Asked by: Fay Jones (Conservative - Brecon and Radnorshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he will take to maintain levels of women’s participation in exercise during further covid-19 lockdowns.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
I am keen that we continue to maintain the focus on women’s sport and build on the fantastic progress made in recent years. We recognise that Covid-19 has brought new challenges to the way people are able to engage in physical activity. We welcome initiatives like Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign which has inspired 3.9 million women to take part since its launch in 2015 and their “Join the Movement” campaign which is encouraging everyone to stay active during the lockdown.
We are determined to get more women and girls active. That is why in June I met with sports bodies and Women in Sport to ask about their plans for promoting women’s sport including increasing women and girls participation. I’m happy to say there was a real shared commitment amongst sports to protect investment in women’s sport and promote its growth. The new local restriction tier arrangements coming into force from 2 December in England should also mean that there will be greater options for how people can be physically active, from going to the gym to using sports facilities, to taking part in organised sport.
Asked by: Fay Jones (Conservative - Brecon and Radnorshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has for the future of The Barracks, Brecon.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The intent remains to dispose of The Barracks, Brecon subject to further assessment work. Units currently based at the barracks, including Headquarters 160th (Welsh) Brigade, will be relocated within Wales. The MOD will work closely with Local Authorities to determine the impact of any decisions on local communities.
Asked by: Fay Jones (Conservative - Brecon and Radnorshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support asylum seekers at Penally Barracks, Pembrokeshire.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The AIRE (Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility) service provided for the Home Office by Migrant Help offers support and guidance to vulnerable migrants.
AIRE asylum services provide free independent advice, guidance and information on the asylum process, accommodation, financial support, finding legal representation and any other asylum related matters. AIRE run a national helpline that is free and accessible to all asylum seekers in the UK.
Asked by: Fay Jones (Conservative - Brecon and Radnorshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce bullying and harassment on social media.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
Bullying and harassment online is unacceptable. This government will establish in law a new ‘duty of care’ on companies towards their users - to ensure companies have robust systems and processes in place to keep their users safe.
This duty of care will have an emphasis on child protection and will increase the protections for all users, including the most vulnerable, from online abuse, bullying and harassment. Under new proposals companies will need to remove illegal content expeditiously and put in place systems to minimise the risk of illegal content appearing on their services.
For content that is legal but harmful, companies will need to make clear what content is acceptable on their services and enforce their terms and conditions consistently and transparently. In addition, companies will need to have effective systems for users to report harmful content.
Asked by: Fay Jones (Conservative - Brecon and Radnorshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support local police forces in tackling speeding in rural areas.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Excess speed is still a major cause of death and serious injury on our roads. Anyone who breaks the speed limit should expect to face proper sanction.
Enforcement of speeding offences and the deployment of resources in rural areas, is an operational matter for local chief officers of police, taking into account the specific local problems and demands with which they are faced.
Asked by: Fay Jones (Conservative - Brecon and Radnorshire)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps his Department is taking to help establish a Global Centre of Rail Excellence in Wales.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
My Department is working with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for Transport to consider proposals for the development of a Global Centre of Rail Excellence and I have discussed the proposition with the Minister for Economy and Transport in the Welsh Government.
Asked by: Fay Jones (Conservative - Brecon and Radnorshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals on the emotional abuse of clients by their therapists.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to a proportionate system of safeguards for the professionals who work in the health and care system. The Government considered introducing statutory regulation for counsellors and psychotherapists in 2012 but concluded that this was not proportionate to the risks to patients and the public, opting instead for a system of accredited voluntary registration by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) for health and social care.
The PSA currently accredits 10 voluntary registers relating to therapists which can be used by service users to choose a practitioner to meet their needs and be assured they are safe, trustworthy and competent to practise.
Asked by: Fay Jones (Conservative - Brecon and Radnorshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what comparative assessment he has made of the effect of VAT rates from January 2021 on the affordability of reusable menstrual underwear and other female hygiene products.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The zero rate for women’s sanitary products announced in the March 2020 Budget will apply from 1 January 2021 to those products which are currently subject to the reduced rate of 5 per cent. This covers the supply of any sanitary protection product that is designed and marketed solely for the absorption or collection of menstrual flow or lochia, whether disposable or reusable. The relief excludes dual purpose period and incontinence products, items of clothing such as reusable menstrual underwear, or purely incontinence products.
The new zero rate will ensure that every woman needing sanitary protection during their monthly cycle will, from the start of January and for the first time, have access to a variety of zero rated sanitary protection products on which they had previously paid a 5 per cent rate of VAT.
Asked by: Fay Jones (Conservative - Brecon and Radnorshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department devised its definition of women’s sanitary products qualifying for the reduced rate of VAT from January 2021; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of including reusable menstrual underwear within that definition.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The zero rate for women’s sanitary products announced in the March 2020 Budget will apply from 1 January 2021 to those products which are currently subject to the reduced rate of 5 per cent. This covers the supply of any sanitary protection product that is designed and marketed solely for the absorption or collection of menstrual flow or lochia, whether disposable or reusable. The relief excludes dual purpose period and incontinence products, items of clothing such as reusable menstrual underwear, or purely incontinence products.
The new zero rate will ensure that every woman needing sanitary protection during their monthly cycle will, from the start of January and for the first time, have access to a variety of zero rated sanitary protection products on which they had previously paid a 5 per cent rate of VAT.
Asked by: Fay Jones (Conservative - Brecon and Radnorshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that UK nationals can stay in the Schengen Area for periods of longer than 90 days without a visa.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
After the end of the transition period the EU will grant UK nationals visa free access for short-term visits, subject to reciprocity. This means that UK business visitors and tourists will not need a visa when travelling to the Schengen area for short stays of up to 90 days in every 180-day period. UK nationals will require permission from the relevant Member State to stay longer than 90 days in a rolling 180-day period.