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Written Question
Electronic Cigarettes: Excise Duties
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 5.31 and Table 5.1 of the Spring Budget 2024, HC560, published on 6 March 2024, whether his Department has conducted an equality impact assessment for the vaping products duty.

Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government carefully considers the impact of decisions on those sharing protected characteristics in line with both our legal obligations and with this government’s strong commitment to promoting fairness. This was the case during the policy development process on the Vaping Product Duty


Whilst there is no legal requirement to publish Equalities Impact Assessments, the Treasury and HMRC publish Tax Information and Impact Notes for individual tax measures that include, in summary form, assessments of their expected equalities impacts. These are published when the policy is final or near final.


Written Question
Air Passenger Duty
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.45 and Table 5.1 of the Spring Budget 2024, HC560, published on 6 March 2024, whether his Department has conducted an equality impact assessment for the one-off adjustment to rates of air passenger duty on non-economy passengers.

Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

When developing policy, including at Spring Budget 2024, the Treasury carefully considers the impact of its decisions on those sharing any of the nine protected characteristics, including sex, race, disability and age, in line with its statutory obligations and strong commitment to promoting fairness.

As with all taxes, the government keeps APD under review.


Written Question
Immigration Controls: Airports
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if his Department will review the ability of European Union citizens to use e-gates at UK airports.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

EU and EEA citizens are currently eligible to use eGates at UK airports. We keep border security under review and operate border controls in the best interest of the UK, balancing border security with passenger flow.

In the New Plan for Immigration, the Government has set out our ambition to increase the use of automation and eGates by those currently eligible and investigate options to extend eGate eligibility to further cohorts.


Written Question
Armed Forces: Medals
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many King's Coronation Medals his Department has issued.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal qualifying criteria has been amended and re-published as at 12 March 2024. It is anticipated that a significant cohort of Service personnel on Reserve engagements will now qualify under the revised criteria.

The below table shows the number of Platinum Jubilee Medals issued as at 15 March 2024.

Medal type

Total number of medals despatched

Total number of medals despatched due to distribution issued and replacements

Total number of medals issued by MOD to MOD personnel (single issue)

HM the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal

139,352

2,103

137,249

Due to distribution issues, additional medals have been despatched so that eligible individuals receive their medal as swiftly as possible. The originally issued medals are in the process of being located by the single Service Unit Admin or Logistics staff and returned to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Medal Office.

The below table shows the number of King’s Coronation Medals issued as at 15 March 2024.

Medal type

Total number of medals despatched

Total number of medals despatched as replacements due to damage whilst on duty

Total number of medals issued by MOD to MOD personnel (single issue)

HM the King’s Coronation Medal

21,535

20

21,515

Due to the lead time for receiving raw materials, production, delivery and internal MOD distribution, the project to award the bulk of the King’s Coronation Medal 2023 to eligible MOD personnel will take until October 2024 to conclude.


Written Question
Armed Forces: Medals
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Platinum Jubilee Medals his Department has issued.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal qualifying criteria has been amended and re-published as at 12 March 2024. It is anticipated that a significant cohort of Service personnel on Reserve engagements will now qualify under the revised criteria.

The below table shows the number of Platinum Jubilee Medals issued as at 15 March 2024.

Medal type

Total number of medals despatched

Total number of medals despatched due to distribution issued and replacements

Total number of medals issued by MOD to MOD personnel (single issue)

HM the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal

139,352

2,103

137,249

Due to distribution issues, additional medals have been despatched so that eligible individuals receive their medal as swiftly as possible. The originally issued medals are in the process of being located by the single Service Unit Admin or Logistics staff and returned to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Medal Office.

The below table shows the number of King’s Coronation Medals issued as at 15 March 2024.

Medal type

Total number of medals despatched

Total number of medals despatched as replacements due to damage whilst on duty

Total number of medals issued by MOD to MOD personnel (single issue)

HM the King’s Coronation Medal

21,535

20

21,515

Due to the lead time for receiving raw materials, production, delivery and internal MOD distribution, the project to award the bulk of the King’s Coronation Medal 2023 to eligible MOD personnel will take until October 2024 to conclude.


Written Question
London Underground: Mould
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will have discussions with Transport for London on (a) the prevalence of mould on the London Underground and (b) the potential impact on the health of passengers.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Transport in London is devolved and is the responsibility of the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL). While the Department for Transport works closely with TfL on a range of issues, operational decisions around health and safety are matters solely for them.


Written Question
Motor Vehicles: Registration
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many statutory off-road notifications were received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in 2023.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) received 2,912,375 statutory off-road notifications in 2023.


Written Question
National Police Air Service
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the fleet is of the National Police Air Service.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The National Police Air Service (NPAS) is a police-led service that provides police air support to 44 police forces across England and Wales, including the British Transport Police.

NPAS owns a fleet of 20 helicopters (19 operational and 1 training aircraft), and four fixed winged aircraft.


Written Question
Military Decorations
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department plans to begin issuing the Wider Services Medal.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The award of any new medals and the timing for their issue would be announced at the appropriate time.


Written Question
NHS Trusts: Equality
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS Trusts employ people with responsibility for equality and diversity at director level.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold this information centrally. It is the responsibility of National Health Service organisations to determine the number of equality, diversity and inclusion roles based on need.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion roles support local NHS organisations in meeting the legal requirements set out for public bodies such as the NHS in the Equality Act 2010, and our public sector equality duty. These cover not just race, ethnicity, or nationality, but also, disability, sexual orientation, gender, faith, and other protected characteristics.

They promote the fair treatment of staff by ensuring there is a particular focus on tackling the discrimination that some staff face in the workplace. They also support retention and attraction of staff, with the aim of making the NHS the best place to work. In addition, these roles work to extend careers by creating inclusive workplaces, safeguarding investment made in training and educating doctors and nurses.