Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she had with representatives of the hospitality sector ahead of the Autumn Budget 2025.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Ahead of the Budget Government Ministers and Senior Officials met with businesses and business representation organisations from a range of sectors, including those from the hospitality sector. These meetings provided an opportunity for the Government to hear the views of the business community to aid in the formation of policy, including fiscal policy. Such engagements are ongoing and will continue to be so.
I, and the rest of HM Treasury, am deeply committed to engaging with the business community across the country. We believe that maintaining a regular and open dialogue with the business community is essential for understanding levels of business confidence and for shaping government policy to support growth and investment.
These engagements are central to the Government’s ambition to foster a pro-growth, pro-investment environment throughout the UK. By listening directly to businesses, the Government is better able to respond to emerging challenges, seize new opportunities, and deliver policies that help businesses to thrive.
Further information on meetings held by HM Treasury Ministers can be found on the gov.uk website via this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to betting and gaming levies on illegal gambling operations in the UK.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Estimates suggest the illegal market is relatively small in the UK, between 2 – 9% of legal online market stakes. The Gambling Commission is already tackling this risk and protecting consumers, but we recognise that modern technology makes it easier for illegal websites to target consumers. To further secure the legitimate market and protect consumers from illegal sites, at Budget 2025, the government announced an additional £26 million of funding over the next three years for the Gambling Commission to strengthen enforcement and tackle illegal gambling.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to promote the use of small and medium sized businesses in the Department's supply chain.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Defence is an engine for growth. The Department is taking significant steps to promote the use of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within its supply chain. The new Office for Small Business Growth is being established to provide a single access point for SMEs and improve navigation across the Defence landscape.
The existing Doing Business with Defence industry engagement team regularly attend events and shows across the country including working closely with our major suppliers and trade associations to engage smaller and non-traditional suppliers. Recent examples include DSEI in September and the DPRTE Defence Summit held in Manchester in October.
Additionally, to expand regional reach, Regional Defence and Security Clusters (RDSCs) are being established throughout the UK, and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, supported by Innovate UK, is being developed to leverage cross-sector expertise and world-class research facilities.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what public consultation his Department has undertaken on planned changes to jury trials.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
In developing his recommendations, Sir Brian Leveson and his expert advisers, including Professor David Ormerod, consulted with many external bodies involved in the Criminal Justice System including criminal legal organisations, charities, academics, and members of the judiciary.
The Review conducted a call for evidence on GOV.UK, to ensure it heard as many perspectives as possible. A full list of those who engaged with the Review is at Annex C of Sir Brian’s report.
In addition, when considering Sir Brian’s recommendations and developing our proposals, I have engaged regularly with stakeholders and relevant sectors over the last 12 months including meeting regularly representatives from the legal sector (Law Society, Bar Council, Criminal Bar Association), victims and victims representatives (the Victims Commissioner, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Rape Crisis), judiciary (Circuit leaders, Judicial leadership), magistracy (Magistrates’ Association, Magistrates’ Leadership Executive), non-governmental organisations (Appeal, JUSTICE, Transform Justice), court staff in criminal courts around the country (Wood Green, Snaresbrook) and similar international jurisdictions. For example, I met judges and visited courts in Canada, which uses types of judge-only trial.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of (a) the number of foreign-born families who will claim universal credit or tax credits for more than 2 children and (b) the total cost of this.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
No such estimate has been made.
Universal Credit is primarily reserved for people settled in the UK, and overall, the proportion of claimants in this country who are foreign nationals has fallen since October 2024.
But we want to go further which is why we have announced plans to double the standard time most migrants have to wait before they can access benefits to 10 years, reducing the burden on the taxpayer and making sure settlement rights are earned.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department holds information on the number of road traffic accidents caused by people driving legally under non-GB issued driving licences.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The information requested is not held by the Department for Transport.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department holds information on the number of UK road traffic accidents caused by people driving in the UK without a valid full or provisional UK-issued driving licence.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
This information is not held by the Department for Transport.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of stopping out of work benefits for foreign nationals in the UK.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 20 November the Home Secretary launched a consultation on proposals for a fairer pathway to settlement, the point at which foreign nationals generally gain access to public funds. These plans include doubling the standard qualifying period for settlement from 5 to 10 years, with the opportunity to reduce this period based on their contributions to the UK economy and society and longer periods for those who contribute less.
The consultation also covers proposals that benefits might not be available to those who have settled status, reserving them, instead, for those who have earned British citizenship.
You can find more details in here: “Restoring Order and Control: A statement on the government’s asylum and returns policy" and in “Open consultation: Earned settlement”.
In conjunction with these reforms, my Department will consult in due course on a change to taxpayer-funded benefits to prioritise access for those who are making an economic contribution to the UK.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the strategy Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, what data her Department will use as the baseline to measure the target to use validated alternative methods to reduce the use of dogs and non-human primates in dedicated PK studies for human medicines by at least 35% by 2030.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government’s publication, Replacing Animals in Science: A Strategy to Support the Development, Validation and Uptake of Alternative Methods, sets out our long-term vision for a world in which the use of animals in scientific research is eliminated except in exceptional circumstances.
The strategy commits to the publication of qualitative and quantitative Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in 2025. These are in the process of being developed, and the baseline assessment will be determined as part of this process.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of publishing asylum expenditure data by constituency.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The department publishes asylum expenditure data at national or regional level, which is more robust and meaningful for policy and operational purposes.
All available information on asylum expenditure is published in the Home Office Annual Report and accounts at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK (opens in a new tab). Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including hotels, and by local authority can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent statistics release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (opens in a new tab).