Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the role Great British Energy will be in energy (a) planning and (b) consenting when acting as a co-developer.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy (GBE) will invest in, own, and develop clean energy projects throughout all stages of their life cycle, from early development through to successful operation. This will include leading on developing projects itself, as well as being an engaged and proactive co-developer with the private sector, public landowners, devolved and local government, community energy groups, and wider public finance institutions and bodies.
Projects that GBE develops will be taken forward through the planning and consenting system in the same way as any other commercial project.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) visa, (b) work-permit, (c) transport and (d) administrative costs under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement on UK touring artists.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This government recognises that touring in Europe has become more difficult for UK artists. We closely monitor the impact of current arrangements on the ability of UK performers and their crews to work and tour in Europe, including the additional time, cost and complexity involved in securing visas and permits and transporting equipment and goods between the UK and EU. These barriers make it harder for UK performers to plan and deliver tours, particularly for smaller and emerging artists for whom European tours present a crucial stepping stone to forge professional connections and establish careers.
The UK and EU share a strong interest in ensuring that artists and audiences on both sides continue to benefit from cultural exchange. European audiences gain from the access to British artists, and venues, festivals and business across Europe benefit from the talent, local economic activity and cultural benefits that touring generates.
As agreed at the inaugural UK-EU Summit, we are committed to deepening UK-EU cultural exchange, including the activities of touring artists. We are carefully considering the most effective ways to do this, and continue to engage with the European Commission, European Member States, and the arts and creative sectors.
Addressing the challenges faced by our sectors is a key part of our broader strategy to strengthen and grow the UK’s creative industries, as set out in our Creative Industries Sector Plan.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how her Department will allocate the £1 billion additional funding for HMRC across tax gap initiatives.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC will allocate the additional funding at Autumn Budget 2024 and Spring Statement 2025 to close the tax gap predominately to frontline staff and digital services, including:
As well as these investments, we introduced measures to:
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Tenant Farmers Commissioner on agricultural productivity in Buckinghamshire.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Commissioner for the Tenant Farming Sector in England has been appointed by the Government to strengthen relationships and collaboration between tenant farmers, landlords and advisers in all parts of England including Buckinghamshire. Tenant farmers, landlords and advisors working in the tenanted sector in Buckinghamshire can contact the Commissioner to raise an issue or enquiry relating to tenancy matters through the Commissioner’s webpages at Commissioner for the Tenant Farming Sector: role and services - GOV.UK. The Government is committed to keeping the effectiveness of this approach under review.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed water-saving measures on water availability in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are consulting on tighter water efficiency standards for new homes in Building Regulations. Within this we have assessed the policy’s impact on home construction and will be considering developer responses to enable a smooth transition. Our assessment considered the policy at a national level and not specifically its impact on Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. Industry research found the cost of water efficiency is low for developers in comparison with the cost of development blockages caused by subsequent water scarcity. The cost of retrofitting water efficient devices is around £40-100 and can be offset by the incentives offered to developers by water companies.
The proposed measures will unlock stalled developments in areas of water scarcity and could unlock 1,000 homes for every 5,250 built, while saving households over £100 a year on bills.
The Government response to the consultation will outline how we propose to monitor and evaluate the final policy.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department plans to evaluate the long-term impact of proposed water-saving measures on water consumption.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are consulting on tighter water efficiency standards for new homes in Building Regulations. Within this we have assessed the policy’s impact on home construction and will be considering developer responses to enable a smooth transition. Our assessment considered the policy at a national level and not specifically its impact on Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. Industry research found the cost of water efficiency is low for developers in comparison with the cost of development blockages caused by subsequent water scarcity. The cost of retrofitting water efficient devices is around £40-100 and can be offset by the incentives offered to developers by water companies.
The proposed measures will unlock stalled developments in areas of water scarcity and could unlock 1,000 homes for every 5,250 built, while saving households over £100 a year on bills.
The Government response to the consultation will outline how we propose to monitor and evaluate the final policy.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what metrics her Department will use to assess the effectiveness of water-saving measures in new homes.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are consulting on tighter water efficiency standards for new homes in Building Regulations. Within this we have assessed the policy’s impact on home construction and will be considering developer responses to enable a smooth transition. Our assessment considered the policy at a national level and not specifically its impact on Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. Industry research found the cost of water efficiency is low for developers in comparison with the cost of development blockages caused by subsequent water scarcity. The cost of retrofitting water efficient devices is around £40-100 and can be offset by the incentives offered to developers by water companies.
The proposed measures will unlock stalled developments in areas of water scarcity and could unlock 1,000 homes for every 5,250 built, while saving households over £100 a year on bills.
The Government response to the consultation will outline how we propose to monitor and evaluate the final policy.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support her Department plans to provide to developers to implement proposed water efficiency standards.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are consulting on tighter water efficiency standards for new homes in Building Regulations. Within this we have assessed the policy’s impact on home construction and will be considering developer responses to enable a smooth transition. Our assessment considered the policy at a national level and not specifically its impact on Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. Industry research found the cost of water efficiency is low for developers in comparison with the cost of development blockages caused by subsequent water scarcity. The cost of retrofitting water efficient devices is around £40-100 and can be offset by the incentives offered to developers by water companies.
The proposed measures will unlock stalled developments in areas of water scarcity and could unlock 1,000 homes for every 5,250 built, while saving households over £100 a year on bills.
The Government response to the consultation will outline how we propose to monitor and evaluate the final policy.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what metrics her Department will use to measure the success of HMRC’s transformation programme.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC will use the metrics published in Annex A of HMRC’s Transformation Roadmap to measure the success of HMRC’s transformation programme. This is available online here: Annex A: HMRC's Transformation Roadmap metrics - GOV.UK
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed water efficiency standards on new home construction costs.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are consulting on tighter water efficiency standards for new homes in Building Regulations. Within this we have assessed the policy’s impact on home construction and will be considering developer responses to enable a smooth transition. Our assessment considered the policy at a national level and not specifically its impact on Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. Industry research found the cost of water efficiency is low for developers in comparison with the cost of development blockages caused by subsequent water scarcity. The cost of retrofitting water efficient devices is around £40-100 and can be offset by the incentives offered to developers by water companies.
The proposed measures will unlock stalled developments in areas of water scarcity and could unlock 1,000 homes for every 5,250 built, while saving households over £100 a year on bills.
The Government response to the consultation will outline how we propose to monitor and evaluate the final policy.