Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue the Exchequer has collected from the Apprenticeship Levy (a) in total and (b) from companies registered in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Receipts data for the Apprenticeship Levy is published by HM Revenue and Customs in their Tax and NIC Receipts publication which can be found online at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk
Receipts data based on company registered addresses do not reflect where liabilities are accrued or where employees are based. For example, the data on receipts from companies with registered addresses in Northern Ireland will not include businesses registered in Wales, Scotland, or England, who have a presence and pay employees in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, he will list the programmes his Department (a) provides and (b) supports to tackle (i) isolation, (ii) social exclusion and (iii) mental health well-being for rural young people.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In 2025-26, Defra is providing £1.712 million to support local actions that address the needs of rural communities, some of which is used to support actions to tackle rural isolation, social exclusion and the mental health and well-being needs of young people in rural areas.
Since May 2024, Defra has funded the Farmer Welfare Grant, providing £500k to support projects that improve the mental health and wellbeing of farmers in England. One recipient of the grant, the Lincolnshire Rural Support Network (LRSN), is using its funds to deliver support to young farmers. Their support includes Installing an LRSN volunteer link worker into every Young Farmers Club in Lincolnshire; Formal Mental health and wellbeing awareness raising sessions delivered to 16 Young Farmers Clubs, Impact Group, and Riseholme College; and Recruitment and integration of two Emotional Wellbeing Workers into the Young Farmers Clubs and Riseholme Agricultural college.
The Government is committed to increasing access to nature for all, especially young people, and recognises the importance for young people’s health and wellbeing. In 2024, Defra invested £4.45 million in a second phase of the Generation Green programme, enabling over 25,000 disadvantaged children and young people to experience the natural environment.
Defra also leads a cross-Government Children and Nature Working Group to share best practices on improving outcomes for young people through nature. The £16 million Access for All programme has funded inclusive facilities like pedal and play areas for young people.
Green Social Prescribing and wider nature-based activities have been shown to improve mental health in both adults and young people. Natural England works at a national and local level to embed Green Social Prescribing into NHS health services.
Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework is a strategic tool which provides local authorities with principles, standards, guidance, and data to improve the lives of people and communities through nature, including access to nature, improving health and wellbeing, and building climate resilience. This includes providing comprehensive geospatial data on the quality of green and blue space, index of multiple deprivation and health, enabling local authorities to target action where its most needed.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding his Department has provided to the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs in each of the last five years.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In each of the last five financial years, Defra has provided the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) with the following amounts of funding:
Financial Year | Funding Amount |
2020/21 | £30,000 |
21/22 | £30,000 |
22/23 | £31,000 |
23/24 | £27,545.93 |
24/25 | £29,982.93 |
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps to help prevent slugs entering traffic light controller boxes.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Responsibility for the design, installation and maintenance of traffic signal equipment, including controller cabinets, lies with the relevant local traffic authority. It is for them to ensure they procure equipment suitable for the conditions in which it is likely to be used.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness (b) adequacy and (c) efficiency of the performance of the Motor Ombudsman in carrying out its functions.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Motor Ombudsman is a non-statutory ombudsman, set up as a voluntary scheme by the industry and independent of government.
The Motor Ombudsman's activities are documented in their annual reports, complying with the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Competent Authorities and Information) Regulations 2015. These reports are accessible on its website.
DBT funds the Chartered Trading Standards Institute who accredit and regularly audit The Motor Ombudsman against key principles including neutrality and effective complaints handling under a voluntary framework in the 2015 ADR Regulations.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the value for money of funding the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Encouraging more young people into farming and land-based careers is vital to ensure a skilled workforce is in place and the longer-term viability of the sector.
Defra works closely with the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC). Defra provides funding of up to £30,000 per year for specific project-based activity which supports skills development and training.
My officials continue to work very closely with the NFYFC to deliver the 2025-26 grant to ensure value for money.
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 include motorcycling in all its forms as a specific element within the forthcoming integrated national transport strategy; and what her timetable is for publishing the strategy.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Later this year, the department will publish the Integrated National Transport Strategy (INTS) and set the long-term vision for transport across England, placing people at the heart of how we plan, build, and operate transport. The Strategy will aim to address fragmentation and inefficiency across the transport system to ensure that people can easily, reliably, and safely carry out the journeys they want to make, however they choose to travel.
We have conducted extensive engagement with stakeholders and members of the public, including motorcyclists and motorcycle user representative groups, through a Call for Ideas, Regional Roadshows, and targeted sessions with seldom heard groups. As the Strategy is still in development, I am unable to comment on specific policy questions, but all the insights gathered through our engagement activities have been analysed and are being considered as the Strategy continues to evolve.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July to Question 68868 on Companies: Economic Crime, of the businesses dissolved, how many had five or more registered at one address.
Answered by Justin Madders
Between April 2024 and March 2025, there were 70 addresses where 5 or more companies were dissolved in Northern Ireland. This impacted a total of 852 companies.
A further 3,000 companies were located at the Companies House default address at the time of their dissolution during this period.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who directed the ICS2 system to go live in August 2025.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Import Control System 2 (ICS2) is the new safety and security system for certain goods moving by air, maritime, road or rail into Northern Ireland. It is already in use for air and bulk maritime movements into Northern Ireland, replacing the existing Import Control System Northern Ireland (ICSNI).
The ICS2 system has been available for road movements since 1 April 2025, with operators initially having until 1 September 2025 to onboard to the new system. This has subsequently been extended to 31 December 2025 to give businesses more time to prepare to onboard to ICS2.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when his Department will launch the consultation on Hughs Law.
Answered by Justin Madders
A public consultation on further support for parents of seriously ill children, including Hugh's Law, will take place during 2026.