Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on increased tax receipts as a result of new registers of beneficial ownership in overseas territories and crown dependencies.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Home Office and Treasury officials coordinate regularly on work around advancing beneficial ownership transparency. We are clear on the benefits of accessible registers of beneficial ownership, which not only include tackling illicit finance and corruption, but also fighting tax and sanctions evasion.
At the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) in November 2024, the Falkland Islands and Saint Helena committed to join Montserrat and Gibraltar in implementing fully public registers by April 2025. The British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Anguilla and Turks and Caicos Islands agreed to implement registers of beneficial ownership, accessible to those with a legitimate interest, by June 2025. It remains our expectation that the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies will ultimately implement fully public registers.
The Crown Dependencies have committed to increasing the transparency of their beneficial ownership registers and are working towards implementing access to those with legitimate interest, in line with the EU's 6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive.
I have and will continue to raise this directly with elected leaders across the Overseas Territories, and Home Office Ministers and officials will continue to engage with the Crown Dependencies. I regularly engage with Ministerial colleagues on matters related to the Overseas Territories, including in HM Treasury.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's press release entitled £740 million allocated for 10,000 new places for pupils with SEND, published on 27 March 2025, how many new SEND places will be created in Norfolk.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or who require alternative provision, sits with local authorities.
The department has now published allocations for £740 million in High Needs Provision Capital Allocations for the 2025/26 financial year, to support local authorities to deliver new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings, and to improve the suitability and accessibility of existing buildings.
The funding can be used to adapt schools to be more accessible for children with SEND, to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit the pupils’ needs and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.
Norfolk County Council has been allocated just over £13 million for 2025/26 and it is up to the local authority to make decisions about the places they create and to prioritise this funding to meet local needs.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he expects the mandatory housing order for poultry in Norfolk to be lifted.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Mandatory Housing combined with stringent biosecurity measures provides greater risk reduction and together these measures have been key in mitigating the risk of spread of avian influenza and keeping the case rate down in the face of extensive wild bird infection during the recent higher risk winter periods.
The need for Avian Influenza Prevention Zones (AIPZ) is kept under regular review as part of the government’s work to monitor and manage the risks of avian influenza. Any decisions on introduction or amendment of AIPZs, including on addition or removal of mandatory housing measures, are based on risk assessments that take full account of the latest scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will widen the payment methods which can be used when making a payment to the DVLA.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) offers a range of payment options, including direct debits, cheques and debit and credit cards.
The DVLA keeps its range of payment options under review, taking into account the associated costs and benefits of potential new options.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the amount of tax income which could be generated by new registers of beneficial ownership in overseas territories and crown dependencies.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
We are clear on the benefits of beneficial ownership registers, which not only include tackling illicit finance and corruption, but also fighting tax and sanctions evasion.
At the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) in November 2024, the Falkland Islands and Saint Helena committed to join Montserrat and Gibraltar in implementing fully public registers by April 2025. The British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Anguilla and Turks and Caicos Islands agreed to implement registers of beneficial ownership, accessible to those with a legitimate interest, by June 2025. It remains our expectation that the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies will ultimately implement fully public registers.
The Crown Dependencies have committed to increasing the transparency of their beneficial ownership registers and are working towards implementing access to those with legitimate interest, in line with the EU's 6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive.
HMRC draws on a variety of data sources to tackle offshore non-compliance, including exchange of information under double taxation agreements and Tax Information Exchange Agreements.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support early years childcare providers with their funding arrangements.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government has been clear in our commitment to the early years. It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, improving the life chances for every child and the work choices for every parent. That also means ensuring the sector is financially sustainable and confident as it continues to deliver the entitlements and high-quality early years provision going forward.
That is why, despite tough decisions to get our public finances back on track, this government has increased investment in the early years to drive forward progress towards our Plan for Change target of a record number of children starting school ready to learn. This government will continue to prioritise and invest, supporting early education and childcare providers with the costs they face.
In the 2025/26 financial year alone, the department plans to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements. We announced the largest ever uplift to the early years pupil premium, increasing the rate by over 45% compared to 2024/25 financial year, equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year. On top of this we are providing further supplementary funding of £75 million for the early years expansion grant to support the sector as they prepare to deliver the final phase of expanded childcare entitlements from September 2025, recognising the significant level of expansion needed and the effort and planning this will require.
The department is also providing £25 million through the forthcoming National Insurance Contributions Grant for public sector employers in the early years.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress his Department has made on ensuring publicly accessible registers of beneficial ownership in all overseas territories.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
At the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) in November 2024, all Overseas Territories committed to implementing registers with the maximum possible degree of access and transparency. The Falkland Islands and Saint Helena committed to join Montserrat and Gibraltar in implementing fully public registers by April 2025. The British Virgin Islands (BVI), Cayman, Bermuda, Anguilla and Turks & Caicos Islands agreed to implement registers of beneficial ownership, accessible to those with a legitimate interest, by June 2025.
UK Officials are working proactively with Overseas Territories officials to ensure their proposals meet the agreements made at the JMC. I have and will continue to raise this directly with elected leaders, including in my meeting with Premier Wheatley of BVI, in his own capacity, and as President of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA) last week.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of implementing the recommendations from the Commission on Crime and Gambling Related Harms, published in April 2023 on the use of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Under the licensing objectives of the Gambling Act 2005, the Gambling Commission requires operators to prevent gambling being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime and disorder, or being used to support crime.
The Home Office has introduced legislation in the Crime and Policing Bill to make improvements to the confiscation regime, including to ensure that a confiscation order more accurately reflects the benefit from crime. The draft bill contains no specific provisions for certain sectors, including the gambling sector. However, the Home Office will engage the gambling sector on how the legislative changes will be implemented in their sector in due course.
The introduction of a statutory levy on gambling operators will, however, represent a generational change to funding arrangements and a renewed commitment to improving efforts to further understand, tackle and treat harmful gambling. As set out in our public consultation, the prevention stream could see investment directed for projects to build capacity and expertise in frontline settings to increase responsiveness to gambling harm, including criminal justice settings.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
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 use of lower layer super output areas to define eligible postcodes for the Warm Homes Local Grant; and whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of that criteria in supporting households in poverty.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Lower layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs) have been used to identify Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) Income Decile 1-2 eligible postcodes for the Warm Homes: Local Grant.
The IMD Income Deprivation domain measures the proportion of the population experiencing deprivation relating to low income. Income Decile 1 represents the most economically deprived areas of the country and 10 the least.
I am therefore confident that use of IMD Income Deciles 1-2 to establish income eligibility for Warm Homes: Local Grant maintains a focus on low-income households. It will also support area-based delivery by Local Authorities – who have welcomed this eligibility route.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 8343 on Universal Credit, what progress his Department has made on reviewing Universal Credit in the context of rent charging years with 53 Mondays.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department will be considering the issue of rent charging years with 53 Mondays as part of its wider Universal Credit Review.
The Department is committed to reviewing Universal Credit to make sure it is doing the job we want it to and meeting our objectives of making work pay and tackling poverty. We have already begun this work with the introduction of the new fair repayment rate announced in the Budget. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders as the review progresses to seek views on proposed areas of focus and untapped opportunities in UC. Parliament will be updated on progress and future changes accordingly.