Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
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 potential merits of a (a) phased implementation and (b) grace period for the Equality and Human Rights Commission's revised code of practice for services, public functions and associations.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has opened its consultation on the draft updated statutory Code of Practice, seeking views from affected stakeholders.
The Department for Business and Trade has made no assessment at this stage of the potential merits of a (a) phased implementation and (b) grace period for the EHRC’s revised code of practice for services, public functions and associations.
We are sure the EHRC will make a concerted effort to fully explore the practical implications of the judgement and how this may be best reflected in the updated Code.
Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what budget has been allocated for longitudinal monitoring of the financial impact of the proposed Equality and Human Rights Commission's revised code of practice for services, public functions and associations on businesses post-implementation.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Office for Equality and Opportunity in the Cabinet Office will consider the EHRC's updated draft Code of Practice once it has been submitted and engage with them to ensure it provides the further certainty and clarity service providers need, in line with the Supreme Court ruling. Employers and other duty bearers must follow the law and should take appropriate specialist legal advice where necessary.
We do not centrally retain budgeting information on the EHRC’s spending on specific evaluations of its policies.
Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress he has made in securing an agreement to remove the need to batch test medicines exported from the UK to the European Union.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
This Government is committed to reducing barriers to trade with the EU. We have secured a wide ranging deal with the EU that will reduce red tape, adding nearly £9 billion to our economy by 2040 and includes commitment to regular dialogue on economy and trade to ensure we keep talking about areas of mutual interest. The UK has also agreed a landmark deal with the US, which will protect the UK’s pharmaceutical sector.
Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of losing level seven levy funding to fund apprenticeships on the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Skills England and the Department for Education are reviewing the growth and skills offer, including whether employers will fund Level 7 apprenticeships outside of the levy. Ministers and officials from the Department of Health and Social Care, along with NHS England and other stakeholders across the sector, have been feeding into this review and will continue to work closely to ensure that the National Health Service has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.
Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to review the High Income Child Benefit Charge.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) is currently the best way to manage Child Benefit expenditure. By withdrawing Child Benefit from high-income families, the HICBC helps to ensure the sustainability of the public finances and protect our vital public services. As announced at Spring Statement 2025, the Government is simplifying the process for those who pay the HICBC by investing to modernise HMRC's IT and data systems.
Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of differences in regulations on ear wax removal between registered nurses and non-registered practitioners on patient care.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not made a formal assessment of the impact of differences in regulations on wax removal between registered nurses and non-registered practioners on patient care. The Department does not have plans to intervene in locally led arrangements for the provision of ear wax removal services. Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning ear wax removal services in local areas in line with the recommendations for ear wax removal as set out in guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings were held by her Department with external stakeholders to discuss the weight limits of volumetric concrete mixers prior to the publication of the Call for evidence outcome: Volumetric concrete mixers review on 18 March 2025.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
My Department has engaged with hon. Members and the Volumetric Concrete Mixer (VCM) industry through correspondence prior to the announcement.
The call for evidence on this topic conducted from October to December 2023 was an opportunity for interested parties to present evidence, but it did not reveal significant new evidence supporting a change in policy.
The decision announced reflects the continuation of the existing policy, as set out in 2018, that the temporary weight exemption for VCMs will come to an end in 2028.
Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she plans to take to ensure the Child Maintenance Service (a) is easier to navigate, b) reduces instances of lack of payment by one parent, (c) is faster at resolving cases and appeals and (d) reduces the total number of appeals allowed.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is taking steps to make improvements across the child maintenance system and create a modern, accessible, and robust service through our Service Modernisation Programme (SMP) and CMS reforms. Through the SMP, we have worked with suppliers who have experience of transforming organisations globally – this is ongoing, and we benefit from their insight and innovation.
The SMP has already delivered significant improvements to the customer experience through the provision of online services and Digital Assist Telephony Service, enabling parents to access their on-line My Child Maintenance Case at any time. We have restructured our telephony call routing system, made incremental improvements to customer communications, including a full review of letters, and made significant advancements to our IT systems. The wide-reaching programme aims to continue to reform and modernise CMS services with increased effectiveness and efficiency, and will continue to engage a wide range of statutory and non-statutory bodies to do this.
A principle of child maintenance is to increase levels of cooperation between separated parents and encourage parents to meet their responsibilities to provide their children with financial support. Where a family-based child maintenance arrangement is not suitable the CMS offers a statutory scheme for those parents who need it.
The Government is dedicated to ensuring parents meet their obligations to children and the CMS will do everything within its powers to make sure parents comply. Where parents fail to pay their child maintenance, the Service will not hesitate to use its enforcement powers, including deductions from earnings orders, removal of driving licences, disqualification from holding a passport, and committal to prison. The Service is committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families.
The Child Support (Enforcement) Act 2023 proposed regulations to support the introduction of administrative liability orders (ALOs), removing the requirement to obtain a court issued liability order. Introducing this process should enable the CMS to take faster action against those paying parents who actively avoid their responsibilities and get money to children more quickly. We are working with His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and the Scottish Government to establish a process for implementing ALOs and plan to introduce regulations to Parliament by the end of this year.
Appeals fall under the jurisdiction of HM Courts and Tribunals Service.
Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making the national driver offender retraining scheme course a standard part of the driving theory test.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government has no plans to make the national driver offender retraining scheme (NDORS) course a standard part of the driving theory test.
NDORS courses are designed for drivers who have committed appropriate road traffic offences; not those learning to drive. NDORS courses cover the most up to date road rules and legal requirements, as set by The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, and are already assessed in the theory test for learner drivers.
NDORS courses are developed using nationally recognised behavioural change techniques by industry experts and academics. Courses focus on changing minds and behaviour to prevent future re-offending relating to appropriate road traffic offences.
Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on whether people claim to be from Eritrea to improve their chances of asylum being granted.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is committed to ensuring that the asylum system is not open to abuse. All asylum claimants are subject to mandatory security checks to confirm their identity and to link it to their biometric details for the purpose of immigration, security and criminality checks. These checks are critical to the delivery of a safe and secure immigration system.
The Home Office uses several processes and tools to identify a claimant’s nationality and other identity features including fingerprint and other systems, identity documents, language analysis, and asylum interviews.
For further information regarding security checks during the asylum screening process, please see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-screening-and-routing/asylum-screening-and-routing-accessible.
The guidance for doubtful or disputed nationality can be found here: Doubtful and disputed nationality cases: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.