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1304585

registered interest
date	22/03/2021
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Electric Vehicles
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what environmental impact assessment his Department undertook when deciding to reduce the (a) maximum grant for electric cars from £3,000 to £2,500 and (b) price cap for cars eligible for the subsidy from £50,000 to £35,000.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	172990
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2021 answer text <p>No formal Environmental Impact Assessment has been carried out. The grant scheme for electric cars, vans and trucks has been updated to target less expensive models and reflect a greater range of affordable vehicles available, allowing the scheme's funding to go further and to help more people make the switch to an electric vehicle. This will mean the funding will last longer, and be available to more drivers.</p><p> </p><p>We have been clear since 2018 that we intend to reduce the Plug-in Car Grant. We are retaining support for the switch to electric vehicles through other, new investments. We’ve pledged a £2.8 billion package of measures to support industry and consumers to make the switch to cleaner vehicles, which includes:</p><p /><ul><li>£1.3bn for charging infrastructure;</li><li>£582m to continue to support the vehicle grants, which have now been in place for 10 years; and,</li><li>Up to £1bn to help secure the transformation of the automotive sector by developing and embedding the next generation of cutting-edge automotive technologies in the UK.</li></ul><p> </p><p>These measures are in addition to our generous tax incentives, including favourable company car tax rates, which can offer savings of over £2,000 a year for drivers switching from a medium-sized petrol or diesel to a zero-emission car, and zero Vehicle Excise Duty.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Redditch answering member printed Rachel Maclean question first answered 25/03/2021 14:07:17 answering member 4668 label Biography information for Rachel Maclean
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1304595

registered interest
date	22/03/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Clothing: Exports
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the ending the VAT Retail Export Scheme on the fashion industry.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	172991
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2021 answer text <p>On 11 September 2020, the Government announced the VAT and excise duty treatment of goods purchased by individuals for personal use and carried in their luggage arriving from or going overseas (passengers) following the transition period. The following rules were implemented on 1 January 2021:</p><p>- Passengers travelling from Great Britain to any destination outside the United Kingdom (UK) can purchase duty-free excise goods once they have passed security controls at ports, airports, and international rail stations.</p><p>- Personal allowances apply to passengers entering Great Britain from any destination outside of the UK, with alcohol allowances significantly increased.</p><p>- The VAT Retail Export Scheme (RES) in Great Britain has not been extended to EU residents and has been withdrawn for all passengers.</p><p>- The concessionary treatment on tax-free sales for non-excise goods has been removed across the UK.</p><p> </p><p>The Government published a consultation which ran from 11 March to 20 May 2020. During this time the Government held a number of virtual meetings with industry stakeholders to hear their views and received 73 responses to the consultation. The Government has also met and discussed these changes with many stakeholders following the announcement of these policies.</p><p> </p><p>The detailed rationale for these changes are included in the written ministerial statement and summary of responses to the recent consultation: <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2020-09-11/hcws448" target="_blank">https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2020-09-11/hcws448</a> and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/a-consultation-on-duty-free-and-tax-free-goods-carried-by-passengers" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/a-consultation-on-duty-free-and-tax-free-goods-carried-by-passengers</a>. A technical note has also been issued to stakeholders to expand on this document and to respond to issues raised by stakeholders.</p><p> </p><p>On 25 November 2020 the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) set out their assessment of the fiscal impact of the withdrawal of the VAT RES.</p><p> </p><p>Factoring in a higher-than-usual elasticity of 1.9 to account for spending on luxury goods, the OBR estimate that the withdrawal of the VAT RES will result in a significant direct Exchequer saving of around £400 million per year, once passenger numbers recover from the impacts of Covid-19. Based on the 1.2 million users of the scheme who received a refund in 2019, this includes an assumption that approximately 20,000 – 30,000 fewer tourists visit Great Britain a year. That is 0.07% of the 40 million visitors to the UK in 2019.</p><p> </p><p>The OBR also looked at this package in the round when assessing the indirect impact on the economy – including the effects of extending duty-free sales – alongside the substantial support provided to the economy and retail industry.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 25/03/2021 14:58:57 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1304596

