Asked by: Luke Graham (Conservative - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to promote tidal power schemes since the decision was taken not to fund the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Department has had regular engagement with Parliamentary colleagues and industry to discuss energy policy matters, including on tidal energy.
Since 2003 the Government has made £174m innovation and grant funding available to wave, tidal stream technologies (£80m of that since 2010). As set out in the Clean Growth Strategy, wave, tidal stream and tidal range technologies could have a role in the long-term decarbonisation of the UK, but they will need to demonstrate how they can compete with other forms of generation.
Asked by: Luke Graham (Conservative - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department has spent on funding for universal credit roll-out and disability welfare in (a) Clackmannanshire and (b) Perth and Kinross in the constituency of Ochil and South Perthshire.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The financial model and reporting for Universal Credit roll-out and disability welfare is undertaken at a national level and we do not break these cost categories into lower level geographies, such as constituencies. We therefore do not hold the information requested.
Asked by: Luke Graham (Conservative - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to review the Access to Banking Standard.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government recognises that branch closures can be difficult for the customers affected and urges the banks to consider these concerns when making decisions on their branch network. That is why Government supports the Access to Banking Standard, and makes clear to the banks and building societies who have signed up that they should participate genuinely and with the spirit of the agreement, not just the letter, in mind.
The Government supports the Lending Standard’s Board’s monitoring and enforcing of the Standard, and welcomed their recent report on firms’ compliance with its requirements. The Government considers the current scheme of oversight to be working effectively at present.
The Government will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the Access to Banking Standard, and Lending Standards Board oversight of it, to ensure that it continues to strike the right balance between providing commercial flexibility and consumer protection.
Asked by: Luke Graham (Conservative - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has plans to allow builders of new nursery school buildings to zero-rate the VAT on building materials and services used in the construction.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The government applies a zero of rate of VAT to the construction of charitable buildings. This includes nursery buildings where they operate as charities. While all taxes are kept under review, the application of further zero rates is strictly limited by EU law.
Future VAT rules will depend on the outcome of negotiations with the EU. Any future decisions on VAT will continue to be taken as part of the normal Budget process.
Asked by: Luke Graham (Conservative - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any additional funding secured from the UK Government as a result of additional borrowing powers being triggered by the Scottish Fiscal Commission under the condition of a Scotland-specific economic shock is sent to the Scottish Government as a block or is administered directly by the UK Government.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
Under the Scottish Government’s fiscal framework agreement, the Scottish Government can borrow up to £600m per year – within an overall limit of £1.75bn - for any observed or forecast shortfall in devolved or assigned tax receipts or demand-led welfare expenditure in the event of a Scotland-specific economic shock. Where this provision is triggered, the Scottish Government will be able to draw down resource borrowing from the National Loans Fund within the agreed limits as deemed appropriate to manage any volatility in their budgets.
Asked by: Luke Graham (Conservative - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has plans to ring-fence funding allocated from National Productivity Investment Fund to the devolved administrations.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF) was established to provide £31 billion of additional capital spending to areas critical for improving productivity – transport, digital infrastructure, housing and R&D. Where responsibility for these policy areas sits with the devolved administrations, such as housing and roads, they have received increases in their capital budgets as a result of the application of the Barnett formula to changes in spending in England. The devolved administrations have full control over how they allocate this funding.
The UK Government is also investing UK-wide in sectors where it has responsibility, including research and development funding, and investment in digital infrastructure.
Asked by: Luke Graham (Conservative - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent representations she has received from the Scottish Government on its preparations for (a) welfare devolution and (b) the establishment of a Scottish social security agency.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
We continue to work closely with the Scottish Government on the transfer of welfare powers covered by the Scotland Act 2016. The Joint Ministerial Working Group on Welfare was set up to oversee the devolution of social security powers and meets regularly to discuss progress and resolve issues. The group is attended by ministers from both Governments and includes the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities. The next meeting is due to take place on 14 June.
The establishment of the Social Security Agency is a matter for the Scottish Government.
Asked by: Luke Graham (Conservative - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing regional stock exchanges throughout the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government conducted a consultation in 2010 that sought views on regional exchanges
As noted in the Government’s response almost all respondents to the consultation did not favour the introduction of such exchanges (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/253763/bis-10-1242-financing-business-growth-response.pdf).
There are no legislative barriers preventing market participants from setting up regionally-focused exchanges, provided they receive the required approvals from the Financial Conduct Authority.
Asked by: Luke Graham (Conservative - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what new initiatives his Department has implemented to support rural communities in Scotland in the last six months.
Answered by George Eustice
Responsibility for policy, and any related initiatives, to support rural communities in Scotland rests with the Scottish Government.
Asked by: Luke Graham (Conservative - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Government on working practices of the civil service in Scotland.
Answered by Oliver Dowden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Civil Service HR team within Cabinet Office regularly engages with its counterparts in the Scottish Government on a range of workforce matters where there are shared interests and to share best practice. This also ensures consistency in approach and ways of working (as appropriate) across both bodies.
All UK Government civil servants are expected to adhere to the principles set out in the Civil Service Code throughout their working practices. Civil servants working for the Scottish Government, and their agencies, have their own versions of the code, as do the Welsh Government. However, both the Scottish and Home Civil Service adhere to the same core values: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.