Kim Leadbeater Portrait

Kim Leadbeater

Labour - Batley and Spen

First elected: 1st July 2021

Opposition Whip (Commons)

(since September 2023)

Electronic Trade Documents Bill [HL]
14th Jun 2023 - 19th Jun 2023
Online Safety (Re-committed Clauses and Schedules) Bill
7th Dec 2022 - 15th Dec 2022
Online Safety Bill
18th May 2022 - 28th Jun 2022
Professional Qualifications Bill [HL]
12th Jan 2022 - 18th Jan 2022


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Kim Leadbeater has voted in 606 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Kim Leadbeater Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Chris Philp (Conservative)
Minister of State (Home Office)
(41 debate interactions)
Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party)
Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
(23 debate interactions)
Alex Davies-Jones (Labour)
Shadow Minister (Tech and Digital Economy)
(15 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Home Office
(20 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Online Safety Act 2023
(22,653 words contributed)
Victims and Prisoners Bill 2022-23
(1,063 words contributed)
Illegal Migration Act 2023
(632 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Kim Leadbeater's debates

Batley and Spen Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petition Debates Contributed

We want the UK to be neutral in the conflict between Israel and Palestine, and withdraw offers of support for Israel.

We want the Government to seek a ceasefire and also seek to address the root cause of the current conflict by promoting dialogue and advocating for the end of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The UK Government should urge the Israeli Government to stop the blockade of Food, Fuel and Electricity to the already impoverished city of Gaza

The Government should create an emergency fund to deal with the massive waiting lists for autism & ADHD assessments for children AND adults. This would provide resources for local health services deal with current waiting lists and new patients.

The Government should commission a review of how Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) assessments are managed by the NHS, including through Shared Care Agreements, and increase funding to reduce waiting times.

As a teacher in 2018 I started a bed poverty charity, since then schools have referred 1400 children without beds. Bed poverty is affecting educational outcomes for children across the UK

A national sleep strategy must resource local authorities to identify, address and ultimately end bed poverty


Latest EDMs signed by Kim Leadbeater

Kim Leadbeater has not signed any Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Kim Leadbeater, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Kim Leadbeater has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Kim Leadbeater has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

Kim Leadbeater has not introduced any legislation before Parliament


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
5 Other Department Questions
22nd Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what process her Department will use to distribute the £100 million for the charity and voluntary sector announced in the Spring Budget 2023.

As announced in the recent Spring Budget, the government will provide over £100 million of support for charities and community organisations in England. This will be targeted towards those organisations most at risk, due to increased demand from vulnerable groups and higher delivery costs, as well as providing investment in energy efficiency.

Work is underway to finalise the delivery time frame and eligibility criteria. Further details will be announced as soon as possible.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
2nd Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the (a) impact of the changes to charity lottery limits implemented in 2020 on the financial stability of charities and (b) implications for her policies of that impact.

Society lotteries are an important fundraising tool for many charities and other good causes throughout the country. They are regulated as a gambling product, and require a licence from the Gambling Commission in order to operate. We recognise their benefits as part of a mixed portfolio of funding, as they are able to provide a source of regular and unrestricted income.

Under the current regulatory framework, a charity holding a single operator licence is able to sell up to £50 million of tickets per year, which can provide for a healthy supplement to other sources of income.

We reviewed the impact of the society lottery sales and prize limit increases, 12 months after they were implemented in July 2020. We continue to keep this under review with the Gambling Commission.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
22nd Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department will review the potential merits of raising charity lottery limits.

I greatly appreciate the importance of society lotteries as a fundraising tool for charities and other organisations. Society lotteries are a vital source of funds for these organisations, raising around £400 million a year.

In 2020, we legislated to raise the annual sales limit for large society lotteries from £10 million to £50 million. Each charity with a society lottery licence is therefore able to sell up to £50 million of tickets per year. Most society lottery operators have sales well within this annual limit, meaning there is plenty of scope for them to continue to grow. After taking account of any prizes and administrative costs, charities and other good causes are able to retain a large percentage of this revenue, currently averaging 46% of total sales.

We reviewed the society lottery sales and prize limit increases 12 months after they were implemented, concluding that it was too soon to reach any firm view on the impact of these changes. The results of this review were published in March 2022, and found that no individually licensed society lottery has sales close to the £50 million limit, with only one umbrella operator benefitting from a further annual increase. We keep this under review with the Gambling Commission.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
22nd Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will take steps to protect charity income limits from charity lotteries.

I greatly appreciate the importance of society lotteries as a fundraising tool for charities and other organisations. Society lotteries are a vital source of funds for these organisations, raising around £400 million a year.

In 2020, we legislated to raise the annual sales limit for large society lotteries from £10 million to £50 million. Each charity with a society lottery licence is therefore able to sell up to £50 million of tickets per year. Most society lottery operators have sales well within this annual limit, meaning there is plenty of scope for them to continue to grow. After taking account of any prizes and administrative costs, charities and other good causes are able to retain a large percentage of this revenue, currently averaging 46% of total sales.

We reviewed the society lottery sales and prize limit increases 12 months after they were implemented, concluding that it was too soon to reach any firm view on the impact of these changes. The results of this review were published in March 2022, and found that no individually licensed society lottery has sales close to the £50 million limit, with only one umbrella operator benefitting from a further annual increase. We keep this under review with the Gambling Commission.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
22nd Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) charities, (b) homelessness charities and (c) children's charities that experience funding limits due to charity lottery annual sales limits.

I greatly appreciate the importance of society lotteries as a fundraising tool for charities and other organisations. Society lotteries are a vital source of funds for these organisations, raising around £400 million a year.

In 2020, we legislated to raise the annual sales limit for large society lotteries from £10 million to £50 million. Each charity with a society lottery licence is therefore able to sell up to £50 million of tickets per year. Most society lottery operators have sales well within this annual limit, meaning there is plenty of scope for them to continue to grow. After taking account of any prizes and administrative costs, charities and other good causes are able to retain a large percentage of this revenue, currently averaging 46% of total sales.

We reviewed the society lottery sales and prize limit increases 12 months after they were implemented, concluding that it was too soon to reach any firm view on the impact of these changes. The results of this review were published in March 2022, and found that no individually licensed society lottery has sales close to the £50 million limit, with only one umbrella operator benefitting from a further annual increase. We keep this under review with the Gambling Commission.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
19th Oct 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he is taking steps to ensure that civil servants who retired before the cost of living payment was made can receive the payment.

In June 2023, the Cabinet Office published an addendum to the 2023/24 Pay Remit Guidance, allowing organisations in scope flexibility to make a one-off payment worth up to £1,500 for all eligible staff up to and including Grade 6. The criteria for this payment is that individuals must have been in post on 31 March 2023 and still in post at the point a department makes the payment during the 2023/24 pay year. There are no plans to adjust the criteria.

21st Apr 2022
To ask the Prime Minister, whether he had discussions with prime minister Modi during his visit to India on the issue of (a) Islamophobia and (b) discrimination and violence against Muslims in that country.

The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all and promoting respect and tolerance across different religious and non-religious groups. We condemn any instances of discrimination because of religion or belief, regardless of the country or faith involved. We engage with India on a range of human rights matters and where we have concerns, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at Ministerial level. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, also regularly speaks to the High Commissioner of India, and human rights including freedom of religion or belief forms part of that dialogue.

The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions will continue to follow reports of violence closely, while recognising that these are matters for India. Our network of High Commissions across India regularly meet religious representatives and have run projects supporting minority rights. Over the last three years, they have worked with local NGOs to bring together young people of diverse faith backgrounds to work together on social action projects in their local communities and promote a culture of inter faith tolerance. For the second year, we are supporting a UK-India Interfaith Leadership Programme for a cohort of emerging Indian leaders of diverse faith backgrounds, including Muslims, creating an opportunity to exchange UK-India experiences on leading modern, inclusive communities.

22nd Jul 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to communicate with covid-bereaved families the timescales for the covid-19 public inquiry.

On 12 May, the Prime Minister confirmed the public inquiry into COVID-19 will begin in Spring 2022. The Government understands that to ensure we learn lessons from the pandemic, it is imperative that we engage and consult with bereaved families and others, before the terms of reference are finalised. Throughout the pandemic senior ministers, including the Prime Minister, have met and will continue to meet with bereaved families.

I want to thank the Bereaved Families for Justice group for all their efforts in representing bereaved families throughout the pandemic. Every death from this virus is a tragedy and our deepest sympathies are with everyone who has lost loved ones. The Government remains steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that these families have the scrutiny of the Government’s response to managing the pandemic that they deserve.

Penny Mordaunt
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
12th Dec 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has (a) made an assessment of the implications for her policies of (i) trends in the level of fee increases and (ii) other business practices of holiday parks and (b) had recent discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority on those issues.

Caravan park owners and operators are subject to consumer protection legislation. They are also subject to planning and site licensing rules overseen by local authorities.

We believe the existing consumer protection legislation provides the tools necessary for tackling rogue practices in this sector. However, we have announced our intention to strengthen consumer enforcement and have brought forward additional measures as part of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill.

The department has not discussed these issues with the Competition and Markets Authority recently.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
13th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of keeping the UK on British Summer Time.

The Government believes the current daylight-saving arrangements represent the optimal use of the available daylight across the UK.

While there is the potential for some benefits from a change in the current arrangements, there is also a real risk of negative impacts. A change to permanent summertime or double summertime may also have significant impacts on certain sectors and businesses.

Given the potential scale of impacts involved, an exceptionally wide-ranging cost benefit analysis would need to be performed to inform a decision on changing the current system.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
13th Dec 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) efficiency and (b) effectiveness of the (i) Energy Ombudsman and (ii) Ombudsman's complaint resolution processes; and what steps she is taking to help ensure consumers writing to the ombudsman receive comprehensive and helpful feedback and advice.

Ofgem is responsible for certifying Alternative Dispute Resolution entities and appointing the Energy Ombudsman (EO). The EO is important for ensuring good consumer outcomes and trust by investigating disputes between suppliers and consumers.

Every two years Ofgem assesses the performance of the EO to ensure they still meet the approval criteria. The latest completed assessment, covering 2019-2021 is available on Ofgem’s website.

Ministers meet regularly with the EO to understand trends in consumer complaints and ensure a high-quality service.

Amanda Solloway
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
4th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that temperamental smart meters are not given as reasons by energy providers to prevent customers from switching suppliers.

The energy supplier switching process will work as intended whether smart meters are operating in smart mode or not at the time of the switch request.

When consumers do request to switch they are protected through Ofgem’s Guaranteed Standards. Ofgem are responsible for regulating energy suppliers against these obligations in this area.

Amanda Solloway
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
20th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support people who are unable to access the Warm Home Discount as they do not have an electricity bill in their name.

Under the Warm Home Discount scheme, the majority of eligible households are identified through data matching and are provided the rebate on their energy bill automatically. Therefore, only the named bill payer can receive a rebate.

Energy suppliers can also provide additional support to households through the Industry Initiatives element of the scheme, through measures such as financial assistance, debt write-off, and energy efficiency. This support can be provided to households, irrespective of whether a person is named on the electricity bill.

The Government has also provided extensive help through the Energy Price Guarantee, the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme and further cost of living payments to low-income and vulnerable households.

Amanda Solloway
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
2nd Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2023 to Question 135388 on Energy Bill Relief Scheme: Leisure and Swimming Pools, which Office for National Statistics data were used to assess whether swimming pools are trade intensive; and what estimate he has made of (i) the energy intensity of swimming pools and (ii) the percentile figure for (A) energy intensity and (B) trade intensity for (1) swimming pools and (2) leisure centres as part of the Government's trade and energy intensity assessment.

The organisations eligible for the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries scheme are those operating within sectors that fall above the 80th percentile for energy intensity and 60th percentile for trade intensity, as per ONS trade data, and those within sectors eligible for the existing Energy Intensive Industries compensation schemes. Both of those thresholds must be met to warrant inclusion, meaning that some energy intensive sectors, which are not significantly trade intensive like swimming pools and leisure centre, will not be eligible for support. The definition used for trade intensity is the international trade in goods in relation to the sector’s turnover percentile of the criteria set for the enhanced support for Energy and Trade Intensive Industries.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
30th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2023 to Question 121110 on Energy Bill Relief Scheme: Leisure and Swimming Pools, in what percentile is the (a) swimming pools and (b) leisure centre sector's trade and energy intensity assessment for (i) energy and (ii) trade intensity.

While swimming pools consume large amounts of energy, they are not trade intensive based on the best available ONS data.

The firms eligible for the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries scheme are those operating within sectors that fall above the 80th percentile for energy intensity and 60th percentile for trade intensity, and those within sectors eligible for the existing Energy Intensive Industries schemes.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
25th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has held recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the inclusion of (a) swimming pools and (b) leisure centres in the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries scheme.

