Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether officials in his Department have had recent discussions with Cross Country trains on plans to add additional stops at Worcestershire Parkway station on their Bristol to Manchester services.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
CrossCountry has been working with the Department on the best way to deploy the 60 additional Voyager Intercity carriages that the Department has agreed they can lease. This includes the possibility of calls at Worcestershire Parkway in CrossCountry Intercity services. Subject to these discussions and industry planning processes, such calls could be introduced from May 2025.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has received recent projections from the Office for Budget Responsibility on the potential impact of the model rules for reporting by platform operators with respect to sellers in the sharing and gig economy on (a) costs to HMRC and (b) tax revenues.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
(a)
Please see:
https://obr.uk/download/policy-measures-database-6/?tmstv=1714126499
(b)
Please see:
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the model rules for reporting by platform operators with respect to sellers in the sharing and gig economy on (a) costs to HMRC and (b) tax revenues.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
(a)
(b)
Please see:
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.
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
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.