Kemi Badenoch: The government is committed to establishing the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) which will play an important role in upholding environmental standards and helping fulfil the government’s ambition to be the first generation to the leave the environment in a better condition than we inherited it. Sufficient funding will be made available to enable it to fulfil its statutory advice,...
Kemi Badenoch: On 18th May 2020 HMRC confirmed the publication date for Statistics of Government revenues from UK Oil and Gas Production as 23rd July 2020 on the official Government website (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schedule-of-update s-for-hmrcs-statistics). A direct link to HMRC’s announcement is provided below: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/...
Kemi Badenoch: Any companies seeking support must have exhausted all other options before being considered, and any support given will be on terms that protect the taxpayer, with existing lenders and shareholders expected to contribute to and share in the financial burden. Companies seeking such support would need to agree to appropriate conditions – including those relating to tax, supplier payment...
Kemi Badenoch: The Government are supporting the development of the early fuel cell electric vehicle market through the £23 million hydrogen for transport programme. The spending review confirmed an automotive transformation fund to help industry transition to low-carbon vehicles. At the spending review, the Chancellor also announced £240 million over the next four years to support the aim of 5 GW of...
Kemi Badenoch: In the “Statement of funding policy” published in November 2015, the comparability factor for Central Libraries was 100%. However, where UK government programmes provide services across the UK, the comparability factor should in principle be 0%. As it is absolutely clear that the legal extent of the British Library is the United Kingdom, it is right that the comparability factor for...
Kemi Badenoch: Members of Parliament have written to HM Treasury 36,791 times between 1 April 2020 and 24 March 2021. This represents a sharp increase on 2019, whereby Members of Parliament wrote to HM Treasury 7,386 times. Of the 36,791 pieces of written correspondence, 26,709 have been responded to and 6,584 have been transferred to other Government departments to answer. The remaining pieces of...
Kemi Badenoch: This Government supports inclusive workplaces and believes that all LGBT people should be able to be themselves at work, so that they can do their best and achieve their full potential. It is fundamental that everyone is able to seize opportunities in the workplace without fear of discrimination or harassment. Memberships of external schemes are kept under review, to ensure value for...
Kemi Badenoch: In March, the Government announced that it will legislate to require that self-catering accommodation meets an actual lettings threshold before being assessed for business rates. Since then, my Department has been working with Treasury and the Valuation Office Agency to finalise the details of how and when this will be implemented. We will set out further details shortly in the Government’s...
Kemi Badenoch: The Government’s guidance to councils makes clear that payments should be made to the liable council tax payer, who in most cases is the occupant rather than the owner of a property. Councils will also receive funding to provide discretionary support to households who are not eligible for automatic payments, for example those where the energy bill payer is not the council tax payer.
Kemi Badenoch: Students that were living in a property in council tax bands A – D on 1 April 2022 are eligible for the main council tax rebate, aside from those living in student halls. Any student that is impacted by rising energy costs can apply to their local council for discretionary support. My Department does not hold data on the characteristics of households benefiting from discretionary support.
Kemi Badenoch: Despite being exempt from council tax, student households living in eligible properties should receive the council tax rebate in the same way as other households that do not pay council tax by direct debit. My department has issued guidance and FAQs on the delivery of the rebate and has discussed the particular issues related to student households with councils that have large student populations.
Kemi Badenoch: Yes, I agree. The purpose of this SI is to provide clarity. The law has not really been updated since 2011. We need more frequent updates to ensure we keep up with what is happening in this space. In answer to earlier questions about the availability of the SI, it was tabled at 12 noon. I am sorry that it was not ready for Members.
Kemi Badenoch: The Government has already announced a range of measures to support all businesses, including roll-on roll-off ferry operators. In addition, on 24 April Government committed to keeping freight flowing on routes into and across the UK. Following engagement with operators, DfT has awarded contracts for 16 routes with 6 operators, worth an estimated £34m over 2 months. DfT will publish regular...
Kemi Badenoch: The Government has announced unprecedented support for businesses during the pandemic, including those in the live entertainment industry. Measures include a £1.57 billion fund to support the cultural sectors including live music, theatre and performing arts, and a temporary reduction in VAT to boost the tourism and hospitality industries, for example by reducing the cost of admission to...
Kemi Badenoch: The Treasury has supported pubs and breweries with cuts and freezes to alcohol duties at six of the last seven Budgets, costing £6.2 billion in revenue since 2013. This has made a pint of beer 16p cheaper than it otherwise would have been had duty rates increased with inflation. Alcohol duties are kept under review and further announcements will be made at the next fiscal event.
Kemi Badenoch: The LGBT Advisory Panel was created under the previous administration and the term of all panel members ended on 31 March. The Minister for Women & Equalities has written to panel members to thank them for their contributions. I will shortly set out further details on our plans for the International LGBT Conference and banning conversion therapy, including how we will engage those with...
Kemi Badenoch: Prices in the UK are set by competition, not the Government, but it is unlawful to offer goods or services to women and men at a range of different prices. The Equality Act 2010 provides that a retailer must not discriminate against the customer either by failing to provide goods or services, or by providing them on different terms, on the basis of someone’s sex.
Kemi Badenoch: Stimulating business investment will be key for our economic recovery. Under the super-deduction we announced at Budget 2021, for every pound a company invests in qualifying plant and machinery, their taxes are cut by up to 25p. We have also just launched the new UK Infrastructure Bank, which will partner with the private sector and local government, supporting more than £40bn of...
Kemi Badenoch: I have another role as Minister for Levelling Up Communities, and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities recently invested £300 million in a flagship programme to support the families who need help the most. The hon. Lady will have heard from other Ministers in various Departments what we have been doing about the cost of living, and I refer her to their statements.
Presentation and First Reading ( Standing Order No. 57) Damien Moore, supported by Eddie Hughes, Douglas Ross, Mrs Kemi Badenoch, Paul Masterton, Vicky Ford, Bill Grant, Ben Bradley, Esther McVey, Gillian Keegan, Luke Graham and Stephen Kerr, presented a Bill to regulate online news platforms; and for connected purposes. Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 22 March,...