Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will have discussions with the Met Police on the potential merits of it releasing further information on Operation Corn Poppy into alleged abuse at Harrods and other workplaces connected to the Al-Fayeds, including when it plans to (a) conclude and (b) report its findings.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We expect every report of a sexual offence and trafficking to be treated seriously from the point of disclosure, every victim to be treated with dignity and every investigation and prosecution to be conducted thoroughly and professionally.
However, the Home Office is unable to intervene in, or comment on, the progress of these individual cases. This is not because of a lack of concern, but because it is a fundamental principle of our criminal justice system that the police and courts are operationally independent of Government.
We are aware that the Metropolitan Police Service is continuing to conduct a multi-strand investigation into allegations involving Mohamed Al Fayed, known as Operation Cornpoppy and they are best placed to assess the potential merits of releasing further information on progress.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will have discussions with the Met Police on the potential merits of publishing the terms of reference for Operation Corn Poppy into alleged abuse at Harrods and other workplaces connected to the Al-Fayeds.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We expect every report of a sexual offence and trafficking to be treated seriously from the point of disclosure, every victim to be treated with dignity and every investigation and prosecution to be conducted thoroughly and professionally.
However, the Home Office is unable to intervene in, or comment on, the progress of these individual cases. This is not because of a lack of concern, but because it is a fundamental principle of our criminal justice system that the police and courts are operationally independent of Government.
We are aware that the Metropolitan Police Service is continuing to conduct a multi-strand investigation into allegations involving Mohamed Al Fayed, known as Operation Cornpoppy and they are best placed to assess the potential merits of releasing further information on progress.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of introducing a visitor levy in England on (a) visitor numbers and (b) local economies.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The impacts of the overnight visitor levy will be determined by local decisions. It will be up to Mayors and local leaders to decide whether to implement a levy, subject to a local consultation on specific proposals.
The Government’s consultation on the design and scope of the visitor levy closed on 18 February, and we will publish an official response in due course.
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 merits of introducing a fixed 4% stamp duty on the purchase of properties.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is charged using a rate structure which rises as properties get more valuable. This means that lower-value properties benefit more from the nil rate band, with the first £125,000 of any property not being charged SDLT at all. This ensures that those who can afford to pay more do so.
SDLT continues to be an important source of Government revenue, raising around £14 billion each year to help pay for the essential services the Government provides.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consideration has been given to legalising the use of electric scooters on roads for use by adults who also hold a full driving licence.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has committed to pursuing legislative reform for micromobility vehicles when parliamentary time allows. This will create safe, legal routes for people to use new transport technology like e-scooters.
Any regulations, including a potential requirement for users to hold a driving licence, will be consulted on before they come into force so that all interested parties have a chance to shape the new regime.
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, what role Young Futures Hubs will play in the delivery of the National Year of Reading.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The National Year of Reading is a Department for Education initiative, in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust.
Young Futures Hubs will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes and enabling them to thrive. Local Authorities participating in the programme will co-design the services in each hub alongside young people in the community to ensure it meets local needs.
Young Futures Hubs are just one part of delivering support within a much wider youth landscape, and will work closely with core services and wider initiatives spanning youth, education, employment, social care, mental health, youth justice and policing.
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, what role public libraries will play in the delivery of the National Year of Reading.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Public libraries are central to the success of the National Year of Reading’s campaign to engage people of all ages with reading. The Reading Agency has been appointed to work with sector partners to deliver and support public library engagement. The Summer Reading Challenge in 2026, and World Book Night, the annual celebration of reading for adults on 23 April 2026, will be key moments for libraries during the National Year of Reading 2026. Throughout the year, The Reading Agency will provide public libraries with resources, toolkits, and print and digital materials to support their work and boost engagement.
Local authorities such as Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Hillingdon, Oxfordshire and Nottinghamshire are actively celebrating and participating in the National Year of Reading programmes with various activities and events at their library branches.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether eligible (a) prospective claimants not currently in receipt of Universal Credit and (b) existing Universal Credit claimants who do not receive the health element would be entitled to the rate of the health element of Universal Credit in force before 6 April 2026 where an application for that element is received by the Department for Work and Pensions on or before 5 April 2026, including in cases where eligibility is confirmed, a Work Capability Assessment is completed, or a decision on entitlement is made on or after 6 April 2026.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance (Rates of Allowances) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 were laid in Parliament on 9 February 2026. The Regulations provide further detail on the application of the Universal Credit Act 2025 including the definition of a pre-6 April 2026 claimant confirming that claimants who declare a health condition or disability on or before 5 April 2026 and are found to have limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA) will receive the higher rate of LCWRA. This applies even if their decision on entitlement is made on or after 6 April 2026.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to answer on 10 February 2026 to Question 110293, what steps are being taken in response to the number of Armed Forces pensions that remain unclaimed, beyond the 60 day tracing exercise conducted after the pension due date.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is expanding its communications to better reach those with unclaimed pensions, developing new online materials specifically aimed at deferred members who have not yet submitted a claim.
The Defence contribution to the National Pensions Dashboards Programme will provide members with a single, secure online platform where they can view all their pension information. The dashboards will help reunite individuals with forgotten or previously unclaimed pensions by making their entitlements visible and easy to access at a time convenient to them.
Alongside the 60‑day tracing activity conducted when a pension becomes due, the MOD intends to introduce a second tracing exercise approximately one year after the initial attempt for any pensions that remain unclaimed. In addition, the MOD plans to carry out a wider tracing exercise covering all existing unclaimed pensions. These improvements will create repeated opportunities to locate members whose circumstances or contact information may have changed over time.
Together, these measures form an expanding and proactive approach designed to ensure that every individual who has earned pension benefits through service in the Armed Forces is able to be located and supported to claim them.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to extend VAT relief to community-based services like The Filo Project, that provide socialising activities and support for those with dementia.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Supplies of welfare services, including the provision of care for people with permanent disabilities and dementia, are exempt from VAT if they are supplied by eligible bodies, such as public bodies or charities.
Because community interest companies (CICs) are not charities in law, they must meet the criteria of being state-regulated in order to provide VAT-exempt care services. This is to ensure that the VAT relief is carefully targeted at private providers offering safe and high-quality welfare services.
The Government recognises that there are private organisations that bring value to the care sector without being regulated, but extending the VAT relief to include these would have to be carefully balanced against the risks that it poses
More generally, 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.