Every parliamentary written question tabled by Joshua Reynolds this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 81–100 of 404 · this parliament
What progress trade envoys have made in reducing non-tariff barriers to trade for businesses in their designated markets.
UK Trade Envoys primarily support UK exports in their respective market, but they also help identify tariff and non-tariff barriers that impede trade.
On what policy basis has her Department decided to allow the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant to lapse.
As announced in February 2025, the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will close at the end of financial year 2025/26 or when current funds are exhausted, whichever comes first. In 2024, mopeds and motorcycles accounted for 0.4% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. Available funding is being targeted at higher emission segments such as cars, vans, and heavy duty vehicles. Ending the £500 Plug-in Motorcycle Grant is not expected to have a significant impact on uptake of zero emission motorcycles or on riders. The Government, working with industry, will monitor the development of the zero emission motorcycle market and the need for any further interventions on an ongoing basis.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the expiry of the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant on consumer uptake of regulated electric mopeds and motorcycles.
As announced in February 2025, the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will close at the end of financial year 2025/26 or when current funds are exhausted, whichever comes first. In 2024, mopeds and motorcycles accounted for 0.4% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. Available funding is being targeted at higher emission segments such as cars, vans, and heavy duty vehicles. Ending the £500 Plug-in Motorcycle Grant is not expected to have a significant impact on uptake of zero emission motorcycles or on riders. The Government, working with industry, will monitor the development of the zero emission motorcycle market and the need for any further interventions on an ongoing basis.
What recent assessment he has made of the value delivered to small and medium-sized businesses by the trade envoy programme compared with support available through UK Export Finance and his own Department's direct export services.
This is an impossible question to answer as the whole point of the UK Trade Envoy Programme is that it complements the work of UKEF and DBT’s direct export services in supporting SMEs. Trade Envoys provide high-level advocacy and market access, UKEF delivers financial backing, and DBT offers practical export guidance. Together, these initiatives form a comprehensive package to help SMEs succeed internationally.
Whether she has plans to reinstate the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant.
As announced in February 2025, the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will close at the end of financial year 2025/26 or when current funds are exhausted, whichever comes first. In 2024, mopeds and motorcycles accounted for 0.4% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. Available funding is being targeted at higher emission segments such as cars, vans, and heavy duty vehicles. Ending the £500 Plug-in Motorcycle Grant is not expected to have a significant impact on uptake of zero emission motorcycles or on riders. The Government, working with industry, will monitor the development of the zero emission motorcycle market and the need for any further interventions on an ongoing basis.
Whether his Department uses a criteria to assess the reputational implications for the United Kingdom of appointing a trade envoy to a country with a poor human rights record.
UK Trade Envoy markets are identified in discussion with HM Trade Commissioners and the trade and investment opportunities available to UK business. Trade Envoys operate within wider trading policies in support of the Government’s objectives, working closely with Ministers and officials, including the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
What assessment HM Treasury has made of the potential economic impact of the expiry of the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant on SMEs and self-employed delivery riders.
As announced in February 2025, the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will close at the end of financial year 2025/26 or when current funds are exhausted, whichever comes first. In 2024, mopeds and motorcycles accounted for 0.4% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. Available funding is being targeted at higher emission segments such as cars, vans, and heavy duty vehicles. Ending the £500 Plug-in Motorcycle Grant is not expected to have a significant impact on uptake of zero emission motorcycles or on riders. The Government, working with industry, will monitor the development of the zero emission motorcycle market and the need for any further interventions on an ongoing basis.
What is the total cost to the public purse of the trade envoy programme; and whether a trade envoy has been removed for failing to meet performance benchmarks.
Over the last three years, the Department has spent, on average, the following amounts on the UK Trade Envoy Programme, including DBT staff costs. We intend the overall cost of the programme to reduce during the next financial year.2023/20242024/20252025/2026£1,043,805£862,369*£988,620* The figure in column two is lower than other years because the election resulted in the programme being paused for several months.UK Trade Envoys must adhere to the seven principles of public life as set out by the Committee on Standards in Public Life and can be removed should they not meet such standards.
What steps he is taking to improve transparency and public accountability of the trade envoy programme, including the publication of outcomes achieved and costs incurred.
The Trade Envoy Programme is a network of Parliamentarians appointed to specific markets by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade. Membership of the programme is cross party and includes representation from both the House of Commons and House of Lords. The programme abides by all transparency and public accountability rules.
