Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to support the Zambian Government to ensure that farmers are able to purchase sufficient grain from Government food agencies.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
Maize production has dropped by over 50% in Western and Southern Zambia this year as a result of drought, showing just how vulnerable Zambian farmers are to climatic shocks. Through its Climate Smart Agriculture programme, DFID is supporting over 260,000 small-scale farmers to protect yields better from the impact of climate change. DFID is also supporting engagement between Zambian civil society organisations, the Zambian Government and the Food Reserve Agency on agricultural policy and on the implementation of the Government of Zambia’s agricultural e-voucher reform programme, which has great potential to help smallholder farmers source inputs in a more timely fashion and promote agricultural diversification.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to work with UN Security Council members to ensure that the Stockholm agreement is implemented in Yemen.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
We have welcomed UN verification that Houthi forces have begun their withdrawal from the ports of Hodeidah, Saleef and Ras Issa. This was the first such withdrawal by the Houthis since the conflict began in 2014.
The UK encourages both parties to continue to constructively engage with the Special Envoy Martin Griffiths and General Lollesgaard. We will continue discussions with partners on how the UN Security Council can support the UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths on the political process and improving the humanitarian situation, central to which is the implementation of agreements reached during the Stockholm talks.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9 May 2019 to Question 250458, in what exceptional circumstances there is discretion to grant visas outside the Immigration Rules for extended family members.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Where a refugee family reunion application does not meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules, caseworkers must consider whether there are any exceptional circumstances or compassionate factors which may justify a grant of leave outside the Immigration Rules. We revised our guidance in 2016 to include more detail on the types of case that may benefit from a visa outside the Rules, this includes young adult sons or daughters who are dependent on family here and living in dangerous situations.
Specifically, exceptional circumstances or compassionate factors apply where a refusal would either breach the right to respect for family life under Article 8 of the ECHR or result in unjustifiably harsh consequences for the applicant or their family.
It is for the applicant to demonstrate what the exceptional circumstances or compassionate factors are in their case. Each case must be decided on its individual merits.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will undertake a review of the tax exemption limit for cash redundancy payments; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government confirmed in Finance (No. 2) Act 2017 that the first £30,000 of all termination payments remain exempt from income tax.
The UK has one of the most generous tax exemptions for termination payments in the OECD, and around 80% of the termination awards made each year will remain completely free from income tax. The £30,000 threshold also exceeds the maximum statutory redundancy payment of £15,750.
The Government has no plans to change the termination payments tax exempt threshold.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of striking a medal for humanitarian service; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Government is committed to consideration of how best to recognise humanitarian service in a range of ways, including existing honours and medals and as part of wider
developments in medallic recognition. Examples include the announcement in 2015 of the Ebola Medal, which recognised people from both military and civilian organisations for
their brave service to assist communities in West Africa. This new medal was announced alongside existing honours in the Orders of St. Michael and St. George and the Order of
the British Empire for people whose contribution to tackling the crisis was part of well-established outstanding service.
Recommendations for new medals are made to HM The Queen by the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with international partners on the merits of creating and upholding no-fly zones over Idlib, Syria.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
We are deeply concerned by the civilian deaths caused by airstrikes by the Syrian regime and Russia in Idlib, however we do not consider imposition of a no-fly zone over Idlib to be a realistic option. We have urgently called on the regime and Russia to end their current offensive in Idlib and to respect the ceasefire agreed last year.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Russian and Syrian counterparts on (a) halting military offensives in Syria’s Idlib province and (b) respecting the ceasefire.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The UK has already made clear to Russia and the Syrian regime the need to halt their offensive in Idlib and to respect the ceasefire agreed last September at Sochi. We have said this publicly and at the UN Security Council, including at the emergency session on 18 June, as well as in direct representations to the Russian government. The UK does not maintain diplomatic engagement with the Syrian regime.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will allocate funding for (a) local promotion and (b) outreach programmes to increase the number of people claiming healthy start vouchers.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
We are developing a digital approach to Healthy Start, which should make it easier for families to apply for, receive and use Healthy Start benefits. As part of the digitisation process, we are working with a number of local areas to consider how to encourage people to claim Healthy Start.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the proportion of people in receipt of Healthy Start vouchers.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
Between 29 April and 26 May 2019, 54% of people eligible to make an application for Healthy Start vouchers had made an application and been accepted onto the scheme.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 28 May 2019 to Question 256267 on State Retirement Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of cases where a person has received an inaccurate state pension forecast as a result of part of their state pension being contracted out.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Chancellor. State Pension forecasts are based on the individual’s National Insurance record that is held at the time the forecast is produced. There may be subsequent changes to the National Insurance information; additionally for a small percentage of National Insurance records the information may be incomplete. Where this is the case, this may affect the State Pension forecast. For this reason the forecasts make it clear that they are subject to change.
HMRC and DWP continue to work closely to improve our ability to identify and correct inaccuracies as quickly as possible. Where inaccurate or incomplete National Insurance records are identified they are routinely corrected by HMRC. Additionally, HMRC also ensure that any inconsistencies that remain on an individual’s National Insurance record are investigated in the period leading up to State Pension age to ensure the correct amount of State Pension is put into payment.