Zöe Franklin MP: written questions 2025
155 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Small Businesses: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 14 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82182More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to support family-owned businesses with significant inheritance tax liabilities following company valuations.
Answer: The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, fixing the public finances, and funding public services. The reforms reduce t...
Answered 22 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordExtradition: Hong KongHome OfficeTabled 14 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82181More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that no person is extradited to Hong Kong for an act that is not a crime in the UK.
Answer: The UKs extradition framework, governed by the Extradition Act 2003,enshrines the principle of dual criminality.This legal requirement means that no person can be extradited from the UK unless the conduct in question would also constitute a criminal offen...
Answered 23 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordYoung Offender Institutions: Pepper SprayMinistry of JusticeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80746More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the safety of the use of PAVA spray in youth offender institutions.
Answer: In April 2025, the Government announced a limited rollout of PAVA incapacitant spray in the three young offender institutions (YOIs) for 15 to 18-year-olds (Werrington, Wetherby and Feltham A). It was determined that this was a necessary measure to protec...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordIndependent Review of the Loan ChargeTreasuryTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80745More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when she plans to publish the Loan Charge Review.
Answer: The Government commissioned an independent review of the loan charge to help bring the matter to a close for those affected whilst ensuring fairness for all taxpayers. The Government will respond by Autumn Budget 2025.
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAviation: Exhaust EmissionsDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73552More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to introduce a ban on kerosene-powered private jets as part of the Government’s net zero strategy.
Answer: The government has no plans to ban kerosene-powered private jets. The Chancellor announced changes to the Air Passenger Duty (APD) in the last Budget, which included a 13% increase in APD rates for 2026/27 and a further 50% increase for larger private and...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordAviation: VAT ExemptionsTreasuryTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73551More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will review the VAT exemption applied to private jet travel.
Answer: It is right that the aviation sector, including private jet travel, contributes to public finances. Air Passenger Duty is the principal tax applied to private jet travel. The Government keeps all taxes under review.
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordAir Passenger Duty: ExemptionsTreasuryTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73550More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to remove the Air Passenger Duty exemption for aircraft under 5.7 tonnes.
Answer: The government published a consultation on “Reform of Air Passenger Duty for private jets” in October 2024. This set out that, given the potential for increased compliance costs and instances where some smaller jets may already incur fuel duty (such as fo...
Answered 5 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordAir Passenger DutyTreasuryTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73549More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will increase Air Passenger Duty on private jet flights to (a) match and (b) exceed the rate applied to first-class scheduled flights.
Answer: Larger private jets incur a higher rate of Air Passenger Duty (APD), which is at least three times the standard rate that typically applies to passengers flying premium economy, business or first class. Passengers travelling on aircraft of over 20 tonnes ...
Answered 5 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordReligion: Community RelationsWomen and EqualitiesTabled 28 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 905474More
Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she has had recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the provision of funding to support cross-community interfaith work.
Answer: Interfaith relations are vital for strong, cohesive communities.That is why the Government funded Inter Faith Week last year and then commissioned a consultation on its future.The consultation report was published in May and provides a strong evidence bas...
Answered 3 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordForests: SurreyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66821More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to review the (a) application and (b) enforcement of the UK Forestry Standard in Surrey, in the context of recent logging activities at Bummoor Copse; and
Answer: The Forestry Commission regulates tree felling in England under the provisions in the Forestry Act. Most felling licences require that felled trees or woodland are replaced by replanting or natural regeneration. The exception to this is a thinning licence...
Answered 17 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordHazardous Substances: RegulationHome OfficeTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66820More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to regulate (a) poisonous and (b) harmful substances procured (i) domestically and (ii) internationally that may be used for suicide.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave her on 6 May to Question 48303.
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPoisonsHome OfficeTabled 8 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66054More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what systems are in place within (a) Border Force and (b) her Department to monitor the international procurement of poisons; and whether those systems are applied consistently across all countries.
