Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will change the status of the Mayflower 400 commemorative coin from collectors-only to general circulation.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Royal Mint has a long-established tradition of producing coins in order to mark historic moments. The 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s voyage is an important moment in our shared history with the United States and will rightly be celebrated with the production of a commemorative coin. The number and denomination of coins issued into circulation is dependent on demand from UK banks and Post Offices.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the pay settlement for staff of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel are part of the civil service. Therefore, responsibility for setting their pay and terms and conditions lies with the Cabinet Office and Ministry of Defence.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what funding he is making available to enforce the Marine Protection Area around Ascension Island announced in the Spring Statement.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
Funding to establish a new Marine Protected Area (MPA) around Ascension Island will be made available under the Blue Belt programme, and will be consistent with funding for other MPAs. Funding for ongoing costs associated with the Ascension Island MPA will be delivered at the forthcoming Spending Review.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 67 of the Budget 2018 Red Book, what funding he has allocated for resilience work in Dawlish.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The government committed to £15 million of funding in November 2016. The essential improvement works are to begin in November of this year to strengthen the cliffs and protect the sea wall at Dawlish. Further plans for major improvements of the seawall at Dawlish will be published in the summer 2019.
Overall, we are investing more than £400m in the rail network in the South West and will continue to work with Network Rail and the Peninsula Rail Task Force to explore the potential for longer-term improvements from summer 2019 onwards.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to include hydrogen refuelling stations in the scope of the Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund in the future.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The purpose of the Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund is to catalyse private sector investment into the electric vehicle chargepoint network. There are separate interventions to support the uptake of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and roll out more cutting edge infrastructure. This includes funding which will see additional hydrogen refuelling stations being built as well as upgrades to existing refuelling infrastructure. In addition, government funding has supported the opening of the UK’s first integrated forecourt hydrogen refuelling station at the Shell Beaconsfield site, making it the first location in the country selling hydrogen fuel as well as petrol and diesel.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will reduce the rate of VAT charged on work to reclad tower blocks resulting from the Grenfell Tower fire.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
On 16 May the government announced that it will fully fund the removal and replacement of potentially dangerous ACM cladding on residential social housing buildings, which are over 18 metres tall and owned by social landlords. This commitment is estimated to cost £400 million.
In the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the government also established a comprehensive building safety programme and made it clear that aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding on buildings over 18 meters which was not compliant with building regulations guidance should be remediated by the building owners. The government has provided £1m in financial support to help local authorities identify high-rise private residential buildings with unsafe cladding. This work will ensure that hazards in high rise residential buildings are addressed and the government continues to work closely with local authorities, building owners and leaseholder groups to establish what more can be done.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount of VAT which will be accrued to the public purse from the £400m allocated by the Government to renew cladding on tower blocks that have failed fire safety tests.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
On 16 May the government announced that it will fully fund the removal and replacement of potentially dangerous ACM cladding on residential social housing buildings, which are over 18 metres tall and owned by social landlords. This commitment is estimated to cost £400 million.
In the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the government also established a comprehensive building safety programme and made it clear that aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding on buildings over 18 meters which was not compliant with building regulations guidance should be remediated by the building owners. The government has provided £1m in financial support to help local authorities identify high-rise private residential buildings with unsafe cladding. This work will ensure that hazards in high rise residential buildings are addressed and the government continues to work closely with local authorities, building owners and leaseholder groups to establish what more can be done.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue has been raised for the public in each of the last five years from Air Passenger Duty by (a) reduced rate, (b) standard rate and (c) higher rate in (i) band A and (ii) band B.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
This information is not available.
Total receipts from Air Passenger Duty are published at the following link and this also includes passenger numbers declared by traders at the various bands and rates:
https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/Pages/TaxAndDutybulletins.aspx
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many former Conservative Members of Parliament who were defeated at the 2017 general election and who now work in his Department were appointed after a publicly advertised and open recruitment process.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
No former Conservative Members of Parliament that lost their seats at the 2017 General Election currently work in the Department.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether British ports will be designated as free ports after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Section 100A of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 (CEMA) provides the legal basis for the designation of free zones by HM Treasury and will continue to do so following UK withdrawal from the EU. Applying for designation as a free zone will be a commercial decision to be taken by private port operators.