Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many former British Coal employees were recipients of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme in (a) Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe constituency, (b) Neath and Swansea East constituency, (c) Aberafan Maesteg constituency, (d) Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare constituency and (e) Wales on 12 November 2024.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The number of members of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme in the constituencies and in Wales is as follows:
(a) Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe constituency - 151
(b) Neath and Swansea East constituency – 172
(c) Aberafan Maesteg constituency – 131
(d) Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare constituency - 376, and
(e) Wales – 4,048.
This information is from the scheme trustees and correct as at 30 October 2024. Some of these scheme members will not yet be in receipt of their pension, but we do not have a breakdown of that information at constituency level.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to improve the electricity grid to substation level to support the renewable energy transition.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government’s clean energy superpower and growth missions will be enabled by a significant reinforcement of our electricity network, at all levels across the high voltage transmission and lower-voltage distribution networks. This is underway and includes working with Ofgem, the National Energy System Operator and industry to halve the development time for new transmission infrastructure and to reform the grid connections process.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Commission plans to review the use of X by the House of Commons.
Answered by Nick Smith
The House of Commons is committed to engaging and informing the public about its work. We currently use a range of social media platforms and channels to reach a diverse range of audiences. We continuously review all social media platforms used by the House, and emerging channels.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of how many farms in Wales will be affected by the changes to agricultural property relief in each of the next five years.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms, and further explanatory information at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/what-are-the-changes-to-agricultural-property-relief. Around 500 estates across the UK are expected to be affected each year from 2026-27.
In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many businesses in Wales will benefit from changes to employment allowance.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Estimates of the number of businesses in Wales that will benefit from changes to the Employment Allowance announced at Autumn Budget 2024 are not available.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has undertaken an evaluation of the Mid-life MOT initiative.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Midlife MOT is designed to help individuals in their 40s and 50s to stay in and return to work. Midlife MOT sessions are delivered through Jobcentre Plus for Universal Credit claimants aged 50+. The research on these sessions is currently ongoing and will be published upon completion.
The Private Sector Midlife MOT pilots were delivered through providers, direct to employees, in three pilot areas (the North East of England; Cornwall and Devon; and East Anglia). These pilots have now ended. Evaluation of the pilots was the responsibility of the programme providers individually. DWP also conducted in-house research as part of a wider evaluation strategy.
The Digital Midlife MOT website, providing access to financial, health and career guidance, is open to all and website analytics are continuously monitored. Further research into the Digital MOT website is ongoing and will be published upon completion.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has undertaken an evaluation of the Mid-life MOT initiative.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Midlife MOT is designed to help individuals in their 40s and 50s to stay in and return to work. Midlife MOT sessions are delivered through Jobcentre Plus for Universal Credit claimants aged 50+. The research on these sessions is currently ongoing and will be published upon completion.
The Private Sector Midlife MOT pilots were delivered through providers, direct to employees, in three pilot areas (the North East of England; Cornwall and Devon; and East Anglia). These pilots have now ended. Evaluation of the pilots was the responsibility of the programme providers individually. DWP also conducted in-house research as part of a wider evaluation strategy.
The Digital Midlife MOT website, providing access to financial, health and career guidance, is open to all and website analytics are continuously monitored. Further research into the Digital MOT website is ongoing and will be published upon completion.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to extend eligibility for trivial commutation.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
My response to Parliamentary Question 11127 provides more details on the rules around trivial commutation.
The purpose of these rules is to provide individuals with flexibility, while also helping to reduce the administrative burden on pension schemes of paying small pensions. In the case of trivial commutation, the £30,000 limit applies to the aggregate value of an individual’s pensions, rather than to each pension pot. This is to prevent the commutation of much larger – non-trivial - pensions by splitting them into multiple smaller pots just before retirement.
The Government has no current plans to extend this limit.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reinstating trivial commutation following the changes to the Lifetime Allowance this year.
Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
For defined benefit (DB) pensions, trivial commutation continues to exist. If an individual’s total pension wealth across all DB pension schemes (excluding their state pension) is no more than £30,000, they may be able to surrender their pension for a taxable one-off payment (though usually up to 25% is available tax-free as with other kinds of pension withdrawal). Alternatively, if an individual’s pension within a scheme is valued at no more than £10,000, it may be possible to surrender this for a taxable one-off payment without any assessment against their total pension wealth.
For defined contribution pensions, trivial commutation was removed because Pension Freedoms reforms meant that trivial commutation was no longer needed.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing the VAT charges on medicines dispensed in hospitals.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Where medications are provided as part of the NHS’s statutory obligation of medical care, they are exempt from VAT. This means that medications are VAT-free for patients when provided to an in-patient in hospital. Furthermore, medications for out-patients prescribed by most hospital pharmacies are zero-rated for VAT, meaning that these pharmacies can recover their VAT costs and the medication is also VAT-free for patients.
While the NHS is unable to reclaim its VAT costs, due to the exemption, this irrecoverable VAT is taken into account in NHS funding.