Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies on the rights of asylum seekers to work of the approach taken in Belgium.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Those who claim asylum in the UK can apply for permission to work in the UK if their claim has been outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own.
Allowing asylum seekers the right to work sooner could enable migrants to bypass established work visa routes, and may act as an incentive for people to travel here illegally via dangerous routes.
Our policy responds to circumstances unique to the UK and must complement our wider asylum and immigration system.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of driving tests in (a) Kendal and (b) Heysham; and what steps her Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for practical driving tests in these areas.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is aware that car practical driving test waiting times remain high and understands the impact this is having on learner drivers.
DVSA is continuing to recruit as many driving examiners (DE) as possible, including at Kendal, Heysham and Barrow in Furness. From a previous recruitment campaign, two potential new DEs, following successful completion of training, will be joining Kendal and Barrow in Furness in late autumn.
Currently DEs from Kendal and Heysham are being deployed to Barrow in Furness to meet testing demand. As part of its current recruitment campaign, DVSA has advertised for DEs for Barrow in Furness. This will enable DVSA to meet local demand in Barrow in Furness and increase test availability in Kendal and Heysham.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for NHS-provided wheelchairs for adults with degenerative neurological conditions.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of local wheelchair services.
NHS England is taking a number of steps to reduce regional variation in the quality and provision of NHS wheelchairs, and to support ICBs to reduce delays in people receiving intervention and equipment. This includes publishing a Wheelchair Quality Framework on 9 April which sets out quality standards and statutory requirements for ICBs, such as offering personal wheelchair budgets. The framework is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/wheelchair-quality-framework/
The Government is committed to improving care for people with neurological conditions and ensuring that they receive the support they need. There are several initiatives at a national level supporting service improvement and better care for people with neurological conditions. These include the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, within which timely access to specialist and personalised equipment, such as wheelchairs, is a key area of focus.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to speed up the revaluation process for business rates when commercial units are subdivided into smaller premises.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The VOA is focused on speeding up its service by upskilling its workforce so they can handle multiple types of cases, improving its digital services to make it easier for customers to self-serve, recruiting new people and moving existing staff to better meet customer demand. It is also replacing its IT systems with cloud-based platforms that will deliver significant efficiencies across its work.
In addition, it has published guidance to improve awareness and understanding of the process and information required when seeking a split of a non-domestic property. This is published on GOV.uk: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/confirm-your-property-details#what-to-include-in-your-check-case.
The decision to move the VOA’s functions into HMRC from 1 April 2026 will help to improve the experience of taxpayers and businesses and support the delivery of the government's commitments to reform business rates and modernise the tax system.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Active Travel England recognises equestrians as users of active travel routes; and if she will take steps to ensure that equestrian access is (a) included and (b) considered in future active travel (i) projects and (ii) policies.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The needs of equestrians should be considered in the design of active travel routes. New or upgraded traffic-free paths or quiet country lanes can be designed to be attractive and safe for equestrians as well as walking, wheeling and cycling although in some situations it may not be possible to accommodate their needs on all active travel routes.
Active Travel England is presently developing its Rural Design Guidance and is currently engaging with relevant stakeholders including equestrian organisations such as the British Horse Society and the Byways and Bridleways Trust, which will be published later this year.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact on (a) energy efficiency and (b) indoor air quality of adding mechanical ventilation with heat recovery systems to the list of energy saving materials eligible for the 0% VAT rate.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
This Government is committed to improving the quality and sustainability of the country’s housing stock, through improvements such as low carbon heating, insulation, solar panels, and batteries. This will be vital to making the UK more energy resilient and meeting our 2050 Net Zero commitment.
Installations of qualifying energy-saving materials (ESMs) in residential accommodation and buildings used solely for a charitable purpose benefit from a temporary VAT zero rate until March 2027, after which they will revert to the reduced rate of VAT at five per cent.
The Government assesses whether to add ESMs to this relief by evaluating them against the following principles: the primary purpose of the technology must be to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions; and relieving the technology of VAT must be cost effective and align with broader VAT principles.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the readiness of the chemicals sector for the 2026 UK REACH registration deadline for substances over 1,000 metric tonnes; and whether he plans to publish the outcome of the consultation on the proposed alternative model for UK REACH before that deadline.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are aware of stakeholder concerns about the feasibility of these dates. We will provide further information in due course.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has (a) evaluated the outcomes of the Invasive Species Management Fund and (b) considered (i) renewing the fund, (ii) establishing a successor scheme and (iii) providing (A) funding and (B) support for National Parks to lead invasive species control activity in their areas.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Over the last two years, Defra has funded twelve Local Action Groups (LAGs) across all regions in England to control invasive species through its Local Invasive Species Management Fund. The funding period has now come to an end and Defra is currently evaluating the outcomes of the fund. Whilst Government is unable to renew the fund or establish a successor scheme at this time, it is continuing to look for ways to support the control of widespread invasive species. For example, funding is available for invasive species control through the Environmental Land Management Countryside Stewardship scheme.
Government is providing £45.2 million of core funding to the 10 National Park Authorities. We have also extended programmes such as Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL), providing £30 million to support projects in our National Landscapes and National Parks, until March 2026. Funding is not ringfenced for invasive species control as National Park Authorities decide their priorities locally, but since the FiPL programme launched in 2021 it has funded actions to control invasive species on around 15,000ha of land managed in Protected Landscapes.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent comparative assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the (a) Approved Mileage Allowance Payment rate for self-employed people and (b) average vehicle running costs.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) are used by employers to reimburse an employee’s expenses for business mileage in their private vehicle. These rates are also used by self-employed drivers to claim tax relief on business mileage (simplified motoring expenses).
The Government keeps the AMAP rates under review and HMRC use a variety of information in estimating typical motoring costs per business mile. This includes information from the AA, the National Travel Survey, the Association of British Insurers, and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
The AMAP rates are intended to reflect both running costs, such as fuel, and a proportion of standing costs, such as insurance, MOT, and depreciation. In estimating typical motoring costs per business mile, the Government must therefore consider the weighting given to each component and how to apportion certain costs.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a bespoke skilled worker visa route for people working on NI-GB ferries.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Immigration White paper, published 12 May, set out proposed reforms in a number of areas including raising the skills threshold to RQF level 6 and for RQF levels 3-5 roles, with time-limited and conditional access to the immigration system only to be provided if the Migration Advisory Committee are content there is an effective workforce strategy in place. Further details will be set out in due course.