Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to take steps to (a) encourage the acquisition of dogs through (i) reputable rehoming organisations and (ii) breeders and (b) otherwise promote responsible dog ownership.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government encourages people to adopt from responsible rescue and rehoming organisations. Members of the public can check if the rescue centre they use is a member of the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes, which has set clear standards for animal assessments, neutering and rehoming procedures for their members.
The Government also encourages prospective owners who choose to buy a dog to do so through reputable breeders. Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, anyone breeding and selling dogs as a business or who breeds three or more litters in a 12-month period must hold a valid licence from their local authority and meet strict welfare standards.
The Government has reconvened the Responsible Dog Ownership taskforce to explore measures to promote responsible dog ownership across all breeds of dog. We look forward to receiving the findings and recommendations from the taskforce in due course.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to regulate animal (a) rescues and (b) sanctuaries.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Rescue and rehoming establishments in England must provide for the five basic welfare needs of the animals set out in the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare. Anyone who is cruel to an animal, or does not provide for its welfare, may be banned from owning animals. They may also face an unlimited fine, be sent to prison, or both.
We are considering whether there is a need for further regulation of this sector as part of our development of an overarching approach to animal welfare. The Prime Minister has committed to publish an Animal Welfare Strategy later this year.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the status is of sanctions on Sutton Place in Woking constituency.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
OFSI does not generally comment on specific cases. For further information about how OFSI takes licensing decisions, please see the OFSI’s general guidance here, and OFSI’s supplemental licensing guidance here.
Designations under UK sanctions regimes are published on the OFSI Consolidated List, which provides details of individuals and entities subject to financial sanctions, including asset freezes. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) also maintains the UK sanctions List, which outlines relevant regimes and listings. Where a designated person (DP) owns or controls economic resources, such as property, those resources are subject to an asset freeze. This means that dealing with or making funds or economic resources available to or for the benefit of a DP, whether directly or indirectly, is prohibited unless authorised by either a General Licence or Specific Licence from OFSI or an applicable legislative exception.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of improving (a) traceability and (b) transparency in dog breeding through strengthened (i) regulation and (ii) microchipping requirements.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra completed a Post-Implementation Review of the Licensing of Activities Involving Animals Regulations 2018, which regulate dog breeding. The Government is considering the findings and will be outlining more detail on next steps in due course.
Compulsory dog microchipping was introduced in England in 2016. All dogs over 8 weeks must be microchipped and relevant information including breeder details recorded with a Defra-compliant database operator, which helps support traceability.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of removing the tax on sustainable fuel on the UK's motorsport sector.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Liquid biofuels and renewable fuels are taxed at the same rate as their petrol and diesel equivalents. The main rate is 52.95 pence per litre. The government keeps the tax system under review, with changes announced at fiscal events.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department made arrangements to (a) maintain the property and (b) pay any outstanding liabilities following the introduction of sanctions on the owners of Sutton Place.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
OFSI does not generally comment on specific cases. For further information about how OFSI takes licensing decisions, please see the OFSI’s general guidance here, and OFSI’s supplemental licensing guidance here.
The asset freeze imposed on designated persons prohibits them from dealing with or benefiting from their UK assets, including real estate.
Where appropriate, OFSI may issue either a general or specific licence on behalf of HM Treasury to permit activity that would otherwise be prohibited by an asset freeze. This includes to enable payments for pre-existing obligations and for the routine holding and maintenance of properties owned by designated persons.
However, while a licence permits such payments, it does not compel the designated person to undertake the work. Therefore, even if OFSI issues a licence, maintenance or repairs will only take place if the designated person is willing to carry them out.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department plans to take to improve the employment tribunal process.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
We recognise that there remain significant challenges for the performance of the Employment Tribunals. We are working with the judiciary and across Government with
His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), Acas and the Department of Business and Trade on actions to improve performance in the Employment Tribunals.
HMCTS continues to invest in improving Employment Tribunal processes through the recruitment of additional judges, deployment of Legal Officers to actively manage cases, the development of modern case management systems, and the use of remote hearing technology. A ‘Virtual Region’ of judges has delivered over 1,500 extra sitting days. We are encouraging the uptake of mediation to help individuals resolve their employment issues at the earliest opportunity.
Following recruitment, in 2024 we had 21 more salaried judges in the Employment Tribunals than in 2023, and further recruitment for up to 36 salaried Employment Judges commenced in March 2025. 50 fee paid employment judges were appointed in 2024 and recruitment will commence for another 50 in early 2026. As a result, the Lord Chancellor was able to announce on 5 March a sitting day allocation for the Employment Tribunals of 33,900 in 2025/26, the maximum allocation they are able to sit.
The Government is clear that everyone should have access to Employment Tribunals, to challenge unfair behaviour at work. We recently reiterated this commitment, by announcing that bringing forward a case to an Employment Tribunal will remain free, to ensure that everyone can stand up for their rights at work, no matter their means.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support people who have been diagnosed privately with ADHD to enter shared care agreements with GPs.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder assessment and treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.
Shared care with the National Health Service refers to an arrangement whereby a specialist doctor formally transfers responsibility for all or some aspects of their patient’s care, such as prescription of medication, over to the patient’s general practitioner (GP).
The General Medical Council (GMC), which regulates and sets standards for doctors in the United Kingdom, has made it clear that GPs cannot be compelled to enter into a shared care agreement. Practices may decline such requests on clinical or capacity grounds.
The GMC has issued guidance on prescribing and managing medicines, which helps GPs decide whether to accept shared care responsibilities. In deciding whether to enter into a shared care agreement, a GP will need to consider a number of factors such as whether the proposed activity is within their sphere of competence, and therefore safe and suitable for their patient’s needs. This includes the GP being satisfied that any prescriptions or referrals for treatment are clinically appropriate.
If a shared care arrangement cannot be put in place after the treatment has been initiated, the responsibility for continued prescribing falls upon the specialist clinician, and this applies to both NHS and private medical care.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with HM Treasury on improving communication between his Department and HMRC on (a) cases involving voluntary National Insurance contributions paid while working abroad and (b) other matters.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We work closely with HMRC on Voluntary National Insurance Contributions, sharing information where appropriate and proactively identifying ways we can improve our working practices. This includes Voluntary National Insurance Contribution related work.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what arrangements were made following the introduction of sanctions on the owners of Sutton Place to (a) maintain the property and (b) pay any outstanding liabilities.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
OFSI does not generally comment on specific cases. For further information about how OFSI takes licensing decisions, please see the OFSI’s general guidance here, and OFSI’s supplemental licensing guidance here.
The asset freeze imposed on designated persons prohibits them from dealing with or benefiting from their UK assets, including real estate.
Where appropriate, OFSI may issue either a general or specific licence on behalf of HM Treasury to permit activity that would otherwise be prohibited by an asset freeze. This includes to enable payments for pre-existing obligations and for the routine holding and maintenance of properties owned by designated persons.
However, while a licence permits such payments, it does not compel the designated person to undertake the work. Therefore, even if OFSI issues a licence, maintenance or repairs will only take place if the designated person is willing to carry them out.