If her Department will take steps to ensure that independent gyms and leisure businesses are provided with comparable business rates relief to pubs and other hospitality sectors.
The Government has defined in guidance which properties will be eligible for the relief announced on 27th January 2026 based on definitions used previously in the business rates system. Individual Local Authorities will need to determine which properties meet these definitions. Some comedy clubs may be eligible for the relief, depending on their specific circumstances. Properties that are not eligible for this support will still benefit from the wider business rate support package announced at the Budget, worth £4.3 billion over the next three years. The Government is also introducing new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties, which includes comedy venues, gyms and leisure businesses open to the public and with rateable values below £500,000. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down next year. This also means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest.
Whether he has made an assessment of (a) the prevalence of unfair trading practices in the UK clothing supply chain and (b) the potential merits of establishing a Garment Trading Adjudicator to provide redress for affected suppliers.
The government expects all UK businesses to respect human rights and the environment throughout their supply chains in line with the OECD Guidelines and UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Section 54 of the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires businesses with a turnover of £36m or more to publish modern slavery statements.The Office for Responsible Business Conduct promotes the OECD Guidelines and provides a non-judicial grievance mechanism for complaints of non-observance by UK businesses. The government also launched a review, through the Trade Strategy, into the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct (RBC), focused on tackling human rights and labour abuses and environmental harms in global supply chains. While concerns have been raised about unfair practices, there are currently no plans to introduce a Garment Trading Adjudicator, however other measures are under consideration as part of the RBC review. We shall update the House when the review is complete.
What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the cost of school transport for students outside London is affordable and does not place a disproportionate financial burden on families; and whether her Department plans to review school transport policy to address disparities in access and cost between London and other areas.
The government is committed to creating opportunities for all children so that they can achieve and thrive. The department’s home-to-school travel policy aims to make sure that no child is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport. Local authorities are responsible for arranging free home-to-school travel for eligible children. A child is eligible if they are of compulsory school age, 5 to 16, attend their nearest school and would not be able to walk there because of the distance, their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or the safety of the route. There are extended rights to free travel for children from low-income families. The department does not currently have any plans to change the existing statutory framework.Public transport has an important role to play too. The Bus Services Act 2025 puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England. This will enable them to ensure local bus services meet the needs of local communities, including supporting access to education.
What assessment he has made of the adequacy of women's health pathways in providing structured nutritional and metabolic support to women experiencing early endocrine and metabolic symptoms before they meet the thresholds for diabetes prevention programmes and secondary care referral; and what steps he is taking to improve early intervention within those services.
The Department has not made a specific assessment. However, the Government is committed to tackling preventable ill health such as type 2 diabetes. Referrals to digital weight management services are offered where appropriate, and lifestyle advice, diet, and weight management are offered to all women with prediabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome. And, for women who have had diabetes or hypertension in pregnancy, an annual review of blood tests and blood pressure is encouraged to monitor and ensure the earliest interventions, if required.
For each financial year since 2020-21, how many officials in HM Treasury have held a professional accountancy qualification.
We hold the below information on officials holding professional accountancy qualifications. In each of the below years, there were at least: 2022 – 28 officials2023 – 42 officials2024 – 38 officials2025 – 43 officials holding professional accountancy qualifications. Currently, there are 53 officials in the department holding a professional accountancy qualification.
Food and Rural Affairs, how many companies based in the United Kingdom are licensed to sell trophy hunting packages targeting species listed under CITES Appendices I and II.
The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern, which is the most effective approach the Government can take on this matter. The Department continues to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can implement a robust ban. Timeframes for introducing legislation will be provided once the Parliamentary timetable for future sessions is determined. There is no specific regulation or licensing regime for UK companies selling trophy hunting packages, and Defra does not maintain records of the number of companies offering such services. Where the import of any Appendix I or II species is involved, such activities are governed by existing rules under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Food and Rural Affairs, what powers exist to regulate the promotion and sale of trophy hunting packages at commercial exhibitions in the United Kingdom.
The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern, which is the most effective approach the Government can take on this matter. The Department continues to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can implement a robust ban. Timeframes for introducing legislation will be provided once the Parliamentary timetable for future sessions is determined. There is no specific regulation or licensing regime for UK companies selling trophy hunting packages, and Defra does not maintain records of the number of companies offering such services. Where the import of any Appendix I or II species is involved, such activities are governed by existing rules under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the data structure of HM Land Registry's leasehold dataset for enabling leaseholders to access meaningful information about their properties.
