Asked by: Rehman Chishti (Conservative - Gillingham and Rainham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has any plans to reduce VAT on sunscreen, which is currently not classified as an essential health product.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Under the current VAT rules, sun protection products are subject to the standard rate of VAT. High-factor sunscreen is on the NHS prescription list for certain conditions and is provided VAT free when dispensed by a pharmacist.
Expanding the scope of the current VAT relief would come at a considerable cost to the Exchequer. Therefore, while all taxes are kept under review, there are currently no plans to reduce VAT on sunscreen products.
Asked by: Rehman Chishti (Conservative - Gillingham and Rainham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Expanded Retail Discount 2020-21 applies to those businesses whose activities are split evenly between retail and other activities.
Answered by Simon Clarke
My Department published guidance on the expanded retail discount on 25 March 2020. The guidance states that eligible properties are those wholly or mainly used as shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music venues; those used by visiting members of the public for assembly and leisure; or hotels, guest & boarding premises and self-catering accommodation. It is for local authorities to decide, having regard to the guidance, whether properties fall within these categories.
Asked by: Rehman Chishti (Conservative - Gillingham and Rainham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has set out a proportion of a business’s activity that must be retail for it to qualify for the Expanded Retail Discount 2020-21.
Answered by Simon Clarke
My Department published guidance on the expanded retail discount on 25 March 2020. The guidance states that eligible properties are those wholly or mainly used as shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music venues; those used by visiting members of the public for assembly and leisure; or hotels, guest & boarding premises and self-catering accommodation. It is for local authorities to decide, having regard to the guidance, whether properties fall within these categories.
Asked by: Rehman Chishti (Conservative - Gillingham and Rainham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans to permit train operating companies to offer temporary rent reductions to concessions in railway stations in response to the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
In accordance with Franchise Agreements, as varied by the Emergency Measures Agreements, Franchisees have responsibility to act at all times as Good and Efficient Operators. The Department has written to all train operating companies outlining that it is incumbent on them, as responsible commercial landlords, to actively consider any requests made for rent deferral or relief in accordance with the Good and Efficient Operator principle. We expect requests from tenants to be considered on a case-by-case basis taking into account whether the tenant has made all reasonable efforts to seek assistance from wider government support schemes before any rent relief is agreed.
Any rent relief arrangements should also be developed in line with the recently published Code of Practice for commercial property relationships during the Covid-19 pandemic which provides guidance as to how landlords should be considering requests from commercial tenants during the current period.
Asked by: Rehman Chishti (Conservative - Gillingham and Rainham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure concessions in railway stations operated by train operating companies are eligible for the same rent holidays and other forms of financial assistance available to concessions in stations operated by Network Rail.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
In accordance with Franchise Agreements, as varied by the Emergency Measures Agreements, Franchisees have responsibility to act at all times as Good and Efficient Operators. The Department has written to all train operating companies outlining that it is incumbent on them, as responsible commercial landlords, to actively consider any requests made for rent deferral or relief in accordance with the Good and Efficient Operator principle. We expect requests from tenants to be considered on a case-by-case basis taking into account whether the tenant has made all reasonable efforts to seek assistance from wider government support schemes before any rent relief is agreed.
Any rent relief arrangements should also be developed in line with the recently published Code of Practice for commercial property relationships during the Covid-19 pandemic which provides guidance as to how landlords should be considering requests from commercial tenants during the current period.
Asked by: Rehman Chishti (Conservative - Gillingham and Rainham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Child Maintenance Service is currently contacting people who are believed to owe child maintenance payments.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Where payments have been missed we have asked parents to report the changes via the self-service portal. In order to ensure that receiving parents do not lose out in the long run, the Child Maintenance Service is updating cases with notified changes. Where payments have been missed the Service is contacting parents to re-establish compliance and collect any unpaid amounts that may have accrued.
Asked by: Rehman Chishti (Conservative - Gillingham and Rainham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the Child Maintenance Service will resume enforcement action against people who owe child maintenance payments.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Where payments have been missed we have asked parents to report the changes via the self-service portal. In order to ensure that receiving parents do not lose out in the long run, the Child Maintenance Service is updating cases with notified changes. Where payments have been missed the Service is taking action to re-establish compliance and collect any unpaid amounts that may have accrued.
Those found to be abusing the system are subject to the full extent of our enforcement powers and the Child Maintenance Service will pursue these, where appropriate.
We are working with key partners, such as bailiffs and courts, who support enforcement activity to establish arrangements supporting enforcement. Once our key partners are fully able to support our referrals we will then move quickly to re-establish our normal and full range of enforcement services.
Asked by: Rehman Chishti (Conservative - Gillingham and Rainham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her response of 15 June 2020 to the Hon. Member for Gillingham and Rainham, Official Report, column 555, what resources have been put in place by (a) her Department and (b) her Department's various agencies to tackle the rise of right-wing extremism.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Government continues to monitor all emerging evidence related to right wing extremism, including the analysis of the Extremism Analysis Unit.
We have established the Building a Stronger Britain Together (BSBT) programme which brings together people across England and Wales to tackle extremism on the ground. In addition, we have created the independent Commission for Countering Extremism to listen to voices around the country and to identify new ways of responding to extremism. Since the programme’s launch in 2016 it has supported over 240 civil society organisations, in the 2019/20 funding round for BSBT 28% of groups were actively tackling far right extremism, a rise of 20% compared to the programme’s first year.
As part of our ongoing commitment to protect faith communities following the horrendous attacks in Christchurch last year, we also launched a consultation asking faith groups what else should be done to help them feel safe and confident while practicing their religion. The consultation closed on the 28 June and the responses are being evaluated.
Asked by: Rehman Chishti (Conservative - Gillingham and Rainham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to prevent illegal crossings of the English Channel.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Facilitating these crossings is illegal and no one should be attempting them in the first place. France, from where almost all embark, is a manifestly safe country with a fully functioning asylum system. Any of these migrants needing asylum should claim it in France. Those seeking to cross must traverse some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. It is a reckless and dangerous crossing, putting the lives of the people who attempt it at serious risk – including children and babies.
The Government is working flat out to put a complete stop to these crossings, and all attempts to reach the UK clandestinely and action is being taken on a daily basis.
The National Crime Agency, Immigration Enforcement, Border Force and the UK Police are working closely with French authorities to crack down on the criminals who facilitate the crossings. There is a UK-France Coordination and Information Centre opened in Calais which opened in November 2018
This law enforcement response is delivering results. French law enforcement prevented over 1000 people from crossing by small boats in April and May 2020.
In 2019, Immigration Enforcement made 418 arrests, leading to 203 convictions for a total of 437 years. Out of these, 259 arrests and 100 convictions were for people smuggling. Immigration Enforcement carried out 841 disruptions against organised crime gangs and individuals engaged in organised immigration crime, 404 of which were related to people smuggling. So far in 2020, 21 people smugglers have been convicted and put behind bars as a result of Immigration Enforcement investigations, with more investigations underway.
The UK Government has also returned over 155 small boats arrivals back to Europe since January 2019 using the legal channels available. We have a further 686 return cases which we are currently urgently progressing.
There is more we need to do beyond this. We are working on developing tactics to prevent crossings at sea, and on ways to rapidly return those who do get across. This may require primary legislation and new agreements with the French Government. These are currently under active discussion. The Prime Minister directly discussed the issue with President Macron on 18 June and the Home Secretary is in constant contact with her opposite number, the French Interior Minister. We will not rest until the crossings are entirely stopped.
Asked by: Rehman Chishti (Conservative - Gillingham and Rainham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to improve Action Fraud's performance.
Answered by James Brokenshire
As the National Lead Force for fraud, the City of London Police (CoLP) are responsible for the performance of the Action Fraud service. Together with the City of London Corporation, CoLP commissioned an independent review led by Sir Craig Mackey QPM into the standards, culture and management of Action Fraud.? The findings and recommendations of that review were published on ?24th January: https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/about-the-city/Pages/police-authority.aspx
Working with the City of London Corporation, the NCA and Home Office, the City of London Police will address Sir Craig’s recommendations regarding Action Fraud and the NFIB.
In addition, as part of the 20/21 police funding settlement, City of London Police received additional funding to allow them to recruit additional staff for the Action Fraud call centre. Despite the current challenging circumstances, work has continued to recruit and develop remote training for these additional staff at pace.