Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to support (a) pubs and (b) breweries in (i) Richmond Park constituency and (ii) the United Kingdom.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Pubs make an enormous contribution to our economy and society, and this is recognised in the tax system.   

At the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor cut alcohol duty on qualifying draught products – approximately 60% of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs. This represents an overall reduction in duty bills of over £85m a year and is equivalent to a 1p duty reduction on a typical pint. This reduction increased the relief available on draught products to 13.9%.
    
The Chancellor also confirmed her intention to introduce permanently lower business rates for high street retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, including pubs, from 2026-27, and in the interim extend the current RHL relief for 1-year at 40%, up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the consultation entitled Creating a UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS), published on 22 October 2024, what steps she plans to take to allow communities to provide comments to the proposed UKADS on new flight path systems.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As a public consultation, any interested party is welcome to provide feedback on our proposals to set up a UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS).

The CAA’s Airspace Change Process (CAP1616) sets out how airspace change proposals should be developed and delivered. It includes requirements for the airspace change sponsor to consult those affected by airspace change at different stages of the process and consider their views. The UKADS consultation envisages that once up and running, the UKADS and partner airports would continue to engage and consult with communities on airspace change proposals through a defined process.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the consultation entitled Creating a UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS), published on 22 October 2024, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of her proposal to establish the UKADS on the delivery timeline of the airspace modernisation programme.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government’s plans for the UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) have been developed to strengthen delivery in implementing the airspace modernisation programme. They aim to improve delivery confidence of the Future Airspace Integration Strategy (FASI) programme, initially focusing on the complex London area. The plans anticipate that the UKADS will take on existing airspace changes, so it is important that existing airspace sponsors continue to develop their proposals.

The UKADS will act as a single guiding mind to design and implement holistic airspace design in a coordinated and efficient manner. This will create a system that’s fit for the future by delivering quicker routes, easing delays, and reducing harmful emissions.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's consultation entitled, Creating a UK Airspace Design Service, published on 22 October 2024, whether the service will be staffed from existing Departmental staff.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The consultation published on 22 October outlines our proposals to set up a UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS), initially undertaken by NATS (En Route) plc (NERL) through a change to its air traffic services licence. NERL is independent and not resourced from existing Departmental staff.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are waiting to be assessed for pension credit.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The total outstanding Pension Credit claims as at the end of week commencing 30^th September 2024 is 77,703. This includes 8,245 advanced claims where the application can be started up to 4 months before reaching State Pension age.

The Department is significantly increasing the resource on Pension Credit to ensure it processes claims as quickly as possible, with over 500 additional staff to support the increase in applications generated from the successful Pension Credit take-up campaign.

If a claim is made by 21 December, Pension Credit can be backdated for three months if the entitlement conditions have been met throughout that period, and if the claimant was eligible they would also receive a Winter Fuel Payment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to answer Question 6368 tabled by the hon. Member for Richmond Park on 4 October 2024.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 October 2024 to Question 6368.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to answer Question 6369 tabled by the hon. Member for Richmond Park on 4 October 2024.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 October 2024 to Question 6369.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost of providing free court transcripts to survivors of sexual assault and other serious crimes.

Answered by Heidi Alexander - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

I understand transcripts may help individuals obtain closure from traumatic events.

Since May 2024, the Ministry of Justice has been running a pilot providing free sentencing remarks to victims of rape and serious sexual offences. We will be evaluating the pilot to understand cost, uptake and impact on victims when it ends in May 2025.

State pension age and 1950s-born women

Social care workers and National Insurance

Release of Emily Damari

UN Special Rapporteur's report on atrocity crimes in Iran

Immediate ceasefire in Lebanon

Israeli Knesset decision to ban UNRWA

Found: _8 Sarah Olney .

Found: _8 Sarah Olney .

Found: _8 Sarah Olney ★.