Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what support the Government is giving to the British glass industry.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
We remain absolutely determined to secure a competitive future for our energy intensive industries (EIIs) including the glass industry and we have provided EIIs more than £2 billion to help with the costs of energy.
On 23rd February 2023, we announced further support for key UK energy intensive industries. Over 300 businesses across the UK will benefit from the British Industry Supercharger: targeted measures to ensure the energy costs for key UK industries are in line with other major economies around the world.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce levels of deaths from AIDS in Africa.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK's pledge to the 7th replenishment of the Global Fund will help to save over 1 million lives. We also continue to support UNAIDS to deliver on its mandate to provide effective leadership for the global HIV response and implement the ambitious new Global AIDS Strategy. The UK continues to fund other key international partners, including UNITAID, the Robert Carr Fund, the Global Financing Facility and others on combatting HIV and AIDS in Africa.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of inflation on pensioners in (a) St Helens North constituency and (b) the North West.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government understands the pressures pensioners are facing with the cost of living.
In April, we uprated benefit rates and State Pensions by 10.1%, putting the State Pension over £10,000 per year for the first time.
In addition to this, more than 8 million pensioner households will receive a Cost of Living Payment of £300 to be paid during winter 2023. Further to this, the Energy Price Guarantee will be extended from April 2023 until the end of March 2024, meaning a typical household bill will be around £3,000 per year in Great Britain.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of mental health specialists in St Helens North constituency.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The National Health Service has published a Long Term Workforce Plan which outlines the steps the Government is taking to support the recruitment and retention of mental health specialists, including in St Helens North constituency. A copy of the plan is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/nhs-long-term-workforce-plan-v1.1.pdf
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data he holds on the average waiting time for a driving test in (a) St Helens North constituency and (b) the North West as of 13 October 2023.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The average waiting time in September 2023 for (a) St Helens North was 17 weeks, and (b) the North West was 19.1 weeks.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate she has made of the number and proportion of care recipients that are in fuel poverty in St Helens North constituency.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero do not hold the data for the number and proportion of care recipients that are in fuel poverty in St Helens North Constituency. The latest sub regional fuel poverty statistics show that we consider 13.6% (6,097) of households to be in fuel poverty in the constituency of St Helens North.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of community buildings affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in (a) St Helens North constituency and (b) the North West.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
I refer the Hon. Member to my answer to Question UIN 197493 on 11 September 2023.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many people are employed by (a) the House of Commons and (b) Members of Parliament.
Answered by Charles Walker
As of 19 July 2023, the number of people employed by (a) the House of Commons is 3,284 and (b), the number of people employed by Members of Parliament through IPSA is 3,746.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had discussions with relevant stakeholders on the potential to use tax incentives to encourage investment in the creative industries.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The UK offers eight creative industry tax reliefs for film, high end TV, animation, children’s TV, video games, orchestras, theatres and museums and galleries exhibitions. The reliefs have a key role in stimulating growth and encouraging investment in the UK’s world-leading creative industries. Inward investment in UK film and high-end TV reaching a record figure of more than £5.3 billion in 2022.
The Chancellor has identified the creative sector as a priority for economic growth. The Chancellor regularly engages stakeholders, including through the Creative Industries Conference which the Chancellor hosted on 3 May 2023. The conference brought together industry leaders and stakeholders from across the creative industries and covered a range of issues related to driving further growth in the sector.
The Government keeps the tax system under continuous review. Any changes to tax reliefs would be communicated through the normal fiscal event process
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many new homes were built in St Helens Borough in each year since 2000 by electoral ward.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The information requested is not held centrally.