Written questions by Arthur.

What recent discussions her Department has had with open access passenger service operators on the potential impact of the Railway Bill on their operating model.

DfT officials have regularly engaged Open Access operators, alongside other stakeholders, to provide both updates regarding proposed reforms and to invite their feedback. This includes engagement around the recent consultation on the Railways Bill, and the Department is now considering the responses received. It should also be noted that my Department remains committed to a role for Open Access in the reformed rail sector, providing competition to Great British Railways and choice for passengers. However, Open Access must genuinely add value and not simply inhibit the efficient operation of the network or divert revenue from existing operators – all of which are currently supported by the taxpayer in some form.

What incentives he is considering to stimulate investment in the UK's offshore energy sector.

The clean energy transition creates an opportunity for our expert offshore industry and workers to play a central role in the next generation of energy supply. Our commitments to deliver clean power by 2030 and to accelerate to net zero will guarantee our country’s energy security and create jobs, with gas continuing to play an important role in ensuring security of supply during the clean power transition. Together, the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan, and the upcoming response to 'Building the North Sea's Energy Future' consultation provide a clear mission to drive investment certainty. These plans ensure the UK becomes a global leader in clean energy innovation, supply chains, manufacturing and deployment. We have directly responded to the investment and regulatory barriers prohibiting growth for the sector. Measures include £5.8bn National Wealth Fund for high-cost infrastructure and ports investment; Clean Industry Bonus expansion; £1bn GBE Supply Chain Fund, planning and consenting reform; and targeted R&D funding.

What assessment he has made of the barriers to investment in offshore energy in the UK.

The clean energy transition creates an opportunity for our expert offshore industry and workers to play a central role in the next generation of energy supply. Our commitments to deliver clean power by 2030 and to accelerate to net zero will guarantee our country’s energy security and create jobs, with gas continuing to play an important role in ensuring security of supply during the clean power transition. Together, the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan, and the upcoming response to 'Building the North Sea's Energy Future' consultation provide a clear mission to drive investment certainty. These plans ensure the UK becomes a global leader in clean energy innovation, supply chains, manufacturing and deployment. We have directly responded to the investment and regulatory barriers prohibiting growth for the sector. Measures include £5.8bn National Wealth Fund for high-cost infrastructure and ports investment; Clean Industry Bonus expansion; £1bn GBE Supply Chain Fund, planning and consenting reform; and targeted R&D funding.

What plans she has to replace fuel duty.

Fuel duty is projected to raise £24.4bn in 2025/26 and will continue to remain in place. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced continued support for people and businesses by extending the temporary 5p fuel duty cut and cancelling the planned increase in line with inflation for 2025/26.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure UK companies are not involved in the E1 Settlement Plan for the Occupied West Bank.

I refer the honourable Member to the answer provided on 3 September to Question 71442.

If she will publish a timeline for introducing trans-inclusive legislation banning conversion practices.

This Government’s position is that conversion practices are abuse. Such practices have no place in society and must be stopped. This is a complex issue, and it is imperative that we get this right.That is why, in collaboration with Ministerial colleagues, my officials and I are working hard to draft legislation that protects LGBT+ individuals from these abusive practices. We remain committed to bringing forward a full trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices, starting with publishing our draft Bill later this session for pre-legislative scrutiny.

Whether she plans to publish the Code of Practice on services, public functions, and associations before it is laid before Parliament.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has revised its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations following the six week consultation and submitted it to the Minister for Women and Equalities. The Parliamentary process for laying the Code in Parliament is set out in the Equality Act 2006. The Government will consider the draft updated Code and, if the decision is taken to approve it, the minister will lay it before Parliament. Parliament will then have a 40 day period to consider the Code, at which point it will be published.

Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to enact Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and we are looking at what additional steps might be taken to support this Better delivery of SuDS may be achieved by continuing to improve the current planning policy-based approach and looking at ways of improving the approach to adoption and maintenance, rather than commencing schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. A final decision on this matter will be made in the coming months. We intend to consult on national planning policy related to decision making later this year, including policies on flood risk and SuDS. Also, this year, we will consult on ending freehold estates, which will include options to reduce the prevalence of private management arrangements for community assets, including SuDS.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of not increasing the tax threshold to accommodate future increases in state pension on levels of pensioner poverty.

The Government is committed to making sure older people can live with the dignity and respect they deserve in retirement. The State Pension is the foundation of the support available to them. Over the course of this Parliament, the yearly amount of the full new State Pension is currently projected to go up by around £1,900 based on the Office for Budget Responsibility's latest forecast. The Government is also committed to keeping people’s taxes as low as possible while ensuring fiscal responsibility, and so, at our first Budget, we decided not to extend the freeze on personal tax thresholds.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of accession to the EUROFIMA convention.

The Government is committed to developing a long-term industrial strategy for rolling stock, supporting British manufacturing, fostering innovation, and enhancing the rail passenger experience. As part of this work, the Department is exploring a range of financing structures to support investment, in partnership with private finance. This includes active engagement with Eurofima to assess how its financing mechanisms could support future investment in the UK rolling stock market.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to support Syria in becoming (a) unified, (b) inclusive and (c) peaceful.

We have consistently advocated for an inclusive political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians. The Foreign Secretary discussed this with President al Sharaa and Foreign Minister al Shaibani when he visited Damascus in July. I travelled to Damascus on 27 August, and reiterated this message to Foreign Minister Al-Shaibani and Justice Minister Al-Waisi. We welcome President al Sharaa's commitment to hold free and fair elections, and the announcement of the Supreme Electoral Committee for the People's Assembly Elections. This is an important step in building legitimate legislative and electoral processes. It is vital now that the political transition proceeds in a genuinely inclusive way, is representative, and respects the rights of all Syrians. We continue to press the Syrian Government on these issues. We will judge the Syrian Government by its actions not its words.

Whether she plans to increase the tax threshold to accommodate future increases in state pension.

This Government remains committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement. Through our commitment to protect the Triple Lock, over 12 million pensioners benefitted from a 4.1% increase to their basic or new State Pension in April 2025. Over the course of this Parliament, the full yearly rate of the new State Pension is expected to increase by around £1,900 based on the Office for Budget Responsibility’s latest forecast. The Personal Allowance - the amount an individual can earn before paying tax - will continue to exceed the basic and full new State Pension in 2025/26. This means pensioners whose sole income is the full new State Pension or basic State Pension without any increments will not pay any income tax. The previous Government made the decision to freeze the income tax Personal Allowance at its current level of £12,570 until April 2028. The current Government is committed to keeping people’s taxes as low as possible while ensuring fiscal responsibility and so, at our first Budget, we decided not to extend the freeze on personal tax thresholds.

What steps she is taking to help improve customer confidence in battery performance when buying used Euro 6 compliant electric vehicles.

The Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate and the recently announced Electric Car Grant require manufacturers to provide a warranty of 8 years or 100,000 miles on EV batteries. In comparison, new petrol or diesel cars usually come with a 3-year warranty.  Moreover, during the warranty period, if the battery capacity drops below 70% for cars or 65% for vans, the manufacturer must provide a replacement battery. The UK has worked with international partners at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe to develop a Global Technical Regulation on EV batteries (GTR No.22). If implemented, this regulation would ensure that EVs provide easily accessible, accurate, and comparable information on the battery’s state of health. The Government is analysing options for the implementation of GTR No.22 regulations in the UK.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department to ensure the life sciences sector has the visa routes it needs to attract global talent to the UK.

The Government is committed to attracting top global talent to the UK. We are working with the Home Office and the Home Secretary to deliver the Immigration White Paper, ensuring that the very highly skilled can come to the UK. The Life Sciences sector already attracts talent through routes including the Global Talent and High Potential Individual visas and the recently published Life Sciences Sector Plan sets out clear actions HMG will take to attract international Life Sciences talent.

What steps she is taking to help ensure the biomedical sector has (a) efficient and (b) cost-effective visa routes for attracting world-leading scientists to the UK.

The Home office’s Immigration White paper, published on 12 May, sets our proposed reforms in a wide range of areas including attracting top scientific talent to the UK, further details of which will be set out in due course.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with cancer-related charities on taking steps to help support the UK to become the leading life sciences economy in Europe by 2030.

The Life Sciences Sector Plan (LSSP) sets out a ten-year vision for enabling world-class R&D, making the UK an outstanding place for investment in life sciences, and driving healthcare innovation in the NHS. The plan received input from over 250 organisations including clinicians, NHS leadership, industry experts and charities (including cancer-related charities). The Office for Life Sciences Cancer Healthcare Goals Programme established the UK Cancer Research Strategy Forum (UKCRSF) to bring together the UK’s major cancer research funders to ensure coordination of strategic priorities in cancer research. The UKCRSF facilitated discussions relating to the cancer commitments of the LSSP.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on providing English Local Authorities the powers to enforce a pavement parking ban.

The Secretary of State has not had any discussions with the Secretary of State for Department for Transport on this matter. The Department for Transport held a public consultation in 2020 and has been considering all the views expressed in response to the consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. In the meantime, local authorities can make use of existing powers to restrict and enforce pavement parking.

What estimate she has made of the net fiscal impact of changes to inheritance tax for family owned businesses in each year to 2029-30.

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms.This measure is forecast to raise an additional £230m in 2026-27, £495m in 2027-28, £520m in 2028-29, and £520m in 2029-30. The OBR does not expect the reforms to have a significant macroeconomic impact. Additional information is also published in the OBR Economic and Fiscal Outlook, from paragraph 3.20 to 3.23:https://obr.uk/docs/dlm_uploads/OBR_Economic_and_fiscal_outlook_Oct_2024.pdf.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on providing English local authorities the powers to enforce a pavement parking ban.

The Secretary of State for Transport has not had any discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on this matter. The Department held a consultation on pavement parking in 2020 and has been considering all the views expressed in response to the consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the possible legislative opportunities for delivering them. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response as soon as possible. In the meantime, local authorities can make use of existing powers to restrict and enforce pavement parking.

What steps she is taking to support family owned businesses with annual turnover above £100 million.

Government Ministers and Senior Officials regularly meet with businesses of all sizes, from large corporations to SMEs, including family-owned businesses with an annual turnover of above £100 million. These meetings afford an opportunity for the Government to hear the views of the business community to aid in the formation of policy, including fiscal policy. These engagements are ongoing and will continue to be so.Further information on previous meetings held by HM Treasury Ministers and can be found on the gov.uk website via this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel