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1675026

registered interest
date	04/12/2023
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: Meters
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to mitigate financial burdens to households which arise from malfunctioning smart meters leading to an inaccurate energy bill.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL846
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2023 answer text <p>Energy suppliers are obligated under licence conditions to ensure their customers’ smart meters continue to function. Ofgem is responsible for regulating energy suppliers against their obligations. The Department is actively working with suppliers to increase the number operating in smart mode.</p><p> </p><p>Around 92% of smart meters are operating as they should. Smart meters not operating in smart mode will continue to record consumption accurately like a traditional meter, with meter readings taken manually to ensure billing on the basis of actual energy use.</p><p> </p><p>Government encourages any consumer experiencing a loss of smart services to speak to their supplier for further advice and remedy.</p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 08/12/2023 09:48:34 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1675048

registered interest
date	04/12/2023
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Trade Agreements: Switzerland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to ensure that a UK-Switzerland trade deal includes provisions for the (a) digital, (b) data and (c) investment sectors.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	5022
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2023 answer text <p>The Department for Business and Trade is making good progress in negotiations on an enhanced UK-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement. Both the UK and Switzerland agree this should include outcomes in areas such as digital, data and investment.</p><p> </p><p>For investment, UK negotiators are seeking legally guaranteed preferential access to the Swiss market for UK investors and companies. On digital, the UK aims to enhance trade commitments such as those supporting paperless trading. For data, UK objectives include seeking to prevent unjustified localisation, facilitating the free flow of data, and upholding the UK’s high standard of personal data protection.</p> answering member constituency Chelsea and Fulham answering member printed Greg Hands question first answered 08/12/2023 09:29:55 answering member 1526 label Biography information for Greg Hands
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1675049

registered interest
date	04/12/2023
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	China: Indo-pacific Region
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to help tackle Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	5023
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2023 answer text <p>The Integrated Review Refresh 2023 reaffirmed the UK's long-term commitment to the Indo-Pacific. While China is an important source of aid, trade and investment for many countries, including those in the Indo-Pacific, China also poses potential risks. We are therefore deepening cooperation and increasing alignment with core allies and a broad group of partners to strengthen collective security, balance and compete where necessary, and push back against behaviours that undermine international law, violate human rights, or seek to coerce or create dependencies.</p> answering member constituency Berwick-upon-Tweed answering member printed Anne-Marie Trevelyan question first answered 08/12/2023 12:17:00 answering member 4531 label Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1675053

registered interest
date	04/12/2023
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Housing: Prices
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of changes in the level of house prices since September 2023.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	5027
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/12/2023 answer text <p>The most reliable measure of average house prices in the UK is published by the ONS. The latest release is for September 2023, when the average house price in the UK was assessed to be £291,400. That leaves average UK house prices 25% higher than their average level in 2019, although 0.2% lower than their average level in Sept 2022.</p><p>While prices have remained resilient, housing market activity has slowed in recent months, largely as a result of rising mortgage rates, which are in part driven by Bank Rate. Monetary policy is the responsibility of the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England. The path to lower rates is through low inflation, which is why the government is fully committed to supporting the Bank get inflation back down to the 2% target. The MPC continues to have the Government’s full support as it takes action to return inflation to target through its independent monetary policy decisions.</p><p>The Government has taken steps to limit the impact of rising interest rates on mortgage holders, through the Mortgage Charter. This Charter sets out the standards that signatory lenders – who represent over 90% of the UK mortgage market – will adopt when helping their customers.</p><p>We have also taken a number of measures aimed at helping people to avoid repossession, including protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol, the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service (HLPAS), and Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loans. Accordingly, arrears and repossessions remain at historic lows, despite the rise in interest costs.</p><p>The government continues to monitor developments in the housing market closely and consider the implications for its policies.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hitchin and Harpenden answering member printed Bim Afolami question first answered 07/12/2023 15:55:45 answering member 4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1675054

