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Written Question
M5: Motorway Service Areas
Monday 11th March 2024

Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to sell an extension to the lease on the Motorway Service Area at Strensham Northbound on the M5.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport is in discussions with the operator of Strensham Northbound motorway service area regarding the future of the lease at that site. The nature of these discussions means they are commercially confidential. A final decision is not required soon because the sites lease does not expire until 2042.


Written Question
National Grid: Carbon Emissions
Friday 1st March 2024

Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent estimate her Department has made of the cost of decarbonising the electricity grid by (a) 2030 and (b) 2050.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department published a paper looking at the power sector in 2050 and the impact of decarbonisation on annual system costs incurred in the same year[1]. The paper identifies a range of illustrative low-cost, low-carbon electricity generation mixes that are consistent with meeting Net Zero by 2050. Total annual system costs for these mixes range from £66 to £82 billion in 2022 prices. No similar analysis was performed for 2030.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/modelling-2050-electricity-system-analysis

[1] Modelling 2050 – electricity system analysis - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)


Written Question
Financial Services: Advisory Services
Friday 2nd February 2024

Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the oral contribution of the Economic Secretary during the debate on Financial Advice and Guidance: Consumer Market of 9 January 2024, Official Report, column 32WH, when he plans to provide the hon. Member for West Worcestershire with information on whether a specific vote on primary or secondary legislation is required to deal with the proposals in the joint Government and FCA review of the regulatory boundary between financial advice and guidance.

Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) are exploring a range of regulatory and legislative options for implementation and there are elements of the package that could require amendment to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001 through secondary legislation. We will consider whether any wider changes to the existing regulatory and legislative regime would be required to deliver the proposals successfully within a coherent broader framework.


Written Question
Revenue and Customs: Fujitsu
Tuesday 23rd January 2024

Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which computer systems used by His Majesty's Revenue and Customs have been supplied by Fujitsu since 2000.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

I understand that the honourable member has written in similar terms to Jim Harra (Permanent Secretary at HMRC) in her capacity as Chair of the Treasury Select Committee and that Jim Harra will be responding in due course.


Written Question
Tenants: Deposits
Monday 22nd January 2024

Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent (a) discussions he has had and (b) correspondence he has exchanged with the Deposit Protection Service on the decision to pay 0.78% interest on tenants' deposits held on account.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Mandatory tenancy deposit protection for deposits taken in connection with assured shorthold tenancies is provided by three independent companies authorised to operate under concession contract of the department. These companies protect deposits and provide free dispute resolution services.

The Secretary of State has not had any discussions or had any correspondence with the Deposit Protection Service regarding their recent decision to pay interest on tenants' deposits held on account however the decision to pay interest is welcome.


Written Question
Marshall Scholarships
Thursday 18th January 2024

Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what his Department's remaining budgeting is for supporting Marshall scholarships in the current spending review period.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

In this spending review period, FCDO funding to the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission (MACC) to manage the Marshall Scholarship, is £2.7 million per annum. In 24/25 the Prime Minister announced as part of the Atlantic Declaration in June 2023 an uplift to the MACC of £1.4 million, meaning £4.1 million will be provided to the MACC in the next financial year.


Written Question
Large Goods Vehicles: Upton upon Severn
Monday 8th January 2024

Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the number of heavy goods vehicles that use the A4104 through Old Street, Upton-upon-Severn when (a) the B4211 Hanley Road is operating as normal and (b) when the B4211 Hanley Road is closed due to flooding from the River Severn.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport does not hold data on the number of heavy goods vehicles that use the A4104 through Old Street, Upton-upon-Severn when (a) the B4211 Hanley Road is operating as normal and (b) when the B4211 Hanley Road is closed due to flooding from the River Severn.


Written Question
Pensions: Gibraltar
Wednesday 13th December 2023

Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to permit protected cell companies to insure defined benefit pension plans in the United Kingdom to match the regulations in Gibraltar.

Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government keeps all legislation under review and actively seeks to learn from international jurisdictions. However, there are currently no plans to allow protected cell companies to insure defined benefit pension plans in the UK.


Written Question
Horticulture: Imports
Wednesday 6th December 2023

Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the guidance entitled Apply for CITES permits and certificates to move or trade endangered species, published on 17 July 2019, whether he is taking steps to digitise the end-to-end process for importing horticultural products into the UK.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

A project to move CITES permitting online and improve the functionality of the system used to consider and issue CITES permits and certificates, is nearing completion. The new system is due to be formally rolled out early in the New Year. Interested traders are welcome to join the testing platform, which includes live applications. An assessment of the feasibility of e-permitting for CITES documents is scheduled for a later phase of this ongoing work.


Written Question
Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme
Tuesday 5th December 2023

Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the seasonal agricultural worker scheme on a multi-year basis.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We appreciate that farmers would like longer term assurances on the Seasonal Worker visa route, and we continue to work extensively to understand employers’ needs and demands on the visa route through regular engagement with industry. It is currently confirmed until the end of 2024, with an initial visa allocation of 45,000 for horticulture and 2,000 for poultry.

To inform future decisions on labour across the sector, the Government commissioned John Shropshire to carry out an independent review considering how automation, domestic labour and migrant labour could contribute to tackling labour shortages in our sectors, including horticulture. The report was published in June 2023, with the Government Response due shortly. At the same time, the Government will set out how it will support the sector to access the labour it needs alongside actions to reduce the sector’s reliance on migrant labour including via our work on automation and promoting domestic labour procurement and training.

The Migration Advisory Committee are also carrying out a review of the Seasonal Worker visa route, considering all aspects of the route, with a report due in early 2024.