Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the merits of implementing a national strategy to tackle (a) the sale of (i) illegal tobacco and (ii) vapes and (b) money laundering.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK Government has national strategies to curb the sale of illegal tobacco and combat money laundering, and is developing a robust compliance framework for the upcoming Vaping Products Duty.
In January 2024, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Border Force launched their latest illicit tobacco strategy, “Stubbing Out the Problem”. This builds on a series of previous strategies which, together, have contributed to a significant reduction in the tobacco duty tax gap, from 21.7% in 2005/06 to 13.8% in 2023/24. Tackling the trade in illicit tobacco requires a comprehensive, cross-government approach and the latest strategy is supported by over £100 million in new Smokefree funding over five years to further enhance enforcement capabilities to disrupt both supply and demand across the entire tobacco supply chain.
As announced at Autumn Budget 2024, Vaping Products Duty (VPD) will come into effect on 1 October 2026. In preparation HMRC is developing a comprehensive compliance strategy to address the illicit vaping market. This includes vaping duty stamps and enhanced enforcement powers. These measures will be implemented before the duty goes live and will form part of a cross-government enforcement approach supporting provisions in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
The Government’s approach to tackling money laundering is embedded within the Economic Crime Plan 2 (2023–2026). This plan sets out what the public and private sectors should do to continue to transform the UK’s response to economic crime, including money laundering. HMRC supports several of the actions in their plan, such as anti-money laundering supervisory reform and targeted intelligence and operational work on high-harm money laundering methodologies.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking (a) ensure the safeguarding of beagles at MBR Acres during periods of extreme warm weather and (b) phase out the use of dogs in clinical trials.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
Licensed establishments are responsible for the welfare of animals in their care at all times, including during extreme weather. Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), all such establishments must comply with legal requirements and standards set out in the Home Office’s published Operational Guidance and Code of Practice.
These documents require establishments to have contingency plans for temperature extremes to ensure animal welfare. Establishment licence holders must ensure sufficient trained staff are in place to maintain high standards of care and facility management.
Daily checks by competent personnel are mandated under Standard Condition 4 to monitor animal welfare and environmental conditions, with prompt action required to address any issues. Standard Condition 18 requires that any breaches or potential breaches of licence conditions be reported to the Secretary of State.
The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) monitors compliance through regular audits, including both announced and unannounced visits, to assess animal welfare and adherence to ASPA.
The Government is committed to working towards a vision of phasing out the use of animals in science. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is engaging with stakeholders to finalise a strategy to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternatives to animal testing which is scheduled for publication later this year.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average response time was to public complaints submitted to her Department in the last 12 months.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Performance against service standards in relation to replies to customer complaints for UKVI, Immigration Enforcement and Border Force (excluding His Majesty’s Passport Office) is available from published data and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/migration-transparency-data#uk-visas-and-immigration
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what proportion of (a) UK-flagged and (b) EU member state-flagged fishing vessels were subject to port inspections in in Scotland in the last 12 months.
Answered by Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland
The regulation and oversight of port inspections in Scotland predominantly fall within the remit of the Scottish Government. As such, the Scotland Office does not hold the specific information requested. I recommend contacting the Scottish Government for further details on this matter.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of the closure of the FA Futsal Committee on futsal governance in England; and if she will publish a long-term development strategy for the sport.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
I recognise the passion within the futsal community in England and the importance of effective governance for the sport's development. Last year, the Football Association (FA), as the sport's National Governing Body, evolved its structure for futsal, integrating its oversight within the Football Development Committee and collaborating with "England Futsal" for delivery.
Ultimately, the governance and strategic direction of futsal in England, including its long-term development, are matters for the recognised National Governing Body to lead. The Government continues to observe their progress and engagement with the futsal community as they implement their plans for the sport.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to extend the requirement for mandatory anti-lock braking systems to include all new 125cc motorcycles.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK's technical requirements for the type approval of motorcycles currently remain aligned with the EU's as the Department seeks to reduce burdens on businesses by limiting UK-EU regulatory divergence.
Motorcycles with an engine capacity of 125cc or less must be equipped with an advanced braking system: either an anti-lock braking system or a combined braking system or both. The Department has not undertaken a study into the effectiveness of mandating anti-lock braking systems for motorcycles with an engine capacity of 125cc or less and there are no plans to introduce legislation on this issue.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the current tariff for the Minor Surgery Directed Enhanced Service in the context of rising operational costs.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
General practices (GPs) are paid for minor surgery directed enhanced services through global sum payments, although they have the option to opt out of these services, and if so, the relevant deductions will be made from their global sum payments.
Every year we consult with the profession about what services GPs provide, including Directed Enhanced Services, and the money providers are entitled to in return under their contracts.
We are investing an additional £889 million in GPs to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade and means we are reversing the recent trend with a rising share of total NHS resources going to GPs. We are pleased that the General Practitioners Committee England is supportive of the contract changes.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support the biodiesel industry.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
My department supports Clean Energy industries to invest and grow, including biofuels such as biodiesel, and the sectors that use these fuels. Our approach to these sectors is set out in the industrial strategy.
My officials also work alongside colleagues at the Department for Transport who carried out a call for evidence on the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) scheme in November last year. This considered future targets for the supply of renewable fuels, such as biodiesel. The product of that review will be published soon.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department is having with the Care Quality Commission on carrying out further inspections at Castle Hill Hospital.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recently sought information from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) regarding their regulatory oversight of Castle Hill Hospital. The CQC last inspected Castle Hill Hospital in November 2022, where it was rated as Requires Improvement overall. The full inspection report and detail are available at the following link:
https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/RWA16
Castle Hill Hospital is part of the Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The trust is subject to enhanced surveillance and attends a monthly Quality Improvement Board chaired by NHS England, which the CQC also attends. The trust’s action plan is monitored by the Board.
The trust was told by the CQC to take several actions to ensure that clinical care and treatment across the trust was delivered safely and in accordance with national guidance. The CQC continues to monitor the trust to ensure required improvements are made.
In light of the police investigation and the completion of three external reviews into the trust, the CQC is considering new information to determine any further regulatory action. Any inspection activity will be reported on and published on the CQC’s website.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of safety levels at Castle Hill Hospital.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recently sought information from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) regarding their regulatory oversight of Castle Hill Hospital. The CQC last inspected Castle Hill Hospital in November 2022, where it was rated as Requires Improvement overall. The full inspection report and detail are available at the following link:
https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/RWA16
Castle Hill Hospital is part of the Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The trust is subject to enhanced surveillance and attends a monthly Quality Improvement Board chaired by NHS England, which the CQC also attends. The trust’s action plan is monitored by the Board.
The trust was told by the CQC to take several actions to ensure that clinical care and treatment across the trust was delivered safely and in accordance with national guidance. The CQC continues to monitor the trust to ensure required improvements are made.
In light of the police investigation and the completion of three external reviews into the trust, the CQC is considering new information to determine any further regulatory action. Any inspection activity will be reported on and published on the CQC’s website.