Answer: We remain committed to stopping dangerous drugs – including poisons – from entering the country. Our Border Force Officers continue to work to stop illegal drugs by making more, higher-quantity seizures than in previous years, using advanced technology, d...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordCourts: Translation ServicesMinistry of JusticeTabled 8 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66053More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has made an assessment of the (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of outsourcing interpreter and translation services for court proceedings; and what steps she has taken to ensure (i)
Answer: The Department has recently undertaken a re-procurement of its interpreter and translation service under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. These regulations mandate that public bodies aggregate expenditure on classes of goods and services and ensure ...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAviation: CompensationDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65127More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring airlines to issue compensation for denied boarding automatically.
Answer: An assessment of the merits of automatic compensation for denied boarding has not been made. Provision of automatic compensation to passengers for denied boarding would present some practical challenges that would need to be fully considered through a ful...
Answered 11 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAviation: CompensationDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65126More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with airlines on the (a) accessibility and (b) clarity of compensation claim processes; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of claims procedures on
Answer: Under UK law, airlines are required to provide written information to passengers affected by flight disruptions, setting out the rules for compensation and assistance. This information must be clear, easy to understand, and available in accessible format...
Answered 11 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordRefugeesHome OfficeTabled 4 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65125More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure that ensure that (a) refugees and (b) stateless people are not penalised for their irregular (i) entry or (ii) arrival.
Answer: Irrespective of someone’s method of entry or arrival to the UK, all asylum claims that are admitted to the UK asylum system are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. Each individual assessment is...
Answered 11 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPensionsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63720More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to give pension scheme trustees the authority to award discretionary increases to those already claiming a pension.
Answer: Discretionary indexation is over and above the statutory requirements. This discretion is usually exercised by the trustees with the agreement of the sponsoring employer. Some schemes have previously paid discretionary increases on a regular basis. Howeve...
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordWorkplace PensionsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 27 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63479More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to safeguard members' benefits when a sponsoring employer seeks to extract pension scheme surpluses.
Answer: Currently, some Defined Benefit schemes can already consider releasing their surplus under existing rules. The Pension Schemes Bill will provide more flexibility for trustees of these and other well-funded schemes to safely share some surplus with employe...
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSouth Western RailwayDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63381More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to (a) increase capacity and (b) ensure more passengers are able to be seated on services into London on South Western Railway.
Answer: The Department is working closely with South Western Railway on the introduction of the Arterio fleet which will add the much needed additional capacity and seats on services into London. In the meantime, South Western Railway is managing the rest of its ...
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: EmploymentHome OfficeTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62876More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of allowing asylum seekers to work unrestricted by the Immigration Salary List after six months awaiting an asylum decision on (a) the economy an
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to my answer of 4 June to Question 55328.
Answered 2 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordRefugees: ResettlementHome OfficeTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62875More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support the Community Sponsorship scheme for refugees.
Answer: The Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May 2025, announced a review of our existing refugee sponsorship and resettlement schemes to develop a more cost-effective and sustainable framework which will deliver better outcomes for refugees and the commu...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordVisas: English LanguageHome OfficeTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62874More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that there is adequate (a) capacity and (b) resources for anticipated levels of demand for English-language classes, in the context
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to Paragraphs 244-258 of the Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May 2025, which addresses these issues in detail. Further updates will be provided in due course.
Answered 7 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: Employers' ContributionsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62862More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to the employers' National Insurance Contributions on providers of adult social care.
Answer: The Department routinely conducts assessments of cost pressures for local authority funded adult social care, which include the costs associated with changes to employers’ National Insurance contributions.To enable local authorities to deliver key service...
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62861More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to include (a) national commissioning standards for adult social care, (b) assurance and (c) oversight of adult social care commissioning in the National Care Service.
Answer: We have launched an independent commission into adult social care, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey. The commission will build a national consensus to create a National Care Service that is productive, preventative, and that gives people who draw on care,...
Answered 14 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: PayDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62859More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to begin consulting with adult social care providers on proposals for a Fair Pay Agreement.
Answer: In England, we are committed to consulting on the design of the Fair Pay Agreement process, and we aim to begin a public consultation after the Employment Rights Bill receives Royal Assent later this year. We expect the consultation to run for 12 weeks, a...
Answered 7 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
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