Written questions by Green.

What steps she is taking to ensure effective enforcement of the UK's financial sanctions regime for UK companies suspected of breaching sanctions on Russian oil.

The action taken by the UK and its Coalition partners to limit Russian energy revenues is having a significant impact, with data from Russia’s Ministry of Finance showing there was a 30% reduction in Russian government tax revenues from oil in 2023 compared to 2022.HM Treasury’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) is the authority responsible for implementing financial sanctions and the Oil Price Cap. OFSI takes a proactive enforcement approach based on its enhanced intelligence and monitoring capabilities, and is currently undertaking a number of investigations into suspected breaches of the price cap, using powers under the Sanctions and Anti Money Laundering Act (SAMLA) to request information and working closely with our international partners in the G7+ Oil Price Cap Coalition.Industry compliance is further strengthened through guidance and alerts, for example the compliance and enforcement alert issued in February 2024 on the Oil Price Cap, which highlighted to industry red flags for sanctions evasion.Enforcement outcomes are never immediate, as complex investigations, including following due process, take time. The length of OFSI’s investigation process is consistent with international standards. OFSI assesses every instance of reported non-compliance and takes action in all cases where it is appropriate to do so. This was demonstrated by OFSI’s penalty against the British company Integral Concierge Services Limited on 27 September, for committing serious breaches of UK sanctions imposed as a result of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022.The UK has also taken action directly targeting shadow fleet vessels and entities that seek to undermine UK sanctions and facilitate the trade and transportation of Russian oil and oil products.

If she will make it her policy to maintain the current level of Bus Service Improvement Plan funding for Buckinghamshire after March 2025.

Improving bus services is a key part of this Government’s growth mission. We are determined to deliver better services, grow passenger numbers and drive opportunity to under-served regions. The Government will empower local transport authorities and reform funding by giving local leaders more control and flexibility over bus funding and allowing them to plan ahead to deliver their local transport priorities. Local authorities are best placed to understand what is needed to improve and grow their bus networks by learning from their experiences and building on their successes, and we will announce our future bus funding plans in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 September 2024 to question 4269 on Qualifications, what progress her Department has made on it's review of 16-19 qualification reforms at Level three and below.

The department is making good progress with the review of qualifications reform. The review is focused on Level 3 qualifications that are due to have funding removed on 31 July 2025. The review will aim to ensure that there are a range of high quality qualifications at Level 3 alongside T Levels and A levels to meet the needs of learners and employers. The department has an extensive programme of engagement underway, to ensure that the views of colleges, schools, teachers and wider stakeholders are fed into the review. The department has already held a round table, which was chaired by my noble Friend, the Minister for Skills, with key leaders in the college sector. The department is also undertaking a series of focus groups and interviews with colleges, schools and other organisations to ensure that the views of stakeholders are fully considered. Alongside this, departmental officials are using the latest student data and information available to inform the review. The department remains committed to undertaking this review quickly and concluding it by the end of the year.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his (a) G7 and (b) EU counterparts on increasing enforcement of the price cap policy on Russian oil.

The action taken by the UK and partners to limit Russian energy revenues is having a significant impact, with Russia forced to shoulder a 24 per cent reduction in oil and gas revenues in 2023 compared to 2022. We are working to close loopholes and crack down on ever more desperate forms of sanctions circumvention, including by sanctioning vessels which use reckless practices in an attempt to undermine our impact. The UK has led in the G7 to target oil and LNG tankers, and we will continue to work closely with EU and G7 counterparts to monitor the effectiveness of the Oil Price Cap.

Communities and Local Government, what her planned timetable is for laying regulations under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 to increase standard lease terms to 990 years.

The Governments intend to act quickly to provide homeowners with greater rights, powers, and protections over their homes by implementing the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. These include a new right to a lease extension for leaseholders of both houses and flats, for a term of 990 years at a peppercorn ground rent on payment of a premium, and reforms to drive up the transparency of service charges to make them more easily challengeable if leaseholders consider them to be unreasonable. We will set out details in due course about the extensive programme of secondary legislation need to bring the Act into force.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of banning imports of oil products from refineries using Russian crude.

The UK has worked closely with international partners to constrain Russian oil revenues while maintaining energy market security. The Government does not speculate on future sanctions measures as to do so could reduce their impact. We continue to monitor the effectiveness of our sanctions.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of adopting the International Standard on Auditing for Audits of Financial Statements of Less Complex Entities.

