Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will increase the standard rate of (a) employment support allowance and (b) jobseekers allowance in line with the increases applied to (i) universal credit and (ii) working tax credit to help support claimants who are not entitled to other extra cost benefits.
Answered by Will Quince
Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support were increased by 1.7% in April 2020 following the Government’s announcement to end the benefit freeze.
It has always been the case that claimants on legacy benefits can make a claim for Universal Credit (UC) if they believe that they will be better off. There are special arrangements for those in receipt of the Severe Disability Premium, who will be able to make a new claim to Universal Credit from January 2021.
Claimants should check their eligibility before applying to UC as legacy benefits will end when they submit their claim and they will not be able to return to them in the future. For this reason, prospective claimants are signposted to independent benefits calculators on GOV.UK. Neither DWP nor HMRC can advise individual claimants whether they would be better off moving to UC or remaining on legacy benefits.
From 22 July 2020, a two-week run on of Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance (IR) and Jobseeker’s Allowance (IB) is available for all claimants whose claim to UC ends entitlement to these benefits, to provide additional support for claimants moving to UC.
Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Advisory Military Sub Committee plans to review all cases relating to nuclear test veterans.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Further to the answer given on 9 March 2020, campaigners can be assured their case is under review and recommendations will be made as soon as possible.
Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has for the application and administration of VAT thresholds in relation to non-VAT registered UK businesses exporting to individual customers in the EU from January 2021.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Following the end of the Transition Period, non-VAT registered businesses exporting to customers in the EU will not be subject to UK VAT rules but will be subject to any VAT rules in the country to which they are exporting. It would therefore be a matter for the country to which the goods are exported to set any such thresholds.
Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what her policy is on tariff payments for non-vat registered businesses that export directly to customers in the EU at the end of the transition period.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Following the end of the transition period, there will be no tariffs on the export of goods from the UK to the EU, or any other country. This is irrespective of whether the exporter is VAT registered or not.
Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her timescale is for the Emergency Services Network and Extended Area Service mast in Strathconon becoming operational.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The mast is part of the UK's Emergency Services Network (ESN), which is designed to give our emergency services reliable communications coverage in more rural areas across the whole of the country. We are focussing on completing the infrastructures as soon as possible, but generally the sites will only be activated closer to the time when they are needed, as there are significant operational costs when the sites are live. The ESN Programme is currently looking at cases where there may be a particular case for early activation due to community need, as well as potential funding sources to enable this. In this instance the Programme is looking to activate this mast ahead of ESN, timescales are still to be determined.
Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to discount the state pension as income for the purpose of claiming the Self-Employment Support Scheme.
Answered by Jesse Norman
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer to Parliamentary Question 49808 on 2 June 2020: https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-05-20/49808/.
Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to review the tax status of furnished holiday lets.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Furnished Holiday Lettings (FHLs) make an important contribution to local economies across the UK, especially in coastal and rural areas. To support FHLs in England during the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Government has provided full business rates relief and grants of up to £25,000 per business. Consequential funding has been provided to the devolved administrations in line with the Barnett formula.
The Government does not currently plan to review the tax status of FHLs, which are well established and provide equitable tax outcomes.
However, the Government keeps all tax policy, including the tax status of FHLs, under review, including as part of the response to COVID-19.
Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
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 Government's 2010 consultation on peat, whether it is his policy that the use of peat in amateur horticulture will end and more sustainable peat-free alternatives commence in 2020.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to phasing out the use of peat in horticulture in England by 2030. In 2011 we introduced a voluntary target for amateur gardeners to phase out the use of peat by 2020 and a final voluntary phase-out target of 2030 for professional growers of fruit, vegetables and plants. While some progress has been made, we stated in the 25 Year Environment Plan that we would consider implementing further measures if there is insufficient movement to peat alternatives by 2020. We will set out our plans around the use of peat in horticulture in due course.
We are working with the industry to make the transition to peat alternatives and to overcome barriers to their use. This includes, for example, jointly funding research with the industry on peat replacements in professional horticulture.
Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the timeframe is for the introduction of smart meters on Glenhinnisdal on the Isle of Skye.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
Smart meters are operating on the Isle of Skye and smart metering communications services are being provided to the island.
The Data Communications Company (DCC), the organisation responsible for the national smart metering infrastructure, has contracts in place for the provision of communications coverage to at least 99.5% of premises in the North Region by the end of 2020. Glenhinnisdal does not currently receive network coverage for smart meters due to mountainous terrain affecting wireless coverage in the area. The DCC is required by licence conditions to seek to provide communications services to all premises where it is practicable and cost proportionate, and is also required to assess opportunities to increase the overall level of coverage.
Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to (a) ensure that young people are only able to access age appropriate internet and social media sites and (b) hold sites to account when they expose children to inappropriate content.
Answered by Matt Warman
In April we published the Online Harms White Paper, which set out our plans for world-leading legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online. We intend to establish in law a new duty of care on companies towards their users, overseen by an independent regulator.
Alongside the White Paper, Government published the Social Media Code of Practice. This voluntary guidance sets out actions that the Government believes social media platforms should take to prevent bullying, insulting, intimidating and humiliating behaviours on their sites. The Code is also relevant to other sites hosting user-generated content and comments. We are aware that many social media companies meet the standards set out in the Code of Practice, although Government does not actively monitor this.