Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will have discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on (a) establishing a watchdog to regulate the cost of charging electric vehicles and (b) encouraging electric vehicle use.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are committed to the transition from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric vehicles, as this will drive economic growth, help the UK meet its climate change obligations and improve air quality.
To support that transition, the Department for Transport continues to work closely with the Northern Ireland Executive. Transport is a devolved matter, so this would be the decision of the Executive.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2024 to Question 13304 on Northern Ireland Office: Domestic Visits, what steps he is taking to ensure the process is followed.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Members of Parliament are notified in advance of Ministerial visits to their constituency. On a recent occasion, a typographical error in an email meant that the Honourable Member’s constituency office was not notified correctly. The Northern Ireland Office has since contacted the Honourable Member’s constituency office to convey apologies for this.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what his policy is on notifying an hon. Member before visiting their constituency.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The policy is to notify Members of Parliament in advance of visiting their constituency.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish a breakdown of funding for passengers with reduced mobility services at United Kingdom airports provided by her Department.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Under the UK law, the managing body of the airport is responsible for ensuring the provision of free assistance, for disabled or less mobile passengers. The UK aviation sector operates in a private market, therefore the sector is responsible for funding the provision of assistance.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2024 to Question 10393 on NHS, whether the Health Minister in each devolved Administration is a working level contact.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
An interministerial group meeting is currently being diarised for December 2024. At this meeting, all of the Health Ministers from across the United Kingdom will convene to discuss the 10-Year Health Plan in further detail, including any opportunities for alignment and information sharing across the UK.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Government issues rallying cry to the nation to help fix NHS, published on 21 October 2024, whether he plans to have discussions with the devolved Administrations on the future of the NHS.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Department officials working on the 10-Year Health Plan have had, and will continue to have, meetings with working level contacts in each of the devolved administrations. These conversations will continue to explore how best to identify potential areas of United Kingdom-wide policy alignment, as the plan is developed.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government are taking to ensure the continued supply of medicines to Northern Ireland, in the context of the implementation of the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Windsor Framework secures the long-term stability of medicines supply to Northern Ireland, ensuring that medicines will be available in the same packaging and with a single licence across the UK, reflecting the long standing preference of industry.
The Government continues to work closely with industry to support readiness for the implementation of these arrangements from 1 January 2025 and ensure there is no disruption. Transitional measures are also available to support companies, such as the temporary use of stickers and the arrangement that all medicines that are on the market before 1 January 2025 can continue to be supplied in existing packaging.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Consumer Credit Directive, which came into force in Northern Ireland on 23 November 2023, on cancer patients and their families.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The European Union’s Consumer Credit Directive 2008 was implemented into UK law in 2010. In November 2023, the EU passed a new Consumer Credit Directive that will replace the previous Directive and which Member States must transpose into domestic law by November 2025. As the UK has left the European Union, this Directive will not apply in the UK, including Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to bring forward proposals to counter financial discrimination against cancer survivors.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the importance of access to useful and appropriate financial products. We work closely with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the independent regulator of the UK's financial services sector, to ensure that customers are treated fairly by firms.
While the pricing and availability of financial services and products is a commercial decision for firms, FCA rules require the price a consumer pays for a product or service be reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive. The FCA also expects that customers get the right support with their financial products, particularly where their personal circumstances, including health conditions, may make them more susceptible to harm.
The Government is committed to improving financial inclusion and will continue to work with regulators, firms, and the third sector to this end.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has agricultural property relief been worth in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC holds the information of those estates which make claims for Agricultural Property Relief (APR) within its digital administrative systems if the estate was taxpaying, or could be taxpaying after compliance checks have been performed.
It does not hold readily available information about the geographical location of the assets qualifying for the relief – it only holds the value of the assets qualifying for the relief, and the amount of relief given against those assets, in a format available for further analysis.
As such, it is not possible to provide this information within current cost limits.