Every parliamentary written question tabled by Gregor Poynton this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 21–40 of 56 · this parliament
What steps she is taking to introduce e-invoicing in the UK.
Many businesses and public bodies already use e-invoicing in the UK. As announced at Budget 24, HMRC and DBT have run a joint consultation on promoting e-invoicing among UK businesses and the private sector. This consultation closed on 7 May and the government will publish a summary of responses and update on the next steps following this consultation in due course.
Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of e-invoicing for improving tax administration and collection.
Following the Chancellor’s announcement at Budget 24, HMRC and DBT have run a joint consultation on promoting e-invoicing among UK businesses and the private sector. This consultation closed on 7 May and the government will publish a summary of responses and update on the next steps following this consultation in due course. As part of HMRC’s work on e-invoicing the department will consider the potential merits of e-invoicing for improving tax administration and collection.
What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of introducing e-invoicing.
Business adoption of digital technologies such as e-invoicing can offer benefits that include reduced administrative burdens and fewer data processing errors. This can lead to increased productivity, improved payment times, and streamlined tax administration and collection.However, we recognise the need to think carefully about introduction of any e-invoicing requirements or standards, especially for smaller businesses who might find this to be an additional burden. We recently ran a 12 week consultation jointly with HMRC, to gather views on promoting e-invoicing in the UK. The Government will publish a summary of responses and provide an update on next steps in due course.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of e-invoicing for small businesses on (a) exports and (b) imports.
Usage of digital technology such as e-invoicing can streamline business processes, including for trading businesses, whether they are importing or exporting.Usage of e-invoicing software and standards that are compatible with those used by trading partners in other countries can be particularly beneficial. However, small businesses may find adoption of new tools and processes more onerous than larger businesses.DBT and HMRC recently ran a 12 week consultation to gather views on promoting e-invoicing in the UK. The consultation closed on 7 May, and we will be publishing a summary of responses and updating on next steps in due course.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of e-invoicing for small businesses on reducing payment times.
The Government is committed to tackling late payments, which can be a major obstacle for small businesses. In September 2024 we announced new measures including a new Fair Payment Code (launched in December 2024), legislation requiring large companies to report headline payment performance data in their annual reports, and a public consultation on further measures.Business adoption of e-invoicing can also help improve payment times by reducing administrative burdens and streamlining invoicing processes. DBT and HMRC recently ran a consultation to gather views on promoting e-invoicing in the UK and will be publishing a summary of responses in due course.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of e-invoicing for small businesses on productivity.
This Government is committed to driving business productivity and economic growth in the UK. Adoption of digital technologies, such as e-invoicing, can significantly improve firm-level productivity by streamlining business processes and reducing administrative work and errors.However, few small businesses use e-invoicing in the UK. Adoption of e-invoicing by SMEs in the UK is behind countries like France and Germany. This is why, as announced at Budget 2024, DBT and HMRC recently ran a 12 week consultation on promoting e-invoicing in the UK. We will be publishing a summary of responses and updating on next steps in due course.
When he plans to publish updated advice from the UK Chief Medical Officer on the potential impact of excessive screen time and social media use on children’s (a) mental and (b) physical health.
We are committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever and giving mental health the same importance as physical health.Children are being brought up in increasingly digitised environments and are facing new and complex challenges in their childhoods.We welcome further research exploring the relationship between screentime and social media use and children’s physical and mental health. Departmental policies will remain agile in light of this emerging evidence base.
What steps her Department is taking to support disabled people who will never be able to work in Livingston constituency.
The social security system will always be there for those who can’t work.As part of the recent announcements, we are making changes to the rates in Universal Credit, we will ensure that the incomes of those with the most severe, lifelong conditions who will never be able to work have their incomes protected.We will also guarantee that for both new and existing claims, those in this group will not need to be reassessed in future.
Pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 38284, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the individual risk to UK residents of travelling to areas where mosquito-borne diseases are endemic and (b) the risk to UK public health of local transmission of those diseases.
