Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the potential (a) cost of and (b) return per pound spent on each scheme in the (i) Strategic Road Network and (ii) Major Road Network and Large Local Major Programmes (A) that is at (1) planning and (2) construction stage and (B) the cancellation of which was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in her statement on Spending inheritance on 29 July 2024.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The total estimated cost of committed schemes in the Roads Investment Strategy (RIS) at planning stage (excluding Lower Thames Crossing) is £8.5 billion, and for schemes under construction the total is £4.1 billion. The total estimated cost of the schemes in the Major Road Network (MRN) and Large Local Major (LLM) Programmes at planning stage is £6.2 billion and for schemes under construction the total is £1.2 billion. The value for money of the enhancement schemes in the second RIS programme (RIS2), including those already completed, is estimated to be “medium”. Based on an average of the available data, the indicative value for money of the MRN/LLM programme is estimated to be “high”.

For the RIS schemes cancelled in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s statement the details are as follows:

Value for Money information for A27 Worthing and Lancing is unavailable as the precise scope of the scheme had not yet been determined.

No schemes in the MRN/LLM programme were cancelled in the Chancellor’s statement.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 30 July 2024 to Question 1811 on Taxation, what the tax gap of (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2022-3 is adjusted for inflation in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2022-23 real terms.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The UK tax gap in 2022-23 is estimated to be 4.8% of total theoretical tax liabilities, or £39.8 billion in absolute terms. The tax gap has fallen from 7.4% of total theoretical liabilities in 2005-06, or £32.4bn in absolute terms.

The 2005-06 and 2022-23 tax gap estimates can be adjusted for inflation using the published GDP deflators available at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/gdp-deflators-at-market-prices-and-money-gdp-june-2024-quarterly-national-accounts

The government is committed to tackling the tax gap, through increasing HMRC's compliance staff, investing in HMRC’s technology infrastructure, and making policy changes to tackle tax non-compliance. The government will set out further details at the budget.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 30 July 2024 to Question 1812 on Pay: Young People, if she will make these calculations.

Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the Rt Hon. member to the publicly-available data sources listed in response to his previous question, from which further calculations can be made.

The statistics requested can be calculated for a typical worker on the minimum wage using the following data sources: average hours from ONS dataset HOUR01; inflation from ONS CPI series D7BT; historic Income Tax liabilities from HMRC, “Income Tax Personal Allowances and Reliefs”; historic National Insurance liabilities from HMRC, “Main Features of National Insurance Contributions”. Links can be found on the GOV.UK Website here:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/actualweeklyhoursworkedseasonallyadjustedhour01sa

https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/timeseries/d7bt/mm23

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowances-income-tax/income-tax-rates-and-allowances-current-and-past

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/main-features-of-national-insurance-contributions

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much aid his Department is giving to India annually; and what programmes that aid is spent on.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Most of FCDO's bilateral development funding for India is invested in projects to tackle the climate crisis and support economic growth, in partnership with the Indian Government.

The UK's bilateral ODA spend in India in 2022 was £46 million and we received back £24 million on our investments that year.

Ministers are reviewing the FCDO's ODA budget to ensure it delivers on our priorities. We are committed to transparency and will publish ODA allocations for 2024-25.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much is budgeted for aid to India in this financial year.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Most of FCDO's bilateral development funding for India is invested in projects to tackle the climate crisis and support economic growth, in partnership with the Indian Government.

The UK's bilateral ODA spend in India in 2022 was £46 million and we received back £24 million on our investments that year.

Ministers are reviewing the FCDO's ODA budget to ensure it delivers on our priorities. We are committed to transparency and will publish ODA allocations for 2024-25.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 30 July 2024 to Question 1812 on Pay: Young People, if she will make it her policy to publish data on average take home pay for young people working full-time on the minimum wage in (a) cash terms and (b) adjusted for inflation.

Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The latest report is available here: National Minimum Wage - Low Pay Commission Report 2023 (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2024 to Question 1813 on Public Expenditure, what the overspend was in each Departmental budget at the end of (a) July and (b) August 2024.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

On 29^th July, the Chancellor set out the £21.9bn pressure on departmental budgets in the 2024-25 financial year. This announcement was accompanied by the document ‘Fixing the Foundations’. The Chancellor is running a Spending Review and will publish a full breakdown of departmental settlements at Budget in October.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) restricting early repayment charges on debt to benefit customers and (b) encouraging early repayment.

Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

While specific decisions around early repayment charges on loans are a commercial matter for lenders in which the Government does not intervene, there are rules that govern their use.

For mortgages, the Financial Conduct Authority rules set out that lenders should not impose early repayment charges at a level that is more than a reasonable pre-estimate of the costs that would be incurred as a result of a loan being terminated early. For unsecured credit, the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and accompanying regulations set out the requirements on firms where loans are repaid early.

Consumers should also be given adequate information about the existence of these charges in the pre-sale disclosure documents lenders are required to give them.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the number and proportion of people previously in receipt of the winter fuel payment who will no longer be eligible to receive it in each (a) local authority and (b) constituency.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The number and proportion of people previously in receipt of the winter fuel payment, who will no longer be eligible to receive it in each local authority and constituency can be derived using the following published statistics: winter-fuel-payments-caseload-2022-to-2023.ods (live.com) and Stat-Xplore - Table View (dwp.gov.uk).

These are 22/23 Winter Fuel Payment statistics and Feb-24 Pension Credit statistics.

Estimation of those who will no longer be eligible to receive Winter Fuel Payment can be calculated by subtracting the number of Pension Credit recipients for each local authority and constituency from the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients for each local authority and constituency.

Please note that the Pension Credit data that is used should be based on the 2010 Westminster Parliamentary constituencies, not 2024 in order to be comparable with the Winter Fuel Payments statistics.

In addition to that, the above figures do not take into account any potential increase in Pension Credit take-up. We do not have data on those additional Pension Credit claims by Parliamentary constituencies or local authorities.

Also, the published Pension Credit figures refer to households, so the number of individuals will be higher (i.e. taking account of households where it is a couple claiming Pension Credit).

Furthermore, Pension Credit claimants are the majority of those that will be eligible for Winter Fuel Payments, not all. There are other pensioners who are eligible for Winter Fuel Payments (as they claim other means tested benefits) but they are not considered in these figures as it is not possible to do so.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether there is an embargo on spare parts for foreign cars.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK has not placed a blanket embargo on spare parts for foreign cars.

All information on trade sanctions, embargoes and restrictions, including trade controls and transit controls can be found on GOV.UK [here].

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 26 July 2024 to Question 1981 on Electricity: Infrastructure, whether his Department has had such discussions in the period since the publication of the most recent quarterly list of meetings.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to UIN 1981. A record of Ministerial meetings is updated periodically on Gov.UK.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing mandatory labelling for genetically modified food.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Existing labelling rules for genetically modified organisms (GMO) stipulate that foods sold in the United Kingdom that contain GMO ingredients must be labelled. This labelling gives consumers the choice on whether to consume such foods containing, or consisting of, GMO ingredients, and the choice to avoid such foods, should they wish to do so. In the case of food sold loose, or where food has been cooked in GMO products, for instance cooking oil, this information must appear on a notice, menu, ticket, or label which can be easily read by customers.

Information about any characteristic or property which renders a food consisting of or containing genetic modifications different from its conventional counterpart, such as its composition, nutritional value, the intended use of the food or feed, or any health implications for certain sections of the population, must also be included.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether (a) a single pensioner aged 90 on £218.16 per week and (b) a pensioner couple aged 90 on £332.96 per week who (i) own their own home, (ii) have no savings and (iii) are in receipt of no other benefits will continue to receive winter fuel payments.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

A single pensioner aged 90 with a weekly income of £218.16 which doesn’t fall to be disregarded, for example, it’s made up of state pension or a personal pension, would not be entitled to the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit because their non-disregardable income is in excess of the standard minimum guarantee for a single person. However, they would be entitled to the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit and would therefore receive the Winter Fuel Payment.

A pensioner couple both aged 90 with a combined weekly income of £332.96 which, again doesn’t fall to be disregarded would not be entitled to the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit because their non-disregardable income is in excess of the standard minimum guarantee for a couple. They would, however, be entitled to the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit and would therefore receive the Winter Fuel Payment.

The Pension Credit calculator on gov.uk provides an estimate as to what Pension Credit, a person may have entitlement to.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Chinese counterpart on (a) closing down the residential boarding schools system, (b) preserving the (i) language, (ii) history, (iii) way of life and (iv) other aspects of the distinct identity of the Tibetan people, (c) religious and cultural freedom in Tibet, (d) the release of Panchen Lama, (e) the role of the Chinese state in the decision making process for the succession of the Dalai Lama and (f) the peaceful ending of the occupation of Tibet.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This Government will stand firm on human rights, including China's repression of the people of Tibet. We will champion freedom of religion or belief for all abroad, and work to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora, and through bilateral engagement.

The Foreign Secretary raised human rights in his first meeting with China's Director of Foreign Affairs Commission Office and Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, on 26 July.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many heritage railways have received grants or financial assistance from the Government since 1999; and how much each of those which have been given support has received.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Since 1999, the National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded £70,562,212 to the UK’s heritage railways.

Within that amount, DCMS funded over 60 heritage steam organisations through the Culture Recovery Fund (2020 - 2021) providing nearly £15 million in support for the heritage rail sector. This has included multiple awards supporting the infrastructure of iconic heritage railways such as Ffestiniog, Bluebell and Severn Valley, as well as the restoration of individual locomotives and elements of rolling stock, including the world-famous Flying Scotsman.

Since 1999, Historic England (previously English Heritage) has awarded £280,396 to the UK’s heritage railways. This included sites such as Bowes Railway Company in the North East which received seven grants since 2002 totalling £515,834. In addition, Bowes Railway Company received £36,241 (July 2020 to March 2021) through a Covid-19 Emergency Grant. Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Community Interest Company received £3,374 (June 2020 to September 2020) through a Covid-19 Emergency Grant. A £49k repair grant was provided towards the cost of the restoration of a Grade II* listed turntable in St Blazey, Cornwall in 2021. The turntable has been restored to operational condition by a social enterprise company, and allows main line steam engines to run into Cornwall on railtours bringing tourists to the Duchy, and be turned ready for their return journey. Historic England has also been supporting the Railway 200 celebrations in many ways including research, outreach and listing sites with links to heritage rail.

We do not hold information on grants given from parts of Government that are not DCMS and its arms length bodies.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 1 August 2024 to Question 1982 on Coal: Imports and Production, if he will make an estimate of the amount of coal the UK heritage rail requires on an annual basis.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) Table 2.1 on Coal Commodities states that the annual figure for heritage railways usage is 15,000 tonnes - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66a7a17249b9c0597fdb066a/DUKES_2.1.xlsx

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1576 on Mental Health Services: Finance, what the total planned expenditure for mental health services was in (a) cash and (b) real terms in each year since 2015-16.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The following table shows the planned and real expenditure for National Health Service mental health services, including learning disabilities and dementia, each year since 2016/17, as the information for 2015/16 is not available:

Source: the NHS mental health dashboard, published by NHS England, and available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-mental-health-dashboard/.

Note: the planned expenditure in real terms is at 2023/24 monetary value.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to charge non-UK nationals to visit free museums.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

No.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to reform the leasehold system for residential property; and whether she has a planned timetable for such reforms.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government will act quickly to provide homeowners with greater rights, powers, and protections over their homes by implementing the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, including those designed to increase service charge transparency.

Over the course of this Parliament, the Government will further reform the leasehold system. We will enact remaining Law Commission recommendations relating to enfranchisement and the Right to Manage, tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rents, reinvigorate commonhold through a comprehensive new legal framework, and ban the sale of new leasehold flats so commonhold becomes the default tenure.

The Government has made clear it intends to publish draft legislation on leasehold and commonhold reform in this session so that it may be subject to broad consultation and additional parliamentary scrutiny. We will announce further details in due course.