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1142920

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Banks: Closures
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he will take to reduce bank closures in rural areas.
	tabling member constituency	Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
	tabling member printed	John Lamont
	uin	284386
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2019 answer text <p>The Government recognises that the closure of bank branches is a very important issue for many people, particularly in rural communities. However, banking service providers need to balance customer interests and other commercial factors when considering their strategies. Although the Government understands the dissatisfaction, it is right that decisions on opening and closing branches are taken by the management team of each bank on a commercial basis and the Government does not intervene in these decisions.</p><p> </p><p>Government cannot reverse the changes in the market and in customer behaviour; nor can it determine firms’ commercial strategies in response to those changes. In 2018, two-thirds of UK adults used contactless payments, 72% used online banking and 48% used mobile banking, according to UK Finance. The Government is committed to ensuring that all areas of the UK benefit from world class digital connectivity, and we have invested heavily to meet that ambition. The £1.8bn superfast programme has ensured that 96% of the UK has access to download speeds of at least 24Mbps. For those premises that do not have access to download speeds of at least 10 Mbps, the Government have introduced the Universal Service Obligation (USO), which allows people to request a USO connection from the designated Universal Service provider, BT, from March 2020.</p><p> </p><p>However, the Government still firmly believes that the impact of branch closures should be understood, considered, and mitigated where possible so that all customers, wherever they live, continue to have access to over-the-counter banking services if they wish to use them. That is why the Government is in full support of the voluntary Access to Banking Standard that the major high-street banks are signed up to. This commits them to keep customers well informed about branch closures, and to set out their reasons for closures and the alternative options for continued access to services. It is also why the Government supports the Post Office Banking Framework Agreement, which enables 99% of personal customers and 95% of small business customers to carry out their everyday banking at one of the Post Office’s 11,500 branches.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 05/09/2019 11:50:09 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4608 label Biography information for John Lamont

1136239

	registered interest
	date	02/07/2019
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	Gaza: Reconstruction
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of processes to prevent the misuse of reconstruction material in Gaza.
	tabling member constituency	Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
	tabling member printed	John Lamont
	uin	272238
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2019 answer text <p>Following the review of the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism (GRM) by the UN, Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority in February 2018, and the implementation of improvements in January 2019, we assess that the GRM and, in particular, its Programme Monitoring Unit (PMU) has effective processes to monitor the entry and use of construction materials in Gaza. DFID has recently committed a further £700,000 to the PMU over the next two years. This support will be an important part of efforts to alleviate shelter and basic service needs which were exacerbated by the 2014 conflict and help stimulate economic growth and reduce poverty.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 09/07/2019 15:51:03 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
	tabling member	4608 label Biography information for John Lamont

1131130

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2019
	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: Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	What recent steps he has taken to support businesses in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk constituency.
	tabling member constituency	Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
	tabling member printed	John Lamont
	uin	911266
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2019 answer text <p>We’ve committed to invest up to £560 million through both the Borderlands Growth Deal and the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, demonstrating our commitment to supporting growth and prosperity in the Scottish Borders.</p><p> </p><p>As of May 2019, the British Business Bank’s Start-Up Loans programme has made 45 loans totalling over £340,000 for businesses in his constituency.</p> answering member constituency Pendle answering member printed Andrew Stephenson question first answered 11/06/2019 14:06:31 answering member 4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson
	tabling member	4608 label Biography information for John Lamont

1124934

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Help to Buy Scheme: Scotland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have benefited from the Help to Buy ISA and how much this is in monetary terms in (a) Scotland and (b) Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk.
	tabling member constituency	Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
	tabling member printed	John Lamont
	uin	251337
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2019 answer text <p>Since the Help to Buy: ISA’s launch in 1 December 2015 till 31 December 2018, the Government has paid out 23,960 bonuses to individuals purchasing a home in Scotland, with a total value of £20,326,852. In Berwickshire, Roxburgh &amp; Selkirk, 261 bonuses have been paid, with a total value of £198,112.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 15/05/2019 14:29:43 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4608 label Biography information for John Lamont

1124935

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Civil Servants: Scotland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to increase the size of the civil service in Scotland.
	tabling member constituency	Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
	tabling member printed	John Lamont
	uin	251338
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2019 answer text <p>The Government committed in the 2018 Government Estates Strategy to locate more Civil<br>Service roles into the regions and nations of the United Kingdom. To deliver on this<br>commitment, the Cabinet Office is co-ordinating such activity under the Places for Growth<br>programme. This programme will take a place-based approach to relocating roles that<br>ensures we have the skills and capacity in the right places to enable organisations and<br>cities to flourish</p><p>The Places for Growth team have been engaging with local stakeholders across the UK,<br>including in Scotland, to build this nationwide picture of skills and specialisms. This informs<br>the programme’s support of departmental estates and workforce planning for the<br>forthcoming Spending Review, to ensure alignment with Places for Growth principles</p><p>Departments will be required to relocate roles, including senior roles.</p><p>The Civil Service workforce survey (2018) shows that the size of the Civil Service in<br>Scotland is 43,120, (including 17,340 in the Scottish Government).</p> answering member constituency Hertsmere answering member printed Oliver Dowden question first answered 15/05/2019 16:41:18 answering member 4441 label Biography information for Oliver Dowden
	tabling member	4608 label Biography information for John Lamont