Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing the rate of VAT applicable to beauty and hair salons.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
VAT is the UK’s third largest tax. It is forecast to raise £180 billion in 2024/25, which funds public services. VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) mandatory and (b) voluntary registration processes are in place for businesses seeking to operate within the private security sector.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is a Home Office arm’s length body established by the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (PSIA) as the regulator of the private security industry. The SIA sets standards and licenses individuals seeking to perform certain licensable roles in private security. Licensing ensures individuals are appropriately trained, qualified, and vetted to ensure that they are ‘fit and proper’ to hold a licence.
Businesses seeking to supply private security operatives under a contract for services must ensure all their partners, directors, managers and supervisors are licensed by the SIA, as well as any frontline staff who perform certain security roles specified in the Act (for example door supervisors and security guards).
It is a criminal offence under s.3 of the PSIA for a person to engage in licensable conduct without a licence, and an offence under s.5 of that Act for a business to supply unlicensed security operatives to perform licensable activities.
Businesses can also choose to sign up to the SIA’s voluntary quality assurance scheme, the Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS).
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what progress she has made on the publication of the Government’s conversion practices legislation.
Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
Conversion practices are abuse. Such practices have no place in society and must be stopped.
As outlined in the King’s Speech, this Government is committed to bringing forward a full, trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices.
We continue to work cross government on this important issue with a view to publishing our draft Bill later this session.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the time taken to process business applications to join the UK Internal Market Scheme.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK Internal Market Scheme (UKIMS) was launched in June 2023, allowing businesses across the United Kingdom to apply, and HMRC has successfully encouraged over 10,000 traders to get authorised.
HMRC is required to take a decision regarding the outcome of a UKIMS application within 120 days. Applications are typically processed with an average turnaround time of 12 to 15 working days. HMRC must undertake a range of checks to verify eligibility for the scheme and, in certain cases, seek further information from businesses.
More guidance can be found on gov.uk at:
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she is taking steps to improve processing time for applications to join the UK Internal Market Scheme.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK Internal Market Scheme (UKIMS) was launched in June 2023, allowing businesses across the United Kingdom to apply, and HMRC has successfully encouraged over 10,000 traders to get authorised.
HMRC is required to take a decision regarding the outcome of a UKIMS application within 120 days. Applications are typically processed with an average turnaround time of 12 to 15 working days. HMRC must undertake a range of checks to verify eligibility for the scheme and, in certain cases, seek further information from businesses.
More guidance can be found on gov.uk at:
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support is available for businesses awaiting admission to the UK Internal Market Scheme.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK Internal Market Scheme (UKIMS) was launched in June 2023, allowing businesses across the United Kingdom to apply, and HMRC has successfully encouraged over 10,000 traders to get authorised.
HMRC is required to take a decision regarding the outcome of a UKIMS application within 120 days. Applications are typically processed with an average turnaround time of 12 to 15 working days. HMRC must undertake a range of checks to verify eligibility for the scheme and, in certain cases, seek further information from businesses.
More guidance can be found on gov.uk at:
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the potential impact of her Department's proposals to freeze the Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity element of Universal Credit until 2029-30 on disabled people.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Some information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published in the evidence pack, impacts analysis and equalities analysis at:
The proposals have been carefully designed to protect the finances of severely disabled people. However, there will be no immediate changes. The rebalancing of Universal Credit (UC) is not coming into effect immediately. Our intention is these changes will start to come into effect from April 2026, subject to parliamentary approval.
A further programme of analysis to support development of these proposals will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of whether the delivery of aid to Gaza compiles with the UNHCR's Humanitarian principles, as endorsed UN General Assembly resolutions 46/182 and 58/114; and whether he has made representations to his international counterparts that such aid is delivered only through (a) UN and (b) international humanitarian agencies.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As I told the House on 14 May, Israel's denial of aid is appalling. Israel must lift the block on aid entering Gaza now and enable the UN and all humanitarians to save lives. In our statement to the UN Security Council on 13 May, we made clear that the UK will not support any aid mechanism that seeks to deliver political or military objectives or puts vulnerable civilians at risk. Humanitarian partners such as the UN and humanitarian Non-Governmental Organisations must be allowed to operate in line with their principles. Baroness Chapman met with the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on 12 May where she reiterated our support for the organisation and its critical role in delivering desperately needed aid and services to Palestinians.