The Government has taken a consistent approach to identifying the most energy and trade intensive sectors, with all sectors that meet agreed thresholds for energy and trade intensity eligible for Energy and Trade Intensive Industries support. These thresholds have been set at sectors falling above the 80th percentile for energy intensity, and 60th percentile for trade intensity, plus any sectors eligible for the existing energy compensation and exemption schemes. BEIS has worked closely with key Whitehall Departments, including DCMS, and will engage with them in the design and implementation of the scheme.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
25th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the impact of increases in the cost of energy on hospices.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) provides discount on the wholesale element of gas and electricity bills to ensure that all eligible businesses, including hospices, who receive their energy from licensed suppliers, are protected from high energy costs over the winter period. The Government recognises that organisations such as hospices may continue to experience high energy bills which is why the Government will continue to provide support to eligible non-domestic customers including hospices through the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme which will run from April until March 2024. The Government has also made up to £14.1 billion available for health and social care over the next two years.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
25th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of replacing the Energy Bill Relief Scheme with the Energy Bill Discount Scheme on the hospice sector.

The new Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) will run from April until March 2024 and continue to provide a discount to eligible non-domestic customers including hospices. An HMT-led review into the operation of the current Energy Bill Relief Schemes was conducted with the objective of significantly reducing the overall burden on the taxpayer and public finances, and ensuring support is targeted at those most in need and unable to adjust to recent energy price rises. The review considered a range of qualitative and quantitative evidence, including input from businesses and stakeholders. The new scheme strikes a balance between supporting non-domestic customers and limiting taxpayer’s exposure to volatile energy markets, with a cap set at £5.5 billion.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
25th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to support hospices with their energy bills after March 2023.

The new Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) will run from April until March 2024 and continue to provide a discount on energy bills to eligible non-domestic customers including hospices.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
17th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2023 to Question 121110 on Energy Bill Relief Scheme: Leisure and Swimming Pools, for what reason libraries and museums were included in the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries.

The Government has taken a consistent approach to identifying the most energy and trade intensive sectors, with all sectors that meet agreed thresholds for energy and trade intensity eligible for ETII support. These thresholds have been set at sectors falling above the 80th percentile for energy intensity and 60th percentile for trade intensity, plus any sectors eligible for the existing energy compensation and exemption schemes. These thresholds were set to balance the UK's goals of delivering targeted support at lower overall cost, while capturing a broad enough share of affected companies.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
11th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reason (a) sports and leisure centres and (b) swimming pools were not included in the list of sectors eligible for the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries scheme.

The Government recognises that some businesses are particularly exposed to energy cost increases and are less able to pass these costs through to their customers. The Government has there therefore decided to provide a more generous level of support to certain businesses for a further year starting from April 2023. The firms eligible for the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries scheme are those operating within sectors that fall above the 80th percentile for energy intensity and 60th percentile for trade intensity, and those within sectors eligible for the existing Energy Intensive Industries schemes. These sectors have been published on GOV.UK.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
13th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the laundry business sector regarding the increases in cost of living and potential Government support for that sector; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the stability of that sector and the ancillary support it provides to hospitals.

We have not engaged directly with representatives from the laundry sector but continue to work with a range of business sectors including organisations representing small businesses facing increasing costs driven by global factors, including high energy and cost of living pressures.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme ensures that businesses are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period. My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer recently announced in his Autumn Statement that there will be an extended and increased business rates relief for retail and hospitality businesses worth almost £13.6 billion. This is the most generous in year business rates relief in over 30 years, outside of Covid-19 support.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
2nd Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many SMEs in Batley and Spen constituency have received Government funding for support in 2022.

The Government recognises the impact rising prices are having on businesses.

Businesses in Batley and Spen will have benefitted from the Government’s reversal of the National Insurance rise, saving SMEs approximately £4,200 on average, cut to fuel duty for 12 months, raising the Employment Allowance to £5,000 and the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, to protect SMEs from high energy costs over the winter. In addition, at the Autumn Statement, my Rt Hon Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced £13.6 billion of support for businesses over the next five years, reducing the burden of business rates for SMEs.

Support is also available to SMEs across the UK through the Start Up loan scheme which has provided 148 SMEs in Batley and Spen loans to the value of £1,477,438 as of October 2022.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
30th Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many homes in Batley and Spen constituency had loft insulation installed as of 31 October 2022.

BEIS estimates that under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Green Homes Grant (GHG) Government schemes, there have been around 800 loft insulation measures installed in Batley and Spen constituency. Data for ECO covers January 2013 to September 2022. Data for the GHG schemes cover October 2020 to September 2022.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
30th Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many homes in Batley and Spen constituency had solar power panels installed as of 31 October 2022.

