Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will issue guidance to her Department on using the term (a) assisted suicide when referring to procedures that involve ingesting poison prescribed by a doctor with the intent to die and (b) euthanasia when referring to the delivery of a lethal injection by a doctor.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
There are currently no plans to issue guidance on using the terms assisted suicide, when referring to procedures that involve ingesting poison prescribed by a doctor with the intent to die, and euthanasia, when referring to the delivery of a lethal injection by a doctor.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps with Ofcom to undertake a review of the adequacy of guidance to the media on the reporting of (a) assisted suicide, (b) euthanasia and (c) other suicide cases.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Guidance on how broadcasters report assisted suicide, euthanasia and other suicide cases is a matter for Ofcom as the UK’s independent broadcasting regulator. Ofcom are required by law to keep the Broadcasting Code and any accompanying guidance under review.
In the UK, there is an independent self-regulatory regime for the press. The Government does not intervene in what the press can and cannot publish or oversee the work of press regulators.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, further to the Answer of 27 March 2023 to Question 170767, what plans he has to make available financial support for increasing public access to the countryside under Environmental Land Management schemes.
Answered by Mark Spencer
We are making further changes to our Environmental Land Management schemes in 2024 to increase support for farmers and foresters to put new permissive access in place. This gives more choice about how farmers and foresters provide access across their land and will help more people safely access the countryside. The new permissive access actions we are introducing are as follows:
Action: | Duration | Payment Rate | Summary Description |
Open Access | 5 years | £92 per hectare | Provide and maintain permissive open access to the public on areas of land |
Footpath Access | 5 years | £77 per 100m | Provide and maintain new permissive footpaths to the public |
Bridleways and cycle path access | 5 years | £158 per 100m | Provide and maintain new permissive bridleways and cycle paths |
Access for people with reduced mobility | 5 years | £221 per 100m | Provide and maintain new permissive access for people with reduced mobility |
Upgrading Countryside and Rights of Way for cyclists and horse riders | 5 years | £158 per 100m | Provide and maintain access alongside existing rights of way for cyclists and horse riders |
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2023 to Question 190527 on Deposit Return Schemes: Glass, how many representations her Department received from businesses against the inclusion of glass in the deposit return scheme for England and Northern Ireland; and from whom.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Businesses have been clear that adding glass to a deposit return scheme will add fundamental complexity for our pubs and restaurants, increase burdens on small businesses, whilst creating greater inconvenience for consumers.
Among other considerations, the UK Government took into account strong representations made by relevant businesses, including distillers and the hospitality sector.
Concerns raised included:
More broadly, the additional cost and complexity imposed on the scheme if glass were to be included.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - East Wiltshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April to Question 181066 on Cryptocurrencies, if he will provide a timeframe for when the Government will (a) conduct and (b) publish an assessment of the impact of a central bank digital currency on the commercial banking sector.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
In February 2023, HM Treasury and the Bank of England published a joint consultation on a UK central bank digital currency (CBDC).
A response to this consultation will be issued in due course following the close of the consultation on 30 June 2023.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - East Wiltshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April to Question 181066 on Cryptocurrencies, whether he plans to publish a response to the consultation on the digital pound.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
In February 2023, HM Treasury and the Bank of England published a joint consultation on a UK central bank digital currency (CBDC).
A response to this consultation will be issued in due course following the close of the consultation on 30 June 2023.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - East Wiltshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the introduction of a central bank digital currency on retail funding for commercial banks.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
In February 2023, HM Treasury and the Bank of England published a joint consultation on a UK central bank digital currency (CBDC). The consultation noted that a UK CBDC, or ‘digital pound’, is likely to be needed in the future. However, a final decision has not yet been made and will be informed by this consultation and future work.
As part of this consultation period, HM Treasury and the Bank of England will carefully consider how the digital pound could impact the commercial banking sector, as well as any potential deposit outflows and any substantial shift in retail banks’ funding models.
A response to this consultation will be issued in due course.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - East Wiltshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the introduction of a central bank digital currency on deposit outflows for commercial banks.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
In February 2023, HM Treasury and the Bank of England published a joint consultation on a UK central bank digital currency (CBDC). The consultation noted that a UK CBDC, or ‘digital pound’, is likely to be needed in the future. However, a final decision has not yet been made and will be informed by this consultation and future work.
As part of this consultation period, HM Treasury and the Bank of England will carefully consider how the digital pound could impact the commercial banking sector, as well as any potential deposit outflows and any substantial shift in retail banks’ funding models.
A response to this consultation will be issued in due course.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - East Wiltshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the introduction of a central bank digital currency on the commercial banking sector.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
In February 2023, HM Treasury and the Bank of England published a joint consultation on a UK central bank digital currency (CBDC). The consultation noted that a UK CBDC, or ‘digital pound’, is likely to be needed in the future. However, a final decision has not yet been made and will be informed by this consultation and future work.
As part of this consultation period, HM Treasury and the Bank of England will carefully consider how the digital pound could impact the commercial banking sector, as well as any potential deposit outflows and any substantial shift in retail banks’ funding models.
A response to this consultation will be issued in due course.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that a certificate provider for a Lasting Power of Attorney application is aware their role is to ensure the donor understands the information relevant to the decision, can retain that information, and use or weigh up that information as part of the process of making the decision.
Answered by Mike Freer
The certificate provider is a crucial safeguard during the creation of a lasting power of attorney (LPA). They sign to state that the person making the LPA understands it, is not being pressured into making it and there is no evidence of fraud. A modernised LPA service must provide additional support to certificate providers, so they are confident and mindful of their role, including the part the functional test (understanding, retaining, weighing and communicating information relevant to the decisions made) plays in carrying out that role.
My department is therefore considering the best way to achieve this, including potential changes to the certificate that is signed, the forms more generally and supporting guidance. Testing and iterating any changes with stakeholders and users will be critical to ensure we achieve the core aim that the certificate provider understands what they need to do and has confidence taking on the role.