Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the higher business rates multiplier for larger premises on the (a) prices of essential goods, (b) shop closures, (c) regional employment levels and (d) footfall in town centres.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century.
As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government will introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with ratable values (RVs) below £500,000 from 2026-27. This permanent tax cut will ensure they benefit from much-needed certainty and support.
This tax cut must be sustainably funded, and so the Government will introduce a higher rate on the most valuable properties in 2026/27 - those with RVs of £500,000 and above. These represent less than one per cent of all properties, but cover the majority of large distribution warehouses, including those used by online giants.
The final design, including the rates, for the new business rates multipliers will be announced at Budget 2025, so that the Government can factor the revaluation outcomes and broader economic and fiscal context into decision-making. When the new multipliers are set, HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many civil servants in her Department are working on the open access applicaiton from FirstGroup for Lumo services between London Paddington and Paignton.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Access to the rail network including decisions on Open Access applications is a matter for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). When DfT provides views on individual applications as a key stakeholder, it does so with input from rail analytical and operational teams as required.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve accessibility at Torre railway station; and whether she plans to prioritise that station for accessibility funding.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.
Under the previous government, nominations were sought for funding through the Access for All programme in 2022. A total of 310 nominations were received from Network Rail, train operating companies (TOCs) and other strategic transport organisations. This did not include Torre railway station.
The Honourable Member may wish to engage with the local transport authority and Great Western Railway to ensure Torre station is a priority in any future rounds of funding.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendations of the report by the London School of Economics entitled Releasing the Mortgage Prisoners, published in February 2023.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government takes the issue of mortgage prisoners seriously. We understand the challenges that this cohort of borrowers faces and will work with regulators and the industry to ensure that this problem is properly considered.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with his European Union counterparts on (a) seeking to increase the level of profits from frozen Russian assets and (b) sharing the legal risks of doing taking such an approach.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Chancellor is actively engaging with our EU partners, including recently at ECOFIN, and through regular discussions with G7 finance ministers to explore all viable legal avenues to make use of Russia’s sovereign assets for the benefit of Ukraine, in line with international law.
The Government remains committed to ensuring Russia is held accountable for the damage it has caused, and continues to cause, in Ukraine. Alongside our G7 partners, the UK has pledged to maintain the sanctions on Russia’s sovereign assets within our jurisdictions until Russia compensates for this harm.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
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 increasing the maximum value of (a) prizes and (b) stakes in arcades in line with inflation.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government intends to consult on changes to maximum stakes and prizes for Category D gaming machines, to understand if this would be an appropriate way to support the family entertainment centre sector while maintaining protections for children and young people. Category D machines include seaside arcade staples, such as crane grabs and coin pushers. The consultation will seek evidence and feedback from a range of stakeholders on maximum stakes and prizes for these machines. We intend to launch the consultation this year.
The Government does not have plans to review stakes and prizes for other categories of gaming machines at this time.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of holding a summit to support the zoos and aquarium industry.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is responsible for ensuring zoos and aquariums provide the highest levels of welfare for the animals they keep, as well as delivering conservation and education. The Government published new Standards of Modern Zoo Practice for Great Britain on 24 May 2025, which will come into force from May 2027. The new Standards support zoos and aquariums in ensuring animals in their collections are being kept in line with latest in best zoo practice.
Following publication of the new Standards in May, the Animal Welfare Minister - Baroness Hayman of Ullock – held a zoos roundtable on 25 June, to discuss implementation of the new Standards, and what more Defra could do to help support zoos and aquariums adapt to the new Standards.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to update regulations on payment methods for amusement machines.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Direct use of debit cards and credit cards is currently prohibited on all gaming machines in Great Britain. The previous Government’s 2023 gambling white paper proposed removing the prohibition on the direct use of debit cards on gaming machines, subject to the introduction of certain player protections. While this proposal was not implemented under the previous administration, this government is considering the best available evidence from a wide range of stakeholders to inform any decisions on this proposal, which would require new legislation to implement.
In addition, the Gambling Commission recently consulted on proposals to introduce a number of new player protections for gaming machines in Great Britain, designed to support and empower customers to use gaming machines safely. The Government will take account of the progress and outcome of this consultation when considering regulations on payment methods for gaming machines.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the April 2025 deadline for backdated voluntary National Insurance Contributions, how many requests for callbacks were logged by his Department before 6 April 2025; how many callbacks have so far been made and completed through all stages; how many people have made National Insurance top-ups under this concessionary arrangement; and when he expects the callback process to be complete.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
In total, DWP received c528,000 call-back requests from customers ahead of the voluntary National Insurance Contributions (VNICS) deadline of 5 April 2025. The Department has taken a two-stage approach to actioning these requests.
Stage 1 was to gather personal information such as National Insurance numbers and to filter out any duplicate requests. All stage 1 call-backs have been completed.
Stage 2 is the review of any gaps in the customer National Insurance record and to assess the impact this may have on a customer’s State Pension. All Stage 2 call-backs for customers over State Pension age, residing in the UK have been completed, with under 5,000 call-backs outstanding for customers over SP age residing abroad. There are c119,500 under State Pension (GB and abroad) Stage 2 call-back outstanding. We expect all Stage 2 call-backs to be complete by end March 2026.
DWP does not hold data on how many of the customers went on to pay VNICS under this arrangement.
Background:
DWP have prioritised Stage 2 for those over or near to their State Pension age. The Department received 56,262 stage 2 call-back requests for customers over State Pension age and living in Great Britain – all these call-backs have been completed.
In addition, DWP received 23,961 stage 2 call-back requests for customers over State Pension age, living abroad. DWP have cleared 19,184 of these with 4,777 call-backs left to complete. DWP expect to clear this set of call-back requests before the end of December 2025.
All other stage 2 call-back requests are where the customer is under State Pension age. DWP has 119,451 remaining. DWP expect to clear this set of call-back requests before the end of March 2026.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the April 2025 deadline for backdated voluntary National Insurance Contributions how many requests for callbacks were logged by HMRC before 6 April 2025; how many callbacks have so far been made and completed through all stages; how many people have made National Insurance top-ups under this concessionary arrangement; and when she expects the callback process to be completed.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
In total, DWP received c528,000 call-back requests from customers ahead of the voluntary National Insurance Contributions (VNICS) deadline of 5 April 2025. The Department has taken a two-stage approach to actioning these requests.
Stage 1 was to gather personal information such as National Insurance numbers and to filter out any duplicate requests. All stage 1 call-backs have been completed.
Stage 2 is the review of any gaps in the customer National Insurance record and to assess the impact this may have on a customer’s State Pension. All Stage 2 call-backs for customers over State Pension age, residing in the UK have been completed, with under 5,000 call-backs outstanding for customers over SP age residing abroad. There are c119,500 under State Pension (GB and abroad) Stage 2 call-back outstanding. We expect all Stage 2 call-backs to be complete by end March 2026.
DWP does not hold data on how many of the customers went on to pay VNICS under this arrangement.
Background:
DWP have prioritised Stage 2 for those over or near to their State Pension age. The Department received 56,262 stage 2 call-back requests for customers over State Pension age and living in Great Britain – all these call-backs have been completed.
In addition, DWP received 23,961 stage 2 call-back requests for customers over State Pension age, living abroad. DWP have cleared 19,184 of these with 4,777 call-backs left to complete. DWP expect to clear this set of call-back requests before the end of December 2025.
All other stage 2 call-back requests are where the customer is under State Pension age. DWP has 119,451 remaining. DWP expect to clear this set of call-back requests before the end of March 2026.