Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his oral contribution in response to the question from the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent of 19 March 2024, Official Report, column 794, if he will commit to an Independent Review of the funeral firm Safe Hands Ltd.
Answered by Bim Afolami
The Treasury and FCA have worked closely throughout the process of bringing the pre-paid funeral plan sector into regulation, as well as during the implementation of the new regulatory framework.
On 11 October 2023 the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) announced that it was conducting a criminal investigation into Safe Hands Plans Limited. As I am sure you will understand, I am unable to comment on this ongoing investigation.
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when users of the new Pensions Dashboard will be able to access financial information relating to their pensions.
Answered by Paul Maynard
Users of pensions dashboard services will be able to access financial information relating to their pensions at the Dashboards Available Point. The Dashboards Available Point is the point at which pensions dashboard services will be available for widespread use by the general public.
A specific date for the Dashboards Available Point cannot yet be determined as the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions must first have regard to a number of relevant matters, including sufficient level of coverage, assurance of the safety, security and reliability of the service and testing of the user experience. Once satisfied that the dashboards ecosystem is ready to support widespread use, following consultation with the Money and Pensions Service, The Pensions Regulator and the Financial Conduct Authority, the Secretary of State will then issue a notice at least six months in advance of the launch of pensions dashboard services for use by the general public.
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an estimate of the number of users that will have accessed Pensions Dashboards by (a) 30 April 2025 and (b) 31 October 2026.
Answered by Paul Maynard
Pensions dashboard services will become available for widespread use by the general public at the Dashboards Available Point. A specific date for the Dashboards Available Point cannot yet be determined as the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions must first have regard to a number of relevant matters, including sufficient level of coverage, assurance of the safety, security and reliability of the service and testing of the user experience. Once satisfied that the dashboards ecosystem is ready to support widespread use, following consultation with the Money and Pensions Service, The Pensions Regulator and the Financial Conduct Authority, the Secretary of State will then issue a notice at least six months in advance of the launch of pensions dashboard services for use by the general public.
Under the central scenario (best estimate) in the impact assessment for the Pensions Dashboards (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (which can be found at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2023/89/pdfs/ukia_20230089_en.pdf), we estimate the number of users of pensions dashboard services will increase to around 16 million in the years following the Dashboards Available Point.
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's policy is on the use of RAF airfields by private planes.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by Baroness Goldie to the Noble Lady Baroness Randerson on 13 December 2021 to Question HL4655 in the House of Lords.
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NAO report Investigation into supply chain finance in the NHS, HC 734, published on 29 October 2021, what the costs have been to NHS Trusts which used the Earnd of switching to alternative salary advancement initiatives.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
As detailed in the National Audit Office (NAO) report, of the seven National Health Service trusts reported on by the NAO as having used the EARND scheme, two were reported as having lost money totalling £21,429. NHS England was not aware of any other NHS trusts losing money through the EARND scheme.
The identities of the seven NHS trusts were anonymised in the NAO report and therefore it is not possible to provide information on the costs to these trusts of using alternative salary advance schemes since the date of the report.
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether any NHS suffered a financial shortfall from the Earnd scheme following the failure of Greensill Capital.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
As detailed in the National Audit Office (NAO) report, of the seven National Health Service trusts reported on by the NAO as having used the EARND scheme, two were reported as having lost money totalling £21,429. NHS England was not aware of any other NHS trusts losing money through the EARND scheme.
The identities of the seven NHS trusts were anonymised in the NAO report and therefore it is not possible to provide information on the costs to these trusts of using alternative salary advance schemes since the date of the report.
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2023 to Question 6145 on Greensill: Redundancy Pay, whether she has made an assessment of the likelihood of success of the claim.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
The Administrators of Greensill Capital have previously indicated they expect to make distributions to unsecured creditors, including the claim by the Redundancy Payments Service. The Administrators confirmed to the Redundancy Payments Service on 8 January that the quantum and timing of any distribution is uncertain.
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2023 to Question 6145 on Greensill: Redundancy Pay, if she will make an estimate of the amount that will be returned to the Redundancy Payments Service.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
The Government's Redundancy Payments Service is currently unable to make an estimate of the amount that will be received from the Administrators of Greensill Capital Management Company (UK) Ltd.
The last Administrator's Progress Report covering the period 8 March 2023 to 7 September 2023 confirmed the timing and amount of funds payable to creditors was uncertain. A copy of the Administrator's Progress Report is available to view at Companies House.
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps to recover funds paid from the public purse to former employees of Greensill Capital Management Company.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
The Government's Redundancy Payments Service seeks to recover all monies paid out from the National Insurance Fund to the employees of an insolvent company. The Redundancy Payments Service submitted a claim to the Administrators of Greensill Capital Management Company (UK) Ltd on 27 April 2023 for £2,004,511.
Any funds available for distribution in an insolvent company will be paid out by the Administrators in accordance with the statutory order of priority for creditor payments. Funds received by the Redundancy Payments Service will be repaid to the National Insurance Fund.
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests plans to publish an update to Lord Cameron's entry in the List of Ministers’ Interests
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The latest List of Ministers’ Interests was published on 14 December and can be viewed at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-ministers-interests