Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1719602

registered interest
date	21/05/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Childcare: Northern Ireland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many families have taken up tax free childcare allowances in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	East Antrim
tabling member printed	Sammy Wilson
uin	27315
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>Statistics relating to Tax-Free childcare account usage are published quarterly in &quot;Tax-Free Childcare Statistics&quot; on the gov.uk website.</p><p>The current estimated number of families in the UK that are eligible for Tax-Free Childcare is 1.2 million. As this is an estimate, it is not possible to give an exact number of the number of eligible families not using Tax-Free Childcare.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott grouped question UIN 27316 question first answered 24/05/2024 09:59:53 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	1593 label Biography information for Sammy Wilson

1719603

registered interest
date	21/05/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Childcare: Tax Allowances
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of families eligible for tax free credits have not taken up their entitlement for tax free childcare in each of the last 5 years.
tabling member constituency	East Antrim
tabling member printed	Sammy Wilson
uin	27316
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>Statistics relating to Tax-Free childcare account usage are published quarterly in &quot;Tax-Free Childcare Statistics&quot; on the gov.uk website.</p><p>The current estimated number of families in the UK that are eligible for Tax-Free Childcare is 1.2 million. As this is an estimate, it is not possible to give an exact number of the number of eligible families not using Tax-Free Childcare.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott grouped question UIN 27315 question first answered 24/05/2024 09:59:53 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	1593 label Biography information for Sammy Wilson

1719604

registered interest
date	21/05/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Childcare: Northern Ireland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to help ensure that parents who are eligible for tax free childcare in Northern Ireland access that support.
tabling member constituency	East Antrim
tabling member printed	Sammy Wilson
uin	27317
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>Tax-Free Childcare provides financial support across the UK to eligible working parents with their childcare costs. For every £8 parents pay into their childcare account, the Government adds £2, up to a maximum of £2,000 in top up per year for each child up to age 11, and up to £4,000 per disabled child up to the age of 16.</p><p> </p><p>To further support parents and childcare providers, a series of engagement events took place from autumn 2022 to autumn 2023, including with Northern Ireland local councils. This gave families and childcare providers additional support at local levels to improve their understanding and promote the scheme.</p><p> </p><p>The <a href="https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/" target="_blank">Childcare Choices</a> website provides information on what’s available to help parents with their childcare costs, including what schemes are available in the devolved Nations.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 24/05/2024 10:04:58 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	1593 label Biography information for Sammy Wilson

1717994

registered interest
date	14/05/2024
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	Aviation: Travel Information
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what his Department's advice is on direct air travel to (a) Kosovo, (b) Taiwan, (c) Northern Cyprus and (d) other non-UN member states.
tabling member constituency	East Antrim
tabling member printed	Sammy Wilson
uin	26101
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2024 answer text <p>The FCDO publishes travel advice which provides guidance on the most relevant issues for British nationals visiting Kosovo, Taiwan and Cyprus, including the north of Cyprus. There are direct flights between the UK and Kosovo, and the UK and Taiwan. Under the Chicago Convention, direct flights are not permitted between the UK and the north of Cyprus. To allow otherwise would be counter to the UK's international obligations. The situations in Kosovo, Taiwan and Cyprus are different and require different approaches.</p> answering member constituency Wealden answering member printed Ms Nusrat Ghani question first answered 20/05/2024 12:52:59 answering member 4460 label Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani
tabling member	1593 label Biography information for Sammy Wilson

1717995

registered interest
date	14/05/2024
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	Cyprus: Land Mines
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2023 to Question 3452 on Cyprus: Land Mines, what progress the Government has made on encouraging the Greek Cypriot administration to join efforts to de-mine the island of Cyprus.
tabling member constituency	East Antrim
tabling member printed	Sammy Wilson
uin	26102
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2024 answer text <p>The UK is unequivocal in its support for a mine-free Cyprus. As UN Security Council penholder on Cyprus and a leading troop contributor to United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), we led the drafting of UN Security Council Resolution 2723 in January to renew UNFICYP's mandate and welcomed its unanimous adoption. The resolution included language urging both leaders to overcome existing barriers and expedite demining progress in Cyprus. We engage all sides to encourage the flexibility needed to make progress on tangible cooperation now, and ultimately to reach a just and lasting Cyprus settlement.</p> answering member constituency Wealden answering member printed Ms Nusrat Ghani question first answered 20/05/2024 13:48:14 answering member 4460 label Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani
tabling member	1593 label Biography information for Sammy Wilson

1717996

registered interest
date	14/05/2024
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	Cyprus: Greece
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make representations to his Greek counterpart on the removal of military personnel from Southern Cyprus.
tabling member constituency	East Antrim
tabling member printed	Sammy Wilson
uin	26103
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2024 answer text <p>We do not routinely comment on the activities of non-UK personnel. The UK actively supports peace and stability in Cyprus as a leading troop contributor to UNFICYP and through our support for the UN-led settlement process.</p> answering member constituency Wealden answering member printed Ms Nusrat Ghani question first answered 20/05/2024 13:09:36 answering member 4460 label Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani
tabling member	1593 label Biography information for Sammy Wilson

1717614

registered interest
date	13/05/2024
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Motorcycles: Licensing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to take steps to help simplify the licensing regime for (a) mopeds and (b) motorcycles.
tabling member constituency	East Antrim
tabling member printed	Sammy Wilson
uin	25821
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2024 answer text <p>On 8 May, I chaired a roundtable with several stakeholders from the motorcycle industry to discuss motorcycle licensing. The Department is working with these stakeholders to bring together evidence to consider any future measures for licensing.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 20/05/2024 16:31:48 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	1593 label Biography information for Sammy Wilson

