Asked by: Tony Vaughan (Labour - Folkestone and Hythe)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that Lindsay and Craig Foreman secure the regular medical treatment in Evin Prison that they need.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We regularly raise Lindsay and Craig's case with the Iranian authorities at both ministerial and official level, and continually stress the importance we attach to their health, their welfare, and their ability to contact family members.
Officials also continue to provide consular assistance directly to the couple, including during a recent consular visit by His Majesty's Ambassador to Iran. We provide regular support and advice to Craig and Lindsay's family members as well. I speak with them regularly, and the Foreign Secretary met them on 17 March.
As the Foreign Secretary has said, the sentence given to Lindsay and Craig is completely unjustified and appalling, and we will continue to raise their case until they are safely returned home.
Asked by: Tony Vaughan (Labour - Folkestone and Hythe)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to work with the UK’s allies to secure the release and return of Craig and Lindsay Foreman to the UK.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We regularly raise Lindsay and Craig's case with the Iranian authorities at both ministerial and official level, and continually stress the importance we attach to their health, their welfare, and their ability to contact family members.
Officials also continue to provide consular assistance directly to the couple, including during a recent consular visit by His Majesty's Ambassador to Iran. We provide regular support and advice to Craig and Lindsay's family members as well. I speak with them regularly, and the Foreign Secretary met them on 17 March.
As the Foreign Secretary has said, the sentence given to Lindsay and Craig is completely unjustified and appalling, and we will continue to raise their case until they are safely returned home.
Asked by: Tony Vaughan (Labour - Folkestone and Hythe)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that Craig and Lindsay Foreman secure regular telephone contact with their family in the UK.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We regularly raise Lindsay and Craig's case with the Iranian authorities at both ministerial and official level, and continually stress the importance we attach to their health, their welfare, and their ability to contact family members.
Officials also continue to provide consular assistance directly to the couple, including during a recent consular visit by His Majesty's Ambassador to Iran. We provide regular support and advice to Craig and Lindsay's family members as well. I speak with them regularly, and the Foreign Secretary met them on 17 March.
As the Foreign Secretary has said, the sentence given to Lindsay and Craig is completely unjustified and appalling, and we will continue to raise their case until they are safely returned home.
Asked by: Tony Vaughan (Labour - Folkestone and Hythe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to support small-scale landlords in the private rental sector.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Renters’ Rights Act will provide tangible benefits for responsible landlords who provide high-quality homes and a good service to their tenants, including simpler regulation and clear and expanded possession grounds, so that landlords can regain their properties quickly when necessary.
The government has not introduced any specific measures to support small-scale landlords in the private rented sector.
Asked by: Tony Vaughan (Labour - Folkestone and Hythe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support ex-miners to access the pensions that they are entitled to.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is keen to reach agreement with the Trustees of the British Coal pension schemes on changes to the arrangements to benefit scheme members. The Government is mindful of the need to resolve this issue as swiftly as possible, and will make an announcement once agreement has been reached.
Asked by: Tony Vaughan (Labour - Folkestone and Hythe)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help tackle trade barriers for exports of British textile products to the European Union.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is committed to tackling barriers faced by businesses, when trading with the EU.
This Government has reset our relationship with the EU, our closest partner, accounting for almost half (45%) of the UK’s total trade in 2025. The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), remains a cornerstone of that relationship and we are committed to its full implementation. The TCA provides for zero tariffs and zero quotas on all goods, including textiles, provided they meet appropriate Rules of Origin requirements.
The Government provides support to businesses through business.gov.uk, including access to advisers and guidance to help exporters navigate EU requirements.
Asked by: Tony Vaughan (Labour - Folkestone and Hythe)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to reduce trade barriers for exports of British textile products to the USA.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Through negotiations on the Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD), the UK enjoys preferential trading terms with the US across a range of key sectors, including automotives, pharmaceuticals, and core steel and aluminium.
Discussions on the EPD continue, which will look at addressing tariff and non-tariff barriers, increasing digital and services trade, and unlocking new commercial opportunities that benefit both nations. We do not comment on ongoing negotiations.
UK businesses, including those in the textiles industry, can access information, advice and services through the Business Growth Service via business.gov.uk. This includes guidance on market selection, operating overseas, trade restrictions and regulations.
Asked by: Tony Vaughan (Labour - Folkestone and Hythe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support homeowners with low to average annual incomes access loans and grants to make their properties more energy efficient.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is a universal grant of up to £7.500 to help property owners replace fossil fuel heating systems with more efficient, low carbon alternatives such as heat pumps, with a recent uplift to up to £9,000 for off-gas-grid homes heated by oil or LPG.
We’ve committed to a new low-interest loans scheme backed by an initial £2 billion of Government support, helping households with upfront costs for various measures, and we’ll be providing more details on this soon.
The Government also provides targeted support for low‑income households worth £5 billion including through the Warm Homes: Local Grant and the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund.
All these schemes form part of the Government’s broader £15 billion Warm Homes Plan, which represents the biggest public investment in home upgrades in British history.
Asked by: Tony Vaughan (Labour - Folkestone and Hythe)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reducing the number of Personal Independence Payment claimants on carers who receive Carers’ Allowance.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Daily Living Component of Personal Independence Payment paid to the person being cared for is one of the “trigger” benefits for Carer’s Allowance. The Government has no plans to change this.
I am currently undertaking a Review of the Personal Independence Payment. The Review is being co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, carers, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard. This means the Government will share ownership and responsibility for how the Review runs and what it recommends.
We are committed to supporting disabled people in living independent and fulfilling lives, and this will mean spending public money as effectively as possible. As such, the Review will operate within the OBR’s projections for future PIP expenditure, ensuring sustainability while continuing to provide meaningful support.
Asked by: Tony Vaughan (Labour - Folkestone and Hythe)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress she has made in allocating the £500 million of funding to local authorities to deliver asylum accommodation under the Asylum Accommodation Programme pilots.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
We have committed to closing every asylum hotel, and work is well underway, with more suitable sites, including military bases, being brought forward to ease pressure on communities. Suitable locations for Home Office-run pilots and allocation of funding are currently being reviewed. The Home Office are working with MHCLG to explore a model of asylum accommodation that achieves value for money and supports asylum system reform. Further detail will be provided in due course.