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1221368

registered interest
date	07/07/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Small Businesses: Tax Allowances
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had on the potential merits of tax relief for small business owners that pay their staff above minimum wage.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	70396
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2020 answer text <p>BEIS and HM Treasury Ministers have regular discussions on a number of different topics, including employment and business support. However, in line with the practice of successive administrations, details of ministerial discussions are not generally disclosed.</p><p> </p><p>The Government keeps all tax policy under review and regularly receives proposals for new tax reliefs. When considering any new relief, HM Treasury must ensure that the relief would be effective at meeting its objectives, would not be subject to abuse, and would represent good value for money for the taxpayer.</p><p> </p><p>At Spring Budget, the Government supported businesses by making further significant cuts to business rates and also delivered on its commitment to increase the Employment Allowance from £3,000 to £4,000. This allowed businesses and charities to claim up to £4,000 off their National Insurance contributions from April 2020. Businesses can also deduct 100% of staff costs from their corporation tax bill. These measures are on top of having the lowest corporation tax in the G20.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 14/07/2020 13:52:48 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1221369

registered interest
date	07/07/2020
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 the Government is taking to support and incentivise businesses to improve their levels of environmental responsibility.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	70397
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2020 answer text <p>We have an ambitious range of policies in place to help business and industry to improve energy efficiency, decarbonise and reduce costs.</p><p> </p><p>Our Climate Change Agreement Scheme allows energy intensive participants to pay significantly reduced main rates of the Climate Change Levy in exchange for delivery of energy efficiency or carbon reduction targets.</p><p> </p><p>The Government’s Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme is a mandatory energy assessment scheme which requires large businesses to identify cost-effective energy saving measures.</p><p> </p><p>Our Industrial Energy Transformation Fund – a £315 million fund - supports industry to improve energy efficiency, cut energy bills and shift to lower carbon energy and processes.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has also committed £170 million in its Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge towards deploying technologies like carbon capture and hydrogen networks in industrial clusters, supporting our Mission to establish the world’s first net zero cluster by 2040.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, we have introduced a new Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) framework in April 2019 to simplify reporting requirements on energy use and emissions while increasing corporate transparency – further incentivising energy efficiency and reducing emissions.</p> answering member constituency Spelthorne answering member printed Kwasi Kwarteng question first answered 15/07/2020 16:35:30 answering member 4134 label Biography information for Kwasi Kwarteng
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1221370

registered interest
date	07/07/2020
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	Babies: Personal Records
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will hold discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of amending the gestation limit for a baby to be considered for birth and death certificates.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	70398
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2020 answer text <p>The Government has no plans to amend the gestation limit for a baby to be considered for birth and death certificates.</p><p>The Pregnancy Loss Review, due to be published this year, will consider the impact on families of the current threshold of 24 weeks gestation before being able to formally register a miscarriage if they so wish.</p><p /><p /> answering member constituency Mid Bedfordshire answering member printed Ms Nadine Dorries question first answered 16/07/2020 18:34:08 answering member 1481 label Biography information for Ms Nadine Dorries
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1221371

registered interest
date	07/07/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Domestic Abuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has held discussions with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on tackling domestic abuse throughout the UK.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	70399
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2020 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice, alongside our partners on this agenda at the Home Office, continue to have a regular dialogue with the devolved administrations about the progress of the Domestic Abuse Bill.</p><p>The measures in the Bill relate to devolved matters in Scotland and Northern Ireland, however, with the agreement of the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Justice and the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice, the Bill as introduced on 3 March 2020 includes measures extending the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the criminal courts in Scotland and Northern Ireland to certain violent and sexual offences. I welcome the fact that the Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly have approved a legislative consent motion in respect of these provisions in the Bill insofar as they apply to Scotland and Northern Ireland on 17 and 23 June respectively.</p><p>The matters to which the provisions of the Bill relate are not within the legislative competence of the National Assembly for Wales. Nonetheless, there has also been extensive engagement with the Welsh Government, particularly over the remit of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner in Wales.</p><p>In addition, the Ministry of Justice recently published the report of its panel of experts looking into how the family courts manage cases involving domestic abuse and other serious offences. This report covered both England and Wales and we continue engagement with the Welsh Government about a proposed implementation plan.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 14/07/2020 11:09:44 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1221372

registered interest
date	07/07/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Terrorism: Sentencing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of sentences for terrorism offences.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	70400
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to ensuring that sentences reflect the severity of the crime for all serious offenders. This year the Ministry of Justice conducted an internal policy review relating to sentences for terrorism offences in particular, which led to the development of the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill currently before Parliament. However, the terrorist attack in Streatham in February also highlighted a gap in our current framework which it was essential to address immediately, which we did through the emergency Terrorist Offenders (Restriction of Early Release) Act.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 15/07/2020 15:13:43 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1221373

registered interest
date	07/07/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Firearms: Prison Sentences
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to ensure that the offence of possession of a firearm in the context of violent retail crime results in an automatic custodial sentence.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	70401
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2020 answer text <p>The Government takes the possession of firearms extremely seriously and is determined to tackle the possession of illegal weapons.</p><p>Under the current law in England and Wales, anyone who possesses an illegal firearm can expect to face a custodial sentence. Those convicted of carrying a firearm in a public place, or possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, will face a minimum custodial sentence under the Firearms Act 1968: those aged 16 or 17 face a minimum of 3 years; those aged 18 or over face a minimum of 5 years.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 15/07/2020 15:20:51 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1221374

