Written questions by Rand.

What the criteria are for automotive companies to access the support for transition to electric vehicles announced in the Budget.

The Budget committed over £2 billion to 2030 for zero emission vehicle manufacturing and their supply chains. Government will engage with industry as we take forward these plans, and further details will be set out in due course as part of the Industrial Strategy. In the meantime, investors can continue to apply to the Automotive Transformation Fund and Advanced Propulsion Centre R&D programmes.The Budget also confirmed £120 million in grants supporting the purchase of new zero-emission vans and wheelchair-accessible vehicles. Eligibility is assessed on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis. Updates on other grants will be provided in due course.

What discussions he has had with European counterparts on joining the EU in applying tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.

This government is continuing to work closely with EU partners to identify areas to strengthen cooperation, including the economy, energy, security and resilience.The government will take a consistent, long-term and strategic approach to managing the UK’s relations with China, rooted in the national interest. It is for the independent Trade Remedies Authority to investigate whether trade remedy measures are needed to protect our industries, and any action taken on Chinese electric vehicles imports has to be the right one for UK industry.The government is in close contact with the sector about this and wider issues, including the recent announcement of over £2 billion of capital and R&D funding to 2030 for zero emission vehicle manufacturing and their supply chains

How many people used shared parental leave in the last year.

Information provided by employers to HMRC shows that in 2023/24 (the latest year for which full year data is available), 17,200 individuals were in receipt of Statutory Shared Parental Pay. Data for earlier years was published as part of the Shared Parental Leave evaluation. Data collected using HMRC Real Time Information is subject to revision.This data provides a broad indication of take-up but does not include anyone taking unpaid leave. Information on the sector or industry worked in by the recipient of Shared Parental Pay is not available.The Government commissioned the Parental Rights Survey as part of the Shared Parental Leave (SPL) evaluation which provides information on the sector parents taking SPL work in. Findings from the evaluation are available here (see figure 4.10 for sector information) - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/shared-parental-leave-spl-evaluation

If his Department can publish a sectoral breakdown of shared parental leave take up in the last 12 months.

Information provided by employers to HMRC shows that in 2023/24 (the latest year for which full year data is available), 17,200 individuals were in receipt of Statutory Shared Parental Pay. Data for earlier years was published as part of the Shared Parental Leave evaluation. Data collected using HMRC Real Time Information is subject to revision.This data provides a broad indication of take-up but does not include anyone taking unpaid leave. Information on the sector or industry worked in by the recipient of Shared Parental Pay is not available.The Government commissioned the Parental Rights Survey as part of the Shared Parental Leave (SPL) evaluation which provides information on the sector parents taking SPL work in. Findings from the evaluation are available here (see figure 4.10 for sector information) - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/shared-parental-leave-spl-evaluation