At the end of October 2022, there were 1,606 domestic installations of solar panels recorded in Batley and Spen constituency.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
25th Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to work with the energy industry to develop social tariffs to reduce energy bills for households with high energy usage resulting from disability.

The Government is supporting households through a series of measures; including, the Energy Price Guarantee, saving typical households £900 this winter and the £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme payments.

A Treasury-led review will be launched to consider how to support households and with energy bills after April 2023. It is the Government’s intention that support will be better focused on the most vulnerable households and those least able to pay.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has completed his annual statutory review of pensions and benefits. Rates will, subject to Parliamentary approval, increase by 10.1% from April 2023.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
10th Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of trends in the cost of wholesale energy on the level paid by the Solar Export Guarantee.

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a cost-reflective and market led mechanism and it is for suppliers to determine the value of the exported electricity and to take account of the administrative costs associated when setting their tariffs. The SEG contract that a supplier has with a householder is at a set price which is not directly linked to the wholesale market. We are currently reviewing Ofgem’s recently published annual SEG report to ensure that small-scale generators continue to have an effective route to market.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
5th Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent estimate he has made of the potential increase to the solar feed-in tariff rates in relation to the increased price of wholesale energy.

Feed-in tariff (FIT) rates are adjusted annually, in line with the Retail Prices Index (RPI). Further information regarding the FIT rates for solar can be found on Ofgem’s website: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-and-social-schemes/feed-tariffs-fit/tariffs-and-payments.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
18th Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to provide support to residents of housing associations who are impacted by the rises in commercial prices of the gas that housing associations procure.

On 29 July, the Government confirmed that funding will be available to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for the 1% of households who will not be reached through the Energy Bills Support Scheme, including residents of housing associations who do not have a domestic electricity meter or a direct relationship with an energy supplier. An announcement with details on how and when these households across Great Britain can access this support will be made in the Autumn.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
16th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what (a) recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of UK consumer protections and (b) steps he will take to protect consumers from unscrupulous companies through public reviews and complaints.

The Government consulted in July 2021 on a number of proposals concerning consumer protection law. The Government’s response was published recently, and set out our approach to ensuring consumers are supported with a robust set of rights. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/reforming-competition-and-consumer-policy/outcome/reforming-competition-and-consumer-policy-government-response.

In particular, the Government will consult in due course on adding fake reviews to the list of banned practices – giving greater clarity to business on the current law and, where fake reviews are posted, allowing enforcers to take effective action quickly.

8th Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the price that households with solar panels receive for selling energy onto the grid is linked to market cost.

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a market-led mechanism, to help level the playing field for small-scale low-carbon generators such as householders with solar panels. It provides a route to market for any excess energy exported to the grid following closure of the Feed-in Tariffs scheme.

To enable the SEG to be market based and encourage innovation, one of the key features is to allow suppliers to set both the tariff levels and structure. The contracts that suppliers have with householders are at a set price which is not directly linked to the wholesale market cost.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
24th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reason (a) travel agencies (b) hairdressers and personal care providers and (c) gyms are not included in the list of eligible businesses set out in Annex A of the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant Guidance document issued on 21 January 2022.

The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant (OHLG) scheme supports businesses that offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in a fixed rate-paying premises, in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors. The funding supports sectors where social mixing is a primary motivation for consumers.

An indicative list of the types of businesses that can be supported under this scheme can be found at annex A of the scheme guidance. It is for Local Authorities to determine those cases where eligibility is unclear.

Local Authorities are encouraged to focus Additional Restrictions Grants (ARG) support on businesses who have been severely impacted by reduced business activity due to the spread of the Omicron variant. The guidance does not mandate specific evidence to determine if a business has been severely impacted by Omicron. It is for Local Authorities to issue grants at their discretion, based on local decision making.

The guidance for both OHLG and ARG schemes can be found here.

24th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the Government's tidal power strategy is to complement the UK's energy mix; and if he will make a statement.

The Government announced in November 2021 that the fourth Contracts for Difference allocation round will feature a £20million annual ringfenced budget for tidal stream energy. This builds on a long and continuing history of government support for the tidal power sector, and opens up possibilities for Britain’s marine energy sector to play a key role in strengthening energy security and reducing the country’s dependency on fossil fuels.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
15th Jul 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he plans to take to (a) protect and (b) support pub and hospitality businesses as part of the recovery from covid-19 lockdowns.

The Department regularly meets with representatives from across the Hospitality sector to discuss how it can recover and build back from the pandemic.

We have provided an unprecedented support package of £352 billion, including grants, loans, business rates relief, VAT cuts and the job retention scheme, which hospitality businesses have access to.

We have published a new Hospitality Strategy: Reopening, Recovery, Resilience to ensure England’s pubs, bars, restaurants and other hospitality venues can thrive long-term.

19th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the forthcoming National Vision for Facilities report will include a strategy for the long-term funding of community swimming pools.

Our new strategy, ‘Get Active: A strategy for the future of sport and physical activity’, committed to the development of a National Vision for Facilities. This vision will set out the role of facilities and wider spaces for participation, including the importance of the public and private leisure sector, to anticipate future fiscal events.

The Government has confirmed significant funding for facilities, including a £63 million support package for swimming pools announced at the Budget. This package will help provide investment in energy efficiency measures to reduce future operating costs and make facilities sustainable in the long-term.

Government is also investing nearly £400 million directly into grassroots sports facilities across the country up to 2025.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
6th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reintroducing a sports gambling levy.

The Government levies duties on gambling operators based on their profits, including from sports betting. The Government also invests millions into grassroots sport facilities, with the majority of support coming through Sport England, which receives over £100m in Exchequer funding each year. A further £205m has been committed to grassroots facilities between 2022 and 2025. While the horserace betting levy recognises the unique relationship between horse racing and betting, other sports have far broader appeal. We currently have no plans to introduce a sports betting levy.

6th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a general levy on sports betting and redistributing it to grassroots sport across the UK.

The Government levies duties on gambling operators based on their profits, including from sports betting. The Government also invests millions into grassroots sport facilities, with the majority of support coming through Sport England, which receives over £100m in Exchequer funding each year. A further £205m has been committed to grassroots facilities between 2022 and 2025. While the horserace betting levy recognises the unique relationship between horse racing and betting, other sports have far broader appeal. We currently have no plans to introduce a sports betting levy.

29th Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what support is in place to protect those affected by gambling harm during the FIFA World Cup.

A variety of initiatives are in place across the gambling regulatory framework and health services to protect individuals and the public from harmful gambling and raise awareness of its risks.

The Gambling Commission requires all gambling operators to make information available to customers on how to gamble safely and how to access information on problem gambling and the support available. Most operators signpost to the charity GambleAware’s begambleaware.org site, which contains a wide range of information on risks as well as links to advice and support, including the 24 hour National Gambling Helpline. The NHS webpage 'Help for problem gambling' covers common indicators which suggest that individuals may be experiencing harmful gambling, and the NHS Live Well page on gambling has been updated, providing information on gambling-related harms and signposting to sources of support.

The Department for Health and Social Care is also taking steps to improve and expand specialist treatment services available for people with a gambling addiction. Under the NHS Long Term Plan, £15m has been committed to establish 15 clinics by 2023/24. Seven specialist clinics are already open and accepting patients. DHSC has committed to undertake an audit of gambling-related harm training materials for healthcare professionals to build capability in the healthcare workforce.

There have also been a number of recent voluntary and regulatory initiatives to reduce the visibility of gambling around major sporting events. The gambling industry’s ‘whistle-to-whistle’ ban, prevents gambling ads from airing during and immediately before or after live sports coverage before 9pm. Further to this, the Advertising Standards Authority recently implemented tough new rules banning content with ‘strong appeal to children’ from gambling ads, including top-flight and UK national team footballers. GambleAware have also launched a new phase of their ‘Bet Regret’ campaign for the tournament providing increased signposting to support for gambling harm around the 2022 World Cup.

Evidence on the impacts of gambling advertising, including sponsorship around sports, is being closely considered as part of the government's Review of the Gambling Act. A white paper will be published in the coming weeks outlining our conclusions and next steps.

29th Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on domestic rates of gambling-related harms.

A variety of initiatives are in place across the gambling regulatory framework and health services to protect individuals and the public from harmful gambling and raise awareness of its risks.

The Gambling Commission requires all gambling operators to make information available to customers on how to gamble safely and how to access information on problem gambling and the support available. Most operators signpost to the charity GambleAware’s begambleaware.org site, which contains a wide range of information on risks as well as links to advice and support, including the 24 hour National Gambling Helpline. The NHS webpage 'Help for problem gambling' covers common indicators which suggest that individuals may be experiencing harmful gambling, and the NHS Live Well page on gambling has been updated, providing information on gambling-related harms and signposting to sources of support.

