Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to section 158 of the Energy Act 2023, what his Department's timescale is for a public consultation on the options for designing and implementing a sustainable aviation fuel revenue certainty scheme.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government put forward a provision in the Energy Act that commits to publishing a consultation on the options for designing and implementing a revenue certainty scheme for sustainable aviation fuel within six months of the Act receiving Royal Assent, which happened on 26 October.
Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to amend the State Pension Regulations 2015 to allow deferred pension entitlement accrued by individuals not (a) married and (b) in a civil partnership to be considered part of their estate upon death.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government has no plans to amend the State Pension Regulations 2015.
These regulations make transitional provisions enabling a person in the new State Pension system to inherit a deferral payment where their deceased spouse or civil partner had deferred an old State Pension.
Apart from transitional rules, it is no longer possible for a spouse or civil partner to inherit or derive State Pension entitlement from their partner, under the new State Pension system, introduced in 2016.
If an individual is not married or in a civil partnership, it is possible for an arrears payment to made to the deceased's estate under Regulation 30 of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987. A maximum of three months arrears of State Pension may be awarded which may include arrears of extra State Pension accrued by the deferral.
Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the provisions of the State Pension Regulations 2015 which prevent individuals from taking (a) a lump sum payment and (b) an enhanced pension on the finances of pensioners.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
No such specific assessment has been made.
The Government prepared an impact assessment which looked at the effect of the new State Pension reforms overall on the various types of income that pensioners receive from the state, available at: The single-tier pension: a simple foundation for saving - Impact Assessment (publishing.service.gov.uk).
This included estimates on the impacts of changes to deferral policy.
Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made implementing the nine-point plan for seafarers published on 6 July 2022.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has made substantial progress on implementing its Nine Point Plan for Seafarer Protections. The UK continues to play a leading global role in improving seafarer welfare.
Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of green deal mis-selling by Home Energy and Lifestyle Management Limited.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
In Green Deal mis-selling cases, my Right Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has power to reduce or cancel loans where there has been a breach of the relevant rules, and she is satisfied the consumer has suffered, or is likely to suffer, substantive loss. The financial impact of sanctions falls to the loan provider.
Public expenditure relating to mis-selling by Home Energy and Lifestyle Management Limited is limited to legal costs plus initial case reviews by the Financial Ombudsman Service, estimated at approximately £324,000. There are also staff and administration costs, but it is not possible to provide an estimate of these without incurring disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on which train operating companies have engaged external contractors for revenue protection (a) on trains and (b) at stations.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
My Department is aware that external contractors to support improved revene protection have been engaged for Chiltern and Northern on trains and for Southeastern, Chiltern, Northern and Govia Thameslink Railway at stations. It is important that train operating companies are protecting revenue and that passengers are paying for their fare, reducing the subsidy from taxpayers into the railway. Over the last three years, the Government has contributed £45.9bn, just over £1,500 per household, to the running of the railways which is unsustainable.
Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had discussions with the Isle of Man Government on employment practices on Isle of Man Steam Packet Company passenger ships that use UK ports.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
My Department has had no such discussions.
Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 15 November 2023 to Question 260 on Cycle to Work Scheme: Fees and Charges, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of administration fees charged by providers of services operated under the Cycle to Work scheme on independent cycle shops.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Treasury has not made any such assessment.
Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions have taken place between his Department, Royal Mail Group Ltd, and rolling stock leasing companies on future rail freight capacity for (a) parcels and (b) letter traffic.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
My officials have had general discussions with rail freight industry stakeholders, including a rolling stock leasing company, on various initiatives stakeholders are planning or undertaking for transporting parcels and letters by rail freight. Express Freight was identified as an emerging core market in our recently announced rail freight growth target and we are keen to support its development. In 2022 Varamis Ltd was awarded a grant through our ‘First of a Kind’ initiative to support its activities in developing express rail freight.
Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with Avanti West Coast on their internal communications strategy since 10 January 2024.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Senior officials are having discussions with Avanti West Coast relating to recent issues following an internal presentation that was leaked which concerned its contractual Service Quality Regime. Ministers and senior officials are alsospeaking to First Rail Holdings (Avanti’s parent company).