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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to implement the recommendations of the report by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights entitled Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 3 March 2025.

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

Relevant departments are currently considering the Committee’s concluding observations in detail. The Government will give written responses to three priority areas that the Committee has identified for specific follow-up by 2027.

The Government will respond to the rest of the recommendations before the UK’s next reporting cycle starts in 2030.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what figure his Department is using as the average household energy bill for his policy of a £300 cut in energy bills.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently.

The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy and have less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past.

We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we are delivering the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households this winter. On 25 February, we published a consultation on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would bring around 2.7 million households into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million. The consultation has now closed and the Department is evaluating the responses.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what his Department's original budget was, including Government-backed loans and guarantees, to support the construction of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in (a) real and (b) current terms; how much his Department has provided since the project started; and how much he estimates that it will have provided by the completion of the project.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The financing of Hinkley Point C is the responsibility of EDF (Électricité de France) and China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN). The latest update from EDF on costs of Hinkley Point C can be found here (on page 29):

https://www.edf.fr/sites/groupe/files/2025-03/annual-results-edf-2024-presentation-2025-03-07.pdf

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, from what level he plans to reduce energy bills by £300 by 2030.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently.

The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy and have less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past.

We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we are delivering the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households this winter. On 25 February, we published a consultation on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would bring around 2.7 million households into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million. The consultation has now closed and the Department is evaluating the responses.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Animal Welfare Committee will publish its review on the responsible sourcing of fur.

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

I refer Seamus Logan to the reply given to Neil Duncan-Jordan on 21 February 2025, PQ 32807.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Animal Welfare Committee will consider the public health risks associated with global fur production in its review on the responsible sourcing of fur.

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

The remit of the Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) is to provide advice on animal welfare standards relating to animals kept by people. As such, public health matters fall outside of the Committee’s remit.

More information on AWC’s terms of reference is available on the AWC gov.uk page (here).

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to respond to correspondence of (a) 24 February 2025 and (b) 16 April 2025 from the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East with the reference SL01868/dw in relation to energy prices.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

A response was issued to the hon. Member on 7 May. I appreciate his patience with this matter.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal on domestic Scotch whisky producers.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

On 8 May the UK government announced a landmark economic deal with the United States, making the UK the first country to get an agreement with President Trump.

The US has committed to further negotiations, including on the 10% tariffs introduced on 2 April across our economy which affect Scotch whisky. We are continuing to negotiate in the interests of key sectors for the UK and will seek the best possible outcome. Due to the nature of the deal, negotiations will continue on a range of areas and benefits will be felt over time.

Peterhead Football Club, Scottish League 2 champions

Humanitarian aid into Gaza

Arms exports to Israel

Injury on Duty Award Scheme

Found: Blackman Stephen Flynn Dave Doogan Stephen Gethins Chris Law Pete Wishart Brendan O'Hara Seamus Logan

Found: Blackman Stephen Flynn Dave Doogan Stephen Gethins Chris Law Pete Wishart Brendan O'Hara Seamus Logan

Found: Blackman Stephen Flynn Dave Doogan Stephen Gethins Chris Law Pete Wishart Brendan O'Hara Seamus Logan

Found: Blackman Stephen Flynn Dave Doogan Stephen Gethins Chris Law Pete Wishart Brendan O'Hara Seamus Logan

Found: Blackman Stephen Flynn Dave Doogan Stephen Gethins Chris Law Pete Wishart Brendan O'Hara Seamus Logan

Found: Blackman Stephen Flynn Dave Doogan Stephen Gethins Chris Law Pete Wishart Brendan O'Hara Seamus Logan

Found: _NC3 Pete Wishart Kirsty Blackman Stephen Flynn Brendan O'Hara Dave Doogan Chris Law Seamus Logan

Found: _NC3 Pete Wishart Kirsty Blackman Stephen Flynn Brendan O'Hara Dave Doogan Chris Law Seamus Logan

Found: _NC3 Pete Wishart Kirsty Blackman Stephen Flynn Brendan O'Hara Dave Doogan Chris Law Seamus Logan

Found: _NC3 Pete Wishart Kirsty Blackman Stephen Flynn Brendan O'Hara Dave Doogan Chris Law Seamus Logan