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1713398

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare: Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.8 of the Spring Budget 2024, HC 560, what metric was used to calculate the hourly rate childcare providers are paid to deliver free hours childcare for children aged nine months to four years.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	23460
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>The Spring Budget 2024 announcement confirms how the department will uplift costs in the 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years. The department will use average earnings growth and National Living Wage (NLW) to forecast how staff costs are changing for providers and Consumer Price Index (a general measure of inflation) to forecast how non-staff costs will change. This is the same metric that was used at Spring Budget 2023 and as such, levels of inflation and the NLW were taken into account when calculating the funding rates paid by the department to local authorities for all of the entitlements in the financial year 2024/25.</p><p>The department’s methodology and the uplift to the rates are informed by data it receives from providers and parents to ensure it meets the pressures faced by the sector. The department regularly surveys a nationally representative sample of over 9,000 providers to gain insights into how they run their provision and the challenges they face. The department also regularly surveys over 6,000 parents to understand their usage of childcare.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston grouped question UIN 23461 question first answered 07/05/2024 15:30:36 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1713399

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare: Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.8 of the Spring Budget 2024, HC 560, whether trends in the level of (a) wage growth, (b) inflation and (c) National Living Wage rises were used to calculate the hourly rate paid to childcare providers to deliver free hours childcare for children aged nine months to four years.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	23461
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>The Spring Budget 2024 announcement confirms how the department will uplift costs in the 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years. The department will use average earnings growth and National Living Wage (NLW) to forecast how staff costs are changing for providers and Consumer Price Index (a general measure of inflation) to forecast how non-staff costs will change. This is the same metric that was used at Spring Budget 2023 and as such, levels of inflation and the NLW were taken into account when calculating the funding rates paid by the department to local authorities for all of the entitlements in the financial year 2024/25.</p><p>The department’s methodology and the uplift to the rates are informed by data it receives from providers and parents to ensure it meets the pressures faced by the sector. The department regularly surveys a nationally representative sample of over 9,000 providers to gain insights into how they run their provision and the challenges they face. The department also regularly surveys over 6,000 parents to understand their usage of childcare.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston grouped question UIN 23460 question first answered 07/05/2024 15:30:36 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1713403

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
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	State Retirement Pensions: Age
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of lowering the State Pension age to 60.
tabling member constituency	Preston
tabling member printed	Sir Mark Hendrick
uin	23387
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>As stated in our previous response to the same question published on 24 April 2024, the Government has no plans to make such an assessment.</p><p> </p><p>Changes to State Pension age were made over a series of Acts by successive governments from 1995 onwards, following public consultations and extensive debates in both Houses of Parliament.</p><p> </p><p>Further changes were introduced through the Pensions Acts 2011 and 2014 in order to protect public finances and maintain the sustainability of the State Pension over the long term.</p><p> </p><p>Under the 2011 Pensions Act the State Pension age for women and men rose to 66.</p><p> </p><p>The rise in State Pension age to 67 has been planned since 2014. Since then, the Government has undertaken two statutory State Pension age reviews, one in 2017 and one in 2023. These reviews both considered whether the existing rules about the timetable for State Pension age rising to 67 remained appropriate.</p><p> </p><p>Both reviews, including the Independent Reports that supported them, concluded that the rules concerning the increase in State Pension age from 66 to 67 should continue as planned.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 01/05/2024 11:01:33 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
tabling member	473 label Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick

1713404

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Pensioners: Tax Allowances
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the personal allowance threshold for pensioners to £15,000.
tabling member constituency	Preston
tabling member printed	Sir Mark Hendrick
uin	23388
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2024 answer text <p>As with all aspects of the tax system, the Government keeps the Personal Allowance under review and any decisions on future changes will be taken by the Chancellor in the context of the wider public finances.</p> answering member constituency Mid Worcestershire answering member printed Nigel Huddleston question first answered 29/04/2024 14:33:33 answering member 4407 label Biography information for Nigel Huddleston
tabling member	473 label Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick

1713005

registered interest
date	23/04/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Crown Court: Standards
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the backlog in the Crown Court.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	23198
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>We remain committed to tackling the outstanding caseload in the Crown Court and have introduced a range of measures to achieve this aim.</p><p> </p><p>We expect to have sat around 107,000 days at the Crown Court in the last financial year (FY2023/24), representing around a 30% increase on sitting day levels during the 2019/20 financial year. We have also recruited around 1,000 judges and tribunal members across all jurisdictions in the last financial year so we can hear more cases.</p><p> </p><p>Judges have worked tirelessly to complete more cases. HMCTS Management Information shows that disposals have increased throughout the last calendar year, with February disposals being at their highest level than at any other point in the last 12 months, with 9,958 disposals in February 2024, up 18% on February 2023 (8,451).</p><p> </p><p>We are also investing more in our criminal courts. In August 2023, we announced we are investing £220 million for essential modernisation and repair work of our court buildings across the next two years, up to March 2025. We have also continued the use of 20 Nightingale courtrooms into the 2024/25 financial year, to allow courts to work at full capacity.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 01/05/2024 16:05:23 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1713006