registered interest
date	22/03/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Clothing: Manufacturing Industries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect of the UK having left the EU on increasing the prevalence of modern slavery in UK garment factories.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	172992
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2021 answer text <p>The UK was the first country in the world to require businesses to report on the steps they have taken to tackle modern slavery.</p><p>The landmark provision in section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires businesses, in all sectors, including the garment industry, with a turnover of £36m or more to report annually on the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. This obligation on businesses will be unaffected by our exit from the EU.</p><p>The prevalence of modern slavery and complexity of global supply chains means that it is highly unlikely that any sector or company is immune from the risks of modern slavery. The Government encourages companies to report transparently about how they are mitigating modern slavery risks and to use their modern slavery statements to demonstrate year on year progress.</p><p>The transparency legislation was designed to enable consumers, investors and civil society to scrutinise business action. To improve the quality and detail of reporting and accelerate action to prevent modern slavery, the Government has committed to strengthen the reporting requirements on businesses and to introduce financial penalties for those that fail to meet their obligations under section 54.</p><p>In March 2021, the Government launched a digital registry for modern slavery statements which will enhance transparency by making statements available in one place for the first time. It will enable greater visibility and scrutiny of the step's organisations are taking to prevent modern slavery.</p><p>In addition, following allegations of labour exploitation in Leicester’s textiles industry, a multi-agency taskforce of enforcement bodies has been set up to secure robust intelligence and to carry out appropriate enforcement activity. The taskforce is engaging directly with the garment sector to understand the issues that lead to labour market non-compliance and to consider the measures needed to protect vulnerable workers and drive-up standards.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 25/03/2021 16:46:06 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1304597

registered interest
date	22/03/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Clothing: UK Trade with EU
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what meetings he has had with representatives of the fashion industry on trade between businesses based in the UK and based in (a) the EU and (b) Northern Ireland since the end of the transition period.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	172993
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2021 answer text <p>The Government regularly engages with the fashion industry.</p><p> </p><p>The fashion sector is represented in the DCMS-led working group, composed of creative and cultural sector representatives and other government departments, to look at issues regarding movement in the EU. The sector was also represented at the Brexit Business Taskforce (BBT) Meeting on 12th February, chaired by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, which focused on the creative industries.</p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of State met with the British Fashion Council recently to discuss the impact of Covid and Brexit.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 25/03/2021 14:32:14 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1304598

registered interest
date	22/03/2021
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	NHS: Protective Clothing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of personal protective equipment supplied to the NHS has been manufactured in the UK since 1 September 2020.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	172994
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2021 answer text <p>The Government’s personal protective equipment (PPE) strategy stated that by 1 December 2020, United Kingdom manufacturers would be able to provide 70% of the PPE we expected to use in England through the winter, except gloves. That commitment was met and exceeded. The volume of UK manufactured PPE supplied in the three months from 1 December 2020 to 28 February 2021 was sufficient to meet 82% of the amount required over that period.</p><p>Data prior to December 2020 is not available in a fully validated form.</p> answering member constituency Bury St Edmunds answering member printed Jo Churchill question first answered 25/03/2021 16:32:07 answering member 4380 label Biography information for Jo Churchill
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1304860

registered interest
date	22/03/2021
answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Levelling Up Fund
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason deprivation is not part of the weighting for bids for the Levelling Up Fund.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	172995
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/03/2021 answer text <p>The £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund will prioritise bids from places in England, Scotland and Wales with the most significant need. This is measured by an index taking into account the following place characteristics: need for economic recovery and growth; need for improved transport connectivity; and need for regeneration. Using this index, places have been placed into category 1, 2, or 3, with category 1 representing places with the highest levels of identified need. These metrics are focussed on identifying places most in need of the type of investment offered through the Levelling Up Fund – including towns centre and high street regeneration, small scale transport projects, and investment in local culture and heritage assets. A methodology note has been published and can be found at: <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Flevelling-up-fund-additional-documents%2Flevelling-up-fund-prioritisation-of-places-methodology-note&amp;data=04%7C01%7CParliamentary%40communities.gov.uk%7C75b7a09d247b4441ec4208d8f36db1c0%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637526999740331804%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=%2FudBuBc0Mn9LrPDCg5vMyL1rSAk5fFeGGqGeV0lB8Qc%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/levelling-up-fund-additional-documents/levelling-up-fund-prioritisation-of-places-methodology-note</a></p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Luke Hall question first answered 30/03/2021 11:51:07 answering member 4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1303960