The Department for Health and Social Care is also taking steps to improve and expand specialist treatment services available for people with a gambling addiction. Under the NHS Long Term Plan, £15m has been committed to establish 15 clinics by 2023/24. Seven specialist clinics are already open and accepting patients. DHSC has committed to undertake an audit of gambling-related harm training materials for healthcare professionals to build capability in the healthcare workforce.

There have also been a number of recent voluntary and regulatory initiatives to reduce the visibility of gambling around major sporting events. The gambling industry’s ‘whistle-to-whistle’ ban, prevents gambling ads from airing during and immediately before or after live sports coverage before 9pm. Further to this, the Advertising Standards Authority recently implemented tough new rules banning content with ‘strong appeal to children’ from gambling ads, including top-flight and UK national team footballers. GambleAware have also launched a new phase of their ‘Bet Regret’ campaign for the tournament providing increased signposting to support for gambling harm around the 2022 World Cup.

Evidence on the impacts of gambling advertising, including sponsorship around sports, is being closely considered as part of the government's Review of the Gambling Act. A white paper will be published in the coming weeks outlining our conclusions and next steps.

9th Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that only public service broadcasters have the right to broadcast listed events.

The Government believes that certain sporting events of national interest should be shown on free-to-air television so that they can be enjoyed by as wide an audience as possible.

We want to ensure that as viewing habits change and technology evolves the regulatory framework remains fit for purpose.

The listed events regime works effectively for traditional linear broadcasting by prohibiting the broadcast of exclusive rights of an event on the list without prior consent from Ofcom. The current list is divided into two categories (Group A and Group B) and where rights holders make an event available, full live coverage must be offered for purchase to qualifying channels for events in Group A. Group B events may have live coverage on subscription TV provided that secondary coverage or highlights are offered for purchase to qualifying broadcasters. However, no rights holder can be compelled to sell its rights, and no broadcaster can be compelled to acquire rights.

In our Broadcasting White Paper, we announced our intention to make qualification for the listed events regime a PSB-specific benefit. This will more clearly enshrine the important role our PSBs play in distributing important and valuable content to UK audiences. The Government will introduce this legislation when Parliamentary time allows.

Our Broadcasting White Paper also confirmed our intention to undertake a review to look at whether the scope of the listed events regime should be extended to include digital rights. The Government is speaking to stakeholders to look at whether in the face of technological change, the objectives of the existing regime are still being met and whether digital rights should be included in the regime. The review will need to balance the ability for audiences to watch national sporting events at no additional cost with the ability for sporting organisations to generate revenues from sports rights to re-invest in their sports at all levels.

The Terms of Reference for the review can be found here.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
31st Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to publish the gambling review white paper.

The Gambling Act Review is a comprehensive and evidence-led review of gambling regulation to ensure it is fit for the digital age. We will publish a White paper setting out our conclusions in the coming weeks.

10th Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether it is her policy to ensure that protections for people with epilepsy from malicious posts designed to cause seizures will be included in the Online Safety Bill.

The Government is committed to introducing a new offence of epilepsy trolling in the Online Safety Bill to address this appalling online abuse.

8th Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of rising energy costs on charities; and if will she take steps to generate additional funding for them through charity lottery reform.

As households and communities face rising energy prices, charities are seeing increased demand for their services while contending with the same price increases themselves.

With government support, charities have shown significant resilience over the past two years, and will again be crucial in supporting communities and households over the winter.

That is why the government will support all charities, public sector organisations and businesses with their energy costs this winter, offering an energy price guarantee for six months, equivalent to the protection offered to British households. Further details will be announced in due course.

Following the increases in July 2020 and the review of their impact published in March 2022, there are no plans to make further policy changes to society lottery sales and prize limits. Funding raised by the large society lottery sector is continuing to grow, as data published by the Gambling Commission since the review shows.

My department will keep engaging constructively with their counterparts across the sector and government to continuously monitor the impact of rising energy costs on the charity and broader civil society sector.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
13th Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 12 July 2022 to Question 30208 on Youth Organisations: Kirklees, what assessment her Department has made of the potential role of scouting in the National Youth Guarantee scheme.

The National Youth Guarantee is this government’s commitment that by 2025 every young person will have access to regular clubs and activities, adventures away from home and volunteering opportunities.

