Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for the UK of any introduction of a financial transaction tax under the EU enhanced co-operation procedure.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The Member States participating in negotiations to introduce a Financial Transaction Tax (FTT) under enhanced co-operation are yet to agree many fundamental aspects of the tax. Until these are agreed the implications for the UK will not be clear.
The Chancellor has been clear since the enhanced co-operation FTT was first proposed that any new tax must respect the rights of non-participating Member States, including the UK. We continue to follow the negotiations closely, and remain prepared to challenge the FTT at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) if our legal concerns with the Commission’s original proposal are not addressed.
Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when and by whom his Department was first made aware of (a) the Crown Estate's round 3 zone selection process and (b) the potential effect of that process on (i) the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Sites and (ii) tourism in that area; and what responses his Department made to consultations on that matter.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
There is no record of when and by whom this department was made aware of the Crown Estate's round 3 selection process which was launched in 2008. Records have not been kept of any assessment done on the potential effects of the process on the World Heritage Site or tourism in that area, nor of any response made to consultations.
Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether it is her policy to include the 2009 Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment as a material consideration in planning decisions on National Infrastructure projects.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In determining planning applications for nationally significant infrastructure projects, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State takes into consideration the policies set out in the energy National Policy Statements which, where appropriate, reflect the Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment undertaken by DECC in 2009.
Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to consider options for creating a new fast train service between London Waterloo and Weymouth.
Answered by Claire Perry
We will consider all options for improving journey times on the route to Weymouth within the infrastructure and operational constraints. The draft Wessex Route Study was published by Network Rail for consultation on 3 November 2014, setting out the strategic vision for the route over the next 30 years. The consultation is open until 17 February 2015 and responses will be published in due course.
Responses to the consultation will feed in to the final version of the Wessex Route Study, which is due to be published next year. This will then help to inform the Government’s priorities for the next Rail Investment Strategy, for the period 2019-2024 (control period 6).
Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on the size of the armed forces after 2015.
Answered by Michael Fallon
Our policy is to deliver the Future Force 2020 programme outlined in the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review.