Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on projected UK greenhouse gas emissions of the reduction in the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate registration targets.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has a long-standing commitment to publish a review of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate to ensure we are taking a pragmatic and balanced approach to the ZEV transition. We intend to conclude the review in the next six months. We will conduct a public consultation, which will set out the relevant analysis undertaken, as part of the review process. No policy decisions have yet been made regarding the headline targets or any other aspect of the ZEV Mandate.
Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the value of investment in (a) vehicle manufacturing, (b) battery production, (c) supply chains, and (d) charging infrastructure that is contingent upon the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate framework.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the importance of regulatory clarity and stable market conditions in supporting investment across the automotive, charging and related sectors as the UK continues to transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs). The Government is committed to phasing out new cars relying solely on internal combustion engines by 2030 and to all new car and van sales being zero emission by 2035, milestones that provide industry with crucial investment certainty.
The Government has a long-standing commitment to publish a review of the ZEV Mandate to ensure we are taking a pragmatic and balanced approach to the ZEV transition that drives investment. We intend to conclude the review, which will include a public consultation, in the next six months. We will welcome views from across industry and the public during this process.
Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what review her Department has undertaken of representations from automotive manufacturers on the costs associated with discounting electric vehicles to meet Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate targets; and what estimate her Department has made of the net cost to manufacturers of compliance with the mandate in each year since its introduction.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has a long-standing commitment to publish a review of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate to ensure we are taking a pragmatic and balanced approach to the ZEV transition. We intend to conclude the review, which will include a public consultation, in the next six months. We will provide a further update on any potential costs to manufacturers, for example associated with discounting vehicles, and complying with the ZEV Mandate as part of the consultation.
Further information on 2024 manufacturer compliance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vehicle-emissions-trading-schemes-vets-final-compliance-information-2024
Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings, roundtables or other formal engagements she, Ministers in her Department and officials in her Department have had with representatives of environmental organisations, consumer groups and non-governmental organisations in the last three months regarding electric vehicles or the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government maintains ongoing engagement across a wide range of stakeholders including the automotive and electric vehicle charging sectors, industry bodies, environmental organisations, consumer groups, and NGOs regarding electric vehicles and the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate.
Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings, roundtables or other formal engagements she, Ministers in her Department and officials in her Department have had with representatives of vehicle manufacturers and automotive industry bodies in the last three months on electric vehicles or the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government maintains ongoing engagement across a wide range of stakeholders including the automotive and electric vehicle charging sectors, industry bodies, environmental organisations, consumer groups, and NGOs regarding electric vehicles and the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate.
Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that foreign commercial interests do not act to disadvantage domestic producers in the implementation of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mandate.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate can be met through both domestically produced SAF and SAF imported from abroad. To support the production of domestic SAF to contribute towards Mandate targets, the department has run grant funding programmes such as the Advanced Fuels Fund and will be opening another, the Low Carbon Fuels Fund, this summer.
The Revenue Certainty Mechanism will offer a guaranteed strike price to UK SAF producers to help unlock investment and lower risk to get first-of-a-kind UK SAF projects off the ground. To be eligible to apply for the Low Carbon Fuels Fund or the Revenue Certainty Mechanism, the lead applicant organisation must be registered in the UK and the SAF production plant itself must be located in the UK. These measures will help to ensure that domestic SAF producers are supported.
Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposal to remove access to the Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity element of Universal Credit for under-22s on young people undergoing cancer treatment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
The Young People and Work Report has been commissioned by the UK Government to investigate the persistently high numbers of young people out of work, education and training (NEETs). On the 28th May 2026, Alan Milburn published his diagnostic report, outlining his discoveries on the drivers of the increase in the number of young people who are part of this group.
The Report is being taken forward in two distinct phases, the first, a discovery phase which will provide a diagnosis on the increase in the number of young people who are NEET. The second phase will be a solution phase, which will identify potential areas for reform, aimed at increasing opportunities for young people.
The final Report is intended to take a holistic view of the welfare, health, skills and employment system and identify areas for reform. The Author will provide a full and final report in September.
Any proposals to change access to the benefits system will be considered in light of the conclusions and recommendations of the Young People and Work Report.
Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to apply the findings from the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment: interim report to Disability Living Allowance in areas where elements of both systems operate in similar ways.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
The Terms of Reference for the Timms Review set out the broad scope of the Review to ensure that PIP is fair and fit for the future. Disability Living Allowance is not in scope for this Review.
The steering group published its interim report on 9 July, providing an update on its work to date. Recommendations will be set out in the final report to be made to the Secretary of State in the autumn.
Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of early support hubs in increasing access to timely mental health support for children and young people aged 11 to 25, and whether he plans to support the rollout of this model in Brighton and Hove.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The Government is committed to improving early, accessible mental health support for children and young people. We know too many children are reaching crisis point before getting help. That is why we have provided more than £20 million in top-up funding to 24 Early Support Hubs since 2024, including £7 million in 2026/27, supporting at least 30,000 additional interventions by April 2027.
This funding is enabling Early Support Hubs to deliver at least 10,000 additional mental health and wellbeing interventions in 2026/27, expanding access to free, community-based support without the need for a referral, helping children and young people access support earlier, preventing problems from escalating, and reducing pressure on specialist services.
The current programme is generating important learning on reach, outcomes, and delivery models. This evidence will inform future plans, including the development of Young Futures Hubs, so that any wider rollout is based on what works for young people and local communities. No decisions have yet been made on the rollout of this model in specific areas.
Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the resources required to deliver his commitment to open-access mental health support for children and young people in every community.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The Government has not made a specific estimate of the total resources required to deliver open-access mental health support for children and young people in every community. However, we are already investing in a range of early intervention and prevention measures to expand access to support and ensure young people can get help before problems escalate. This includes continuing the rollout of mental health support teams in schools and colleges, with full national coverage by 2029, and backing early support hubs which provide open-access mental health support for young people aged 11 to 25 years old without the need for referral. On 11 February 2026, the Department announced a further £7 million in funding for 24 early support hubs, enabling at least 10,000 additional mental health and wellbeing interventions and strengthening the evidence base for community-based early intervention support. The total funding is over £20 million across three years, which will deliver over 30,000 interventions.
The Government is also committed to opening 50 young futures hubs by the end of this Parliament. As of April 2026, eight are operational, with a further 42 to be rolled out. These hubs will bring together local services at a community level to improve access to opportunities, promote mental health and wellbeing, and provide early support for children and young people.
These investments form part of the Government’s wider commitment to shift mental health services from treatment to prevention. We are developing a new mental health strategy for England, to be published later this year, which will aim to ensure people receive support earlier, reduce waiting times, strengthen prevention and early intervention, and consider the role of schools, local government, community organisations, and wider public services in supporting mental health and wellbeing.