Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
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 held discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of the impairment fee on financial pressures on the British brewing sector.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Incorporating impairment provisions for bad debt in a cost recovery scheme is an expected consideration of Government as detailed in Managing Public Money guidelines and is common practice when setting fees. Additionally, Managing Public Money guidelines advise that cross subsidies are not standard practice.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
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 potential impact that the impairment fee applied under the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme will have on business cashflow and financial stability.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Incorporating impairment provisions for bad debt in a cost recovery scheme is an expected consideration of Government as detailed in Managing Public Money guidelines and is common practice when setting fees. Whilst Notice of Liabilities issued under the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme are due for payment after 50 calendar days, liable producers have the facility to pay in quarterly instalments. These impairment provisions can only be used for specific purposes and will be subject to regular scrutiny and review. Where the impairment provision isn’t fully utilised, liable producers will be given a refund.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
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 the impairment fee under the extended producer responsibility scheme on future impairment costs.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The impairment provision is based on the bad debt experience of Defra with charging schemes that are most similar to pEPR, whilst taking into consideration the large values of some of our Notice of Liabilities. It will be subject to regular review based on past, current and future customer payment behaviours. To minimise the impairment and provide transparency, PackUK intends to collect debt rigorously but fairly and will review the impairment provision at least quarterly.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has considered implementing new terms of reference for the Hospitality Sector Council to include a) ensuring early-stage discussion with Government departments and b) fully integrating the growth strategy, tourism strategy, high street strategy and small business strategy.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises the hospitality sector’s vital contribution to growth, tourism, high streets and small businesses. To support this, the Hospitality Sector Council (HSC) was established to co-create solutions and deliver the Hospitality Strategy. The Council works closely with other Government departments, including DCMS, and industry representatives to ensure the sector’s needs are well represented and to maintain a coherent vision for driving growth across multiple strategies. Its Terms of Reference already enable early engagement on strategic issues and alignment with wider Government priorities
While the sector is integral to growth, high streets and small businesses – these all depend of course on more than just the hospitality sector. However, I would like to assure you that during the development of these strategies the sector’s needs and concerns were fully represented.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has considered the potential merits of integrating the growth strategy, tourism strategy, high street strategy and small business strategy with the Hospitality Sector Council’s strategy.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises the hospitality sector’s vital contribution to growth, tourism, high streets and small businesses. To support this, the Hospitality Sector Council (HSC) was established to co-create solutions and deliver the Hospitality Strategy. The Council works closely with other Government departments, including DCMS, and industry representatives to ensure the sector’s needs are well represented and to maintain a coherent vision for driving growth across multiple strategies. Its Terms of Reference already enable early engagement on strategic issues and alignment with wider Government priorities
While the sector is integral to growth, high streets and small businesses – these all depend of course on more than just the hospitality sector. However, I would like to assure you that during the development of these strategies the sector’s needs and concerns were fully represented.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
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 safety of talc used in medical products.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the Government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably safe.
Additives in medicines, termed excipients, are required to comply with the standards laid down in pharmacopeial monographs and can only be included in medicinal products at levels that are considered to be safe.
The MHRA is aware of general concerns in relation to the presence of asbestos in talcum powder, however, pharmaceutical grade talc has strict controls on the presence of asbestos. The British Pharmacopeia monograph for Purified Talc states that “Talc derived from deposits that are known to contain associated asbestos is not suitable for pharmaceutical use”. Furthermore, testing is required to confirm the absence of asbestos.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
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 safety of talc in medicines.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the Government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably safe.
Additives in medicines, termed excipients, are required to comply with the standards laid down in pharmacopeial monographs and can only be included in medicinal products at levels that are considered to be safe.
The MHRA is aware of general concerns in relation to the presence of asbestos in talcum powder, however, pharmaceutical grade talc has strict controls on the presence of asbestos. The British Pharmacopeia monograph for Purified Talc states that “Talc derived from deposits that are known to contain associated asbestos is not suitable for pharmaceutical use”. Furthermore, testing is required to confirm the absence of asbestos.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on enabling (a) hauliers and (b) coach operators in Wales to access the National Wealth Fund for investment in zero-emission vehicles and refuelling infrastructure.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The National Wealth Fund is committed to ensuring the benefits of its investments are felt in all four nations of the UK. It is actively engaging with stakeholders in Wales, including with the Welsh Government and Wales Office, to identify opportunities for investment.
As set out in the Chancellor’s Statement of Strategic Priorities to the National Wealth Fund in March 2025, clean energy and transport are priority sectors, this includes supporting the transition to zero-emission vehicles and associated refuelling infrastructure.
The National Wealth Fund will continue to explore investible propositions that satisfy its investment principles.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of an increase in fuel duty on the competitiveness of (a) haulage and (b) coach operators based in Wales.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced continued support for people and businesses by extending the temporary 5p fuel duty cut and cancelling the planned increase in line with inflation for 2025/26. The temporary 5p cut is scheduled to expire in March 2026. The Government considers the impact of fuel duty on households and businesses across the country, with decisions on rates made at fiscal events.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Taliban's decision to shut down the internet in at least 11 provinces in Afghanistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Taliban's decision to shut down internet services from 29 September to 1 October was deeply concerning. It risked crippling Afghanistan's economy, causing significant issues with the delivery of vital UK aid, and cutting off vulnerable communities. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) officials continue to assess the impact that any future connectivity restrictions in-country would have on UK interests, including on our resettlement and relocations work and our ability to deliver life-saving aid.
The UK Government is committed to using its prominent position in multilateral forums to hold the Taliban to account for their repressive policies. Last month, the UK hosted a meeting of G7+ Special Representatives for Afghanistan: this provided an important opportunity for the UK to discuss vital issues of shared concern with key partners and highlight publicly our deep concern about the Taliban's continued denial of the Afghan people's most basic human rights.