United Kingdom residents travelling to areas with mosquito-borne diseases face risks that depend on their health, the reason and length of their trip, and the precautions they take, such as vaccinations and measures to prevent bites.The National Travel Health Network and Centre advises UK travelers to stay safe and healthy while travelling. This includes information on mosquito-borne diseases, tips for avoiding mosquito bites, and specific advice for different destinations on their website, which is available at the following link:https://travelhealthpro.org.ukTravelers from the UK going to areas with mosquito-borne diseases should consult a healthcare professional, like a general practitioner or pharmacist, before their trip. Currently, there is no local transmission of these diseases in the UK, and the risk to the public is low.The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) Health Effects of Climate Change report indicates that current temperatures in the UK are too low for vectors or transmission cycles to develop. The report can be accessed at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/climate-change-health-effects-in-the-ukThe UKHSA monitors mosquito-borne diseases and has a national plan for invasive mosquitoes, which you can find at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-contingency-plan-for-invasive-mosquitoes
What steps his Department is taking to reduce the time taken for cancer diagnoses.
Our Plan for Change is already making an impact. In February, the proportion of patients getting a diagnosis or an all clear within four weeks was the highest yet. After outlining renewed focus on cancer standards in the Elective Reform Plan, we set new targets for faster diagnosis in the NHS 2025/26 Planning Guidance.Our National Cancer Plan will cover the whole pathway, including diagnosis.
What steps his Department is taking to reduce the cost of electricity.
The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy with less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past. We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we are delivering the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households this winter. On 25 February, we published a consultation on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would bring around 2.7 million households into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million. The Government is also continuing to work with Ofgem and energy suppliers to ensure energy bills remain fair and affordable while we transition to clean power by 2030.
Innovation and Technology, what steps Ofcom is taking to prevent children from accessing regulated platforms while under the minimum age limits in those companies’ terms of service.
Child online safety is of utmost importance to the government. Under the Online Safety Act, all user-to-user services likely to be accessed by children have a duty to include provisions in their terms of service specifying how children of any age are prevented from encountering the most harmful content and protected from encountering other types of harmful content.Services that have age restrictions must specify in their terms of service what measures they are taking to prevent underage access, and they are required apply these terms consistently.
Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating a national energy advice service for businesses and homeowners.
The Government recognises that access to trusted and impartial energy efficiency and clean heat advice is crucial. The Government runs several digital services on GOV.UK, supported by a national phoneline, aimed at households. We are now streamlining these services into a single user journey to make it even easier for households to access information, including funding options and trusted installers. We encourage SMEs to visit the UK Business Climate Hub, which provides information and advice to SMEs on how to reduce energy use and carbon emissions.
What steps his Department is taking to help ensure a widespread adoption of minimum energy efficiency standards.
The Government is consulting on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector, including proposals for rented homes to achieve EPC C or equivalent by 2030. We will consult shortly on introducing minimum energy efficiency standards in the social rented sector which would form part of the Decent Homes Standard. We have also reviewed the responses to our 2019 and 2021 consultations on an EPC B trajectory for minimum energy efficiency standards in the non-domestic private rented sector and plan to publish a response in the early part of 2025.
Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to ensure that social media companies effectively enforce their terms of service to prevent children below the required minimum age from accessing them.
Child online safety is of utmost importance to the government. Under the Online Safety Act, all user-to-user services likely to be accessed by children have a duty to include provisions in their terms of service specifying how children of any age are prevented from encountering the most harmful content and protected from encountering other types of harmful content.Services that have age restrictions must specify in their terms of service what measures they are taking to prevent underage access, and they are required apply these terms consistently.
With reference to the Fourth Report of Session 2021–22 of the Health and Social Care Committee, The safety of maternity services in England, HC 19, published on 6 July 2021, whether he plans to implement the recommendation on the development of guidance for maternity services on (a) proactively involving fathers in those services and (b) using fatherhood to engage men in the health service.
