Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps she has taken to ensure local councils adhere to creditors' responsibilities when debtors are under a Debt Respite (Breathing Space) period.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Breathing Space Scheme was launched in May 2021 to give those in problem debt the space to engage with professional debt advice by providing a temporary relief from creditor enforcement action.
The scheme guidance for creditors sets out their responsibilities when a debtor enters a breathing space and makes clear that, upon being notified, creditors must stop all enforcement action, pause contact with the debtor, and freeze most interest and charges for the duration of the breathing space.
Where a creditor does not comply with the terms of the breathing space, any enforcement action they take is not valid and they may be liable for the debtor’s costs. The debt adviser will also notify the Insolvency Service which administers the scheme, so that the creditor can be reminded of their obligations. Debtors are also able to go through their creditor’s formal complaints procedure and, if relevant, escalate to the appropriate ombudsman or oversight body.
Councils are responsible for the collection of a broad range of debts and are required to recover all debts in accordance with the law.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent steps have been taken to help ensure value for money for leaseholders in relation to service charges imposed by management companies.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department does not hold data on average service charges in Slough and Berkshire.
On 4 July 2025, the government published a consultation, jointly with the Welsh Government, on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. The consultation included proposals to reform the section 20 ‘major works’ procedure, increase transparency over service charges and enhance access to redress through the relevant provisions in the Act. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here. It closed on 26 September 2025, and we are analysing responses with a view to bringing the relevant measures into force as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an estimate of the average service charges for leaseholders billed by management companies in (a) Slough and (b) Berkshire.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department does not hold data on average service charges in Slough and Berkshire.
On 4 July 2025, the government published a consultation, jointly with the Welsh Government, on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. The consultation included proposals to reform the section 20 ‘major works’ procedure, increase transparency over service charges and enhance access to redress through the relevant provisions in the Act. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here. It closed on 26 September 2025, and we are analysing responses with a view to bringing the relevant measures into force as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps his Department have taken to ensure businesses adhere to creditors' responsibilities when debtors are under a Debt respite breathing space period.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
A breathing space gives individuals the right to legal protections from creditor action to recover debts included in the agreement. If a creditor does not comply, the regulations set out that the debt adviser responsible for the application can contact the creditor to remind them of their obligations or ultimately notify the Insolvency Service, as the scheme’s administrator, to require their compliance. Notifications to the Insolvency Service are very rare. If non-compliance persists, action taken by a creditor is invalid and they may be liable for the debtor’s costs. Repeated breaches can be considered by the creditor’s regulator, where appropriate.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is able to take to respond to economic coercion from other countries.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK is well prepared to respond to economic coercion and has a strong and flexible toolkit to defend its interests. We can act through diplomatic engagement, international dispute mechanisms, and cooperation with allies, including the G7. We also retain the ability to use trade and non‑trade measures, consistent with international rules, to address unfair trading practices and protect UK businesses. Alongside this, we are strengthening economic resilience by supporting businesses to diversify markets and supply chains, and by continuing to reform and enhance our trade defence and remedies framework, including through seeking views on new powers to respond to economic pressure.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her counterpart in Iraq on the rights of religious minorities in that country.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 3 October 2025 in response to Question 75586.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when security and defence arrangements were last assessed for each of the overseas territories.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The UK maintains credible contingency plans for the Overseas Territories, and has strategically located bases in Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, Ascension Island, the Sovereign Base Areas on the island of Cyprus, and the joint UK/US base on Diego Garcia. These plans are kept under review to ensure they are commensurate to the threat.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department will be taking to prevent establishments licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 from keeping animals in sub-standard facilities.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
All licenced establishments must meet the minimum required standards for care and accommodation, as set out in the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-for-the-housing-and-care-of-animals-bred-supplied-or-used-for-scientific-purposes).
The Home Office Regulator conducts both announced and unannounced audits to assure establishments’ compliance with the required standards in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, the Code of Practice and their individual licence conditions.
In confirmed cases of non-compliance, the Regulator applies remedies aimed at minimising the risk of future recurrence, in line with its compliance policy (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa). The Regulator will continue to publish all cases of non-compliance in its Annual Reports, where it considers root causes of and key learnings from non-compliance and makes recommendations to reduce future risk. (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-regulation-unit-annual-reports).
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 37 of the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report 2024, published in December 2025, what specific issues the item "significant issues of concern regarding farm and large animal facilities" refers to.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
All licensed establishments must uphold the standards for animal welfare set out in ASPA and in the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes. The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) takes instances of potential non-compliance very seriously and thoroughly investigates all non-compliance concerns.
ASRU publishes an annual report that sets out all confirmed non‑compliance cases along with any enforcement actions taken (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-regulation-unit#annual-reports).
With reference to page 37 of the ASRU Annual Report 2024, the item “significant issues of concern regarding farm and large animal facilities” refers specifically to a breach of Establishment Licence Standard Condition 4.7. This condition requires licence holders to maintain standards of care and accommodation set out in the Code of Practice available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-for-the-housing-and-care-of-animals-bred-supplied-or-used-for-scientific-purposes.
ASRU’s published Compliance Policy (www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa) provides information on how the regulator identifies, investigates and responds to potential incidents of non‑compliance, and how proportionate measures and sanctions are applied where breaches are found which seek to prevent future recurrence.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report 2024, published in December 2025, what were the reasons for three establishment licences being revoked.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report is the regulator’s public account of its work overseeing the use of animals in science under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. It includes information on licensing, compliance activity and enforcement outcomes to provide transparency and assurance about the operation of the regulatory framework.
The three establishment licences reported as revoked in 2024 were withdrawn because the establishments had stopped conducting regulated procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. In such cases, licence revocation is an administrative step, confirming that an establishment is no longer required to maintain a licence.