Asked by: Simon Hart (Conservative - Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of UK SMEs with a turnover of £85,000 or more are prepared for the transfer to digital VAT records due to take effect in April 2019.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
There is a high level of awareness of the upcoming introduction of Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT among businesses and tax professionals, and the number of businesses making preparations gives us confidence that the vast majority will be ready. Over 43,000 businesses have already joined the pilot service, with thousands more joining every day.
In research carried out in December 2018, 8 in 10 VAT mandated businesses were aware of MTD either by name or concept. Of those who were aware, 83% had already started to prepare.
It’s important to note that the 1st April deadline is not a cliff edge by which time businesses need to have signed-up. The first returns for most businesses under the new system won’t be due until August at the earliest.
HMRC has been working closely with the software industry so that businesses will be able to choose products that suit both their budget and their needs. That includes software which has been developed specifically to support different types of sector and ‘bridging software’ to allow businesses to continue keeping their records in spreadsheets if they prefer.
HMRC’s comprehensive Impact Assessment, developed in consultation with external stakeholders and informed by both quantitative and qualitative evidence, anticipated net ongoing software costs of £37m for those businesses needing to operate MTD. Costs will vary by individual business, with some providers offering free software and over 140 existing subscription products are being updated at no cost at all.
We recognise that businesses will require time to become familiar with these new requirements. As confirmed at Spring Statement, during the first year of VAT mandation we are committed to taking a light touch approach to penalties. HMRC will not issue record keeping or filing penalties where businesses are doing their best to comply with MTD.
Asked by: Simon Hart (Conservative - Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to introduce (a) 25p per coffee cup surcharge, (b) bottle deposit scheme and (c) refillable water bottle policy.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government recognises the problems caused by disposable cups, which are difficult to recycle and often littered. At Budget 2018, the Government concluded that a levy on all cups would not at this point deliver a decisive shift from disposable cups to reusable cups across all beverage types.
The Government expects industry to go further in taking action on disposable plastic cups and will return to the issue if sufficient progress is not made. In the meantime, the Government is considering the case for reducing the environmental impact of disposable cups within a reformed packaging producer responsibility system and a potential deposit return scheme (DRS), which we are currently inviting views on through consultation.
The DRS consultation is being undertaken jointly by the UK and Welsh Governments, and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland. The consultation was launched on 18 February and will close on 13 May. The aim of a DRS is that it is easy for consumers to return drinks containers (such as plastic bottles, aluminium and steel cans, and glass bottles), reduce litter and increase recycling rates of drinks containers within the scope of a DRS.
The Government recognises the importance of making drinking water more readily available in public places, as a means of reducing single use plastic bottles. As laid out in the 25 Year Environment Plan and the Resources and Waste Strategy, we are already taking action in this area.
The Government has encouraged transit hub operators, including Network Rail and airports, to install free water fountains to support refilling water bottles.
The water industry is supporting the Refill campaign, which is managed by City to Sea. We are pleased to see new refill points being installed in every major city and town in England. There are now over 14,000 refill points on City to Sea’s free Refill app, and they aim to double this by 2020.
Asked by: Simon Hart (Conservative - Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the new Old Oak Common station will provide an efficient interchange for passengers travelling between Wales and the north of the UK; what organisations will operate those connections; and what the frequency of those connections will be.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The HS2 Development Agreement sets out the Sponsor’s Requirements for the HS2 scheme. At Old Oak Common, this includes interchange facilities with the Great Western Main Line and Crossrail services.
Our current indicative train service specification that has informed the design of Old Oak Common station assumes that all Great Western franchise and Heathrow Express services will stop at Old Oak Common. This will enable passengers from Wales and other destinations currently served by Paddington bound trains to interchange with HS2 services to the midlands and north of the UK. The frequency of connections is an operational matter that will be determined nearer the time, but we would expect passengers and other stakeholders to be consulted on material changes to future franchise service patterns.
Asked by: Simon Hart (Conservative - Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the forthcoming workforce implementation plan will be funded to ensure any recommendations for increased NHS staffing levels are delivered.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
A final workforce implementation plan for England will be published later in the year, taking into account the outcomes of the Spending Review.
We recognise the importance of workforce training to underpin effective long-term National Health Service planning in England. We have already made commitments in this Spending Review into the next Spending Review period – for example on medical training places. At the forthcoming Spending Review, we will consider proposals from the NHS for a multi-year funding plan for clinical training places, based on the workforce requirements of the NHS plan.
