Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Law Commission's report, Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law, published July 2022, if he will implement the Commission's recommendations on removing restrictions on venues where civil and religious marriages can take place; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Sarah Dines
The Law Commission report contains 57 recommendations for wholesale legislative reform. We must now take the time to consider the report recommendations fully. As has been set out in Parliament, marriage will always be one of our most important institutions, and we have a duty to consider the implications of any changes to the law in this area very carefully. We will publish a response to the report in due course.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to explore alternative methods to fracking for extracting shale gas.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Ministerial Statement of 4 November 2019 makes clear that the pause on shale gas exploration and extraction applies specifically to operations that require Hydraulic Fracturing Consent. The definition of associated hydraulic fracturing is set out under section 4B of the Petroleum Act 1998 (inserted by Section 50 of the Infrastructure Act 2015), and involves the injection of more than 10,000 cubic metres of fluid in total, or more than 1,000 cubic metres of fluid per stage.
Activities outside of this definition are not included in the pause.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to protect workers' rights in the retail and distribution sector in response to the Taylor Review.
Answered by Jane Hunt
We are committed to supporting all workers across the UK and have recently brought forward several reforms which will help protect workers in the retail and distribution sector.
In April 2022 we made sure 2.5 million people received a pay rise raising the National Minimum and National Living Wages. This was the largest ever cash increase to the National Living Wage and will put over £1,000 a year into a full-time workers’ pay packet, helping to ease cost of living pressures.
Additionally, on 6 July we brought forward legislation to widen the ban on exclusivity clauses, which restrict staff from working for multiple employers, to contracts where the guaranteed weekly income is equivalent to or below the Lower Earnings Limit of £123 a week.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle disparities in regional medicine supply in High Wycombe in comparison to other areas in NHS England.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Department has established processes to prevent, manage and mitigate medicine shortages in England, including in High Wycombe. We work with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the pharmaceutical industry and the National Health Service to maintain overall supply. Local pharmacies have specific commercial arrangements in place to ensure the continuity of supplies.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Gambling Commission takes into account potential national security implications when awarding National Lottery licences.
Answered by Damian Collins
The process of awarding the licence to run the National Lottery is governed by the National Lottery etc. Act (1993). Under the Act, the Gambling Commission has a duty to ensure that any person who either runs or benefits from the running of the National Lottery is fit and proper and that the Licensee’s operation meets high standards of propriety. The award of the licence is distinct from an acquisition - at no point is the operator appointed to run the lottery the owner of the National Lottery as an asset. The 4th National Lottery licence is due to begin in 2024.
During the competition to run the 4th National Lottery licence, the Commission carried out fit and proper tests on all 4 final stage applicants. Fit and proper checks examine the identity, integrity, criminality and financial standing of those who run, or benefit from running, the National Lottery, or are applying to do so. As part of its duties under the Act, the Commission cannot award the licence unless it is satisfied that the proposed licensee is fit and proper. The Commission is also required to revoke a licence if it becomes satisfied that the licensee is no longer, or indeed never was, fit and proper.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Gambling Commission, as a responsible regulator, sought assurances that none of the final stage applicants were impacted by sanctions against the Russian regime. The Commission was satisfied that this was the case.
In addition, following the announcement of Allwyn as the preferred applicant in March 2022, standard vetting checks (Baseline Personnel Security Standard or BPSS level) are being carried out as planned, on behalf of the Commission, by UK Security Vetting on key people connected with the proposal. These include Qualifying Direct Shareholders, which is any person who holds at least 5% interest in the licensee. Full details of what is included in a BPSS level check is outlined on the UKSV website.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to ensure that energy customers using a preferred payment method are not disadvantaged compared with customers using other payment methods.
Answered by Greg Hands
Under the terms of the supply licence enforced by Ofgem, gas and electricity suppliers cannot charge more for one payment method compared with another, unless it costs more to provide the preferred payment method to customers.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will hold discussions with the Mayor of London on extending the eligibility for Freedom Passes for the (a) Elizabeth Line and (b) London Underground to (i) pensioners and (ii) people with disabilities who live outside London but whose local services are connected to Transport for London services.
Answered by Karl McCartney
Transport in London is devolved and responsibility for it lies with the Mayor of London and Transport for London, including decisions on concessions offered and the terms attached to those concessions.
Local authorities can choose to make cross border arrangements with neighbouring authorities for discretionary concessions.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ease queues for passport checks at airports.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Border Force’s number one priority is to maintain a secure border. Building on the successes so far this year Border Force will seek to maximise all available resource to minimise wait times for passengers travelling into the UK.
We are also working with other Government Departments and UK ports and airports to implement robust and dynamic plans which allow us to anticipate and quickly respond to the effects of increased passenger travel on the UK’s border controls, whilst continuing to maintain border security and facilitating the movement of people and legitimate goods.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take further steps to assist commuters with the rising cost of petrol.
Answered by Alan Mak - Shadow Economic Secretary (Treasury)
At Spring Statement 2022 in response to fuel prices reaching record levels, the government announced a temporary 12-month cut to duty on petrol and diesel of 5p per litre.
This is the largest cash-terms cut across all fuel duty rates at once, ever, and is only the second time in 20 years that main rates of petrol and diesel have been cut. This cut represents savings for households and businesses worth around £2.4 billion in 2022-23.
The Government has been clear that it expects those in the supply chain to pass the fuel duty cut through to consumers as promptly as possible. Following a request from the Business Secretary, the Competition and Markets Authority will undertake a short and focused review of the fuel market and will provide advice to the Government on steps that could be taken to improve outcomes for consumers.
All taxes, including fuel duty, remain under review.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take further steps to support households at risk of fuel poverty.
Answered by Alan Mak - Shadow Economic Secretary (Treasury)
The Government recognises that millions of households across the UK have been impacted by rising energy bills and the wider cost of living. That is why the Government is providing over £15 billion in further support, targeted particularly on those with the greatest need. This package is in addition to the over £22 billion announced previously, with government support for the cost of living now totalling over £37 billion this year. The package includes:
The Government has also expanded and increased the Warm Home Discount. Three million vulnerable households will now receive £150 each year. The Government’s objective for the Warm Home Discount is to focus the support towards those on the lowest incomes and in, or at greatest risk of, fuel poverty.
The Government has robust plans in place to improve the efficiency of peoples’ homes. The Heat and Buildings Strategy, published in October, detailed the £3.9 billion committed over the Spending Review period to improve the energy efficiency of our building stock and help to reduce bills.
We are also expanding the Energy Company Obligation, which places an obligation on larger energy suppliers to provide energy efficiency and heating measures for fuel poor households across Great Britain, to £1 billion per year from 2022-2026. This will help 133,000 low-income households annually to improve their energy efficiency.
The Government will continue to monitor how global events affect energy bills and the cost of living into the winter.