Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) refugees and (b) displaced Ukrainians with leave to remain in the UK to (i) secure decent employment and (ii) improve their English language skills.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
In the recently published Immigration White Paper, we committed to increase English Language proficiency across the immigration system. This change will support migrants to integrate and be active participants in their local communities.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients resident in the postcode district (a) LA2, (b) LA5, (c) LA6, (d) LA7, (e) LA8, (f) LA9, (g) LA10, (h) LA11, (i) LA12, (j) LA13, (k) LA14, (l) LA15, (m) LA16, (n) LA17, (o) LA18, (p) LA19, (q) LA20, (r) LA21, (s) LA22 and (t) LA23 received radiotherapy treatment at the Rosemere Cancer Centre, Royal Preston Hospital in each of the last five years.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The attached table shows the number of patients who received radiotherapy treatment at the Rosemere Cancer Centre, Royal Preston Hospital each year between 2019 and 2024 for the postcode districts requested.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
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 average travel distance for cancer patients from South Cumbria and North Lancashire required to attend Royal Preston Hospital for radiotherapy.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring healthcare needs of local communities in England are met. For the Royal Preston Hospital, this is the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board.
The National Health Service in England runs schemes to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. The NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services.
The Department has not made any assessment of average travel distances in the South Cumbria and North Lancashire area.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish the localised hotspots in the reporting zones of (a) Greater London, (b) Nottingham, (c) Reading/Wokingham, (d) Coventry/Bedworth, (e) Eastern, (f) Greater Manchester, (g) Portsmouth, (h) South East, (i) Liverpool, (j) West Yorkshire, (k) Bristol, (l) Sheffield, (m) The Potteries, (n) West Midlands and (o) Tyneside which are not complying with the nitrogen dioxide annual mean limit value beyond 2023 in each calendar year until full compliance is achieved.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The localised hotspots identified through Defra’s national modelling and monitoring networks are published annually as part of the national compliance assessment under the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which localised hotspots in the reporting zones of (a) Greater London, (b) Nottingham, (c) Reading/Wokingham, (d) Coventry/Bedworth, (e) Eastern, (f) Greater Manchester, (g) Portsmouth, (h) South East, (i) Liverpool, (j) West Yorkshire, (k) Bristol, (l) Sheffield, (m) The Potteries, (n) West Midlands and (o) Tyneside are delaying compliance with the nitrogen dioxide annual mean limit value beyond 2023 in each calendar year until full compliance is achieved.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Predicting when locations will comply with the annual mean limit value for nitrogen dioxide is inherently uncertain.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of her Department's plan to introduce a higher multiplier on properties with rateable value of £500,000 and above on the food and drink wholesale sector.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
To deliver our manifesto pledge, from April 2026, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for high street retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values (RVs) below £500,000.
This tax cut must be sustainably funded, and so we also intend to introduce a higher rate on the most valuable properties from April 2026 - those with RVs of £500,000 and above. These represent less than one per cent of all properties.
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has published data on properties with RVs above £500,000 based on the previous valuation, broken down by sector online here:
Every three years, all commercial properties are revalued by the VOA. The 2026 revaluation, which will take effect from April 2026, will update RVs and may, therefore, affect which businesses are within scope of the new higher rate. The revaluation process is ongoing. The VOA are required to publish a draft of all properties’ new RVs this year.
The rates for these new business rate multipliers will be set at Budget 2025 so that the Government can take into account the upcoming revaluation outcomes as well as the economic and fiscal context. When the new multipliers are set, HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the expected effects of the new multiplier arrangements.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing targeted business rates relief for food and drink wholesalers.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
To deliver our manifesto pledge, from April 2026, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for high street retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values (RVs) below £500,000.
This tax cut must be sustainably funded, and so we also intend to introduce a higher rate on the most valuable properties from April 2026 - those with RVs of £500,000 and above. These represent less than one per cent of all properties.
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has published data on properties with RVs above £500,000 based on the previous valuation, broken down by sector online here:
Every three years, all commercial properties are revalued by the VOA. The 2026 revaluation, which will take effect from April 2026, will update RVs and may, therefore, affect which businesses are within scope of the new higher rate. The revaluation process is ongoing. The VOA are required to publish a draft of all properties’ new RVs this year.
The rates for these new business rate multipliers will be set at Budget 2025 so that the Government can take into account the upcoming revaluation outcomes as well as the economic and fiscal context. When the new multipliers are set, HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the expected effects of the new multiplier arrangements.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which (a) local authorities and (b) metro mayors have not published local plans to achieve compliance with legal limits for nitrogen dioxide.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Responsibility for developing plans to address nitrogen dioxide exceedances rests with local authorities, rather than metro mayors. We have agreed plans with the following local authorities:
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
Basildon Borough Council, Essex County Council and Rochford District Council (joint plan)
Bath and North East Somerset Council
Birmingham City Council
Blackwater Valley (joint plan by Surrey Heath Borough Council, Guildford Borough Council, Rushmoor District Council and Hampshire County Council)
Bolsover District Council
Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Bristol City Council
Broxbourne Borough Council
Coventry City Council
Derby City Council
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Fareham Borough Council and Hampshire County Council (joint plan)
Greater Manchester (joint plan by Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council, Bury Metropolitan Borough Council, Manchester City Council, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council, Rochdale Borough Council, Salford City Council, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council, Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council, and Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council)
Leeds City Council
Leicester City Council
Liverpool City Council
Nottingham City Council
Portsmouth City Council
Reading Borough Council
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
Southampton City Council
Sheffield City Council and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (joint plan)
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
Tyneside (joint plan by Newcastle City Council, South Tyneside Council and Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council)
City of Wolverhampton Council
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which (a) local authorities and (b) metro mayors have published local plans to achieve compliance with legal limits for nitrogen dioxide.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Responsibility for developing plans to address nitrogen dioxide exceedances rests with local authorities, rather than metro mayors. We have agreed plans with the following local authorities:
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
Basildon Borough Council, Essex County Council and Rochford District Council (joint plan)
Bath and North East Somerset Council
Birmingham City Council
Blackwater Valley (joint plan by Surrey Heath Borough Council, Guildford Borough Council, Rushmoor District Council and Hampshire County Council)
Bolsover District Council
Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Bristol City Council
Broxbourne Borough Council
Coventry City Council
Derby City Council
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Fareham Borough Council and Hampshire County Council (joint plan)
Greater Manchester (joint plan by Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council, Bury Metropolitan Borough Council, Manchester City Council, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council, Rochdale Borough Council, Salford City Council, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council, Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council, and Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council)
Leeds City Council
Leicester City Council
Liverpool City Council
Nottingham City Council
Portsmouth City Council
Reading Borough Council
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
Southampton City Council
Sheffield City Council and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (joint plan)
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
Tyneside (joint plan by Newcastle City Council, South Tyneside Council and Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council)
City of Wolverhampton Council
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 45552 on Nitrogen Dioxide: Pollution Control, whether he has had discussions with the Office for Environmental Protection on exceedances of nitrogen dioxide limit values.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has regular discussions with the Office for Environmental Protection on a range of issues.