registered interest
date	23/04/2024
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	Evan Gershkovich
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what discussions he has had with international partners on the (a) release of Evan Gershkovich and (b) use of imprisonment as a bargaining tactic.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	23199
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>Evan Gershkovich's detention illustrates Russia's disregard for media freedom. Both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have called for his immediate release. As a US national, the US Government is providing Mr Gershkovich with consular support. The UK remains in close contact with the US and has raised his case at the OSCE on several occasions, most recently on 21 March. The UK condemns the use of detention for diplomatic leverage and, working with like-minded partners, we remain determined to deter and combat this practice.</p> answering member constituency Wealden answering member printed Ms Nusrat Ghani question first answered 01/05/2024 17:05:33 answering member 4460 label Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1713007

registered interest
date	23/04/2024
answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept id	216
answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
hansard heading	Data Protection: Business
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support businesses secure their digital infrastructure against the provision of technological services from companies deemed a potential threat to national security.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	23200
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>The security of UK businesses and their digital infrastructure is a priority for the government and a key part of the National Cyber Strategy. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) works with Ofcom, UK technical authorities (the National Cyber Security Centre &amp; National Protective Security Authority) and industry to identify risks and secure telecoms network infrastructure.</p><p> </p><p>The UK Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 sets out one of the world’s toughest telecoms cyber security regimes and places stringent obligations on public telecoms networks providers to protect networks against security threats. The Act also created new national security powers to control the use of high-risk vendors in the UK’s telecoms network. The government encourages businesses to improve their digital infrastructure security through the Cyber Essentials scheme and the Network and Information Systems Regulations 2018.</p> answering member constituency Hornchurch and Upminster answering member printed Julia Lopez question first answered 01/05/2024 10:15:15 answering member 4647 label Biography information for Julia Lopez
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1713008

registered interest
date	23/04/2024
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	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of adjusting the minimum income floor for Universal Credit for (a) farmers and (b) other people whose income and expenditure varies during the year.
tabling member constituency	Dunfermline and West Fife
tabling member printed	Douglas Chapman
uin	23204
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2024 answer text <p>The Department does not intend to assess the potential merits of adjusting the Minimum Income Floor (MIF). Relaxing or removing the MIF risks trapping customers indefinitely in very low-earning self-employment and dependency on the welfare system - a situation that is unfair to the taxpayer, and unhelpful for customers and their families.</p><p> </p><p>We are working with the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) to ensure a smooth transition from the old legacy benefits to Universal Credit, as well as providing transitional protection when applicable.</p> answering member constituency Bury St Edmunds answering member printed Jo Churchill question first answered 26/04/2024 11:29:27 answering member 4380 label Biography information for Jo Churchill
tabling member	4402 label Biography information for Douglas Chapman

1713009

registered interest
date	23/04/2024
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	Carbon Emissions: Business
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the oral Answer by the Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero of 27 February 2024, Official Report, column 123, what her planned timescale is for publishing the Net Zero Council business sector roadmaps.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	23160
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2024 answer text <p>Net zero business sector roadmap guidelines were published in August 2023, providing a robust, credible and consistent set of criteria to support businesses in developing tailored action plans to reduce emissions.</p><p> </p><p>Industry representatives have led the development of roadmaps in priority sectors, which have been discussed by the Council to catalyse action across the economy and identify dependencies across sectors. This workstream is coordinated on behalf of the Council by the Broadway Initiative, who are exploring options for publication following the conclusion of the Council’s review.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 26/04/2024 09:52:55 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1713010

registered interest
date	23/04/2024
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	Net Zero Council
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Prime Minister's speech on Net Zero on 20 September 2023, whether the Prime Minister had discussions with the Net Zero Council on the content of that speech prior to its delivery.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	23161
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2024 answer text <p>The Net Zero Council is co-chaired by myself and CEO of the Co-operative Group, Shirine Khoury-Haq. Minutes of its meetings can be found on gov.uk at <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fgroups%2Fnet-zero-council&amp;data=05%7C02%7CParliamentary.PQ%40energysecurity.gov.uk%7Cff509c00e43f45e46fa208dc65d5963f%7Ccbac700502c143ebb497e6492d1b2dd8%7C0%7C0%7C638497215217127969%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=g%2B%2Byap33HgSC5AijJb8Oki4kZ%2F7L8SeVXlUQTt7tnHI%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/net-zero-council</a></p><p> </p><p>Ministers and officials have regular discussions with 10 Downing Street on a range of issues across our departmental responsibilities, including net zero.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 26/04/2024 09:48:52 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy