Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government has taken to support small landlords in disputes with tenants who had refused to pay rent before the covid-19 outbreak and who are now unable to evict those tenants as a result of measures put in place to support renters in genuine need during the outbreak.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The best way to support landlords is by helping tenants to pay their rent. The Government has brought forward a significant economic response, including support for business to pay staff salaries through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Job Support Scheme. We have also introduced over £9 billion of measures in 2020/21 that benefit those facing financial disruption due to the current situation. These measures include increasing Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit by £1,040 a year for the next 12 months, and a significant investment in the Local Housing Allowance of nearly £1 billion, lifting rates to the 30th percentile from April this year. Discretionary Housing Payments can also be paid to those entitled to Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit who face a shortfall in their housing costs.
Where landlords have found themselves in coronavirus-related hardship, mortgage lenders have agreed to offer payment holidays of up to three months, including for buy-to-let mortgages. On 2 June, the Financial Conduct Authority confirmed that borrowers can apply for an extension to any holiday already taken while extending the window for new applications to 31 October.
As we move forward, we have taken steps to ensure that landlords can recover their properties in the most serious circumstances whilst still protecting tenants.
Courts restarted possession proceedings on Monday 21 September 2020. The listing of the cases is a matter for the judiciary but they will be prioritising the most serious cases, including extreme rent arrears.
The Coronavirus Act 2020 means landlords must now provide six months’ notice of their intention to seek possession. However, for the most serious cases notice periods have been lowered to give landlords the ability to regain possession more quickly. This includes only requiring 4 weeks’ notice when arrears are equivalent to at least six months’ rent. This supports landlords with tenants in pre-COVID arrears to pursue repossession more quickly.
Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to process imports that are retained in port so as to avoid demurrage charges being imposed on businesses in North Cornwall constituency.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Demurrage charges are applied to the consignee by the shipping line when a container stays in the port for longer than a set period of time. The period of time is determined by the shipping line, which varies between 5 to 7 days. This is a standard procedure at all ports across the UK.
A reason why the container might be held at the port is if it has been held to be checked by customs. The charges are applied daily, at a rate of £40 to £60 per day. In order to avoid demurrage charges on businesses in the North Cornwall constituency, the Government is minimising delays and ensuring a smooth running of the border port.
Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support the recreational fishing sector in respect of negotiations on the UK's future relationship with the EU.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The UK will become an independent coastal state at the end of 2020 and will no longer be bound by the EU’s common fisheries policy or its outdated and unfair method for sharing fishing opportunities.
The Government’s position in negotiations on a future relationship with the EU on fish is reasonable and straightforward and seeks to secure the best outcome for all UK fishers, including the recreational sector. The UK wants a simple, separate fisheries framework agreement which reflects our rights under international law and which provides for annual negotiations over access and fishing opportunities based on the scientific principle of zonal attachment.
Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether angling will be included in the proposed three tier covid-19 restrictions list.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The Government understands the importance of physical exercise and spending time outdoors.
Under the current restrictions people can go fishing alone or with no more than five others, in public outdoor spaces. People should always follow social distancing guidelines when encountering others. Outdoor angling events can also take place, if they are managed by a licenced individual, in line with Government guidance.
We are seeing COVID-19 cases rise at a rapid rate across the country and, it is vital everyone plays their part by following the measures in place. As we have shown, we are prepared to take action decisively when it is necessary to control the virus, and the Government will, as always, be led by the science.
Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to research published by the University of Lincoln in August 2020 that concludes reward-based training methods are more effective and carry less risk to the animal’s wellbeing to electric shocks, what plans he has to bring forward proposals to ban remote controlled electronic shock collars.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government remains committed to banning the use of remote controlled hand-held electronic training collars (e-collars) for dogs and cats in England. We will introduce the necessary legislation to implement the ban as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will meet the hon. Member for North Cornwall and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall to discuss the future allocation of funding for summer street marshalling schemes similar to that which was in place in Bude during summer 2020.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Devon and Cornwall Police will receive total funding of up to £338.4 million in 2020-21, an increase of up to £23.2 million compared to 2019-20.
Decisions on how to use this funding, including the scheme referenced here, are taken locally. I am in regular contact with all PCCs, and look forward to future discussions with the Hon Member and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall.
Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with the BBC on holding a public consultation on its proposals to revise regional television and radio production.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The Government recognises the vital role that regional news and local current affairs play in bringing communities together and reflecting experiences across the UK. The BBC’s proposed cuts to English regional television were debated in the chamber on 22 June 2020, where the government set out its support for regional broadcasting and its concern about the BBC’s decision.
The BBC is editorially and operationally independent of government, and regional programming is a matter for the BBC. The BBC’s Royal Charter requires the BBC to represent, reflect and serve audiences, taking into account the needs of diverse communities of all the UK nations and regions. Under the new regulatory system introduced by the government in 2017, the BBC Board must ensure the BBC complies with its Charter duties, and Ofcom was established as the BBC regulator to ensure the BBC is robustly held to account.
Ofcom is aware of the changes to the BBC’s regional news and current affairs, and has said it will require the BBC to set out how the proposed cuts are consistent with the delivery of the BBC’s public purposes.
The government has no plans to reopen the BBC Charter or conduct a public consultation on this issue. The Charter will next be considered at the mid-term review. This is the appropriate milestone to consider whether the current regulatory arrangements for the BBC are working effectively. The Charter specifies that the review must take place between 2022 and 2024.
Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
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 is taking to reduce barriers to the adoption of (a) biopropane and (b) other new low carbon fuels for use in heating in off-gas grid buildings.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The Government recognises?that biofuels, such as bioLPG and bioliquid alternatives to heating oil, may play a role in future off-gas grid decarbonisation. In 2018 BEIS ran an extensive programme of engagement with industry and consumers, to seek views on how industry, government and consumers could work together to phase out the installation of high carbon fossil fuels from homes and businesses off the gas grid. We will be consulting on proposals for this in due course.
The Clean Heat Grant Scheme, which will run from April 2022 to March 2024, aims to provide targeted support for proven and ready to deploy low-carbon heating technologies that demonstrate value for money and carbon cost-effectiveness. This will follow the existing Renewable Heat Incentive scheme. We are also expecting to publish the Clean Heat Grant consultation response and a Heat and Buildings Strategy, which will further expand on the Government’s strategic direction, in due course.
Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with the BBC on the effect of reduced funding on regional programming.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The Government recognises the vital role that regional news and local current affairs play in bringing communities together and reflecting experiences across the UK. The BBC’s proposed cuts to English regional television were debated in the chamber on 22 June 2020, where the government set out its support for regional broadcasting and its concern about the BBC’s decision.
The BBC is editorially and operationally independent of government, and regional programming is a matter for the BBC. The BBC’s Royal Charter requires the BBC to represent, reflect and serve audiences, taking into account the needs of diverse communities of all the UK nations and regions. Under the new regulatory system introduced by the government in 2017, the BBC Board must ensure the BBC complies with its Charter duties, and Ofcom was established as the BBC regulator to ensure the BBC is robustly held to account.
Ofcom is aware of the changes to the BBC’s regional news and current affairs, and has said it will require the BBC to set out how the proposed cuts are consistent with the delivery of the BBC’s public purposes.
The government has no plans to reopen the BBC Charter or conduct a public consultation on this issue. The Charter will next be considered at the mid-term review. This is the appropriate milestone to consider whether the current regulatory arrangements for the BBC are working effectively. The Charter specifies that the review must take place between 2022 and 2024.
Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department has taken to support the BBC in the production of regional and local (a) television and (b) radio programming.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The Government recognises the vital role that regional news and local current affairs play in bringing communities together and reflecting experiences across the UK. The BBC’s proposed cuts to English regional television were debated in the chamber on 22 June 2020, where the government set out its support for regional broadcasting and its concern about the BBC’s decision.
The BBC is editorially and operationally independent of government, and regional programming is a matter for the BBC. The BBC’s Royal Charter requires the BBC to represent, reflect and serve audiences, taking into account the needs of diverse communities of all the UK nations and regions. Under the new regulatory system introduced by the government in 2017, the BBC Board must ensure the BBC complies with its Charter duties, and Ofcom was established as the BBC regulator to ensure the BBC is robustly held to account.
Ofcom is aware of the changes to the BBC’s regional news and current affairs, and has said it will require the BBC to set out how the proposed cuts are consistent with the delivery of the BBC’s public purposes.
The government has no plans to reopen the BBC Charter or conduct a public consultation on this issue. The Charter will next be considered at the mid-term review. This is the appropriate milestone to consider whether the current regulatory arrangements for the BBC are working effectively. The Charter specifies that the review must take place between 2022 and 2024.