Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
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 take steps with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations to publish a report on the steps they are taking to ensure the interoperability of deposit return schemes across the UK.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is working closely with devolved administrations on the next steps to achieve interoperable schemes that work across the UK. We are aiming to provide further policy detail shortly.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to ensure that cycle parking is (a) secure, (b) convenient and (c) sufficient.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It is for local authorities to decide on appropriate cycle parking provision that would best serve the needs of their local communities. These can be funded through a range of local transport and levelling up funding programmes.
As a statutory consultee, Active Trave England makes recommendations for the provision of cycle parking in line with the standards set out in Local Transport Note 1/20 in developments it is consulted on.
Alongside this, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has opened a consultation on the relaxation of ‘permitted development’ rights. These proposals include the right for homeowners to place a bike store in their front garden without the need for planning permission.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to support cycle businesses in England.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to supporting UK businesses that manufacture, retail and service cycles and e-cycles. This support takes many forms including unprecedented investment in safe cycling infrastructure which enables more people to cycle safely; and initiatives such as the Cycle to Work scheme which allows many people to access cycles more cheaply. These and other measures help increase the demand for new cycles and e-cycles, and for the servicing of existing cycles and e-cycles.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the potential impact of the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly on trends in the level of business investment in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
Since our department hosted the Northern Ireland Investment Summit in September, we have seen significant investment announcements including from IceMos technology, Ocula technology, and Vertiv. With that in mind, I think it is in everyone's interests - regardless of position on the constitutional question - for everyone to maintain a singular focus on attracting investment into Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential merits of the use of AI in primary care.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
DSIT closely engages with all government departments on the adoption of AI, including DHSC.
The Government is committed to ensuring adoption of AI in an ethical, safe and responsible way to improve public services outcomes and productivity.
Ahead of the AI Summit last year, we announced a new AI in Healthcare fund, backed by £100m, to target areas where rapid deployment of AI could create transformational breakthroughs in treatments for previously incurable diseases.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of NHS dental practices were in dispute with her Department about reconciling payments for NHS work on 30 January 2024; and what assessment she has made of the (a) clarity and (b) ease of the reconciliation process.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Year-end reconciliation is a national process carried out, in the most part, by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA), and commissioned by NHS England.
As of 31 January 2024, there were 38 unresolved queries from contract holders about their year-end outcome for 2022/23. This equates to 0.6% of the 6673 contracts within the NHS BSA responsibility to reconcile. There are a further proportion of contracts, 1,946, that remain within the remit of integrated care boards to reconcile, where data is not held centrally.
The process of year end reconciliation is a vital part of ensuring contract holders are held accountable for the activity they have been contracted to deliver, and to ensure taxpayers get value for money from the £3 billion National Health Service dentistry budget.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the energy efficiency of private rented homes.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We are investing £6.6 billion this Parliament and a further £6 billion to 2028 on making buildings cleaner and warmer. That is in addition to the £5 billion that will be delivered through the Energy Company Obligation and the Great British Insulation Scheme up to March 2026. All of our ‘Help to Heat’ schemes are available to eligible households in the private rented sector
We have also improved our information and guidance for those households who want to make energy efficiency upgrades to their property through our digital assist service: www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency. This has also introduced two eligibility checkers to help landlords and tenants understand the measures available to them.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the autonomy of Hong Kong’s (a) economic, (b) monetary and (c) financial systems.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The latest Six-Monthly report on Hong Kong, published on 19 September, notes that Hong Kong's economic, monetary, and financial systems remain distinct and robust from mainland China. The Hong Kong SAR Government has maintained a free market economic and trade system, retaining autonomy in deciding their economic and trade policies. Hong Kong continues to be recognised as an international financial centre with sole discretion over its monetary and financial policies.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of offering stamp duty rebates to households that upgrade their EPC rating within the first two years of home ownership.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Improving the energy efficiency of our housing stock will be vital in the long-term to making the UK more energy resilient, bringing down energy bills and meeting our 2050 net zero commitment.
Introducing tax incentives based on green energy installations could add significant complexity to the operation of the current system, as well as having an impact on the Exchequer. The government keeps all tax policy under review, and any changes are announced at fiscal events as usual.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing stamp duty for homes with higher energy efficiency.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Improving the energy efficiency of our housing stock will be vital in the long-term to making the UK more energy resilient, bringing down energy bills and meeting our 2050 net zero commitment.
Introducing tax incentives based on green energy installations could add significant complexity to the operation of the current system, as well as having an impact on the Exchequer. The government keeps all tax policy under review, and any changes are announced at fiscal events as usual.