It is for the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) to decide whether the International Standard on Auditing for Audits of Financial Statements of Less Complex Entities (ISA for LCE) provides proper and proportionate scrutiny of financial statements. The Government expects to see the FRC act in line with the requirements placed on it to consider the proportionality of its decisions and its impacts on economic growth. These requirements will continue to apply to the new Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority (ARGA) once it is created.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of planned increases to audit exemption thresholds on rates of tax evasion.

The proposal to increase the monetary thresholds for company size are based on findings from a call for evidence on non-financial reporting, which the Department for Business and Trade undertook last year. Most respondents supported amending the qualifying criteria that determine company size, particularly raising the monetary thresholds.Under the proposals around 14,000 companies will be reclassified from medium-sized to small and therefore may be eligible for the small company audit exemption. Many of these companies are owned and operated by family members, who are well-versed in the company’s operations. The benefits of audit are more limited for such businesses.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to Section 15 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the planning application notification requirements for ensuring that local residents are aware of proposals to build large developments in their area.

The Government is committed to ensuring that local residents are adequately informed about planning applications, particularly those involving large developments that may significantly impact their communities.Article 15 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015, requires public notification of planning applications, including via site displays and notices in local newspapers for at least 21 days. In addition, we are exploring methods to improve community engagement, such as leveraging digital platforms and social media to reach a broader audience.

What progress her Department has made on establishing an independent inquiry into HS2.

The Government is currently reviewing the position it has inherited on HS2 and wider rail infrastructure and will set out more detailed plans in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of Not for EU labelling requirements on British businesses that export to the European Union but not to Northern Ireland.

The previous Government carried out a consultation on extending Not-for-EU labelling requirements across Great Britain, including assessing the impacts on those businesses who export to the European Union but not to Northern Ireland. After reviewing that consultation, this Government has confirmed we will not introduce mandatory ‘not for EU’ labelling across Great Britain as proposed. This Government will continue to do everything required to support Northern Ireland's integral place in our internal market.

What steps his Department is taking to strengthen the enforcement of no smoking policies on NHS hospital grounds in England.

Smoking has been prohibited by law in virtually all enclosed and substantially enclosed workplaces and public places, including hospital buildings, throughout the United Kingdom since July 2007. Smoke-free legislation in England forms part of the Health Act 2006 and The Children and Families Act 2014.Enforcement powers for smoke-free places are given to local authorities, who must identify appropriate officers to enforce smoke-free regulations. The most appropriate team for this will vary by local authority but powers are most commonly assigned to teams of officers covering environmental health, health and safety or a similar area.Smoke-free policies in National Health Service hospital grounds in England go beyond requirements by law and are developed and implemented by the local NHS trust.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the use of third party apps to assist in booking practical driving tests on waiting times for people not using those apps.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is to reduce car practical driving test waiting times, whilst upholding road safety standards.Measures in place to reduce waiting times for customers at driving test centres, include the recruitment of driving examiners, conducting tests outside of regular hours, including at weekends and on public holidays, and buying back annual leave from driving examiners.As of 7 October 2024, there were 571,047 car practical driving tests booked, and 89,349 driving tests available within the 24-week booking window.A survey by DVSA suggests that only 10% of learner drivers use third parties to book their tests. Most either book appointments themselves or through their approved driving instructor (ADI).To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, The DVSA continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests. Such apps or bots are not approved by DVSA. They make it harder for candidates to get a test and can also result in people paying more for a test. DVSA will continue to take steps to block cancellation services from accessing the booking system, which is having a positive impact. DVSA operates an online booking service (OBS) for instructors and trainers so that they can book and manage driving and riding tests for their pupils. DVSA has made changes to the OBS by stopping automatic online registrations to use the service, ensuring each company that registers employs an ADI and removing access for any companies not linked to driving instructors.In January 2023, DVSA changed the terms and conditions for using the booking service to help prevent anyone from selling tests at profit. Since then, DVSA has issued 313 warnings, 766 suspensions, and closed 705 businesses for misuse of its booking service.Following these changes, there has been a significant drop in traffic to these services because DVSA is successfully identifying and blocking apps or bots.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional funding to further education (FE) providers to support a pay increase for FE teachers commensurate with the pay increase provided to school teachers following the implementation of the recommendations of the School Teacher Review Body.

