First elected: 7th June 2001
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
These initiatives were driven by Pete Wishart, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Pete Wishart has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill To make provision for the House of Commons to nominate the Prime Minister and approve appointments to the Cabinet; to establish the office of Acting Prime Minister; and for connected purposes.
Employment Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Steven Bonnar (SNP)
Energy Pricing (Off Gas Grid Households) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Drew Hendry (SNP)
Problem Drug Use Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Tommy Sheppard (SNP)
Jet Skis (Licensing) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Hywel Williams (PC)
Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019
Sponsor - Greg Knight (Con)
Multi-employer Pension Schemes Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Alan Brown (SNP)
Banking and Post Office Services (Rural Areas and Small Communities) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Luke Graham (Con)
Armed Forces Representative Body Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Martin Docherty-Hughes (SNP)
Planning (Agent of Change) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - John Spellar (Lab)
Events and Festivals (Control of Flares, Fireworks and Smoke Bombs Etc) Bill 2015-16
Sponsor - Nigel Adams (Con)
I refer the Hon member to the response which I gave to PQ1411 on 14 January 2020.
The Government asked specific questions about impact in the consultation on AI and IP, but received very limited quantitative evidence. An impact assessment will be published alongside the legislation when laid. The proposed exception will be targeted to limit negative impacts, and the government welcomes further evidence from rights holders on how to best achieve this.
The UK sought an agreement with the EU on reciprocal disclosure for unregistered designs. This would have been beneficial to UK design businesses. However, the
EU decided to pass up the opportunity to conclude such mutually beneficial text, which is disappointing. There are no plans to revisit this issue with our EU partners.
However, the Government recognises that this an important issue for UK designers and will consider it in our future work on the UK designs system.
As part of its work on IP enforcement issues the IPO has facilitated a series of working groups over the last year looking at the enforcement framework. The cost and accessibility of court processes for IP disputes was considered as part of this review, and questions on these topics were included in the call for views which closed in November this year. The IPO is currently considering the responses received from that exercise and will carry out further assessment as necessary before any recommendations are taken forwards.
The Government is committed to ensuring digital markets remain competitive and deliver positive outcomes for consumers, small businesses, and society. That is why we have announced funding to establish a new Digital Markets Unit within the Competition and Markets Authority from 2021-22.
We set up the Digital Markets Taskforce in March to offer expert advice. We will now consider the recommendations, including 13b and consult on proposals for a new pro-competition regime for digital markets in early 2021.
As part of its work on IP enforcement issues the IPO has facilitated a series of working groups over the last year looking at the enforcement framework. The cost and accessibility of court processes for IP disputes was considered as part of this review, and questions on these topics were included in the call for views which closed in November this year. The IPO is currently considering the responses received from that exercise and will carry out further assessment and consult other departments as necessary before any recommendations are taken forwards.
The Government’s approach to negotiations between the UK and the EU aims to secure an Intellectual Property Chapter that includes mutual assurances to maintain high standards of protection for IP rights, including registered IP rights such as patents, trademarks and designs; and unregistered rights such as copyright, and trade secrets. The approach also reflects international agreements such as the WTO agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property and World Intellectual Property Organisation treaties.
If no further negotiated agreement is reached between the UK and the EU, the arrangements in the intellectual property section of the Withdrawal Agreement take effect at the end of the transition period. These arrangements provide legal certainty and protect the interests of rightsholders and users of the IP framework.
The UK’s highly skilled legal profession play a vital role in advising UK businesses in the creative sector, and indeed across all sectors, on how to make the most from their IP portfolios
Officials at the Intellectual Property Office are having ongoing conversations with representative bodies over how to best address any issues they may face once the transition period ends.
Officials at the Intellectual Property Office and Ministry of Justice are working together and continue to have conversations with representative bodies over how to best address issues they may face once the transition period ends.
The Government recognises the essential contribution freelancers make to the creative industries.
A key ambition of the Creative Industries Sector Vision, published in June 2023, is to improve the job quality and working practice of the sector, including the self-employed. As part of this ambition, Government and industry have agreed to work together to address the recommendations of the Good Work Review. An action plan is being developed and proposals include the recent launch of the British Film Institute’s £1.5 million Good Work Programme for screen.
