Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Government response to paragraph 62 of the Third Report of Session 2022-23 by the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee on Digital exclusion, HL 219, published on 20 October 2023, what progress the dedicated cross-Whitehall ministerial group has made.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government established a cross-Whitehall ministerial group in response to a recommendation from the House of Lords Communication and Digital Committee’s report on ‘Digital Exclusion’, published in June 2023. The ministerial group aims to drive progress and accountability on digital inclusion priorities across Government.
The first ministerial group meeting took place in September 2023, chaired by the then Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, Paul Scully. Ministers attended from the Cabinet Office, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Department for Culture, Media & Sport, Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Education, and His Majesty's Treasury.
The group agreed to undertake a departmental mapping exercise to drive and increase coherence across departmental work. It has also discussed specific priority issues, including the viability of each department joining device donation scheme, options to increase the accessibility of parking payments and accessibility of online government services. The group will receive an update on these issues at its next meeting later this month.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will ask the Chief Medical Officers to update their review of the potential impact of mobile phone usage from a young age on children's development.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education recently reviewed the evidence, and found that there is still no clear scientific consensus of a negative impact of screentime and social media use on the mental health, or neurological or functional development of children and young people, and concerns are generally not supported through population-level data. Whilst further research is needed to better understand these issues, there are no plans to ask the Chief Medical Officers to update their review.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions her Department has had with Ofgem on its decision to allocate the temporary adjustment to the price cap to customers equally.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Departmental for Energy Security and Net Zero’s ministers and officials regularly discuss with Ofgem issues relating to energy market.
The setting of the price cap rate is a matter for Ofgem, and the temporary adjustment announced is to address suppliers’ costs related to increased levels of consumer debt. It will be added to bills of customers who pay by direct debit or standard credit. Prepayment customers will not be impacted by the extra charge as many do not build up the same level of debt because they top up as they go.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to section 80 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, whether he intends to prescribe any classes of dwelling for which a billing authority may not make a determination to charge a council tax premium.
Answered by Simon Hoare
The Government consulted last year on circumstances where properties should be excepted from the council tax premiums for second and empty homes and will publish its response to the consultation shortly.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of raising the threshold for the vehicle excise duty surcharge in line with vehicle price increases since 2015.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Shadow Exchequer Secretary (Treasury)
The Vehicle Excise Duty surcharge is a supplement in addition to the standard rate of Vehicle Excise Duty, which is applied to cars with a list price of over £40,000. This surcharge is also known as the Expensive Car Supplement, and is payable for five years following the first registration of the vehicle, commencing in year two, with the final payment due in year six.
The £40,000 threshold was set as a suitable way of distinguishing the more luxury end of the new car market, meaning those who can afford the most expensive cars pay more than the standard rate paid by other drivers.
However, the Government recognises that transport is a major cost for individuals and families. That is why, at Spring Budget 2023, the Government announced it would maintain the rates of fuel duty at the levels set on 23 March 2022 for an additional 12 months, by extending the temporary 5p fuel duty cut and cancelling the planned inflation increase for 2023-24. That represents a saving of around £100 for the average car driver this year.
As with all taxes, the Government keeps the Expensive Car Supplement under review, and any changes will be announced at a future fiscal event.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to respond to the report by the Patient Safety Commissioner entitled The Hughes Report: Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, published on 7 February 2024.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Government commissioned the Patient Safety Commissioner (PSC) to produce a report on redress for those affected by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. We are grateful to the PSC and her team for completing this report and our sympathies remain with those affected by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh. The Government is now carefully considering the PSC’s recommendations and will respond substantively in due course.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what NHS support is available for people wanting to give up vaping.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
Vaping can be an effective tool for adult smokers to quit smoking. However, the health advice is clear: if you don’t smoke, don’t vape, and children should never vape. The NHS Better Health website provides advice for people who want to quit vaping. Local stop smoking services can also provide resources to support children and adult vapers to quit, through funding from the public health grant. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/vaping-to-quit-smoking/
In addition, the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training has produced guidance for local Stop Smoking Service staff on how best to support vapers to quit. We are also exploring further ways to support people to quit vaping, as part of the national Swap to Stop programme. The guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.ncsct.co.uk/publications/Support_stop_vaping
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the guidance issued by his Department entitled Import live animals and germinal products from the EU to Great Britain on 31 January 2024, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that the time taken for the new checks to be undertaken at airports after 30 April 2024 does not affect the viability of imported chilled semen for (a) racehorses and (b) other species.
Answered by Mark Spencer
Equine germinal products, including equine semen, are classified as ‘high risk’ under the Border Target Operating Model, regardless of country of origin. EU and Rest of World equine germinal products currently require pre-notification and health certification and this will continue to be the case. Currently APHA undertake documentary checks on EU origin germinal products imported into GB, whilst Port Health Authorities conduct documentary and identity checks on Rest of World imports. Our expectation is that PHAs will begin to undertake the required checks (100% documentary & ID checks) on EU origin germinal products in line with the wider TOM implementation milestones for animal products (i.e. starting from 30 April 2024, aside from EU goods imported from the island of Ireland).
We are aware that the equine germinal product industry has concerns about the impact of the move of checks to BCPs, particularly relating to the timing of PHA processes for imports of fresh equine semen during the breeding season. There is direct engagement at a working level to understand, and where possible resolve, these concerns.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has made an assessment of compliance with the recommendations contained in Police perpetrated domestic abuse: Report on the Centre for Women’s Justice super complaint, updated 23 November 2022.
Answered by Laura Farris
We were grateful to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), and the College of Policing for carrying out an investigation into a supercomplaint on police-perpetrated domestic abuse in 2022. Responses to the recommendations from relevant organisations, including the Home Office, were published on gov.uk and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/responses-to-police-perpetrated-domestic-abuse-report-on-the-cwj-super-complaint.
We expect forces to take allegations of police-perpetrated domestic abuse very seriously, and to take steps to ensure that investigations are carried out impartially. By law, allegations of serious assaults, serious sexual offences or abuse of position by police officers must be referred to the IOPC to determine the appropriate mode of investigation, which can include an independent investigation.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of appointing an external force to investigate police domestic abuse cases.
Answered by Laura Farris
We were grateful to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), and the College of Policing for carrying out an investigation into a supercomplaint on police-perpetrated domestic abuse in 2022. Responses to the recommendations from relevant organisations, including the Home Office, were published on gov.uk and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/responses-to-police-perpetrated-domestic-abuse-report-on-the-cwj-super-complaint.
We expect forces to take allegations of police-perpetrated domestic abuse very seriously, and to take steps to ensure that investigations are carried out impartially. By law, allegations of serious assaults, serious sexual offences or abuse of position by police officers must be referred to the IOPC to determine the appropriate mode of investigation, which can include an independent investigation.