Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department plans to take to commemorate the D-Day landings.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is the lead Department for the Government’s National UK D-Day 80th anniversary and is working across Whitehall and with external stakeholders to lead a programme of official commemorations in the UK and in France, ensuring our Normandy Veterans are the VIPs for this significant anniversary.
The UK’s National Commemorative Event in Portsmouth will once again highlight this nation’s major contribution as a leading partner in the Western Alliance. The programme will commemorate the service and sacrifice of all who fought under British command on D-Day, by honouring our veterans, securing their legacy within our youth and demonstrating the UK’s global role in defence and security alliances.
The official programme includes:
UK:
A National Commemoration on Southsea Common, Portsmouth on 5 June – an audience of 4,000 and live BBC One broadcast.
In France on 5 June:
A Royal British Legion service of commemoration in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) Bayeux War Cemetery, with up to 50 Normandy veterans present and 1,500 guests.
A CWGC led Bayeux Cathedral Service in partnership with the MOD for 1,000 guests.
A CWGC and MOD partnered BBC One live broadcast from Bayeux War Cemetery when all 4,144 graves will be illuminated.
In France on 6 June:
A National Commemoration at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver sur Mer with up to 50 Normandy veterans present and an audience of 2,500, live broadcast on BBC One. It is the first time, during a major commemorative year, that this event will take place at the Memorial following its official opening in 2021.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many maritime boarding actions Border Force performed on (a) recreational and (b) commercial vessels in each of the last five years.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Border Force does not hold the data requested in an easily accessible format.
Border Force enhance UK maritime border security through intelligence-led and proactive maritime operations to deliver the right law enforcement effect in the right place, at the right time. This is in order to:
Reassure the public and wider maritime community whilst minimising interference into the lawful passage of people and goods within UK Territorial Waters.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contingency measures are in place to mitigate delays when eGates are not in use.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
It has never been Government practice, for reasons of law enforcement, to comment on operational issues relating to border security and immigration controls. This includes offering commentary on the performance of border systems and of ePassport Gates data specifically.
The Home Office has a number of contingency arrangements in the event of a single system failure, including technical and business contingency measures.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many sea-faring vessels are under the command of the Border Force.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Border Force Maritime Command operate a fleet of vessels including five offshore Cutters, six inshore Coastal Patrol Vessels (CPV), and a range of smaller crafts to secure the UK maritime border.
Since April 2022, Border Force Maritime have deployed five dedicated rescue vessels to the Channel, formerly in support of the Ministry of Defence and currently Small Boats Operational Command. These five vessels work on rotation to provide 24 hours support to rescue operations in the Channel.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of Border Force sea-fairing vessels have been out of service in each of the last three years.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Border Force Maritime Command operate a fleet of vessels including five offshore Cutters, six inshore Coastal Patrol Vessels (CPV), and a range of smaller craft to secure the UK maritime border. Routine maintenance on these vessels is an essential part of ensuring operational availability.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what outcomes her Department has achieved as part of the UK's 2050 net zero target.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK is the first major economy to halve its emissions having cut them by around 53% between 1990 and 2023, more than any other major economy – while also growing the economy by around 80% and recently becoming the fourth largest exporter in the world. Government policy and spending ambitions will support up to 480,000 green jobs in 2030.
This is an enormous achievement by itself but also because we have done this in a pragmatic way - growing our economy and at the same time protecting family finances.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the annual local authority road maintenance survey 2024.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It is being considered.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to simplify the tax system.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Chancellor has been clear that tax simplification is a key priority. He has set a clear mandate for officials in HMT and HMRC to focus on simplification during tax policy making and implementation.
Recent fiscal events have included several simplification measures. At Autumn Statement 2023 the government abolished the obligation to pay class 2 self-employed national insurance contributions, simplified the capital allowances system for large businesses by making full expensing permanent, and made it easier for self-employed to use a simplified method for calculating small business profits known as the cash basis.
The Government announced additional simplifications in a Written Statement on 16th January.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many days e-gates were not in use in airports in each of the last five years.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Home Office does not hold this information in an accessible format.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps his Department has taken to tackle modern slavery in the maritime industry.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
While onboard for surveys and inspections, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) inspectors assess the working and living conditions for crew including, but not limited to, employment agreements, payment of wages and standards of accommodation. These inspections implement the standards of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, and the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No.188), that came into force in 2013 and 2019, respectively.
Inspectors also interview crew while they are onboard during merchant and fishing vessel inspections and surveys, offering a confidential space for concerns to be raised. If there is any evidence of modern slavery, the matter is followed up and information is also forwarded to HMRC or local police for further investigation, as needed.