Tag: Christopher Chope

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-02-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2016 to Question 22396, on park homes and the Warm Homes Discount, when that pilot scheme started; when that pilot scheme is expected to end; and what she plans the terms of eligibility for park home residents to apply to that pilot scheme will be.

Andrea Leadsom

Energy suppliers participating in the Warm Home Discount this year (2015/16) have been given the voluntary option to provide a rebate to mobile home residents who meet the qualifying benefit as part of the Industry Initiatives section of the scheme. This scheme called the Park Homes Warm Home Discount pilot scheme is funded by obligated energy suppliers in the scheme and is open to permanent park home residents in England, Scotland or Wales. Residents on a Park Home site who pay for their electricity through their park site owner and meet one of the qualifying eligibility criteria can apply. If successful, residents will receive a one-off rebate of £140 towards their electricity bill.

The pilot scheme opened in November and is only open for a limited period and once a certain number of applications have been received and are successful, the pilot scheme will close. The pilot is currently expected to deliver just over 1000 rebates. This translates to just over £140,000 of support being delivered before the 31st March 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to reply to the letters dated 11 December 2015, 14 January and 10 February 2016 from the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner on port security and border controls; and if she will place a copy of her responses in the Library.

James Brokenshire

The Home Secretary sent a response to the letters dated 11th December 2015 and 14th January 2016 on 22nd February 2016. She has not received a third letter. Responses will not be added to the library, this is not usual practice for private correspondence.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2016 to Question 29272, how many of the 2635 EEA nationals upon whom administrative travel papers were served in 2014 have left the UK.

James Brokenshire

After an EEA national has been served with administrative removal papers, they have 30 days to leave the country. They do not have to inform us of their departure. This period is set out in the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006.

Following this 30-day period, if the EEA national has not voluntarily left the UK Immigration Enforcement officers can and do forcibly remove these individuals. Out of the 2,635 EEA nationals who were served administrative removal papers in 2014 1,019 were forcibly removed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken in response to the Resolution of the House of 11 February on conservation of sea bass and the effect of related EU measures on the UK recreational fishing industry.

George Eustice

The Government has noted carefully the points of the Resolution of the House, which have informed the ongoing development of UK policy on bass as we continue to work to improve the sustainability of the stock at both national and EU level.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-07-06.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his speech of 15 June 2016 on the effect on taxation and spending of the UK leaving the EU, for what reason his oral contribution of 4 July 2016, Official Report, column 626 stated that the structural deficit would need to be addressed through either reduced spending or higher taxes.

Mr David Gauke

The structural deficit is the proportion of the deficit that is not driven by the economic cycle, and as such can only be addressed through either reduced spending or higher taxation. It is important to bear down on the structural deficit in order to make progress in reducing the level of national debt.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-09-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether statutory safeguards are in place to ensure that new unitary authorities created as a result of councils seeking to abolish themselves in favour of new unitary structures must set the same band D council tax for all households from their inception; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones

Where an area has plans for its governance arrangements to be changed and proposes this to the Secretary of State, it must provide evidence as to how its proposals are likely to result in the provision of better local public services, significant cost savings, greater value for money, stronger and more accountable local leadership, and sustainability in the medium to long term. It is of course open to any body or person to make representations to the Secretary of State either in support of or in opposition to such proposals.

As we have made clear during discussions with areas, whilst size is an important consideration for areas considering governance changes, there are no maximum or minimum permitted sizes.

The level of council tax of any new authority is a matter for the local councils concerned. The government will however maintain council tax referendum thresholds at a modest level in order to help keep bills down for hardworking people. This is always the case including in cases of governance change.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-10-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2015 to Question 12248, what the gross cost to the Planning Inspectorate was of the examination into the planning consent application for the Navitus Bay Wind Park; and how much of that cost was paid by Navitus Bay Development Ltd.

James Wharton

The gross cost to the Planning Inspectorate of the examination into the planning consent application for the Navitus Bay Wind Park was £995,660. Navitus Bay Development Ltd paid £565,660 of those costs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-01-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects the new secure zone for British-bound lorries at Calais to be operational; and what steps are being taken to protect UK-bound lorries from attack before that time.

James Brokenshire

The new secure zone at Calais for UK-bound lorries which will provide a secure waiting area for 230 vehicles is expected to be completed in late spring 2016. In the interim, Border Force has worked with Calais port operator and introduced an interim secure freight circulation and waiting area for around 200 vehicles.

The haulage industry is hugely important to UK trade and prosperity and Her Majesty’s Government regularly speaks with haulage industry representatives to listen to their concerns regarding the situation in northern France. The Government is funding improved security measures and port infrastructure to protect the travelling public, including HGV drivers, in the Calais area. This includes the introduction of security fencing around port perimeters and along the port approach roads at Calais port and at the Coquelles Eurotunnel site; and the introduction of new secure waiting zones for UK-bound HGVs at both locations.

This forms part of the measures to reduce illegal migration in Northern France being delivered under the Anglo/French Declaration. In addition, the UK and French authorities also work closely to share intelligence to combat illegal migrant activity and organised immigration crime.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Answer of 15 December 2014 to Question 218111, what conclusions were reached by the Taskforce of business representations and government departments established to access how to limit the negative impact on business and jobs of the decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal of 4 November 2014 in the case Bear Scotland and over v Mr David Fulton and others.

Nick Boles

The previous Government involved the Holiday Pay Task Force in discussions leading to the introduction of the Deduction from Wages (Limitation) Regulations 2014. These regulations were introduced to limit backdated holiday pay claims to two years and have applied to Employment Tribunal claims for unlawful deductions from wages made on or since 1 July 2015. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) believes that the regulations are helping to limit the negative impact on business of the Employment Appeal Tribunal decision in Bear Scotland.

BIS is continuing to monitor the impact of this and other court decisions relating to holiday pay. We regularly discuss the situation with a wide range of interested parties.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-02-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2016 to Question 22397, on park homes and smart meters, what the maximum size is of park home sites which fall within the definition of small non-domestic business sites for the roll-out of smart meters; and what steps are being taken to ensure that residents at such sites are offered a smart meter.

Andrea Leadsom

Electricity sites are not determined by size, but are settled on their Profile Class. Licence conditions require energy suppliers to install smart meters (or in some circumstances, advanced meters) to all electricity sites in Profile Classes 1-4, and to gas sites where average annual consumption is below 732 MWh per year. We would expect most park home sites to fall into Profile Class 3 (Non-Domestic Unrestricted Customers) or 4 (Non-Domestic Economy 7 Customers).

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 18 January 2016 to Question 22397: park home owners of non-domestic sites have responsibility for any secondary metering equipment within their site and the decision to install smart meters for their tenants lies with them.