Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will consider giving open heritage homes an exemption from the council tax surcharge on second homes.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Council Tax second homes premium provides local leaders with the flexibility to increase Council Tax bills by 100% to address the local impact of second homes. The Government has published guidance setting out when a premium can apply and the statutory exceptions. The premium is not mandatory and there are no plans to introduce exceptions specifically for heritage homes. Councils have powers to introduce local exceptions or provide discounts where they consider this appropriate.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of including receipt of council tax reduction as part of the eligibility criteria of the Warm Home Discount.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Eligibility for the Warm Home Discount in England and Wales is based on receipt of a qualifying means tested benefit and being named on the energy account with a participating supplier. Receipt of Council Tax Reduction is not used as an eligibility criterion. Council Tax Reduction schemes vary across local authorities, and there is no central record of recipients, which prevents consistent eligibility and effective data matching. Households not eligible for the Warm Home Discount rebate may still receive help through Warm Home Discount funded Industry Initiatives, which can provide energy advice, debt support, financial assistance or minor energy efficiency measures, including for non-customers.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of abolishing VAT on defibrillators.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government currently provides VAT reliefs to aid the purchase of defibrillators. For example, when an Automated External Defibrillator is purchased with funds provided by a charity and then donated to an eligible body, no VAT is charged. Furthermore, all state schools in England have been fitted with AEDs.
Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations.
A key consideration for any potential new VAT relief is whether savings would be passed on to the consumer. Evidence suggests that businesses only partially pass on any savings from lower VAT rates.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the legal framework for privately owned e-scooters; and whether she plans to (a) introduce a scheme for licensing, registration and insurance for private e-scooter use and (b) ban the sale of converter kits or high-speed e-scooters.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises that the widespread illegal use of e-scooters is a serious issue. That is why we have committed to pursuing legislative reform for micromobility vehicles when parliamentary time allows.
No decisions have been made on licensing, registration and insurance, but we will consult on any new regulations, including on the use of converter kits, before they come into force.
We understand the importance of providing a clear legislative timeline and we are working with colleagues across Government to deliver this.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of adjusting lump-sum compensation payments under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme to reflect inflation where payments are delayed for several years.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Individuals applying for compensation from IBCA have the choice between receiving their award as a single lump sum payment, or as a series of periodical payments over a 5, 10, or 25 year period. The compensation scheme indexes all future periodical payments to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to ensure that these payments hold value against inflation and provide parity between applicants that choose a lump sum or periodical payments.
The Government has consulted on proposed changes to the infected blood compensation scheme, to gather views on how the Government intends to implement the Inquiry’s recommendations. The consultation closed on 22 January. The Government is considering the responses to the consultation carefully, and we will publish our response to the consultation, which will set out our final decisions on the compensation scheme, within 12 weeks of the closing date.
The delivery of compensation is a matter for IBCA, and as of 10 February, 3,153 people have received an offer of compensation, totalling over £2.5 billion. IBCA has now opened its service to the people who are infected but not registered with an IBSS, as well as to the first claims from affected people and from estates on behalf of deceased infected people.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government will consider implementing legal requirement for drivers to stop or report collisions involving domestic pets such as cats.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
I understand the distress of owners who lose beloved pets and it is a great source of worry and uncertainty when they are lost.
There are no plans to amend section 170 of the Road Traffic Act to make it mandatory for drivers to report road collisions involving cats.
Under section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, a driver is required to stop and report a collision involving specified animals including horses, cattle, asses, mules, sheep, pigs, goats or dogs, but not cats or wild animals. This requirement arises from their status as working animals rather than as domestic pets.
Although there is no obligation to report all animal deaths on roads, drivers should, if possible, make enquiries to ascertain the owner of domestic animals, such as cats, and advise them of the situation.
Having a law making it a requirement to report road collisions involving cats would be very difficult to enforce and it is not clear what difference it would make to the behaviour of drivers, who are aware that they have run over a cat and do not report it.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress she has made on a strategy for integrating bus ticketing in England.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the value of greater integration between public transport modes, including in relation to ticketing, and will continue to work with local transport authorities, operators and passengers to improve the fares and ticketing offer for passengers across England.
Programmes currently under development in England recognise the aspiration for smart, multi-modal ticketing. This includes the Department for Transport working with representatives from the bus industry, Transport for West Midlands and Midlands Connect to develop a national technology solution to facilitate multi-operator ticketing on buses and trams, focusing on contactless bank card payments and enabling fares capping outside of London.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consideration the Government has given to making dynamo power lights compulsory on e-scooters and bikes.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 require cycles to be fitted with a red rear reflector and amber pedal reflectors. These Regulations also require cycles to have white front and red rear lights lit when being ridden at night. The type of lighting, however, is not specified.
Rental e-scooters used in the Government’s e-scooter trials must be fitted with front position and rear position lamps to improve visibility.
We are using the e-scooter trials to ensure that when the time comes, we understand how best to regulate e-scooters including technical requirements such as lighting.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has undertaken an assessment of the potential merits of creating a sick pay scheme for self-employed people.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is paid for by employers and there is no mechanism to include the self-employed in SSP.
It is important to highlight that many self-employed people already choose to take out some form of insurance or income protection to financially support them during periods of sickness absence.
The Government does have a wider safety net to ensure self-employed people are supported through the welfare system. Where an individual’s income is reduced while off work sick and they require further financial support, they may be able to claim Universal Credit and/or new style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), depending on their personal circumstances.
New Style ESA is an income-replacement benefit for people who are unable to work because of a health condition or disability and is not an in-work benefit. The aim of ESA is to provide support to individuals who are unable to work due to their disability or health condition, and to help them move towards employment if and when they are able to do so. Eligibility is dependent on satisfying the basic conditions of entitlement and contribution conditions.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the value of the Shule Bora Fund is; how much has been spent; and what the remaining balance will be spent on.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The total programme budget of the Shule Bora fund is around £70.7 million with a spend of around £42.4 million to date. The fund will continue to be spent on improving learning outcomes, training teachers, making schools safer and more inclusive, and supporting systemic reforms to ensure equitable access and quality education nationwide. Further information can be found on the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's Development Tracker website.