Asked by: Baroness Wilcox (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in eliminating Japanese knotweed.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government recognises the threats posed by invasive non-native species including Japanese knotweed and has a comprehensive Great Britain Non-native Species Strategy designed to tackle these threats, the first of its kind in Europe.
Local Action Groups, with support from the Government, are actively involved in reducing and eradicating Japanese knotweed. Increasing public awareness of the species and what can be done about it is an important part of tackling the problems caused by Japanese knotweed. To that aim, we launched the first Invasive Species Week in 2015, to bring together a wide range of organisations to raise awareness of invasive non-native species, to highlight work going on to tackle them and to inspire people to get involved and help prevent their spread. Invasive Species Week has gone from strength to strength, with eight administrations taking part in 2019 and 93 events held.
Defra continues to fund a biocontrol programme through the release of a psyllid insect to tackle Japanese knotweed. The Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) is working to establish the highly specific psyllid Aphalara itadori in the UK and a population of climatically suitable psyllids from Japan is being studied in CABI’s quarantine in Surrey. It is hoped this will be the key to unlocking the potential of this agent to reduce the effort and cost of managing Japanese knotweed and its invasive capacity. Research is also underway to evaluate a leaf-spot fungus for use as a mycoherbicide.
The Government has developed guidance on how to prevent the spread of Japanese knotweed, which can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prevent-japanese-knotweed-from-spreading
Asked by: Baroness Wilcox (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to replace the UK European Consumer Centre’s role in sharing intelligence within the European enforcement network after March 2020, to ensure that cross-border criminal breaches and so-called "problem" traders are identified and dealt with appropriately.
Answered by Lord Henley
Delivering the deal negotiated with the EU remains the Government’s top priority. This has not changed. However, the Government must prepare for every eventuality. In the event of a no deal exit, the Government has committed to fund the UK’s European Consumer Centre for at least one year. We will use this time to assess the landscape post EU exit and determine the most effective way to support consumers shopping across borders.
In the event of a no deal exit, UK and EU enforcers will no longer be obliged to cooperate with each other under the terms of the CPC Regulation and Injunctions Directive. However, under the Enterprise Act 2002, UK public bodies will continue to have a power to share information they hold in their capacity as enforcers under Part 8 of the Enterprise Act with their foreign counterparts.
Asked by: Baroness Wilcox (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they to ensure that cross-border consumer protection data to inform national and international enforcement continues once funding for the UK European Consumer Centre ends in March 2020.
Answered by Lord Henley
Delivering the deal negotiated with the EU remains the Government’s top priority. This has not changed. However, the Government must prepare for every eventuality. In the event of a no deal exit, the Government has committed to fund the UK’s European Consumer Centre for at least one year. We will use this time to assess the landscape post EU exit and determine the most effective way to provide consumers with advice about cross-border purchases.
In the event of a no deal exit, UK and EU enforcers will no longer be obliged to cooperate with each other under the terms of the CPC Regulation and Injunctions Directive. However, under the Enterprise Act 2002, UK public bodies will continue to have a power to share information they hold in their capacity as enforcers under Part 8 of the Enterprise Act with their foreign counterparts.
Asked by: Baroness Wilcox (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure the long-term protection of UK consumers after their financial support for the UK European Consumer Centre ends in March 2020.
Answered by Lord Henley
In the event of a no deal exit, the Government has committed to fund the UK’s European Consumer Centre for at least one year. We will use this time to assess the landscape post EU exit and determine the most effective way to provide consumers with advice about cross-border purchases.
However, delivering the deal negotiated with the EU remains the Government’s top priority. The UK remains committed to providing the highest standards of protection to UK consumers. For example, we will publish a comprehensive Consumer White Paper this year to ensure markets provide consumers with competitive prices and quality products and services.
Asked by: Baroness Wilcox (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the change in real earnings, calculated as nominal earnings growth minus inflation, over the last two years; and what was the change in 2008–10.
Answered by Lord O'Neill of Gatley
In the two years to Q4 2010, real total pay fell by 2.8%. In the last two years, real wages have now grown by 3.6%. Wage growth has outstripped inflation for 16 consecutive months, the longest period of real wage growth since 2008. The OBR forecast real wage growth to continue over the entire forecast period.
Asked by: Baroness Wilcox (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much someone earning (1) £15,000, and (2) £150,000, a year would have paid in direct taxation, including income tax and national insurance, in (a) 2009–10 and (b) 2015–16.
Answered by Lord O'Neill of Gatley
Someone earning £15,000 would have had a total tax liability from Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions of £2,726 in 2009-10 and £1,713 in 2015-16.
Someone earning £150,000 would have had a total tax liability from Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions of £55,189 in 2009-10 and £59,914 in 2015-16.
This is summarised in the following tables, which break down the liability by Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions (NICs):
1) £15,000 | 2009-10 | 2015-16 | difference |
Income Tax | £1,705 | £880 | -£825 |
Employee NICs | £1,021 | £833 | -£189 |
Total tax | £2,726 | £1,713 | -£1,014 |
Net income | £12,274 | £13,287 | £1,014 |
2) £150,000 | 2009-10 | 2015-16 | difference |
Income Tax | £49,930 | £53,643 | £3,713 |
Employee NICs | £5,259 | £6,271 | £1,012 |
Total tax | £55,189 | £59,914 | £4,725 |
Net income | £94,811 | £90,086 | -£4,725 |
This assumes that the individual was born after 5 April 1948 (and therefore not receiving the Age-related Personal Allowance), is paying employee NICs (not contracted out), and has a gross income from pay only. The Income tax calculations assume no other allowances or deductions. The NICs is calculated on an annual basis which assumes a smooth distribution of the income across the year.