Funding of education and training in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland is a matter for each of the devolved administrations in each nation.
Asked by: Simon Hart (Conservative - Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress the Government has made on negotiations with the EU on maintaining access to the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals regulations after 29 March 2019; and what contingency plans he has made to ensure that a UK chemicals registration scheme would be officially recognised by the EU in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government’s white paper on the future relationship between the UK and the EU proposes a UK-EU free trade area for goods, including chemicals, underpinned by a common rule book. We are seeking participation in ECHA, to ensure UK businesses could continue to register chemical substances directly. This remains part of ongoing negotiations with the EU.
In the event of a no-deal, the EU (Withdrawal) Act will convert existing EU chemicals law, including REACH, into domestic law. This includes the registration of chemicals under a UK REACH system which will replicate the current EU approach. We have published a Technical Notice ‘Regulating Chemicals (REACH) if there’s no Brexit deal’. This sets out the implications for business and transitional measures to minimise disruption and ensure continuity in the event of a no deal. The Technical Notice is available via the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulating-chemicals-reach-if-theres-no-brexit-deal
Asked by: Simon Hart (Conservative - Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2018 to Question 132978, how many of the allegations of electoral fraud concerning the 2017 General Election of which they were made aware were then passed to the relevant police force.
Answered by Bridget Phillipson - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
Where the Electoral Commission is made aware of allegations of electoral fraud it advises the complainant to contact their local police force or Crimestoppers. It does not record where such advice has been provided.
Statistics reported to the Electoral Commission by police forces across the UK show that in 2017 there were 148 cases in relation to alleged electoral fraud at the UK Parliamentary General Election. There were a further 168 cases relating to other election types, and 20 cases recorded as non-election specific.
It is not possible to know which of these cases may have resulted from advice given to a complainant by the Commission.
Asked by: Simon Hart (Conservative - Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many complaints the Commission received in relation to breaches in election law after (a) during and (b) after General Election 2017; and how many of those complaints (i) related to electoral fraud or other breaches, (ii) have been resolved, (iii) have been passed to the police and (iv) have resulted in prosecutions.
Answered by Bridget Phillipson - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
The Electoral Commission receives both formal and informal complaints across a range of areas of electoral law through a range of different routes. It is not, therefore, possible to provide comprehensive data in response to parts of this question. Allegations of electoral fraud relating to offences under the Representation of the People Act (RPA)1983 are matters for the police. When the Commission is made aware of allegations of electoral fraud they advise the complainant to contact the police directly, and they may also pass on details of the allegation to the relevant police force.
On 2 March 2018 the Commission published information provided by police forces about cases of electoral fraud recorded during 2017. The data shows that police forces across the UK recorded a total of 336 cases of alleged electoral fraud relating to offences under the Representation of the People Act (RPA) 1983. Police forces also recorded 69 other complaints about elections which did not relate to allegations of electoral fraud offences.
At the end of January 2018, when the data was updated by police forces, there had been one conviction following investigation by the police, and suspects in eight further cases had accepted police cautions. Police forces were awaiting prosecution advice in relation to a further seven cases, in two cases court proceedings had been initiated and one case resulted in an acquittal. Forty four cases remained under investigation by the police.
Asked by: Simon Hart (Conservative - Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on wildlife or husbanded animals of fly tipping?
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Defra has not made a specific assessment of the effect of fly-tipping on wildlife and husbanded animals. The Government is committed to tackling the impact of fly-tipping on wildlife, farmland and local communities.
Asked by: Simon Hart (Conservative - Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, whether the Committee has had sight of the legal advice received by IPSA on connected parties; and if he will place a copy of that advice in the Library.
Answered by Charles Walker
The Speaker’s Committee has not received any legal advice on connected parties.
Asked by: Simon Hart (Conservative - Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what jets are being used on HMS Queen Elizabeth until the F-35 comes into service.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH is currently undergoing a planned engineering period in Portsmouth, before returning to sea trials; she is not yet a fully operational platform.
The Ministry of Defence has no plans to operate any jet aircraft from HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH other than the F-35B Lightning II, for which the Queen Elizabeth Class carriers have been specifically designed. We have taken delivery of 12 F-35B jets so far, and will have 14 by the end of the year.
We plan to conduct first-of-class flying trials with F-35B in autumn 2018, as part of the programme to deliver an initial Carrier Strike capability by the end of 2020.