Written questions by Minns.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing draught duty relief for (a) beer and (b) cider served in pubs in Carlisle.

Pubs and breweries make an enormous contribution to our economy and society, and this is recognised in the tax system. The current alcohol duty system supports pubs and breweries through Draught Relief, which ensures eligible products served on draught pay less duty. The duty system also supports small producers by providing a tapered duty discount on products below 8.5% alcohol by volume (ABV). Supporting our high streets is a vital part of our economic growth mission and the Government is committed to working in partnership with businesses and local communities to deliver this. The Government is closely monitoring the impact of the recent reforms and rates that took effect on 1 August 2023. As with all taxes, the Government keeps the alcohol duty system under review during its Budget process.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of increasing draught duty relief to 20% on (a) pubs and (b) small independent brewers in Carlisle.

Pubs and breweries make an enormous contribution to our economy and society, and this is recognised in the tax system. The current alcohol duty system supports pubs and breweries through Draught Relief, which ensures eligible products served on draught pay less duty. The duty system also supports small producers by providing a tapered duty discount on products below 8.5% alcohol by volume (ABV). Supporting our high streets is a vital part of our economic growth mission and the Government is committed to working in partnership with businesses and local communities to deliver this. The Government is closely monitoring the impact of the recent reforms and rates that took effect on 1 August 2023. As with all taxes, the Government keeps the alcohol duty system under review during its Budget process.

What steps she plans to take through the alcohol duty system to support (a) pubs and (b) breweries in Carlisle.

Pubs and breweries make an enormous contribution to our economy and society, and this is recognised in the tax system. The current alcohol duty system supports pubs and breweries through Draught Relief, which ensures eligible products served on draught pay less duty. The duty system also supports small producers by providing a tapered duty discount on products below 8.5% alcohol by volume (ABV). Supporting our high streets is a vital part of our economic growth mission and the Government is committed to working in partnership with businesses and local communities to deliver this. The Government is closely monitoring the impact of the recent reforms and rates that took effect on 1 August 2023. As with all taxes, the Government keeps the alcohol duty system under review during its Budget process.

Communities and Local Government, if she will include proposals to end the inclusion of financially burdensome terms in the deeds of (a) freeholds and (b) leaseholds in planned draft legislation on leasehold and commonhold reform.

Over the course of this Parliament, the Government will further reform the leasehold system. We will enact remaining Law Commission recommendations relating to enfranchisement and the Right to Manage, tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rents, reinvigorate commonhold through a comprehensive new legal framework, and ban the sale of new leasehold flats so commonhold becomes the default tenure.The Government has made clear it intends to publish draft legislation on leasehold and commonhold reform in this session so that it may be subject to broad consultation and additional parliamentary scrutiny. We will announce further details in due course.

How many Drivers Medical referrals to the DVLA took more than 60 days to (a) resolve and (b) close in (i) 2023, (ii) 2022, (iii) 2021, (iv) 2020 and (v) 2019.

The following table shows the number of drivers medical cases the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has resolved in each of the last five calendar years. 20192020202120222023All drivers medical decisions made766,283556,382550,773863,431723,12630 working days or more to make a licensing decision275,615278,672368,029584,226380,132Proportion of licensing decisions made over 30 working days35.97%50.09%66.82%67.66%52.57%60 working days or more to make a licensing decision129,321167,311263,084453,639213,63990 working days or more to make a licensing decision72,897101,363191,618340,712136,735Six months or more to make a licensing decision (182 working days)17,65119,32882,895154,50755,854One year or more to make a licensing decision (365 working days)3466134,54714,10511,759 To note, cases are classed as “resolved” when a licensing decision is made and the appropriate action is taken. Some cases may have been resolved but remain open for administrative reasons, for example, payments to third parties still needing to be fulfilled before the case can be closed. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to make a licensing decision within 90 working days, in 90% of cases where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence can be issued. Medical applications can take longer because the DVLA is very often reliant on receiving information from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a decision can be made on whether to issue a licence. Drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, visual impairments, sleep conditions, or heart conditions can renew their driving licence online. The DVLA has also introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, some mental health conditions, and glaucoma. This has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. In July 2022, the law changed to widen the pool of registered healthcare professionals who can provide information as part of the DVLA’s medical investigations into a person’s fitness to drive. Previously, this information could only be provided by a doctor. GP surgeries and hospital teams now have greater flexibility to decide how they manage the DVLA’s requests for information. Most applicants renewing an existing licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing the driver can meet specific criteria. More information can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.

