Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the EU Settlement Scheme will open to applications from EEA nationals.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The EU Settlement Scheme will be open to all EEA citizens, including citizens of the EEA EFTA states (Norway Iceland and Liechtenstein) and Swiss citizens by 30 March 2019.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking in conjunction with local authorities to ensure that eligible businesses benefit from the forthcoming reduction in business rates as soon as that reduction comes into force.
Answered by Rishi Sunak - Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union
The Government is working closely with local authorities to implement the retail discount announced at the Budget. In November the Department issued guidance to local authorities and will be providing new burdens funding to meet the costs of implementation. MHCLG will shortly be writing to authorities to remind them of the need to grant the relief to eligible businesses from April 2019 and to do all they can to ensure that businesses are aware of the support available.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what guidance this Department has made available to local community groups seeking to install a blue plaque commemorating key (a) local figures, (b) establishments and (c) the Blue Moon Club in Cheltenham.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The English Heritage blue plaque scheme, which is limited to London, links the people of the past with the buildings of the present. The scheme is managed by English Heritage and follows guidance set out by them.
However, there are many other plaque schemes throughout the country in various cities and towns. More than seventy civic societies have worked together to standardise the schemes and each of these has a set of guidance for assessment. A register of other plaque schemes can be found and downloaded on the English Heritage website at https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/siteassets/home/visit/blue-plaques/propose-plaque/other-plaque-schemes.pdf . The Cheltenham Civic Society has further information on their website, https://cheltenhamcivicsociety.org.uk/.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what further support the Government plans to offer smaller solar generators on their route to market as a result of the recent decision on the Export Tariff scheme.
Answered by Claire Perry
On 8 January, Government published a consultation on the future for small-scale low-carbon generation. This can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/the-future-for-small-scale-low-carbon-generation
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps to tackle gazumping in the housing market.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government explored this in our consultation on improving the home buying and selling process during which the most common response to the question on gazumping was for buyers and sellers to commit earlier in the process.
Informed by this consultation, we are now working to increase the use of reservation agreements to support buyers and sellers to commit earlier in the home buying and selling process and reduce the rate of failed transactions, which currently stands at over 25 percent. In particular we are working with industry to develop a standardised reservation agreement and we are going to commission behavioural insight analysis to support their implementation.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what powers local authorities have to prevent cars parking on verges and footpaths.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Local authorities outside London have wide-ranging powers under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to make Traffic Regulation Orders to restrict or prohibit footway parking on designated lengths of highway or over a wide area. These restrictions will be shown to drivers using traffic signs and may be enforced by issuing Penalty Charge Notices. Local authorities may also use high kerbs or bollards physically to prevent cars mounting the pavement.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to make widowers aware of their potential entitlement to bereavement allowance.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
From 6 April 2017 we replaced the previous suite of bereavement benefits, which included bereavement allowance, with a single benefit known as Bereavement Support Payment.
The Department has worked with funeral directors, Registrars and voluntary groups to ensure that bereaved people are fully informed of the action to take following a death. Further information about the benefits to which they are entitled and how to claim them can be found on the government services and information website at www.gov.uk.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government has made to the Iranian Government on the alleged persecution of the Baha'i community.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We most recently called upon Iran to cease harassment of all religious minorities, including the Baha’is, at the UN interactive dialogue on human rights on 24 October, and at the UN General Assembly Third Committee on 15 November. We continue to urge Iran to fulfil its international and domestic obligations to protect freedom of religion or belief, and to allow the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran access to the country to conduct research and investigations into concerns reported there.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps the Government has taken to encourage retailers to introduce plastic-free supermarket aisles.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government is currently working with retailers to encourage their efforts to reduce packaging waste and to explore the introduction of plastic-free supermarket initiatives in which all the food is loose, giving consumers the choice to make greener decisions.
Packaging plays a valuable role in increasing shelf-life of many food items and therefore reduces food waste. However, there are likely to be opportunities where offering food loose may help to reduce plastic waste whilst not impacting on shelf life.
The Government is also looking at further ways to reduce avoidable waste and recycle more as part of its Resources and Waste Strategy to be published later this year.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking with local authorities to (a) reduce the number of retrospective planning applications caused by breaches of planning control and (b) encourage people to submit applications in advance of works commencing.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
We are clear that unauthorised development is unacceptable and unfair to those who abide by the rules. Where people have made a genuine mistake, they are able to rectify the situation through the retrospective planning application process.
Local authorities have strong enforcement powers at their disposal in the event that development takes place without the appropriate planning permission.