Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the preparedness of (a) self-employed people and (b) landlords with an income over £50,000 to begin using Making Tax Digital for income tax self-assessment from April 2026.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC published research in 2022 indicating that two thirds of those with income above £10,000 felt capable of changing to Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD for ITSA). Those with income over £50,000 are already more likely to be using digital tools than smaller businesses; many will already be using MTD for VAT.

HMRC has an established programme of social research, focused on understanding the characteristics and support needs of its customers. This will inform an ongoing communications campaign, raising awareness of MTD for ITSA and supporting HMRC’s customers to prepare.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the total cost to the public purse was for the Ministry of Justice Language Service Contract in (a) 2018 and (b) 2023.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The total cost to the public purse for the Ministry of Justice Language Service Contract was £26,774,286.01 in 2018, and £24,992,225.55 in 2023.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will hold discussions with his counterpart in the Burkina Faso Government on the church attack in Oudalan Province on 25 February 2024.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The UK is appalled by the recent attacks against Churches, Mosques and local communities in Burkina Faso. As Lord Ahmad said last week, freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is a fundamental right and must be protected, and those responsible for these heinous attacks must be held to account. The UK also signed up to the UN Security Council statement on terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso issued on 29 February 2024. We routinely discuss security challenges with the transitional authorities in Burkina Faso and continue to work with partners in the region to promote stability.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 6 March 2024 to Question 16450, how many of the 1.14 million blue badges issued between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023 were the result of new applications.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Data on the number of blue badges issued as a result of new applications over that time period is not available.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost is of Operation Kenova.

Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)

Operation Kenova is an independent investigation commissioned by the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The PSNI is therefore best placed to provide an accurate estimate of its cost.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many calls were made to the contact centre helpline on 0808 175 3943 on appeals relating to Alternative Fuel Payment applications in 2023.

Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department does not hold the information requested.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what reduction in fraud and error in the benefit system he expects by the end of 2024.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP measures fraud and error in the welfare system via annual national statistics published each May.

The Department has a target to save at least £1.3 billion in 2023-24 from its dedicated counter fraud and error resource. Further information on this is included in the DWP Annual Report and Accounts (ARA) Report, available on GOV.UK. The ARA report for financial year 23/24 is expected to be published Summer 2024.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress the Financial Sanctions Implementation Office has made on establishing the foundation to manage and distribute monies from the proceeds of the sale of Chelsea FC.

Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The proceeds from the sale of Chelsea FC are currently frozen in a UK bank account while independent experts establish a foundation to manage and distribute the money. A licence from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation will then be needed to move the funds to the foundation. We are working hard to reach an arrangement that delivers this money to humanitarian causes in Ukraine as quickly as possible.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when does she expect the photobiomodulation process for treatment of those with severe eye problems to be made available via the NHS.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Clinicians utilise the best available evidence, including guidance from The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), to determine appropriate treatments to be made available to patients via the National Health Service.

The NICE runs an interventional procedures programme to assess the efficacy and safety of interventional procedures used for treatment or diagnosis, to determine whether they work well enough and are safe enough for use in the NHS. The programme can assess procedures that involve incision, puncture, and entry into a body cavity, or that use ionising, electromagnetic, or acoustic energy.

The NICE’s interventional procedures programme is not currently looking at this procedure in relation to the treatment of eye problems, and there has been no notification to the NICE for consideration of photobiomodulation for treatment of those with severe eye problems.

The Department is committed to partnering with industry, patients, and the wider health and social care system to ensure effective and innovative medical technologies that support the continued delivery of high-quality care and outstanding patient safety, are available to patients. Innovators can sign up to the NHS Innovation Service for guidance on the key steps to introduce their idea or product to the NHS.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure regional representation on the UK Semiconductor Advisory Panel.

Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer the previous Minister for Tech and Digital Economy gave on 23 October 2023. In setting up the UK Semiconductor Advisory Panel, the government aimed for a small, focused group while ensuring representation across the semiconductor supply chain, UK domestic strengths, geographical locations and company size. We continue to speak with the full spectrum of the UK’s semiconductor industry, including regular engagement with companies and representatives from across the UK.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he expects to receive the report of HM Chief Inspector of Probation’s thematic review of probation recall culture and practice.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The report of the Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP) thematic review titled 'A thematic review of probation recall culture and practice' was published in November 2020. This was the second part of the review which the Secretary of State had asked the Chief Inspector of Probation to undertake, following the conviction of Joseph McCann for a series of sexual offences committed in 2019. A link to the report is here: A thematic review of probation recall culture and practice (justiceinspectorates.gov.uk).

In December 2023, following a commission by the Secretary of State to the Inspectorate in response to the Justice Select Committee IPP inquiry report, HMIP published a report titled ‘A thematic inspection of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) recall decisions’. A link to this report is here: A thematic inspection of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) recall decisions (justiceinspectorates.gov.uk).

In both reports, the Inspectorate found that the Probation Service were taking proportionate and necessary decisions to recall offenders on licence for public protection.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will hold discussions with of manufacturers of electronic vehicles on estimates of mileage ranges achievable in new vehicles.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Ministers regularly meet vehicle manufactures to discuss regulatory requirements – including those that set out how to establish official electric vehicle range figures.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has held recent discussions with the US government on steps arising from President Biden's statement in April 2023 on the number of US corporations that want to come to Northern Ireland.

Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The UK Government has been continually engaging with the US government since President Biden’s statement in April 2023 regarding investment into Northern Ireland. Last week I was in Washington D.C where I spoke to the US Special Envoy for Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs. I also attended a roundtable with the Federation of Small Businesses, and spoke to other US investors about the unique opportunity Northern Ireland has to offer.

The UK has signed state-level Memorandums of Understanding with eight US states (Florida, Texas, Washington, Utah, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina and Indiana) to set out mutual goals and activities to strengthen our economic ties, as well as promote trade and investment, address trade barriers and enhance business networks.

The Northern Ireland Investment Summit, held last September, highlighted Northern Ireland’s innovation and technological strengths to around 200 global investors. Guests included Joe Kennedy III (US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs) and the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to the USA. The Summit showcased Northern Ireland’s innovation, deep expertise in industries of the future, and unparalleled investment opportunities given its unique trading position.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will set a food waste reduction target for the Waste and Resources Action Programme.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are fully committed to meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 target, which seeks to halve global food waste at consumer and retail levels by 2030. We fund the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to manage the Courtauld Commitment, a voluntary agreement with industry to tackle food waste across the supply chain, with a target of a 50% per capita reduction in food waste by 2030 against the UK’s 2007 baseline.

These are ambitious targets, and we are making progress. Between 2007-2021, UK per capita food waste fell by 26kg per person per year, that’s an 18.3% reduction. Through WRAP we continue to support businesses and citizens to take action, with more than £2 million going to our food waste prevention programme this year.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will hold discussions with the Irish Government on tackling the supply of illegal drugs entering the UK via the sea.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

In December 2021, the Government launched its ten-year drugs strategy, From Harm to Hope, to cut crime and save lives. As part of this, £300 million has been allocated to fund activity to break drug supply chains from end-to-end, this includes targeting upstream flow and securing the UK border to restrict drugs entering the UK via sea, land, and air.

The UK Government and its law enforcement partners are leveraging our extensive international networks to maximise cooperation with other governments to tackle drug trafficking upstream.

Border Force works with law enforcement organisations, including the Police Service Northern Ireland, other UK Police services, An Garda Síochána in the Republic of Ireland and the National Crime Agency, to target those who might attempt to smuggle illicit drugs between the Republic of Ireland and the UK, including via the sea.

Our continued work with partners, including the NCA and other law enforcement agencies, is effective in preventing drugs from reaching local communities where they fuel violence and exploitation, causing significant harm to our society.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what comparative assessment she has made of the level of business productivity in (a) 2018 and (b) 2023.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Productivity is the main driver of long-run economic growth and a key determinant of living standards. We continue to assess ONS inflation adjusted data. Details covering 2018 and 2023 Q3 are detailed below.

The Government continues to improve access to finance, skills, business support and to address barriers to trade using schemes such as Help to Grow: Management, British Business Bank programmes and the Export Academy.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Operation Zero steering board meetings were there in 2023; and how long each meeting lasted.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In 2023, the Operation Zero Steering Board met three times, with each meeting lasting two hours.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to publish a report on the impact of Consumer Duty on consumer contact with financial services firms in the 12 months since it's establishment.

Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has no plans to publish a report on the impact of the Consumer Duty.

The Consumer Duty was introduced by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is operationally independent from Government and is directly accountable to Parliament for how it carries out its functions. The FCA has committed to monitoring the outcomes experienced by different consumer groups, including those in vulnerable circumstances, to check they are not being disadvantaged as a result of the Duty. It also publishes information about the implementation of the Consumer Duty by firms, including examples of good practice and areas for improvement, on its website: https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/consumer-duty

The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 introduced a new requirement on the financial services regulators to keep their rules under review, and to publish a statement of policy for how they conduct rule reviews. The FCA’s rule review framework can be found at: https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/corporate-documents/our-rule-review-framework.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, on how many occasions the Office for Product Safety and Standards removed unsafe products from sale in 2023.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) publishes details of all formal enforcement actions it has taken on gov.uk, every six months.

In addition, information on specific products that present a risk to health and safety and have been removed from sale is published on the OPSS Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls page on gov.uk.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of when data will be placed into the federated data platform for NHS trusts and integrated care systems.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Federated Data Platform will allow the National Health Service to make better use of data to improve outcomes for patients, including reducing waits and discharging people quicker from hospital.

45 organisations who participated in the NHS England pilot, broken down into 42 trusts, two integrated care boards, and the City Healthcare Partnership Community Interest Company, have begun to transition into the Federated Data Platform, in a sequence of waves scheduled between March and May 2024. NHS England aims for all trusts and integrated care boards who wish to use the platform to do so within the next three years.

Centenary of Eric Liddell's Olympic Gold medal

Drumahoe Primary School, British School Trampoline Elite Champions 2024

40th anniversary of the killings at Darkley Gospel Hall

World Down Syndrome Day 2024

World Glaucoma Day 2024

Found: Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) • Gregory Campbell MP; Member of Parliament (MP) for