Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's policy is on whether survey results on proposed passenger service reinstatement should be presented (a) on an overall basis for the entire area and (b) broken down according to subdivisions of the area through which the reinstated service would operate; and for what reason Network Rail is refusing to release the results of the survey which are specific to the Marchwood Ward of New Forest District Council.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Network Rail undertook a public consultation during the summer of 2022 as part of its assessment of the case for reopening the Waterside line as part of the Restoring Your Railway initiative. I understand that publication of detailed responses for the Marchwood Ward could place Network Rail in breach of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many and what proportion of the places available in the first year under ACRS Pathway 3 have been filled, pending security checks, by eligible (a) British Council (i) contractors and (ii) contractors' family members, (b) GardaWorld (i) contractors and (ii) contractors' family members and (c) Chevening (i) Alumni and (ii) Alumni family members.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Government received over 11,400 expressions of interest (EOI) under Pathway 3 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), which we have been assessing against the eligibility criteria. We have informed just under 200 individuals that they are eligible in principle for resettlement, subject to passing security checks. Including their dependents, this accounts for over 750 of the 1500 available places on Pathway 3 in year one. We will not be commenting on individual cohort numbers while EOIs are still being processed and security checks are outstanding. As initial security checks are completed, we are providing further information on next steps to eligible individuals. We will update Parliament further once we have completed the allocation process, have notified all those who submitted EOIs of the outcome and have assured data to share.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Home Office Hub in Portcullis House as a means of successfully processing MPs’ casework arising out of the invasion of Ukraine; for what reasons the Hub has been discontinued; and if she will make it her policy to establish similar arrangements within the Palace of Westminster to progress casework arising from the (a) Taliban takeover in Afghanistan and (b) obligations accepted by the UK to save Afghan former interpreters and other locally employed civilians who are now at risk for having helped UK armed forces during NATO’s intervention.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Following the closure of the Portcullis House hub, we have now set up a national programme of engagement events enabling MPs and their caseworkers to meet with Home Office officials nearer to their constituencies.
Urgent enquiries, including passport and Ukraine visa applications should be sent to the Urgent inbox mpurgentqueries@homeoffice.gov.uk.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to assist mortgage-holders on variable rates, whose mortgages have increased significantly since the September 2022 Growth Plan by requiring lenders to (a) extend the repayment term and (b) reverse such increases made following the announcement of that Plan.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The pricing and availability of loans is a commercial decision for lenders in which the Government does not intervene. However, HM Treasury is regularly in contact with mortgage lenders on all aspects of their mortgage business to understand their position and current lending conditions, including most recently at a roundtable hosted by the Chancellor. At this roundtable, the Chancellor made clear that he expects every lender to live up to their responsibilities and support any mortgage borrowers who are finding it tough right now.
It is important to note that around 75% of residential mortgage borrowers are on fixed-rate deals and therefore shielded from interest rate rises in the near term. If mortgage borrowers do fall into financial difficulty, FCA guidance requires firms to provide support through tailored forbearance options, which can include a term extension if that is deemed to be within the borrower’s best interests.
The Government has also taken a number of measures aimed at helping people to avoid repossession, including offering Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loans for those in receipt of an income-related benefit. It was announced at Autumn Statement that, from spring 2023, the Government will allow those on Universal Credit to apply for an SMI loan to help with interest repayments after three months, instead of nine. We will also abolish the zero earnings rule to allow claimants to continue receiving support while in work and on Universal Credit. In addition, the Government offers mortgage borrowers protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol, which makes clear that repossession must always be the last resort for lenders.
More broadly, the Government has taken decisive action to support households across the UK through the cost-of-living challenges ahead, whilst remaining fiscally responsible. In addition to the £37 billion of support for the cost of living already announced for 2022-23, the Government has announced further support for next year designed to target the most vulnerable households. This cost-of-living support is worth £26 billion in 2023-24, in addition to benefits uprating, which is worth £11 billion to working age households and people with disabilities. The Government is also continuing to provide support to all households through the Energy Price Guarantee, which will save the average UK household £500 in 2023-24.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of (a) moving people onto prepayment meters against their will and (b) cutting off energy supply (i) unilaterally and (ii) remotely on (A) elderly, (B) impoverished and (C) other vulnerable people; what recent discussions he has had with energy companies on the impact of these practices; whether his Department is taking steps to protect people from these practices; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Ofgem has rules in place that restrict the force-fitting of a prepayment meter on customers who are in debt, except as a last resort. Ofgem also has rules to protect consumers from the risk of disconnection, in particular preventing suppliers from directly disconnecting consumers between November and April.
