Asked by: Lara Bird (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of foreign sanctions and retaliation on mechanisms, organisations, and individuals that work to uphold international legal standards.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly disagrees with the sanctions imposed on the International Criminal Court. We continue to monitor their impact on the Court's ability to carry out its mandate, and on the individuals and organisations which support international justice and accountability. We remain in close contact with the Court, affected British nationals, relevant organisations and international partners. The Government continues to assess the implementation and practical implications of these measures, including what support may be appropriate for those affected.
Asked by: Lara Bird (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the International Criminal Court can continue to function effectively following the sanctions imposed on it by the United States of America.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly disagrees with the sanctions imposed on the International Criminal Court. We continue to monitor their impact on the Court's ability to carry out its mandate, and on the individuals and organisations which support international justice and accountability. We remain in close contact with the Court, affected British nationals, relevant organisations and international partners. The Government continues to assess the implementation and practical implications of these measures, including what support may be appropriate for those affected.
Asked by: Lara Bird (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to take steps to impose a blocking statute to shield UK based individuals and organisations from the effects of sanctions on the International Criminal Court.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly disagrees with the sanctions imposed on the International Criminal Court. We continue to monitor their impact on the Court's ability to carry out its mandate, and on the individuals and organisations which support international justice and accountability. We remain in close contact with the Court, affected British nationals, relevant organisations and international partners. The Government continues to assess the implementation and practical implications of these measures, including what support may be appropriate for those affected.
Asked by: Lara Bird (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to take steps to adopt section 48 of the EU Consumer Credit Directive in the UK.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has no plans to adopt section 48 of the EU Consumer Credit Directive 2023/2225 in the UK.
Insurers make commercial decisions about the terms on which they offer cover following an assessment of the relevant risks including, where appropriate, a customer's medical history. The Government does not generally intervene in these commercial underwriting decisions.
The Equality Act 2010 generally prohibits discrimination based on certain personal characteristics. However, the law accepts that some exceptions apply for insurance, including relating to age and disability. The Act stipulates an insurance provider cannot refuse to cover potential consumers or charge more for insurance as a result of these characteristics, unless they base their risk assessment on relevant information from a reliable source and (in the case of the disability exception) it is reasonable for the insurer to refuse cover or charge more.
Asked by: Lara Bird (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the definition of urban used in the Access to Banking Services Review includes feed-in rural areas.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to ensuring that people who need in-person banking can continue to access essential services.
That is why the Government commissioned an independent Review into Access to Banking Services, to assess whether changes to access to in-person banking services are causing consumer detriment, the scale of any detriment, and who and where it affects. The Review is considering these questions across the whole of the UK, including in rural and urban communities. It is not based on a specific definition of rural or urban areas.
The Chair of the Review will provide a report and recommendations to the Government in October 2026 and the Government will publish the report in due course.
Asked by: Lara Bird (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what date his Department plans to publish the Access to Banking Services Review.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to ensuring that people who need in-person banking can continue to access essential services.
That is why the Government commissioned an independent Review into Access to Banking Services, to assess whether changes to access to in-person banking services are causing consumer detriment, the scale of any detriment, and who and where it affects. The Review is considering these questions across the whole of the UK, including in rural and urban communities. It is not based on a specific definition of rural or urban areas.
The Chair of the Review will provide a report and recommendations to the Government in October 2026 and the Government will publish the report in due course.
Asked by: Lara Bird (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason contributions are calculated using a paying parent’s gross income as opposed to a net income, and whether there are plans to change this.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service uses gross income because this provides a clear and consistent basis for calculating maintenance. Information about the paying parent’s gross income is taken directly from HM Revenue and Customs for the latest tax year available, allowing calculations to be made quickly and accurately. We judge gross income figures are less vulnerable to manipulation by the minority of parents who attempt to evade paying child maintenance.
The current calculation scheme was designed using gross income and was introduced in 2012 to simplify the assessment process and reduce administrative burden. The Government currently has no plans to change the basis of the calculation from gross income to net income.
Asked by: Lara Bird (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what rights individual creditors have to (a) scrutinise and (b) challenge administrator fees and expenditure where those costs may materially reduce the amount available for distribution to creditors.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Creditors have statutory rights to consider and challenge an administrator’s remuneration and expenses.
Administrators must provide creditors with the relevant information about their remuneration and expenses, and creditors may request further information about the costs incurred.
Where a creditor considers that an administrator’s remuneration or expenses are excessive, insolvency legislation provides mechanisms for those costs to be challenged, including through the courts.
Asked by: Lara Bird (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether he plans to introduce improved rights for purchasers in large property administrations to establish (a) representative creditor committees and (b) equivalent mechanisms to scrutinise administrator decisions, fees, asset recoveries and investigations.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There are no plans to introduce improved rights as the insolvency framework already contains robust safeguards to ensure that administrators, who are authorised insolvency practitioners, are subject to appropriate oversight and scrutiny to ensure transparency and accountability. Administrators must provide creditors with regular progress reports, and seek their approval for their initial proposals as well as their remuneration and expenses. Creditors must also be invited to establish a creditors' committee to represent their interests and assist the administrator in the administration, and may request further information about an office-holder's remuneration and expenses.
Asked by: Lara Bird (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether he plans to review the adequacy of the regulatory and insolvency framework in providing protection for consumers purchasing off-plan property from developers operating through multiple connected companies.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is currently considering responses to its recently concluded Corporate Civil Enforcement Reforms consultation.
The regulatory and insolvency framework balances the interests of consumers, employees, businesses and other creditors. Duties of company directors are set out in legislation, and they are expected to comply with company and insolvency law and uphold the highest standards of corporate governance.
The recent consultation included proposals to modernise corporate enforcement, such as automatic disqualification of directors where companies are wound up by the court on public interest grounds, and director restrictions to tackle misconduct more quickly and prevent escalation.