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1687332

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
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	Power Stations: Timber
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make it her policy to make the approval of wood-burning power stations to be built after 2027 contingent on parliamentary approval.
tabling member constituency	Worthing West
tabling member printed	Sir Peter Bottomley
uin	12882
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2024 answer text <p>Ensuring the electricity system is reliable, as well as net zero consistent, means variable renewables, such as wind and solar, need to be complemented by technologies which can provide dispatchable or baseload power.</p><p> </p><p>Biomass electricity generation can provide this flexibility and plays a key role in delivering a more secure, clean energy sector in Britain.</p><p> </p><p>Parliamentary approval was granted for the updated energy National Policy Statements on 17 January 2024. This covers the use of biomass in electricity generation at the scale of Nationally Significant Infrastructure under the Planning Act (which applies to projects in England and Wales).</p> answering member constituency West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine answering member printed Andrew Bowie question first answered 13/02/2024 14:13:40 answering member 4601 label Biography information for Andrew Bowie
tabling member	117 label Biography information for Sir Peter Bottomley

1687333

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Foreign Investment in UK: Northern Ireland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps his Department has taken to encourage international companies to (a) invest and (b) base themselves in Northern Ireland in the last six months.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	12941
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2024 answer text <p>International investment makes an important contribution towards Northern Ireland's prosperity.</p><p> </p><p>The Northern Ireland Investment Summit, led by the Department for Business and Trade in partnership with the Northern Ireland Office and Invest NI, welcomed over 180 global investors to the region in September. The Summit showcased Northern Ireland’s innovation, sector strengths and opportunities for inward investment to a truly global audience.</p><p> </p><p>We are already seeing new international investment in Northern Ireland’s key growth sectors as a result, along with established companies already based in Northern Ireland announcing that they will be expanding their operations in the region.</p><p> </p><p>My Department continues to work closely with the Department for Business and Trade to maximise opportunities to encourage investment. I attended the Global Investment Summit that the UK hosted in November and met with many businesses interested in setting and scaling up in the UK. My clear message to them was that Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom has all of the right ingredients for economic success: exceptional talent, unique opportunities, a tradition of creativity and a healthy spirit of private sector entrepreneurship.</p><p> </p><p>A key factor for international investment is of course business certainty. We thus welcome the restoration of devolved governance in Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wycombe answering member printed Mr Steve Baker question first answered 13/02/2024 08:34:58 answering member 4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1687334

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
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	Energy: Prices
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 her Department is taking to support families that are not eligible for universal credit support with their heating bills.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	12942
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2024 answer text <p>Energy prices have fallen significantly compared to last winter, and the Government is continuing to support those most in need.</p><p> </p><p>Millions of vulnerable households are receiving up to £900 in further Cost of Living Payments, with an extra £150 to those on eligible disability benefits, in addition to established financial support available for low income and vulnerable households through the Winter Fuel Payment and the Warm Home Discount.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has announced an increase to the National Living Wage benefiting around 2.7 million workers, an increase to benefits of 6.7%, and tax cuts which will benefit around 27 million people.</p> answering member constituency Derby North answering member printed Amanda Solloway question first answered 12/02/2024 13:42:15 answering member 4372 label Biography information for Amanda Solloway
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1687335

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Barristers: Northern Ireland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Northern Ireland on trends in the number of barristers working in Northern Ireland since 2019.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	12943
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2024 answer text <p>This is a devolved matter for the Northern Ireland Department of Justice. The Secretary of State has had no recent discussions on this issue.</p> answering member constituency Wycombe answering member printed Mr Steve Baker question first answered 08/02/2024 14:09:15 answering member 4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1687336

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners' Release: Employment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to encourage newly released prisoners into employment.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	13005
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2024 answer text <p>Getting more prison leavers into employment is crucial to this government’s mission to cut crime and make our streets safer by reducing reoffending. We know that employment reduces the chance of reoffending significantly, by up to nine percentage points. That is why I am pleased to say that, in England and Wales, the proportion of prison leavers who were employed six months after their release almost doubled from 14% in April 2021 to over 30% in March 2023.</p><p>In England and Wales, we have completed recruitment of dedicated Prison Employment Leads, who get prisoners work ready and match them to jobs on release. They work with key partners in the prison including DWP, probation, education and Information Advice and Guidance providers to ensure joined-up working. In custody and in the community, HMPPS Creating Future Opportunities (CFO) provides tailored resettlement services in England, focusing on supporting those furthest from the labour market.</p><p>The Government will continue to progress this work to help businesses fill the nearly one million vacancies in the UK, while also cutting crime and reducing reoffending.</p><p>Prisons and Probation services are devolved in Northern Ireland, and employment support is a transferred matter and the responsibility of the Department for Communities.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 09/02/2024 16:32:06 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1687337

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	217
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Arts: Self-employed
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support people in freelance creative professions.
tabling member constituency	Perth and North Perthshire
tabling member printed	Pete Wishart
uin	12944
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2024 answer text <p>The Government recognises the essential contribution freelancers make to the creative industries.</p><p>A key ambition of the Creative Industries Sector Vision, published in June 2023, is to improve the job quality and working practice of the sector, including the self-employed. As part of this ambition, Government and industry have agreed to work together to address the recommendations of the Good Work Review. An action plan is being developed and proposals include the recent launch of the British Film Institute’s £1.5 million Good Work Programme for screen.</p><p>Arts Council England’s current Delivery Plan includes ‘increasing our support for individuals’ as one of its five themes and sets high expectations for all cultural organisations which work with creative and cultural professionals. Its online toolkits support practitioners and employers by setting out good-practice approaches, and signposting people to other supportive resources.</p><p>Universal Credit and Jobcentre Plus support is available to those who are looking for work, and those who are in work but with low earnings, and this includes the self-employed. This support is available to all, regardless of sector.</p> answering member constituency Hornchurch and Upminster answering member printed Julia Lopez grouped question UIN 12945 question first answered 13/02/2024 11:48:15 answering member 4647 label Biography information for Julia Lopez
tabling member	1440 label Biography information for Pete Wishart

1687338

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	217
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Arts: Self-employed
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the trends in the level of freelance employment in creative industries in the next five years; whether her Department is taking steps to help support growth in freelance employment in the sector; and if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of introducing social security programmes to help support freelance employees in the sector.
tabling member constituency	Perth and North Perthshire
tabling member printed	Pete Wishart
uin	12945
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2024 answer text <p>The Government recognises the essential contribution freelancers make to the creative industries.</p><p>A key ambition of the Creative Industries Sector Vision, published in June 2023, is to improve the job quality and working practice of the sector, including the self-employed. As part of this ambition, Government and industry have agreed to work together to address the recommendations of the Good Work Review. An action plan is being developed and proposals include the recent launch of the British Film Institute’s £1.5 million Good Work Programme for screen.</p><p>Arts Council England’s current Delivery Plan includes ‘increasing our support for individuals’ as one of its five themes and sets high expectations for all cultural organisations which work with creative and cultural professionals. Its online toolkits support practitioners and employers by setting out good-practice approaches, and signposting people to other supportive resources.</p><p>Universal Credit and Jobcentre Plus support is available to those who are looking for work, and those who are in work but with low earnings, and this includes the self-employed. This support is available to all, regardless of sector.</p> answering member constituency Hornchurch and Upminster answering member printed Julia Lopez grouped question UIN 12944 question first answered 13/02/2024 11:48:15 answering member 4647 label Biography information for Julia Lopez
tabling member	1440 label Biography information for Pete Wishart

1687339

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Self-employed: Taxation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending tax reporting periods for freelancers in the creative sectors.
tabling member constituency	Perth and North Perthshire
tabling member printed	Pete Wishart
uin	12946
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2024 answer text <p>The deadlines for individuals submitting self-assessment tax returns are prescribed in legislation. Individuals have specific reporting deadlines which are dependent on whether they submit their returns online or on paper.</p><p>Individuals who might not know their exact profit by the relevant filing date may provide estimated figures in their return. They have 12 months from the filing deadline date to finalise their figures and make the appropriate amendment to their return.</p><p>There is no provision within the legislation to make distinctions between individuals with different professions or vocations such as creative freelancers.</p><p>There is however provision for a special relief for self-employed creators of literary or artistic works to average their profits over 2 years where certain conditions are met. This helps them even out fluctuating profits, smoothing their tax bills</p> answering member constituency Mid Worcestershire answering member printed Nigel Huddleston question first answered 12/02/2024 16:12:36 answering member 4407 label Biography information for Nigel Huddleston
tabling member	1440 label Biography information for Pete Wishart

1687340

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
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	Ukraine: Public Sector
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Ukrainian counterpart on taking steps to help tackle public sector corruption in that country.
tabling member constituency	Gravesham
tabling member printed	Adam Holloway
uin	12947
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2024 answer text <p>Ukraine has made significant progress on anti-corruption reform since 2014. As the Ukrainian Government recognises, there remains more to do. The UK-funded Good Governance Fund Ukraine, a £38 million three-year technical assistance programme, has been supporting key anti-corruption and governance reforms in Ukraine, including the relaunch of the High Council of Justice and High Qualification Commission of Judges, institutions critical to a judiciary free from unlawful interference. The UK also supports defence reform, providing senior UK advisory support to the Ministry of Defence and Defence Reform Advisory Board.</p> answering member constituency Aldershot answering member printed Leo Docherty question first answered 13/02/2024 13:40:24 answering member 4600 label Biography information for Leo Docherty
tabling member	1522 label Biography information for Adam Holloway

1687341

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
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	Ukraine: Politics and Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring political institutional reform in Ukraine as a condition of providing reconstruction aid to that country.
tabling member constituency	Gravesham
tabling member printed	Adam Holloway
uin	12948
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2024 answer text <p>The new UK-Ukraine Agreement on Security Cooperation sets out our reform expectations for the Government of Ukraine, aligning with priority reforms set by NATO, the EU, the International Monetary Fund and our G7 Partners. Ukraine has continued to reiterate its commitment to making progress on reforms as part of the EU accession process and its reconstruction efforts. Institutional reform is a key part of Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction efforts to build back better, ensuring greater transparency and oversight. The UK has been providing technical assistance to key political institutional reforms, including anti-corruption and electoral reform in Ukraine.</p> answering member constituency Aldershot answering member printed Leo Docherty question first answered 13/02/2024 13:41:53 answering member 4600 label Biography information for Leo Docherty
tabling member	1522 label Biography information for Adam Holloway