Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department plans to take to help establish new high-seas marine protected areas under the Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK was pleased to be among the first signatories to the Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement (BBNJ) Agreement when it opened for signature at the UN on 20 September 2023 and the Agreement was laid before Parliament for scrutiny on 16 October 2023. Work is in hand on the legislation and other measures needed to translate the provisions of the Agreement into UK law before we can ratify the Agreement. The UK will continue to be proactive in preparing for implementation and entry into force and will work with international partners and stakeholders to identify potential areas for High Seas Marine Protected Areas. The UK is also funding a project to develop a shortlist of potential area-based management tools that could be developed into future proposals once the BBNJ Agreement comes into force.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps the Government is taking to encourage other countries to ratify the Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK continues to be proactive in supporting other, particularly developing, countries, to implement and ratify the Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement. The UK has provided a significant contribution to the BBNJ Voluntary Trust Fund to enable participation by developing countries in UN discussions on preparatory work. The UK also continues to support the BBNJ Informal Dialogues, discussions that bring together participants from a wide range of countries online to discuss implementation. The UK also co-funded and organised a workshop for Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries to share best practice and support the implementation and ratification of the BBNJ Agreement in the Philippines on 15-17 November.
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 the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for the Lords) plans to reply to the correspondence from the the hon. Member for St Ives of 29 September 2023 on gaining consents under legal charges from NHS bodies.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Lord Markham) replied to the hon. Member on 17 November 2023.
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, with reference to the Answer of 13 September 2023 to Question 198352 on Dental Services: Cornwall, how funding recovered from NHS dentists may be spent by his Department.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has provided guidance for integrated care boards (ICBs) that requires dental funding to be ringfenced, with any unused resources re-directed to improve National Health Service dental access in the first instance. A schedule setting out the dental ringfence has been issued to ICBs. NHS England’s 2023/24 revenue finance and contracting guidance, which provides more detail, is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/2023-24-revenue-finance-and-contracting-guidance/
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the phase out dates for new non-zero emission L-Category vehicles on greenhouse gas emissions in each (a) region and (b) of the next ten years.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The consultation on when to end the sale of new non-zero emission L-category vehicles (including mopeds and motorcycles) was open to responses from 14 July to 21 September 2022 and supported by a thorough programme of stakeholder engagement with stakeholders. The Department is now in the process of analysing the responses and will bring forward the Government’s response in due course.
The Government will consult on any future regulatory framework to deliver and enforce the end of sale dates for new non-zero emission L-category vehicles as is appropriate. The Government keeps all its regulations under review to ensure that they are fit for purpose and futureproofed.
The UK’s exit from the European Union has provided the opportunity for this country to develop its own regulatory approach to decarbonising its entire fleet of new road vehicles, which will help to support UK industry in the process. The proposed end of sales dates for motorcycles positions the UK as a world leader in decarbonisation, will drive innovation and create a market for zero emission L-category vehicles.
The Government considers the greenhouse gas emissions of all sectors to ensure that it meet the UK’s legally binding net zero targets by 2050. The Government’s net zero commitment requires all sectors of the UK’s economy, including motorcycles, to deliver substantial cuts to emissions to end the UK’s contribution to climate change.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the phase out dates for new non-zero emission (a) mopeds and (b) motorcycles.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The consultation on when to end the sale of new non-zero emission L-category vehicles (including mopeds and motorcycles) was open to responses from 14 July to 21 September 2022 and supported by a thorough programme of stakeholder engagement with stakeholders. The Department is now in the process of analysing the responses and will bring forward the Government’s response in due course.
The Government will consult on any future regulatory framework to deliver and enforce the end of sale dates for new non-zero emission L-category vehicles as is appropriate. The Government keeps all its regulations under review to ensure that they are fit for purpose and futureproofed.
The UK’s exit from the European Union has provided the opportunity for this country to develop its own regulatory approach to decarbonising its entire fleet of new road vehicles, which will help to support UK industry in the process. The proposed end of sales dates for motorcycles positions the UK as a world leader in decarbonisation, will drive innovation and create a market for zero emission L-category vehicles.
The Government considers the greenhouse gas emissions of all sectors to ensure that it meet the UK’s legally binding net zero targets by 2050. The Government’s net zero commitment requires all sectors of the UK’s economy, including motorcycles, to deliver substantial cuts to emissions to end the UK’s contribution to climate change.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed phase out dates for new non-zero emission L-Category vehicles on regulatory alignment with (a) the EU and (b) other markets.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The consultation on when to end the sale of new non-zero emission L-category vehicles (including mopeds and motorcycles) was open to responses from 14 July to 21 September 2022 and supported by a thorough programme of stakeholder engagement with stakeholders. The Department is now in the process of analysing the responses and will bring forward the Government’s response in due course.
The Government will consult on any future regulatory framework to deliver and enforce the end of sale dates for new non-zero emission L-category vehicles as is appropriate. The Government keeps all its regulations under review to ensure that they are fit for purpose and futureproofed.
The UK’s exit from the European Union has provided the opportunity for this country to develop its own regulatory approach to decarbonising its entire fleet of new road vehicles, which will help to support UK industry in the process. The proposed end of sales dates for motorcycles positions the UK as a world leader in decarbonisation, will drive innovation and create a market for zero emission L-category vehicles.
The Government considers the greenhouse gas emissions of all sectors to ensure that it meet the UK’s legally binding net zero targets by 2050. The Government’s net zero commitment requires all sectors of the UK’s economy, including motorcycles, to deliver substantial cuts to emissions to end the UK’s contribution to climate change.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the response by the Motorcycle Industry Association to the consultation entitled When to end the sale of new non-zero emission L-category vehicles, published in September 2022, whether he plans to undertake the readiness checks proposed by the Motorcycle Industry Association before the phasing out new non-zero emission L-Category vehicles.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The consultation on when to end the sale of new non-zero emission L-category vehicles (including mopeds and motorcycles) was open to responses from 14 July to 21 September 2022 and supported by a thorough programme of stakeholder engagement with stakeholders. The Department is now in the process of analysing the responses and will bring forward the Government’s response in due course.
The Government will consult on any future regulatory framework to deliver and enforce the end of sale dates for new non-zero emission L-category vehicles as is appropriate. The Government keeps all its regulations under review to ensure that they are fit for purpose and futureproofed.
The UK’s exit from the European Union has provided the opportunity for this country to develop its own regulatory approach to decarbonising its entire fleet of new road vehicles, which will help to support UK industry in the process. The proposed end of sales dates for motorcycles positions the UK as a world leader in decarbonisation, will drive innovation and create a market for zero emission L-category vehicles.
The Government considers the greenhouse gas emissions of all sectors to ensure that it meet the UK’s legally binding net zero targets by 2050. The Government’s net zero commitment requires all sectors of the UK’s economy, including motorcycles, to deliver substantial cuts to emissions to end the UK’s contribution to climate change.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor for the Exchequer, for what reason commercial laundries are excluded from retail, hospitality and leisure relief from business rates.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Business rates are administered by local government and it is for local authorities to determine eligibility for reliefs, having regard to guidance issued by the Government.
Guidance setting out eligibility for the 2023-24 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief was published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-rates-relief-202324-retail-hospitality-and-leisure-scheme-local-authority-guidance
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will (a) commission a public awareness campaign on the potential merits of owning an L-Category vehicle and (b) introduce (i) grants, (ii) incentives and (iii) other demand-side policies for the L-Category vehicle sector in the period before the phase-out of new non-zero emission L-category vehicles.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK Government’s Plug-in Vehicle Grants have been in place for over a decade. This includes the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant, which was introduced in 2017. It provides £500 towards eligible zero-emission L3 vehicles (motorcycles) and £150 towards eligible zero-emission L1 vehicles (mopeds). Through this grant, the Government has provided £8m funding to support the adoption of these vehicles.
A consultation on when to end the sale of new non-zero emission L-category vehicles (including mopeds and motorcycles) was conducted earlier this year. The Department is analysing the responses and will publish a response in due course.
The Government has no current plans to commission a specific public awareness campaign on the merits of owning an L-Category vehicle.