Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve the affordability of electric vehicles for low-income households.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government offers Plug-in Vehicle Grants for eligible vans, trucks, taxis, motorcycles, and wheelchair accessible vehicles. These grants help to lower upfront vehicle costs and make zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) more accessible to consumers. ZEVs also benefit from favourable tax rates, such as generous company car tax incentives and a 0% Van Benefit Charge. ZEVs also receive preferential first year rates of Vehicle Excise Duty at £10 until FY 2029-30, in comparison to the most polluting vehicles.
Most drivers in the UK buy used vehicles, with 80% of all cars bought and sold in 2024 having been through the used vehicle market. Industry intelligence suggests that some EVs on the used market are now similar in price to their petrol and diesel equivalents. The Government will continue to monitor the health of the market and keeps all policies under review.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions she has had with the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman on its planned timetable to publish the report on its special investigation into Medomsley Detention Centre.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
I have the deepest sympathy for victims and survivors of abuse suffered at Medomsley Detention Centre. The previous Government, after years of campaigning by victims and survivors, commissioned the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) in October 2023 to undertake a thorough review of the abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre between 1961 and 1987. The investigation commenced in November 2023 and looked into what the authorities knew about the abuse over this period, if there were opportunities for them to take action or intervene, and what action they took.
The PPO has now concluded the evidence-gathering phase of the investigation, and we expect the PPO to publish the final report later this year.
I continue to be grateful to the PPO for their expertise and independence in conducting a rigorous investigation and I hope this will help us to understand how such horrific events were able to take place.