Asked by: Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed closure of Smithfield Market on (a) Scottish farmers and (b) UK meat producers.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is aware of the proposed changes to Smithfield Market and is engaging with the City of London Corporation.
The City of London Corporation’s Court of Common Council on 26 November 2024 ratified a decision to end its interest in co-locating the wholesale food markets of Smithfield and Billingsgate to a new site at Dagenham Dock.
A private bill was deposited in Parliament on 27 November 2024, which would end the City of London Corporation’s responsibilities to operate a market at these sites.
While the Market will cease to trade at the Smithfield site, it is not closing. The City of London Corporation is working with tenants to help them re-locate, together, to purpose-built facilities within the M25 and ensure continuity of trade.
Defra has not undertaken an assessment of the impact of the closure on Scottish farmers and UK meat producers but notes the valuable research on this matter undertaken by the City of London Corporation. This independent food security study found that the relocation is unlikely to pose significant risks to food supply. The Department recognises the importance of Smithfield as a distribution hub for meat products across the UK and will continue to monitor the transition closely.
Asked by: Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with international counterparts on the case of Iranian singer Amir Tataloo.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to engage in dialogue with international partners regarding the human rights situation in Iran. We have repeatedly called on Iran to establish a moratorium on the death penalty in multilateral fora, including at the UN Third Committee and Human Rights Council. The UK is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We were integral to the delivery of a new Iran human rights resolution, adopted by the Human Rights Council on 3 April, which renewed the mandates of the Special Rapporteur and Fact-Finding Mission. These mandates are essential for shedding light on Iran's abhorrent use of the death penalty and wider human rights violations.
Asked by: Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dunbartonshire)
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.
Asked by: Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dunbartonshire)
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.
Asked by: Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dunbartonshire)
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.
Asked by: Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dunbartonshire)
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.
Asked by: Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dunbartonshire)
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.
Asked by: Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dunbartonshire)
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.
Asked by: Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dunbartonshire)
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.
Asked by: Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to publish statistics on the (a) number, (b) geographical distribution and (c) sectors worked in by people on (i) night and (ii) rotating shifts.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 29th April is attached.