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1132395

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Probate
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the average length of time for probate to be granted in the last (a) three months and (b) financial year.
	tabling member constituency	Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
	tabling member printed	Simon Hart
	uin	265484
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2019 answer text <p>Official statistics are not published on the average length of time from receipt of the application to the issue of a grant of probate. Internal management information, which is not subject to the rigorous quality assurance processes of official statistics, however shows that in the last financial year (2018/2019) the average time was three weeks.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst timeliness data are not yet available for the last three months, it is clear that waiting times have increased. Urgent action has been taken to address these temporary delays, staffing has been increased and the digital service further improved, and as a result waiting times are starting to reduce.</p><p> </p><p>There are no prescribed target times for dealing with probate applications. The recent increase in waiting times has been caused by a combination of an increased volume of incoming work and the transition to a new case management IT system. The move to the new system meant that staff had to spend time being trained and familiarising themselves with the system – which also had some initial performance issues that have been addressed.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 17/07/2019 15:38:49 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	3944 label Biography information for Simon Hart

1132298

	registered interest
	date	14/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Probate Service: Staff
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of staff have been redeployed from the HMRC probate team to other Departments in the last 12 months; and whether the probate registry is understaffed as a result.
	tabling member constituency	Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
	tabling member printed	Simon Hart
	uin	264764
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The administration of the probate service is the responsibility of Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service. No staff have been redeployed from the probate service to other departments in the last 12 months and therefore there has been no change on the staffing levels.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 24/06/2019 16:50:33 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	3944 label Biography information for Simon Hart

1132299

	registered interest
	date	14/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Probate: Internet
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the new online probate application system.
	tabling member constituency	Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
	tabling member printed	Simon Hart
	uin	264765
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>This service is assessed through a range of measures, such as user feedback and user satisfaction. Of 4,995 responses from users who submitted their application online 93% indicated, from five feedback options, that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the online application service provided. The online system is being continually improved and developed as a result of the feedback provided.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 24/06/2019 16:51:26 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	3944 label Biography information for Simon Hart

1131307

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Probate Service: Digital Technology
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the digitisation of the Probate Service.
	tabling member constituency	Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
	tabling member printed	Simon Hart
	uin	263130
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>The 2018 amendments to the non-contentious probate rules enabled personal applications to be submitted online. This service is assessed through a range of measures, such as user feedback and user satisfaction. Of 4,995 responses from users who submitted their application online 93% indicated, from five feedback options, that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the online application service provided. The online system is being continually improved and developed as a result of the feedback provided.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 18/06/2019 16:44:22 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	3944 label Biography information for Simon Hart

1131308

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Probate: Internet
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has been made of the level of delays in the granting of probate as a consequence of the transition to the new online probate system.
	tabling member constituency	Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
	tabling member printed	Simon Hart
	uin	263131
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>Urgent action has been taken to address the delays which have been experienced in the probate service. Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service is increasing staffing levels and further improving the digital service to help reduce waiting times.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 18/06/2019 16:45:15 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	3944 label Biography information for Simon Hart

1131309

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Probate Service: Digital Technology
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the new digital probate system will be fully functional.
	tabling member constituency	Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
	tabling member printed	Simon Hart
	uin	263132
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>The new digital case management system is fully functional and the online service for personal applicants to apply for probate, where the deceased has left a Will, has been publicly available since July 2018. Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service plans to have online services available in probate for all user groups and types of probate applications by the end of Autumn 2019.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 18/06/2019 16:46:30 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	3944 label Biography information for Simon Hart

1086691

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	VAT: Electronic Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of UK SMEs with a turnover of £85,000 or more are prepared for the transfer to digital VAT records due to take effect in April 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
	tabling member printed	Simon Hart
	uin	230714
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2019 answer text <p>There is a high level of awareness of the upcoming introduction of Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT among businesses and tax professionals, and the number of businesses making preparations gives us confidence that the vast majority will be ready. Over 43,000 businesses have already joined the pilot service, with thousands more joining every day.</p><p> </p><p>In research carried out in December 2018, 8 in 10 VAT mandated businesses were aware of MTD either by name or concept. Of those who were aware, 83% had already started to prepare.</p><p> </p><p>It’s important to note that the 1st April deadline is not a cliff edge by which time businesses need to have signed-up. The first returns for most businesses under the new system won’t be due until August at the earliest.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC has been working closely with the software industry so that businesses will be able to choose products that suit both their budget and their needs. That includes software which has been developed specifically to support different types of sector and ‘bridging software’ to allow businesses to continue keeping their records in spreadsheets if they prefer.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC’s comprehensive Impact Assessment, developed in consultation with external stakeholders and informed by both quantitative and qualitative evidence, anticipated net ongoing software costs of £37m for those businesses needing to operate MTD. Costs will vary by individual business, with some providers offering free software and over 140 existing subscription products are being updated at no cost at all.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that businesses will require time to become familiar with these new requirements. As confirmed at Spring Statement, during the first year of VAT mandation we are committed to taking a light touch approach to penalties. HMRC will not issue record keeping or filing penalties where businesses are doing their best to comply with MTD.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Central Devon answering member printed Mel Stride grouped question UIN 230715 230716 question first answered 19/03/2019 17:03:19 answering member 3935 label Biography information for Mel Stride
	tabling member	3944 label Biography information for Simon Hart

