Written questions by MacDonald.

Whether she has made an assessment of whether Vehicle Excise Duty rates for vehicles in the highest bands are a proportionate application of the polluter pays principle.

Awaiting answer.

Whether the Home Office has considered the potential merits of creating a dedicated Gaelic Speaker Work Visa, allowing fluent Gaelic speakers from overseas to fill Gaelic-medium posts in Scotland.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with The Humane League UK on the banning of cages for laying hens.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment she has made of the proportionality of Vehicle Excise Duty rates for higher-emission vehicles; and whether she plans to review the differential between vehicles in the lowest and highest emission bands.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his department plans to take in response to the consultation on the use of cages and crates for laying hens which closed on 9 March 2026.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment his department has made of the case for extending the Common Tariff Obligation to apply across the whole of the United Kingdom, so that no comparable domestic consumer is charged higher electricity prices solely on the basis of their geographic location.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment her department has made of the potential impact of VAT on domestic energy bills on regional inequalities in electricity standing charges and unit rates.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment his department has made of the potential merits of rebalancing policy costs currently levied on electricity bills across gas and electricity bills equally.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment his department has made of the potential merits of equalising standing charges for electricity consumers across the United Kingdom.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment his department has made of the potential merits of rebalancing policy costs levied on electricity bills across gas and electricity bills equally.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment his department has made of the potential merits of introducing a price cap on domestic heating oil for households that are not connected to the gas grid.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that workers injured through contact with construction equipment have a legal right to access service, maintenance, and operational records relating to that equipment, where such access is currently denied on the basis of contractual arrangements between suppliers and contractors.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her department has made of the risk to UK national security posed by the country importing over 80% of its timber requirements.

This Government recognises the growing global demand for timber. The Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 and the relaunched Timber in Construction Roadmap (2025) sets out our commitment to increase the supply and use of domestic timber. This includes working in partnership with the forestry sector on tree breeding programmes for selected timber producing species to diversify the range of tree species that could be used in construction. The Timber in Construction Roadmap identifies seven priority themes, including to increase the sustainable supply of timber. Work to deliver the Roadmap’s actions is being taken forward across industry and government. The Government also continues to engage with the Confederation of Forest Industries on the National Wood Strategy.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has plans to establish a cross-government taskforce to develop a strategy for reducing the United Kingdom's dependence on imported timber and strengthening domestic supply.

This Government recognises the growing global demand for timber. The Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 and the relaunched Timber in Construction Roadmap (2025) sets out our commitment to increase the supply and use of domestic timber. This includes working in partnership with the forestry sector on tree breeding programmes for selected timber producing species to diversify the range of tree species that could be used in construction. The Timber in Construction Roadmap identifies seven priority themes, including to increase the sustainable supply of timber. Work to deliver the Roadmap’s actions is being taken forward across industry and government. The Government also continues to engage with the Confederation of Forest Industries on the National Wood Strategy.

What recent estimate his Department has made of the amount of community benefits paid to a) the United Kingdom, b) Scotland and c) the Scottish Highlands in 2025.

Awaiting answer.

With reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Tax avoidance loan schemes and the loan charge, published on 26 November 2025, if she will publish a breakdown of the sources of the £3.2 billion figure.

This Government recognised that concerns continued to be raised about the loan charge and that some felt strongly that it had not been handled appropriately. The Government therefore commissioned an independent review of the loan charge to bring the matter to a close for those affected, ensure fairness for all taxpayers and ensure that appropriate support is in place for those subject to the loan charge. The full breakdown of the £3.2bn figure referenced in the November 2025 policy paper, was published on 23 April 2020 and can be found on GOV.UK: Section 4 - Policy Costing - GOV.UK

What conversations her department has had with the Health and Safety Executive with regards to their policy on verifying the accuracy of RIDDOR reports submitted by employers following workplace incidents.

Awaiting answer.

What recent estimate his Department has made of the amount of community benefits paid to a) the United Kingdom, b) Scotland and c) the Scottish Highlands in 2025.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Innovation and Technology, whether his department has considered working with Ofcom to help ensure that mobile network operators share masts and/or sites where possible.

The Department works closely with Ofcom on a range of issues including those related to the deployment of mobile networks and infrastructure and continues to engage on how sharing of masts and sites can be encouraged where appropriate.Duties and obligations relating to telecommunications installations are included in the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003, which include requirements to share apparatus where practicable.The Code of Practice for Wireless Network Development also sets out best practice guidance for mobile network operators and local authorities on deploying wireless infrastructure, including considerations for siting equipment. It complements existing legislation and provides clear, practical advice to support all stakeholders involved in the deployment process.The Communications (Access to Infrastructure) Regulations 2016 further gives operators the right to request access to another operator’s infrastructure.

If she will (a) introduce a dedicated employment status for foster carers, (b) establish an independent register and appeals system for foster carers and (c) launch a public inquiry into the fostering system.

Fostering is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The government does not believe that fostering should be considered a form of employment. Foster care is a family-based vocation and fostering homes should feel like family homes with people who love them, not a workplace with staff. Foster carers should not need to be considered workers to get the support and respect they deserve.The department recently launched a Call for Evidence on a national fostering register, including purpose, scope, design features and safeguards. We are analysing responses and will publish results and our response in the summer. The Independent Review Mechanism provides independent panels that review decisions made by fostering providers.Our focus is on delivering on our ambitious action plan to renew foster care, published in February 2026. By April 2029, we will create 10,000 more foster places, providing a foster place for every child who needs one. We have no current plans to launch a fostering inquiry. There have been several independent reviews into fostering and the wider care system, including ‘Foster Care in England’ (2018), the ‘Independent Review of Children’s Social Care’ (2022) and the Education Select Committee’s 2025 inquiry into Children’s Social Care.