Asked by: James Sunderland (Conservative - Bracknell)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason the Government bases Child Benefit on only one person's income and not the total income of the household; and for what reason the High Income Child Benefit Charge is not increased more often to reflect real terms wages and increases in the cost of living.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) is calculated on an individual rather than a household basis, in line with other tax policy. Basing HICBC on household incomes would mean having to assess the adjusted net income of everyone in each of the 8 million households registered for Child Benefit, as HMRC does not hold this data. This would effectively introduce a new means test, creating significant administrative costs and placing a disproportionate burden on the majority of families who receive Child Benefit.
The Government is committed to managing the public finances in a disciplined and responsible way by targeting support where it is most needed. The adjusted net income threshold of £50,000 used in the administration of the HICBC only affects a minority of those who receive Child Benefit, with comparatively high incomes. The Government therefore believes that the current threshold for HICBC remains the best option. As with all elements of tax policy, the threshold is kept under review.
The Government recognises the challenge that many are facing with the cost of living. This is why we are providing support worth over £20 billion across this financial year and next that will help families with the cost of living. This includes cutting the Universal Credit taper rate and increasing work allowances to make sure work pays, freezing alcohol and fuel duties to keep costs down, and the £9.1 billion package announced in February 2022 to help households with rising energy bills. In addition, we are increasing the National Living Wage by 6.6 per cent to £9.50 an hour in April 2022, which will benefit more than 2 million workers.
Asked by: James Sunderland (Conservative - Bracknell)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government plans to reduce the self-isolation period for people who test positive for covid-19 in a care home to five days in line with other guidance on self-isolation.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
From 31 January 2022, the isolation period for care home residents has been reduced from 14 to 10 days. All residents, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, will be able to reduce their period of self-isolation to five days if testing arrangements are followed and test results are negative. Residents who are unable to be tested should isolate for 10 days.
Asked by: James Sunderland (Conservative - Bracknell)
Question
To ask the President of COP26, what priorities he has for his COP26 Presidency year.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Throughout the UK’s Presidency year, we will work with Egypt as the incoming Presidency, and all countries, to deliver on the agreed outcomes in the Glasgow Climate Pact and keep 1.5 in reach.
In doing so we will continue to champion science, especially the IPCC and its major reports in 2022, and the urgency of action on emissions reductions, adaptation, finance to support developing nations and loss and damage.
Asked by: James Sunderland (Conservative - Bracknell)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the automotive sector.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
This Government is supporting the automotive sector’s transition to zero emission vehicles and has committed £2.5bn for vehicle grants and infrastructure. The Net Zero Strategy announced a further £350m for the Automotive Transformation Fund, on top of £500m previously committed. Recent investments by Nissan, Stellantis and Ford show strong business confidence.
Asked by: James Sunderland (Conservative - Bracknell)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason air crew are exempt from filling in a passenger locator form, in the context of increasing prevalence of the omicron variant of covid-19.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Aircraft pilots and crew are not required to complete a PLF as the UK Health Security Agency has introduced separate contact tracing protocols for this cohort of transport workers.
Asked by: James Sunderland (Conservative - Bracknell)
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 social care needs of working-age disabled adults in (a) Bracknell and (b) the South East.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
No assessment has been made. Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have a duty to assess the care needs of their local populations.
Asked by: James Sunderland (Conservative - Bracknell)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help communities protect their local assets.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Government recognises the value of precious community assets. That is why we created legal protections for Assets of Community Value. And why we have launched the Community Ownership Fund, which will invest £150 million to support community groups to protect assets at risk.
The Fund is already supporting 21 groups, and over 4 years will help many more communities take ownership of local assets.
Asked by: James Sunderland (Conservative - Bracknell)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of providing those under 16 with an NHS Covid Pass to evidence their vaccination status for travel overseas.
Answered by Maggie Throup
A small proportion of children over 12 years old have or will receive full vaccination following the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice. International standards for travel require a full course to be recognised as ‘fully vaccinated’. While there are some countries which require full vaccination for under 16 year olds, others treat under 16 year olds as fully vaccinated, accept testing, or in a small number of cases accept recovery as equivalent to full vaccination. We are exploring ways to provide fully vaccinated 12 to 15 year olds with a travel NHS COVID Pass.
Asked by: James Sunderland (Conservative - Bracknell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications on his policies of confirmation by the International Atomic Energy Agency in April 2021 that Iran is enriching uranium to 60 per cent fissile purity.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The announcement by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on 17 April that Iran had started uranium enrichment up to 60% using advanced centrifuges is a serious and deeply worrying development. This is the latest step in Iran's continued and systematic non-compliance with its nuclear commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA). The production of highly enriched uranium is an important step in the production of a nuclear weapon. Iran has no credible civilian need for enrichment at this level.
The UK has made multiple official level representations to the Iranians on this issue, both bilaterally and as the E3 alongside the governments of France and Germany. As the E3 said in a statement on 14 April, this step is contrary to the constructive spirit and good faith of discussions in Vienna that have the objective of finding a rapid diplomatic solution to revitalise and restore the JCPoA.
We continue to work with the parties to the JCPoA and the US Administration to seize the diplomatic opportunity for a full return to the JCPoA. We call upon Iran to avoid any escalatory measures which make a return to mutual compliance harder to achieve.
Asked by: James Sunderland (Conservative - Bracknell)
Question to the HM Treasury:
What financial support he is providing to the cultural and arts sector during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government has announced a £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to protect the cultural sectors through the pandemic.
To date, more than £790m of grants and loans have been allocated to over 3,000 cultural organisations in England. In addition, £100 million has been allocated in direct support to our national cultural institutions and the English Heritage Trust.
This unprecedented investment will help to protect jobs and organisations across the country.