Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure public sector bodies are minimising wasteful spending.
Answered by Simon Clarke
The Government is taking action to tackle waste and inefficiency across the public sector through a comprehensive efficiency agenda overseen by a Chancellor chaired Cabinet Committee on Efficiency and Value for Money. The Government has launched a new programme of Public Body Reviews. Reviews will examine the accountability, efficiency, efficacy and governance of bodies. Reviews will be asked to identify more than 5% recurring efficiencies in resource budgets and are expected to find at least £800m in savings.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that farmers are (a) consulted on and (b) included in the decision-making process on changes to regulatory requirements on plant protection products.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Defra regularly engages with farming stakeholders including representative organisations, such as the National Farmers Union and Nature Friendly Farming Network, as well as individual farmers and growers.
In 2021, the Government consulted on the draft National Action Plan for the sustainable use of pesticides (NAP) which sets out the ambition to further minimise the risks and impacts of pesticides to human health and the environment. We received 38,500 responses to this consultation. This included responses from a range of farming stakeholders.
We are planning further engagement with a wide range of key stakeholders, including those from the farming sector, as we prepare to finalise the NAP and in the development of future environmental land management schemes, including the Sustainable Farming Incentive.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the availability of mechanisms to support charities and individuals seeking to transport donated goods to Ukraine.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Individuals wanting to support the aid effort in Ukraine are encouraged to do so through donations to trusted charities or existing humanitarian appeals such as the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) and UN appeals, rather than donating goods. Cash can be transferred quickly to areas where it is needed and individuals and aid organisations can use it to buy the items they need the most. Unsolicited donations of goods, although well-meant, can obstruct supply chains and delay more urgent life-saving assistance from getting through. Reputable charities will be able to efficiently utilise existing supply chains and experienced aid workers to reach the people who are most in need. Advice on how individuals can support the Ukraine aid effort is available on: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukraine-what-you-can-do-to-help
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that freedom of speech is protected in UK universities.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The government believes that freedom of speech and academic freedom are fundamental pillars of our higher education (HE) system and that protecting these principles should be a priority for universities.
The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill, introduced on 12 May 2021, will strengthen existing freedom of speech duties and directly address gaps within the existing law. This includes the fact there is no clear way of enforcing the current law when an HE provider breaches it, as well as applying the duties directly to students’ unions and constituent colleges including those at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The Bill introduces a role on the Office for Students board, with responsibility for overseeing its strengthened duties to promote freedom of speech and investigate where potential breaches of the duties occur.
The changes will introduce clear consequences for breaches of the new duties and ensure that these principles are upheld.
The Bill will reach report stage in the House of Commons shortly.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what progress the Government is making on the implementation of the recommendations of the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Government has taken steps to embed beauty, design and placemaking in the planning system in response to the recommendations of the Building Better Building Beautiful Commission. This includes revisions to national planning policy and guidance. The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill also requires locally developed design codes, which set clear rules about what development must look like. The Office for Place will support communities in turning their visions of beautiful design into a reality.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he is taking steps to reduce the burden of business rates on small and medium businesses.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
With the conclusion of the Business Rates Review at Autumn Budget 2021, the Government has delivered meaningful reform and cuts worth £7 billion to business over the next five years. This includes a multiplier freeze in 2022-23 which will support all ratepayers, large and small, and a new temporary relief for retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses worth almost £1.7 billion in 2022-23. In addition, over a third of properties (700,000) already pay no business rates as a result of 100 per cent relief through Small Business Rates Relief, with an additional 121,000 in the taper.Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that road users are aware of the recent changes to the Highway Code.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The changes to The Highway Code to help improve road safety for people walking, cycling and horse riding are being communicated in two phases:
Both phases of the campaign include a significant media spend, utilising channels such as radio, digital audio and social media advertising.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to prepare for a potential increase in demand for social housing in the event that housing for Ukrainian refugees through the sponsor scheme is unsuitable, or after the initial six month period expires.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
Six months is the minimum period of sponsorship – and the Government will support sponsors including with ‘thank you’ payments for up to 12 months. We are considering how we can best support people beyond the Home For Ukraine scheme.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the recommendations set out in the Independent Review on Tobacco Control.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The Independent Review is due to be published shortly and we will consider its findings following publication. We will assess which recommendations will inform the forthcoming health disparities white paper and the new Tobacco Control Plan to be published later this year. This will include an assessment on any potential consultation.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the recommendations of the Independent Review on Tobacco Control; and whether he plans to hold a consultation on those recommendations.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The Independent Review is due to be published shortly and we will consider its findings following publication. We will assess which recommendations will inform the forthcoming health disparities white paper and the new Tobacco Control Plan to be published later this year. This will include an assessment on any potential consultation.