Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to secure the release of Dr Abu Safiya and other medical staff from Israeli prisons, following the findings by UN Special Rapporteurs on 7 July 2026 that their detention is arbitrary.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 15 July in response to Question 16811.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
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 18 May 2026 to Question 2218 Seeds: Imports, what measures is the government taking to safeguard domestic agriculture and horticulture from the risk of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and invasive species from imported into the UK via seeds sourced from online marketplaces.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Seeds purchased online from a non-UK seller are usually imported into the UK through large courier companies. They arrive and are sorted at the following airports and hubs: East Midlands, Heathrow, Stanstead, Coventry Hub.
At all these sites there is a schedule of inspections to inspect seeds and other planting material to ensure that the appropriate documentation has been provided and to conduct laboratory testing to ensure freedom from quarantine pest and disease. There are regular interceptions of consignments that do not meet the required documentation and physical testing. These consignments are, as a rule, destroyed or, where considered appropriate, refused customs clearance and returned to the country of export.
For seeds that have been imported and are then traded ‘inland’ (from one UK business to another), there is a requirement for the seller to be authorised as a plant passporter, and with this registration there is an obligation to ensure that the seeds they are selling meet the UK plant health biosecurity requirements. If a seller is not registered as a plant passporter and is trading on online platforms, the seller is contacted and notified that they need to be authorised as a plant passporter. If the seller does not register following this request, the online platform is asked to remove the seller’s listings.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many applications for a grant of probate were submitted in a) English and b) Welsh in each year since 2021.
Answered by Catherine Atkinson
Grants of representation(1) applied for by language submitted in, England and Wales
Annually 2021 to 2025
Source: HMCTS Core Case Data
| Total Applications(2) |
| Language submitted in | |
Year |
| English (or not specified) | Welsh | |
2021 | 282,857 |
| 281,994 | 863 |
2022 | 292,252 |
| 291,327 | 925 |
2023 | 302,882 |
| 301,620 | 1,262 |
2024 | 299,430 |
| 297,670 | 1,760 |
2025 | 304,972 |
| 302,721 | 2,251 |
Notes:
1) All grant types including letters of administration with/without a Will
2) Total applications do not include where the grant type is not specified/missing
Due to revisions these figures may differ slightly to those published in Family Court Statistics Quarterly.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what analysis her Department has conducted on the potential benefits and impacts of redirecting a portion of Annual Licence Fee revenues towards resilience-enhancing measures.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
The resilience of the UK’s critical national infrastructure is of central importance to the essential services the public rely on. We welcome Ofcom’s review of the power resilience of mobile networks, recognising the complexity of the challenge but also the importance consumers place on being able to have uninterrupted access to mobile services.
We are currently undertaking a Mobile Market Review to consider what action the Government can take to support the sector’s ability to invest in comprehensive high-quality, secure and reliable connectivity over the long-term.
As part of this, my officials are in regular discussion with HM Treasury. We are currently reviewing the responses to the call for evidence and aim to set out key findings and next steps later this year.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has had discussions with HM Treasury on alternative uses of spectrum-related revenues to support national connectivity and resilience objectives.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
The resilience of the UK’s critical national infrastructure is of central importance to the essential services the public rely on. We welcome Ofcom’s review of the power resilience of mobile networks, recognising the complexity of the challenge but also the importance consumers place on being able to have uninterrupted access to mobile services.
We are currently undertaking a Mobile Market Review to consider what action the Government can take to support the sector’s ability to invest in comprehensive high-quality, secure and reliable connectivity over the long-term.
As part of this, my officials are in regular discussion with HM Treasury. We are currently reviewing the responses to the call for evidence and aim to set out key findings and next steps later this year.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Technology what discussions she has had with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and DNOs on ensuring rapid restoration of power to telecommunications sites during major incidents.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
My department works very closely with DESNZ on shared resilience issues. The Government aims to promote collaboration between the electricity and telecommunications sectors, so that when power cuts occur the risk of disruption to services is reduced and any unavoidable disruption affects as few people as possible, for the shortest possible time.
While most power outages are short-lived, severe events such as major storms can cause prolonged disruption. DSIT works with DESNZ, Ofgem, Ofcom, telecoms operators and electricity network operators, including DNOs, to reduce the impact of power disruption on telecoms infrastructure during major incidents. This includes recent steps to improve how operators share information, identify affected telecoms sites, support restoration planning, maintain clear escalation routes, and coordinate incident responses through the Electronic Communications Resilience and Response Group and the Energy Networks Association.
Alongside this, DESNZ’s forthcoming Energy Resilience Strategy will set out next steps for maintaining energy resilience and embedding resilience into the future energy system.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the UK National Screening Committee plans to build use of Stockholm3 into its screening model.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) has committed to examine any significant peer reviewed evidence that is relevant to its recommendation on prostate cancer screening, including reviewing evidence on biomarkers such as Stockholm3.
When new peer reviewed evidence is published on prostate cancer the UK NSC will consider this and assess its quality and relevance to its recommendation. Where evidence relates to an aspect or issue that has not previously been considered by the Committee (such as biomarkers) then the new evidence will be considered and assessed alongside other published evidence on that aspect or issue. The UK NSC uses evidence maps, rapid and systematic reviews to ensure that all relevant literature is captured and considered. The combined results of such a review are then fed into the model used to inform the Committee’s recommendation.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment has she made of the potential merits of reducing VAT to 10% for hospitality businesses in Wales.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption. It is a reserved tax and applies across the UK, with the 20 per cent standard rate applying to most goods and services. Reduced rates of VAT come at a significant cost to the Exchequer and reduce the revenue available for vital public services. Any reduction in tax revenue would mean higher borrowing, lower spending, or increases in other taxes.
HMRC estimates that reducing the standard rate of VAT to 10% on all accommodation and food and beverage services would cost approximately £11 billion a year.
The Government is already supporting hospitality through targeted measures, including permanently lower business rates multipliers, a £4.3 billion business rates support package, and the temporary Great British Summer Savings scheme, which will reduce VAT from 20 per cent to 5 per cent on eligible family attractions and children's menu meals between 25 June and 1 September.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 51908, whether she has made an estimate of (a) the cash-flow to the Exchequer of withdrawing postponed VAT accounting for imports, including the interest foregone on deferred VAT liabilities, and (b) the potential reduction in import VAT fraud and the tax gap from requiring payment of import VAT using the same facilities as apply to customs duties.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
Postponed VAT accounting provides significant support for businesses, helping to manage cash flow and facilitate imports. HMRC undertakes regular operational work to ensure compliance with the rules around postponed VAT accounting.
The VAT gap has reduced from 13.8% in 2005-06 to 6.5% in 2024-25, and has remained broadly stable since 2020-21.
The Government keeps all tax policy under review as part of the policy making process
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will commission the Office for Budget Responsibility to undertake an independent assessment of the fiscal impact of (a) withdrawing postponed VAT accounting for imports and (b) requiring payment of import VAT at the same time and using the same facilities as apply to customs duties, including the effects on Exchequer cash flow, the tax gap, and import VAT fraud.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
Postponed VAT accounting provides significant support for businesses, helping to manage cash flow and facilitate imports. HMRC undertakes regular operational work to ensure compliance with the rules around postponed VAT accounting.
The VAT gap has reduced from 13.8% in 2005-06 to 6.5% in 2024-25, and has remained broadly stable since 2020-21.
The Government keeps all tax policy under review as part of the policy making process