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1608509

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Biometrics: Visas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to provide support to people who are required to visit a third country for biometric checks to apply for a UK visa.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	176583
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2023 answer text <p>An individual must, in most circumstances, provide their biometrics, in the form of a facial image and fingerprints, when applying for a visa or a biometric immigration document before they come to the UK. This is to ensure we can confirm their identity and fix them to it, and to conduct background security checks to establish whether they pose a threat to public safety.</p><p> </p><p>The Home Office contracts two commercial partners, VFS and TLS Contact, to operate its global network of Visa Application Centres (VACs) who provide application centres in over 230 locations across 138 countries. It is not economically viable for UKVI to have VACs in every city or country across the world and it may not be sustainable to open new locations where volumes are lower.</p><p> </p><p>Individuals who are unable to travel to a VAC should not normally make an application until they are able to do so. We have a robust escalation process in place for very exceptional cases where a customer has a compelling reason why they are unable to travel to a VAC.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 21/04/2023 13:41:48 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1608512

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Veterans: Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to encourage veterans to use housing support available through the Veterans’ Gateway.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	176586
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2023 answer text <p>This Government is committed to ending veteran homelessness this year. That is why the Chancellor allocated an additional £20m for veterans’ housing in the Spring Budget, further to the £8.55m already announced in December to help us achieve our mission.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Veterans’ Gateway service is the Government funded first point of contact for veterans and their families, providing advice and guidance across a spectrum of welfare areas, such as housing, employment, and health, from a consortium of third sector organisations.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Charities, service providers and Government routinely signpost veterans to the Gateway, and further information on the Op FORTITUDE homelessness referral pathway will be passed to the Gateway in due course, allowing veterans in need to be directed to this vital new service.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>We have also recently announced a major review into welfare provision for veterans, including the Veterans’ Gateway, which has been commissioned as a result of changes and advances in veteran care during the last decade. This will examine the effectiveness of welfare services, and its recommendations for improvements will be published following the review’s completion.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Plymouth, Moor View answering member printed Johnny Mercer question first answered 21/04/2023 08:53:16 answering member 4485 label Biography information for Johnny Mercer
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1608513

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Avanti West Coast: Contracts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of renewing the contract with Avanti West Coast on operational performance on that line.
tabling member constituency	Southport
tabling member printed	Damien Moore
uin	176708
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2023 answer text <p>Avanti West Coast has put in place a recovery plan which has already seen positive results, with more trains running for passengers and fewer Avanti West Coast caused cancellations. Weekday services have risen from 180 to 264 trains per day, the highest level in over two years. Cancellation rates have fallen from around 25% to 4.2%, the lowest level in 12 months. In addition, over 100 additional drivers have been recruited to reduce reliance on union-controlled overtime working.</p><p>Avanti West Coast is expected to continue to adhere to the plan and drive further improvement following the decision to grant a short-term contract extension. Officials will continue to use all contractual levers to drive the best outcomes for passengers. Performance will be closely monitored ahead of any decision on the longer-term operation of the contract.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bexhill and Battle answering member printed Huw Merriman question first answered 21/04/2023 10:09:18 answering member 4442 label Biography information for Huw Merriman
tabling member	4669 label Biography information for Damien Moore

1608514

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept id	211
answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
hansard heading	Housing: Sales
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the trends in the number of house sales in the housing market in the last six months; and what steps his Department is taking to help increase the number of property sales.
tabling member constituency	Southport
tabling member printed	Damien Moore
uin	176709
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2023 answer text <p>Information about property sales in the UK is published every month by HM Revenue and Customs and can be found <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fstatistics%2Fmonthly-property-transactions-completed-in-the-uk-with-value-40000-or-above&amp;data=05%7C01%7CParliamentary%40levellingup.gov.uk%7Caaf417b5acec4c6eb4a208db4188bb1b%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C638175827718842915%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=f6CX6s9we6tzUHFDZuAVoZsQ6k298%2BiXsEPKi0yvbe0%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">here</a>. We committed to improving the home buying and selling process in the Levelling Up White Paper, by working with industry to ensure that potential buyers have access to critical information in an accurate and timely digital format.</p> answering member constituency Redditch answering member printed Rachel Maclean question first answered 21/04/2023 11:07:13 answering member 4668 label Biography information for Rachel Maclean
tabling member	4669 label Biography information for Damien Moore

1608516

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
answering body	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
answering dept id	215
answering dept short name	Energy Security and Net Zero
answering dept sort name	Energy Security and Net Zero
hansard heading	Tidal Power
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to increase the UK's tidal energy capacity.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	176588
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2023 answer text <p>Tidal stream companies are eligible to apply for the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, the UK’s main mechanism for supporting low-carbon generation.</p><p> </p><p>Tidal stream projects are also eligible for a suite of research funding programmes including the UK Research and Innovation matched Horizon funding.</p><p> </p><p>Tidal stream and tidal range are included in the scope of the draft National Policy Statement (NPS) for Energy published in March 2023.</p> answering member constituency Beverley and Holderness answering member printed Graham Stuart question first answered 21/04/2023 10:04:44 answering member 1482 label Biography information for Graham Stuart
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1608519

