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, what discussions the Committee has had with HM Revenue and Customs on the reissuing of P11D forms for hon. Members for 2014-15.
Answered by Charles Walker
The Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has not had any discussions with HM Revenue and Customs on the reissuing of P11D forms for MPs for 2014-15.
I have received confirmation from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority that they have not had any discussions with HM Revenue and Customs relating to the incorrect issuing of P11Ds for 2014-15.
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, what information the Committee holds on steps being taken by IPSA to prevent errors in P11D forms for hon. Members occurring in future financial years.
Answered by Charles Walker
I have received confirmation from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority that in 2014-15, an error with the mail merge used to create P11Ds resulted in incorrect forms being sent to Members.
I understand from IPSA that they have taken steps to improve the quality checking process, and that staff will receive additional training in the production of P11Ds. In the longer term, IPSA is planning improvements to its information management systems which should reduce the likelihood of data discrepancies, like the one that led to this incident, occurring.
Asked by: Simon Hart (Conservative - Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much in Gift Aid was paid out to (a) Cancer Research UK, (b) Oxfam, (c) Greenpeace, (d) RSPCA and (e) RSPB in (i) 2013-14 and (ii) 2014-15.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for administering Gift Aid.
HMRC has a statutory duty to maintain taxpayer confidentiality and cannot comment on the affairs of individual taxpayers.
HMRC publishes national statistics showing the total cost of Gift Aid and other charitable tax reliefs https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/charitable-donations-and-tax-reliefs-statistics
Asked by: Simon Hart (Conservative - Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when his Department plans to publish a response to its consultation entitled Planning and travellers: proposed changes to planning policy and guidance, published on 14 September 2014.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The consultation closed on 23 November 2014 and my Department received over 750 responses. We are currently considering the responses and will publish the Government’s response in due course.
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 communication has been delivered to private veterinary practices and farmers regarding the recent changes to the UK's veterinary surveillance network; and what plans her Department has to ensure that surveillance data from veterinary practices and non-APHA sources is being centrally collated and shared at a national level.
Answered by George Eustice
The changes to the veterinary surveillance system in England and Wales have been delivered and communicated through the project called Surveillance 2014. There has been a broad range of different communications provided by APHA to private veterinary practices and farmers regarding changes to the veterinary surveillance network, including:
(a) Public consultation on the development of a new surveillance model, from December 2012 to February 2013, which gathered over 370 responses from vets, farmers, the livestock industry and other stakeholders.
(b) Visits to a total of 57 private veterinary practices in England and Wales from January 2014 to January 2015.
(c) A series of 19 regional meetings for private veterinary practitioners in different parts of England and Wales, running from December 2014 until March 2015.
(d) A total of 22 articles, letters or other forms of communication to private veterinary practices or farmers from February 2014 to date.
Details of the surveillance model are being finalised. It will be designed to enable central collation and sharing of surveillance information from Government bodies, private veterinary practices, abattoirs, livestock industry bodies, academia and other collaborative surveillance networks nationally and internationally.
Asked by: Simon Hart (Conservative - Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the progress of the roll-out of superfast broadband in Wales.
Answered by Stephen Crabb
It is a priority of this Government to invest in broadband infrastructure, linking communities right across Wales.
Since 2010, 293,000 homes and businesses have been connected to superfast broadband in Wales.
Asked by: Simon Hart (Conservative - Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had on the creation of standard operating procedures for the conduct of police wildlife crime officers.
Answered by Mike Penning
There are no plans to create specific operating procedures for the conduct of police officers when they are investigating wildlife crimes. Police officers investigating wildlife crimes are subject to the same standards of professional
behaviour that apply to all police officers.
Asked by: Simon Hart (Conservative - Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of the practice of companies requiring a supplier company to make a payment in order to join or to remain on a list of suppliers.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The Department is aware that the practice of suppliers having to pay to join or remain on a supplier list is an issue in some sectors. The Government has already taken action to prohibit this practice in certain sectors. We are consulting to help us understand the wider extent of the problem and on whether Government should take any action with respect to supplier lists.
The Government has already taken action to prohibit this practice in certain sectors. This is why the statutory Grocery Supply Code prohibits payments as a condition of stocking or listing a supplier’s grocery products.
Asked by: Simon Hart (Conservative - Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with campaigning charities and organisations about the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and covert surveillance.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Home Office Ministers and officials have discussions and meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of Ministerial meetings are passed to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis and are subsequently published on the Gov.uk website:http://data.gov.uk/dataset/ministerial-data-home-office
Asked by: Simon Hart (Conservative - Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had on drafting best practice guidelines on the presence of campaigning charities during police searches and arrests.
Answered by Mike Penning
An important component of the Best Use of Stop and Search Scheme is the introduction of lay observation. The Scheme’s guidance makes it clear that forces have discretion to determine the most appropriate arrangements to support this. This allows the public, including interested organisations, to observe stop and search in action.