Arts Council England’s current Delivery Plan includes ‘increasing our support for individuals’ as one of its five themes and sets high expectations for all cultural organisations which work with creative and cultural professionals. Its online toolkits support practitioners and employers by setting out good-practice approaches, and signposting people to other supportive resources.
Universal Credit and Jobcentre Plus support is available to those who are looking for work, and those who are in work but with low earnings, and this includes the self-employed. This support is available to all, regardless of sector.
The Government recognises the essential contribution freelancers make to the creative industries.
A key ambition of the Creative Industries Sector Vision, published in June 2023, is to improve the job quality and working practice of the sector, including the self-employed. As part of this ambition, Government and industry have agreed to work together to address the recommendations of the Good Work Review. An action plan is being developed and proposals include the recent launch of the British Film Institute’s £1.5 million Good Work Programme for screen.
Arts Council England’s current Delivery Plan includes ‘increasing our support for individuals’ as one of its five themes and sets high expectations for all cultural organisations which work with creative and cultural professionals. Its online toolkits support practitioners and employers by setting out good-practice approaches, and signposting people to other supportive resources.
Universal Credit and Jobcentre Plus support is available to those who are looking for work, and those who are in work but with low earnings, and this includes the self-employed. This support is available to all, regardless of sector.
Journalists, including freelancers, play an important role in holding power to account and keeping the public informed by providing reliable, high-quality information.
As the independent Cairncross Review into the future of journalism identified, society is increasingly moving online and news publishers are facing significant challenges in transitioning to sustainable digital business models, particularly at local level - and this presents challenges both for publishers and the freelancers that they contract.
The Government is taking action to support journalists. We set up the National Committee for the Safety of Journalists (NCSJ) in 2020, bringing together government, representatives bodies for journalists, police and prosecuting authorities as well as civil society groups to improve ways journalists, especially freelancers, can be supported and given the resources and training they need and set this our in the 2021 National Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists.
We are also supporting the news publishers that employ or contract journalists. To date, this support has included the introduction of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill, which among many other things will help to rebalance the relationship between publishers and platforms; the delivery of a £2 million Future News Fund, designed to invest in new technological prototypes, start-ups and innovative business models to explore new ways of sustaining the industry in this changing landscape; the zero rating of VAT on e-newspapers; the extension of a 2017 business rates relief on local newspaper office space until 2025; We continue to consider all possible options in the interests of promoting and sustaining news journalism.
The Government is aware of the number of issues facing the creative industries as a result of rising inflation and rising energy prices.
In September 2022 the government announced support for businesses, including businesses within the creative industries, through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. This is expected to cut non-domestic energy bills by between one-quarter and one-third up until March 2023. BEIS recently launched a 3 month review into the effectiveness of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. DCMS continues to work with BEIS and industry to analyse the impact of the current Energy Bill Relief Scheme on our sectors.
Support is also available through the targeted support package announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in May, worth over £37 billion in total, to ease the cost of living burden on millions of households with the greatest need, including those working in the creative industries.
The creative industries are some of the fastest growing sectors in the UK economy, contributing £116 billion in GVA and employing 2.1 million people. That is why we are developing a Sector Vision to set out our ambitions for the sector between now and 2030, which we will publish in the coming months.
Supporting the resilience of the creative industries’ workforce in the long-term is a key objective of the Policy and Evidence Centre’s Review of Job Quality and Working Practice in the Creative Industries which was co-funded by DCMS and is due to be published later this year. The Government will work with industry to consider its recommendations.
The Government is also supporting the creative industries through Arts Council England, which recently announced support for 990 organisations across the creative and cultural sectors as part of its 2023-2026 Investment Programme.
The Government is aware of the number of issues facing the creative industries as a result of rising inflation and rising energy prices.
In September 2022 the government announced support for businesses, including businesses within the creative industries, through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. This is expected to cut non-domestic energy bills by between one-quarter and one-third up until March 2023. BEIS recently launched a 3 month review into the effectiveness of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. DCMS continues to work with BEIS and industry to analyse the impact of the current Energy Bill Relief Scheme on our sectors.
Support is also available through the targeted support package announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in May, worth over £37 billion in total, to ease the cost of living burden on millions of households with the greatest need, including those working in the creative industries.
The creative industries are some of the fastest growing sectors in the UK economy, contributing £116 billion in GVA and employing 2.1 million people. That is why we are developing a Sector Vision to set out our ambitions for the sector between now and 2030, which we will publish in the coming months.
Supporting the resilience of the creative industries’ workforce in the long-term is a key objective of the Policy and Evidence Centre’s Review of Job Quality and Working Practice in the Creative Industries which was co-funded by DCMS and is due to be published later this year. The Government will work with industry to consider its recommendations.
The Government is also supporting the creative industries through Arts Council England, which recently announced support for 990 organisations across the creative and cultural sectors as part of its 2023-2026 Investment Programme.
We are aware of the concerns raised by the music industry about the potential challenges associated with securing insurance for live music events.
Officials have been working closely with the affected sectors to understand the challenges faced. This includes work to build an evidence base on whether there is a clear market failure that demonstrates insurance coverage is the only barrier to live music events taking place.
We appreciate that the Covid-19 pandemic presents a significant challenge to the music sector. As you are aware, the Government has provided unprecedented support for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS), the Bounceback Loan Scheme and business rates reliefs.
The Chancellor has now announced the Winter Economy Plan to protect jobs and support businesses over the coming months, once the existing SEISS and CJRS come to end. This support includes:
the new Job Support Scheme;
an extension to the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme;
an extension of reduced VAT (from 20% to 5%) on concert tickets to March 2021; and
further concessions on repayment terms, payment deferrals and application windows.
In addition, the Secretary of State provided a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This support package will benefit the music sector by providing support to venues and many other organisations to stay open and continue operating.
The UK Government is grateful to Lord Peter Hendy for his Union Connectivity Review. We are taking the time necessary to consider his recommendations, and have been working closely with the Scottish Government, Welsh Government, Northern Ireland Executive and key stakeholders, to identify the solutions that work best for the people of the UK. We will publish the Government’s response as soon as is practicable.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) operates a 24-week booking window for car tests and there are test slots available within this window.
Driver testing services were significantly disrupted during the pandemic, which has led to a high demand for learners who are now wanting to take their driving test. The DVSA is working hard to provide as many practical driving test appointments as it can and has a number of measures in place to do this. These include offering a national recovery allowance and annual leave buy back to examiners, asking all those qualified to conduct tests, but who do not do so as part of their current day job, to return to conducting tests, conducting out of hours testing (such as on public holidays and weekends), and resuming the number of driving tests per day to seven for each full-time examiner.
The DVSA is also recruiting more than 300 driving examiners across Great Britain. The DVSA’s examiner recruitment campaigns continue to be successful but, like many employers, it is finding the job market extremely competitive. As it moves through each recruitment campaign, the DVSA will continually review and make changes and improvements to its recruitment and selection process, and training courses.
To reduce the number of driving tests that go to waste, the DVSA has introduced a text messaging service to remind candidates about their test and has also launched a ‘Ready to Pass?’ campaign to improve learners’ understanding of what it means to be test ready and how they can assess their readiness.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) operates a 24-week booking window for car tests and there are test slots available within this window.
Driver testing services were significantly disrupted during the pandemic, which has led to a high demand for learners who are now wanting to take their driving test. The DVSA is working hard to provide as many practical driving test appointments as it can and has a number of measures in place to do this. These include offering a national recovery allowance and annual leave buy back to examiners, asking all those qualified to conduct tests, but who do not do so as part of their current day job, to return to conducting tests, conducting out of hours testing (such as on public holidays and weekends), and resuming the number of driving tests per day to seven for each full-time examiner.
The DVSA is also recruiting more than 300 driving examiners across Great Britain. The DVSA’s examiner recruitment campaigns continue to be successful but, like many employers, it is finding the job market extremely competitive. As it moves through each recruitment campaign, the DVSA will continually review and make changes and improvements to its recruitment and selection process, and training courses.
To reduce the number of driving tests that go to waste, the DVSA has introduced a text messaging service to remind candidates about their test and has also launched a ‘Ready to Pass?’ campaign to improve learners’ understanding of what it means to be test ready and how they can assess their readiness.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has a range of services available online which offer the quickest and easiest way to transact with the DVLA. The DVLA’s online services have worked well throughout the pandemic with more than 36 million online driver and vehicle transactions processed since March. Around 97.5 per cent of DVLA’s customer interactions are digital or automated allowing businesses and motorists to transact with DVLA at a time and place that suits them.
For vehicle keepers, the online services include notifying a change of keeper, telling the DVLA that a vehicle has been disposed of to a motor trader as well as removing and adding a personalised number plate from or to a vehicle.
The DVLA continues to add to the extensive range of digital services already available. In June, the DVLA launched a new service allowing vehicle keepers to change their address online. This service was developed and introduced at pace in response to the pandemic and has been very successful with more than 213,000 change of address transactions completed online by the end of August. Further digital service enhancements are underway.
The Department for Transport is in regular conversation with UK airlines and wider membership bodies. We are working closely with the sector, the regulator and consumer groups to help ensure airlines deliver on their commitments.
The Government recognises the challenges businesses are experiencing regarding refunds for cancelled holidays and flights. Airlines are working hard to answer the high call volumes and to process large volumes of refunds.
The Government appreciates the frustration consumers may be experiencing. We have been clear that where a consumer has asked for a refund, that refund must be paid.
I am very grateful to the Honourable Gentleman for bringing this challenge to my attention.
We are working closely with research partners, and I am pleased to say that more research is being funded as we continue to encourage more researchers to become involved in what remains a challenging scientific area, with a relatively small research community.
My office is in the process of arranging meetings with key stakeholders in this area. This includes leading charities and a separate meeting between leadership of the MHRA and honourable members who are similarly passionate to see advances in research.
This is an issue close to my heart, and I am confident that the Government's continued commitment to funding will help us make progress towards effective treatments.
We regularly discuss the security situation and human rights in Pakistan at a senior level with the relevant Pakistani authorities. Resolving the ongoing security issues in Balochistan is a matter for the Pakistani Government.
The UK regularly engages the Government of Pakistan at a senior level on the need to respect human rights and uphold the rule of law. On 30 January, Minister of State for South Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, discussed the human rights situation with Minister for Human Rights Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada. In June 2022, the British High Commissioner to Pakistan discussed the issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan with Minister Pirzada. We continue to encourage progress towards the criminalisation of enforced disappearances in Pakistan. We urge states to fully investigate any allegations, prosecute those responsible and provide justice to victims and their families.
Since 2014 the UK has provided support to the most vulnerable people in Pakistan affected by conflict, through the Multi-Year Humanitarian Programme. The £120 million programme covers both immediate relief and early recovery interventions for shelter, food and non-food items, water and sanitation, and livelihood and protection needs.
The deadlines for individuals submitting self-assessment tax returns are prescribed in legislation. Individuals have specific reporting deadlines which are dependent on whether they submit their returns online or on paper.
Individuals who might not know their exact profit by the relevant filing date may provide estimated figures in their return. They have 12 months from the filing deadline date to finalise their figures and make the appropriate amendment to their return.
There is no provision within the legislation to make distinctions between individuals with different professions or vocations such as creative freelancers.
There is however provision for a special relief for self-employed creators of literary or artistic works to average their profits over 2 years where certain conditions are met. This helps them even out fluctuating profits, smoothing their tax bills
Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) are used by employers to reimburse an employee’s expenses for business mileage in their private vehicle, including employees in rural areas. These rates are also used by self-employed drivers to claim tax relief on business mileage (simplified motoring expenses). The AMAP rates are not mandatory, and employers can choose to pay more or less than the AMAP rate. It is therefore ultimately up to employers to determine the rate at which they reimburse their employees. The AMAP rate also applies to volunteers, and organisations using volunteers also do not need to use the AMAP rate, and can choose to pay more or less than the AMAP rate.
In considering changes to the AMAP/simplified motoring expenses rates, the Government has to balance support for individuals with the responsible management of public finances, which fund our essential public services.
However, the Government recognises that transport is a major cost for individuals and families. At Spring Statement 2022 the Government announced a temporary 12-month cut to duty on petrol and diesel of 5p per litre. In order to continue supporting all motorists, it will extend the 5p fuel duty cut, which is worth £100 to the average driver over the next year.
Like all taxes and allowances, the Government keeps the AMAP rate underreview, and any changes will be announced at a future fiscal event.
HMRC regularly publishes alcohol fraud prosecution data on the GOV.UK website. The most recent publication (Tackling alcohol smuggling: outputs – April 2016 to April 2019) shows that during the period April 2016 and March 2019 HMRC conducted 33 arrests with 25 convictions for offences relating to alcohol fraud. Figures for the periods since April 2019 will be published in due course.
Duty stamps do not raise revenue, they are an anti-fraud measure that have helped secure the alcohol supply chain, making it more difficult for illicit products to infiltrate the market. HMRC’s tax gap estimate indicates that such measures are successfully keeping spirit’s fraud at historically low levels.
The Government is keen to support innovation in the alcohol sector. That is why, at Budget 2020, we announced plans to review alcohol duty with the aim of improving the current system to make it simpler, more economically rational and less administratively burdensome.
Following a Call for Evidence launched in October 2020, the Government is currently considering the responses. While scope of this review does not include duty stamps, HM Revenue and Customs will review the duty stamps policy when any changes to the alcohol regime have been developed.
Duty stamps do not raise revenue, they are an anti-fraud measure that have helped secure the alcohol supply chain, making it more difficult for illicit products to infiltrate the market. HMRC’s tax gap estimate indicates that such measures are successfully keeping spirit’s fraud at historically low levels.
The Government is keen to support innovation in the alcohol sector. That is why, at Budget 2020, we announced plans to review alcohol duty with the aim of improving the current system to make it simpler, more economically rational and less administratively burdensome.
Following a Call for Evidence launched in October 2020, the Government is currently considering the responses. While scope of this review does not include duty stamps, HM Revenue and Customs will review the duty stamps policy when any changes to the alcohol regime have been developed.
HM Treasury has received unprecedented amounts of correspondence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and apologises for the delay in responding to the Honourable Member. The Honourable Member’s correspondence is receiving attention and will be replied to as soon as possible.
HM Treasury has received unprecedented amounts of correspondence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and apologises for the delay in responding to the Honourable Member. The Honourable Member’s correspondence is receiving attention and will be replied to as soon as possible.
HM Treasury has received unprecedented amounts of correspondence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and apologises for the delay in responding to the Honourable Member. The Honourable Member’s correspondence is receiving attention and will be replied to as soon as possible.
HM Treasury has received unprecedented amounts of correspondence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and apologises for the delay in responding to the Honourable Member. The Honourable Member’s correspondence is receiving attention and will be replied to as soon as possible.
HM Treasury has received unprecedented amounts of correspondence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and apologises for the delay in responding to the Honourable Member. The Honourable Member’s correspondence is receiving attention and will be replied to as soon as possible.
HM Treasury has received unprecedented amounts of correspondence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and apologises for the delay in responding to the Honourable Member. The Honourable Member’s correspondence is receiving attention and will be replied to as soon as possible.
HM Treasury has received unprecedented amounts of correspondence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and apologises for the delay in responding to the Honourable Member. The Honourable Member’s correspondence is receiving attention and will be replied to as soon as possible.
HM Treasury has received unprecedented amounts of correspondence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and apologises for the delay in responding to the Honourable Member. The Honourable Member’s correspondence is receiving attention and will be replied to as soon as possible.
HM Treasury has received unprecedented amounts of correspondence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and apologises for the delay in responding to the Honourable Member. The Honourable Member’s correspondence is receiving attention and will be replied to as soon as possible.
HM Treasury has received unprecedented amounts of correspondence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and apologises for the delay in responding to the Honourable Member. The Honourable Member’s correspondence is receiving attention and will be replied to as soon as possible.
HM Treasury has received unprecedented amounts of correspondence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and apologises for the delay in responding to the Honourable Member. The Honourable Member’s correspondence is receiving attention and will be replied to as soon as possible.
HM Treasury has received unprecedented amounts of correspondence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and apologises for the delay in responding to the Honourable Member. The Honourable Member’s correspondence is receiving attention and will be replied to as soon as possible.
HM Treasury has received unprecedented amounts of correspondence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and apologises for the delay in responding to the Honourable Member. The Honourable Member’s correspondence is receiving attention and will be replied to as soon as possible.
HM Treasury has received unprecedented amounts of correspondence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and apologises for the delay in responding to the Honourable Member. The Honourable Member’s correspondence is receiving attention and will be replied to as soon as possible.
HM Treasury has received unprecedented amounts of correspondence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and apologises for the delay in responding to the Honourable Member. The Honourable Member’s correspondence is receiving attention and will be replied to as soon as possible.