Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) changes to employer National Insurance contributions and (b) other recent fiscal measures on (i) employment, (ii) investment and (iii) business closures in hospitality; and what steps she is taking to support the hospitality sector.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs). The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.
The Office for Budget Responsibility also published the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO), which sets out a detailed forecast of the economy and public finances. With all policies considered, the OBR's March 2025 EFO forecasts the employment level to increase from 33.6 million in 2024 to 34.8 million in 2029.
The hospitality sector is predominately made up of smaller businesses. The Government decided to protect the smallest businesses from these changes by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change.
From 2026-27, the Government intends to introduce permanently lower business rates multipliers for RHL properties with an RV below £500,000. Ahead of then, the Government has prevented RHL business rates relief from ending, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, and frozen the small business multiplier.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of contracts awarded by his Department were given to (a) UK and (b) non-UK companies in the last 12 months.
Answered by Maria Eagle
The Department records contract awards based on the administrative address provided in the supplier’s successful tender. However, the actual delivery of goods or services may be carried out by an international parent company. To ensure accurate reporting of economic impact and regional value within the UK, we compile contractual statistics based on the location where the services are delivered.
Between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025, the Department awarded a total of 2,674 contracts, with a combined value of £23 billion. Of these:
The remaining 1,256 contracts, representing £3 billion, are currently undergoing reconciliation to determine the actual location of the supply base.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support UK capability through defence contracts for the (a) development, (b) manufacture and (c) maintenance of critical defence (i) equipment and (ii) systems.
Answered by Maria Eagle
The Strategic Defence Review sets the course for making defence a driver of growth, creating jobs, and renewing the nation’s contract across the UK in line with the Government’s growth mission.
The UK’s manufacturing industry is vital to both national security and economic growth. The new Defence Industrial Strategy will support UK businesses and contracts, strengthening domestic supply chains and ensuring critical defence equipment and systems are maintained within the advanced manufacturing sector.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times (a) he, (b) his Ministers and (c) his Department's officials have met with representatives of Domo Tactical Comms in Hamble Valley constituency.
Answered by Maria Eagle
Domo Tactical Communications (DTC) are an important partner for the UK Commando Force (UKCF). Ministry of Defence officials engage with DTC regularly, including personnel representing the Royal Navy (RN) and British Army. The RN have already procured a number of High Frequency radios from DTC to be integrated into the UKCF Strike Network.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether it is his Department's policy to procure new defence stocks from UK companies.
Answered by Maria Eagle
The additional investment in defence announced by the Prime Minister on 25 February 2025 and by the Chancellor in the 2025 Spring Statement will both protect UK citizens from threats and create a secure and stable environment in which businesses can thrive, supporting the Government’s number one mission to deliver economic growth. This includes maximising jobs, growth, skills and innovation in the UK.
This Government is bringing forward a Defence Industrial Strategy to strengthen the UK's Defence sector and supply chains. This strategy will support UK businesses where there is a clear security or economic advantage, while maintaining the benefits of competitive markets.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with her Australian counterpart on negotiating a new reciprocal social security agreement for the uprating of UK State Pensions for UK pensioners residing in Australia.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department has not engaged with their Australian counterparts on negotiating a new reciprocal social security agreement.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which (a) UK and (b) non-UK companies have been awarded contracts for drones; and what the value is of each contract.
Answered by Maria Eagle
In total since January 2024, The Department can identify 48 ‘drone’ related contracts valuing £3.6 billion that have been active within the Ministry of Defence.
Nine of these are marked as having a primary supplier address outside the UK.
24 of these contracts were competitively tendered, 23 were single source tenders and one unknown.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which contracts for drones have been awarded by (a) competitive tender and (b) single source.
Answered by Maria Eagle
In total since January 2024, The Department can identify 48 ‘drone’ related contracts valuing £3.6 billion that have been active within the Ministry of Defence.
Nine of these are marked as having a primary supplier address outside the UK.
24 of these contracts were competitively tendered, 23 were single source tenders and one unknown.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of using UK-based manufacturing companies to deliver the Rampion 2 wind turbine scheme.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government is not neutral about where things are made. We want to see jobs created and supply chains developed here in the UK.
As part of the growth and clean energy superpower missions, the Government is committed to growing the UK’s supply chains and supporting good jobs throughout the country. The Clean Industry Bonus aims to drive investment into sustainable supply chains, particularly in the UK’s most disadvantaged communities. In addition, the Government has set out a package of support for offshore wind supply chains worth up to £1 billion, including £300 million from Great British Energy to provide upfront public investment, £400 million from The Crown Estate, to support new infrastructure, including ports, manufacturing, and research and testing facilities, and £300 million being developed by the offshore wind industry, to deliver new investments into supply chains such as advanced turbines technologies and foundations.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 May 2025 to Question 17 on European security, what recent discussions he has had with drone component suppliers to ensure that the UK military is up to date when it comes to drone technology and capability.
Answered by Maria Eagle
Defence routinely engages with drone component suppliers to iterate and spiral develop capability in close cooperation with allies.
One of the key mechanisms to ensure that Defence is up to date with the latest developments in drone technology and associated tactics is through our support to Ukraine, where drone capabilities are developed and exploited in cooperation with drone component suppliers. As outlined in the Strategic Defence Review, Defence will continue to invest in drone technology to advance our capabilities in tandem with UK industry.