HM Land Registry (HMLR) manages a Registered Leases dataset which can be found on gov.uk here. This brings together legal, geographic and transactional information for leases that are registered at HMLR.The dataset includes structured address data, along with information on lease details including dates, terms, registration order and property descriptions, and links to unique land identifiers, Unique Property Reference Numbers, and historic information on price paid data. By combining register data with address and location references, HMLR’s dataset supports analysis of leasehold structures, land tenure patterns and property relationships. The dataset was designed and developed for professionals to use for large scale analysis. Leaseholders can access meaningful information about their properties through HMLR Land and Property Information service, which can be found on gov.uk here, where they can also order official copies of the Title Register and Lease document. HM Land Registry’s ambitions to improve the structure and accessibility of its data are set out in its ‘Strategy 2025+’, which can be found on gov.uk here, which commits to aligning data to the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) principles. The forthcoming HM Land Registry Business Plan 2026+ will set out how this ambition will be taken forward during the current Spending Review period.
Communities and Local Government, whether HM Land Registry's leasehold dataset contains structured data fields for service charge blocks.
HM Land Registry (HMLR) manages a Registered Leases dataset which can be found on gov.uk here. This brings together legal, geographic and transactional information for leases that are registered at HMLR.The dataset includes structured address data, along with information on lease details including dates, terms, registration order and property descriptions, and links to unique land identifiers, Unique Property Reference Numbers, and historic information on price paid data. By combining register data with address and location references, HMLR’s dataset supports analysis of leasehold structures, land tenure patterns and property relationships. The dataset was designed and developed for professionals to use for large scale analysis. Leaseholders can access meaningful information about their properties through HMLR Land and Property Information service, which can be found on gov.uk here, where they can also order official copies of the Title Register and Lease document. HM Land Registry’s ambitions to improve the structure and accessibility of its data are set out in its ‘Strategy 2025+’, which can be found on gov.uk here, which commits to aligning data to the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) principles. The forthcoming HM Land Registry Business Plan 2026+ will set out how this ambition will be taken forward during the current Spending Review period.
Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of staff required to make HM Land Registry's leasehold dataset (a) accessible and (b) usable for individual leaseholders.
HM Land Registry (HMLR) manages a Registered Leases dataset which can be found on gov.uk here. This brings together legal, geographic and transactional information for leases that are registered at HMLR.The dataset includes structured address data, along with information on lease details including dates, terms, registration order and property descriptions, and links to unique land identifiers, Unique Property Reference Numbers, and historic information on price paid data. By combining register data with address and location references, HMLR’s dataset supports analysis of leasehold structures, land tenure patterns and property relationships. The dataset was designed and developed for professionals to use for large scale analysis. Leaseholders can access meaningful information about their properties through HMLR Land and Property Information service, which can be found on gov.uk here, where they can also order official copies of the Title Register and Lease document. HM Land Registry’s ambitions to improve the structure and accessibility of its data are set out in its ‘Strategy 2025+’, which can be found on gov.uk here, which commits to aligning data to the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) principles. The forthcoming HM Land Registry Business Plan 2026+ will set out how this ambition will be taken forward during the current Spending Review period.
Communities and Local Government, what steps are being taken to make the Land Registry Leaseholds Dataset machine-readable, including by structuring data fields such as address, lease start date and lease duration.
HM Land Registry (HMLR) manages a Registered Leases dataset which can be found on gov.uk here. This brings together legal, geographic and transactional information for leases that are registered at HMLR.The dataset includes structured address data, along with information on lease details including dates, terms, registration order and property descriptions, and links to unique land identifiers, Unique Property Reference Numbers, and historic information on price paid data. By combining register data with address and location references, HMLR’s dataset supports analysis of leasehold structures, land tenure patterns and property relationships. The dataset was designed and developed for professionals to use for large scale analysis. Leaseholders can access meaningful information about their properties through HMLR Land and Property Information service, which can be found on gov.uk here, where they can also order official copies of the Title Register and Lease document. HM Land Registry’s ambitions to improve the structure and accessibility of its data are set out in its ‘Strategy 2025+’, which can be found on gov.uk here, which commits to aligning data to the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) principles. The forthcoming HM Land Registry Business Plan 2026+ will set out how this ambition will be taken forward during the current Spending Review period.