Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department is taking steps to support the implementation of the UN General Assembly’s resolution on the Promotion of inclusive and effective international tax cooperation at the United Nations.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK strongly supports developing countries' efforts to scale-up domestic resource mobilisation to finance sustainable development.
The UK engaged constructively in the negotiations on the UN tax resolution. However, the UK, alongside many other countries, is concerned that proceeding with a UN convention on international tax at this time would not be the most effective way to achieve these goals. An Explanation of Vote was published on GOV.UK on 22nd November. [LINK]
Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of establishing an independent statutory committee to assess the NHS.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The cost of any such committee would depend on the task it was set through its terms of reference.
NHS England has existing responsibilities to maintain and improve health care services in a way that is financially and operationally sustainable within the resource limits set by the government, and to oversee and support integrated care boards (ICBs), National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts, including by conducting annual assessments of ICBs. NHS England regularly publishes information on NHS performance.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will list conservation projects in the Congo Basin that have received government grants in each of the last three years.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
In the last three year's His Majesty's Government has supported projects which have contributed towards conservation in the Congo Basin region, as follows:
Darwin Initiative. Further information about supported projects can be found at https://www.darwininitiative.org.uk/project-search/
Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund. Further information about supported projects can be found at https://iwt.challengefund.org.uk/project-search/
Investments in Forests and Sustainable Land Use (IFSLU) programme has supported:
a. Africa Palm Oil Initiative (now renamed Africa Sustainable Commodities Initiative), managed through ProForest. Covering Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Gabon and the Republic of Congo (RoC).
b. Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) in Djoum-Mintom landscape, Cameroon. This project is implemented by two partners: APIFED, an NGO promoting women's and indigenous people's rights and Ecotrading, an enterprise specialising in sustainable NTFP sourcing and trade.
Forest Governance, Markets and Climate (FGMC) programme has supported projects on forest governance, legality, transparency and rights in the Congo Basin through a number of grants to leading non-governmental organisations
a. Client Earth (CE) - Using the law to address illegal use of forest resources and promote better forest and land governance. Covered Gabon and RoC. Ended December 2022.
b. Chatham House (CH) - Strengthening Forest Governance - preparing for the next 10 years. Covered DRC. Ended December 2022.
c. University of Wolverhampton (CIDT) - Strengthening Forest and Wildlife Monitoring & Law Enforcement in the Congo Basin. Covered Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), DRC, Gabon and RoC. Ended December 2022.
d. Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) - Strengthening forest governance through civil society monitoring and tracking illicit timber flows. Covered Gabon. Ended December 2022.
e. Fern - Consolidating good governance, tackling illegalities. Covered Cameroon and RoC. Ended December 2023.
f. The Proforest Initiative (PF) - Using deforestation-free commodity supply chains to support national initiatives to combat forest loss. Covered Cameroon. Ended December 2022.
g. The Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) - Embedding community real time monitoring to sustain livelihoods and forests in Central and West Africa. Covered Cameroon, DRC and RoC. Covered June 2022.
h. Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) - Local to global: Leveraging lessons and opportunities from rightsholders to drive sustainable, equitable and inclusive climate action. Covered DRC and Gabon. Ended December 2022.
i. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) - Improving international and national governance frameworks and business standards for intact forests, climate and biodiversity. Covered Gabon and RoC. Ended December 2022.
j. World Resource Institute (WRI) - Consolidating Forest Governance through Transparency and Accountability. Covered Cameroon and RoC. Ended December 2022.
k. WWF - Strengthened multilateral engagement and collaboration with China's timber and palm oil supply chains to reduce deforestation and forest degradation. Covered Gabon. Ended December 2022.
l. Zoological Society of London (ZSL) - Driving transparent, legal and sustainable forestry practices through financial, market and governance incentives. Covered Cameroon, Gabon and RoC. Ended December 2022.
m. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) - Improving international and national governance frameworks and business standards for intact forests, climate and biodiversity. Covered Gabon and RoC. Ended December 2022.
Further information can be found in the FGMC's Annual Review at https://iati.fcdo.gov.uk/iati_documents/D0001101.odt
The UK has also made contributions to the Central African Forests Initiative (CAFI), a UN multi-donor trust fund, annually since FY2021/22.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Independent - Edmonton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the proposed UN framework on international tax cooperation.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK strongly supports developing countries' efforts to scale-up domestic resource mobilisation to finance sustainable development.
The UK engaged constructively in the negotiations on the UN tax resolution. However, the UK, alongside many other countries, is concerned that proceeding with a UN convention on international tax at this time would not be the most effective way to achieve these goals. An Explanation of Vote was published on GOV.UK on 22nd November. [LINK]
Asked by: Tahir Ali (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits supporting the new UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK strongly supports developing countries' efforts to scale-up domestic resource mobilisation to finance sustainable development.
The UK engaged constructively in the negotiations on the UN tax resolution. However, the UK, alongside many other countries, is concerned that proceeding with a UN convention on international tax at this time would not be the most effective way to achieve these goals. An Explanation of Vote was published on GOV.UK on 22nd November. [LINK]
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the publication entitled OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS: Progress Report September 2022-September 2023, published on 11 October 2023; and if he will make it his policy to (i) support the UN Africa Group’s draft resolution on the Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation and (ii) make representations at the UN on ratification of that proposed convention by June 2025.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK strongly supports developing countries’ efforts to scale-up domestic resource mobilisation to finance sustainable development.
The International Development White Paper published on Monday 20th November commits to building a stronger and fairer international tax system for all.
In line with this, the UK supports the work of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting, which allows closer international tax co-operation among more than 140 countries and jurisdictions; and the OECD/G20 Global Forum on Tax Transparency and Exchange of Information, which has 169 members and whose work has identified over EUR 41 billion of additional revenues by developing countries to date.
However, the UK, alongside many other countries, is concerned that proceeding with a UN convention on international tax at this time would not be the most effective way to achieve these goals. An explanation of Vote was published on GOV.UK on 22nd November. [link]
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to fund research into bioplastics.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra prefers to use the term ‘bio-based plastic’ instead of ‘bioplastic’ to avoid confusion with, for example, biodegradable plastics.
The Government is not currently looking to fund bio-based plastic research. Defra has previously funded research in this area as part of UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) £60m Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging programme, which supported a portfolio of 70+ projects with academia and industry. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is undertaking research on potential resource efficiency measures in the plastic sector, this includes bio-based plastics.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason the UK Permanent Representative at the United Nations voted against the resolution proposed by the Africa Group entitled Promotion of inclusive and effective international cooperation on tax matters at the United Nations; and whether the Government plans to support the development of a new UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation following the adoption of that resolution.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK strongly supports developing countries’ efforts to scale-up domestic resource mobilisation to finance sustainable development.
The International Development White Paper published on Monday 20th November commits to building a stronger and fairer international tax system for all.
However, the UK, alongside many other countries, is concerned that proceeding with a UN convention on international tax at this time would not be the most effective way to achieve these goals. An Explanation of vote was published on GOV.UK on 22 November: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-uk-is-committed-to-building-a-fairer-international-tax-system-for-all-uk-statement-at-the-un-second-committee.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will increase (a) funding and (b) staffing levels for vascular care.
Answered by Will Quince
The Government has and will continue to prioritise investment into the National Health Service. Funding confirmed at the last Spending Review was on top of the historic long-term NHS settlement announced in 2018. Taken together with funding announced at the Autumn Statement 2022, this means that the NHS resource budget in England will increase in cash terms to £165.8 billion in 2024/25, up from £123.4 billion in 2019/20.
It is for local integrated care systems to determine the appropriate funding for vascular care for their populations. The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan commits to double the number of medical school training places. As these students graduate, we will work with stakeholders to ensure the commensurate growth in specialty training places is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.
The cardiology specialty has seen a higher-than-average increase in the numbers of doctors working in the NHS. There are over 1,400 (63%) more doctors working in the cardiology specialty, including over 700 (89%) more cardiology consultants, compared to 2010.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of ground water levels to meet current needs in England; and whether such water levels have (1) decreased, or (2) increased, since 2000.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Environment Agency monitors groundwater levels across the country at thousands of locations and uses groundwater models designed to manage water resources, balancing the needs of both abstractors and the environment. Groundwater models provide current and future trends of water availability and are used to inform Abstraction Licencing Strategies used for local water resource management.
Over the past 20 years, groundwater levels in some areas have declined and in other areas increased. Over relatively short periods of time groundwater levels can vary significantly in response to environmental factors (particularly rainfall both in terms of overall quantity and timing) and due to changing abstraction pressures. It should be noted that groundwater levels in most locations were relatively high in the 2000s due to a period of high rainfall recharge which caused significant groundwater flooding in some areas and more recently have been relatively low due to prolonged dry weather.
The Environment Agency’s assessment shows that since 2017 the number of groundwater bodies with sustainable abstraction has increased from 72% to 73%.