Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of excluding used battery electric vehicles from eligibility for the new Electric Car Grant on (a) market uptake, (b) affordability and (c) value for money.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Electric Car Grant (ECG) is designed to cut costs for drivers who want to switch to a new electric car, as well as supporting environmentally sustainable manufacturing processes. The Government expects that the ECG will have some benefit in the used market due to a higher supply of affordable vehicles in future years, and the grant’s requirement for an 8-year or 100,000-mile warranty for the vehicle’s battery. We continue to work with industry to support a sustainable second-hand zero emission vehicle market.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the qualifications held by Energy Ombudsman caseworkers.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem are responsible for assessing every two years whether the Energy Ombudsman continues to meet the criteria set out in the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes Regulations 2015. This includes assessing whether the Energy Ombudsman staff have the appropriate expertise, including an understanding of the law and the necessary expertise in the resolution of energy disputes.
The last Ofgem review of the Energy Ombudsman was published in July 2024 and found that the Energy Ombudsman met the relevant criteria, available here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/biennial-assessment-ombudsman-services-under-alternative-dispute-resolution-adr-regulations-2021-2023
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the eligibility criteria for the Electric Car Grant to include used electric vehicles.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Electric Car Grant (ECG) is designed to cut costs for drivers who want to switch to a new electric car, as well as supporting environmentally sustainable manufacturing processes. The Government expects that the ECG will have some benefit in the used market due to a higher supply of affordable vehicles in future years, and the grant’s requirement for an 8-year or 100,000-mile warranty for the vehicle’s battery. We continue to work with industry to support a sustainable second-hand zero emission vehicle market.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will publish the animal welfare strategy before 6 November 2025.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Prime Minister announced that we will be publishing an animal welfare strategy later this year.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of vehicles involved in criminal activity have had non-compliant licence plates in the last 12 months.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not routinely collect information related to the compliance of licence plates for vehicles which have been involved in criminal activity.
Data of this type may be held locally by law enforcement organisations.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will issue guidance to local authorities on ensuring that bus stop bypasses are accessible to blind and partially sighted people.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government has committed to publishing new statutory guidance for local authorities on the design of floating bus stops, also known as bus stop bypasses, within three months of the Bus Services (No.2) Bill receiving Royal Assent. We will engage with the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee on the guidance and will also work with relevant stakeholders, including groups representing the needs of blind and partially sighted people.
The Bill also seeks a new power for the Secretary of State to develop statutory guidance on the safety and accessibility of bus stops and stations. It is our intention that the design guidance will complement the safety and accessibility guidance, helping to ensure that people are not prevented from using bus services because of inadequate accessibility.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish the training materials for case handlers of the Energy Ombudsman.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem is required to review the Energy Ombudsman every two years. As part of these reviews, the Energy Ombudsman provided training materials to Ofgem, who judged that staff at the Ombudsman were sufficiently well-trained. The decision about whether to publish training materials is a decision for the Energy Ombudsman, who are independent of Government.
We want it to be quicker and easier for consumers to access the Energy Ombudsman service and for any customer who has received a poor-quality service from their supplier to receive the compensation and resolution they deserve.
That is why the Government has announced proposals to strengthen the Energy Ombudsman to ensure that suppliers comply with its final decisions or pay compensation to their consumer. We will also consult on introducing automatic referrals to the Ombudsman, explore the reduction of referral waiting times from 8 weeks to 4 weeks and make the overall complaints process more transparent and accessible.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of vehicles involved in criminal activity have had non-compliant licence plates in the last 12 months.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not collect information related to the compliance of licence plates for vehicles which have been involved in criminal activity. Data may be held by local police forces.
Data be held locally by law enforcement organisations.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to separate the number of procedures for the (a) LD50 (lethal dose 50%) and (b) LC50 (lethal concentration 50%) tests in the annual statistics of scientific procedures on living animals.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes extensive data on the use of animals in science in the annual statistics of scientific procedures on living animals.
There are no plans to disaggregate the number of procedures specifically relating to the LD50 and LC50 tests within these statistics.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make it his policy to transition government digital services to (a) free and (b) open-source providers.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Where appropriate, the Government makes use of free and open-source providers. The Digital, Data & Technology playbook provides guidance on sourcing and contracting for digital, data and technology projects and programmes. Cabinet Office & Government Digital Service are currently working together to define a comprehensive sourcing strategy for what we build, what we buy and how we partner. This will include use of open-source solutions.