Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to amend fiscal rules to (a) incentivise and (b) reward spending on climate change mitigation measures.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to sustainable public finances and delivering on the priority of getting debt falling over the medium-term. To deliver on this priority, the Government has fiscal rules – the rules require underlying debt to be falling and borrowing to be below 3% of GDP in the fifth year of the rolling forecast period. The fiscal rules are comprehensive, and targeting public sector wide measures means the impact of Government decisions on the public finances is clearly reflected.
The Government is committed to ensuring fiscal decision making is aligned with achieving net zero and our legally binding environmental targets. The Green Book requires departments to assess the climate and environmental impacts of policy proposals, with major bids and proposals at fiscal events assessed according to these impacts, and Spending Review 2021 was developed alongside the Net Zero Strategy to ensure our plans were funded.
Spending Review 2021 committed £30 billion of domestic investment for the green industrial revolution. Since then, we have committed a further £6 billion for energy efficiency in the next parliament, up to £20 billion of long-term funding for early deployment of carbon capture, usage and storage, and over £1 billion for green industries supply chains through the Green Industries Growth Accelerator.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps the Government has taken to reduce levels of economic inactivity among women aged between 45 and 60 in (a) Newport West constituency and (b) Wales.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Local Jobcentre teams are supporting customers into work and helping those in work to progress to higher paid jobs. We are working with local and national employers to help fill vacancies quickly, recruitment days, Job Fairs, wellbeing events and work trials, all of which can help support women across Wales to return to work.
Eligible older jobseekers on Universal Credit benefit from additional time with their Work Coach and the delivery of Mid Life MOTs in Jobcentres which support people to review their health, wealth and skills, with sessions delivered in Newport Jobcentre and across Wales. DWP also offers the digital MOT which is available online to help anyone who needs help to assess their finances, skills and work.
In addition, Newport Jobcentre offers bespoke support for over 50s including Job Clubs in collaboration with C4W+, offering 4-weeks of employability skills support, events with Springboard Charity focused on the hospitality sector, providing training, qualifications and work placements, and events with 1st Impressions, a charity that supplies clothing to women attending interviews or starting work.
Further planned support in Newport includes a Digital Skills course and wellbeing hubs as part of our 50Plus offer, myth busting sessions with Admiral Insurance and coaching support from Business in the Community. Activity across Wales includes a six week back to work programme for over 50s in Llandudno, and sessions delivered by local provider, Groundworks, to support customers in Shotton, both of which were well attended by local women.
We also work with businesses and the Government's Menopause Employment Champion to drive awareness of issues surrounding the menopause and work; encouraging employers to develop policies that create a more supportive environment to help women return to, stay in and progress in work. As part of the 50plus choices offer, 50plus Champions have delivered presentations to Jobcentre teams in Newport and across Wales on the menopause and the support available.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether his Department plans to provide additional humanitarian support to NGOs following the recent flooding in Afghanistan.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
FCDO partners including the UN World Food Programme, International Organisation for Migration, and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) are on the ground providing a response to the recent flooding in Afghanistan, and we have communicated that our partners can use our funds flexibly for flood response. We build such no-notice and climate-induced events into our planning with partners, and they are responding accordingly, while keeping us closely posted on their assessments of damage and impacts.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to her Department's publication of spending over £500 using a government procurement card from October to December 2023 on 17 May 2024, for what purpose payments were made of (a) £662.70 to Paul on 10 October 2023, (b) £2,157.60 to Revolution Events on 6 November 2023, (c) £865.64 to Hilton International on 16 November 2023, and (d) £1,023.02 to Orbis Coffee on 17 November 2023.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We can confirm that the only information we hold regarding the purpose of these payments is related to the provision of catering, conference attendance and accommodation.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent discussions the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs has had with representatives of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on the UK’s funding to UNRWA.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the events that took place on 7 October in Israel are appalling, which is why we took decisive action to pause future funding to the organisation.
The Prime Minister has been clear that the UK will set out its position on future funding to UNRWA following careful consideration of Catherine Colonna's final report, UNRWA's response and the ongoing UN Office for Internal Oversight Services investigation into these allegations.
We have regular discussions with international counterparts on all aspects of the conflict.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs has had discussions with other donors of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on the UK’s funding to that organisation.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the events that took place on 7 October in Israel are appalling, which is why we took decisive action to pause future funding to the organisation.
The Prime Minister has been clear that the UK will set out its position on future funding to UNRWA following careful consideration of Catherine Colonna's final report, UNRWA's response and the ongoing UN Office for Internal Oversight Services investigation into these allegations.
We have regular discussions with international counterparts on all aspects of the conflict.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress towards the measures to retain doctors included in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan has a strong focus on retention, but is not starting from scratch. It builds on measures put in place though the NHS People Promise and NHS People Plan, to improve organisational culture, and the workplace experience of staff across the National Health Service.
The learning from the NHS National Retention Programme is that single retention interventions rarely have an impact, instead what is needed is sustained action over time, to address retention issues. Last month, NHS England set out a range of measures to improve the working lives of doctors in training, including improving choice and flexibility on rotas, streamlining and improving human resources and payroll support, and reforming statutory and mandatory training.
We have also taken action on pensions and changed the NHS Pension Scheme rules to make retirement more flexible, and encourage retired staff to return. This includes a new partial retirement option available from 1 October 2023 as an alternative to full retirement. Staff can now draw down some or all of their pension whilst continuing to work, and further building up their pension.
To ensure the delivery and review the progress of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, a Governance Board has been established to provide cross Government assurance of progress. The Government has committed to updating the modelling that underpins the Long Term Workforce Plan every two years, or in line with fiscal events as appropriate.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has consulted children and young people on the plan for those in school with SEND.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The consultation on the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision (AP) Green Paper ran from 29 March to 22 July 2022. During this time, the department received around 6,000 responses to the online consultation and delivered 175 consultation events hearing from over 4,500 people.
The department designed specific consultation questions for children and young people and consulted children and young people at a significant number of consultation events. Specific consultation events were also delivered with stakeholders such as the Council for Disabled Children’s Friendship, Learning, Achieve, Reach and Empower (FLARE) children and young people’s group to ensure their views were captured in the consultation feedback.
The department continues to engage with children, young people and their families, including stakeholders such as FLARE and the National Network of Parent Carer Forums, as it designs and tests reforms through the Change Programme. This will ensure a wide range of perspectives are considered to improve the outcomes and experiences of children and young people with SEND and in AP.
Asked by: Barbara Keeley (Labour - Worsley and Eccles South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many times (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have met representatives from (i) ViaGoGo and (ii) StubHub International since September 2023.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
His Majesty’s Government is committed to supporting fair and transparent ticket pricing and tackling unacceptable behaviour in this market.
We engage with a range of key organisations and individuals operating in the ticketing sector to understand the issues and challenges facing the ticketing and live events sectors. This includes STAR (the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers, the self-regulatory body for the entertainment ticketing industry in the UK), the Competition and Markets Authority, Fanfair Alliance (the campaigning body against industrial scale online ticket touting), membership bodies representing all parts of the music sector including artists and event organisers, and, where appropriate, primary and secondary ticketing businesses.
Neither DCMS Ministers nor officials have had any meetings with Viagogo since September 2023. Viagogo has written once to my Department since then.
There have been no meetings or correspondence between DCMS Ministers and StubHub International since September 2023. Officials in my Department have met them twice since this date at StubHub’s request, and have received correspondence from them in the last three months.
Asked by: Barbara Keeley (Labour - Worsley and Eccles South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have received correspondence from (i) Viagogo and (ii) StubHub International in the last three months.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
His Majesty’s Government is committed to supporting fair and transparent ticket pricing and tackling unacceptable behaviour in this market.
We engage with a range of key organisations and individuals operating in the ticketing sector to understand the issues and challenges facing the ticketing and live events sectors. This includes STAR (the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers, the self-regulatory body for the entertainment ticketing industry in the UK), the Competition and Markets Authority, Fanfair Alliance (the campaigning body against industrial scale online ticket touting), membership bodies representing all parts of the music sector including artists and event organisers, and, where appropriate, primary and secondary ticketing businesses.
Neither DCMS Ministers nor officials have had any meetings with Viagogo since September 2023. Viagogo has written once to my Department since then.
There have been no meetings or correspondence between DCMS Ministers and StubHub International since September 2023. Officials in my Department have met them twice since this date at StubHub’s request, and have received correspondence from them in the last three months.