Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) training and (b) certification of technicians in the use of alternative products during the planned transition away from fluorinated gases.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
F-gas regulatory changes, such as training and certification, are out of the scope of the hydrofluorocarbon phasedown consultation but their importance in delivery of the phasedown is recognised. The UK Government, in collaboration with the Scottish and Welsh Governments, is committed to further exploring other areas for F-gas reform.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
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 meet with the heating, refrigeration and air conditioning industries to discuss the F Gas Regulation in Great Britain consultation.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Officials have been in regular contact with sector representatives during the current consultation on reforming the hydrofluorocarbon phasedown and before it. They welcome further discussions as part of ongoing engagement with the sector.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Welsh Government counterparts about sharing best practice around increasing screening uptake for breast cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises ministers and the National Health Service in the four nations of the United Kingdom about all aspects of screening. The implementation of any UK NSC screening recommendation is a devolved matter.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the hydrofluorocarbons phasedown proposed in the F Gas Regulation in Great Britain consultation allows industry adequate time for safety checks on flammable alternatives to F Gas.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The consultation on reforming the hydrofluorocarbon phasedown seeks views from respondents about potential wider impacts from the proposal. We will take into account responses to those views when making decisions following the consultation.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the level of discrimination affecting religious-minority women in the garment sector in South Asia; and how this is being addressed through UK development and human-rights programmes.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We remain concerned by the discrimination that affects religious minority women in South Asia's garment sector, and we continue to advocate for their fair treatment, equal opportunities and safe working conditions. UK-funded programmes across South Asia also support women's entrepreneurship, and inclusive trade benefitting vulnerable groups.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to publish an Equality Impact Assessment for changes to the Motability scheme.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Motability Scheme is a lifeline for many disabled people and families, supporting their independence by enabling them to lease a car, wheelchair accessible vehicle, scooter or powered wheelchair in exchange for an eligible disability benefit allowance.
The government announced a package of reforms to the Motability Scheme at Autumn Budget 2025, which will ensure the scheme delivers value for money for the taxpayer, while continuing to support disabled people.
An Equality Impact Assessment was undertaken and published by HMT as part of the Autumn Budget and can be found here: Motability Scheme: reforming tax reliefs - GOV.UK
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of a) changes to Vehicle Exercise Duty and b) introduction of a Electric Vehicle Excise Duty on users of the Motability scheme leasing an electric vehicle.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
As announced at Budget 2025, the Government is introducing Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) from April 2028, a new mileage charge for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, recognising that EVs contribute to congestion and wear and tear on the roads but pay no equivalent to fuel duty.
eVED is designed to replace fuel duty for electric and plug-in hybrid cars. This means it will apply to cars driven by those who are wholly or partially exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), but where their petrol or diesel equivalents would be subject to fuel duty. This includes those who receive the mobility component of certain disability-related benefits (principally Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment). These groups will continue to receive the same VED exemptions as they do now but will not be exempt from eVED, as they are not exempt from fuel duty.
As with petrol/diesel vehicles where fuel duty applies, eVED will also apply to cars that are leased. The leasing company will typically be responsible for paying eVED and can choose how to pass on to their customers.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with OECD) about updating the OECD counterparts on recognised methods for assessing toxicity in the context of the Government's commitment to phase out the use of the a) LC50 and b) LD50 tests.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The UK has OECD representatives who were involved in developing our strategy to replace animals in science, and will be involved in its delivery. The strategy groups animal tests according to their readiness for replacement, based on maturity of potential alternative methods. These initial baskets will be refined in consultation with stakeholders, noting that two LD/LC50 tests are already in baskets 1 and 2 (botulinum potency and fish acute toxicity tests respectively) so are among the first targeted for phase-out. We will also establish a UK Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (UKCVAM) to accelerate alternative method uptake.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of the Government's changes to the Motability scheme on wheelchair users who do not use a wheelchair accessible vehicle.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Motability Scheme is a lifeline for many disabled people and families, supporting their independence by enabling them to lease a car, wheelchair accessible vehicle, scooter or powered wheelchair in exchange for an eligible disability benefit allowance.
Before any announcements were made, Motability Operations confirmed it will continue to offer a broad range of vehicles without an Advance Payment. This will ensure that people who elect to join the Scheme can access vehicles suited to their needs, whether that’s a larger vehicle or extra boot space to carry wheelchairs, whatever their health condition or disability, in exchange for all or part of their mobility allowance.
Motability Foundation will continue to offer means-tested grants to those most in need of financial help. These grants support eligible people who would otherwise struggle to afford the advance payment or adaptations for a vehicle, or a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) through the Motability Scheme.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of fluorinated gases during the planned transition to alternative gases.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Government is consulting on proposed reforms to the GB hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) phasedown. The consultation closes on 17 December, and the Department will be carefully considering the responses.
The consultation and accompanying De Minimis Assessment outline our modelling assumptions on HFC availability. We have asked respondents to provide feedback on those assumptions.