1713277

registered interest
date	23/04/2024
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Retail Trade: Crime
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Retail Crime Action Plan.
tabling member constituency	East Antrim
tabling member printed	Sammy Wilson
uin	23359
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>In October 2023, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) published the <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.npcc.police.uk%2Fresources%2Fe6e5n-gfsgg-qru39-qjnkc-dbait&amp;data=05%7C02%7CRebecca.Khosla2%40homeoffice.gov.uk%7C2866bb4a3f554fdf3e4208dc014e95e9%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C638386684221640764%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=k3DpuJZSdEOv4zGEcy3P7WC8Cajku%2F9%2BKH6vpSTM2Y4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Retail Crime Action Plan</a>. Through this Plan, all police forces across England and Wales have committed to prioritise attendance at the scene where violence has been used towards shop staff, where an offender has been detained by store security, and where evidence needs to be secured and can only be done by police personnel. Additionally, where CCTV or other digital images are secured, police will run this through the Police National Database to aid efforts to identify prolific offenders or potentially dangerous individuals.</p><p>This builds on the NPCC commitment that police forces across England and Wales will follow up all crimes where there are reasonable lines of enquiry, actionable evidence and the chance of identifying an offender, including shoplifting.</p><p>Early indications suggest that there has been improved police attendance at the retail crime incidents prioritised. This has been echoed by major retailers.</p><p>Though this is a welcome step from policing, we know more needs to be done. That’s why, on 10 April, we launched the Government’s plan – <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fighting-retail-crime-more-action" target="_blank">&quot;Fighting retail crime: more action&quot;</a> which highlights five areas of work this Government will drive forward to tackle retail crime:</p><ul><li>Introducing a standalone offence for assaults on retail workers;</li><li>Additional electronic monitoring for prolific shoplifters;</li><li>Working with police and businesses to roll out the latest facial recognition to catch these perpetrators;</li><li>Championing good practice to design out crime; and</li><li>Making it easier for retailers to report crime.</li></ul> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 01/05/2024 13:07:45 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	1593 label Biography information for Sammy Wilson

1701805

registered interest
date	17/04/2024
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Policing Productivity Review: Shoplifting
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Policing Productivity review on levels of theft from shops.
tabling member constituency	East Antrim
tabling member printed	Sammy Wilson
uin	22285
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2024 answer text <p>The Government recognises the impact shoplifting has on businesses and communities. The Crime Survey for England and Wales shows neighbourhood crime is down 48% compared to findings from 2010; however, Police Recorded Crime figures show shoplifting offences increased by 32% in the 12 months to September 2023. Statistics also show the number of people charged with shoplifting has risen by 34%, showing the police are acting.</p><p> </p><p>We have recently taken significant steps to improve the police response to retail crime, including shoplifting. In October 2023, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) published the Retail Crime Action Plan. All forces across England and Wales have committed to prioritise police attendance at the scene where violence has been used towards shop staff, where an offender has been detained by store security, and where evidence needs to be secured and can only be done by police personnel. Additionally, where CCTV or other digital images are secured, police will run this through the Police National Database to aid efforts to identify offenders. This builds on the NPCC commitment that police will follow up on all reasonable lines of enquiry.</p><p> </p><p>The Government published an enhanced Action Plan, &quot;Fighting Retail Crime: More action&quot; on 10 April. This Plan highlights key areas of work to tackle retail crime, including introduction of a new standalone office for assaults on retail workers; additional electronic monitoring for prolific shoplifters; and increasing use of facial recognition technology.</p><p> </p><p>The Policing Productivity Review was published on 20 November 2023, which concludes there is the potential to free up around 38 million hours of police time per year within five years. This equates to over 20,000 police officers. The Government is working with policing to consider its recommendations, freeing up police officers’ time which can be reprioritised to enable officers to spend more time fighting crime on the front line, in line with local priorities set by Police and Crime Commissioners. This additional police time could be used to support delivery of the Retail Crime Action Plan. Evaluation on the impact of the Policing Productivity Review will be part of the remit of the new Centre for Police Productivity which was announced at the Spring Budget 2024.</p><p> </p><p>We are continuing to work closely with the retail sector, security representatives, trade associations and policing through the National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG), which meets on a quarterly basis, to ensure the response to retail crime, including shoplifting, is as robust as it can be.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 25/04/2024 15:22:33 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	1593 label Biography information for Sammy Wilson

1701807

registered interest
date	17/04/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Crimes of Violence
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of section 156 (2) of the Police, Crime Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 on levels of attacks on workers undertaking public-facing roles.
tabling member constituency	East Antrim
tabling member printed	Sammy Wilson
uin	22286
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2024 answer text <p>Section 156 (2) of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 introduced a new statutory aggravating factor for certain assault offences where they are committed against a person providing a public service, performing a public duty, or providing services to the public. The Government introduced this to ensure that the public-facing nature of a victim's role would be considered, allowing the court to give a longer sentence within the statutory maximum for the offence.</p><p>The Ministry of Justice does not collect or publish data on the use of aggravating factors. Currently, there is no specific offence for an attack against a worker undertaking a public-facing role. As assault of a worker in a public-facing role is not a specific offence, we are unable to assess the trends relating to assaults on public-facing workers specifically.</p><p>The Government recognises the seriousness of assaults on workers undertaking public-facing roles and is clear that we must adopt a zero-tolerance approach to assault against those who serve the public. This is why in April 2024, the Government published ‘Fighting Retail Crime: more action’, within which the Government announced plans to introduce a new offence of assault against a shop worker, building on the operational policing commitments in the police-led Retail Crime Action Plan published in October 2023.</p> answering member constituency Newbury answering member printed Laura Farris question first answered 25/04/2024 16:21:28 answering member 4826 label Biography information for Laura Farris
tabling member	1593 label Biography information for Sammy Wilson