in line with NICE’s recommendations. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta1097/chapter/1-Recommendation

NICE was unable to make recommendations on the use of Padcev in the treatment of people who have previously undergone chemotherapy as the manufacturing company, Astellas, did not provide an evidence submission. Astellas has confirmed that there is unlikely to be enough evidence that the technology is a cost-effective use of NHS resources in this population. NICE will review the position if the company decides that it wants to make an evidence submission.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Bob Blackman (Chair); Jess Brown-Fuller; Jonathan Davies; Mary Glindon