Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department plans to take to ensure that Gypsies and Travellers are able to access homes and contents insurance without discrimination.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Insurers make commercial decisions about the terms on which they will offer cover following an assessment of the relevant risks. This is usually informed by the insurer’s claims experience and other industry-wide statistics. The government does not usually intervene in these decisions.

However, the government is determined that insurers treat customers fairly and insurers must comply with all relevant regulations and legislation. This includes the Equality Act 2010 which generally prohibits discrimination based on certain protected characteristics, including race.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as the independent regulator of financial services firms, requires firms to treat customers fairly under its rules. This includes ensuring that firms meet their obligations under the Equality Act 2010. The FCA actively monitors firms and has robust powers to take action if firms do not comply with its rules.

Individual insurers may take a different view of the relevant factors in determining whether they will offer insurance and at what price. Consumers may wish to contact the British Insurance Brokers’ Association, who can offer guidance on how to look across the insurance market for the best deals and may be able to provide names of specialist brokers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve rail services on the East Coast Main Line.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department has invested £4bn in route-wide upgrades – including new trains and improvements to platforms, tracks, signals and junctions.

This will deliver journey time, reliability and capacity improvements, with more than 60,000 extra seats across the route each week, faster services between London and Edinburgh, and London to Leeds, and a third train per hour to and from London and Newcastle. This will all form part of the new timetable in December.

The Department are now working closely with Network Rail and industry stakeholders to develop a long-term strategy for the route.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps she is taking to support small retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in City of Durham constituency.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Businesses in our retail, hospitality and leisure sectors are foundational to our economy and our high streets, and we are supporting them to succeed.

From 2026-27, we will introduce a permanently lower business rates multiplier for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with rateable values under £500,000.

We have increased the Employment Allowance to £10,500, pledged to cut business admin costs by 25% during this parliament, and introduced tougher retail crime measures, including a new offence for assaulting retail workers and ending immunity for shop theft under £200.

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