Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of differing VAT policies for dine-in establishments and takeaway-only premises on small takeaway food businesses in coastal and tourist areas, including those in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. VAT is the UK’s second largest tax, forecast to raise £189 billion in 2026/27.
Hot takeaway food is subject to the 20 per cent standard rate of VAT. This ensures parity of treatment with food sold in restaurants, which is also subject to the standard rate. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations.
Across the UK from 25 June to 1 September the Government is introducing a temporary reduced rate of VAT on children's menu meals and eligible family attractions.
This temporary VAT relief is focused on activities especially targeted at children and families, keeping the package targeted and affordable. Including takeaways would have significantly increased the cost of the package, and this decision means the Great British Summer Savings is more closely targeted at family days out.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has held with the Northern Ireland Office on the impact of upfront customs duty payments on Northern Ireland car retailers bringing vehicles into Northern Ireland, in the context of longer repayment times in Northern Ireland compared with car retailers in other parts of the UK.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC continues to support industry, including car retailers, to maximise the use of the facilitations under the Windsor Framework. The UK Internal Market Scheme (UKIMS) can be used by authorised businesses to move eligible goods ‘not at risk’, without payment of duty, if they are brought from Great Britain into Northern Ireland for sale or final use by end consumers in the UK. The Independent Monitoring Panel's November 2025 report confirmed that the vast majority of goods movements to Northern Ireland by value (96%) continue to do so without paying any duty. Where goods are assessed to be 'at risk' but remain outside the EU, HMRC has also recently delivered improvements to the Duty Reimbursement Scheme (DRS) to support businesses, and in particular those affected by upfront duty costs.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her Indian counterpart on the case of the three Baptist pastors shot dead in the State of Manipur on 13 May.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave him on 1 June in response to Question 2730.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of recent reports of inadequate future personal pension provision; and what further steps he is taking to help increase personal pension contributions.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Ensuring current and future pensioners have adequate retirement income is a key priority for this Government.
Despite the success of Automatic Enrolment in transforming workplace retirement saving with over 23 million employees participating in 2024, we know that 45% of working-age adults are not actively saving into a pension.
That is why the government is taking action to reform the pensions landscape. The Pension Schemes Act 2026 received Royal Assent in April and will play a huge role in strengthening the private pensions market, providing better outcomes for pension savers and supporting UK growth.
We have also revived the Pensions Commission, to explore how to improve retirement outcomes for future generations. The Commission published their interim report on 19 May 2026, setting out areas of focus on the longer-term challenges around retirement adequacy, especially for those at the greatest risk of undersaving. The Government will set out its plans following the Pensions Commission’s final report, which is due in early 2027.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will set out the benefits derived from the UK-German Strategic Science and Technology Partnership to date.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The UK‑Germany Strategic Science and Technology Partnership was launched alongside the Kensington Treaty in July 2025 to accelerate the development of transformative technologies through closer UK-Germany collaboration. Early outcomes include £6 million joint funding for quantum research and development, investment in applied photonics research in Glasgow to help businesses bring new products to market, and an AI partnership between centres in Edinburgh and Stuttgart to speed up AI adoption in industry and the public sector.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
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 have discussions with the the Northern Ireland Executive on ensuring that the economic impact of the Northern Ireland Enhanced Investment Zone extends beyond the Greater Belfast area.
Answered by Nesil Caliskan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I am pleased that the UK Government has worked closely with the Northern Ireland Executive to co-develop the Northern Ireland Enhanced Investment Zone to invest £150 million over the next 10 years to unlock around 1,000 jobs.
Recognising the strengths of Northern Ireland’s economy, the programme is designed on an “all-Northern Ireland” basis to support the Executive’s objective of regional balance. Identifying sectoral strengths and growth opportunities within and beyond the Greater Belfast Area. I was delighted that we announced our first investment in May to support advanced manufacturing skills in Lurgan, County Armagh.
We will continue to work in partnership with the Northern Ireland Executive throughout the delivery of the programme.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what share of the UK's energy requirement does he estimate will be met through Advanced Modular Reactors by 2036.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
HMG believes advanced nuclear technologies, including Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs), could play an important role as a low-carbon energy source that would support a secure, affordable decarbonised energy system. AMRs have the potential to be less capital expensive to build than traditional nuclear power plants, because of their smaller size, factory-based modular build, and greater flexibility in deployment. We are actively progressing the deployment of advanced nuclear projects through a clear policy framework, including both Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs). The newly published Framework lays out pathways for privately led advanced nuclear projects to be brought forward in the UK.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to hold discussions with the new Director General of the BBC on (a) transparency and (b) impartiality in BBC reporting both domestically and internationally.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The BBC is a vital national institution, and as such, Ministers and Senior Officials regularly meet with BBC leadership to discuss a range of issues. The Secretary of State had an introductory meeting with Matt Brittin on 15 April 2026 where they discussed a range of issues regarding the future success of the BBC.
The Charter Review, officially launched on 16 December 2025, will ensure the BBC continues to deliver the high standards of reporting that the public expect of a national broadcaster and that it is suitably transparent to the public and to Parliament.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will hold discussions with the Treasury on the potential merits of providing additional funding for the Connect Fund for the 2027-2029 period
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Connect Fund has achieved significant success, as evidenced by its oversubscription in every funding round held to date. Consequently, a total of 46 projects were supported through Rounds 1 and 2.
To address this sustained demand, the Northern Ireland Office has approved two additional funding rounds: Round 3 (FY 27/28) with an allocation of £500,000, and Round 4 (FY 28/29) with an increased allocation of £1,000,000.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps have been taken to assist UK citizens who are currently in, or have recently visited Kenya regarding the spread of Ebola.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In relation to risks to the UK public, I refer the Hon Member to my statement to the House on 21 May (HCWS60), but I would also stress that there have been no confirmed cases in Kenya arising from the current Ebola outbreak. The Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office travel advice page for Kenya has been updated to refer to health screening measures in Kenya.