Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate she has made of the (a) backlog of cases and (b) average time taken by the Valuation Office Agency’s to process applications to transfer short-term rental properties between business rates and council tax; and what steps she is taking to help improve performance.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has announced that the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) will be integrated into HMRC by April 2026. Moving the VOA’s functions into HMRC will increase oversight and accountability to Ministers over delivery of their priorities to modernise the tax system and improve the experience of taxpayers and businesses.
On average, the VOA is clearing cases relating to self-catering properties in England and Wales within four months.
Currently, the VOA is working as quickly as possible to clear any outstanding cases, focusing on the oldest cases first, and those where customers are facing financial hardship.
More widely, it is replacing IT systems with modern cloud-based platforms that will deliver significant efficiencies across its work. It is also upskilling its workforce so they can handle multiple types of cases, and improving its digital services to make it easier for customers to self-serve.
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, what discussions he has had with counterparts in the Welsh Government on improving equine identification and traceability.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the importance of engaging with Devolved Governments on a regular basis. Defra officials hold regular monthly meetings with Welsh Government to discuss improvements to equine identification and traceability; there is also an open channel of communication between officials to deal with shared issues in a timely manner.
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, how many Equidae were recorded as leaving the UK via (a) Dover, (b) Cairnryan, (c) Holyhead, (d) Harwich and (e) other ports since the ban on live exports to slaughter and fattening was brought into force.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The table below contains the number of Export Health Certificates (EHC) dispatched for the export of Equidae from 22/07/2024 to date.
Each EHC issued is for the export of one equine. The point of exit and purpose of movement are not recorded as the Export Health Certificate Online System (EHCO) does not capture that information.
Date | Number of EHCs Dispatched for the Export of Equines |
2024 | |
Jul | 904 |
Aug | 2307 |
Sep | 2342 |
Oct | 3334 |
Nov | 2422 |
Dec | 1714 |
Total | 13023 |
2025 | |
Jan | 1697 |
Feb | 1739 |
Mar | 1948 |
Apr | 1451 |
Total | 6835 |
Grand Total | 19858 |
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to carry out an impact assessment on the consequences of proposals detailed in the Health and Disability Green Paper that have not been included within the formal consultation process.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.
A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
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 help support the owners of (a) short and (b) long term holiday lets to improve the energy efficiency rating of their properties in Wales.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Warm Homes Plan will help people find ways to save money on energy bills and transform our ageing building stock into comfortable, low-carbon homes that are fit for the future. We will partner with combined authorities and local and devolved governments to roll out this plan.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides grants to property owners, including holiday lets, to enable them to transition away from fossil fuel to low carbon heating.
Advice for energy efficiency support in Wales is available at: https://www.gov.wales/home-energy-fuel-poverty
Further details on the Warm Homes Plan will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to support the use of shore power technology at the Port of Fishguard to aid maritime decarbonisation.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions programme has previously allocated over £33m to five shore power demonstrator projects at Aberdeen, Atlantic and Peninsula Falmouth, Cammel Laird shipyard, Leith and Portsmouth.
These projects have informed Government policy making about maritime decarbonisation, and in March 2025, the Government published its Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy. A core policy within this Strategy is taking action to reduce emissions from vessels whilst at berth. Although the Government remains technology neutral, we recognise that shore power will play a role in reducing emissions from vessels at berth, supporting our mission to make Britain a Clean Energy Superpower.
Alongside this Strategy, the Government also published a call for evidence on Net Zero Ports to explore the opportunities and barriers to reducing emissions at berth, with a focus on the role ports can play in enabling the shipping sector to decarbonise. Ports policy is devolved, so this will inform Government policy relating to English ports. However, we welcome input from ports and their tenants in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to this Call for Evidence to broaden our understanding of the issues.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of removing the surcharge for paying Vehicle Excise Duty in instalments for people with below average incomes.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
In Autumn 2013, the Government announced the introduction of the Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) direct debit scheme from 1 October 2014. Instead of paying VED annually or in two instalments per year with a 10% surcharge, this allows people to pay VED monthly or in two instalments per year via direct debit, with a 5% surcharge. This change therefore reduced the surcharge payable by half.
These surcharges are in place to make up for the interest that the government loses on monthly and six monthly VED payments. When the VED direct debit scheme was announced in 2013, a Tax Information and Impact Note was published setting out the expected impacts on individuals. It was expected that the direct debit scheme would have a positive impact for individuals, as it would enable the spreading of VED payments at a lower surcharge rate than non-direct debit instalments, and help individuals and families plan manage their finances.
The Tax Information and Impact Note also set out expected economic, equalities and other impacts of the changes, which can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a74c63ce5274a3f93b48b3e/vehicle-excise-dd.pdf
As with all taxes, the Government welcomes representations from the public on how the tax system can be improved. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of public finances.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the impact of the surcharge for paying Vehicle Excise Duty in instalments on people with below average incomes.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
In Autumn 2013, the Government announced the introduction of the Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) direct debit scheme from 1 October 2014. Instead of paying VED annually or in two instalments per year with a 10% surcharge, this allows people to pay VED monthly or in two instalments per year via direct debit, with a 5% surcharge. This change therefore reduced the surcharge payable by half.
These surcharges are in place to make up for the interest that the government loses on monthly and six monthly VED payments. When the VED direct debit scheme was announced in 2013, a Tax Information and Impact Note was published setting out the expected impacts on individuals. It was expected that the direct debit scheme would have a positive impact for individuals, as it would enable the spreading of VED payments at a lower surcharge rate than non-direct debit instalments, and help individuals and families plan manage their finances.
The Tax Information and Impact Note also set out expected economic, equalities and other impacts of the changes, which can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a74c63ce5274a3f93b48b3e/vehicle-excise-dd.pdf
As with all taxes, the Government welcomes representations from the public on how the tax system can be improved. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of public finances.
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 his policy is on granting people with arrest warrants issued against them by the International Criminal Court access to UK airspace.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Airspace access is not within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's policy responsibilities. The Civil Aviation Authority is responsible for airspace management and related policies in the UK.
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, if he will ask the UN Secretary General to investigate (a) how many allegations of human rights abuses have been made to the Moroccan National Human Rights Council in Western Sahara and (b) whether those allegations have been investigated in each year since 2015.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Western Sahara. We consistently support the UN efforts to resolve the situation in Western Sahara, and support language in relevant UN Security Council Resolutions that encourages the parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara, including the freedoms of expression and association. We engage regularly with the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General on Western Sahara.