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670711

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2017
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Non-domestic Rates
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with local authorities on 100 per cent business rate retention.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	59371
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2017 answer text <p>By the end of the Parliament, local government will retain 100% of taxes raised locally, giving councils control of an additional £12.5 billion of business rates to spend on local services. To ensure the reforms are fiscally neutral, some existing grants will be phased out and responsibilities will be devolved to local authorities. This move towards self-sufficiency and away from dependence on central government is something councils have long campaigned for. We have worked in close collaboration with local government in how to implement this commitment, including through the Business Rates Retention Steering Group, which is jointly chaired by the Local Government Association and the Department for Communities and Local Government.</p><p>Last week, we introduced the Local Government Finance Bill that will establish the legislative framework for the reformed system. All relevant documents can be found here: <a href="http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2016-17/localgovernmentfinance.html" target="_blank">http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2016-17/localgovernmentfinance.html</a>. We will continue to work closely with local government during the passage of the legislation, to shape the detail of the reforms.</p> answering member constituency Nuneaton answering member printed Mr Marcus Jones question first answered 18/01/2017 17:40:02 answering member 4024 label Biography information for Mr Marcus Jones previous answer version 29859 answering member constituency Nuneaton answering member printed Mr Marcus Jones answering member 4024 label Biography information for Mr Marcus Jones
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1524320

	registered interest
	date	19/10/2022
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Independent Investigation into East Kent Maternity Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the report of the Independent Investigation into East Kent Maternity Services, published on 19 October 2022; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	67158
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2022 answer text <p>A written statement to the House of Commons and the House of Lords was made on 19 October 2022 regarding the publication of the report of the independent investigation into maternity and neonatal services in East Kent Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Dr Caroline Johnson MP, also made an oral statement to the House on 20 October 2022.</p><p>The Department has established an independent working group, chaired by the Royal College of Midwifery and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which will help guide the maternity transformation programme to take forward the next steps from the reports into maternity services at East Kent and Shrewsbury and Telford.</p><p>Together with the NHS, the Department will consider actions from both reports to form a coherent national delivery plan for maternity services.</p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Maria Caulfield question first answered 03/11/2022 15:20:01 answering member 4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield previous answer version 26794 answering member constituency Sleaford and North Hykeham answering member printed Dr Caroline Johnson answering member 4592
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

670698

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2017
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Retail Trade: Urban Areas
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support high streets around the country.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	59351
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2017 answer text <p>We are committed to ensuring that high streets throughout the country remain at the heart of their community and we have taken significant actions to help high streets adapt and thrive through a range of targeted tax breaks, sensible planning changes and measures to ensure fairer parking for motorists.</p><p>At Budget 2016 we announced the biggest ever cut in business rates – worth £6.7 billion across the next five years. The Government is permanently doubling the level of Small Business Rate Relief and increasing the thresholds to benefit a greater number of property occupiers. Eligible properties with a rateable value of £12,000 and below will receive 100% relief. This means that 600,000 small businesses will pay no business rates at all. Furthermore, the revaluation of Business Rates will ensure business rate bills more closely reflect the property market and that all businesses are getting a fair deal.</p><p>We have also given over £18 million to town teams since 2010, funding successful initiatives such as “Love Your Local Market” and the “Great British High Street Competition”, which aims to recognise and celebrate some of the great work that is being done by local councils and communities around the country to help celebrate their high streets. The finalists for the 2016 Competition, which received over 900 applications and 500,000 public votes, included Thame, who were runners-up in the Small Market town “Place” category, and Chris Hurdman, who runs Thame weekly market, was a runner-up in the Market Champion “People” award.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Brigg and Goole answering member printed Andrew Percy question first answered 18/01/2017 17:25:37 answering member 3939 label Biography information for Andrew Percy previous answer version 29836 answering member constituency Brigg and Goole answering member printed Andrew Percy answering member 3939 label Biography information for Andrew Percy
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

