Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of businesses issued with fines for employing illegal workers (a) dissolving and (b) liquidating before fines are paid.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office pursues debt recovery in every case and proactively monitors liable companies through Companies House from the point a civil penalty referral is logged. This enables the early identification of proposed strike-offs and timely objections, helping to prevent companies from dissolving before civil penalties can be pursued or recovered.
The Home Office does not routinely assess trends in the number of businesses issued with civil penalties for employing illegal workers that subsequently dissolve or enter liquidation before penalties are paid.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
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 adequacy of the level of financial support available to bereaved parents.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Bereaved parents may be eligible for Universal Credit, help with immediate costs through a Funeral Expenses Payment, and assistance through the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
For Universal Credit customers, the department maintains payments for the assessment period in which a child, partner or non-dependent dies, and for the following two assessment periods.
Where one parent has died, the surviving parent may be eligible for Bereavement Support Payment.
The government keeps bereavement support under review.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what she defines as immigration pull factors to the United Kingdom; and what steps she is taking to remove those pull factors.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government considers immigration pull factors to be aspects of the UK's asylum and immigration system that may incentivise irregular migration to the United Kingdom. Through the Restoring Order and Control Policy Statement and the Immigration and Asylum Bill, introduced on 30 June 2026 the Government is reforming the asylum and returns system to reduce such incentives while continuing to meet its international obligations to those in need of protection.
Measures include reforms to refugee leave, settlement and family reunion arrangements; stronger compliance requirements; action to recover accommodation and support costs from those able to contribute; increased enforcement against illegal working; improvements to returns and removals, including reforms to the framework governing Article 8 claims; expanded returns agreements with international partners; and action to reduce reliance on asylum accommodation, including hotels. The Government is also strengthening border security, disrupting organised immigration crime and expanding safe and legal routes for those who require protection.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that those who have had asylum claims rejected are removed from the United Kingdom; and what percentage of rejected claimants have been removed from the UK since July 2024.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
Since the July 2024 election, asylum-related returns have reached their highest level since 2010.
The monthly breakdown in asylum related returns since July 2024 is published in the ad-hoc transparency release, which can be found here: Returns from the UK between 1 July 2024 and 31 July 2026 - GOV.UK
Ramping up returns is an important part of the government’s system-wide action to strengthen UK border security and restore order to the asylum and immigration system. Immigration Enforcement are clear that individuals who have no legal basis to remain in the UK should leave and we remain resolute in our commitment to increasing returns, as set out in our statement on the government’s asylum and returns policy.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Government (a) announcements, (b) initiatives and (c) funding decisions have been delayed beyond their initial deadline since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government does not centrally record or hold timelines for all individual departmental announcements, initiatives, and funding decisions, including delays. Departments are responsible for tracking delivery with oversight and support from the centre of Government on the priorities that matter most to the public.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much HM Government has spent on consultations since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the impact of the weight of (a) fuel-powered vehicles and (b) electric-powered vehicles on the United Kingdom's road network.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Wear and tear on roads is dominated by heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and buses, with a much smaller impact from cars of any type.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the economic and social contribution of greyhound racing in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Vicky Foxcroft - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises the important contribution that greyhound racing makes to Britain's cultural heritage, sporting landscape and economy.
The Department has not made a separate assessment of the economic and social contribution of greyhound racing in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland individually.
The most recent information available to the Department is provided by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB). According to GBGB, greyhound racing contributes approximately £166 million annually to Britain's GDP, around £52 million to the Exchequer, and supports approximately 5,400 jobs across Great Britain.
The Government continues to engage regularly with the greyhound racing industry, including the GBGB, on issues relating to the sustainability, welfare and future development of the sport.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason Vehicle Excise Duty for motorcycles is calculated on engine size rather than vehicle weight; and if he will make it his policy to commission a review of motorcycle VED.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
Vehicle Excise Duty for motorcycles is currently based on engine size. There are four engine size ranges, with the lowest rate applying to zero emission motorcycles and the smallest engines sized 150cc or less (currently £27 per year), and the highest rate applying to engines sized 600cc and above (currently £125 per year).
Historically, engine capacity-based rates have offered the most practical and easy-to-understand way to reflect the respective emissions levels of motorcycles. The Government annually reviews the rates and thresholds of taxes and reliefs to ensure that they are appropriate and reflect the current state of the economy. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much of the tax take is generated by London and the South East.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The Office for National statistics publishes a series of official statistics on country and regional public sector finances. The publication presents statistical estimates for the allocation of public sector revenue for each country and region of the UK, which includes figures for London and the South East.