registered interest
date	18/03/2021
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	Brightway Holdings: Malaysia
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the hon. Member for Sefton Central of 18 March 2021, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Malaysian Government's investigation into the involvement of Brightway Holdings in modern slavery.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	171586
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2021 answer text <p>The Government has not made an assessment of allegations of Brightway Holdings involvement in modern slavery in Malaysia nor of the Malaysian Government's investigations of the company, which are still ongoing.</p><p>The UK is committed to ending modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking worldwide by 2030. In Malaysia, NHS Supply Chain works with suppliers of personal protective equipment (PPE) to increase awareness of the issues and risks that can exist in supply chains and to provide guidance around managing labour standards and adherence to NHS Supply Chain's Supplier Code of Conduct.</p><p>The UK has funded projects in Malaysia through the Home Office's Modern Slavery Innovation Fund (£248,000 in 2020/21), including responsible recruiting in public sector supply chains, workers representation and partnership with the Ethical Trading Initiative.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 24/03/2021 17:21:07 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1304108

registered interest
date	18/03/2021
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Slavery
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, with reference to the oral contribution of the hon. Member for Sefton Central of 18 March 2021, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on concerns in respect of modern slavery in supply chains for the procurement of personal protective equipment.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	171587
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2021 answer text <p>I regularly meet ministerial colleagues to discuss important issues of common interest. However, it is a fundamental and longstanding principle of our system of Government that the fact of whether the Law Officers have advised on a particular issue is, by convention, not disclosed outside Government, without their consent. The Convention provides the fullest guarantee that government business will be conducted at all times in light of thorough and candid legal advice in circumstances in which Ministers and Law Officers can be fully open with one another.</p><p>The Government is committed to tackling modern slavery in supply chains. On 26 March 2020, we became the first country to publish a Government Modern Slavery Statement setting out the steps we have taken to identify and prevent modern slavery in our own supply chains. From September 2021 onwards, Ministerial departments will publish their own annual statements setting out the steps they have taken in their priority risk areas.</p><p> </p><p>The Home Office is working with DHSC, NHS and external experts to develop tailored training and guidance for HMG buyers and suppliers on best practice approaches to preventing modern slavery in PPE supply chains.</p> answering member constituency Northampton North answering member printed Michael Ellis question first answered 23/03/2021 17:02:56 answering member 4116 label Biography information for Sir Michael Ellis
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1304144

registered interest
date	18/03/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	UK Trade with EU: VAT
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent representations he has received on the clarity of VAT payments on exports to and imports from EU member states.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	171588
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2021 answer text <p>The Government is working hard to support businesses to enable them to continue trading with the EU.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to publishing guidance on GOV.UK, the Government has also introduced the SME Brexit Support Fund. This offers individual grants of up to £2,000 to SMEs. This pays for practical support, including training and professional advice on, for example, the VAT rules on import and export.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 23/03/2021 15:00:08 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1303015

registered interest
date	16/03/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Immigration: EU Nationals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the deadline for EU citizens applying for settled status in response to difficulties in renewing passports and national identity cards during the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	169844
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2021 answer text <p>We have continued to receive and process thousands of applications a day to the scheme throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 5.1 million applications received and more than 4.8 million applications concluded by 28 February 2021. There are no plans to extend the deadline for applications to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS).</p><p>Support for applicants who need it has remained available, including from the network of 72 organisations across the UK grant-funded by the Home Office to help vulnerable people apply to the EUSS.</p><p>Published guidance for EUSS applicants on the impact of COVID-19, including the scope for them to provide alternative evidence of identity and nationality if they do not have a valid passport or national identity card, is available at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-eu-settlement-scheme-guidance-for-applicants" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-eu-settlement-scheme-guidance-for-applicants</a>.</p><p>In line with the Withdrawal Agreement, the Government has been clear, where a person has reasonable grounds for missing the 30 June 2021 deadline for applications to the EUSS by EU citizens and their family members resident in the UK by the end of the transition period, they will be given a further opportunity to apply.</p><p>Non-exhaustive guidance will be published in the near future on what constitutes such reasonable grounds, to underpin a flexible and pragmatic approach to considering late applications under the EUSS.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 22/03/2021 16:24:49 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson