Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing mandated community benefit criteria for new solar developments.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Solar developers offer a range of community benefit schemes. These include funding for environmental enhancements, job schemes and energy discounts. Other schemes offer investment in local infrastructure, such as faster broadband, electric vehicle charging points or energy efficiency measures. The Government considers these schemes are best agreed locally and voluntarily to ensure they meet the needs of the local area.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress the Government has made o the driving license exchange between the UK and Republic of Kosovo.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK does allow the exchange of driving licences with certain countries, but Kosovo is not currently a designated country for this scheme. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has received a request from the Embassy of Kosovo to consider a possible reciprocal driving licence exchange agreement and is providing the necessary information to progress this.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an estimate of the approval rate for (a) individuals and (b) companies that apply to HMRC to have their information redacted from the UK's tax information exchange agreements on human rights grounds.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
HMRC takes secrecy provisions of tax information exchange agreements very seriously and has procedures for dealing with any case of actual or suspected violation. Such incidents are very rare. Appropriate action will depend on the facts and circumstances of the case and can include suspension of the relevant tax information exchange agreement.
In the last ten years HMRC has received no applications from individuals or companies asking to redact information on human rights grounds.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many applications HMRC has received from people asking to redact their information from the UK’s tax information exchange agreements in the last 10 years.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
HMRC takes secrecy provisions of tax information exchange agreements very seriously and has procedures for dealing with any case of actual or suspected violation. Such incidents are very rare. Appropriate action will depend on the facts and circumstances of the case and can include suspension of the relevant tax information exchange agreement.
In the last ten years HMRC has received no applications from individuals or companies asking to redact information on human rights grounds.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance his Department has on situations where HMRC discovers a secrecy provision has been violated for one of the UK's tax information exchange agreements; and whether HMRC keeps a record of such violations.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
HMRC takes secrecy provisions of tax information exchange agreements very seriously and has procedures for dealing with any case of actual or suspected violation. Such incidents are very rare. Appropriate action will depend on the facts and circumstances of the case and can include suspension of the relevant tax information exchange agreement.
In the last ten years HMRC has received no applications from individuals or companies asking to redact information on human rights grounds.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times tax information has been exchanged with (a) the People’s Republic of China and (b) Hong Kong under (i) Common Reporting Standard and (ii) Exchange of Information on Request agreements in the past year.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
In accordance with the confidentiality rules in the relevant international treaties, HMRC does not release statistics on the number of exchanges with individual jurisdictions. All tax information exchange agreements contain secrecy provisions restricting the disclosure and use of data to tax purposes.
Before jurisdictions can receive financial data under the Common Reporting Standard they are subject to rigorous confidentiality and data safeguards assessments by the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information. There are circumstances where information is not exchanged with jurisdictions, for example individuals who consider their human rights are at risk if their Common Reporting Standard data is exchanged can apply to HMRC to have their information redacted at IEIM406120_application.pdf (hmrc.gov.uk). Financial institutions have been reminded of the redaction process and HMRC will further engage on this with financial industry representatives.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what protective measures are in tax information exchange agreements to safeguard the financial data of UK-based diasporas at risk of transnational repression.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
All tax information exchange agreements contain secrecy provisions restricting the disclosure and use of data to tax purposes. Financial data exchanged by the UK under the Common Reporting Standard relates to tax residents of the receiving jurisdiction, not tax residents of the UK, and before jurisdictions can receive any such financial data they are subject to rigorous confidentiality and data safeguards assessments by the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information. Nevertheless, individuals who consider their human rights are at risk if data is exchanged can apply to HMRC to have their information redacted at IEIM406120_application.pdf (hmrc.gov.uk). Financial institutions have been reminded of the redaction process and HMRC will further engage on this with financial industry representatives.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the steps taken by the US Government to sanction (a) GCL-Poly, (b) Longi Solar, (c) Hongyuan New Material Co. and (d) Tongwei Solar.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is committed to tackling the issue of Uyghur forced labour in supply chains and is taking robust action. We have previously imposed sanctions on a range of Chinese actors responsible for the human rights violations in Xinjiang, in coordination with international partners. Sanctions are just one tool at our disposal, and we have also taken wider action including providing guidance to business, introducing enhanced export controls, announcing penalties under the Modern Slavery Act, and mobilising international support to hold China to account. The Government will continue to impress upon China the need to end serious human rights violations.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure that private Chinese companies operating in the life sciences sector are adhering to UK ethical standards.
Answered by George Freeman
The Life Sciences sector in the UK is key to both the health and economic growth of our country and, through our new Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, this Government is committed to placing the UK at the forefront of global scientific and technological advances.
All life sciences companies operating in the UK must adhere to UK ethics standards, research codes of conduct and associated legal obligations. We will shortly publish our new UK Biological Security Strategy, under the umbrella of my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s Integrated Review, which will outline our approach to preventing biological threats as science and technology develops.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what regulatory framework is in place for foreign parties that access and utilise human genetic resources when operating in the UK.
Answered by George Freeman
Organisations which hold human genetic data are subject to the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In addition, Genomics England, UK Biobank and NIHR BioResource actively consider national security in decision making about partnerships with companies overseas. These organisations consulted with security personnel on a regular basis to ensure partnerships are aligned with our national security interests.
The Human Tissue Authority, a non-departmental body of the Department for Health and Social Care, is the independent regulator of organisations that remove, store and use human tissue for research, medical treatment, post-mortem examination, education and training, and display in public. It enforces the Human Tissue Act 2004 which regulates the removal, storage and use of human tissue.