Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to promote the UK’s Swap to Stop scheme at the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Eleventh Session of the Conference of Parties.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The health advice is clear, that whilst vapes can be an effective quit aid for adult smokers, children and non-smokers should never vape. The Swap to Stop scheme is a national smoking cessation programme through which the Department provides adult smokers access to free vape start kits alongside behavioural support to help them quit.
The Government has regularly set out our position on vaping at the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and will do so at the next conference in Geneva in November 2025.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what representatives his Department plans to send to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Eleventh Session of the Conference of Parties by (a) job title and (b) name.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The World Health Organization Conference of the Parties of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control will take place in Geneva from Monday 17 to Saturday 22 November.
The United Kingdom’s delegation will consist of officials from the Department of Health and Social Care, as is usual practice for this conference.
A decision on who will attend is yet to be made. However, it is departmental policy not to name officials below Senior Civil Service grades who attend these events.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2025 to Question 50803 on Heathrow Airport: Money, how much cash was seized by the Border Force (a) at Heathrow Airport and (b) nationally in the last year for which figures are available.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
In the interests of maintaining border security, Border Force does not routinely disclose information of a port-specific nature, and the requested national information is not available from published statistics.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people are employed by Border Force at Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
In the interests of maintaining border security, Border Force does not routinely disclose information of a port-specific nature, and the requested national information is not available from published statistics.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether policies on smart thermostats will be included in the Warm Homes Plan.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We recognise the key role that smart technologies play in decarbonsing homes. A digitised energy system will help consumers manage their usage and reduce their bills. We will set out further details in the Warm Homes Plan later this year.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposals outlined in the consultation entitled The Tax Treatment of Remote Gambling, last updated on 6 May 2025, on black market gambling.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is consulting on proposals to simplify the current gambling tax system by merging the three current taxes that cover remote (including online) gambling into one.
If any changes are made to gambling duties at a future Budget following the consultation, they will be accompanied by a Tax Information and Impact Note which will set out the expected impacts.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on implementing Schedule 3 of the Water and Flood Management Act 2010.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues.
The Government is strongly committed to requiring standardised Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in new developments. These should be to designs that cope with changing climatic conditions as well as delivering wider water infrastructure benefits, offer reuse opportunities, reduce run off and help to improve water quality, amenity, and biodiversity. It is also important to ensure appropriate adoption and maintenance arrangements are in place.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Government’s housebuilding target on funding for flood defences after 2026.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are investing a record £2.65 billion over two years to March 2026. We’ll maintain the highest levels of flood protection, taking decisive action to fix our broken planning system and deliver 1.5 million homes through our Plan for Change. Funding decisions for after 2026 will be made at the Spending Review.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to publish a consultation on the funding formula for flood defences.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government launched a consultation on 3 June on proposals to reform the way we fund flood and coastal defences. Our proposals will help ensure funding is distributed more effectively across the country – protecting properties across all communities including in rural, coastal and poorer areas.
The consultation also includes a call for evidence on alternative sources of funding to enable Government funding to go further and opportunities for English devolution to support flood risk management.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of the proposals in the consultation entitled The Tax Treatment of Remote Gambling, last updated on 6 May 2025, on the British horseracing industry.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
There has been ministerial engagement between my Department and His Majesty’s Treasury to ensure that they are aware of the specific way British horseracing is funded and the potential implications of any changes to taxation.
Future proposals on taxation are a matter for His Majesty’s Treasury. We would encourage interested parties and stakeholders to engage with ongoing consultations on the matter, which run until the 21st of July. Should legislative change be brought about following this consultation, we expect the impact of such changes to be outlined in tax and impact notes published alongside, as is standard practice.