On the impact of suppliers cutting off supply, between Q3 2021 and Q2 2022, suppliers directly disconnected 3 gas accounts and 19 electricity accounts according to Ofgem data. Neither the Government, nor Ofgem hold more detailed data on the recent impact of disconnections, or pre-payment installations and switches, on the groups listed.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Autumn Statement 2022 on the sustainability of existing mortgages; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As the Chancellor has said, sound money and a stable economy are the best ways to deliver lower mortgage rates, more jobs and long-term growth. Economic stability relies on fiscal sustainability – and the Autumn Statement puts the public finances onto a sustainable footing, with debt as a proportion of the economy falling by the end of the forecast period.
Indeed, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has said that without the measures announced at Autumn Statement, underlying debt would be rising by £108bn in 2027-28. The OBR has also noted that the net effect of the Government’s package supports the economy in the aggregate, by “reducing the fall in output when the economy is in recession and unemployment rising”.
To support mortgage borrowers with rising interest rates, it was announced at Autumn Statement that, from spring 2023, the Government will allow those on Universal Credit to apply for a Support for mortgage Interest (SMI) loan to help with interest repayments after three months, instead of nine. We will also abolish the zero earnings rule to allow claimants to continue receiving support while in work and on Universal Credit.
In addition to SMI, the Government also provides protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol, which makes it clear that repossession must always be the last resort for lenders. It is also worth noting that, if mortgage holders are struggling to keep up with their payments, FCA guidance requires firms to offer tailored support. This could include a range of measures depending on individual circumstances.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on people living under repressive regimes of losing the option of listening to the BBC World Service via radio, with particular reference to the ability of such regimes to (a) impede the availability of online broadcast services and (b) discover and arrest those listening illegally online; and how many (i) full-time and (ii) part-time posts in each country where BBC World Service radio broadcasts are ending (A) have been and (B) are scheduled to be lost.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The BBC recently announced plans to move certain language services to digital-only, whilst maintaining access to the full range of 42 language services, and providing assurance that the World Service will continue to serve audiences in need, ensuring continued access to vital news services.
The FCDO strongly supports the BBC's role in bringing high-quality, impartial news to audiences around the world, including where internet restrictions are a tool of repression. We recognise that in the current fiscal context, the BBC, like other organisations, is facing difficult financial decisions.
The BBC is operationally and editorially independent from Government, and it is for the BBC to comment on matters relating to staffing and service delivery.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, for what reason the entirety of the New Forest has been included within the provisional boundary of the proposed Solent Freeport.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
By delivering investment on specific priority sites, Freeports will create thousands of high-quality jobs in some of our most disadvantaged communities. These sites have been carefully selected for their suitability for development by the local Freeport coalition, which comprises key private partners and Local Authorities who, importantly, provide democratic accountability for the actions of the Freeport. The development sites sit within an ‘outer boundary’ which sets the limit for how far apart they can be and broadly indicates the area they expect to benefit most directly from the Freeport's economic impacts. While the Solent Freeport outer boundary intersects with the New Forest National Park, this in no way means that the area has been earmarked for development nor does this confer any special planning status. Local authorities retain all their statutory powers and responsibilities, including responsibility for providing planning permission. Freeport status in no way undercuts the local planning process and there is no change to the current planning and environment status of national parks.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will list the (a) NHS hospitals which contain dedicated centres for the removal of failed vaginal mesh and (b) dates on which those centres became operational.
Answered by Caroline Johnson
The following National Health Service hospitals provide specialised services for patients with complications of mesh inserted for urinary incontinence and vaginal prolapse:
- Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust;
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust;
- Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust;
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
- University College Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust;
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust; and
- North Bristol NHS Foundation Trust.
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and North Bristol NHS Foundation Trust commenced delivery of services for the removal of failed vaginal mesh in November 2021 and April 2022 respectively. The remaining hospitals commenced delivery of services for the removal of failed vaginal mesh in April 2021.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of the financial (a) impact upon and (b) assistance available to people of working age forced to leave their jobs following a diagnosis of terminal illness; and if she will make it her policy to enable such people to have early access to their state pension.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government wants to do all it can to alleviate the pressures on those nearing the end of their lives, and on their families.
The main way that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) does this is through special benefit rules, sometimes referred to as “the Special Rules”. These enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment, serve waiting periods and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit. For many years, the Special Rules have applied to people who have 6 months or less to live and now they are being changed so they apply to people who have 12 months or less to live.
Once the change has been fully rolled out across all benefits, each year, between 30,000 and 60,000 people may benefit from these changes to the Special Rules. This will mean that the Government is spending approximately £115 million a year more on people who are nearing the end of their lives.
There are no plans to allow early access to State Pension.
This Government is committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it, including when they near or reach retirement. Support is available through the welfare system to those who are unable to work or are on a low income but are not eligible to pensioner benefits because of their age.