Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce wait times for practical driving tests in Scotland.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain.

Further information on these actions and progress on the DVSA’s 7-point plan, which was set out last year, can be found on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the use of opt-out agreements in the care sector on workplace standards.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has not made, and has no current plans to make, an assessment of the potential impact of the use of opt-out agreements in the care sector on workplace standards. Most care workers are employed by private sector providers who set their terms and conditions, including opt-out agreements, independent of central Government.

The Government is introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the adult social care sector. Fair Pay Agreements will empower worker representatives, employers, and others to negotiate pay and terms and conditions in a responsible manner.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what fiscal steps he is taking to incentivise the uptake of heat pumps.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) provides grants to property owners to enable them to transition away from fossil fuel to low carbon heating. The grant available under the scheme for air source heat pumps and ground source heat pumps is £7,500, and £5,000 is available for biomass boilers. Funding for the BUS has increased to £295 million for this financial year.

The Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) and Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF) provides funding to support low carbon heating, including heat pumps, and the installation of energy efficiency measures.

The grants are in addition to the 0% rate of VAT on the installation of heat pumps and biomass boilers, which will last until March 2027.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps through the spending review to reduce electricity costs.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past.

We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we delivered the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households last winter. On 25 February, we published a consultation on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would bring around 2.7 million households into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million. The consultation has now closed, and the Department is evaluating the responses.

The Government is continuing to work with Ofgem and energy suppliers to ensure energy bills remain fair and affordable while we transition to clean power by 2030.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will raise (a) the maximum permitted stay in Schengen area countries for UK citizens without a visa of 90 days in a 180 day period and (b) increasing this period to six months at the UK-EU Summit on 19 May 2025.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The UK and the EU allow for visa-free short-term travel in line with their respective arrangements for third country nationals. The UK allows EU citizens short-term visa-free travel for up to six months. Meanwhile, the EU allows for travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period; this is standard for third countries travelling visa-free to the EU. UK nationals planning to stay longer will need permission from the relevant Member State. This may require a visa and/or permit.The UK Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the individual opt-out agreement under the Working Time Regulations 1998 on levels of exploitation in low-paid employment.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

A review of the impact of the Working Time Regulations on the UK labour market was undertaken by the Coalition Government in 2014. It found a decline since 1998 in the incidence of long-hours working despite the existence of the opt-out, and a general trend towards shorter working hours.

It also found that the vast majority of long-hours workers would not have wanted to work fewer than 48 hours per week if it meant less pay, and that long-hours working was generally more prevalent in high income and highly skilled occupations compared to lower income and medium and low-skilled occupations.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the individual opt-out agreement under the Working Time Regulations 1998 on employee protections.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

A review of the impact of the Working Time Regulations on the UK labour market was undertaken by the Coalition Government in 2014. It found a decline since 1998 in the incidence of long-hours working despite the existence of the opt-out, and a general trend towards shorter working hours.

It also found that the vast majority of long-hours workers would not have wanted to work fewer than 48 hours per week if it meant less pay, and that there appeared to be broad based support for the opt-out amongst UK business, long-hours workers, and the wider public.

Madleen Freedom Flotilla Ship

Scottish Rugby and the British and Irish Lions

Carers Week 2025

Reform of NHS dentistry services

Gaza (No. 2)

Climate and Nature Bill

British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (No. 2)

65 years of song from Kirkintilloch Ladies Choir

Gaza occupation proposals

World Bee Day (No. 2)

Changes to Overseas Development Assistance

Political parties at Pride

Jewish LGBTQ+ groups at Pride

UK-EU Summit

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Patricia Ferguson (Chair); Harriet Cross; Douglas McAllister; Susan Murray

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Patricia Ferguson (Chair); Harriet Cross; Douglas McAllister; Susan Murray

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Patricia Ferguson (Chair); Maureen Burke; Stephen Flynn; Susan Murray

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Patricia Ferguson (Chair); Maureen Burke; Stephen Flynn; Susan Murray

Found: ) Douglas McAllister (Labour, West Dunbartonshire) (added 28 Oct 2024) 15 of 16 (93.8%) Susan Murray

Found: Gardner Dave Robertson Jacob Collier Josh Newbury Mike Martin Tom Gordon Dr Al Pinkerton Susan Murray

Found: Dr Allison Gardner Dave Robertson Jacob Collier Josh Newbury Tom Gordon Dr Al Pinkerton Susan Murray

Found: Kim Leadbeater Chris Bloore Jess Brown-Fuller Yasmin Qureshi Tom Gordon Dr Al Pinkerton Susan Murray

Found: Slaughter Manuela Perteghella Adam Jogee Kim Leadbeater Chris Bloore Tom Gordon Dr Al Pinkerton Susan Murray

Found: MacDonald Liz Jarvis Marie Goldman Monica Harding Mr Lee Dillon Graham Stringer Zöe Franklin Susan Murray

Found: Andy Slaughter Manuela Perteghella Adam Jogee Kim Leadbeater Tom Gordon Dr Al Pinkerton Susan Murray

Found: Kate Osamor Graeme Downie Andy Slaughter Manuela Perteghella Tom Gordon Dr Al Pinkerton Susan Murray

Found: MacDonald Liz Jarvis Marie Goldman Monica Harding Mr Lee Dillon Graham Stringer Zöe Franklin Susan Murray

Found: Jodie Gosling Graeme Downie Andy Slaughter Manuela Perteghella Tom Gordon Dr Al Pinkerton Susan Murray

Found: MacDonald Liz Jarvis Nick Timothy Victoria Collins Mr Lee Dillon Graham Stringer Zöe Franklin Susan Murray

Found: MacDonald Liz Jarvis Nick Timothy Victoria Collins Mr Lee Dillon Graham Stringer Zöe Franklin Susan Murray

Found: Cadbury Adrian Ramsay Jodie Gosling Graeme Downie Andy Slaughter Tom Gordon Dr Al Pinkerton Susan Murray

Found: Denyer Mr Angus MacDonald Liz Jarvis Nick Timothy Mr Lee Dillon Graham Stringer Zöe Franklin Susan Murray

Found: Danny Chambers supported by Dr Neil Hudson, Vikki Slade, James MacCleary, Max Wilkinson, Susan Murray

Found: Dr Danny Chambers supported by Dr Neil Hudson, Vikki Slade, James MacCleary, Max Wilkinson, Susan Murray

Found: Calum Miller Carla Denyer Mr Angus MacDonald Mr Lee Dillon Graham Stringer Zöe Franklin Susan Murray

Found: Roome Vikki Slade Calum Miller Carla Denyer Mr Lee Dillon Graham Stringer Zöe Franklin Susan Murray

Found: Not called_NC22 Lisa Smart Christine Jardine Ben Maguire Josh Babarinde Mr Will Forster Susan Murray

Found: Mullane (Dagenham and Rainham) (Lab) • Chris Murray (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab) • Susan Murray