901286

	registered interest
	date	10/05/2018
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Business: Government Assistance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support businesses and entrepreneurs.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	142910
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/05/2018 answer text <p>We know how vital businesses are to the UK economy. So we will continue to work hard to support everyone who wants to start and grow their own business. Through our Industrial Strategy we aim to make Britain the best place to start and grow a business.</p><p> </p><p>We want to ensure small business owners have access to the support they need to start, grow and export. The Business Support Helpline, GOV.UK and a network of 38 Growth Hubs across England provide access to information, advice and support business growth. We are developing an Export Strategy to support businesses to access international markets. For Small &amp; Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) looking to export, UK export finance will announce a new guarantee to banks designed to increase the flow of money in the supply chain.</p><p> </p><p>We also want small businesses to have the access to finance they need to grow. So we are helping through the British Business Bank which supports over £4bn of finance to over 65,000 UK SMEs. This includes delivering 54,000 Start-Up Loans worth £400m since 2012. Going forward we plan to unlock over £20bn of investment in innovative and high potential businesses, including establishing a new £2.5bn investment fund within the Bank.</p><p> </p><p>Tackling late payments and ensuring small businesses have access to government contracts are also important issues we are working to address. The Small Business Commissioner will help with payment issues, dispute resolution and sourcing advice across the UK. And we are opening up public procurement to SMEs, with a commitment to one pound in every three of central government spend going to SMEs by 2022.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We have launched a review into what actions could be most effective in improving productivity and growth of SMEs in what has been called the ‘long tail’ of lower productivity firms.</p><p> </p><p>We will carry on focusing on the needs of businesses through the delivery of our Industrial Strategy and as we work to secure the best and most ambitious Brexit deal for the whole of the United Kingdom.</p> answering member constituency Burton answering member printed Andrew Griffiths question first answered 16/05/2018 12:57:37 answering member 3936 label Biography information for Andrew Griffiths
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1046887

	registered interest
	date	23/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Railways
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the disused national rail network remains in the ownership of Network Rail.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	211842
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/01/2019 answer text <p>Highways England is now responsible for the vast majority of the historic railways estate. This includes legacy bridges, abutments, tunnels, cuttings, viaducts and similar properties associated with closed railway lines, and sales. Network Rail is still responsible for a small proportion of disused railway lines which have been retained due to their close proximity or connection to currently operational railway lines. Network Rail’s records however do not distinguish between disused and operational railway lines, and therefore it is not possible to precisely indicate how much disused network they own.</p> answering member constituency Harrogate and Knaresborough answering member printed Andrew Jones question first answered 30/01/2019 14:48:43 answering member 3996 label Biography information for Andrew Jones
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1046890

	registered interest
	date	23/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Railways: Oxfordshire
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the disused Yarnton-Witney-Fairford branch line remains in the ownership of Network Rail.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	211843
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/01/2019 answer text <p>Network Rail no longer owns the disused Yarnton-Witney-Fairford branch line. The Highways England Historical Railways Estate is now responsible for the historical railways estate.</p> answering member constituency Harrogate and Knaresborough answering member printed Andrew Jones question first answered 31/01/2019 16:01:24 answering member 3996 label Biography information for Andrew Jones
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1046029

	registered interest
	date	22/01/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	UK Membership of EU: Referendums
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Electoral Commission report of 14 December 2018 entitled Cost of delivering the June 2016 referendum on the UK's membership of the EU, what the total cost of the referendum was to the public purse including pre-purdah referendum publicity and documentation.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	211344
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2019 answer text <p>The cost to taxpayers of delivering the 2016 EU Referendum was £129.1 million. A breakdown of that cost is provided in the report published by the Electoral Commission.</p><p> </p><p>The then Government undertook publicity on EU membership ahead of the referendum. This cost an additional £9.3 million.</p><p> </p><p>The total cost to taxpayers was thus £138.4 million</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 29/01/2019 09:49:58 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

830410

	registered interest
	date	25/01/2018
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Antidepressants
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many incidents the NHS has recorded of Citalopram leading to the deterioration of a patient's health in 2016-17.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	124976
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2018 answer text <p>Reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Commission for Human Medicines (CHM) through the spontaneous reporting scheme, the Yellow Card Scheme. The MHRA continuously monitors the safety of all medicines on the market in the United Kingdom and seeks independent expert advice from the CHM on important new safety issues.</p><p> </p><p>The Yellow Card Scheme collects information relating to suspected adverse drug reactions, which include both serious and non-serious effects which a doctor or patient suspects may have been due to a medicine. The MHRA has received a total of 593 suspected spontaneous ADR reports in association with citalopram between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2017. This number includes reports received directly from healthcare professionals, patients and indirectly through pharmaceutical companies which have a legal obligation to report suspected ADRs. The number of reports received directly from the National Health Service cannot be determined.</p><p> </p><p>The MHRA does not hold information on deterioration of health. Each ADR report contains information on an ADR at a specific point in time, rather than a deterioration of health over a period of time, and should therefore not be interpreted as a report of a deterioration of a patient's health.</p><p> </p><p>The inclusion of a particular ADR in a report does not necessarily mean it has been caused by the drug, only that the reporter had a suspicion it may have, or it had a close temporal relationship to the administration of the suspect drug. The fact that symptoms occur after a treatment does not necessarily mean that they have been caused by the drug itself, as underlying illnesses and other conditions may be responsible.</p><p> </p><p>Citalopram is an antidepressant belonging to the class of medicines known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Citalopram is an effective medicine for the treatment of depression. Information about possible side-effects associated with treatment are provided in the product information which is available to all prescribers and patients. Data is evaluated as it emerges and where necessary regulatory action is taken and communicated to healthcare professionals and the information for patients is updated.</p> answering member constituency Thurrock answering member printed Jackie Doyle-Price grouped question UIN 124977 question first answered 01/02/2018 16:12:40 answering member 4065 label Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

830411

	registered interest
	date	25/01/2018
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Antidepressants: Side Effects
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment has been made of the side-effects of Citalopram on patients.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	124977
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2018 answer text <p>Reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Commission for Human Medicines (CHM) through the spontaneous reporting scheme, the Yellow Card Scheme. The MHRA continuously monitors the safety of all medicines on the market in the United Kingdom and seeks independent expert advice from the CHM on important new safety issues.</p><p> </p><p>The Yellow Card Scheme collects information relating to suspected adverse drug reactions, which include both serious and non-serious effects which a doctor or patient suspects may have been due to a medicine. The MHRA has received a total of 593 suspected spontaneous ADR reports in association with citalopram between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2017. This number includes reports received directly from healthcare professionals, patients and indirectly through pharmaceutical companies which have a legal obligation to report suspected ADRs. The number of reports received directly from the National Health Service cannot be determined.</p><p> </p><p>The MHRA does not hold information on deterioration of health. Each ADR report contains information on an ADR at a specific point in time, rather than a deterioration of health over a period of time, and should therefore not be interpreted as a report of a deterioration of a patient's health.</p><p> </p><p>The inclusion of a particular ADR in a report does not necessarily mean it has been caused by the drug, only that the reporter had a suspicion it may have, or it had a close temporal relationship to the administration of the suspect drug. The fact that symptoms occur after a treatment does not necessarily mean that they have been caused by the drug itself, as underlying illnesses and other conditions may be responsible.</p><p> </p><p>Citalopram is an antidepressant belonging to the class of medicines known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Citalopram is an effective medicine for the treatment of depression. Information about possible side-effects associated with treatment are provided in the product information which is available to all prescribers and patients. Data is evaluated as it emerges and where necessary regulatory action is taken and communicated to healthcare professionals and the information for patients is updated.</p> answering member constituency Thurrock answering member printed Jackie Doyle-Price grouped question UIN 124976 question first answered 01/02/2018 16:12:40 answering member 4065 label Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1563499

	registered interest
	date	20/12/2022
	answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept id	208
	answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	hansard heading	Iran: Guided Weapons
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of Iran’s ballistic missile programme.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	114803
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/01/2023 answer text <p>Iran's ballistic missile programme destabilises the region and threatens European security. UN Security Council Resolution 2231 (UNSCR 2231) calls on Iran not to undertake activities related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering a nuclear-weapon, including launches using such technology. Alongside France and Germany, we have written regularly to the UN Secretary-General, including on 23 November, to draw attention to Iranian missile-activity inconsistent with UNSCR 2231. We have also urged Iran to refrain from such activity in UN Security Council meetings, including on 19 December. We urge Iran to fully abide by UNSCR 2231 and all other relevant resolutions.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 13/01/2023 12:07:38 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts