Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the discrepancy between traffic regulations that encourage drivers to use lay-bys for rest breaks to improve road safety and caravan site licensing regulations that require caravans to be sited at prescribed distances apart for fire safety and planning compliance on car and caravan drivers; and whether her Department plans to issue guidance to motorists using caravans or motorhomes on using lay-bys for rest periods.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has no such plans. Provision of lay-bys is a matter for local highway authorities. Advice to drivers on the safe use of roads, including taking appropriate breaks, is given in the Highway Code. There are no traffic regulations that encourage drivers to use lay-bys for rest breaks.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to consult with local authorities, road safety bodies and the caravan and motorhome industry to ensure that any guidance or regulatory changes balance road safety with compliance and fair practice for site operators.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
There are no plans to publish any guidance or regulatory changes for caravan site operators. As part of our new Road Safety Strategy, we will be updating guidance on “Setting Speed Limits” for local authorities.
Towing a trailer safely requires skill and knowledge. Taking some training helps drivers build confidence and competence. DVSA encourages anyone who tows, or intends to tow, to sign up to training with an accredited trainer to remain safe on the road.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to contact vulnerable individuals in (a) remote and (b) rural areas with low broadband connectivity.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions utilise a range of channels to ensure vulnerable customers and those with limited broadband can access support.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, which nuclear technologies are being considered by Great British Energy - Nuclear as part of its investigation into Scottish sites for new nuclear development.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Secretary of State has asked Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) to assess Scotland’s capability for new nuclear power. That includes the potential for large-scale and small modular reactor projects.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether Great British Energy - Nuclear’s assessment of potential Scottish sites for new nuclear development includes (a) previously used nuclear sites and (b) new sites.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Secretary of State has asked Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) to assess Scotland’s potential for new nuclear power, including around areas that have previously hosted nuclear stations.
New nuclear can play an important role in helping achieve energy security and clean power, while securing thousands of skilled jobs.
The UK Government remains open to discussions with the Scottish Government regarding the deployment of new nuclear technologies in Scotland.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he expects Great British Energy – Nuclear to (a) complete its study into potential Scottish sites for new nuclear development and (b) make the findings of that study publicly available.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy – Nuclear will complete its study on the potential for new nuclear development in Scotland in the first half of 2026.
We will provide an update once this study has been completed.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to improve the (a) regulation and (b) oversight of email service providers in relation to the use of (i) email diversion scams and (ii) impersonation fraud.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government recognises the harm associated with scam emails and is taking action to protect the public and businesses from fraud and cyber crime. We strongly encourage the public and businesses to follow the advice from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on how to protect themselves from cyber threats, including scam emails and business email compromise. The NCSC provides tailored advice for the public, sole traders and businesses of all sizes. The government also offers the highly effective Cyber Essentials scheme to help organisations protect themselves against common cyber attacks.
Scam emails can be reported to the NCSC's Suspicious Email Reporting Service, which has blocked billions of phishing attempts and removed 232,000 scams across 415,000 malicious web addresses. The NCSC offers guidance on how to spot and report scam emails at https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams. The police also offer advice on scam emails, including Action Fraud advice on payment diversion fraud and business email compromise, and the recent National Crime Agency campaign with the Law Society on payment diversion fraud in property sales. The government has committed to the publication of a new fraud strategy which will set out further details on how it will tackle fraud and protect UK residents and businesses.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the (a) scope and (b) expected timetable for Great British Energy – Nuclear’s assessment of Scotland’s capability for new nuclear power stations.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ministers have asked GBE-N to assess Scotland’s potential for new nuclear power, including around areas that have previously hosted nuclear stations.
New nuclear projects can deliver millions of pounds of investment and thousands of high-quality jobs to a region.
GBE-N will advise UK Ministers on the potential for new nuclear development in Scotland in due course.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Government on the potential impact of its ban on new nuclear projects on future employment opportunities.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There is considerable potential for hosting new nuclear projects in Scotland, building on decades of experience of existing nuclear power across the country. Given the Scottish Government’s presumption against new nuclear, the UK Government cannot actively consider projects within Scotland at this time
At peak construction, Sizewell C will support 10,000 jobs directly employed in the project, thousands more in the nationwide supply chain, and plans to create 1,500 apprenticeships, whilst the Great British Energy - Nuclear-led small modular reactor project could support up to 3,000 jobs at peak construction.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on improving public engagement with politics.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Public engagement and participation are vital to the health of our democracy, and the Government will continue to support the public to make their voices heard.
Engagement with the political process must be built on trust. The Government is committed to returning to a politics of service.