Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Bourne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Summary of reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief, published on 30 October 2024, whether he has made an assessment of the number of farmers that will exit the sector as a result of this change.
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: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Bourne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Summary of reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief, published on 30 October 2024, what assessment he has made of the impact of this change on tenant farmers.
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: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Bourne)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her oral contribution to the debate on Social Security of 10 September 2024, Official Report, column 735, whether her estimate that pensioners will be £1,700 better off by the end of this Parliament includes tax payable on that income.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Through this Government’s commitment to the Triple Lock, the full yearly rate of the new State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,700 by the end of this Parliament. This estimate accounts for potential income tax payable on the full new State Pension income alone, based on current legislation. Where people have other income, income tax may be payable, as has always been the case.
The Personal Allowance threshold is £12,570 per annum and frozen until 2027/28 then assumed to be uprated by CPI till the end of parliament (29/30). The new State Pension is £11,542 per annum and assumed to be uprated by Triple lock till the end of parliament. Economic assumptions for CPI and Triple Lock are consistent with OBR’s Spring Budget 2024 forecasts. OBR’s Spring Budget 2024 economic assumption forecasts are found here: Detailed_forecast_tables_Economy_March_2024.xlsx (live.com)
Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Bourne)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of people who are eligible for Pension Credit who will take up that benefit in the next 12 months.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
No such estimate has been made.
Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Bourne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the The Mull of Kintyre Review, HC 1348, published July 2011, what assessment he has made of the implications of that review on similar cases that occurred between 1983 and 2011.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The Mull of Kintyre review was instrumental in the replacement of Boards of Inquiry with Service Inquiries. As the hon. Member will be aware, a Service Inquiry is an inquiry held under statute and is not permitted to apportion blame or find negligence, but rather seeks to identify where there are lessons to help prevent recurrence.
It is not possible to overturn aspects of Boards of Inquiry held in the past without full reinvestigation of the original incident, and it would not be benificial to re-open any such inquiries, where it is deemed there are no lessons to be identified for the Service, such as where aircraft are no longer in service for example.
Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Bourne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many aircrew were deemed negligent by reviewing officers despite contrary findings by the RAF Board of Inquiry between 1983 and 2011.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The information requested is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Although an incomplete collection of 550 Boards of Inquiry (from 2008 redesignated Service Inquiries) into RAF flying accidents from the period in question is held, there is no central document recording the outcomes.
Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Bourne)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on creating new community diagnostic centres.
Answered by Will Quince
At present, there are 89 community diagnostic centres (CDCs) operational across the country, and these have delivered over 2.8 million additional tests since programme started reporting in July 2021. In December 2022, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, approved a further 20 locations for new CDCs across the country, which will help more people to easily access life-saving checks, tests and scans. The NHS has also delivered the first of its waiting time ambitions, with waits of two years or more for elective surgery virtually eliminated in July 2022.
Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Bourne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to ensure the Financial Ombudsman Service deals promptly and fairly with complaints in respect of small financial advice businesses.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
The Government is clear that the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) should deal with all cases promptly and fairly. The rules on how the FOS should handle complaints state that ‘The ombudsman will attempt to resolve complaints at the earliest possible stage ’DISP 3.5 Resolution of complaints by the Ombudsman - FCA Handbook’. Inevitably some cases will be more complex than others and therefore take more time to resolves, however the FOS should deal with all cases in a timely manner.
The FOS is an independent non-governmental body. The Treasury is therefore not involved in the day-to-day operations of the FOS and the remit of the FOS is set out by the Financial Conduct Authority. Nevertheless, the Government believes that it is vitally important that the FOS should be accountable for its performance and the quality of its work. The FOS answers to a board of directors, appointed by the Financial Conduct Authority, and must make a report each year on the discharge of its functions which is required to be laid before Parliament. This ensures Parliament is able to scrutinise the efficiency, effectiveness and economy with which the FOS carries out its functions, including data concerning the time it takes for the FOS to deal with cases.
The FOS have been clear that bringing down waiting times is one of their main priorities for 2022/23 as outlined in their annual plan and budget. This includes ensuring cases are allocated more quickly and improving turnaround times by caseworkers. I am pleased to hear that the FOS are also investing in technological changes which they expect to bring down waiting times including further development of a digital portal and implementing additional intelligent automation capability.
Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Bourne)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of reforming the provision of statutory paternity leave.
Answered by Dean Russell
Our Paternity Leave entitlement enables eligible employed fathers to take two weeks of paid leave within the first eight weeks following the birth or adoption placement. Eligible employed fathers also have other entitlements to balance work with childcare, including paid annual leave, unpaid parental leave and the right to request flexible working.
Shared Parental Leave allows eligible parents to share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay in the first year.
As set out in our Manifesto, we are committed to making it easier for fathers to take Paternity Leave. In 2019 the Government consulted on high-level options for reforming parental leave and pay. We are currently considering responses to the consultation and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Bourne)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help farmers with cashflow.
Answered by Victoria Prentis
Input costs for fuel, feed and fertiliser are worryingly high. We are monitoring the situation closely. To ease cashflow concerns, in England we have announced bringing forward half of the Direct Payment to July from December. We have powers in the Agriculture Act to help sectors if necessary.
We have just announced £30 Million to help farmers add value to their products, and we have boosted Countryside Stewardship payment rates by an average of 30%. We will shortly launch the Sustainable Farming Incentive, for which farmers will receive quarterly payments.