Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including the regulation of self-driving delivery robots alongside other forms of micro mobility.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This government is determined to seize the opportunities of emerging micromobility and tackle any negative impacts which may arise. We actively monitor the industry and the new vehicle types and business models being developed while carefully considering policy steps to ensure these are operating safely and in the interests of our communities.
Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had made an assessment of the potential role of universities (a) within and (b) outside mayoral combined authorities in local growth programmes.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local leadership is at the heart of our mission to deliver growth. Universities have an important role in driving growth across the country, working in partnership with other local stakeholders to deliver improved outcomes for their communities. In mayoral combined authorities and elsewhere in the UK, Investment Zones are leveraging the important role that universities and research institutions play, ensuring they collaborate with industry to promote growth. Local Growth Plans will also play an important role in delivering growth – locally owned and long-term strategic plans that will engage a range of stakeholders, including universities, to build on each region’s unique strengths and opportunities.
Asked by: Mike Reader (Labour - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to support the use of autonomous last-mile delivery robots on pavements.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has no current plans to legislate in this space. However, we are determined to seize the opportunities of emerging micromobility and tackle any negative impacts which may arise. We are actively monitoring the industry, new vehicle types, and new business models, and we will keep under review the case for legislative change.
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.