Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has had discussions with Ofgem to ensure that heat pump installation companies under the Energy Company Obligation scheme provide (a) a suitable service for customers to assist with problems and (b) provide advice on the optimal use of the new heating system.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
All installations under the Energy Company Obligation scheme must be carried out by a TrustMark registered business. Installations of low carbon measures, such as heat pumps, must be carried out in accordance with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) requirements.
TrustMark’s Customer Charter sets out the responsibilities of any TrustMark registered installer which includes the registered business ensuring there is a proper testing and hand-over process to ensure the customer knows how installations work and should be maintained.
Ofgem has set out a route to redress for any issues arising from measures installed under the scheme, which can be found at: www.ofgem.gov.uk/eco4-complaints-process.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent representations she has received from the Welsh government on the future of the steel industry in Wales.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
Steelmaking remains a vital part of the Welsh economy and this Government is working tirelessly to secure a sustainable future for Port Talbot Steelworks. This deal delivers a £1.25 billion pound joint investment package with Tata, comprising of £500 million pounds from the UK Government.
The Welsh Government are not currently providing capital funding towards this project. The Transition Board; established to support affected employees and the local economy has up to £100m of funding. Over the last month, I have engaged with the Welsh government through the Transition Board and a ministerial call.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of requiring payments on accounts from self-employed workers on levels of financial hardship.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
There has been no recent assessment of the potential impact of requiring payments on accounts from self-employed workers on levels of financial hardship. However, HMRC is committed to helping all taxpayers pay their taxes and urges anyone having difficulty to make contact as soon as possible, to discuss the payment options that are available.
HMRC offers Time to Pay instalment arrangements for taxpayers who cannot afford to make full payment of their tax when it is due.
HMRC also provides a Budget Payment Plan service, through which self-assessment taxpayers can make advance payments to pay off a forthcoming tax payment, such as a payment on account.
Self-Assessment taxpayers (including the self-employed) can make a claim to reduce or cancel their payments on account if they think they are excessive, or no longer due.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what data his Department holds on the number of prisoners serving public protection sentences in Wales.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The table below shows the number of IPP/DPP prisoners in Wales, as at 30 December 2023:
Region | Recalled | Unreleased |
Wales | 113 | 38 |
On 16 October 2023, the Lord Chancellor announced he would be looking at options to curtail the licence period to restore greater proportionality to IPP/DPP sentences in line with recommendation 8 of the Justice Select Committee’s report, published on 28 September 2022.
The Lord Chancellor announced on 28 November 2023, that these changes are being taken forward in the Victims and Prisoners Bill.
The new measure will:
The Lord Chancellor was persuaded by the Committee’s recommendation to reduce the qualifying licence period from 10 years to five years and is going further: reducing the period to three years. These amendments will restore greater proportionality to IPP/DPP sentences and provide a clear pathway to a definitive end to the licence and, therefore, the sentence.
In addition to these changes, the actions this Government are taking are working; the number of prisoners serving the IPP sentence who have never been released now stands at 1,227 as of December 2023, down from more than 6000 in 2012.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what her planned timetable is for the Project Gigabit procurements for hard to reach communities in Wales.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
In July 2023, we launched a Project Gigabit cross regional procurement to bring gigabit-capable broadband to homes and businesses in hard to reach parts of North West Wales, Mid Wales, and South East Wales. Our intention is to award a contract to the successful supplier in the summer.
North Wales and South West Wales will be included in a further procurement once the cross regional contract is in place.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had recent discussions with her counterpart in the Welsh government on the regulation of (a) physician associates and (b) anaesthesia associates.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ministers have corresponded with their counterparts in the Welsh Government, alongside those in Scotland and Northern Ireland, in taking forward the work to bring physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs) into regulation.
The regulation of PAs and AAs has been subject to extensive public consultation over several years. Throughout the project, officials have engaged thoroughly with stakeholders including the regulators, the devolved administrations, the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care, representative bodies, and service users in developing the policy behind this legislation.
This engagement has been crucial in shaping both our policy intention and the resultant legislation, to ensure that it remains a practical piece of legislation for the benefit of patient safety and registrants.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Government's policy is on the role of Parliament in military interventions in the Red Sea.
Answered by James Heappey
As the Prime Minister explained in his 15 January 2024 oral statement to the House, the need to maximise the security and effectiveness of the 12 January military operation against the Houthis meant it was not possible to bring this matter to the House in advance. The Prime Minister came to update the House at the earliest possible opportunity. The Government remains committed to continuing to update the House.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what discussions he has had with the International Criminal Court on the adequacy of its funding to investigate conduct in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is one of the major funders of the Court through its annual budget and works to ensure the Court has the resources it needs to operate effectively. Additionally, the UK provides practical support including witness protection; sentence enforcement; and secondments. This year we also provided additional funding to the Prosecutors Trust Fund for Advanced Technology and Specialized Capacity, the Trust Fund for Deployed Personnel and the Trust Fund for Victims. Funding earmarked for individual investigations is forbidden under the financial regulations of the Court.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Student Loan Company on the calculation formula used to determine overseas earnings thresholds for student loan repayments for English and Welsh students who live abroad or work for a foreign employer.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The repayment of student loans is governed by the Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2009 (as amended). The regulations set out the calculation formula to determine overseas repayment thresholds for student loan repayments. A change in the calculation formula would require a legislative amendment.
Ahead of each financial year, in line with the regulations, the department calculates the updated repayment thresholds to apply for English borrowers residing outside of the UK, including those resident in the USA, and provides these to the Student Loan Company (SLC), who administer the loan accounts.
Student loan repayments are income contingent. To take account of differences in living costs in different countries, overseas repayment thresholds are determined by each country’s price level index (PLI) data, as published by the World Bank and updated annually. PLI data provides a measure of the differences in the general price levels of countries and, therefore, represents a relative cost of living between countries, enabling a fair threshold to be set.
Based on PLI data, countries are placed into different “bands” reflecting their cost of living relative to other countries and to the UK. As the relative cost of living in different countries varies over time, individual countries may move between bands following an annual threshold update. Where PLI data for a country is not available, the department may determine the applicable PLI value for that country by reference to a comparable country.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Student Loan Company on the calculation formula used to determine overseas earnings thresholds for student loan repayments for English and Welsh students who live in the US or work for a US employer.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The repayment of student loans is governed by the Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2009 (as amended). The regulations set out the calculation formula to determine overseas repayment thresholds for student loan repayments. A change in the calculation formula would require a legislative amendment.
Ahead of each financial year, in line with the regulations, the department calculates the updated repayment thresholds to apply for English borrowers residing outside of the UK, including those resident in the USA, and provides these to the Student Loan Company (SLC), who administer the loan accounts.
Student loan repayments are income contingent. To take account of differences in living costs in different countries, overseas repayment thresholds are determined by each country’s price level index (PLI) data, as published by the World Bank and updated annually. PLI data provides a measure of the differences in the general price levels of countries and, therefore, represents a relative cost of living between countries, enabling a fair threshold to be set.
Based on PLI data, countries are placed into different “bands” reflecting their cost of living relative to other countries and to the UK. As the relative cost of living in different countries varies over time, individual countries may move between bands following an annual threshold update. Where PLI data for a country is not available, the department may determine the applicable PLI value for that country by reference to a comparable country.