Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment HMRC has made of the net staffing impact of the Managed Service Provider, taking account of both Managed Service Provider recruitment and HMRC staffing levels.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Improving day-to-day performance and the customer experience is a key priority for HMRC.
HMRC expects to continue to use a range of resourcing models, alongside the use of MSPs, to meet variable customer demand.
HMRC is currently in an initial approximately 18 month ‘proof of value’ phase for its use of MSPs and has no plans to publish full staffing projections for MSPs or customer services staff at this stage. Future workforce decisions will be informed by the outcome of this phase and taken in line with normal business planning and Spending Review processes.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of fuel duty on a) inflation and b) the cost of living.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the impact of fuel costs on household budgets and is already taking action to help keep fuel prices down. Since Autumn Budget 2024, the Government’s decisions to freeze fuel duty will save the average motorist around 8 to 11 pence per litre, compared to the plans inherited from the previous government.
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) set out the impact of policy measures on inflation in its Autumn Budget 2025 forecast, including the fuel duty freeze extension announced at that Budget. The OBR forecast that this measure will reduce CPI inflation by around 0.13 percentage points in 2026/27.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many social and affordable homes are planned as part of the redevelopment of land at and around Euston associated with the HS2 programme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are working at pace with our Master Development Partner, Lendlease, on a Masterplan for Euston, with an emphasis on growth and delivering much needed housing, and will set out a clear plan in due course.
Further, the government has appointed Bek Seeley as the Chair to the Euston Housing Delivery Group, to understand the opportunities for thousands of new homes in the wider Euston area.
The Euston Housing Delivery Group is not pre-supposing the number of homes achievable but will robustly assess the scale of opportunity for housing around Euston.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There were
(a) Five or fewer* civil servants were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in 2024.
(b) Eight civil servants were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in 2025.
*Volumes which are five or fewer have been redacted to avoid potential identification of individuals.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to accelerate the transition to low-carbon energy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Through our Clean Power 2030 mission, we are reducing dependency on volatile global fossil fuel markets and delivering a diverse, secure and clean energy system based on renewables and nuclear, backed by a supply of gas.
Our work to date - reforming the connections queue, taking a clear decision on REMA and publishing roadmaps for key technologies like Solar and Clean Flexibility - has given a clear signal to industry. And we have now delivered the most successful renewables auction in history, with AR7 securing a record-breaking 8.4 gigawatts of offshore wind, which will power the equivalent of around 12m homes.
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to members of the Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court on reports that the findings of an independent judicial panel into allegations concerning the Prosecutor are being disregarded.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK fully supports the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC's internal process to address the allegations of misconduct against the Prosecutor is still underway. That process follows Terms of Reference agreed by the ICC Bureau. The UK is not currently a member of that body. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
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 impact of political bodies seeking to override findings of independent judicial panels associated with the International Criminal Court on the upholding of international law.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK fully supports the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC's internal process to address the allegations of misconduct against the Prosecutor is still underway. That process follows Terms of Reference agreed by the ICC Bureau. The UK is not currently a member of that body. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions Ministers and officials held with the Northern Ireland Executive and DAERA in the period immediately preceding the Assembly vote on the UK ETS maritime extension.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The ETS Authority, made up of the four governments work together for the implementation and ongoing maintenance of the UK ETS. There is regular dialogue between DESNZ and the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) on ETS matters, including on maritime.
DAERA officials provide advice on ETS matters to the NI Executive and DAERA Ministers.
Asked by: Lord Fuller (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic output of downstream manufacturing industries that are reliant on essential chemical precursors where the UK has no or limited manufacturing capability, including ammonia, ethanol, methanol, ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, sulphuric acid, siloxane, acrylonitrile, methacrylate, hexamethylene and titanium dioxide.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Government recognises the criticality of chemicals, given that the sector underpins almost all other manufacturing. The chemicals sector was identified as a key foundational industry within our modern Industrial Strategy which will implement targeted policy interventions to drive long-term sustainable, inclusive and secure growth.
Government regularly engages with industry to monitor vital supply chains, including on chemicals. This includes regular engagement with the sector to identify areas which could improve the resilience of our supply or mitigate disruption.
The government announced its intention to set up a Supply Chain Centre as part of the Trade and Industrial Strategies. The Centre is already operational, marking a step change in government’s approach to protecting the UK’s economy and security in turbulent geopolitical times utilising a data-led approach.
Asked by: Lord Fuller (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support or increase domestic production capacity of essential chemical precursors where the UK has no or limited manufacturing capability, including ammonia, ethanol, methanol, ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, sulphuric acid, siloxane, acrylonitrile, methacrylate, hexamethylene and titanium dioxide.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Government recognises the criticality of chemicals, given that the sector underpins almost all other manufacturing. The chemicals sector was identified as a key foundational industry within our modern Industrial Strategy which will implement targeted policy interventions to drive long-term sustainable, inclusive and secure growth.
Government regularly engages with industry to monitor vital supply chains, including on chemicals. This includes regular engagement with the sector to identify areas which could improve the resilience of our supply or mitigate disruption.
The government announced its intention to set up a Supply Chain Centre as part of the Trade and Industrial Strategies. The Centre is already operational, marking a step change in government’s approach to protecting the UK’s economy and security in turbulent geopolitical times utilising a data-led approach.