How many Drivers Medical referrals to the DVLA took more than six months to (a) resolve and (b) close in (i) 2023, (ii) 2022, (iii) 2021, (iv) 2020 and (v) 2019.

The following table shows the number of drivers medical cases the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has resolved in each of the last five calendar years. 20192020202120222023All drivers medical decisions made766,283556,382550,773863,431723,12630 working days or more to make a licensing decision275,615278,672368,029584,226380,132Proportion of licensing decisions made over 30 working days35.97%50.09%66.82%67.66%52.57%60 working days or more to make a licensing decision129,321167,311263,084453,639213,63990 working days or more to make a licensing decision72,897101,363191,618340,712136,735Six months or more to make a licensing decision (182 working days)17,65119,32882,895154,50755,854One year or more to make a licensing decision (365 working days)3466134,54714,10511,759 To note, cases are classed as “resolved” when a licensing decision is made and the appropriate action is taken. Some cases may have been resolved but remain open for administrative reasons, for example, payments to third parties still needing to be fulfilled before the case can be closed. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to make a licensing decision within 90 working days, in 90% of cases where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence can be issued. Medical applications can take longer because the DVLA is very often reliant on receiving information from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a decision can be made on whether to issue a licence. Drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, visual impairments, sleep conditions, or heart conditions can renew their driving licence online. The DVLA has also introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, some mental health conditions, and glaucoma. This has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. In July 2022, the law changed to widen the pool of registered healthcare professionals who can provide information as part of the DVLA’s medical investigations into a person’s fitness to drive. Previously, this information could only be provided by a doctor. GP surgeries and hospital teams now have greater flexibility to decide how they manage the DVLA’s requests for information. Most applicants renewing an existing licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing the driver can meet specific criteria. More information can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.

How many Drivers Medical referrals to the DVLA took more than one year to (a) resolve and (b) close in (i) 2023, (ii) 2022, (iii) 2021, (iv) 2020 and (v) 2019.

The following table shows the number of drivers medical cases the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has resolved in each of the last five calendar years. 20192020202120222023All drivers medical decisions made766,283556,382550,773863,431723,12630 working days or more to make a licensing decision275,615278,672368,029584,226380,132Proportion of licensing decisions made over 30 working days35.97%50.09%66.82%67.66%52.57%60 working days or more to make a licensing decision129,321167,311263,084453,639213,63990 working days or more to make a licensing decision72,897101,363191,618340,712136,735Six months or more to make a licensing decision (182 working days)17,65119,32882,895154,50755,854One year or more to make a licensing decision (365 working days)3466134,54714,10511,759 To note, cases are classed as “resolved” when a licensing decision is made and the appropriate action is taken. Some cases may have been resolved but remain open for administrative reasons, for example, payments to third parties still needing to be fulfilled before the case can be closed. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to make a licensing decision within 90 working days, in 90% of cases where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence can be issued. Medical applications can take longer because the DVLA is very often reliant on receiving information from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a decision can be made on whether to issue a licence. Drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, visual impairments, sleep conditions, or heart conditions can renew their driving licence online. The DVLA has also introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, some mental health conditions, and glaucoma. This has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. In July 2022, the law changed to widen the pool of registered healthcare professionals who can provide information as part of the DVLA’s medical investigations into a person’s fitness to drive. Previously, this information could only be provided by a doctor. GP surgeries and hospital teams now have greater flexibility to decide how they manage the DVLA’s requests for information. Most applicants renewing an existing licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing the driver can meet specific criteria. More information can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.

How many Drivers Medical referrals to the DVLA took more than 90 days to (a) resolve and (b) close in (i) 2023, (ii) 2022, (iii) 2021, (iv) 2020 and (v) 2019.

The following table shows the number of drivers medical cases the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has resolved in each of the last five calendar years. 20192020202120222023All drivers medical decisions made766,283556,382550,773863,431723,12630 working days or more to make a licensing decision275,615278,672368,029584,226380,132Proportion of licensing decisions made over 30 working days35.97%50.09%66.82%67.66%52.57%60 working days or more to make a licensing decision129,321167,311263,084453,639213,63990 working days or more to make a licensing decision72,897101,363191,618340,712136,735Six months or more to make a licensing decision (182 working days)17,65119,32882,895154,50755,854One year or more to make a licensing decision (365 working days)3466134,54714,10511,759 To note, cases are classed as “resolved” when a licensing decision is made and the appropriate action is taken. Some cases may have been resolved but remain open for administrative reasons, for example, payments to third parties still needing to be fulfilled before the case can be closed. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to make a licensing decision within 90 working days, in 90% of cases where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence can be issued. Medical applications can take longer because the DVLA is very often reliant on receiving information from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a decision can be made on whether to issue a licence. Drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, visual impairments, sleep conditions, or heart conditions can renew their driving licence online. The DVLA has also introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, some mental health conditions, and glaucoma. This has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. In July 2022, the law changed to widen the pool of registered healthcare professionals who can provide information as part of the DVLA’s medical investigations into a person’s fitness to drive. Previously, this information could only be provided by a doctor. GP surgeries and hospital teams now have greater flexibility to decide how they manage the DVLA’s requests for information. Most applicants renewing an existing licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing the driver can meet specific criteria. More information can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.

