Written questions by Campbell.

How many people have been convicted of offences connected with the use of illegal number plates on vehicles in the last four years.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for a variety of offences including offences involving the use of illegal number plates on vehicles, in the Outcomes by Offences tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.The number of convictions related to the illegal use of vehicle number plates can be accessed by navigating to the ‘Overall Volumes’ tab and filtering the “HO offence code” drop down for:81403 - Fraud, forgery etc. associated with registration and licensing documents (MOT)81090 - Other motor vehicle licence, trade licence, registration mark, trade plate and registration book offences (except forgery and deception offences) (MOT).

What estimate he has made of the number of veterans living in Northern Ireland who are eligible for but have not yet applied to the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme.

The Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme was established by the Victims Payments Regulations Act 2020 and is run by the independent Victims Payment Board, administered by on behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive. Further information is available on https://www.nidirect.gov.uk The deadline for applications has been extended by two years and will now close on 31 August 2026. The scheme continues to be promoted in Northen Ireland through the veterans’ support network.

What assessment has he made of the potential implications for his policies of the conclusions of the report by the Windsor Framework Independent Monitoring Panel, published on 5 December 2025, on Business friendly guidance on gov.uk.

The Government considered the issues raised in the Independent Monitoring Panel’s report as part of its response to the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework. This includes a commitment to delivering an enhanced ‘one stop shop’ advice service for small businesses, beyond what is available on GOV.UK, and this is set out at Paragraph 50 of the Government’s response and thereafter. The Government’s response to the Review, and relevant issues raised in the Panel’s report, is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-the-independent-review-of-the-windsor-framework

If he will take steps with Invest NI and the Northern Ireland Executive to ensure that the trade deal between the UK and South Korea impacts all areas of the United Kingdom.

The FTA between the UK and the Republic of Korea will apply to all parts of the UK, including Northern Ireland. DBT have worked closely with the Devolved Governments throughout the negotiations. Digitised trade provisions and new rules of origin will benefit Northern Ireland by supporting easier export of products such as pharmaceuticals, a key export from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Korea. DBT’s Free Trade Agreement Utilisation team will help businesses understand and benefit from the new UK-Republic of Korea FTA, working in partnership with businesses and their representatives from across the whole UK, including Northern Ireland.

If she will make an estimate of the number of domestic properties Mears Housing currently owns in Northern Ireland which were previously used for housing asylum seekers but are vacant as of 1 December 2025.

The Home Office does not hold this data.

Pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2025 to WPQ 98745, how many (a) vehicle owners and (b) people on the Register of Number Plate Suppliers have been (i) charged, and (ii) convicted of offences connected with illegal number plates in the last four years.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does not hold information about the number of vehicle keepers who have been convicted for number plate offences as enforcement of number plates offences is a matter for the police. The DVLA does not have the relevant powers to take forward prosecutions of number plate suppliers. Such prosecutions are taken forward by the police and Trading Standards. The DVLA’s enforcement officers work with the police and Trading Standards to carry out educational and compliance visits to registered number plate suppliers. Enforcement officers carry out inspections to check working practices and inspect number plates on the premises. Enforcement officers can also inspect records held, take copies and/or seize the records. The DVLA’s enforcement officers carry out intelligence led enforcement activities to tackle a wide range of offences, actively working with partners to investigate potential offences. While the DVLA does not take forward prosecutions, its enforcement officers may attend court as an expert witness in any such proceedings.

If she will make an assessment of the viability over the next five years of existing banking hubs.

Banking is changing, with many customers benefitting from the convenience and flexibility of managing their finances remotely. However, the Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and is committed to ensuring sufficient access for customers. The Government recognises the role that banking hubs play in supporting communities’ access to cash and basic banking services. In addition to traditional bank branches, the financial services industry is committed to rolling out 350 banking hubs across the UK by the end of this Parliament. Banking hubs were developed by the financial services sector in the context of legislation to protect access to cash under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023. Banking hubs are delivered and funded by industry through Cash Access UK (CAUK), which oversees the rollout and operation of hubs. LINK, as the operator of the UK’s largest ATM network, assesses local access needs following a branch closure or a community request, and where additional services are required, CAUK provides a suitable shared solution, such as a deposit service or banking hub, for cash users in that community. The future viability of banking hubs depends on ongoing commercial agreements between participating banks and on consumer demand for in-person banking services. The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 gives the Financial Conduct Authority powers to ensure reasonable access to cash, and the Government continues to work closely with industry and regulators to monitor delivery.

Pursuant to WPQ 3948 Dated 9/9/2024, which areas in the nations and regions of the UK were events held to ensure that businesses become more aware of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Since September 2023 the Department for Business and Trade has attended or coordinated over 70 events (online or in-person) to ensure that UK businesses are aware of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). In person events have so far taken place in areas across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and online events have been targeted at UK businesses based throughout the UK.

What steps he is taking to ensure that the Connect Fund reaches communities that have previously had lower application rates for grant funding across Northern Ireland.

The £1m Connect Fund makes awards to strengthen civic ties between Northern Ireland and Great Britain across a range of sectors. I am encouraged by the high level of interest the Fund has received from community and voluntary groups to date. Early next year, a series of roadshows will be hosted across Northern Ireland, including areas with lower application rates, to advertise the Fund and support a broad geographical spread of applicants.

How many people aged 66 and over are estimated in 2025 to be in (a) full time employment, and (b) part time employment.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 15th of December is attached.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the change in the tonnage of (a) recycled and (b) incinerated waste between 2019 and 2024.

The most comprehensive waste treatment data Defra hold for the period from 2019 to 2024 cover the management of local authority collected waste in England for the financial years 2018/19 to 2023/24. The data are available in the Local authority collected waste management - annual results - GOV.UK publication. Over this period, the total tonnage of waste collected by local authorities has fallen by 534,000 tonnes, from 25.6 million tonnes in 2018/19 to 25.1 million tonnes in 2023/24. Tonnages of waste recycled have fallen by 560,000 tonnes, while tonnages of waste sent for incineration with energy recovery have increased by 1.5 million tonnes and tonnages incinerated without energy recovery have fallen by 88,000 tonnes. Data are available on the final treatment of all waste in the UK in the UK statistics on waste - GOV.UK publication, the most recent data are for 2020. Equivalent England-level data are also available for 2022 in the same publication. Both the UK and England data sets are updated biennially.

What estimate has been made of the number of people paying (a) basic rate, (b) higher rate, and (c) additional rate of Income Tax between 2020 and 2025.

The number of individuals in each of the three main Income Tax rate bands from 2020 to 2025 is published in Table 2.1 of HMRC’s Accredited official statistics. Updated forecasts are published in Table 3.19 of the OBR’s November 2025 Economic and fiscal outlook, linked below: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/685a6be4454906840a44d5bb/Table_2.1_Number_of_individual_Income_Tax_Payers.ods https://obr.uk/download/november-2025-economic-and-fiscal-outlook-detailed-forecast-tables-receipts/?tmstv=1765817494 The previous Government made the decision to maintain income tax thresholds at their current levels from April 2021 until April 2028.

What has been the change in the volume of sustainable aviation fuel production in the UK between 2019 and 2024.

We do not hold statistics on volumes of SAF produced in the UK. SAF volumes are reported to the Department by fuel suppliers to discharge their obligations under the SAF mandate, and between 2019 and 2024, under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). SAF is not yet produced globally at a large scale. In the UK the only commercial scale SAF producer is at Phillips 66’s Humberside refinery.Looking forward, the Government is taking decisive action to scale up UK SAF production. From 1 January 2025, the SAF mandate came into effect, setting a clear trajectory for growth – 10% of UK aviation fuel is required to be SAF by 2030 and 22% by 2040. To help deliver this, £63 million in grant funding has been allocated through the Advanced Fuels Fund for the current year to support UK SAF plants, with continued support for SAF production through to 2029/30. We have also introduced a SAF Bill that will establish a Revenue Certainty Mechanism, giving investors confidence to build and operate SAF facilities in the UK.