The department recognises the vital role that further education (FE) teachers and providers play in developing the skills needed to drive the government’s missions to improve opportunity and economic growth. The government does not set or recommend pay in FE. The pay and conditions of FE staff remains the responsibility of individual colleges and providers who are free to implement pay arrangements in line with their local needs. We are investing around an additional £600 million in FE across the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years. This includes extending retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax to eligible early career FE teachers in key subject areas. The department is also continuing to support recruitment and retention with teacher training bursaries worth up to £30,000 tax-free in certain key subject areas, and with support for industry professionals to enter the teaching workforce through the Taking Teaching Further programme. My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced a Budget on 30 October to be followed by a multi-year spending review in the spring of next year. Decisions about future post-16 funding and capital programmes will be subject to the outcomes of these fiscal events.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of designating brain tumours as a clinical priority.

While the Department has not made a formal assessment, it spends £1.5 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), with cancer the largest area of spend at over £121.8 million in 2022/23 reflecting its high priority. In September 2024, the NIHR announced new research funding opportunities for brain cancer research spanning both adult and paediatric populations. This includes a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients and a new funding call to generate high quality evidence in brain tumour care, support and rehabilitation.We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer, including brain tumours, on time, diagnosing it earlier and treating it faster so more patients survive this horrible set of diseases, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system. To do this, we will address the challenges in diagnostic waiting times, providing the number of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and other tests that are needed to reduce cancer waits.

What steps his Department is taking to support further research into levels of prostate cancer amongst black men.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer. The Department spends £1.5 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), with cancer the largest area of spend at more than £121.8 million in 2022/23. NIHR spends more on cancer than any other disease group, reflecting its high priority.On 19 November 2023, the Government and Prostate Cancer UK announced a £42 million screening trial to find ways of detecting country’s most common male cancer earlier. Prostate Cancer UK is leading the development of the trial with the Government contributing £16 million through the Department.The TRANSFORM trial will aim to address some of the inequalities that exist in prostate cancer diagnosis today. For example, 1 in 4 black men will develop prostate cancer, double the risk of other men, and often at a younger age. Yet previous research has failed to involve and recruit enough black men and so has not been able to provide evidence needed to diagnose them earlier using a targeted approach. The TRANSFORM trial will ensure that at least 10% of the men who are invited to participate in the trial are black.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme eligibility criteria to allow people to apply for a free bus pass at 60 years old.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. Local authorities in England have the power to go beyond their statutory obligations under the ENCTS and offer additional discretionary concessions, such as providing a concessionary bus pass from the age of 60.

If she will make it her policy to reduce beer duty in line with cider.

Alcohol duties collectively raise over £12bn a year, helping to fund vital public services and addressing the harms caused to society and public health by excessive or irresponsible drinking.Under the recent alcohol duty reforms, there remains a small number of disparities for products between 3.5 per cent and 8.5 per cent ABV, owing to concerns about the impact on the cider industry at the time of the reforms.The Government is closely monitoring the impact of the recent reforms and rates that took effect on 1 August 2023, and the Chancellor has confirmed that she will set out plans for tax – as well as spending and borrowing – in the usual way at the Budget on 30 October.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing funding for the British Council’s Higher Education Scholarships for Palestinians scheme.

The Higher Education Scholarships for Palestinians (HESPAL) programme is delivered by the British Council, with funding and support from the Department for Education, UK universities and a range of other UK and international funders. The decision to increase funding lies with these organisations. The HESPAL programme demonstrates UK commitment to education for young Palestinians, helping to create the next generation of senior academics who can maintain international quality standards at Palestinian universities and develop renewed and sustainable links between Palestinian and UK universities. More information can be found here: https://www.britishcouncil.ps/en/study-uk/scholarships/hespal

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the number of Chevening scholarships available for students from Gaza.

The Chevening programme is currently open for applications and closes on 5 November. Given the difficulty potential applicants from Gaza face and evolving situation on the ground, the FCDO will review exact numbers from Gaza for the 2025/26 academic year in spring 2025 once all applications have been received. The 2024/25 cohort includes 11 Palestinians, of which one is from Gaza. The FCDO recognises the challenging situation facing many Palestinian applicants, and as such, we have offered to defer arrival for specific cases.