Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 on (a) the (i) agriculture, (ii) forestry and (iii) fishing industry, (b) the construction industry and (c) other sectors.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government supported the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023, which received Royal Assent on 20 July 2023. The Act will require immobilisers and forensic marking to be fitted as standard to specified new agricultural equipment such as All-Terrain Vehicles and quad bikes.
We published a Call for Evidence last summer, seeking views on the details needed for the secondary legislation, targeted at those who may be affected by proposals, including the agricultural and construction sectors, manufacturers, dealers, retailers, tradespeople and law enforcement.
Over 200 responses were received, and we have further engaged with manufacturers and retailers on the detail. I am carefully considering responses before publishing the Government response.
Work has begun on the necessary secondary legislation regulations.
The Act will help prevent equipment from being stolen in the first place, and will have a deterrent effect by making it harder for criminals to sell on stolen machinery. The Act will also assist the police with identifying the owners of stolen equipment when it is recovered, and provide additional lines of enquiry.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to engage with stakeholders on the drafting of secondary legislation under the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023; and what his planned timescale is for bringing forward such legislation.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government supported the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023, which received Royal Assent on 20 July 2023. The Act will require immobilisers and forensic marking to be fitted as standard to specified new agricultural equipment such as All-Terrain Vehicles and quad bikes.
We published a Call for Evidence last summer, seeking views on the details needed for the secondary legislation, targeted at those who may be affected by proposals, including the agricultural and construction sectors, manufacturers, dealers, retailers, tradespeople and law enforcement.
Over 200 responses were received, and we have further engaged with manufacturers and retailers on the detail. I am carefully considering responses before publishing the Government response.
Work has begun on the necessary secondary legislation regulations.
The Act will help prevent equipment from being stolen in the first place, and will have a deterrent effect by making it harder for criminals to sell on stolen machinery. The Act will also assist the police with identifying the owners of stolen equipment when it is recovered, and provide additional lines of enquiry.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 on (a) manufacturers, (b) consumers and (c) retailers.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government supported the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023, which received Royal Assent on 20 July 2023. The Act will require immobilisers and forensic marking to be fitted as standard to specified new agricultural equipment such as All-Terrain Vehicles and quad bikes.
We published a Call for Evidence last summer, seeking views on the details needed for the secondary legislation, targeted at those who may be affected by proposals, including the agricultural and construction sectors, manufacturers, dealers, retailers, tradespeople and law enforcement.
Over 200 responses were received, and we have further engaged with manufacturers and retailers on the detail. I am carefully considering responses before publishing the Government response.
Work has begun on the necessary secondary legislation regulations.
The Act will help prevent equipment from being stolen in the first place, and will have a deterrent effect by making it harder for criminals to sell on stolen machinery. The Act will also assist the police with identifying the owners of stolen equipment when it is recovered, and provide additional lines of enquiry.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will review and amend the criteria for student finance applications based on compelling personal reasons to ensure they offer appropriate flexibility where students experience unavoidable delays beyond a single academic year in completing their course of study.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
Generally, standard entitlement to fee support on full time courses will be available for the duration of the course, plus one extra year if needed.
If a student needs to repeat a year of study due to compelling personal reasons (CPR), they may be entitled to an additional year of tuition fee funding, in addition to their standard entitlement. Only one such year can be awarded at a time. However, if the student fails the repeat year and Student Finance England (SFE) determines that the CPR criteria have been met, a further CPR year may be awarded.
Additionally, the regulations allow a current system student, who did not complete their previous, most recent course due to CPR to access fee support for one additional year. This fee support for an additional year will be provided in respect to the first year that the student takes of the current course. Provided that it was the most recent course that the student withdrew from for CPR, it does not matter how long ago they withdrew from that course.
The decision to award fee support due to CPR is for SFE to make based on the evidence provided and the individual merits of each case.