registered interest
date	04/12/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Refugees: Homelessness
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 impact of her Department's move-on period for asylum seekers to find new accommodation after being granted refugee status on trends in the level of homelessness.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Riverside
tabling member printed	Kim Johnson
uin	5028
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2023 answer text <p>An individual remains eligible for asylum support for a prescribed period from the day they are notified of the decision on their asylum claim. Where someone is given notice that their asylum claim has been granted, their appeal has been allowed or their asylum claim has been refused but they have been given leave to enter or remain, the prescribed period in legislation is 28 days. There has been no change to the prescribed period.</p><p> </p><p>Individuals should make plans to move on from asylum support as quickly as possible. We offer support through Migrant Help or their partner organisation in doing this. This includes providing advice on accessing the labour market, on applying for Universal Credit and signposting to local authorities for assistance with housing. Newly recognised refugees are entitled to housing assistance from their local authority and are treated as a priority need if they have children or are considered vulnerable. Individuals do not need to wait for their BRP to make a claim for benefits and are encouraged to do so as early as possible if they require them.</p><p> </p><p>We are ensuring our cross government partners, such as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) are sighted on data to enable them to consider the impacts of increased decision making and effectively plan.  We are also working with DLUHC to ensure the right asylum decision data is being shared with local authorities to enable effective planning and to lessen the impact on existing homelessness and rough sleeping pressures. Our accommodation providers are directly working with local authorities to notify them when an individual is due to have their asylum support ended.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove grouped question UIN 5029 question first answered 11/12/2023 11:21:40 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4824 label Biography information for Kim Johnson

1675055

registered interest
date	04/12/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Refugees
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 impact of her Department's move-on period for asylum seekers to find new accommodation after being granted refugee status on the number of refugees.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Riverside
tabling member printed	Kim Johnson
uin	5029
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2023 answer text <p>An individual remains eligible for asylum support for a prescribed period from the day they are notified of the decision on their asylum claim. Where someone is given notice that their asylum claim has been granted, their appeal has been allowed or their asylum claim has been refused but they have been given leave to enter or remain, the prescribed period in legislation is 28 days. There has been no change to the prescribed period.</p><p> </p><p>Individuals should make plans to move on from asylum support as quickly as possible. We offer support through Migrant Help or their partner organisation in doing this. This includes providing advice on accessing the labour market, on applying for Universal Credit and signposting to local authorities for assistance with housing. Newly recognised refugees are entitled to housing assistance from their local authority and are treated as a priority need if they have children or are considered vulnerable. Individuals do not need to wait for their BRP to make a claim for benefits and are encouraged to do so as early as possible if they require them.</p><p> </p><p>We are ensuring our cross government partners, such as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) are sighted on data to enable them to consider the impacts of increased decision making and effectively plan.  We are also working with DLUHC to ensure the right asylum decision data is being shared with local authorities to enable effective planning and to lessen the impact on existing homelessness and rough sleeping pressures. Our accommodation providers are directly working with local authorities to notify them when an individual is due to have their asylum support ended.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove grouped question UIN 5028 question first answered 11/12/2023 11:21:40 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4824 label Biography information for Kim Johnson

1675056

registered interest
date	04/12/2023
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Financial Services: Switzerland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps to negotiate closer cooperation with the Swiss financial services industry.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	4923
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2023 answer text <p>The Department for Business and Trade is negotiating an enhanced Free Trade Agreement with Switzerland that will deepen UK-Swiss financial services ties and provide long-term certainty and greater market access for UK-Swiss services trade, which was worth £27.1 billion in the 12 months to June 2023. This will be complementary to the Mutual Recognition Agreement in Financial Services, which HM Treasury is negotiating with the Swiss Finance Ministry, the agreement remains on course to be signed before the end of the year.</p> answering member constituency Chelsea and Fulham answering member printed Greg Hands question first answered 08/12/2023 10:07:32 answering member 1526 label Biography information for Greg Hands
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1675061