registered interest
date	07/07/2020
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Elections: Fraud
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has held discussions with the Electoral Office of Northern Ireland on ensuring that safeguards are in place to tackle electoral fraud throughout the UK.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	70402
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2020 answer text <p>Electoral policy for all elections in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland is an independent appointment made by him.</p><p> </p><p>Northern Ireland Office Ministers and officials meet with the Chief Electoral Officer to discuss a range of electoral issues, including the safeguards that are in place to tackle electoral fraud.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 13/07/2020 13:06:47 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1221375

registered interest
date	07/07/2020
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Veterans: Social Security Benefits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what guidance the Government has provided to veterans on their disability supplement; and what the Government's policy is on the number of hours veterans can work without losing entitlement to that support.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	70403
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2020 answer text <p>Veterans UK administer two schemes for those who have been injured, suffered ill health or bereaved as a result of Service. The most recent scheme is the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS), which was introduced for personnel whose injury, ill health or death was caused by Service on or after on 6 April 2005 and allows claims to be considered from personnel who are still serving. The older, War Pension Scheme (WPS) is available to ex- Service personnel whose disablement arose as a result of Service before 6 April 2005.</p><p>Information regarding the schemes is available at the following link:</p><p>https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/free-help-with-compensation-claims-for-injury-in-the-armed-forces</p><p>There is no limit to the number of hours which a veteran can work. Some claimants under the WPS can claim Unemployability Supplement (Unsupp) and claimants are allowed to retain their Unsupp if they carry out therapeutic work which is not detrimental to their health, and provided that this is not for longer than 16 hours a week or does not exceed a set earnings limit. Each individual case is different and as such, is considered on its merits. Information on Therapeutic Work can be found at the following link:</p><p>https://www.gov.uk/guidance/war-pension-scheme-unemployability-supplement-unsupp</p> answering member constituency Plymouth, Moor View answering member printed Johnny Mercer question first answered 09/07/2020 13:46:37 answering member 4485 label Biography information for Johnny Mercer
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1220531

registered interest
date	03/07/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Food: Exports
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on ensuring that the (a) planning and (b) regulatory frameworks support agri-food producers that want to increase the level of their exports.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	68702
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2020 answer text <p>The food sector is the UK's largest manufacturing industry, and a major contributor to the UK economy. UK food and drink exports play an important part of the success of the sector, and in 2019, UK food and drink exports were worth £23.7 billion - up 4.9% from 2018.</p><p> </p><p>The Government highlights the importance of our agriculture and food production in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The NPPF requires local planning authorities to take into account all the benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land. Where significant development of agricultural land is shown to be necessary, planning authorities should seek to use poorer quality land in preference to that of a higher quality. They should also consider the needs of the food production industry, and any barriers to investment that can be resolved by planning.</p><p> </p><p>The NPPF states that, to promote a strong rural economy, local and neighbourhood plans should promote the development and diversification of agricultural and other land-based rural businesses. Moreover, local planning authorities are asked to encourage the reuse of brownfield land, provided that it is not of high environmental value. This is to recognise the character and beauty of the countryside, and to maintain the strong protections in place for Green Belt and other designated countryside.</p><p> </p><p>Further longstanding support for farmers is provided by the rights to carry out various types of agricultural development, as set out in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995.</p><p> </p><p>Further demonstrating my department’s collaboration across Government, on 22 June 2020, we announced a ‘bounce back’ plan of trade measures for the agriculture, food and drink industry. These are designed to help support businesses that have been impacted by Coronavirus. These new strategic interventions were the product of joined up engagement between the Department for International Trade (DIT) and Defra.</p><p> </p><p>The package offers immediate support to help businesses in the industry grow their trade activity overseas. The measures support producers and manufacturers throughout the food supply chain, from farm to fork, and has been developed with input from trade associations, businesses and DIT’s regional and international networks. They include the announcement of the first Defra Agri-Food Counsellor serving the United Arab Emirates and wider Gulf Region, who will aid in addressing regulatory barriers to export for our agri-food producers.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 13/07/2020 14:01:19 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1220532

registered interest
date	03/07/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Tree Planting
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to encourage tree planting throughout the UK to help carbon offsetting; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a subsidy for the provision of saplings to landowners to encourage tree planting.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	68703
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2020 answer text <p>Trees have a crucial role in the pathway to net zero, so the Government has committed to increase tree planting across the UK to 30,000 hectares per year by 2025. As forestry is a devolved matter, we will work with the devolved administrations to achieve this.</p><p> </p><p>In England, we have launched a consultation on a new England Tree Strategy, setting out proposals to plant more trees for the climate and nature. The Strategy will support delivery of the £640 million Nature for Climate Fund, increasing tree planting in England throughout this parliament.</p><p> </p><p>This will build on our existing grants, such as Countryside Stewardship and the Woodland Carbon Fund, which already support landowners to buy, plant and maintain saplings, capturing carbon for years to come.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 13/07/2020 15:28:34 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon