Written questions by Smith.

For what policy reason route-level impact assessments were not published for ferry-dependent communities ahead of laying secondary legislation for the domestic maritime UK ETS.

It is neither proportionate nor expected to conduct individual route-level impact assessments for all routes in scope of the ETS. An Impact Assessment was published alongside the main Authority Response to the "UK Emissions Trading Scheme Scope Expansion: maritime sector” consultation, which includes analysis of regional and distributional impacts.

Which local authorities have received funding from Government-funded schemes supporting the procurement of new buses, including zero-emission, electric, hydrogen and hybrid buses, in each of the last five years.

My department has published which local authorities have received funding from Government-funded schemes to procure new buses through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas programme on gov.uk.1The West Midlands Combined Authority also received £50m in 2021 for the Coventry All Electric Bus City.In addition, various local authorities have used devolved funding schemes to procure new zero emission buses.

What steps he plans to take to reduce the potential impact of construction traffic on villages in Mid Buckinghamshire constituency during the construction of the new Category C prison.

We are committed to delivering crucial new prison places in Buckinghamshire and are working constructively with Buckinghamshire Council to agree how to manage construction traffic.We have committed to making improvements to a key junction and funding will be provided to improve local bus services.

What assessment he has made of the level of risk of double charging of emissions at berth under both the UK ETS and EU ETS for vessels calling at UK ports.

From 1 July 2026, the emissions from the maritime sector to which the UK Emissions Trading Scheme will apply are: • emissions from voyages beginning and ending in the UK, and• emissions at berth and from movements within ports in the UK. The EU Emissions Trading System does not apply to these emissions, and so there will be no double charging of emissions under both the UK ETS and the EU ETS.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications of UK ETS rules for negotiations at the International Maritime Organisation on a global market-based measure.

Addressing international emissions from shipping is critical and it is important action is taken globally through the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The Government firmly supported adoption of a global market-based measure, the IMO Net-Zero Framework, last autumn and is disappointed the decision has been postponed. We continue to work with other IMO Member States to secure adoption. The Government also wants to ensure decarbonisation continues here in the UK and has proposed to expand the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to emissions from international voyages from 2028. If the IMO Net-Zero Framework is adopted, the Government will review the scope of the UK ETS to assess the effectiveness and fairness of the system for operators.

What steps his Department is taking to support people living with multiple sclerosis to access timely, high-quality care and treatment in Mid Buckinghamshire constituency.

At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), including those in the Mid Buckinghamshire constituency, including the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology. NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme has developed a new model of integrated care for neurology services, to support systems to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including those with MS. This focuses on providing access equitably across the country, care as close to home as possible, and early intervention to prevent illness and deterioration in patients with long-term neurological conditions. The Neurology Transformation Programme has developed guidance on improving access to disease-modifying treatments for MS with the aim of enabling people to receive care closer to home. The guidance includes successful delivery models and good practice case studies, and has been made available to National Health Service colleagues. The Neurology Transformation Programme is working with a number of systems across England to implement change, which will be implemented within individual systems, and which would also assess the impact on access to specialised neurology care, including care from specialist nurses, for people living with MS. On 13 August 2025, NHS England updated its service specification for specialised adult neurology services, following extensive consultation. A copy of this service specification is attached. The service specification includes guidance on both the specialised and core neurology services that should be available for patients with MS with a clear model for networked care to improve access to specialist services in underserved areas. The service specification outlines that specialised neurology centres must include access to treatment services for MS and have clear pathways for access to disease-modifying therapies.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the NHS England Neurology Transformation Programme on access to specialised neurology care, including care from specialist nurses, for people living with multiple sclerosis.

At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), including those in the Mid Buckinghamshire constituency, including the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology. NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme has developed a new model of integrated care for neurology services, to support systems to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including those with MS. This focuses on providing access equitably across the country, care as close to home as possible, and early intervention to prevent illness and deterioration in patients with long-term neurological conditions. The Neurology Transformation Programme has developed guidance on improving access to disease-modifying treatments for MS with the aim of enabling people to receive care closer to home. The guidance includes successful delivery models and good practice case studies, and has been made available to National Health Service colleagues. The Neurology Transformation Programme is working with a number of systems across England to implement change, which will be implemented within individual systems, and which would also assess the impact on access to specialised neurology care, including care from specialist nurses, for people living with MS. On 13 August 2025, NHS England updated its service specification for specialised adult neurology services, following extensive consultation. A copy of this service specification is attached. The service specification includes guidance on both the specialised and core neurology services that should be available for patients with MS with a clear model for networked care to improve access to specialist services in underserved areas. The service specification outlines that specialised neurology centres must include access to treatment services for MS and have clear pathways for access to disease-modifying therapies.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of applying a) a 10p multiplier b) a 15p multiplier or c) the full 20p discount on high street and hospitality businesses; and if she will publish that assessment.

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years to protect ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. This means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties. The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since COVID. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit. The new RHL tax rates will be 5p below the national tax rates. Making the RHL tax rates even lower would have led to a higher tax rate for high-value properties.

What guidance or analysis her department has undertaken on the potential impact on high street businesses of the removal of business rates relief and the simultaneous business rates revaluation.

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government announced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years, including protection for ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. This means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties, including pubs. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties. The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since Covid. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit.

What assessment she has made of the reasons for the difference in the projected changes in liabilities for (a) pubs and (b) distribution warehouses over the three-year revaluation period after transition.

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years to protect ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. This means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. Without this support, pubs would have faced a 45% increase in the total bills they pay next year. Because of the support we’ve put in, this falls to just 4%. More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties. The RHL multipliers are being funded through a higher rate for high-value properties (those with a RV of £500,000 and above). These high-value properties cover the majority of distribution warehouses, including those used by the online giants. Distribution warehouses will pay around £100 million more in business rates in 2026/27, with this going directly to lower bills for in-person retail, including pubs.

What estimate her department has made of how many a) pubs b) hotels c) restaurants d) indoor leisure and e) night clubs are expected to see their business rates bill i) go up ii) stay the same or iii) decrease from April 2026 as a result of the measures announced in Budget 2025.

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties, including those in the hospitality and leisure sectors as they recover from the pandemic. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government announced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years, including protection for ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. This means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. For the pubs sector, the increase in rateable values will be 30%, which combined with the loss of the temporary RHL relief would lead to an increase in total bills paid by the sector of 45%. However, due to government intervention, the sector’s total bill will only increase by 4% next year. More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties, including pubs. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties. The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since Covid. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit.

What steps his department is taking to reduce youth unemployment in light of recent job losses in the hospitality sector, the largest employer of young people.

The Government recognises the importance of the Hospitality in providing employment for young people. At Budget, we announced more than £1.5 billion of investment over the next three years, funding £820m for the Youth Guarantee to support young people to earn or learn, and an additional £725 million for the Growth and Skills Levy. Through the expanded Youth Guarantee, young people aged 16-24 across Great Britain are set to benefit from further support into employment and learning.We are supporting more than 50,000 young people into apprenticeships in England by fully funding apprenticeship training costs for all eligible 16-24-year-olds, removing the need for non-levy paying employers to co-fund these learners. We are also expanding foundation apprenticeships into sectors such as hospitality and retail, where young people are traditionally recruited.

Whether it remains the Government’s policy to reform the business rates system to level the playing field between bricks and mortar businesses and large online businesses.

The Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties, while ensuring that warehouses used by online giants will pay more. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit. The Government is paying for lower tax rates for RHL through higher rates on the top one per cent of most expensive properties. Large distribution warehouses, such as those used by online giants, will pay around £100m more in 2026/27, with this going directly to lower bills for in-person retail.

Whether it is her policy to use the business rates system to help support high street businesses in the context of their competition with online retailers.

The Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties, while ensuring that warehouses used by online giants will pay more. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit. The Government is paying for lower tax rates for RHL through higher rates on the top one per cent of most expensive properties. Large distribution warehouses, such as those used by online giants, will pay around £100m more in 2026/27, with this going directly to lower bills for in-person retail.

What impact assessments the Government has conducted on the potential effect of rateable value increases and changes to business rates relief, announced at Budget 2025, on a) vacancy rates on local high streets b) job losses c) businesses closures and d) price levels.

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years to protect ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. Most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. The Valuation Office Agency has published statistics on changes in the rateable value of properties in the 2026 revaluation. More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties. The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since COVID. The 40% RHL relief was forecast to cost £1.7 billion in 2025/26, less than the £2.1 billion we are spending on Transitional Relief and Supporting Small Business relief in 2026/27. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit. The new RHL tax rates will be 5p below the national tax rates.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the combined effect of higher rateable values and reduced business rates relief on the number of hospitality closures and empty units on high streets over the next three years.

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government announced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years, including protection for ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. This means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. Without our support, the pub sector as a whole would have faced a 45% increase in the total bills they pay next year. Because of the support we’ve put in place, this has fallen to just 4%. More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. We are doing this by introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties, including those on the high street. The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since Covid. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit. The National Insurance Contributions (NICs) Employment Allowance has been more than doubled to £10,500, ensuring that over half of businesses with National Insurance liabilities, including those in the hospitality sector, will either gain or see no change this year. A Tax Information and Impact Note was published alongside changes to employer NICs.

Whether her department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the eCall system on the number of casualties or fatalities on the roads.

A 2013 pre-legislation appraisal concluded that following full adoption of eCall in the UK (in 2018), casualty reduction was likely to be at most 13 fatalities a year and 100 serious injuries involving car and van occupants only. No post-implementation review has been conducted.

If she has any plans to expand automatic crash detection requirements to powered two wheel vehicles.

The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. Emergency call (eCall), an automatic crash notification system, is a legal requirement in mass produced new types of cars and light commercial vehicles since 31 March 2018. Whilst aftermarket approaches are available that can be utilised for other vehicle types, the Government has no current plans to extend this as a mandatory requirement for other vehicle types such as motorcycles. We are considering plans to review the existing requirements for motorcycle training, testing, and licensing that take account of both long-standing plans in the Department for Transport and the Driver Vehicle and Standards Agency, and proposals received from the motorcycle sector. More details will be set out in due course.

What steps she is taking to help improve motorcycle safety.

The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. Emergency call (eCall), an automatic crash notification system, is a legal requirement in mass produced new types of cars and light commercial vehicles since 31 March 2018. Whilst aftermarket approaches are available that can be utilised for other vehicle types, the Government has no current plans to extend this as a mandatory requirement for other vehicle types such as motorcycles. We are considering plans to review the existing requirements for motorcycle training, testing, and licensing that take account of both long-standing plans in the Department for Transport and the Driver Vehicle and Standards Agency, and proposals received from the motorcycle sector. More details will be set out in due course.

Whether he is considering regulatory steps to encourage the fitting of fire suppression systems to agricultural equipment, such as combine harvesters.

The Government is not considering regulatory steps to encourage fitting fire suppression systems to agricultural equipment. This is because existing requirements under The Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 set out that machinery must be designed and constructed in a way to avoid the risk of fire or overheating posed by the machinery itself or by gases, liquids, dust, vapours or other substances produced or used by the machinery. Many organisations also issue guidance to farmers to avoid the damage and disruption caused by accidental combine harvester fires.