Every parliamentary written question tabled by Ben Lake this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 41–60 of 319 · this parliament
Whether he plans to take steps to help support people in rural areas who may be affected by the reduction to the Motability scheme mileage allowance from 20,000 miles to 10,000 miles a year.
Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors.Changes to the leasing package announced by Motability in March 2026 included reducing the mileage allowance from 20,000 per year to 1...
What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Stockholm 3 (S3) diagnostic test for prostate cancer; and whether he will consider its inclusion within the routine NHS diagnostic pathway fo
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based guidance for the health and care system on best practice. NICE’s HealthTech programme provides the route for providing independe...
What the average milage of Motability scheme users living in (a) Ceredigion Preseli constituency and (b) Wales was in each of the last five years.
Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors.Changes to the leasing package announced by Motability in March 2026 included reducing the mileage allowance from 20,000 per year to 1...
How many Motability scheme users living in (a) Ceredigion Preseli constituency and (b) Wales exceeded 10,000 miles in each of the last five years.
Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors.Changes to the leasing package announced by Motability in March 2026 included reducing the mileage allowance from 20,000 per year to 1...
Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with (a) veterinary bodies and (b) EU counterparts on the financial implications for pet owners of the ending of EU recognition of UK pet passpo
On 22 April the EU brought in new rules affecting those travelling with pets from third countries such as Great Britain (GB) into the EU. Defra has engaged with the European Commission to understand how they are implemented, and how this impacts those tra...
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her Moroccan counterpart on the UN Secretary-General’s report to the Security Council calling for the Royal Moroccan Army to refrain from building further military infrastructure west of the berm in occupied Western Sahara.
The UK wants to see a lasting solution to the Western Sahara conflict. In her meeting with Moroccan Foreign Minister Bourita on 23 April, the Foreign Secretary reaffirmed Morocco's 2007 autonomy plan as the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis for achieving this objective. We continue to engage with all relevant parties in support of the UN-led process to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution, based on compromise, which conforms with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including the principle of respect for self-determination.
How many non-established taxable persons liable to be registered for VAT under Schedule 1A to the VAT Act 1994 have an overdue VAT bill.
HMRC holds management information on VAT liabilities, but data for non‑established taxable persons is not robust enough to provide reliable estimates of the population with VAT debt or amounts overdue.
With reference to the Customs Declaration Service and its Bulk Import Reduced Data Set, how many entries were logged under Customs Procedure Code 0020 21V in each year since 2022.
For the purposes of this answer, “entries” have been interpreted as customs declarations. The table shows the number of customs declarations logged on the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) under Customs Procedure Code (CPC) 0020 21V, which is used for the Bulk Import Reduced Data Set (BIRDs).YearNumber of declarations202260,0002023278,0002024368,0002025403,000These figures represent the number of declarations submitted to CDS under CPC 0020 21V only.It should be noted that the figures are not directly comparable across years. In 2022 and 2023 a substantial proportion of BIRDs declarations were submitted via the legacy CHIEF system, under CPCs 4900003 and 4000003, and are therefore not included in the CDS figures shown above. In 2022 around 21% of BIRDs declarations were submitted via CDS, rising to around 75% in 2023.The figures also exclude BIRDs declarations submitted using multiple additional procedure codes and therefore do not represent total BIRDs volumes.Number of customs declarations are rounded to the nearest thousand.You should note that a BIRDs declaration can cover multiple consignments.
What estimate she has made of the revenue raised from fuel duty between January and April (a) 2026 and (b) 2025; and if she will consider offering targeted support to the road haulage sector.
Fuel duty receipts total approximately £8 billion for the period January to April 2025. Tax receipt data is available on GOV.UK, where data for April 2026 will be published in due course. Fuel duty is charged as a fixed amount per litre, so receipts depend on the volume of fuel sold, as opposed to pump prices. Since Autumn Budget 2024, the Government's decisions to freeze fuel duty will save hauliers 11 pence per litre compared to the plans inherited from the previous government. In addition, in order to support the haulage sector, the Government and industry are jointly providing up to £35.7m of investment to enhance truck stops across England, in addition to joint investment by National Highways and industry of up to a further £30 million.
What the value is of overdue VAT owed by non-established taxable persons registered for VAT under Schedule 1A to the VAT Act 1994.
HMRC holds management information on VAT liabilities, but data for non‑established taxable persons is not robust enough to provide reliable estimates of the population with VAT debt or amounts overdue.
Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 20 April 2026 to question 125033, what is her Department's estimate of the number of premises in (a) Ceredigion Preseli constituency, (b) Wales and (c) the UK that will still be without access to adequate mobile coverage from any mobile network operator when the UK's Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) are switched off.
The estimated number of premises currently without access to good mobile coverage for each of these areas based on the latest Ofcom data was provided in our answer to question 125033.The Government is committed to ensuring that any risks from the industry-led migration of the copper based Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for everyone across the UK, including in Ceredigion Preseli. The Government has had confirmation from major communication providers that no existing PSTN customers will be left without a landline alternative.All network operator’s have committed significant investment in line with Government's ambition for standalone 5G to be available in all populated areas by 2030. In addition, the Shared Rural Network, jointly funded by the Government and the UK’s mobile network operators (MNOs), is utilising Government funding to incentivise mobile network operators to deliver commercial outdoor mobile coverage in rural areas, where there was previously limited or no 4G coverage at all. The programme has been successful in helping to achieve 96% 4G coverage from at least one operator across the UK landmass.Government does not hold data on MNO’s future deployment plans. Along with the emergence of Direct to Device connectivity, this means that we cannot provide a reliable estimate of how many premises would be left without adequate mobile coverage from any operator at the point in time when the PSTN and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) are switched off. No existing PSTN customers will be left without a landline alternative.
What recent estimate her Department has made of the level of loss to public finances of VAT non-compliance by overseas retailers through online marketplaces.
HMRC’s best estimate of VAT losses, for 2021 to 2022, as a result of overseas seller non-compliance occurring through online marketplaces is £150 million per annum as published in the NAO report Tackling tax evasion in high street and online retail - NAO report. This will not include any subsequent compliance activity to recover any losses from OMPs. HMRC can raise assessments to recover unpaid VAT against an OMP should they incorrectly determine the establishment of an overseas seller unless they can demonstrate they have taken all reasonable steps to make that determination, leading to an under declaration of VAT.
Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of co-locating community banking representatives within post offices.
Banks provide access to in‑person banking services through a range of channels, including branches, banking hubs and post offices. Some banks also provide access to community bankers through pop‑up services in locations such as libraries and community centres, or via mobile banking vans serving rural and remote areas. Community bankers are bank employees who provide face-to-face support to customers in local communities outside a traditional branch, helping with banking queries and access to further support as needed. Decisions about where such services are located are commercial matters for individual banks. The retail banking sector provides everyday banking services at post offices through the Banking Framework, a commercial agreement that enables personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check balances and pay bills at over 10,500 Post Office branches across the UK. The Government supports initiatives that help customers access banking services in ways that reflect local needs, alongside digital provision. In January, the Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation and the Economic Secretary to the Treasury convened a roundtable with the Post Office and the banking sector to facilitate discussion on where further collaboration would allow all parties to better meet the needs of people and businesses. The Government supports collaboration between banks and the Post Office, while being clear that this must be achieved on a voluntary and commercial basis.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the upcoming trial of Said Mansour Rezk Abdelrazek; and what representations she has made to her Egyptian counterpart on that case.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 11 March in response to Question 116214.
If she will introduce a time-limited rebate on fuel duty for public transport providers and essential users in the road haulage sector.
The Government is taking action on fuel affordability at the pump. At Budget 2025, the Government extended the 5p-per-litre cut for a further five months, until the end of August this year. The Government has also cancelled the increase in line with inflation for 2026/27; instead, rates will only gradually return to early 2022 levels by March 2027. The Government's action on fuel duty will save an average heavy goods vehicle more than £800 in 2026/27 compared to previous plans, and follows an extended period where freezes to fuel duty have resulted in substantial savings for the haulage industry. As with all taxes, the Government keeps fuel duty under review.
What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) drug prices, (b) appliance prices and (c) fees paid to pharmacy contractors in the NHS Drug Tariff.
The Department undertakes a quarterly assessment of the adequacy of drug prices paid to community pharmacies through the ‘medicine margin survey’. The survey samples independent pharmacy contractors’ sales invoices for the medicines they dispense and compares the amount paid with the amount reimbursed by the National Health Service. This has found that more than the amount agreed as part of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework has been delivered in totality across the previous four financial years.Appliances are not included in the medicine margin survey. Pharmacy contractors are reimbursed in line with the listed appliance prices on Part IX of the NHS Drug Tariff. Suppliers should adhere to these prices as per the terms of their listing. Where the Department is made aware that a supplier is not adhering to the agreed price this is addressed with the supplier or the product is delisted from the NHS Drug Tariff.Fees paid for the delivery of services outlined in the Drug Tariff have been agreed with Community Pharmacy England. On 25 February, the Department began the 2026/27 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework consultation with Community Pharmacy England, to consider any proposed changes to the reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors in 2026/27. An update will be provided once the consultation has been concluded.
Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with the Competition and Markets Authority on the potential impact of software licensing practices on (a) Small to Medium Enterprises in Wales and (b) the Welsh economy.
The Government engages regularly with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on the effective operation of the UK’s competition framework, including how it supports competitive digital markets across all parts of the UK, including Wales.While the CMA operates independently of Government in its investigations and decision making, the Government gave a clear steer for the CMA to use its new powers in digital markets collaboratively and proportionately.In March, the CMA announced a package of actions to strengthen competition in business software and cloud services. This includes a Strategic Market Status investigation into Microsoft’s business software under the UK’s digital markets regime, alongside voluntary actions from Amazon and Microsoft in cloud services. These actions taken together will support SMEs and businesses in Wales and the rest of the UK by lowering barriers to competition, increasing choice and helping firms access digital tools on fairer terms.
What assessment he has made of progress made by UK-based researchers funded by his Department on finding methods to treat the symptoms of long Covid.
The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Between 2020/2021 and 2024/25, the NIHR invested nearly £51 million into Long Covid research, including research into treatments. As well as funding research itself, the Department invests significantly in research expertise and capacity, specialist facilities, support services, and collaborations to support and deliver research in England, known as NIHR infrastructure.While there has been no formal assessment of the progress of United Kingdom based research into Long Covid, it is clear that NIHR-funded research has delivered important findings. The REGAIN trial provided the first high quality evidence confirming the sustained clinical benefit and lack of harm with rehabilitation programmes for Long Covid. The NIHR has also funded research to test and compare different treatments such as antihistamines, anticoagulants, and anti-inflammatory medicines through the STIMULATE-ICP trial. The NIHR has also provided £1.1 million in funding towards the LISTEN trial, which found that the participants who received the LISTEN self-management tool intervention had greater capacity for daily activities, improved mental health, reduced fatigue impact, and increased self-efficacy. However, there is more work to be done to find the most promising treatments, and we are actively exploring next steps for long COVID research. This includes a development award focussed on evaluating repurposed and new interventions for post-acute infection syndromes and associated conditions, including long COVID. Two projects have recently been awarded funding.
How much public funding is allocated to support UK-based research into methods to treat and cure long Covid.
The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Between 2020/2021 and 2024/25, the NIHR invested nearly £51 million into Long Covid research, including research into treatments. As well as funding research itself, the Department invests significantly in research expertise and capacity, specialist facilities, support services, and collaborations to support and deliver research in England, known as NIHR infrastructure.While there has been no formal assessment of the progress of United Kingdom based research into Long Covid, it is clear that NIHR-funded research has delivered important findings. The REGAIN trial provided the first high quality evidence confirming the sustained clinical benefit and lack of harm with rehabilitation programmes for Long Covid. The NIHR has also funded research to test and compare different treatments such as antihistamines, anticoagulants, and anti-inflammatory medicines through the STIMULATE-ICP trial. The NIHR has also provided £1.1 million in funding towards the LISTEN trial, which found that the participants who received the LISTEN self-management tool intervention had greater capacity for daily activities, improved mental health, reduced fatigue impact, and increased self-efficacy. However, there is more work to be done to find the most promising treatments, and we are actively exploring next steps for long COVID research. This includes a development award focussed on evaluating repurposed and new interventions for post-acute infection syndromes and associated conditions, including long COVID. Two projects have recently been awarded funding.
What is the total number of import declarations made by express operators for consignments with a value of a) £135 or less and b) greater than £135 in each year since 2021.
The information requested is not available.