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1129312

registered interest
date	03/06/2019
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	Charities: Plastic Bags
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he is taking steps to encourage charities to (a) stop using plastic bags to collect charity donations and (b) explore alternatives.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	259431
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government’s Resources and Waste Strategy for England, published in December last year, sets out our plans to reduce plastic pollution and move towards a more circular economy. This builds on the commitment in the 25 Year Environment Plan to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste.</p><p>Following a public consultation in 2017, the Fundraising Regulator strengthened its Code of Practice, requiring charitable house to house collectors not to post collection bags to properties that indicate they do not wish to receive them, thus reducing the distribution of unwanted charity collection bags. The Waste and Resources Action Programme has also produced guidance to help local authorities and textiles collectors such as charities, waste management companies and textile merchants increase textile reuse and recycling and reduce the amount of textiles being disposed of in residual waste.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 10/06/2019 10:43:58 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1129321

registered interest
date	03/06/2019
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	Forests: Conservation
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 improve protection and preservation of ancient woodlands as part of future national planning policy.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	259435
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>Defra officials are working with the Ministry of Communities, Housing and Local Government to produce the National Planning Policy Guidance (NPPG) to support the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published last year. The NPPF strengthens protection of ancient woodland, meeting one of the Government’s manifesto commitments. The NPPG will be published shortly. The planning framework and guidance will reflect the importance of strengthened protection of ancient woodlands, ancient trees and veteran trees and is a significant milestone in strengthening the protection of this irreplaceable habitat.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 10/06/2019 13:57:45 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1128540

registered interest
date	23/05/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Aviation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Civil Aviation Authority data which shows that the number of domestic aviation routes with more than 1,000 passengers per year has fallen from 228 in 2007 to 188 in 2017.
tabling member constituency	Middlesbrough
tabling member printed	Andy McDonald
uin	257747
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>Aviation in the UK operates in the private sector and it is for airlines to determine which routes they should operate. However, the Aviation 2050 consultation acknowledges the benefits regional airports and connectivity can bring to the regions and seeks views on what further actions government could take to enhance and support these connections. The consultation closes on 20 June.</p><p> </p><p>Where domestic routes have previously been squeezed out of Heathrow over time, expansion of the airport will provide an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen existing domestic connections and deliver new ones.</p><p> </p><p>The Airports National Policy Statement sets a clear expectation that an additional runway at Heathrow will deliver at least 14 domestic routes. We expect many of these connections will be commercially viable. This will ensure that regions are increasingly well connected to the capital and the UK’s biggest airport, supporting new business, tourism and cultural links across the globe.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Northampton North answering member printed Michael Ellis question first answered 10/06/2019 11:13:59 answering member 4116 label Biography information for Sir Michael Ellis
tabling member	4269 label Biography information for Andy McDonald

1128322

registered interest
date	22/05/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she has taken to ensure that universal credit claimants (a) are fully aware of how the repayment of advance payments work and (b) understand that the deferment of repayments is for a maximum of three months.
tabling member constituency	Lanark and Hamilton East
tabling member printed	Angela Crawley
uin	257562
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>Applications for a Universal Credit advance payment can be made in person, by telephone or online depending on the claimant’s circumstances. Depending on the type of advance payment application, we will consider whether the claimant satisfies the eligibility conditions for receiving the advance. If the claimant is eligible we will agree the amount of the advance and the period over which the advance will be recovered from their future Universal Credit payments. If the claimant has made the application in person or by telephone, the outcome of the application is explained to the claimant face to face or over the phone and then their online journal is updated. If they have made the application online the outcome will be displayed on screen.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has taken a number of steps to ensure that advances meet the needs of claimants and that the recovery arrangements are personalised and reasonable. Affordability is managed by ensuring the recovery rate will not be more than the equivalent of 40% of the claimant’s standard allowance. The claimant is given the choice over the repayment period and it is explained to them exactly how much will be deducted each month depending on the option they choose. If the claimant is making the advance application online, these options are clearly displayed on screen for them to choose from.</p><p> </p><p>Help is available for those struggling to meet the recovery rate. In exceptional circumstances, recovery can be deferred for up to three months from the start of the recovery period. If the claimant tells us that due to unforeseen circumstances they are experiencing hardship and are having difficulty repaying the advance over the agreed recovery time, we would explain that repayment can be deferred by a maximum of three months.</p><p> </p><p>From October 2019 the maximum rate of deductions from a claimant’s standard allowance will be reduced from 40% to 30%. From October 2021 we are increasing the recovery period for advances from 12 to 16 months, further supporting those in financial need.</p><p> </p><p>Information about advances is available on the Gov.uk site at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-advances" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-advances</a></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 10/06/2019 14:31:16 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4469 label Biography information for Angela Crawley