1086693

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	VAT: Electronic Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on SMEs of the cost of purchasing software to meet the forthcoming online digital VAT records obligation.
	tabling member constituency	Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
	tabling member printed	Simon Hart
	uin	230715
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2019 answer text <p>There is a high level of awareness of the upcoming introduction of Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT among businesses and tax professionals, and the number of businesses making preparations gives us confidence that the vast majority will be ready. Over 43,000 businesses have already joined the pilot service, with thousands more joining every day.</p><p> </p><p>In research carried out in December 2018, 8 in 10 VAT mandated businesses were aware of MTD either by name or concept. Of those who were aware, 83% had already started to prepare.</p><p> </p><p>It’s important to note that the 1st April deadline is not a cliff edge by which time businesses need to have signed-up. The first returns for most businesses under the new system won’t be due until August at the earliest.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC has been working closely with the software industry so that businesses will be able to choose products that suit both their budget and their needs. That includes software which has been developed specifically to support different types of sector and ‘bridging software’ to allow businesses to continue keeping their records in spreadsheets if they prefer.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC’s comprehensive Impact Assessment, developed in consultation with external stakeholders and informed by both quantitative and qualitative evidence, anticipated net ongoing software costs of £37m for those businesses needing to operate MTD. Costs will vary by individual business, with some providers offering free software and over 140 existing subscription products are being updated at no cost at all.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that businesses will require time to become familiar with these new requirements. As confirmed at Spring Statement, during the first year of VAT mandation we are committed to taking a light touch approach to penalties. HMRC will not issue record keeping or filing penalties where businesses are doing their best to comply with MTD.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Central Devon answering member printed Mel Stride grouped question UIN 230714 230716 question first answered 19/03/2019 17:03:19 answering member 3935 label Biography information for Mel Stride
	tabling member	3944 label Biography information for Simon Hart

1086697

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	VAT: Electronic Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people not signed up to the transfer deadline for digital VAT records can sign up without a penalty or receive an extension.
	tabling member constituency	Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
	tabling member printed	Simon Hart
	uin	230716
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2019 answer text <p>There is a high level of awareness of the upcoming introduction of Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT among businesses and tax professionals, and the number of businesses making preparations gives us confidence that the vast majority will be ready. Over 43,000 businesses have already joined the pilot service, with thousands more joining every day.</p><p> </p><p>In research carried out in December 2018, 8 in 10 VAT mandated businesses were aware of MTD either by name or concept. Of those who were aware, 83% had already started to prepare.</p><p> </p><p>It’s important to note that the 1st April deadline is not a cliff edge by which time businesses need to have signed-up. The first returns for most businesses under the new system won’t be due until August at the earliest.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC has been working closely with the software industry so that businesses will be able to choose products that suit both their budget and their needs. That includes software which has been developed specifically to support different types of sector and ‘bridging software’ to allow businesses to continue keeping their records in spreadsheets if they prefer.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC’s comprehensive Impact Assessment, developed in consultation with external stakeholders and informed by both quantitative and qualitative evidence, anticipated net ongoing software costs of £37m for those businesses needing to operate MTD. Costs will vary by individual business, with some providers offering free software and over 140 existing subscription products are being updated at no cost at all.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that businesses will require time to become familiar with these new requirements. As confirmed at Spring Statement, during the first year of VAT mandation we are committed to taking a light touch approach to penalties. HMRC will not issue record keeping or filing penalties where businesses are doing their best to comply with MTD.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Central Devon answering member printed Mel Stride grouped question UIN 230714 230715 question first answered 19/03/2019 17:03:19 answering member 3935 label Biography information for Mel Stride
	tabling member	3944 label Biography information for Simon Hart

1079350

	registered interest
	date	28/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Beverage Containers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to introduce (a) 25p per coffee cup surcharge, (b) bottle deposit scheme and (c) refillable water bottle policy.
	tabling member constituency	Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
	tabling member printed	Simon Hart
	uin	227078
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2019 answer text <p>The Government recognises the problems caused by disposable cups, which are difficult to recycle and often littered. At Budget 2018, the Government concluded that a levy on all cups would not at this point deliver a decisive shift from disposable cups to reusable cups across all beverage types.</p><p> </p><p>The Government expects industry to go further in taking action on disposable plastic cups and will return to the issue if sufficient progress is not made. In the meantime, the Government is considering the case for reducing the environmental impact of disposable cups within a reformed packaging producer responsibility system and a potential deposit return scheme (DRS), which we are currently inviting views on through consultation.</p><p> </p><p>The DRS consultation is being undertaken jointly by the UK and Welsh Governments, and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland. The consultation was launched on 18 February and will close on 13 May. The aim of a DRS is that it is easy for consumers to return drinks containers (such as plastic bottles, aluminium and steel cans, and glass bottles), reduce litter and increase recycling rates of drinks containers within the scope of a DRS.</p><p> </p><p>The Government recognises the importance of making drinking water more readily available in public places, as a means of reducing single use plastic bottles. As laid out in the 25 Year Environment Plan and the Resources and Waste Strategy, we are already taking action in this area.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has encouraged transit hub operators, including Network Rail and airports, to install free water fountains to support refilling water bottles.</p><p> </p><p>The water industry is supporting the Refill campaign, which is managed by City to Sea. We are pleased to see new refill points being installed in every major city and town in England. There are now over 14,000 refill points on City to Sea’s free Refill app, and they aim to double this by 2020.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 07/03/2019 16:14:09 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	3944 label Biography information for Simon Hart