What steps the DVLA is taking to reduce the time it takes to respond to drivers medical referrals.

The following table shows the number of drivers medical cases the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has resolved in each of the last five calendar years. 20192020202120222023All drivers medical decisions made766,283556,382550,773863,431723,12630 working days or more to make a licensing decision275,615278,672368,029584,226380,132Proportion of licensing decisions made over 30 working days35.97%50.09%66.82%67.66%52.57%60 working days or more to make a licensing decision129,321167,311263,084453,639213,63990 working days or more to make a licensing decision72,897101,363191,618340,712136,735Six months or more to make a licensing decision (182 working days)17,65119,32882,895154,50755,854One year or more to make a licensing decision (365 working days)3466134,54714,10511,759 To note, cases are classed as “resolved” when a licensing decision is made and the appropriate action is taken. Some cases may have been resolved but remain open for administrative reasons, for example, payments to third parties still needing to be fulfilled before the case can be closed. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to make a licensing decision within 90 working days, in 90% of cases where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence can be issued. Medical applications can take longer because the DVLA is very often reliant on receiving information from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a decision can be made on whether to issue a licence. Drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, visual impairments, sleep conditions, or heart conditions can renew their driving licence online. The DVLA has also introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, some mental health conditions, and glaucoma. This has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. In July 2022, the law changed to widen the pool of registered healthcare professionals who can provide information as part of the DVLA’s medical investigations into a person’s fitness to drive. Previously, this information could only be provided by a doctor. GP surgeries and hospital teams now have greater flexibility to decide how they manage the DVLA’s requests for information. Most applicants renewing an existing licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing the driver can meet specific criteria. More information can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.

How many and what proportion of drivers medical referrals to the DVLA took longer than 30 days to resolve in each year since 2019.

The following table shows the number of drivers medical cases the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has resolved in each of the last five calendar years. 20192020202120222023All drivers medical decisions made766,283556,382550,773863,431723,12630 working days or more to make a licensing decision275,615278,672368,029584,226380,132Proportion of licensing decisions made over 30 working days35.97%50.09%66.82%67.66%52.57%60 working days or more to make a licensing decision129,321167,311263,084453,639213,63990 working days or more to make a licensing decision72,897101,363191,618340,712136,735Six months or more to make a licensing decision (182 working days)17,65119,32882,895154,50755,854One year or more to make a licensing decision (365 working days)3466134,54714,10511,759 To note, cases are classed as “resolved” when a licensing decision is made and the appropriate action is taken. Some cases may have been resolved but remain open for administrative reasons, for example, payments to third parties still needing to be fulfilled before the case can be closed. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to make a licensing decision within 90 working days, in 90% of cases where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence can be issued. Medical applications can take longer because the DVLA is very often reliant on receiving information from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a decision can be made on whether to issue a licence. Drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, visual impairments, sleep conditions, or heart conditions can renew their driving licence online. The DVLA has also introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, some mental health conditions, and glaucoma. This has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. In July 2022, the law changed to widen the pool of registered healthcare professionals who can provide information as part of the DVLA’s medical investigations into a person’s fitness to drive. Previously, this information could only be provided by a doctor. GP surgeries and hospital teams now have greater flexibility to decide how they manage the DVLA’s requests for information. Most applicants renewing an existing licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing the driver can meet specific criteria. More information can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to help ensure the perpetrators of genocide and other crimes against Yazidis in 2014 are (a) investigated and (b) prosecuted.

The UK acknowledges acts of genocide were committed by Da'esh against Yazidis. The UK played a leading role in establishing the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL (UNITAD). UNITAD has collated and processed considerable evidence of Da'esh atrocities since 2017. It has contributed to addressing the legacy of Da'esh in Iraq, by generating high-quality evidence which has supported trials in third countries, and building capacity within the Iraqi judicial system. The UK will continue working with Iraq and international partners to ensure that Da'esh are held accountable for the crimes they have committed following UNITAD's closure.