1130045

registered interest
date	05/06/2019
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Poverty
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what measures he uses to identify poverty.
tabling member constituency	Lanark and Hamilton East
tabling member printed	Angela Crawley
uin	260684
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) publish an annual Households Below Average Income (HBAI) report which provides statistics on measures of poverty.</p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 10/06/2019 13:52:02 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
tabling member	4469 label Biography information for Angela Crawley

1128567

registered interest
date	23/05/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Syria: Military Intervention
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on the alleged targeting by Syrian and Russia of 13 hospitals in Syria run by the Union of Medical Care and relief organisations.
tabling member constituency	Cynon Valley
tabling member printed	Ann Clwyd
uin	257656
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>​We are appalled by reports that hospitals in north west Syria have been hit by Russian and regime airstrikes. The UN estimate that 20 health facilities, at least 9 of which are hospitals, have been affected by recent hostilities. It is inexcusable that hospitals have been attacked despite their coordinates being provided to Russia and others by the UN deconfliction mechanism. We urgently call on the Syrian regime, Russia and all other actors to abide by international law and respect the ceasefire agreed last year and the deconfliction mechanism.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 10/06/2019 14:37:48 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
tabling member	553 label Biography information for Ann Clwyd

1128144

registered interest
date	23/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices: Taxation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how much (1) the apprenticeship levy has raised in total in each of the four jurisdictions of the UK, (2) levy-paying employers have reclaimed, (3) has been used to fund new non-levy payer apprenticeships, (4) has been spent on old-style apprenticeships, and (5) has been spent on the administration of apprenticeships, in each year since the introduction of the apprenticeship levy.
tabling member printed	Baroness Neville-Rolfe
uin	HL15958
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>The apprenticeship levy is collected from all UK employers through the PAYE system by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). HMRC publish information on levy receipts in the monthly Tax and National Insurance contribution receipts publication, and in their annual reports and accounts, available at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-annual-report-and-accounts-2017-to-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-annual-report-and-accounts-2017-to-2018</a>.</p><p> </p><p>In 2017-18, the first year following the introduction of the levy, £2.6 billion was collected from UK employers and HM Treasury (HMT) allocated £425m of the levy collected to the devolved administrations. Annual data on levy collected in 2018-19 will be published by HMRC, and data on 2018-19 spending will be available from Department for Education in due course.</p><p> </p><p>Skills spending is a devolved matter and HMT committed in advance to the share of the levy that would be passed to the devolved administrations in the three-year period from 2017-18 to 2019-20. HMT published these plans at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-agrees-apprenticeship-levy-funding-deal-with-devolved-administrations" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-agrees-apprenticeship-levy-funding-deal-with-devolved-administrations</a>.</p><p> </p><p>In England, levy-paying employers can use online apprenticeship service accounts to access their funds. In 2017-18, the total spend on apprentices employed with levy payers, and who started training after the levy was introduced, was £268 million. This figure represents more than the £170 million in training and assessment costs charged to levy payers’ accounts.</p><p>This is because these employers also benefit from additional payments to support certain types of learners, and extremely generous co-investment contributions for those employers that have exhausted their levy account funds. Such costs are not currently deducted from levy accounts. In 2018-19, levy-payers drew down a further £639 million representing the costs charged to levy-payers on the learners who started since the levy was introduced (and whose training is ongoing in 2018-19) as well as the costs of learners who started in the 2018-19 financial year.</p><p> </p><p>Employers’ levy funds are distinct from the department’s ring-fenced annual apprenticeship budget, which is set in advance by HM Treasury to fund apprenticeships in England. This budget has risen year-on-year, from £2.01 billion in 2017-18 and £2.23 billion in 2018-19 to over £2.5 billion in 2019-20, double what was spent in 2010.</p><p> </p><p>In 2017-18, we spent £189 million on training and assessment (including additional payments) for apprentices with employers who do not pay the levy and who started their apprenticeship since the levy was introduced. This includes apprenticeships started on both frameworks and new standards.</p><p>The ongoing cost of training and assessment for apprentices who started their apprenticeship before the levy was introduced in May 2017 was £1,065 million in 2017-18 (including additional payments as detailed above).</p><p> </p><p>In 2017-18, £40 million (equating to less than 2%) of the £2.01 billion ring-fenced apprenticeships programme budget was spent on the cost of delivering and running the programme. This includes spending by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. The department is provided a separate budget for other administrative spending, and in 2017-18 total administrative spend was £44 million. These two budgets cover the cost of running the online apprenticeship service, employer engagement work, and the promotion of apprenticeships, in addition to staffing and other costs.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton grouped question UIN HL15959 question first answered 10/06/2019 10:54:07 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
tabling member	4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe

1128145

registered interest
date	23/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices: Taxation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the annual total cost of apprenticeships compared to the amount raised from the apprenticeship levy.
tabling member printed	Baroness Neville-Rolfe
uin	HL15959
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>The apprenticeship levy is collected from all UK employers through the PAYE system by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). HMRC publish information on levy receipts in the monthly Tax and National Insurance contribution receipts publication, and in their annual reports and accounts, available at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-annual-report-and-accounts-2017-to-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-annual-report-and-accounts-2017-to-2018</a>.</p><p> </p><p>In 2017-18, the first year following the introduction of the levy, £2.6 billion was collected from UK employers and HM Treasury (HMT) allocated £425m of the levy collected to the devolved administrations. Annual data on levy collected in 2018-19 will be published by HMRC, and data on 2018-19 spending will be available from Department for Education in due course.</p><p> </p><p>Skills spending is a devolved matter and HMT committed in advance to the share of the levy that would be passed to the devolved administrations in the three-year period from 2017-18 to 2019-20. HMT published these plans at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-agrees-apprenticeship-levy-funding-deal-with-devolved-administrations" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-agrees-apprenticeship-levy-funding-deal-with-devolved-administrations</a>.</p><p> </p><p>In England, levy-paying employers can use online apprenticeship service accounts to access their funds. In 2017-18, the total spend on apprentices employed with levy payers, and who started training after the levy was introduced, was £268 million. This figure represents more than the £170 million in training and assessment costs charged to levy payers’ accounts.</p><p>This is because these employers also benefit from additional payments to support certain types of learners, and extremely generous co-investment contributions for those employers that have exhausted their levy account funds. Such costs are not currently deducted from levy accounts. In 2018-19, levy-payers drew down a further £639 million representing the costs charged to levy-payers on the learners who started since the levy was introduced (and whose training is ongoing in 2018-19) as well as the costs of learners who started in the 2018-19 financial year.</p><p> </p><p>Employers’ levy funds are distinct from the department’s ring-fenced annual apprenticeship budget, which is set in advance by HM Treasury to fund apprenticeships in England. This budget has risen year-on-year, from £2.01 billion in 2017-18 and £2.23 billion in 2018-19 to over £2.5 billion in 2019-20, double what was spent in 2010.</p><p> </p><p>In 2017-18, we spent £189 million on training and assessment (including additional payments) for apprentices with employers who do not pay the levy and who started their apprenticeship since the levy was introduced. This includes apprenticeships started on both frameworks and new standards.</p><p>The ongoing cost of training and assessment for apprentices who started their apprenticeship before the levy was introduced in May 2017 was £1,065 million in 2017-18 (including additional payments as detailed above).</p><p> </p><p>In 2017-18, £40 million (equating to less than 2%) of the £2.01 billion ring-fenced apprenticeships programme budget was spent on the cost of delivering and running the programme. This includes spending by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. The department is provided a separate budget for other administrative spending, and in 2017-18 total administrative spend was £44 million. These two budgets cover the cost of running the online apprenticeship service, employer engagement work, and the promotion of apprenticeships, in addition to staffing and other costs.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton grouped question UIN HL15958 question first answered 10/06/2019 10:54:07 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
tabling member	4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe

1130118

registered interest
date	05/06/2019
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Stronger Towns Fund
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Barnett Formula will be applied to calculate the share of the Stronger Towns Fund.
tabling member constituency	Ceredigion
tabling member printed	Ben Lake
uin	260719
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government will seek to ensure that towns in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland can benefit from this funding and we will announce further details in due course.</p><p> </p><p>The Barnett Formula will be applied in the normal way to departmental DEL totals at the 2019 Spending Review.</p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 10/06/2019 12:33:41 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
tabling member	4630 label Biography information for Ben Lake

1129629

registered interest
date	04/06/2019
answering body	Department for International Trade
answering dept id	202
answering dept short name	International Trade
answering dept sort name	International Trade
hansard heading	Poultry Meat: USA
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to support and safeguard the interests of the UK poultry meat industry in trade negotiations with the US Administration.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	259964
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government has made it clear that any future trade deal with the US must work for farmers, food manufacturers and UK consumers as well as protecting the UK’s high standards of food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection.</p><p> </p><p>The existing food safety provisions regarding chlorine and other pathogen reduction treatments for poultry will be transferred into UK law by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act. Without exception, imports will continue to be required to meet the UK’s food safety standards.</p> answering member constituency Meon Valley answering member printed George Hollingbery question first answered 10/06/2019 13:49:08 answering member 4016 label Biography information for Sir George Hollingbery
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson