Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had discussions with the International Monetary Fund on the impact of the rising cost of bond yields.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government does not comment on specific market moves.
As the Governor of the Bank of England recently noted, the underlying driver of recent moves in yield curves is global. This means it is more important than ever to have fiscal rules that provide stability.
Sound public finances are essential to economic and financial stability, and delivering economic growth. That is why at the Budget we will continue to meet this government’s non-negotiable fiscal rules, building on the decisions we took at Autumn Budget 2024 and Spring Statement 2025.
This is the responsible choice – to live within our means, reduce our levels of borrowing in the years ahead and support the Bank of England to get inflation down, so we can deliver on the priorities of working people and spend less on servicing debt.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of borrowing costs on mortgages.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government does not comment on specific financial market movements. Government borrowing costs are determined by a wide range of international and domestic factors, and it is normal for the price and yields of gilts to vary, especially in the context of wider movements in global financial markets.
The pricing of mortgages, which is influenced by a number of factors, is a commercial decision for lenders in which the Government does not intervene.
Headline average mortgage rates are materially lower than the recent peaks seen in Summer 2023 and Autumn 2022.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of the trends in the cost of debt on Departmental Budgets.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government has published Spending Review 2025, which set departmental spending allocations consistent with the fiscal strategy set out at Autumn Budget 2024 and Spring Statement 2025. The Chancellor will provide further updates at Autumn Budget 2025.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of UK borrowing costs on government spending.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government has published Spending Review 2025, which set departmental spending allocations consistent with the fiscal strategy set out at Autumn Budget 2024 and Spring Statement 2025. The Chancellor will provide further updates at Autumn Budget 2025.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she plans to establish a joint committee of both Houses to scrutinise the draft Bill on conversion practices.
Answered by Nia Griffith
This Government’s position is that conversion practices are abuse.
We remain committed to bringing forward legislation that protects LGBT+ individuals from these harmful practices, starting with publishing our draft Bill later this session for pre-legislative scrutiny.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to ban alcohol advertising.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 3 July 2025, the Department published Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, which outlines plans to introduce mandatory alcohol labelling, to increase awareness of harms and enable people to make healthier choices. It also commits to exploring expanding the ban on sales of alcohol products to children under 18 years old to include alcohol- free products, to protect young people. It further commits to continued expansion of Individual Placement and Support schemes for people with alcohol addiction to find good work. The Plan is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-future
The Government is committed to building a National Health Service fit for the future, with a greater emphasis on the prevention of avoidable health harms, supporting people to live well for longer. We will continue to work across Government reduce the negative impact excessive alcohol consumption is having on health, crime and the economy.
The Government has no plans to introduce a ban on alcohol advertising.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department plans to respond to correspondence of 1 July 2025 from the hon. Member for Meriden and Solihull East on the Midlands Rail Hub, reference MC2025-14224.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Rail Minister is replying to the hon. member's letter and if he has not received a response already, he will do so in coming days.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) Akrotiri and (b) Dhekelia Sovereign Base Areas on regional stability in the Middle East.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers have not discussed the status of the Sovereign Base Areas with counterparts from the Republic of Cyprus, which was secured by the 1960 Treaty of Establishment.
Ministers and officials however regularly engage with counterparts in the Republic of Cyprus regarding activities at the bases and regional security. For example, following the recent escalation between Israel and Iran, the Foreign Secretary and I have regularly spoken to our counterparts about regional stability, including the important contribution the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) make to the security of the region.
I also speak directly to the SBAs Administrator on a range of issues. The FCDO supports cooperation between the SBAs and the Republic of Cyprus, including on shared challenges such as forest fires, protecting the environment, crime and immigration. The FCDO also supports discussions on the implementation of the Protocol relating to the SBAs agreed between the UK and the EU, which entered into force on 1 February 2020.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the Sovereign Base Areas in Akrotiri and Dhekalia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers have not discussed the status of the Sovereign Base Areas with counterparts from the Republic of Cyprus, which was secured by the 1960 Treaty of Establishment.
Ministers and officials however regularly engage with counterparts in the Republic of Cyprus regarding activities at the bases and regional security. For example, following the recent escalation between Israel and Iran, the Foreign Secretary and I have regularly spoken to our counterparts about regional stability, including the important contribution the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) make to the security of the region.
I also speak directly to the SBAs Administrator on a range of issues. The FCDO supports cooperation between the SBAs and the Republic of Cyprus, including on shared challenges such as forest fires, protecting the environment, crime and immigration. The FCDO also supports discussions on the implementation of the Protocol relating to the SBAs agreed between the UK and the EU, which entered into force on 1 February 2020.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Cypriot counterparts on the status of the Sovereign Base Areas in (a) Akrotiri and (b) Dhekelia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers have not discussed the status of the Sovereign Base Areas with counterparts from the Republic of Cyprus, which was secured by the 1960 Treaty of Establishment.
Ministers and officials however regularly engage with counterparts in the Republic of Cyprus regarding activities at the bases and regional security. For example, following the recent escalation between Israel and Iran, the Foreign Secretary and I have regularly spoken to our counterparts about regional stability, including the important contribution the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) make to the security of the region.
I also speak directly to the SBAs Administrator on a range of issues. The FCDO supports cooperation between the SBAs and the Republic of Cyprus, including on shared challenges such as forest fires, protecting the environment, crime and immigration. The FCDO also supports discussions on the implementation of the Protocol relating to the SBAs agreed between the UK and the EU, which entered into force on 1 February 2020.