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Veterans: Cost of Living
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to help veterans with the cost of living crisis.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	176591
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2023 answer text <p>The Ministry of Defence (MOD) paid the £150 Disability Cost of Living payment to eligible Veterans whose only government-paid income is from a War Disablement Pension.</p><p> </p><p>Through its Veterans Welfare Service, the MOD provides bespoke advice and assistance to Veterans and their families through a holistic assessment of need tailored to an individual's specific circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>Where financial assistance is required by Veterans the Veterans Welfare Service can assist with benefits checks, completion of application forms and signposting to entitlements and support available from the wider public and voluntary sectors.</p><p> </p><p>Veterans can call the Veterans Helpline free of charge on 0808 1914218 and ask for a call back from the welfare service.</p><p> </p><p>The Government are committed to supporting all households, including veterans, with the cost of living through initiatives such as the energy price guarantee and cost of living payments.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 21/04/2023 13:05:33 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1608524

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
answering body	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
answering dept id	215
answering dept short name	Energy Security and Net Zero
answering dept sort name	Energy Security and Net Zero
hansard heading	Climate Change: Demonstrations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has had recent discussions with young climate activists.
tabling member constituency	Lancaster and Fleetwood
tabling member printed	Cat Smith
uin	176595
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2023 answer text <p>Ministers regularly meet with external stakeholders. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The latest published data covers October to December 2022. Further data is due to be published shortly. In line with Cabinet Office guidance, organisations are listed instead of individuals.</p> answering member constituency Beverley and Holderness answering member printed Graham Stuart question first answered 21/04/2023 10:04:54 answering member 1482 label Biography information for Graham Stuart
tabling member	4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith

1608527

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Fraud
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to take steps to provide guidance for (a) web hosting companies, (b) telephone infrastructure companies, (c) the banking industry and (d) other industries potentially prone to fraud on protections against fraud for vulnerable and elderly people.
tabling member constituency	Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
tabling member printed	Dr Dan Poulter
uin	176598
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2023 answer text <p>Tackling fraud requires a unified and co-ordinated response from government, law enforcement and the private sector and we will publish a new strategy to address the threat of fraud.</p><p>In October 2021, we launched three Fraud Sector Charters, which are voluntary agreements with the telecommunications, retail banking and accountancy sectors. The charters have delivered innovative actions to counter fraud in these industries including measures to reduce scam texts, measures to help vulnerable victims of fraud and to share data.</p><p>The Home Office is also intending to launch tech, insurance and legal sector charters with industry. This will include private and public actions that will drive down fraud in these sectors.</p> answering member constituency Tonbridge and Malling answering member printed Tom Tugendhat question first answered 21/04/2023 09:52:10 answering member 4462 label Biography information for Tom Tugendhat
tabling member	3932 label Biography information for Dr Dan Poulter

1608530

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
answering body	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
answering dept id	215
answering dept short name	Energy Security and Net Zero
answering dept sort name	Energy Security and Net Zero
hansard heading	Warm Home Discount Scheme: Park Homes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether residents of houseboats in marinas are eligible for the Park Homes Warm Home Discount Scheme.
tabling member constituency	Lancaster and Fleetwood
tabling member printed	Cat Smith
uin	176599
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2023 answer text <p>Only residents living in a park home can apply for a rebate under the Park Homes Warm Home Discount.</p> answering member constituency Derby North answering member printed Amanda Solloway question first answered 21/04/2023 10:05:05 answering member 4372 label Biography information for Amanda Solloway
tabling member	4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith

1608544

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Funerals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she is taking steps to require funeral firms to offer compensation to customers when funerals are cancelled at short notice.
tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
uin	176721
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2023 answer text <p>The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives consumers rights to redress and refunds including when businesses cancel services that have been agreed. The Competition and Markets Authority recently carried out a market investigation into the funerals sector to ensure these rules were being observed. They have issued guidance to businesses in the sector on their obligations to consumers. Details can be found at: https://competitionandmarkets.blog.gov.uk/2023/01/27/helping-businesses-comply-with-the-funerals-order/. Consumers can seek free advice on their rights from the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133 (www.citizensadvice.org.uk/). The Financial Conduct Authority regulates prepaid funeral plans. Details can be found at: https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/fca-regulation-boosts-consumer-protection-funeral-plans-market.</p> answering member constituency Thirsk and Malton answering member printed Kevin Hollinrake question first answered 21/04/2023 12:03:10 answering member 4474 label Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake
tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford