Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending VAT relief to (a) heat batteries and (b) other new energy saving technologies that can help decarbonise homes when a heat pump cannot be installed.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The installation of qualifying energy-saving materials in residential accommodation and buildings used solely for a relevant charitable purpose benefits from a temporary VAT zero rate until March 2027.
Last year, a Call for Evidence (CfE) seeking views on additional technologies to potentially include within this relief was run. Heat batteries were one of the technologies put forwards by respondents. As set out in the Government response to the CfE, at that time, the Government was unable to identify sufficient independent data regarding the efficiency of heat batteries, making it difficult to assess the technology’s energy-saving properties objectively.
The Government currently has no plans to add further technologies to this VAT relief. Nevertheless, the Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the policy making process. Changes to the tax system are announced at fiscal events in the usual way.
Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the financial impact of reducing the housing benefit taper rate for people in supported housing.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The income taper in Housing Benefit ensures people in work are better off than someone wholly reliant on benefits. In addition to any financial advantage, there are important non-financial benefits of working. These benefits include learning new skills, improved confidence and independence as well as a positive effect on an individual's mental and physical health.
Notwithstanding these positive outcomes from work, the Department acknowledges there is a challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those residing in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation and receiving their housing support through Housing Benefit. The department will consider the issue carefully in partnership with stakeholders.
Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the EU Entry Exit System on (a) goods trade across the short straits, (b) goods availability in the UK and (c) prices of goods in the UK.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The implementation of the EU Entry Exit System (EES) has been postponed by the European Commission while they review their plans, with an updated roadmap to be announced in due course. We are continuing to work with the EU and its member states, as well as industry, to understand their plans and potential impacts.
Comprehensive freight traffic management plans are already in place on the Kent road network, and HM Government is closely aligned with the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum to manage any disruption and keep both passenger and freight traffic flowing through the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel.
Once the EU has set out its plans, we will be able to continue to work to understand the impacts of EES on the UK, including on freight traffic and goods trade across the Short Straits.
Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the EU Entry and Exit System on (a) freight traffic across the Short Straits and (b) GB-EU trade at peak passenger periods.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The implementation of the EU Entry Exit System (EES) has been postponed by the European Commission while they review their plans, with an updated roadmap to be announced in due course. We are continuing to work with the EU and its member states, as well as industry, to understand their plans and potential impacts.
Comprehensive freight traffic management plans are already in place on the Kent road network, and HM Government is closely aligned with the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum to manage any disruption and keep both passenger and freight traffic flowing through the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel.
Once the EU has set out its plans, we will be able to continue to work to understand the impacts of EES on the UK, including on freight traffic and goods trade across the Short Straits.
Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what (a) mechanism and (b) resources his Department is allocating to (i) monitor, (ii) evaluate and (iii) manage (A) passive and (B) active regulatory divergence between the UK and EU to minimise the impact on UK (1) businesses and (2) consumers.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This Government continues to follow EU regulatory developments with interest, engaging with the EU on key regulatory developments via TCA structures. I also recognise the importance of maintaining an effective dialogue with UK industry leaders and civil society to understand the passive impacts.
DBT’s Assimilated Law Dashboard and Report captures changes to UK legislation inherited from the EU which will create active UK-EU divergence. These are updated biannually per requirements of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023.
Government departments proposing regulatory reform consider the impact of those changes through impact assessments or proportionate analysis.
Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to include measures to grow imports in the forthcoming trade strategy.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Trade Strategy will support businesses trade and drive economic growth. Further details on this will be published in due course.
Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish the timetable for scaling up physical checks under the Border Target Operating Model to the full regime.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our checks are intelligence-led and based on biosecurity risk. To protect the integrity of this approach, we cannot share operational details, including the exact timelines for scaling up checks.
Traders should continue to follow the published guidance which sets out Border Target Operating Model inspection rates. However, we continually review our enforcement approach, and are seeing generally good rates of compliance, and are continuing to push towards a fully enforced regime.
Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the efficiency of the operation of the Border Target Operating Model since it was introduced.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The first milestone - health certificates - happened on 31 January 2024. Physical and documentary checks began on April 30th. Medium and high-risk goods posing the greatest biosecurity risk are being prioritised as check levels are scaled up in a sensible and controlled way.
The controls introduced under the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) protect the country from biosecurity threats. We continue to monitor and review the impact of controls introduced under the BTOM. We are seeing regular instances of biosecurity threats being intercepted or prevented from entering the country. Meanwhile we are working closely with industry, trade partners and enforcement agencies to minimise disruption and costs to trade, and to ensure checks are completed efficiently. We are not seeing any routine queues or delays.
Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress she has made on banning zombie-style knives and ninja swords.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
We have implemented the ban on zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes approved by Parliament earlier this year. The ban came into force on 24th September.
We will also be pressing ahead as soon as possible with a ban on Ninja swords, following the tireless campaigning of Pooja Kanda whose son Ronan was killed with one of these lethal weapons. We will be launching a consultation shortly and plan to introduce the legislation shortly afterwards when Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her planned timetable is for determining whether to bring forward legislative proposals to make e-scooter rental trials permanent.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As you will appreciate, the new Government is still in its early stages, and I am carefully considering next steps for the e-scooter trials and what legislative changes may be required in future.