Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to enable community energy schemes to sell their power directly to households and businesses in nearby communities.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the role of community energy in delivering net zero and is working with Ofgem to address regulatory barriers, including routes to market. Through delivering on commitments in the Local Power Plan, we are working with Great British Energy to explore measures to make it easier for community energy groups to participate in local energy markets.
The department, Ofgem and wider energy industry has also been working to make changes to industry rules to support the local trade of energy. This includes work on rule P441, standardising the classification of local energy sites to provide a regulatory footing that will clarify the rules of setting them up. Further updates and outcomes from this work will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain's roles as industry representative and regulator on its ability to prioritise greyhound welfare.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) have demonstrated how they prioritise greyhound welfare, for example through their 2018 ‘Greyhound Commitment’ and their 2022 national welfare strategy: ‘A Good Life for Every Greyhound’. External independent oversight of GBGB’s regulatory work is provided by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). Accreditation by UKAS demonstrates the competence, impartiality and performance capability of GBGB as a regulator of welfare standards.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria her Department uses to assess the effectiveness of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain as a regulator of greyhound welfare.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Independent, external assessment of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain’s (GBGB) regulatory work enforcing welfare standards required by the Welfare of Racing Greyhound Regulations 2010 has been provided since 2010 by the UK’s National Accreditation Body, the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). More recently, UKAS now also accredits GBGB’s independent welfare inspections of GBGB licensed trainers’ kennels. UKAS has been satisfied by routine inspections and audits that GBGB is an effective regulator of welfare standards.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of reducing the 20% VAT rate on (a) gyms and (b) fitness businesses that are delivering preventative health outcomes for the public.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. VAT is the UK’s second largest tax, forecast to raise £180 billion in 2025/26. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer.
The Government keeps all taxes and reliefs under review.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of VAT on swimming lessons on (a) affordability and (b) accessibility.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services.
One of the key considerations when assessing a new VAT relief is whether the cost saving is likely to be passed on to consumers. Evidence suggests that businesses only partially pass on any savings from lower VAT rates. In some cases, reliefs do not represent good value for money, as there is no guarantee that savings will be passed on to consumers.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of exempting (a) gyms and (b) fitness businesses from VAT where they can demonstrate clear preventative health outcomes for their users.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. VAT is the UK’s second largest tax, forecast to raise £180 billion in 2025/26. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer.
The Government keeps all taxes and reliefs under review.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consideration her Department has given to the potential merits of expanding the scope of the Digital Services Tax to include AI companies and products.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Digital Services Tax (DST) is a 2 per cent tax to ensure that providers of search engines, social media platforms, and online marketplaces pay UK tax on digital services that reflects the value they derive from UK user-related activities. The DST raised around £800 million of revenues in the financial year 2024-25 in support of vital public services.
DST was introduced as an interim solution to the challenges posed by the digitalisation of the economy to the international corporate tax framework. The UK remains committed to withdrawing DST once a suitable global solution to these challenges is established.
The Government keeps all aspects of the tax system under review. Any potential tax changes would need to be considered carefully as part of the wider Budget process, with decisions taken by the Chancellor at a fiscal event.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consideration has been given to the potential merits of increasing the existing 2% rate of the Digital Services Tax.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Digital Services Tax (DST) is a 2 per cent tax to ensure that providers of search engines, social media platforms, and online marketplaces pay UK tax on digital services that reflects the value they derive from UK user-related activities. The DST raised around £800 million of revenues in the financial year 2024-25 in support of vital public services.
DST was introduced as an interim solution to the challenges posed by the digitalisation of the economy to the international corporate tax framework. The UK remains committed to withdrawing DST once a suitable global solution to these challenges is established.
The Government keeps all aspects of the tax system under review. Any potential tax changes would need to be considered carefully as part of the wider Budget process, with decisions taken by the Chancellor at a fiscal event.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an estimate of how much additional revenue would be collected from the Digital Services Tax if the rate were to be increased to (a) 3%, (b) 5% and (c) 10%.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Digital Services Tax (DST) is a 2 per cent tax to ensure that providers of search engines, social media platforms, and online marketplaces pay UK tax on digital services that reflects the value they derive from UK user-related activities. The DST raised around £800 million of revenues in the financial year 2024-25 in support of vital public services.
DST was introduced as an interim solution to the challenges posed by the digitalisation of the economy to the international corporate tax framework. The UK remains committed to withdrawing DST once a suitable global solution to these challenges is established.
The Government keeps all aspects of the tax system under review. Any potential tax changes would need to be considered carefully as part of the wider Budget process, with decisions taken by the Chancellor at a fiscal event.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to provided additional support to cultural, arts and media organisations in the context of rising costs associated with ongoing global instability.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government recognises the challenges that cultural, arts and media organisations face, including pressures arising from increased operating costs resulting from ongoing global instability.
While not specifically in response to global uncertainty, the Department is investing significant sums in cultural and creative sectors. For example, through the Arts Everywhere Fund, we are investing up to £1.5 billion over this Parliament to support our arts and cultural sectors across England. This includes funding for infrastructure, heritage protection, local museums, libraries and additional support for Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisations. This investment will help keep venues open, safeguard jobs, address urgent capital needs and ensure communities across the country can continue to access and benefit from culture.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport continues to engage regularly with sectors across the arts, culture and media, and keeps the needs of these organisations under review.