Transport for the North, the Department for Transport and the rail industry monitor timetable changes and agreed actions for the December 2018 timetable which gave passengers a more resilient service on the Huddersfield line. These measures have continued into 2019 and the planned introduction of new longer trains and timetable improvements for this December means further stability, faster services and increased capacity.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3977", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Heaton-Harris"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Daventry"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chris Heaton-Harris"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-10-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-10-08T09:53:57.01Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-10-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Railways: Huddersfield"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the latest timetable and scope of improvements being planned to TransPennine Services on the Huddersfield Rail line; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4119", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jonathan Reynolds"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stalybridge and Hyde"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jonathan Reynolds"} ], "uin" : "293566"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1131288", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1131288/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
We are the biggest Government Department providing support on a daily basis to around 22 million citizens. We have a responsibility to raise awareness of the benefits people may be entitled to and ensure they have the information they need when it comes to making a claim.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Department also has a responsibility to ensure claimants do not miss out on their full entitlements and to encourage people to make their claim as quickly as possible.<\/p>
<\/p>
We use advertising to communicate to our claimants. Total advertising spend across the Department in the 12 months from April 2018 to March 2019 was £17,351,663 of which the Universal Credit Opening Up Work campaign accounted for £4,600,209. We can commit to publishing an update 2019/20 advertising spend at the end of July.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-19T16:52:56.057Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department has spent on advertising in the last 12 months; and what proportion of that spend was on advertising for universal credit.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4119", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jonathan Reynolds"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stalybridge and Hyde"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jonathan Reynolds"} ], "uin" : "263149"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1124233", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1124233/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government is committed to maintaining an accessible mortgage market. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is responsible for regulating the market and protecting consumers, found in their Mortgage Market Study, published March 2019, that the market is working well and that consumers have access to mortgages that are suitable and affordable.<\/p>
<\/p>
The FCA recognises that lenders should have flexibility to decide what type of evidence of income they can accept from customers, including those who are self-employed or have alternative sources of income.<\/p>
<\/p>
Many lenders also offer custom mortgage products designed for contractors or the self-employed. These commonly include features designed to account for income volatility, such as the ability to make capital repayments at any time, or income assessments using averaged figures to smooth out monthly variations.<\/p>
<\/p>
Beyond the FCA\u2019s regulations, decisions around the type and availability of mortgage products are commercial decisions for lenders, and the Government does not seek to intervene in these decisions.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4051", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for John Glen"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Salisbury"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "John Glen"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "249973"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-13T14:14:54.873Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-05-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Mortgages"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government has taken to improve access to the mortgage market for underserved groups.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4119", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jonathan Reynolds"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stalybridge and Hyde"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jonathan Reynolds"} ], "uin" : "249972"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1124234", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1124234/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government is committed to maintaining an accessible mortgage market. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is responsible for regulating the market and protecting consumers, found in their Mortgage Market Study, published March 2019, that the market is working well and that consumers have access to mortgages that are suitable and affordable.<\/p>
<\/p>
The FCA recognises that lenders should have flexibility to decide what type of evidence of income they can accept from customers, including those who are self-employed or have alternative sources of income.<\/p>
<\/p>
Many lenders also offer custom mortgage products designed for contractors or the self-employed. These commonly include features designed to account for income volatility, such as the ability to make capital repayments at any time, or income assessments using averaged figures to smooth out monthly variations.<\/p>
<\/p>
Beyond the FCA\u2019s regulations, decisions around the type and availability of mortgage products are commercial decisions for lenders, and the Government does not seek to intervene in these decisions.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4051", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for John Glen"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Salisbury"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "John Glen"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "249972"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-13T14:14:54.92Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-05-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Mortgages"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to improve access to the mortgage market for (a) small business owners, (b) self-employed people and (c) people working in the gig economy.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4119", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jonathan Reynolds"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stalybridge and Hyde"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jonathan Reynolds"} ], "uin" : "249973"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123154", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123154/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government is committed to reforming the leasehold system to ensure fairness and transparency for leaseholders. Last year, we consulted on implementing the ban on new leasehold houses and restricting ground rents on future leases to zero financial value, and will provide a government response in due course.<\/p>
We are working with the Law Commission, who are taking forward a programme of work and recently consulted on:<\/p>
The Law Commission are now analysing responses and will report back to the Government with recommendations later this year.<\/p>
In addition, the Government has established a working group chaired by Lord Best to raise standards across the property management sector. This group will consider the transparency of service charges, and how they should be presented to consumers, and the best means for challenging unjustified fees. The group is instructed to report back in 2019 and the Government will consider its recommendations. We are also ensuring all landlord freeholders belong to a redress scheme and giving freeholders on private or mixed use estates equivalent rights to leaseholders to challenge communal costs.<\/p>
The Government recently announced an industry led Pledge so that leaseholders with 10 or 15 year doubling ground rents can have their lease terms amended voluntarily. We have also said that we will be clamping down on unjustified legal costs for leaseholders, we will implement the majority of the Law Commission's recommendations on 'event fees' in the retirement sector.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4053", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Derbyshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mrs Heather Wheeler"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-03T13:41:52.047Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Leasehold"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress he has made on proposals to (a) protect and (b) improve the rights of leaseholders in England and Wales.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4119", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jonathan Reynolds"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stalybridge and Hyde"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jonathan Reynolds"} ], "uin" : "247698"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1109105", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1109105/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "The FCA\u2019s final report of the Mortgage Market Study found that there are high levels of consumer engagement, with over three quarters of consumers switching to a new mortgage deal within 6 months of moving onto a reversion rate.
<\/p>
The Government has worked closely with the FCA to consider how to remove the regulatory barriers that prevent some customers, particularly those with inactive lenders, from accessing better deals. The Government welcomes the FCA\u2019s plans to move the affordability assessment from an absolute test to a relative one. This change removes the regulatory barrier that prevented some customers, who otherwise may have been able to switch, from accessing new mortgage products. The Government also welcomes the industry voluntary agreement covering 95% of the UK mortgage market to help \u2018trapped\u2019 customers of active lenders.<\/p>
<\/p>
Transparency and fairness in the mortgage market is a priority for the Government. The Treasury welcomes and supports the work the FCA are doing to improve this as a result of their findings in the final report of the Mortgage Market Study. The Government will continue to monitor the market and support the FCA when necessary.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4051", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for John Glen"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Salisbury"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "John Glen"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-04-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-04-10T15:24:04.98Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Mortgages"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to encourage greater switching and transparency in the UK mortgage market.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4119", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jonathan Reynolds"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stalybridge and Hyde"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jonathan Reynolds"} ], "uin" : "239957"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1092243", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1092243/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
We take the operational resilience of the finance sector and any detrimental impacts on consumers very seriously. HM Treasury works closely with the Bank of England, the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) (collectively the \u2018Financial Authorities\u2019) to assess, test and improve the operational resilience of the sector and to respond to any major disruption, including to payment systems.<\/p>
<\/p>
In July 2018, the PRA and the FCA published a joint Discussion Paper on an approach to improve the operational resilience of firms and financial market infrastructures, including to payment systems. The Authorities will use responses to this to inform supervisory activity and future policy-making to support firms\u2019 and FMIs\u2019 operational resilience[i].<\/p>
<\/p>
The Financial Authorities also have a single mechanism, the Authorities\u2019 Response Framework, to coordinate a response to incidents affecting the finance sector. The Financial Authorities regularly exercise incident response frameworks with the sector to assess their effectiveness and identify improvements. The Bank of England held a sector resilience exercise (SIMEX18) in November 2018 which tested the joint response by public authorities and industry to a simulated disruption.<\/p>
<\/p>