Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to encourage investment in port infrastructure.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK’s ports sector is largely privately owned and operated, with the Government’s role primarily to ensure that the policy and regulatory environment supports investment. Ports policy is devolved, with the Department for Transport responsible for ports in England and Milford Haven in Wales. My Department is streamlining planning and regulatory processes for these ports, including by updating the National Policy Statement for Ports.
The Government provides targeted support where there are clear public benefits, such as on decarbonisation. In September the Department announced a £448 million extension to the UK SHORE programme, the biggest ever Government investment in commercial maritime across the UK. In addition, my Department is working with the National Wealth Fund, which has committed at least £5.8 billion of its capital to five sectors, including UK ports.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress her Department has made on supporting the maritime sector to (a) decarbonise and (b) transition to clean fuels and technologies.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In March, the Department published the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, which sets a pathway to zero emissions for the domestic shipping sector and sets out the policies we will implement to support this transition. This strategy provides certainty and allows the sector to unlock the private investment required to transition to clean fuels and technologies.
We are delivering on the commitments we set out to the maritime sector with the UK Emissions Trading Scheme expanding to maritime from next year, and we will be consulting on domestic fuel regulations which will limit the greenhouse gas intensity of maritime fuels.
To further support transition to fuels and technologies, I announced a further £448m of R&D funding for UK SHORE which is accelerating maritime decarbonisation through targeted R&D investment, funding projects across the UK from demonstrations and commercial trials to scientific research and feasibility studies.
Internationally, the UK will work with others to drive forward global maritime decarbonisation efforts and provide industry with the certainty it needs.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to (a) support careers in the maritime sector for young people and (b) create (i) green jobs for existing workers and (ii) high-quality jobs in coastal communities.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is committed to ensuring the UK maritime sector continues to provide high-quality careers at sea and on shore for young people in coastal areas.
Officials continue to work with industry to ensure that the green skills training offer is relevant and accessible, and that high-quality jobs are available across the sector, including on shore and in our ports, to support its transition to decarbonisation and use of new technologies including automation. For example, through the Cadet Training and Modernisation Programme, DfT and the MCA have future-proofed seafarer training by including future ‘cleaner’ fuels into the cadet curriculum. DfT officials are also engaging across government to build on the role of ports as a foundational sector in the Industrial Strategy and will support work to build a jobs plan as part of its implementation.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her international counterparts on reports of the (a) detention and (b) killing of the Falun Gong in China.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 9 April 2025 to Question 43452.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Chinese counterpart on reports of attacks against Christian communities in eastern China; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure the protection of those communities.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 14 October to question 77079.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the attack on the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Village Piro Chak, Pakistan, on 28 September 2025; and whether she has had discussions with her Pakistani counterpart on this matter.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 29 October to question 83844.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with his EU counterparts on the legality of the proposed generational smoking ban in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In preparation of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, the Government has considered all its domestic and international obligations. The Government engages with the European Union and member states on a wide variety of issues, including matters relating to Northern Ireland. This engagement is confidential.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department (a) sought and (b) received legal advice on the compatibility of the generational smoking ban proposed in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill with the Windsor Framework, particularly in relation to Northern Ireland's regulatory alignment obligations.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In preparation of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, the Government has considered all its domestic and international obligations. The Government does not disclose whether it has sought or received legal advice.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of biodiversity net gain requirements on the delivery of new towns; and how the outcome of that assessment will inform planning reforms.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 28 September 2025, the government published the independent New Towns Taskforce report as well as its initial response to that report. Both can be found on gov.uk here.
As set out in the initial government response, we warmly welcome all 12 of the locations it has recommend. Prima facie, each has the clear potential to deliver on the government’s objectives, with Tempsford, Crews Hill and Leeds South Bank looking particularly promising as sites that might make significant contributions to unlocking economic growth and accelerating housing delivery.
On 28 September 2025, we commenced a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to understand the environmental implications of new towns development. This will support final decisions on precisely which locations we take forward. No final decisions on locations will be made until that SEA concludes and preferred locations could change as a result of the process.
Ministers and officials will now begin work with local partners to develop detailed proposals and enhance our understanding of how different locations might meet the government’s expectations of what a future New Towns Programme can deliver, with all promising sites and reasonable alternatives assessed and considered through the SEA process. Appropriate assessment under the Habitats Regulations will also be undertaken when required.
Development within new towns would be subject to Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) subject to the normal exemptions in place at the time of development.
On 28 May 2025, the government published the Planning Reform Working Paper: Reforming Site Thresholds which can be found on gov.uk here. We are currently considering the responses received and will set out next steps in due course.
On the same day, the government published a consultation on improving the implementation of biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development which can be found on gov.uk here. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is considering the responses received.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of exempting new towns from Biodiversity Net Gain requirements.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 28 September 2025, the government published the independent New Towns Taskforce report as well as its initial response to that report. Both can be found on gov.uk here.
As set out in the initial government response, we warmly welcome all 12 of the locations it has recommend. Prima facie, each has the clear potential to deliver on the government’s objectives, with Tempsford, Crews Hill and Leeds South Bank looking particularly promising as sites that might make significant contributions to unlocking economic growth and accelerating housing delivery.
On 28 September 2025, we commenced a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to understand the environmental implications of new towns development. This will support final decisions on precisely which locations we take forward. No final decisions on locations will be made until that SEA concludes and preferred locations could change as a result of the process.
Ministers and officials will now begin work with local partners to develop detailed proposals and enhance our understanding of how different locations might meet the government’s expectations of what a future New Towns Programme can deliver, with all promising sites and reasonable alternatives assessed and considered through the SEA process. Appropriate assessment under the Habitats Regulations will also be undertaken when required.
Development within new towns would be subject to Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) subject to the normal exemptions in place at the time of development.
On 28 May 2025, the government published the Planning Reform Working Paper: Reforming Site Thresholds which can be found on gov.uk here. We are currently considering the responses received and will set out next steps in due course.
On the same day, the government published a consultation on improving the implementation of biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development which can be found on gov.uk here. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is considering the responses received.