Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the funding for Dover Port Health Authority 2025-26 will be paid in instalments.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The funding for Dover Port Health Authority for 2025-26 has been allocated. Discussions with Dover Port Health Authority on the detailed use of funding are ongoing.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what tonnage of meat was seized by Dover Port Health Authority between January and March in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Seizure reports provided by Dover Port Health Authority are as follows:

(a)Jan-March 2023: 7.1 tonnes

(b)Jan-March 2024: 16.7 tonnes

(c)Jan-March 2025: 61.1 tonnes

Total is 84.94 tonnes (Rounded to 1 decimal place)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the funding for the Dover Port Health Authority 2025-26 will be spent.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The funding for Dover Port Health Authority for 2025-26 has been allocated. Discussions with Dover Port Health Authority on the detailed use of funding are ongoing.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the funding for the Dover Port Health Authority 2025-26 covers the cost of vets.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The funding allocated to Dover Port Health Authority for 2025-26 does not cover the costs of Official Veterinarians.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the report entitled Avoiding the Cliff Edge: Considering possible options for a VAT threshold smoothing mechanism, published on 9 January 2024.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government will continue to bear in mind businesses’ views of this threshold. At £90,000, the UK has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU Member State and the second highest in the OECD. This keeps the majority of UK businesses out of VAT altogether. The Government will continue to bear in mind businesses’ views of this threshold.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will conduct a review of the VAT system as it applies to (a) the hair and beauty sector and (b) other labour-intensive industries.

Answered by James Murray - 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 also the UK’s second largest tax, forecast to raise £180 billion in 2025/26.

Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of VAT on the financial sustainability of hair and beauty salons.

Answered by James Murray - 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 also the UK’s second largest tax, forecast to raise £180 billion in 2025/26.

Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing VAT rate on hair and beauty salons.

Answered by James Murray - 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 also the UK’s second largest tax, forecast to raise £180 billion in 2025/26.

Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the British Hair Council's report entitled Securing the future of UK hairdressing and beauty: the economic, fiscal & societal case for VAT reform, published in February 2025, whether she has made an assessment of the potential economic benefits of reducing the VAT rate to ten per cent for labour-based services .

Answered by James Murray - 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 also the UK’s second largest tax, forecast to raise £180 billion in 2025/26.

Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the British Hair Council's report entitled Securing the future of UK hairdressing and beauty: the economic, fiscal & societal case for VAT reform, published in February 2025, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a mandatory register of hairdressing professionals.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Hairdressing salons and barbers, like other employers, are subject to normal business regulations such as health and safety requirements, employer and public liability insurance. The Hairdressers Registration Act of 1964 already provides for a UK register of qualified hairdressers and HMRC will investigate evidence suggesting businesses have misclassified individuals for tax purposes and Government collaborates closely with law enforcement to monitor criminal behaviour.

The Government has no immediate plans to introduce further regulation of the hair industry, but we will always remain open to evidence

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) airports and (b) ports are announcing the ban on personal imports of (i) meat and (ii) dairy products to travellers from EU countries.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government has been engaging with airports, ports and travel operators to communicate the ban on personal imports of meats and dairy products from EU countries, introduced on 12 April 2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the British Hair Consortium's report entitled Securing the future of UK hairdressing and beauty: the economic, fiscal & societal case for VAT reform, published in February 2025, what steps she is taking to support apprenticeships in the hair and beauty sector.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

I refer the hon. Member for South Northamptonshire to the answer of 12 March 2025 to Question 34828.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on the negotiation of a Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement with the EU.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The UK and EU are like-minded partners with similarly high standards. We have been clear that the trading relationship can be improved, hence why we are seeking to negotiate an SPS agreement to help boost trade and deliver benefits to businesses and consumers in the UK and the EU. It’s too early to discuss specific areas in detail and we will not be providing a running commentary on discussions with the EU.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Alistair Carmichael (Chair); Sarah Bool; Helena Dollimore; Sarah

Found: April 2025 The committee heard oral evidence from Robert Halfon (former Member of Parliament), Sarah Bool

Found: Q259 Sarah Bool: When will that come into place? Time is of the essence.

Found: Members of the committee were: • Sarah Bool (South Northamptonshire) (Con) • Jade Botterill (Ossett

Found: _NC9 Sarah Bool Rebecca Paul Adam Jogee .

Found: Presented by Chris Philp supported by Matt Vickers, Katie Lam, Harriet Cross, Sarah Bool, Nick Timothy

Found: _NC9 Sarah Bool Rebecca Paul Adam Jogee .

Found: _NC9 Sarah Bool ★.

Submit Evidence (by 18 Jun 2025)

Much of the UK economy is still linear, based on the principles of using and disposing of products and the resources used to make them. This wastage leads to widespread environmental pollution and the continual and unsustainable need to extract finite resources.