registered interest
date	04/12/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Retail Trade: Crimes of Violence
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has held with representatives of retail sector employees on the adequacy of measures to tackle physical assaults in the workplace.
tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
uin	4925
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/12/2023 answer text <p>I regularly co-chair, with the British Retail Consortium, the National Retail Crime Steering Group which brings together Government, trade organisations, representatives of the retail sector and enforcement partners to ensure the response to crimes affecting the retail sector is a partnership approach and as robust as it can be.</p><p>I have also recently been convening additional meetings with retailers and police, to discuss how we can tackle the issue of retail crime, including assaults.</p><p>As part of a roundtable with policing and retailers, on 23 October, the National Police Chiefs’ Council launched their Retail Crime Action Plan, which includes a police commitment to prioritise attending the scene of retail crime instances where violence has been used; where an offender has been detained; or where evidence needs to be promptly secured and can only be done in person by police personnel.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 07/12/2023 17:11:19 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

1675062

registered interest
date	04/12/2023
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pension Credit: Publicity
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what was the cost to the public purse of the communications campaign to raise awareness of Pension Credit between April 2022 and October 2023.
tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
uin	4926
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/12/2023 answer text <p>To raise awareness of Pension Credit and increase take-up, the Department launched a nationwide marketing and communications campaign in April 2022.</p><p> </p><p>This campaign has included advertising on national TV, in regional and national newspapers, on local and national broadcast radio, medical centre and Post Office screens across Great Britain, as well as advertising on buses and digital street displays. Online marketing activity also included promotion of Pension Credit on social media, via internet search engines and sponsored advertising on targeted websites that pensioners, their friends and family are likely to visit.</p><p> </p><p>Our Pension Credit Day of Action last year saw claims more than double to 275% compared to the same week the previous year - and we’re continuing to build on this success through various creative no-cost media campaigns to boost awareness of the benefit through broadcast, radio and print media.</p><p> </p><p>The number of claims received in the financial year 2022/23 was higher than over the same period the year before.</p><p> </p><p>The total cost of the campaign in the 2022/23 financial year was <strong>£2,785,927.23</strong></p><p> </p><p>The cost of the campaign in the 2023/24 financial year to October 2024 is <strong>£485,939.07.</strong></p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 07/12/2023 12:49:29 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

1675064

registered interest
date	04/12/2023
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	Insulation: Housing
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 she is taking to help insulate homes with a low energy efficiency rating in Leeds North East constituency.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North East
tabling member printed	Fabian Hamilton
uin	4928
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/12/2023 answer text <p>The Government is investing £6.6 billion over this Parliament on clean heat and improving energy efficiency in buildings. Additionally, £6 billion of new Government funding will be made available from 2025 to 2028.</p><p> </p><p>The Government ‘Help to Heat’ schemes ensure homes will be warmer and cheaper to heat. The Government will deliver upgrades to over half a million homes in the coming years through Social Housing Decarbonisation, Home Upgrade Grant and Energy Company Obligation Schemes.</p><p> </p><p>Constituents in Leeds North-East can check their eligibility for schemes on <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fimprove-energy-efficiency&amp;data=05%7C01%7CParliamentary.PQ%40energysecurity.gov.uk%7C77a083e382444007a61408dbf731ed11%7Ccbac700502c143ebb497e6492d1b2dd8%7C0%7C0%7C638375566026868922%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=t%2FviN%2FlLbxlWfMmE49TxIk438GYy6D5F0%2FAQvyHFAg0%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency</a> or through the home retrofit phoneline service on 0800 098 7950.</p> answering member constituency Beverley and Holderness answering member printed Graham Stuart question first answered 07/12/2023 16:29:25 answering member 1482 label Biography information for Graham Stuart
tabling member	415 label Biography information for Fabian Hamilton