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168126

registered interest
date	05/12/2014
answering body	Department for Culture Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Mobile Phones
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure people are not trapped in unfair mobile phone contracts.
tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
uin	HL3468
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2014 answer text <p>Ofcom, the UK Regulator for Telecoms, oversees the General Conditions of Entitlement (GCEs), the rules under which Telecoms companies must operate in the UK. GC 9.6 provides consumer protection in the event of mid-contract variations. Under GC 9.6, providers must give customers notice of contract modifications (e.g. price rises) likely to cause ‘material detriment’ to them and the right to exit the contract without penalty in response. Ofcom published guidance at the start of this year clarifying these rules and further enabling competition in the market to deliver a choice of competitive tariffs for the consumer in the UK.<br>Major telecoms companies have also agreed to work with the Government and Ofcom on ways to improve transparency in contracts in line with the principles underpinning the Ofcom guidance. The Government and the Regulator will continue to work with the industry to promote further ways of ensuring that consumers have the best possible information to help them make informed choices about the communications services they purchase.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 11/12/2014 16:23:28 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

168128

registered interest
date	05/12/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Bank Cards
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of retailers who are seeking to pass on the merchant charges to their customers when they pay for goods or services using debit or credit cards.
tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
uin	HL3470
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2014 answer text <p>The Government is clear that merchants should not pass on a charge to a customer that is higher than the cost that merchants themselves incur for processing that payment.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This is why the Government brought in the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012 in April 2013, which state that if a business wishes to charge a customer for using their credit or debit card, then that surcharge must not be higher than the cost the business has to pay for processing that method of payment.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Deighton question first answered 19/12/2014 12:40:32 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

168139

registered interest
date	05/12/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	New Businesses
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many small and medium-sized enterprises have been started in (a) Barnsley East constituency, (b) Barnsley local authority area, (c) South Yorkshire and (d) the UK in each of the last five years; and what proportion of such businesses is still trading.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley East
tabling member printed	Michael Dugher
uin	217500
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/12/2014 answer text <p>The estimated number of business start-ups in a) Barnsley East constituency, b) Barnsley local authority, c) South Yorkshire and d) Great Britain between 2009 and 2014 are shown in the table below.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>These statistics are compiled from BankSearch data, which does not cover Northern Ireland. BankSearch does not report on the size of start-ups, nor the proportion of start-ups that were still trading in subsequent years.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Estimated number of business start-ups (2009 to 2014)</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Barnsley East constituency</p></td><td><p>Barnsley local authority</p></td><td><p>South Yorkshire</p></td><td><p>Great Britain</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>310</p></td><td><p>1,010</p></td><td><p>6,630</p></td><td><p>428,400</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>400</p></td><td><p>1,190</p></td><td><p>7,350</p></td><td><p>482,830</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>380</p></td><td><p>1,150</p></td><td><p>7,580</p></td><td><p>507,870</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>370</p></td><td><p>1,120</p></td><td><p>7,400</p></td><td><p>489,780</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>360</p></td><td><p>1,050</p></td><td><p>6,610</p></td><td><p>446,830</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Source: BankSearch: number of new business bank accounts opened. All figures rounded to nearest 10.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 16/12/2014 16:24:18 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	3916 label Biography information for Michael Dugher

168140

registered interest
date	05/12/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Electronic Commerce: VAT
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effects of planned changes in EU VAT on digital sales on the level of exporting to other EU member states by small businesses.
tabling member constituency	Cambridge
tabling member printed	Dr Julian Huppert
uin	217569
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2014 answer text <p>I refer the honourable member to my reply to his question number 217568 - PQN/14-15/2014/06232</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 10/12/2014 13:21:56 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
tabling member	3931 label Biography information for Dr Julian Huppert

168150

registered interest
date	05/12/2014
answering body	Department for Culture Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Horse Racing: Betting
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to paragraph 2.113 of the Autumn Statement 2014, what assessment he has made of the consultation on the introduction of a horse racing betting levy for negotiations between his Department, UKRep and the European Commission on extending the existing horse racing betting levy to online companies; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Eltham
tabling member printed	Clive Efford
uin	217333
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2014 answer text <p>I have not held any discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills or UKRep on this issue. I am determined to extend the Horserace Betting Levy to offshore operators. However simply extending the existing arrangements has proven more difficult than envisaged. Extension is now bound up with wider reform and we will seek to bring about extension either by reforming the Levy or replacing it with a racing right.</p><p> </p><p>A consultation on a racing right will allow us to make a full comparison between reform and replacement. The consultation will be launched early in the New Year. Once we have a preferred option we will discuss that with the European Commission.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Maidstone and The Weald answering member printed Mrs Helen Grant grouped question UIN 217314 217330 217332 question first answered 15/12/2014 17:02:08 answering member 4018 label Biography information for Mrs Helen Grant
tabling member	165 label Biography information for Clive Efford

168154

registered interest
date	05/12/2014
answering body	Department for Culture Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Horse Racing: Betting
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he expects negotiations between his Department, UKRep and the European Commission on extending the horse racing betting levy to online companies to conclude; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Eltham
tabling member printed	Clive Efford
uin	217332
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2014 answer text <p>I have not held any discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills or UKRep on this issue. I am determined to extend the Horserace Betting Levy to offshore operators. However simply extending the existing arrangements has proven more difficult than envisaged. Extension is now bound up with wider reform and we will seek to bring about extension either by reforming the Levy or replacing it with a racing right.</p><p> </p><p>A consultation on a racing right will allow us to make a full comparison between reform and replacement. The consultation will be launched early in the New Year. Once we have a preferred option we will discuss that with the European Commission.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Maidstone and The Weald answering member printed Mrs Helen Grant grouped question UIN 217314 217330 217333 question first answered 15/12/2014 17:02:08 answering member 4018 label Biography information for Mrs Helen Grant
tabling member	165 label Biography information for Clive Efford

168156

registered interest
date	05/12/2014
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	Public Sector: Land
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many public sector sites have been (a) identified and (b) released for the purpose of new housing developments since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton North East
tabling member printed	Emma Reynolds
uin	217479
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2015 answer text <p>As of September 2014, land capable of delivering 89,521 homes has been sold, across 647 sites. Our aim is to dispose of surplus public sector land with capacity for 100,000 homes by the end of March 2015.</p><p> </p><p>We have so far identified a further 294 surplus sites, some of which will be sold to meet our March 2015 goal, and the remainder which will be sold subsequently and help contribute to our broader goal in the next Parliament to release land with capacity for up to 150,000 homes.</p><p> </p><p>As part of that Programme this Department is already working with land holding Departments to help them rationalise and make more effective use of their estates.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 12/01/2015 18:58:16 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	4077 label Biography information for Emma Reynolds

168176

registered interest
date	05/12/2014
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Roads: Construction
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Autumn Statement 2014, what estimate he has made of the potential increase in the carbon emissions impact of the (a) construction and (b) annual use of the new roads announced in that Statement.
tabling member constituency	Newport West
tabling member printed	Paul Flynn
uin	217320
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2014 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p>Changes in carbon emissions due to road use are assessed for each new strategic road scheme; these are reported as part of the Appraisal Summary Tables that the Highways Agency makes available when projects have been sufficiently developed.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has also used the National Transport Model to analyse the likely change in carbon emissions due to an investment package of the scale of the Road Investment Strategy; our analysis suggests an increase of around 0.1% in carbon emissions for Great Britain during the period of the fourth carbon budget. This increase is expected to be outweighed by the significant investment in environmental measures within the Road Investment Strategy. These include the Environment ring-fenced fund which includes provision for rapid charging points across the network, and the Cycling, Safety and Integration fund with funding for improving cycling and walking infrastructure around the Strategic Road Network.</p><p> </p><p>No estimate of carbon emissions associated with construction has been made.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Holland and The Deepings answering member printed Mr John Hayes question first answered 15/12/2014 12:49:12 answering member 350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes
tabling member	545 label Biography information for Paul Flynn

168177

registered interest
date	05/12/2014
answering body	Department for Culture Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Horse Racing: Betting
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to paragraph 2.113 of the Autumn Statement 2014, by what date he expects the consultation on the horse racing betting levy to be completed; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Eltham
tabling member printed	Clive Efford
uin	217330
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2014 answer text <p>I have not held any discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills or UKRep on this issue. I am determined to extend the Horserace Betting Levy to offshore operators. However simply extending the existing arrangements has proven more difficult than envisaged. Extension is now bound up with wider reform and we will seek to bring about extension either by reforming the Levy or replacing it with a racing right.</p><p> </p><p>A consultation on a racing right will allow us to make a full comparison between reform and replacement. The consultation will be launched early in the New Year. Once we have a preferred option we will discuss that with the European Commission.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Maidstone and The Weald answering member printed Mrs Helen Grant grouped question UIN 217314 217332 217333 question first answered 15/12/2014 17:02:08 answering member 4018 label Biography information for Mrs Helen Grant
tabling member	165 label Biography information for Clive Efford

168191

registered interest
date	05/12/2014
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	Council Tax: Arrears
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much is owed in council tax arrears in (a) Barnsley local authority area, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) the UK.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley East
tabling member printed	Michael Dugher
uin	217508
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2014 answer text <p>As at 31 March 2014, Barnsley council reported that the cumulative council tax arrears in their area was £11.1 million. The corresponding figure for South Yorkshire (i.e. Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham &amp; Sheffield) was £68.9 million. The total cumulative council tax arrears as at 31 March 2014 for the whole of England was £2.53 billion.</p><p> </p><p>We do not produce figures for the UK.</p><p> </p><p>The figures are calculated by adding the amount of council tax that was uncollected within the year to the council tax arrears brought forward, less any receipts received in respect of previous years’ arrears, less any council tax written off as uncollectable.</p><p> </p><p>In our best practice document, “50 ways to save”, we listed improving council tax collection rates and reducing arrears as a key way of making sensible savings to help keep overall council tax bills down and protect frontline services. Every penny of council tax that is not collected means a higher council tax for the law-abiding citizen who does pay on time.</p><p> </p><p>It is important that councils are sympathetic to those in genuine hardship, are proportionate in enforcement and do not overuse bailiffs. However, these figures show that there is a significant source of income for councils, which they could use to support frontline service or cut council tax bills.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 11/12/2014 14:52:56 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
tabling member	3916 label Biography information for Michael Dugher