Asked by: Cherilyn Mackrory (Conservative - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether geothermal energy will be allocated a budget minima in the Auction Round 5 of the Contracts for Difference Scheme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is currently considering auction parameters for all technologies for Allocation Round 5 of the Contracts for Difference scheme, including any for geothermal, taking into account evidence of the pipeline of available projects. The Government will publish details of these parameters ahead of the round opening in March 2023.
Asked by: Cherilyn Mackrory (Conservative - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the draft budget for Auction Round 5 of the Contracts for Difference Scheme will be published.
Answered by Graham Stuart
A draft timeline for Allocation 5 is available on the Contracts for Difference microsite.[1]The Government will publish details of auction parameters, including the final budget, ahead of the round opening in March 2023.
[1] https://www.cfdallocationround.uk/publications/draft-allocation-round-5-timeline
Asked by: Cherilyn Mackrory (Conservative - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his department has taken to support the British geothermal industry.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government supports the development of geothermal projects provided it can be done at an acceptable cost to consumers. The most promising use of geothermal energy in the UK is for heat applications such as in district heating network schemes. The Government is supporting the development of low carbon heat networks and thereby building its capability to harness heat from sources such as geothermal energy. Electricity generated from geothermal heat is able to bid into the Contracts for Difference scheme.
Asked by: Cherilyn Mackrory (Conservative - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress she has made on the review of NHS dental contracts.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department worked with NHS England and negotiated with the British Dental Association on improvements to the National Health Service dental system which was announced on 19 July 2022. These improvements are supported by the sector and will improve access, target care for patients with higher oral health needs and ensure that dentists are more fairly rewarded for delivering NHS care, making NHS dentistry a more attractive place to work for dentists and their teams.
It also includes improving the 2006 contract to ensure better remuneration for practices for providing complex treatment to patients, issuing guidance on how often patients should expect to attend for check-ups and enabling dentists to make better use of staff in dental teams to deliver NHS treatment. This will also enable greater flexibility for NHS commissioners in commissioning dentists to deliver more treatment where needed and make it a requirement for dentists to update practice information on NHS.UK. We have commenced the next phase of reforms which will focus on urgent care, funding models and terms and conditions.
Asked by: Cherilyn Mackrory (Conservative - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether post separation abuse is a prosecutable offence under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Sections 1 and 2 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 included a strengthened definition of domestic abuse which recognises abuse can take place post separation.
Section 1 sets out that the relationship between an individual being abused and the perpetrator is one where they are ‘personally connected’. Section 2 expands what is meant by ‘personally connected’ and is explicit this includes instances where to people “are, or have been” in various forms of relationship, including marriage, civil partnerships, and intimate personal relationships.
The Domestic Abuse Statutory Guidance, issued by the Home Secretary under Section 84 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, includes specific references to post-separation abuse, acknowledging “abuse can continue or intensify when a relationship has ended.”
Asked by: Cherilyn Mackrory (Conservative - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the enforcement procedures are for not payment of Child Maintenance Payments; and whether those procedures are subject to regular assessments of effectiveness.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
The Child Maintenance Group has the following powers which can be applied immediately if payment compliance cannot be re-established and are subject to fixed charges:
If the paying parent is self-employed or not employed, we can apply:
If a bank account is not identified or there are no or insufficient funds available to permit any deduction order, the case will be referred for consideration and instigation of Legal Enforcement action to secure what is owed, and always to strive for long term payment compliance. The following Enforcement powers available are:
Throughout the Enforcement process, the case will continuously be reviewed to determine whether previously unsuccessful action may now be successful.
CMG regularly reviews Enforcement procedures and policies to continuously improve efficiency and effectiveness. Legislation and policy are similarly reviewed with policy colleagues to consider whether other actions should be introduced. In December 2018 new legislation was introduced in England, Scotland and Wales to request a non-compliant paying parent is disqualified from holding or obtaining a UK passport. The Curfew sanction will be introduced in December 2022 to be available for implementation in early 2023.
Asked by: Cherilyn Mackrory (Conservative - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will provide a timeline for plans to allow local authorities to charge a council tax premium on second homes.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill is currently in its Committee stage in the House of Commons and contains a discretionary power for councils to apply a council tax premium of up to 100% on second homes. Subject to the conclusion of the passage of this bill, it will be for councils to decide whether to introduce a premium and, if so, when it should come into effect. In order to provide taxpayers with fair warning of increased liability, any determination to introduce a premium should be made at least one year prior to it coming into effect.
Asked by: Cherilyn Mackrory (Conservative - Truro and Falmouth)
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 ensure that change of use planning permission is required for properties changing from a residential to holiday let status.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The recent call for evidence on a tourist accommodation registration scheme by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport sought views on a range of issues, including the impacts of the increase in short-term and holiday lettings. This closed on 21 September and further announcements will be made in due course. In the meantime we will keep the planning status of such properties under review.
Asked by: Cherilyn Mackrory (Conservative - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to increase pension credit uptake in rural areas.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We have undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit and increase take-up across the whole of the country. On 21 March I wrote to the editors of all regional newspapers across England, Scotland and Wales calling on readers to check if they could be eligible and make a claim.
On 3 April DWP launched a comprehensive Pension Credit take-up campaign. We have been promoting Pension Credit in a variety of ways – including print advertising and promotion in the national press, across social media, via internet search engines and on screens in Post Offices and GP surgeries across Great Britain. I also wrote to all MPs, urging them to support the campaign at a constituency level as MPs are well placed to promote Pension Credit locally. Our digital toolkit has been updated with information and resources, as well as leaflets and posters which advice organisations, charities and other stakeholders working across local communities can use to help promote Pension Credit.
Most recently, on 15 June DWP held another Pension Credit day of action with broadcasters, regional and national newspapers and other partners encouraged to reach out to pensioners, as well their family and friends, through their channels.
Asked by: Cherilyn Mackrory (Conservative - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional mental health support for university students on placement years.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous bodies, independent from government, and have a responsibility to ensure students are well supported during their studies, so they can fully participate in their university experience and achieve outcomes to progress to quality employment. HE providers are not only experts in their student population, but are also best placed to identify the needs of their students, including students undertaking placements as part of their studies.
The mental health and wellbeing of young people is a priority for the government. We continue to work closely with the higher education (HE) sector to promote and fund effective practice. Through strategic guidance to the Office for Students (OfS), we asked that it distributes £15 million of funding in FY the 2022/23 financial year to give additional support for transitions from school/college to university, and through targeting funding to support partnership working with NHS services to provide pathways of care for students. The OfS funded Student Space, which provides a dedicated online platform for students providing vital mental health and wellbeing, and resources and is leading work to establish and share ‘what works’ across the sector.
The University Mental Health Charter, led by Student Minds and backed by the government, brings together universities to drive up standards of practice in mental health provision across the HE sector. The Charter identifies support for students on placements as a principle of good practice, encouraging HE providers to ensure targeted support for students on placement and on professional programmes, who may require more in-depth preparation and specific interventions. I have made clear my ambition for all HE providers to sign up to the Charter programme within 5 years.
Preventing suicide and self-harm in our student population continues to be a key concern, including through supporting the suicide safer universities framework led by Universities UK (UUK) and Papyrus. UUK have worked with stakeholders to develop a checklist which ensures better coordination of support between HE providers and placement providers, including mental health quality assurance of placements. This is due to be published in late July.
The OfS will allocate up to £3 million of funding towards developing stronger partnership working with NHS services. Alongside my hon Friend, the member for Chichester, I chaired a summit in June to launch this work and ensure that the department and the Department of Health and Social Care work together to achieve this common goal.