Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to reduce the tax gap.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

A key part of restoring economic stability and fiscal responsibility is closing the tax gap. Unpaid tax deprives UK public services of vital funding and puts businesses who pay the right tax at a competitive disadvantage.

At the Budget last autumn, the Government introduced the most ambitious package ever to close the tax gap, ensuring more individuals and businesses pay the taxes they owe and raising £6.5 bn in additional tax revenue per year by 2029-2030. At the Spring Statement, the Government built on this and announced a package of measures to further close the tax gap and raise over £1 billion more.

The announcements since the start of this Government will see 5,500 more compliance officers, alongside 2400 staff in HMRC's debt management teams to ensure those who can afford to pay their tax debts do so.

The Government is also delivering on its commitments to prosecute more tax fraudsters, to introduce a new HMRC reward scheme for informants, to tackle 'phoenixism', and to overhaul HMRC's approach to offshore tax non-compliance. The Government has also set out its plans to go further in the future to make it easier for taxpayers to pay the right tax through a modern and digital tax system.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2025 to Question 58444 on Israel: F-35 Aircraft, whether international allies who are not F-35 Partners have raised concerns with him on the use of UK-made F-35 parts in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Our conversations with international allies on Gaza have focused on the need for an immediate ceasefire, including release of hostages, a surge of aid into Gaza and a path towards permanent peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians based on a two-state solution. We take our export licensing responsibilities seriously and regularly discuss them with allies.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether any UK passport holders have been accused of breaching international law in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) does not comment on individual cases or provide information relating to specific UK nationals, in line with long-standing policy to protect personal data and in accordance with General Data Protection Regulation.

The FCDO currently advises against all travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. This guidance is based on the current security situation and is regularly reviewed. We urge all British nationals to consult the latest FCDO Travel Advice before travelling to the region and to follow local authority guidance at all times.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make it her policy to implement all recommendations made in the Ministry of Justice report entitled Assessing Risk of Harm to Children and Parents in Private Law Children Cases, published in June 2020, as part of her Department's planned Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government was elected with a mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. As part of this we are committed to ensuring everyone involved in private law children cases in the family courts is protected from harm and that the welfare of the child is always the court’s paramount consideration when making decisions about children’s lives.

In May 2023, the Ministry of Justice published a delivery update which outlined the progress made against the recommendations of the Final Report on Assessing Risk of Harm to Children and Parents in Private Law Children Cases. This can be found on GOV.UK.

The Ministry of Justice has already taken forward many of the actions it committed to following the report, including announcing family court reforms, such as expanding our Pathfinder programme in the family court which is improving the experience of children, and domestic abuse survivors in private law court proceedings relating to children. The Government will be publishing its new cross-government strategy later this summer, which will outline how we aim to meet our ambition to tackle violence against women and girls.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that Green Freeports have the (a) authority and (b) mechanisms to hold businesses accountable in relation to their commitments on (i) fair work and (ii) achieving net zero.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As detailed in guidance, Green Freeports are required to implement robust tax site management strategies that ensure investments align with the overarching vision and policy objectives.

Green Freeports must ensure that their partners deliver on the commitments set out in the approved business case. To support this, tax site landholders are expected to enter into formal legal agreements with the Green Freeport operating company to enforce compliance including fair work practices and net zero commitments. The governments reserve the right to sanction Green Freeports where these commitments are not upheld.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that under-25s are adequately supported by the benefits system.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill legislates for the first sustained above inflation rise in the basic rate of Universal Credit since it was introduced. This increase will be for new and existing customers and will benefit millions of households.

DWP provides young people aged 16-24 with labour market support through an extensive range of interventions at a national and local level. This includes flexible provision driven by local need, nationwide employment programmes and support delivered by work coaches based in our Jobcentres and in local communities working alongside partners.

As part of our plan to Get Britain Working, we are launching a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 in England to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to (a) simplify the benefits system and (b) increase its accessibility for claimants.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Our wide-ranging package of reforms to health and disability benefits, set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper, will improve experiences of the system for those who need it.

We are simplifying the system by abolishing the WCA and instead using the PIP assessment to determine what financial support people receive on Universal Credit. Going through the WCA is complex, time consuming and stressful for customers, especially if they also have to go through the PIP process. It is right that we move to one assessment and do not put millions of people through two, similar and lengthy functional assessments.

We are taking further action to get the basics right and improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability benefits. This includes exploring ways to improve trust and transparency in Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Work Capability Assessments through reviewing our approach to safeguarding, recording assessments to increase trust in the process, and moving back to having more face-to-face assessments while continuing to meet the needs of people who may require different methods of assessment.

We have also launched a review of the PIP assessment, which I am leading. Through the review, we want to make sure the PIP assessment is fair and fit for the future in a changing world and helps support disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence. We have committed to co-produce the review with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Government on the withdraw funding for Veterans First Point Lothian.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

I engage regularly with the Scottish Government and with the Scottish Veterans' Commissioner on issues affecting veterans who live in Scotland. Health is a devolved matter, so it is for the Scottish Government to decide on funding allocations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what is the average waiting time for a driving test in Currie; and when she expects the backlog to be cleared.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The year-to-date average waiting time for a driving test at Edinburgh (Currie) driving test centre (DTC) is 24 weeks.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain.

DVSA expects to deliver thousands of additional tests this month and is working to increase test availability further over the coming year. Over 630,000 learners across Great Britain now have a test booked. That number will rise as the DVSA increases test availability.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the (a) efficacy of Universal Credit sanctions and (b) potential impact of those sanctions on claimants.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The most relevant work was published by DWP on 6th April 2023 and can be found here: Impact of Benefit Sanctions on Employment Outcomes: draft report.

It is right that there should be conditions and consequences to labour market support. We will continue to ensure that claimants who need support receive it and consider how to best tailor this support to their individual needs.

Cancer Prevention Action Week on alcohol and cancer

Found: (Labour; Brentford and Isleworth) (Chair) Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat; North Norfolk) Dr Scott Arthur

Found: Ms Diane Abbott Rebecca Long Bailey Apsana Begum Imran Hussain Kim Johnson Afzal Khan Dr Scott Arthur

Found: Ms Diane Abbott Rebecca Long Bailey Apsana Begum Imran Hussain Kim Johnson Afzal Khan Dr Scott Arthur

Found: Gilbert Jo White Kirsteen Sullivan Mrs Sharon Hodgson Johanna Baxter Jonathan Hinder Dr Scott Arthur

Submit Evidence (by 8 Sep 2025)

Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) form a key part of the transport network, particularly for people who face barriers to using other forms of transport and as a driver of the nighttime economy. However, the current system for regulating these vehicles can vary across different licensing authorities, creating inconsistencies and raising questions about how effective present standards are.

Submit Evidence (by 15 Sep 2025)

The UK has a long tradition of manufacturing motor vehicles, buses, aeroplanes, trains, and ships, but manufacturers in the transport industries are concerned about skills shortages. These industries are integral to the economic health of the communities they are based in, and they provide high-quality, British-built equipment for companies here and around the world.