Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she is taking diplomatic steps to ensure the safe passage of humanitarian aid convoys through the Kerem Shalom crossing.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We continue to work with partners, including the United Nations, the United States and Israel, to push for unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza, most recently in the Foreign Secretary's discussions at the UN General Assembly meetings in New York.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her US counterparts on the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We continue to work with partners, including the United Nations, the United States and Israel, to push for unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza, most recently in the Foreign Secretary's discussions at the UN General Assembly meetings in New York.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her (a) Israeli and (b) American counterparts on reinstating the United Nations-led aid delivery system in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We continue to work with partners, including the United Nations, the United States and Israel, to push for unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza, most recently in the Foreign Secretary's discussions at the UN General Assembly meetings in New York.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of delays in reinstatement of a medically revoked driving licence on people's capacity to work.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Although a specific assessment has not been carried out, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and understands the impact delays can have on people’s lives. Road safety remains our most important priority and the DVLA must be satisfied that the required medical standards required for safe driving can be met before a licence is issued.

Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer to process as the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued. Where a driver contacts the DVLA to advise that they require their driving licence for employment, the application will be prioritised where possible.

The DVLA is currently rolling out a new casework system which will deliver significant improvements to the services provided to drivers with medical conditions. This will enhance the handling of medical cases, support growing customer demand and help to reduce processing times. As part of this work, the DVLA has improved the quality of the correspondence provided to applicants and reviewed the questions asked of applicants and healthcare professionals when assessing medical fitness to drive, with a view to simplifying the process wherever possible.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the reasons for delays in the DVLA's system for the reissuing of revoked driver's licenses on medical grounds.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Although a specific assessment has not been carried out, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and understands the impact delays can have on people’s lives. Road safety remains our most important priority and the DVLA must be satisfied that the required medical standards required for safe driving can be met before a licence is issued.

Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer to process as the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued. Where a driver contacts the DVLA to advise that they require their driving licence for employment, the application will be prioritised where possible.

The DVLA is currently rolling out a new casework system which will deliver significant improvements to the services provided to drivers with medical conditions. This will enhance the handling of medical cases, support growing customer demand and help to reduce processing times. As part of this work, the DVLA has improved the quality of the correspondence provided to applicants and reviewed the questions asked of applicants and healthcare professionals when assessing medical fitness to drive, with a view to simplifying the process wherever possible.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the potential losses to the exchequer as a result of sales made on online market places by companies which trade only for a short period then are closed before VAT arrears can be recovered.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC do not have an estimate of the losses arising as a result of sales made on online marketplaces by companies which trade only for a short period then are closed before VAT arrears can be recovered.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reviewing the framework for Postponed VAT Accounting to ensure that PVA is not available to companies which have no trading history or security in UK.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Postponed VAT accounting provides significant support for businesses, helping to manage cash flow and facilitate imports. HMRC undertakes regular work to ensure compliance with the rules around postponed VAT accounting.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential meris of removing the Low-Value Imports rule.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government is aware of the increasing prevalence of overseas retailers using the low value imports regime and the proposed changes to equivalent regimes made by our international partners. In recognition of this, the Chancellor announced a review of the customs treatment for low value imports in April.

Since this announcement, Ministers and officials have engaged a wide range of stakeholders on the impact and operation of these arrangements. The findings from this engagement will help determine our next steps.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the absence of regulatory requirements for vans with a maximum authorised mass of over 2,500kg and up to and including 3,500kg when operating for hire or reward domestically within the UK on fair competition within the UK market.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact of the current domestic regulatory requirements for vans with a maximum authorised mass between 2,500kg and 3,500kg operating for hire or reward on fair competition within the UK market.

Although these vehicles lie outside the UKs operator licensing framework if they are used solely domestically, operators of these vehicles are still required to keep them correctly taxed and insured and appropriately maintained, including annual MOT testing once the vehicle is more than three years old. Employers are also required to ensure that their drivers have the correct licences, that all loads carried are appropriately secured and that the relevant drivers’ hours rules are followed.

However, the Department recognises stakeholder concerns regarding the different regulatory requirements associated with light goods vehicles and heavy goods vehicles, and how this interacts with fair competition in the UK haulage industry. The Department continues to monitor developments in this sector.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an estimate of the potential revenue that would be generated from introducing operator licensing for vans with a maximum authorised mass of over 2,500kg and up to and including 3,500kg when operating for hire or reward domestically within the UK; and whether that revenue could be used to strengthen enforcement against non-compliant operators of such vehicles.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department has not made a formal estimate of the potential revenue that could be generated from introducing operator licensing for vans with a maximum authorised mass between 2,500kg and 3,500kg operating for hire or reward domestically within the UK.

While operator licensing fees contribute to the costs associated with the administration and enforcement of the goods vehicle licensing regime, any future extension of the regime to smaller, lighter vehicles used solely domestically for hire and reward would require detailed financial modelling and consultation with stakeholders, as changes would almost certainly have a financial impact on businesses.

For government, whilst it is anticipated that making this change would see an increase in revenue, this would be offset by a rise in costs associated with developing the system, as well as compliance, monitoring and enforcement. However, this is something that the Department for Transport keeps under review.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to introduce operator licensing or equivalent regulatory requirements for vans with a maximum authorised mass of over 2,500kg and up to and including 3,500kg when operating for hire or reward domestically within the UK.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Under the current guidelines Operator Licences are only required for domestic operators with vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. My Department is currently considering a range of reform options aiming to ensure that the Operator Licensing regime remains robust and effective.

Currently there are no plans to extend the domestic Operator Licensing regime to include vans with a maximum authorised mass of over 2,500kg and up to and including 3,500kg when those vehicles are undertaking hire or reward operations domestically within the UK.

Access to school and college transport for disabled young people

Protect our hospices

Greyhound racing

Sale of caged hens’ eggs

Found: Conservative; Bromley and Biggin Hill) Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat; Tiverton and Minehead) Sarah Green

Found: Conservative; Bromley and Biggin Hill) Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat; Tiverton and Minehead) Sarah Green