Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to enable full expensing for capital expenditure by farmers.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
At Autumn Statement 2023, the Chancellor announced that full expensing will be made permanent, allowing companies to claim 100% capital allowances on qualifying main rate plant and machinery investments. Full expensing is available to all incorporated companies, including farmers.
There are other generous capital allowances that are available to unincorporated businesses, including the Annual Investment Allowance. In Autumn 2022 it was permanently set at its highest ever level of £1 million a year.
The Annual Investment Allowance allows businesses to claim 100% capital allowances on qualifying main or special rate assets up to a total of £1 million per year.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has received recent representations from his counterpart in South Africa on the potential impact of his Department's legislative proposals on trophy hunting on that country.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has not received any representations from his international counterparts on the potential impact of the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Private Members’ Bill introduced by the Rt. Hon. Member for Warley.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has received recent representations from his counterpart in Zimbabwe on the potential impact of his Department's legislative proposals on trophy hunting on that country.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has not received any representations from his international counterparts on the potential impact of the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Private Members’ Bill introduced by the Rt. Hon. Member for Warley.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has received recent representations from his counterpart in Tanzania on the potential impact of his Department's legislative proposals on trophy hunting on that country.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has not received any representations from his international counterparts on the potential impact of the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Private Members’ Bill introduced by the Rt. Hon. Member for Warley.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has received recent representations from his counterpart in Namibia on the potential impact of his Department's legislative proposals on trophy hunting on that country.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has not received any representations from his international counterparts on the potential impact of the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Private Members’ Bill introduced by the Rt. Hon. Member for Warley.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has received recent representations from his counterpart in Zambia on the potential impact of his Department's legislative proposals on trophy hunting on that country.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has not received any representations from his international counterparts on the potential impact of the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Private Members’ Bill introduced by the Rt. Hon. Member for Warley.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has received recent representations from his counterpart in Botswana on the potential impact of his Department's legislative proposals on trophy hunting on that country.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has not received any representations from his international counterparts on the potential impact of the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Private Members’ Bill introduced by the Rt. Hon. Member for Warley.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a Natural Flood Management accreditation scheme to set standards for best practice.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In summer 2023, the Environment Agency surveyed Natural Flood Management (NFM) practitioners on their skills and training needs. The survey told us that only 6% of respondents considered accreditation to be “extremely important,” but there was no consensus on where accreditation is required or who is best placed to provide it. The survey data told us there was more demand for NFM training to count towards Continued Professional Development (CPD) credits rather than accreditation. There was no consensus on who is best place to award these CPD credits. The survey concluded that course content and the way courses are delivered are more important to respondents than accreditation or CPD credits.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to ensure the interoperability of deposit return schemes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Consultations on introducing a deposit return scheme (DRS) for single-use drinks containers were held in 2019 and 2021, with the final consultation response published in January 2023. These consultations applied to England, Wales and NI.
In May 2023, UK Government published a position statement setting out that DRSs across the UK should be interoperable to reduce complexity for businesses and consumers, and to avoid unnecessary barriers to trade. Defra is working closely with devolved administrations on the next steps to deliver schemes that work together across the UK. We aim to publish a joint update in early 2024.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on establishing a deposit return scheme.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Consultations on introducing a deposit return scheme (DRS) for single-use drinks containers were held in 2019 and 2021, with the final consultation response published in January 2023. These consultations applied to England, Wales and NI.
In May 2023, UK Government published a position statement setting out that DRSs across the UK should be interoperable to reduce complexity for businesses and consumers, and to avoid unnecessary barriers to trade. Defra is working closely with devolved administrations on the next steps to deliver schemes that work together across the UK. We aim to publish a joint update in early 2024.