Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of the shelling of Shushi Cathedral by the Azerbaijan military; what representations they have made to the governments of Azerbaijan and Turkey about this attack; and what assessment they have made of the compatibility of the involvement of the government of Turkey in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with its continued membership of NATO.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We are deeply concerned by the reports of shelling of civilian areas, including places of worship, in the cities of Stepanakert and Ganja and their surrounding areas. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood and Americas spoke to the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers on 28 September. She raised UK concerns over civilian casualties and fatalities, urged immediate de-escalation and reinforced the importance of returning to negotiations within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. The UK continues to engage actively with international partners in support of these objectives. The Prime Minister discussed the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh with President Erdogan on 28 September, the Minister for the European Neighbourhood and Americas raised with Deputy Foreign Minister Onal on 2 October and the Secretary of State for Defence raised with his counterpart during a visit to Ankara on 6 October. Turkey is a key NATO ally, and sits on the frontline of some of the most difficult and serious challenges we face. We will continue to work closely with Turkey within NATO on challenges to peace and security.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Shushi Cathedral in Nagorno-Karabakh has been damaged by shelling; what representations they have made to the governments of Azerbaijan and Turkey about the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh; and what discussions they have had with the government of Turkey about the compatibility of its membership with NATO and its role in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We are deeply concerned by the reports of shelling of civilian areas, including places of worship, including the cities of Stepanakert and Ganja and their surrounding areas. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood and Americas spoke to the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers on 28 September. She raised UK concerns over civilian casualties and fatalities, urged immediate de-escalation and reinforced the importance of returning to negotiations within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group.
The UK continues to engage actively with international partners in support of these objectives. The Prime Minister discussed the situation in Nagorno Karabakh with President Erdogan on 28 September, the Minister for the European Neighbourhood and Americas raised with Deputy Foreign Minister Onal on 2 October and the Secretary of State for Defence raised with his counterpart during a visit to Ankara on 6 October.
Turkey is a key NATO ally, and sits on the frontline of some of the most difficult and serious challenges we face. We will continue to work closely with Turkey within NATO on challenges to peace and security.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent traffic congestion and air pollution from rising above pre-COVID-19 levels.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Air pollution poses one of the biggest environmental threats to public health. Our ambitious plans to decarbonise transport, improve air quality and support more active forms of travel have not changed, including the £3.8 billion we are already investing to clean up our air. Our recent rapid call for evidence will ensure we can fully understand the impact that coronavirus is having on changes in air pollution emissions, concentrations and exposure.
The decision to manage congestion in towns and cities is ultimately one for the relevant local highways authority, and they are considering a range of measures to encourage and retain active travel. To support this, on 9 May the Government announced a £2 billion package of funding for active travel over the next 5 years from the £5 billion buses, cycling and walking funding announced by the Prime Minister on 11 February.
Local authorities already have a range of powers to take action to reduce pollution from road vehicles. Through the Environment Bill we are improving co-operation within the Local Air Quality Management framework to widen the range of bodies that play a role in improving local air quality, including neighbouring local authorities and relevant public bodies, ensuring action is taken by all key players to tackle pollution sources and to improve air quality locally.
Additionally we are working hard to implement our World leading Clean Air Strategy, which focuses on reducing broader emissions beyond road transport.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities will be reimbursed through the Re-opening High Street Safely Fund for the costs of street wardens.
Answered by Simon Clarke
Our £50 million Re-opening High Streets Safely Fund (RHSSF) will support a range of practical safety measures to help businesses trade safely on our high streets. Whilst street wardens cannot be funded through this stream of funding, Local authorities may wish to fund Information Officers to deliver?business-facing?awareness activity, as set out in strand three of eligible activity in the fund guidance. Signage, street markings and temporary barriers are also in scope of funding. The RHSSF will provide the tools to help towns and cities develop safe trading environments, particularly in high streets, and will be key to kick starting the economy, getting people back to work, businesses trading and helping to reinvigorate communities.
Further information on the RHSS Funding Agreement and claims process will be made available in due course.
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken to encourage communities to support local businesses as shops and outdoor markets begin to re-open as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
Answered by Simon Clarke
This Government is fully committed to supporting the businesses and communities that make our high streets and retail markets successful as the nation responds to the impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak. Now more than ever, it is vital that we continue to help our local economies by supporting town centres and markets to recover, adapt and evolve.
On 25 May government announced a new £50 million fund, Reopening High Streets Safely Fund, to support councils across England to aid the safe reopening of high streets and other commercial areas.
This makes use of recent EU flexibilities to respond quickly and flexibly to the impacts of Covid-19 to help local businesses to reopen safely and ensures existing jobs are safeguarded and High Street business closures, in particular on the High Street, are minimised.
Helping towns and cities develop safe trading environments, particularly in high streets, will be key to kick starting the economy, getting people back to work, businesses trading and helping to reinvigorate communities.
The Fund provides support to local businesses on high streets across England helping them to put in place a number of extra social distancing measures that will allow them to reopen safely and confidently.
Government has also established the High Streets Task Force who will now more than ever play a vital role in supporting the recovery of our local economies. The Task Force will support local leaders in their work revitalising their high streets and town centres by providing proactive support to local areas to develop data-driven innovative strategies and connect local areas to relevant experts.
Government appreciates how much people cherish their high streets and retail markets, they are the centres of their community and we will continue to work with them and key stakeholders to monitor the impacts of the current situation and ensure that reopening of local economies can be managed successfully and safely.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking with local government to tackle road congestion to aid the regeneration of town centres in Greater Manchester.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Government works closely with Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Transport for Greater Manchester to support local transport measures which are specifically designed to address congestion, promote alternative modes of transport to the car and regenerate town centres.
The Government is committed to ensuring that local highway infrastructure is well maintained to facilitate smoother and safer journeys, with better connections. The Secretary of State has recently announced a £1.7 billion Transport Infrastructure Investment Fund to improve roads, repair bridges and fill in millions of potholes. Greater Manchester’s share of this is £64.2 million.
In addition, Greater Manchester was awarded £312.5 million from the Transforming Cities Fund which is being used to fund schemes aimed at better connecting communities, in a sustainable way, and promoting cycling and walking as an alternative to using cars. In addition, over £660 million of Local Growth funding has been awarded to Greater Manchester in the three rounds of Growth deals to invest in transport schemes across the region and fund town centre improvements.
Most recently, Government has provided significant financial support to essential bus and Metrolink services throughout the Covid19 pandemic to increase public transport services for key workers and to help restart the economy. On 27 May, it was announced that Greater Manchester had also been given an indicative allocation of £3.2 million from the Emergency Active Travel Fund, to ensure that active travel is a viable alternative to using the car, as well as providing a safe space to do so in the town and district centres.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support the Government is providing to markets during the covid-10 lockdown; and what discussions he has had with the National Association of Britains Market Authorities to identify the requisite Government support.
Answered by Simon Clarke
Retail markets are part of the fabric of towns and cities across the country. With the current closure of outdoor and indoor markets, with the exception of market stalls which offer essential retail, such as grocery and food, Government has been working with key stakeholders in the retail markets industry to monitor the impacts of the current situation and explore what support is needed. This includes the National Association of British Market Authorities, with whom officials have active and ongoing engagement, including through the Retail Markets Forum on 4 May.
Self-employed market traders will be able to benefit from the support the Government announced on 26 March for the self-employed. The self-employed are eligible for a taxable grant worth 80 per cent of their average monthly profits over the last three years, up to £2,500 per month, through the coronavirus (Covid-19) Self-employment Income Support Scheme.
Eligible market stalls with a rateable value will also benefit from flat rate payments of £10,000 under the grant scheme for the retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors announced on 17 March 2020.
On 1 May 2020 the Business Secretary announced that a further up to £617 million is being made available to local authorities in England to allow them to provide discretionary grants. This additional Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund is aimed at small businesses with ongoing fixed property-related costs but not liable for business rates or rates reliefs, including regular market traders who do not have their own business rates assessment.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on markets; and what discussions he has had with local authorities that operate markets on the provision of Government financial support for markets during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Simon Clarke
Retail markets are part of the fabric of towns and cities across the country. With the current closure of outdoor and indoor markets, with the exception of market stalls which offer essential retail, such as grocery and food, Government has been working with key stakeholders in the retail markets industry to monitor the impacts of the current situation and explore what support is needed, including the National Association of British Market Authorities, who liaise with local authorities and the Local Government Association.
We agree that retail markets will have an important role to play in helping the revival of high streets and town centres in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, and Government will continue to work with the retail markets industry to help facilitate this.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support markets during the covid-19 lockdown; and what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the National Association of British Market Authorities on identifying their needs during that time.
Answered by Simon Clarke
Retail markets are part of the fabric of towns and cities across the country. With the current closure of outdoor and indoor markets, with the exception of market stalls which offer essential retail, such as grocery and food, Government has been working with key stakeholders in the retail markets industry to monitor the impacts of the current situation and explore what support is needed. This includes the National Association of British Market Authorities, with whom officials have active and ongoing engagement, including through the Retail Markets Forum on 4 May.
Self-employed market traders will be able to benefit from the support the Government announced on 26 March for the self-employed. The self-employed are eligible for a taxable grant worth 80 per cent of their average monthly profits over the last three years, up to £2,500 per month, through the coronavirus (Covid-19) Self-employment Income Support Scheme.
Eligible market stalls with a rateable value will also benefit from flat rate payments of £10,000 under the grant scheme for the retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors announced on 17 March 2020.
On 1 May 2020 the Business Secretary announced that a further up to £617 million is being made available to Local Authorities in England to allow them to provide discretionary grants. This additional Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund is aimed at small businesses with ongoing fixed property-related costs but not liable for business rates or rates reliefs, including regular market traders who do not have their own business rates assessment.
We agree that retail markets will have an important role to play in helping the revival of high streets and town centres in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, and Government will continue to work with the retail markets industry to help facilitate this.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of carbon-neutral buses in northern cities.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Government is committed to promoting the bus sector as a key contributor to air quality and carbon reduction targets.
The Government published a suite of policies in A Better Deal for Bus Users, which includes a review of bus funding to ensure it supports the environment and improved passenger journeys. The Department is currently seeking expressions of interest from towns and cities interested in becoming an ‘All-Electric Bus Town’.
Further details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-for-the-all-electric-bus-town-scheme
The Prime Minister announced funding for at least 4,000 new zero emission buses as part of the £5 billion of new funding to boost bus and cycling links announced on 10 February. Further details on how that money will be allocated will be available in due course.
The Department is committed to supporting improved bus services in the North, including low carbon buses.