Asked by: Simon Fell (Conservative - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which projects received funding from the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme top slice in the 2021-22 financial year; what each of these projects were intended to do; how much funding each project received; what recent progress each project has made against its objectives; and if she will make an assessment of the impact of each project on levels of further asset recovery.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
In the financial year 2021-22 there were 16 Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme Top Slice projects. The performance of these projects is governed by the Strategic Asset Recovery Group.
The most recent public update on use of ARIS funding by POCA partners is available at: Asset recovery statistical bulletin: financial years ending 2017 to 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). We are currently exploring options for providing a further public breakdown of this data.
Asked by: Simon Fell (Conservative - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the rates of return on investment of asset recovery projects that received funding through the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme top slice in the 2021-22 financial year.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The projects funded through the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS) Top Slice scheme continue to offer positive returns in terms of recovered criminal assets.
This includes significant cash and asset seizures by operational teams funded by the Top Slice, at the Border and across national policing.
Since not all projects funded through the Top Slice are directly targeted against asset recovery, the Home Office does not conduct an investment return analysis on each one. In the 21/22 HMG/ law enforcement seized £354.8 million of criminal assets (up £135.1 million from 20/21).
Asked by: Simon Fell (Conservative - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking with international partners to share best practice on renewable energy generation.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The UK plays a leading role with international partners in accelerating renewable and green-grid deployment, drawing on our world-leading experience. Sharing our expertise has helped countries increase their clean energy ambition, as evidenced in declarations made throughout our COP26 Presidency.
Asked by: Simon Fell (Conservative - Barrow and Furness)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the impact of the cost of living crisis on survivors of domestic abuse.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Tackling domestic abuse is a priority for this Government and ensuring all victims and survivors of this heinous crime get the support they need.
It’s concerning increases in the cost of living may exacerbate risk factors which Women’s Aid have highlighted, and the Home Office is looking to act on.
The Government’s Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan commits £230m to tackling domestic abuse , including a focus of over £140m to work to support victims, and will establish trials of a ‘flexible fund’, which charities could use to provide extra money to victims and survivors. .
Asked by: Simon Fell (Conservative - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of reports that Russia is to receive Iranian made drones for its invasion of Ukraine.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Reports that Russia is buying drones from Iran illustrates that UK efforts with allies to isolate Moscow internationally and cripple its military are having an impact. Russia is struggling to source some vital military parts. We saw overwhelming opposition to Russia's behaviour at both the G7 and NATO Summits in May and the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting in July. The UK is committed to working with allies to isolate Russia further, including through the use of sanctions. The reports also highlight Iran's continuing threat to international security and stability. We will continue to hold Iran to account for its destabilising activities.
Asked by: Simon Fell (Conservative - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to help increase British soft power overseas.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The FCDO funds projects and programmes that promote UK influence overseas, including the British Council, BBC World Service and our Chevening, Commonwealth and Marshall Scholarships.
Our diplomatic leadership is another important component of how others perceive the UK, as we have seen through our hosting of the G7 and COP26 and our support for a globally accessible Covid-19 vaccine.
Asked by: Simon Fell (Conservative - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to promote the recruitment of dentists in communities with comparatively low levels of dental provision.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Health Education England (HEE) set out a range of recommendations in their Advancing Dental Care Review, which aim to tackle recruitment, retention and attracting dentists to the NHS. One of their proposals was the creation of Centres for Dental Development in localities where there is a shortage in provision, which would bring together education and service elements in smaller units. HEE have now moved into their implementation stage through their Dental Education Reform Programme.
Asked by: Simon Fell (Conservative - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
What support his Department is providing to energy intensive industries operating in the UK in the context of energy price rises.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
We recognise this continues to be a worrying time for businesses due to the significant increases in global energy prices.
Extensive engagement is happening across Government at both an official and ministerial level on this issue.
Asked by: Simon Fell (Conservative - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress his Department has made on the commitment in the Future of Carbon Pricing document to develop a long-term decarbonisation funding stream, funded by UK Emissions Trading Scheme auction income, to support Energy Intensive Industries.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department remains committed to exploring long-term options for accelerating the decarbonisation of industry, while maintaining UK competitiveness. The Government has set out an ambitious package of support for industrial decarbonisation, including: the Industrial Decarbonisation and Hydrogen Revenue Support (IDHRS) scheme to fund the new hydrogen and industrial carbon capture (ICC) business models; the £1 billion CCUS Infrastructure Fund, the £240 million Net Zero Hydrogen Fund, and the £289 million Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF). This support will enable the Government to meet its ambitions as set out in the Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy and Hydrogen Strategy.
Asked by: Simon Fell (Conservative - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies on Iran's nuclear activity of the statement by the IAEA’s Director General that all countries that have enriched uranium to 60 per-cent fissile purity have gone on to produce nuclear weapons.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Iran has been in non-compliance with its Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) commitments since 2019. This includes producing Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) at 60%, which is unprecedented for a state without a nuclear weapons programme. Iran's increasing 60% stockpile is bringing Iran significantly closer to having fissile material which could be used for nuclear weapons.
We call upon Iran to halt all activities in violation of the JCPoA without delay and take the opportunity in front of them in the JCPoA Vienna negotiations to restore the nuclear deal. If a deal is not swiftly concluded, and Iran continues its nuclear escalation, Iran will be responsible for missing the opportunity to restore the JCPoA and for bringing about the collapse of the deal. Iran's nuclear escalation means we have weeks, not months, to restore the deal before the JCPoA's core non-proliferation benefits are lost and the deal collapses. In the event of the JCPoA collapsing, we would carefully consider all options in partnership with our allies.