Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the annual budget for the proposed Office for Value for Money; whether that body will be established in statute; and how its Board will be appointed.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
As the Chancellor laid before the House in her speech, the government has established a new Office of Value for Money, with an immediate focus on identifying areas where we can reduce, stop, or improve the value of spending. The chair of the office will report directly to the Chancellor and Chief Secretary to the Treasury who will be appointed in due course.
The office will not be established in statute but will sit within HM Treasury.
Existing departmental resources will be reprioritised to fulfil the needs of the office where possible.
Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on how many occasions she had transition talks with officials in her Department in the last Parliament; and whether she had discussions on economic forecasts pertaining to the public finances.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The process for access talks is set out in the Cabinet Manual. Access talks are initiated with permission from the Prime Minister of the day and are confidential.
It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place between Cabinet ministers and officials is not shared publicly.
Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her speech of 8 July 2024, whether the Office for Budget Responsibility has played a role in her review of public finances.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Chancellor presented to Parliament today an assessment of the state of our spending inheritance. The Chancellor confirmed the Budget will be held on the 30th October, alongside a full and independent forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility.
Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs have been (a) seized and (b) taken into quarantine at (i) the Port of Dover and (ii) Eurotunnel in each month in 2019.
Answered by David Rutley
The number of dogs seized and taken into quarantine at the port of Dover and the Eurotunnel for each month of 2019 are as follows.
Month (2019) | Port of Seizure | Total seized | Detained in quarantine |
Jan | Eurotunnel | 24 | 7 |
Dover | 13 | 10 | |
Feb | Eurotunnel | 7 | 2 |
Dover | 20 | 4 | |
March | Eurotunnel | 5 | 2 |
Dover | 22 | 12 | |
April | Eurotunnel | 8 | 5 |
Dover | 29 | 5 | |
May | Eurotunnel | 3 | 3 |
Dover | 19 | 9 | |
June | Eurotunnel | 13 | 7 |
Dover | 16 | 8 |
The number of animals detained in quarantine for Eurotunnel may also include dogs that were seized at Coquelles and moved into the United Kingdom for quarantine purposes.
Some of animals will have been seized on welfare grounds only and therefore not put in quarantine.
The numbers provided are a true reflection of the information that we have access to. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data, as it is provided by a third party.
Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question to the Attorney General:
What steps the CPS is taking to prosecute people responsible for female genital mutilation.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The CPS is determined to bring those responsible for Female Genital Mutilation to justice. I welcome the recent successful conviction in London which was the first in the UK.
Whilst prosecution alone will not end this appalling crime, this first conviction sends out a strong message that FGM is child abuse and that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.
Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question
What steps the Government is taking to support women who have experienced domestic abuse.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
On 21 January we published a draft Domestic Abuse Bill, which includes a ground-breaking series of measures to promote awareness, support victims, tackle perpetrators and improve services.
We have also published a package of non-legislative actions that will see further support for children affected by domestic abuse, the elderly, disabled, male and migrant victims and those in the LGBTQ community.
Ending domestic abuse remains an absolute priority for this government.
Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
What plans he has to change the time limit on the entitlement of UK citizens living overseas to register to vote in UK parliamentary elections.
Answered by Chloe Smith
British citizens living abroad retain strong links with the United Kingdom, no matter how far they have travelled.The Government is supporting the Member for Montgomeryshire’s Private Member’s Bill on Overseas Electors which delivers our manifesto commitment to introduce votes for life.
Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
What progress he has made on reducing the amount of income tax that people pay.
Answered by Mel Stride - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The government is committed to keeping taxes low to support working people keep more of what they earn.
Budget 2018 announced that the government will increase the personal allowance to £12,500 and the higher rate threshold to £50,000 from April 2019, one year earlier than planned.
This tax cut means, in 2019-20, a typical basic rate taxpayer will pay £1,205 less in tax than in 2010-11. Across the UK, 1.74 million of the lowest paid will be taken out of tax entirely since 2015, leaving more of their hard-earned money in their pockets.
Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
What recent discussions he has had with the Government of Israel on bilateral trade and investment.
Answered by Liam Fox
I met with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Minister of Economy and Industry Eli Cohen during a visit to Israel in November, when we discussed our record levels of trade and investment and noted the good progress made on our continuity trade arrangement. I agreed with President Netanyahu to increase trade cooperation through joint Government sponsorship of a high-level trade and investment conference in 2019.
Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
What recent steps his Department has taken to support local government.
Answered by Rishi Sunak - Leader of HM Official Opposition
At the Autumn Budget the Government announced over £1 billion of extra funding for local authorities, this year and next, to help them deliver the services their communities need and support their most vulnerable residents.