Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department has had discussions with the Falkland Islands Government on the awarding of a contract to Harland & Wolff to support delivery of a port facility.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is proud of the expertise offered by British companies such as Harland and Wolff.
As a self-governing UK Overseas Territory, any potential redevelopment of the port facility in Stanley is a matter for the Falkland Islands Government. The awarding of contracts for the redevelopment of the port is a commercial matter between the Falkland Islands Government and the companies involved.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many applications under the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme there have been for an adult dependent pension under Rule 29 (1) (bb) where the dependant was financially partly-dependent on the BCSSS scheme member; and how many of those applications have been granted since the Scheme's inception in 1994.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Fourteen applications for an Adult Dependent Pension under Rule 29(1)(bb) have been considered by either the Trustees or the Scheme Secretary of which ten were awarded and four were rejected.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of increasing landfill tax on the prevalence of waste crime.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At Spring Budget 2024, the government announced that Landfill Tax rates in England and Northern Ireland will be adjusted from 1 April 2025. This will restore their value following a period of high inflation which was not foreseen by the OBR when rates were pre-announced.
The government remains committed to tackling waste crime which is a blight on local communities, harms the environment and undermines legitimate businesses operating in the sector.
The government agreed with the Public Accounts Committee’s recommendation that the current ongoing review of Landfill Tax takes account of incentives to commit waste crime. Alongside this, DEFRA has announced the introduction of digital waste tracking from 2025 and reform of the licensing system, whilst multi-agency enforcement action through the Joint Unit for Waste Crime continues to disrupt criminal activity in the sector.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2024 to Question 15586 on Export Credit Guarantees, whether Export Development Guarantee funding can be used to service existing company debts.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Export Development Guarantee (EDG) is provided to enhance the borrower’s exporting capability. UK Export Finance assesses the intended use of funds on all EDG transactions.
Subject to the terms and conditions of the financing documents, if funds are provided with no explicit limitations, then they become part of the borrower’s general cash to be used in the normal course of business, which can include debt service.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2024 to Question 16073 on HMS Prince of Wales: Salvage, whether artefacts salvaged illegally from HMS Prince of Wales and seized in Malaysia have been (a) seen and (b) inventoried by UK officials.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Investigations into the illegal salvage of HMS Prince of Wales by the Malaysian authorities are still ongoing, therefore, it would be inappropriate to comment further until they have been concluded.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many pensions under the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme have been paid to dependents since 1994.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government does not hold this information. However, as of 31 March 2023, there were 11,589 pensions in payment to dependants.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing support to people who held policies with the Philips Trust Corporation Limited.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Philips Trust Corporation was not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), and was not carrying out any regulated activities. As such, any losses are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
Consumers who have concerns about the role played by their bank or building society in relation to Philips Trust Corporation may be eligible to complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). Whether a particular complaint is eligible or not is a matter for the FOS.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether there are limitations on how Export Development Guarantee funding is used.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Export Development Guarantee is designed to support lending to exporters for general working capital or capital expenditure purposes. There is no requirement to limit the use of such funds, but specific features of a transaction, for example if the Export Development Guarantee loan is intended for a specific investment, may make this necessary.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether artefacts salvaged illegally from HMS Prince of Wales and seized in Malaysia are to be accessioned by the National Museum of the Royal Navy.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Investigations into the illegal salvage of HMS Prince of Wales by the Malaysian authorities are still ongoing, we are unable to confirm the future preservation of the artefacts until investigations have concluded.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans the upgrade to Type 45's Sea Viper Air Defence system to deliver Ballistic Missile Defence Capability will achieve initial operating capability.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Sea Viper Evolution is the first stage of UK Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) with enhancements to the Type 45 Destroyer's Multi-Function Radar, Combat Management System (CMS), Weapon Command and Control (C2), and the ASTER 30 Block 1 missile. Initial Operating Capability (IOC) is scheduled for February 2028, and the UK is currently in an Assessment Phase for future capability upgrades.