Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to deliver a consultation on technical issues associated with renewable liquid heating fuel under Section 159 of the Energy Act 2023.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As sustainable biomass is a limited resource, the Government expects to prioritise its use in sectors like aviation which have fewest options to decarbonise. Renewable liquid heating fuels (RLHF) are also much more expensive to use than other heating solutions.
Before taking decisions on whether to support the use of RLHFs, like hydrotreated vegetable oil, in heating, the Government would require stronger evidence on their affordability for consumers, and the availability of sustainable feedstocks.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of paying the State Pension in monthly instalments.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
State Pension payments are usually paid four weekly in arrears. People have the option to be paid weekly or in some circumstances bi-weekly. There are no plans to introduce alternative payment arrangements.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the record-keeping requirement for the Sustainable Farming Initiative for 2024 will be maintained.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
For Sustainable Farming Incentive, the Rural Payments Agency carries out desk-based administrative checks on a sample basis which can include requesting and checking the nature and quality of any supporting evidence, such as receipts and farm records. There are no plans to remove this requirement.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of regulation on the duty of care transfer of vulnerable tenants from housing associations to village agents.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Registered providers of social housing must ensure that the safety of tenants is considered in the design and delivery of landlord services and take reasonable steps to mitigate any identified risks to tenants.
In addition, registered providers must take action to deliver fair and equitable outcomes for tenants, including by understanding the diverse needs of tenants, including those arising from protected characteristics, language barriers, and additional support needs.
Housing associations may refer a tenant to a village agent but there is not a mechanism through which they can transfer the duty of care. In any situation where a village agent provides care or support for vulnerable tenants, a housing association remains responsible for considering the safety of tenants and their diverse needs.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of mechanical failure of Magna Air Source heat pumps in social housing on tenants.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Heat Pumps are often a highly effective low carbon alternative to a traditional gas boiler and can save families around £100 a year compared to a gas boiler through the effective use of a smart tariff. However, as with any repair, social housing providers like Magna should ensure any heat pumps installed are well maintained and fixed promptly in line with their regulatory standards when maintenance issues arise.
While Housing Associations are independent organisations and are responsible for their own performance and management, tenants can raise a formal complaint through their landlord’s complaint process and through the Housing Ombudsman if the landlord fails to take appropriate action.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the potential impact of freezing Income Tax thresholds until 2028 on the number of people who will begin paying (a) Income Tax and (b) the higher rate of Income Tax in each financial year of this Parliament.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The information requested is published as part of the OBR’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO). The published table sets out the effects of the threshold freeze on taxpayers, by showing estimated numbers with and without indexation of the thresholds and the impact of the thresholds being frozen. This information has been updated in the EFO at each recent fiscal event.
The below is an extract from this published table:
3.18 Effect of threshold freezes on additional taxpayers | |||||||
| Million | ||||||
| 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 | 2029-30 |
Number of taxpayers |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
…brought into income tax | 2.2 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.2 |
…brought into higher-rate band | 1.4 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
The full table is available as Table 3.18 in the detailed forecast of receipts: October 2024 Economic and fiscal outlook – detailed forecast tables: receipts (obr.uk)
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of legislation on tackling (a) tax evasion and (b) illicit financial transactions in British Overseas Territories; and what estimate his Department has made of when full public registers for British Overseas Territories will be published.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Overseas Territories (OTs) work to uphold international standards such as those set out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Financial Action Task Force on tax transparency and countering illicit financial flows respectively. Responsibility for implementing their recommendations into legislation is a matter for OT governments.
At the Joint Ministerial Council last month, I confirmed the UK Government's expectation that OTs implement full Publicly Accessible Registers of Beneficial Ownership (PARBOs). Full PARBOs have already been introduced in Montserrat and Gibraltar, and commitments were made by the Falkland Islands and Saint Helena to introduce these by April 2025. Saint Helena has recently passed the relevant legislation.
Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands committed to implement Legitimate Interest Access Registers of Beneficial Ownership which offer the maximum possible degree of access and transparency whilst containing the necessary safeguards to protect the right to privacy in line with respective constitutions, at the latest by June 2025.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the occupancy rate for houses in Watchet in Tiverton and Minehead constituency.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local authorities have strong powers and incentives to tackle empty homes. They have the discretionary powers to charge additional council tax on properties which have been left unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for one or more years. The maximum premium that a council can apply increases, depending on the length of time that the property has been empty for, with a premium of up to 300% on homes left empty for over ten years.
Local authorities can also use powers to take over the management of long-term empty homes to bring them back into use in the private rented sector. Local authorities can apply for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) when a property has been empty for more than two years, subject to the production of evidence that the property has been causing a nuisance to the community and evidence of community support for their proposal. More information can be found here.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to expedite the establishment of the Supported Housing Advisory Panel.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government remains committed to implementing the measures in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023, including appointing members to a Supported Housing Advisory Panel.
The recruitment of Panel members has resumed and applications closed on 9 December. We will appoint the panel as soon as possible.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his Department will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the use of heat pumps in (a) uninsulated and (b) improperly insulated homes.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Evidence shows that heat pumps are suitable for a diverse range of housing archetypes in the UK and the clear majority of properties.
Modern heat pumps, capable of running efficiently at similar temperatures to an existing boiler, can increasingly be used in homes previously considered unsuitable for electrification. Other low-carbon heating solutions are available for properties that are not suited to a heat pump, and the government will continue to assess and support the options for all properties to decarbonise and reduce their energy use.