Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with (a) UEFA and (b) FIFA on the participation of Israel in international football.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Secretary of State has not had such discussions with UEFA and FIFA. The government fully respects the independence and autonomy of sports organisations. Decisions on participation in international sports events are a matter for the relevant international sport federations and their national representatives.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with Lancashire County Council on care home provision in (a) Lancashire and (b) Fylde constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities, in this case the Lancashire County Council, are required to shape their local markets, and to ensure that people have a range of high-quality, sustainable, and person-centred care and support options available to them, such that they can access services that best meet their needs.
This reflects the fact that local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the care needs of their populations, and to make any assessment of proposals in relation to local market capacity.
Department officials maintain a range of engagement on a range of issues with directors of adult social services and their departments in local authorities across the country. Colleagues from the Lancashire County Council have been involved in these discussions.
I have agreed to meet with a number of local Members of Parliament to discuss the consultation the Lancashire County Council has launched on the future of 10 adult social care services, including the Milbanke care home.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with Lancashire County Council on support for unpaid carers in Fylde constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department for Health and Social Care regularly engages with local authorities, including Lancashire County Council, on a range of social care issues, including unpaid carers.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the closure of Milbanke care home on the availability of care home places in (a) Lancashire and (b) Fylde constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities, in this case the Lancashire County Council, are required to shape their local markets, and to ensure that people have a range of high-quality, sustainable, and person-centred care and support options available to them, such that they can access services that best meet their needs.
This reflects the fact that local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the care needs of their populations, and to make any assessment of proposals in relation to local market capacity.
Department officials maintain a range of engagement on a range of issues with directors of adult social services and their departments in local authorities across the country. Colleagues from the Lancashire County Council have been involved in these discussions.
I have agreed to meet with a number of local Members of Parliament to discuss the consultation the Lancashire County Council has launched on the future of 10 adult social care services, including the Milbanke care home.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the Department’s target date is for ensuring that all schools and colleges in England are free from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government has set out its plans to permanently remove reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) from schools and colleges.
By the end of this Parliament, every school and college in England that is not being fully or substantially rebuilt will be RAAC-free.
Alongside this, every school needing to be rebuilt through the School Rebuilding Programme, will be in delivery, with half having started already.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which prisons had the highest rates of accidental release of prisoners in each of the last five years.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Releases in error have been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps to address this issue.
Totals for releases in error, including a breakdown by releasing prison (or Prisoner Escort Custody Services), are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2024 to March 2025 - GOV.UK , and provide data up to March 2025.
The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have been accidentally released early in each of the last five years.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Releases in error have been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps to address this issue.
Totals for releases in error, including a breakdown by releasing prison (or Prisoner Escort Custody Services), are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2024 to March 2025 - GOV.UK , and provide data up to March 2025.
The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have been released early in Lancashire in the last 12 months.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Releases in error have been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps to address this issue.
Totals for releases in error, including a breakdown by releasing prison (or Prisoner Escort Custody Services), are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2024 to March 2025 - GOV.UK , and provide data up to March 2025.
The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the annual revenue raised through VAT charged on Remembrance wreaths purchased by (a) local authorities, (b) schools and (c) community organisations.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the importance of Remembrance events and the role they play in honouring those who have served.
Where a charity chooses to offer its goods or services for free and invite voluntary donations, no VAT is charged. Charities also rightly enjoy generous tax reliefs, worth over £6 billion in 2024, including Gift Aid, exemptions from corporation tax and a number of VAT reliefs to support fund-raising activities. However, where charities sell goods and services, for example charging a set price, and the charity is VAT registered, it must charge VAT unless a VAT relief is available.
HMRC does not hold information on VAT charged on specific products or services. This is because businesses are not required to provide figures at a product level within their VAT returns, as this would impose an excessive administrative burden.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will review VAT rules to ensure that (a) the purchase of wreaths and (b) other purchases made in support of charitable remembrance activities are not subject to VAT.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the importance of Remembrance events and the role they play in honouring those who have served.
Where a charity chooses to offer its goods or services for free and invite voluntary donations, no VAT is charged. Charities also rightly enjoy generous tax reliefs, worth over £6 billion in 2024, including Gift Aid, exemptions from corporation tax and a number of VAT reliefs to support fund-raising activities. However, where charities sell goods and services, for example charging a set price, and the charity is VAT registered, it must charge VAT unless a VAT relief is available.
HMRC does not hold information on VAT charged on specific products or services. This is because businesses are not required to provide figures at a product level within their VAT returns, as this would impose an excessive administrative burden.