Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made on the potential security impacts of cyber attacks on the energy system.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department takes the security and resilience of UK energy infrastructure extremely seriously, including the cyber security of critical infrastructure. Maintaining a secure and reliable energy supply is a key priority.
The Department works closely with partners, including industry, to assess potential risks from cyber threats and their possible impacts on the availability and integrity of energy systems.
These risks are reflected in the National Risk Register, which includes three cyber-related risks owned by the Department. In partnership with the National Cyber Security Centre, the Department ensures threats are understood and appropriate mitigations implemented to maintain robust protections and resilience.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department will require a cyber incident database with compulsory fixes to be created for attacks on the energy system.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero takes the security and resilience of UK energy infrastructure extremely seriously, including the cyber security of critical infrastructure. Maintaining a secure and reliable energy supply is a key priority. The Network and Information Systems (NIS) Regulations, impose strict incident-reporting obligations on critical energy operators.
The Government has recently introduced the Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill. The Bill proposes expanding incident-reporting requirements, broadening the scope of reportable events, and enhancing the powers of regulators to oversee compliance and require remedial actions where necessary.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will provide additional funding through the Local Government Finance Settlement for 2026-27 for the cost of delivering services in rural and sparsely populated areas.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On Thursday 20 November, we published the government response to the Fair Funding Review 2.0, which sets out the government’s plan to introduce a fairer and evidence-led funding system. In doing so, we will target a greater proportion of grant funding towards the most deprived places which need it most, ensuring the best value for money for government and taxpayers.
The government recognises that different parts of the country face different costs for delivering the same services. For this reason, we propose to take account of variations in costs between local authorities through an Area Cost Adjustment (ACA). The ACA considers differences in labour and rental costs, as well as the cost impact of longer journey times.
We are also proposing to include a measure of remoteness, to account for the potential impact on cost for rural authorities that cannot readily access local markets because of their location. Taking into consideration the available evidence and the views of stakeholders, the government has made a judgement that remoteness should be accounted for when assessing the cost of delivering adult social care services.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of spirits duty increases on levels of pub closures in the last three years.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, with Tax Information and Impact Notes (TIINs) published alongside these announcements.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of spirits duty policy in supporting the economic sustainability of pubs.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, with Tax Information and Impact Notes (TIINs) published alongside these announcements.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of spirits duty on the commercial relationship between UK distilleries and pubs.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, with Tax Information and Impact Notes (TIINs) published alongside these announcements.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of spirits duty increases on the viability of pubs in rural communities.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, with Tax Information and Impact Notes (TIINs) published alongside these announcements.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of linking spirits duty to inflation on the viability of pubs.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, with Tax Information and Impact Notes (TIINs) published alongside these announcements.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what future air-to-air refuelling requirements will be considered as part of the Defence Investment Plan.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Investment Plan will consider the UK's future air-to-air refuelling requirements to ensure we meet our commitments to NATO and the nation. The outcome will be included in the Defence Investment Plan, which is due to be published this year.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the value for money of the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft contract since 2008.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The RAF Voyager fleet provides value for money by serving as a versatile asset for air-to-air refuelling, strategic airlift, and VIP transport.
Under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract, Air Tanker is required to provide the Department with their performance data.
This gives the Department complete transparency, ensuring regular monitoring and compliance with the terms of the agreement.