The Health and Social Care Select Committee's inquiry in 2021 examined evidence relating to the safety of maternity services. Its report, The Safety of Maternity Services in England, made 15 recommendations. The Government's response to the recommendations made by the inquiry is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safety-of-maternity-services-in-england-government-response/the-governments-response-to-the-health-and-social-care-committee-report-safety-of-maternity-services-in-englandWe are not aware of a specific recommendation made by this inquiry regarding the development of guidance for maternity services on involving fathers in those services and using fatherhood to engage men in the health service. The Government response did, however, set out plans to address variations in the quality of care and outcomes, tackle poor workplace culture, consider workforce levels, implement training for delivering safe care, and address disparities in maternal and neonatal outcomes.We are determined to ensure women, and their families, receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care, and we will continue to work with the National Health Service as it delivers its three-year maternity and neonatal plan, a key theme of which is listening to and working with women and families, including fathers, with compassion.We are committed to improving men’s health in England, bringing a renewed focus on preventing adverse health outcomes and reducing health inequalities. On 28 November 2024, we announced plans for a Men’s Health Strategy at a Men’s Health Summit, held in partnership with Movember and hosted by Arsenal and the Premier League. The strategy will look at the outcomes and evidence surrounding men’s health and the action we need to take to improve the health of all men. This will include consideration of how to prevent and tackle the biggest health problems. The strategy will be informed by a call for evidence to understand what is working and what more needs to be done.
What steps his Department has taken to standardise the provision of travel health services in the UK.
Travel health services in the United Kingdom are provided by a range of National Health Service and independent healthcare services. In England, all providers offering travel health services that are delivered by a doctor or a nurse must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and are subject to normal CQC assessment and inspection procedures. The CQC has specified a minimum standard of practice for practitioners who deliver travel health services and require that training is in line with professional standards published by either the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow or RCN Travel Health Nursing: career and competence development. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.rcn.org.uk/Professional-Development/publications/rcn-travel-health-nursing-uk-pub-010-573The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) contributes to the health of UK travellers through surveillance, testing, guidance and advice. Surveillance reports on travel-associated infections are published regularly on GOV.UK. UKHSA provides the scientific secretariat for the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the Government on vaccination and immunisation matters, including for travel vaccines. The UK Malaria Expert Advisory Group is responsible for guidelines on malaria prevention for health professionals. UKHSA does not have a remit to standardise the provision of travel health clinical services in the UK.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of adding (a) chikungunya, (b) dengue, (c) zika and (d) other mosquito-borne diseases onto the list of notifiable diseases published by the UK Health Security Agency.
Dengue and chikungunya viruses are notifiable pathogens, so laboratories in England that test human samples must inform the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) if they are identified. The specific mosquito species that transmit these viruses is not established in the United Kingdom, so there is a negligible risk to public health. Therefore, they are not included in the list of infectious diseases that medical practitioners must notify UKHSA about if they treat a patient who they think is infected with that disease.Infectious disease data for cases of chikungunya, dengue, and Zika are obtained from the UKHSA’s Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL) and details are shared for purposes of national surveillance. Currently, the RIPL is the only UK laboratory providing accredited testing for zika and chikungunya viruses, and for many of the other relevant mosquito borne viruses and bacteria. Confirmed and probable cases are therefore captured already by UKHSA, and it would be rare for clinicians to make a clinical diagnosis for these diseases without requesting testing.
Whether his Department is taking steps to increase levels of mental health (a) support and (b) assessments for fathers during perinatal periods.
Support is already available for expectant and new fathers and partners who experience mental health difficulties during the perinatal period. Partners of women accessing specialist perinatal and maternal mental health services should be offered an evidence-based assessment for their own mental health and signposting to support as required. In January 2025, the Department announced £126 million for the continuation of the Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes in 2025/26 in 75 local authorities with high levels of deprivation. This includes £36.5 million for bespoke perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationship support, including for fathers.In addition, NHS Talking Therapies services are also available for fathers and partners who need support with any mental health problems during the perinatal period. Anyone can refer themselves online via the National Health Service website or by contacting their general practitioner.
Whether his Department plans to introduce initiatives to include expectant and new fathers in mental health checks as part of routine antenatal and postnatal care.
Support is already available for expectant and new fathers and partners who experience mental health difficulties during the perinatal period. Partners of women accessing specialist perinatal and maternal mental health services should be offered an evidence-based assessment for their own mental health and signposting to support as required. In January 2025, the Department announced £126 million for the continuation of the Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes in 2025/26 in 75 local authorities with high levels of deprivation. This includes £36.5 million for bespoke perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationship support, including for fathers.In addition, NHS Talking Therapies services are also available for fathers and partners who need support with any mental health problems during the perinatal period. Anyone can refer themselves online via the National Health Service website or by contacting their general practitioner.