How many biomass boilers granted and installed under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme have had to be replaced due to faults in the installation or in the boiler in each of the last three years.

The Government does not hold specific data on the number of biomass boilers that have subsequently been replaced under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Ofgem, the scheme administrators, continue to work closely with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) and consumer codes to monitor any complaints received, and to identify and resolve any issues with systems installed under the scheme. Biomass deployment under the scheme represents a relatively small proportion of overall installations.

If she will consider changing air passenger duty on all passengers so that higher duty is levied on those who fly more frequently.

The distance-band structure of Air Passenger Duty (APD) already ensures that those who fly furthest, in the greatest comfort, pay the most. Similarly, given APD is charged on all UK-departing flights, those who fly most often pay more.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Veterinary Medicine Working Group plans to meet in January 2026.

The Veterinary Medicine Working Group last met on 9 December 2025 and plans to meet next in the early new year when the two schemes that the Government is introducing will be in effect.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of use of illegal number plates between 2021 and 2025.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does not hold data on the level of use of illegal number plates. On road enforcement is a matter for the police. The DVLA works with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime. The law requires that anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK must be registered with the DVLA. It is a legal requirement for suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that number plates are only sold to those who can prove they are entitled to the registration number. Number plate suppliers must also keep records of the plates they have supplied. Selling a number plate without carrying out these required checks carries a maximum penalty of a fine of £1,000 and the potential removal from the Register of Number Plate Suppliers (RNPS). The DVLA is considering options to ensure a more robust, auditable RNPS process which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers.

What was the total in duty deferment accounts that HMRC received in the calendar year 2024 via customs duties collected as a result of trade between GB and NI affected by the Windsor Framework.

HMRC does not hold the information in the format requested.

What steps her Department is taking to help support and promote biotechnology in Northern Ireland through the Industrial Strategy.

Life sciences, which includes biotechnology, is one of the priority sectors under the Government’s Industrial Strategy. This summer the Government published the UK Life Sciences Sector Plan, setting out a bold ambition to make the UK the leading life sciences economy in Europe by 2030. The Plan supports growth across the whole of the UK, including Northern Ireland, recognising its particular strengths in precision medicine, diagnostics, advanced manufacturing and clinical research. The Office for Life Sciences is working closely with the Northern Ireland Executive to align priorities, attract investment, and deliver growth in Northern Ireland’s life sciences sector.

How she will notify SMEs that their bank is a designated bank under any scheme set up to ensure customers that are rejected for finance approval can be matched with alternatives who will offer support.

The Bank Referral Scheme is an initiative dating back to 2014, which requires major lenders (designated banks) to refer SME customers that they reject for finance, with the SMEs’ permission, to finance platforms that can match the SME with alternative finance providers, in order to improve access to finance. In the interests of public transparency, the Treasury is required under the law to publish a list of banks designated under the Scheme. The list of currently designated banks can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/designation-of-banks-and-finance-platforms-for-finance-platforms-regulations/notice-of-designation-small-and-medium-sized-business-finance-platforms-regulations-2015 Under the existing regulations, SMEs also learn about their bank’s involvement in the Scheme as the law requires the bank to ask the SME whether they agree to their information being provided to finance platforms under the Scheme, in order to try and match the SME with alternative finance. On 27th October, the Government launched a consultation and call for evidence on the Bank Referral Scheme, inviting views on a range of issues and proposals aimed at better facilitating SME access to finance through the Scheme, including on bank designations and improving awareness of the Scheme. The consultation sets out that, at a minimum, the Government intends to improve its own information resources on the Scheme. It also explains that the Government is considering whether it would be beneficial for more information on the Scheme to be made readily available to SMEs earlier, when they are considering external finance, regardless of whether they have already applied and been rejected. The consultation is due to close on 22 December. The Government will set out its position on any changes to the Scheme in due course.