Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will undertake a review of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellations and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 in relation to the requirement for retailers to refund delivery charges for goods returned within the 14-day cancellation period.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The department currently has no plans to undertake a review of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellations and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (CCRs) as we believe that the current rules balance the interests of businesses and consumers.
The CCRs provide for a 14 working day cooling-off period for distance and off-premises contracts. If a consumer changes their mind and cancels an order within the “cooling off” period, then the trader is not obligated to pay for postage, so long as they have clearly stipulated that the consumer must may for postage ahead of the transaction.
If the goods are faulty, then the trader is obligated to cover the costs of returning the goods, under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the financial impact of mandatory outbound delivery refunds costs under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 on small businesses.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The department currently has no plans to undertake a review of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellations and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (CCRs) as we believe that the current rules balance the interests of businesses and consumers.
The CCRs provide for a 14 working day cooling-off period for distance and off-premises contracts. If a consumer changes their mind and cancels an order within the “cooling off” period, then the trader is not obligated to pay for postage, so long as they have clearly stipulated that the consumer must may for postage ahead of the transaction.
If the goods are faulty, then the trader is obligated to cover the costs of returning the goods, under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with local police forces on ensuring that goods sold by pedlars comply with safety standards, including requirements for CE and UKCA marking.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Under the UK’s product safety framework, anyone who distributes consumer products in a commercial capacity, including pedlars, has a duty not to supply products that they know, or should be aware, are unsafe or non-compliant. Local authorities, rather than the police, enforce product safety regulations at a local level. The Office for Product Safety and Standards, as national regulator, works with local authorities providing the tools they need to ensure business comply with the law, keeping consumers safe.
Pedlars must have a licence to operate and are also subject to relevant provisions in the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions her Department has had with major online marketplace operators regarding their responsibilities in preventing the sale of copied or infringing products to UK consumers.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to protecting intellectual property rights and supporting UK businesses and consumers.
The Intellectual Property Office regularly engages with many of the major digital platform operators in the UK and overseas to discuss and develop the necessary measures to address infringements on online marketplaces. These discussions include ways to improve the existing platform processes for identifying and removing infringing content, collaboration with law enforcement, and how rights holders can make effective use of existing platform procedures. It also works with domestic and international partners to promote best practice in preventing online intellectual property infringement.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that online marketplaces selling into the UK are held accountable for listings that may infringe upon intellectual property rights of UK based manufacturing businesses.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to protecting intellectual property rights and supporting UK businesses and consumers against online infringement. In the UK, enforcement action is led by Trading Standards and the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit, which work with online marketplaces to remove counterfeit and infringing listings.
The Intellectual Property Office engages regularly with many of the major e-commerce platforms and rights holders, in the UK and internationally, to ensure effective policies and processes for identifying and removing infringing content are in place. It also works with international partners, including the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development, to promote best practice.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many flooded homes there were in the last year by region.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The table below represents properties flooded in Environment Agency (EA) Operational Areas from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. This information has been collated by EA Area teams and is based on information received from the public, flood partners and EA staff during national flood events. All figures are estimates and are subject to change as information is collated and updated, and records may differ from previously reported totals. Further impacts can sometimes be reported through recovery work with communities.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government may hold further detail about properties flooded during this time from Lead Local Flood Authorities.
EA Operational Area | Properties Flooded 1 April 2025– 31 March 2026 |
Cumbria and Lancashire | 24 |
Devon, Cornwall & Isles of Scilly | 122 |
East Anglia (Cambridgeshire & Bedfordshire) | 2 |
East Anglia (Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk) | 5 |
East Midlands | 3 |
Greater Manchester Merseyside | 1 |
Hertfordshire & North London | 1 |
Kent & South London | 23 |
Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire |
|
North East |
|
Solent and South Downs | 17 |
Thames | 9 |
West Midlands (Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire) | 22 |
West Midlands (Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Mids) | 10 |
Wessex | 279 |
Yorkshire (YOR) | 22 |
Total | 540 |
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes in interpretation by local authorities of requirements for farmed reindeer licensing on farm business viability.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Licences for reindeer in England may be required where they are exhibited to the public. The type of licence needed will depend on the nature of the display (permanent or temporary) and whether the reindeer are being exhibited as part of a business. There are also licensing requirements for keeping certain species of reindeer regarded as dangerous, where they are kept outside of a licensed zoo or pet shop.
Licensing decisions are a matter for each local authority, who can decide on the most appropriate type of licence or licences depending on the circumstances of each individual collection.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consideration they have made to adding exemption guidance to farmed reindeer in the Standards of Modern Zoo Practice 2027.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Standards of Modern Zoo Practice for Great Britain, published in May 2025, apply to all zoos in Great Britain licensed under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 (the 1981 Act).
The 1981 Act provides for exemptions or dispensations for small collections depending on the number and types of animals kept. A collection consisting of just a small number of reindeer (no more than 50) can already apply for a dispensation which can help reduce zoo licensing inspection costs.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the supply of British grown cauliflower and other brassicas in spring 2026.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK’s food security is built on supply from diverse sources including strong domestic production and imports through stable trade routes.
The UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group monitors and assess UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade, and recent developments. This includes consideration of the adequacy of the supply of both domestically grown cauliflower and brassicas, and where necessary, imports.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with the travel agent sector on the processing of refunds where an airline has cancelled a flight and confirmed that passengers are entitled to a refund without a penalty fee.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has had discussions with travel agents and airlines on a range of issues.
In the UK, Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (“Regulation 261”) sets out the rights of passengers in the event of flight cancellations.
Where UK law applies, if a flight is cancelled by the airline, passengers are entitled to a choice between a full refund or re-routing.
Where a flight booking has been made through a travel agent, passengers should, in the first instance, contact the agent in cases such as flight cancellations.
The Department’s Air Passenger Travel Guide provides passengers with information on their rights and responsibilities when travelling by air, including a dedicated section on cancellations.