As part of the National Youth Guarantee funding we intend to launch a Uniformed Youth Fund later this year to increase access to Uniformed Youth groups across the country. The fund will allow organisations such as the Scouts to increase provision in areas with unmet demand, improving the wellbeing of young people and helping them to develop skills for life and work.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
13th Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when the National Youth Guarantee funds will become available.

DCMS received £560 million to deliver the National Youth Guarantee over the Spending Review period.

The first phase of the Youth Investment Fund saw £12 million spent in financial year 21/22 in key levelling up areas, which has provided funding for over 400 youth organisations. Funding was used for a wide range of equipment to assist with youth activities, as well as capital improvements that will reduce overheads and running costs. Phase Two will fund the construction or redevelopment of up to 300 youth facilities, targeting investment in left-behind areas, where young people have the greatest need and lowest provision. £368 million has been allocated to Phase Two, which will open for bids in summer 2022.

DCMS also funds the National Citizen Service (NCS) which is running a range of activities during the 2022 summer holidays, providing access to adventures away from home, skills development, engaging in local community projects and volunteering opportunities for thousands of young people across the country. NCS has already received £72 million this year and will receive around £100 million in the following two years. Additionally, DCMS has already signed a grant agreement with The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme for £4.2 million, enabling them to offer every state secondary school in England the chance to participate, in collaboration with the Department for Education.

Finally DCMS has committed £6 million to the #iwill fund, fully matched by the National Lottery Community Fund, to support tens of thousands more youth volunteering opportunities.

Further funding to tackle Uniformed Youth waiting lists will begin to be released later this year.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reason youth organisations in Kirklees have been unable to access the Youth Investment Fund; and what central funding is available to support facilities for organisations assisting young people aged 11-18 in Kirklees.

The Government recognises the vital role that youth services and activities play in improving the life chances and wellbeing of young people. The Government has committed to a National Youth Guarantee: that by 2025, every young person will have access to regular clubs and activities, adventures away from home and opportunities to volunteer. This will be supported by a three year £560 million investment in youth services, reflecting young people's priorities and addressing the inconsistencies in national youth spending, with a firm focus on levelling up. The Youth Investment Fund is a geographically targeted fund levelling up access to youth services in those areas that need it the most. Ministerial decisions on eligibility criteria were taken on the basis of high quality, robust and publicly available data, details of which are available on the gov.uk website here. Kirklees did not meet the eligibility criteria for the Youth Investment Fund. However, through the National Youth Guarantee DCMS will fund a range of youth programmes across England, such as the National Citizen Service (NCS) and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, as well as volunteering programmes through the #iwill Fund and tackling uniformed youth waiting lists, all of which the young people of Kirklees can benefit from.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
29th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential implications of amending the charity lottery annual sales limit.

Society lottery sales and prize limits were last increased in July 2020 when the annual sales limit was raised from £10 million to £50 million. We published a review of the impact of these changes in March 2022 (link). The review considered evidence on the annual sales limit, and found that the increase had allowed some operators to move to a single licence and reduce costs. The review concluded that more data was necessary to fully measure the impact of the 2020 changes, and that therefore further policy changes were not necessary at this time.

My officials will continue working with the Gambling Commission, as part of its regulatory role, to keep the sector under review.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
25th Apr 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of provisions in the Online Safety Bill that cover physical harm caused by online trolling in relation to (a) epileptic seizures, (b) facial injuries, (c) concussions and (d) broken bones.

The Online Safety Bill has robust provisions in place to protect people from physical harm caused by online trolling. The Bill requires services in scope to have systems and processes to tackle illegal content on their services. This includes any illegal online abuse which crosses the criminal threshold.

The largest companies will also need to keep their promises to adult users by taking action against harmful content that is prohibited under their terms of service. All services likely to be accessed by children will also need to protect children from harmful or inappropriate content. Where relevant, platforms will have to address content that poses a material risk of significant physical or psychological harm to an appreciable number of adults or children.

We are also ensuring that criminal law captures a range of harms online. Clause 150 in the Bill, the harmful communications offence, will criminalise the sending of messages with the intention to cause serious distress without a reasonable excuse. This new offence will capture people sending flashing images to known sufferers of epilepsy with the intention of causing harm that amounts to serious distress. In addition, the Ministry of Justice is carefully considering the Law Commission’s recommendation for a standalone offence for epilepsy trolling. The Government will set out its full response to the Law Commission’s report, later this year.

Chris Philp
Minister of State (Home Office)