Sarah Hall MP: written questions 2025
184 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Hospitality IndustryDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92285More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the cumulative impact of property taxes, staffing costs, food and drink inflation and energy prices on the financial sustainability of hospitality businesses.
Answer: The Government recognises the significant pressures facing the hospitality sector and the Government is providing support through various measures to help ease these pressures.We aim to permanently reduce business rates for RHL properties with a rateable ...
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVAT: Hospitality IndustryTreasuryTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92284More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she will consider reducing VAT on hospitality services to 12.5% to encourage investment and support the sector.
Answer: The Government recognises the significant contribution made by hospitality businesses to economic growth and social life in the UK. VAT is a reserved tax, applying UK wide. VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVAT: Hospitality and TourismTreasuryTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92283More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the 20% VAT rate on the competitiveness of the UK hospitality and tourism sectors compared with European nations with rates of 10–13%.
Answer: The Government recognises the significant contribution made by hospitality businesses to economic growth and social life in the UK. VAT is a reserved tax, applying UK wide. VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitality Industry: Employers' ContributionsTreasuryTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92281More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she will consider extending Employer NICs exemptions to young people and those returning to work from welfare to support employment growth in sectors such as hospitality.
Answer: Businesses can claim a number of employer NICs reliefs including those for under-21s and under-25 apprentices. This means employers will pay no employer NICs for apprentices under 25 or employees under 21 on earnings up to £50,270. There are a wide range ...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitality Industry: Employers' ContributionsTreasuryTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92280More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the 2024 changes to Employer National Insurance Contributions on job creation and retention in the hospitality sector.
Answer: A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on indi...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitality Industry: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92279More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she will consider exempting larger hospitality venues from the business rates surcharge as part of her Department’s review of support for high street and community-based businesses.
Answer: In April 2026, the Government will introduce permanently lower business rates multipliers for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values (RVs) below £500,000. This permanent tax cut will ensure eligible RHL businesses benefit f...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitality Industry: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92278More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will consider introducing the maximum business rates discount for hospitality properties with a rateable value under £500,000 to support high street recovery.
Answer: In April 2026, the Government will introduce permanently lower business rates multipliers for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values (RVs) below £500,000. This permanent tax cut will ensure eligible RHL businesses benefit f...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordConsumers: ProtectionDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91447More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the government endorsed Trustmark scheme protects consumers from rogue traders.
Answer: This Government is working to ensure we have a high-quality and professional construction industry, with consumer protection at its heart. We work closely with TrustMark, which is sponsored by the Department and licenced by the Government, as the Governme...
Answered 20 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordConsumers: ProtectionDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91446More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to tackle rogue traders and protect consumers.
Answer: Consumer legislation sets out protections for consumers. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 strengthens consumer law enforcement by giving the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) new administrative powers, and the CMA and courts t...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren: MaintenanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91443More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that paying parents who owe child maintenance are held responsible; and that enforcement action is taken to recover arrears and support children in separate
Answer: The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to ensuring separated parents support their children financially, taking robust enforcement action against those who do not. If paying parents fail to meet their financial obligation to their children, the ...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordSpinal Muscular Atrophy: BabiesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91442More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timetable is for implementing the National Screening Committee’s In-Service Evaluation of newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy; what the duration of the evaluation will be; and wh
Answer: On all aspects of population and targeted screening, Ministers are advised by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC).The UK NSC recommended an in-service evaluation (ISE) of newborn blood spot screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in National ...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordGraduates: EmploymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91441More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that sufficient entry-level employment opportunities are available for graduates; and to support employers in providing roles which enable graduates to gain
Answer: Whilst UK graduates continue to have strong and above-average employment rates, we recognise some face challenges in getting jobs. Starting out in the world of work is a pivotal moment for young people, where the right support at the right time can help j...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHormone Replacement Therapy: MenDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91440More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits of allowing men who require Hormone Replacement Therapy in the form of testosterone to be added to the HRT Prescription Prepayment
Answer: The hormone replacement therapy prescription prepayment certificate (HRT PPC) was introduced to support women in accessing hormone replacement therapy medicines on the National Health Service as part of their care during menopause. The equalities impact a...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDomestic Abuse: Family CourtsMinistry of JusticeTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91439More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve the process in which domestic abuse cases reach the family court in a) the north west and b) Warrington.
Answer: This Government is committed to improving the experience of victims of domestic abuse in the family courts across England and Wales, including in the north west and Warrington.In early 2026, His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) plans to roll...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91438More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to improve the migration process for claimants transitioning from income-related Employment and Support Allowance to Universal Credit; and what measures are in place to ensure th
Answer: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) reviews and amends its approach for migration to Universal Credit based on lessons learned from earlier migrations (Tax Credits, Income Support) and continues to refine support strategies for customers. We recogn...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDNA: BabiesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91437More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS 10 year plan commitment to carry out DNA mapping on all new born babies, what steps he is taking to protect personal health data.
Answer: The 10-Year Health Plan set out an ambition to “implement universal genomic testing” within the next decade. Delivering against this ambition will be subject to evidence gathered through the Generation Study, delivered by Genomics England and the National...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordMultiple Occupation: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 4 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88044More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to review planning requirements for converting homes into houses in multiple occupation.
Answer: Local planning authorities already have planning powers to limit the concentration or proliferation of HMOs within their locality. They can remove the national permitted development right for smaller HMOs to protect the local amenity or wellbeing of an ar...
Answered 17 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Modular ReactorsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88043More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of small modular reactor projects on (a) long-term waste management and (b) decommissioning.
Answer: Under the Energy Act 2008, prospective operators of nuclear power stations providing power directly to the grid are required to have a Funded Decommissioning Programme (FDP), making arrangements to cover the full costs of decommissioning and their full sh...
Answered 17 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: Overseas StudentsHome OfficeTabled 4 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88042More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum claims were made by people holding student visas by nationality in the last 12 months; and what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the
Answer: The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of people claiming asylum after entering the UK with a visa or other leave, by nationality and type of leave, in the year ending June 202...
Answered 17 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVisas: British National (Overseas)Home OfficeTabled 4 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88041More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to launch its consultation on the future of the British National (Overseas) 5+1 Indefinite Leave to Remain visa route.
Answer: We will be consulting on the new settlement rules later this year.
Answered 17 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPackaging: Waste DisposalDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88040More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to reform the (a) Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) and (b) Packaging Waste Export Recycling Note (PERN) system to (i) address market imbalances that disadvant
Answer: Yes, we have been working closely with relevant stakeholders to identify and prioritise options to reform the PRN system, including levelling the playing field between UK reprocessors and exporters, and increasing transparency in the system. We plan to co...
Answered 18 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAluminium: Waste DisposalDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88039More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of strengthening waste regulations (a) for the list of approved destinations of and (b) on the environmental standards f
Answer: We are currently considering the role of exports in dealing with the UK’s scrap aluminium and how they can complement domestic recycling efforts. Overseas facilities receiving UK waste must be operated in accordance with standards that are broadly equival...
Answered 18 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordCarbon Emissions: TaxationTreasuryTabled 30 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86897More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department plans to take to help ensure that the carbon border adjustment mechanism will support a reduction in carbon leakage in all the sectors in scope of the legislation.
Answer: The carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) will be introduced on 1 January 2027 to address the risk of carbon leakage. Carbon leakage occurs when production and associated emissions shift from one country to another due to different levels of decarboni...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordCarbon Emissions: TaxationTreasuryTabled 30 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86896More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that the carbon border adjustment mechanism supports the international competitiveness of businesses.
Answer: The CBAM is an environmental policy designed to support decarbonisation and mitigate the risk of carbon leakage. It will be introduced on 1 January 2027. Carbon leakage can undermine efforts to reduce global emissions and curtail private investment in dec...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAluminium: Trade AgreementsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 30 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86895More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help support the aluminium industry through its negotiations on free trade agreements.
Answer: We have taken decisive action to support the UK aluminium industry through recent trade agreements that reduce barriers and enhance market access by removing tariffs.Additionally, thanks to the strength of the UK-US partnership, the UK remains the only co...
Answered 6 Nov 2025
Original Parliament record
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