Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department is taking steps to help increase the uptake of Gift Aid.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
The Government is committed to providing support to the charitable sector worth over £5 billion per year. Gift Aid - a significant part of this- is worth £1.4 billion per year to charities and £500 million to their donors (through higher rate relief). Charities have a key role to play in raising uptake as they really are uniquely placed to persuade eligible donors to use Gift Aid, as well as educate them about the benefits of doing so at the actual point of donation.
HMRC works closely and regularly with representatives from across the charity sector reviewing Gift Aid, as well as raising awareness amongst donors. It places a high priority on this collaborative work, and is always interested in ideas to improve the take-up and raise awareness of Gift Aid.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of expanding the number of schools enrolled in the National School Breakfast Programme.
Answered by Nick Gibb
In November 2022, the Department extended the National School Breakfast Programme for an additional year, until the end of the summer term in 2024. £30 million has been set aside to fund this programme. This funding will support up to 2,500 schools in disadvantaged areas, meaning that thousands of children from low-income families will be offered free nutritious breakfasts to better support their attainment, wellbeing, and readiness to learn. Schools are eligible for the programme if they have 40% or more pupils from disadvantaged households, as measured by the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on fulfilling its commitments on environmental mitigations for the Sevington Inland Border Facility.
Answered by Richard Holden - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
My Department has already delivered biodiversity enhancements within the Inland Border Facility boundaries by implementing a landscaping scheme to achieve a positive biodiversity net gain as habitats mature.
The Department owns the adjacent land to the east of Sevington Inland Border Facility (IBF), known as Sevington East, and intends to use to further offset the environmental impact of the IBF development by creating a local biodiversity asset. Extended archaeological investigations have had an impact on the delivery of this. Those investigations and the work on land formations have now concluded and plans are being updated to deliver the seeding and planting for the biodiversity scheme later this year.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will bring forward publication of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill to ensure the regime can be put into operation.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the Autumn Statement that the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill will be brought forward in the 3rd Session. Further details on this will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of direct payments for social care.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
It is a matter for local authorities to determine how best to meet the eligible care and support needs of care users in their areas and ensure that those needing care and support, or their nominated representatives, are given timely information about direct payments to facilitate choice.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to expand support for family carers including increasing the options available for respite breaks.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Funding for respite and short breaks for carers is included in the National Health Service contribution to the Better Care Fund (BCF). In 2022/23, £291.7 million of BCF funding has been earmarked to provide short breaks and respite services for carers, as well as advice and support to carers.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what Government support has been made available to encourage the implementation of innovative forms of care and support in the social care sector.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The ‘People at the Heart of Care’ white paper published in December 2021 recognised the transformative role technology and new innovations can play in improving the quality and safety of care. As part of this, we committed to achieving 80% adoption of digital social care records by March 2024 and have launched a scheme to scale care technology where there is proven benefit and build the case for further change and innovation across the sector by testing new ideas. To support these ambitions, we have made £25 million available to integrated care systems.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29 September 2022 to Question 53520 on Animal Welfare: Electric Shock, what data her Department holds on the level of discomfort that e-collar systems cause in (a) livestock and (b) dogs; and if she will commission research in this area.
Answered by Mark Spencer
The best proven method of preventing a dog from attacking livestock is to keep the dog on a lead when exercising around other animals, as advised by farmers and other keepers of livestock. The statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs includes guidance on how to keep dogs safe and under control. The code is available here: Code of practice for the welfare of dogs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Defra’s research into electric shock collars is available here: Science Search (defra.gov.uk) .
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the National Sheep Association’s letter to Government on 26 August 2022 on its concerns about the potential impact of banning e-collars on the numbers of livestock killed by dogs.
Answered by Mark Spencer
The best proven method of preventing a dog from attacking livestock is to keep the dog on a lead when exercising around other animals, as advised by farmers and other keepers of livestock. The statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs includes guidance on how to keep dogs safe and under control. The code is available here: Code of practice for the welfare of dogs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Defra’s research into electric shock collars is available here: Science Search (defra.gov.uk) .
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much hand rolling tobacco has been seized by (a) HM Revenue & Customs, (b) Border Force and (c) Trading Standards in each financial year since 2018-19.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) publishes annual data on illicit tobacco seizures as part of its ‘Outputs for Tackling Tobacco Smuggling’ report. The figures for cigarette and hand-rolling tobacco seizures by HMRC and Border Force since 2018-19 are below. Figures for 2021-22 are not yet available. Trading Standards do not publish comprehensive data on the quantity of cigarettes or hand rolling tobacco they seize.
Financial Year | Cigarette Seizures (sticks) (millions) | ||
HMRC Overseas | Border Force | HMRC Inland | |
2018-19 | 627.2 | 628 | 83.8 |
2019-20 | 575 | 524.1 | 69.5 |
2020-21 | 501.5 | 514.3 | 123.7 |
Financial Year | Hand-rolling tobacco Seizures (kilograms) | ||
HMRC Overseas | Border Force | HMRC Inland | |
2018-19 | 356 | 126,295 | 21,845 |
2019-20 | 0 | 115,785 | 35,901 |
2020-21 | 26,250 | 99,434 | 23,909 |