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Written Question
National Insurance Contributions: Personal Income
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department conducted distributional analysis of the impact of the reduction to National Insurance contributions announced in the Spring Budget 2024 on people in different income brackets.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

HM Treasury published distributional analysis at Spring Budget 2024, which can be found here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65e83ed008eef600115a5660/Impact_on_households_-_SB24_FINAL.pdf


Written Question
Cost of Living
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact of his measures introduced in the Spring Budget 2024 on the cost of living.

Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government has demonstrated its commitment to supporting the most vulnerable at Spring Budget 2024 – including the extension of the Household Support Fund, freezing fuel duty, and helping households in debt.

The measures introduced by this government to support households have contributed to real incomes being stronger than expected this year. Real wages are now higher than pre-pandemic level.


Written Question
Companies: Cost of Living and Inflation
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the level of profits made by companies outside the oil and gas industries on (a) the cost of living and (b) inflation.

Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government monitors UK corporates’ performance on an ongoing basis. Profits as a share of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) for UK private non-financial corporations excluding firms in the UK Continental Shelf have been relatively stable since 2000.


Written Question
Sewage: Pollution
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an independent reporting mechanism for assessing sewage pollution by water companies.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We have increased the number of storm overflows monitored across the network in England from approximately 7% in 2010, to 100% coverage before the end of 2023. These event duration monitors will provide a complete picture of when, and for how long, each storm overflow operates.

Under our landmark Environment Act, we made it a legal requirement for companies to provide discharge data to the Environment Agency and to make it available in near real time to the public. By bringing in this comprehensive monitoring, this government and its regulators have enabled the extent of sewage discharges to be revealed, so we are better equipped to tackle this challenge.

In April 2023, we also launched our consultation on Continuous Water Quality Monitoring and Event Duration Monitoring. This outlines the government’s proposals to enhance the monitoring of storm overflow and final effluent discharges. Government’s response to this consultation was issued on 14 September 2023, and water companies are now taking forward plans to implement this programme from 2025.


Written Question
Sewage: Pollution
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with water companies on (a) preventative measures to stop sewage dumping and (b) improving infrastructure.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Secretary of State has regular engagement with water companies to discuss a range of issues including preventative measures to reduce sewage discharges, and improvements to water company infrastructure.

For example, in December 2023, he wrote to all water company Chief Executives, requesting that they improve sewer maintenance programmes over the next twelve months to help prevent storm overflow discharges. This programme will support the stringent targets set out in the government’s Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, which will drive the largest infrastructure programme in water company history of £60 billion over 25 years.

On 11 March, the Government announced the additional fast-tracked investment of £180 million over the next 12 months to help reduce sewage spills. This is expected to prevent more than 8000 sewage spills polluting English waterways.


Written Question
Gaza: Humanitarian Pauses
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the prospect of an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

We engage closely with the US on both this and wider aspects of the conflict. On 13 March, the UK, US, and regional partners took part in ministerial consultations to advance a maritime corridor to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza. On 7 March the Foreign Secretary spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock about the situation in Gaza. The Foreign Secretary also met and raised this with Foreign Ministers of international partner countries, including the US, at the Munich Security Conference in February.


Written Question
Defence: Procurement
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the defence procurement system.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Department uses a range of measures to assess the effectiveness of defence acquisition. We have reduced the average time taken to deliver our projects and programmes. But we must go further to drive pace. I therefore announced plans for a new Integrated Procurement Model in my oral statement of 28 February 2024 on Defence Acquisition Reform.

A guidance note setting out the key features of the new model was placed in the Library and is available at Integrated Procurement Model: driving pace in the delivery of military capability - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).


Written Question
Veterans: Cost of Living
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent steps Veterans UK has taken to support veterans and their families with the cost of living.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence delivers a range of services to Veterans and their families. This includes the administration and payment of Armed Forces pensions and compensation, the provision of tailored advice and assistance through the Veterans Welfare Service, Defence Transition Services and the Integrated Personal Commissioning for Veterans.


Written Question
Israel: West Bank
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help de-escalate tensions in the West Bank; and whether he has had discussions with his counterparts in Israel on their (a) withholding of work permits and (b) blocking of travel by Palestinians from the West Bank.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The Government maintains a regular dialogue with Israeli counterparts and partners on a range of issues relating to the conflict, including steps Israel must take to deescalate tensions in the West Bank. This includes halting settlement expansion, holding to account those responsible for extremist settler violence and releasing frozen funds.

On 12 February, the UK announced new sanctions against extremist Israeli settlers who have violently attacked Palestinians in the West Bank. These sanctions follow the announcement by the Foreign Secretary in December that the UK plans to ban those responsible for settler violence from entering the UK.


Written Question
Middle East: Humanitarian Aid
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs to increase the number of aid shipments to the Middle East.

Answered by James Heappey

Defence works very closely with and to support the FCDO, who lead on humanitarian support, to make sure that aid shipments are delivered as rapidly, efficiently and safely as possible. We have supported the delivery of hundreds of tonnes of life-saving aid for Gaza, including by air, land and maritime routes. We are doing everything we can to get far more aid in, exploring new routes and pressing Israel to open more crossings and lift restrictions. The Secretaries of State regularly engage on this matter.