Tag: Christopher Chope

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will make it the policy of the Government that electricity customers across the UK should pay the same for electricity transportation.

Andrea Leadsom

Electricity network charges vary by region and reflect the costs of running the network in that area and the number of consumers that those costs are spread over. The Government does not plan to move to national network charging, as the current cost reflective approach helps to ensure efficient use of the network and keeps overall costs down for bill payers across Great Britain. In contrast, national pricing risks an overall increase in network costs by weakening each network company’s local accountability to its customers, as well as making charges less transparent. On 23 October 2015, Ofgem published a report on the regional differences in network charges, which found no compelling case from a regulatory perspective to move to a national network charge. The report is available at:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/regional-differences-network-charges.

The Government will continue to consider any evidence that is presented.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-06-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is the policy of the Forestry Commission to sell the Cannon Hill plantation in Ferndown, Dorset for development.

Rory Stewart

We are committed to keeping the public forest estate in England, including Cannon Hill plantation, in trust for the nation and for it to continue to be sustainably managed by the Forestry Commission.

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

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much (a) capital and (b) revenue expenditure his Department has given to local partnerships to date; and what estimate he has made of the value of his Department’s share in its joint ownership.

Mr David Gauke

As of March 2015, HM Treasury had made £800,000 of equity investments and provided £1,175,000 of loan stock to Local Partnerships. Local Partnerships has so far made £675,000 of repayments of loan stock to HM Treasury.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the opinions of e-cigarette users and people who use other reduced risk products are represented at the WHO conference on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in November 2016.

Nicola Blackwood

The Government has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders to inform its negotiating position with other Parties attending the Conference of the Parties for the Framework on Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), including users of e-cigarette and other novel products. The Government recognises that e-cigarettes can help some smokers quit and the evidence indicates that they are considerably less harmful to health than cigarettes. However, they are not risk free and it is essential that we do not encourage smoking and continue to protect children from the dangers of nicotine. This is a position firmly grounded on the evidence base.

The United Kingdom is a world leader in tobacco control and as such has already implemented the majority of the FCTC’s provisions and taken further action in line with its non-binding guidelines, for example introducing Standardised Packaging. There are few further guidelines being developed by the FCTC and the focus of the Convention is now on full and comprehensive implementation by all 180 Parties. We therefore do not expect the outcomes of the forthcoming Conference of the Parties to significantly alter our tobacco strategy, but will continue to offer our support and experience to help other countries fully implement the provisions of the Treaty, especially low and middle income countries.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-10-28.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government is taking steps to recover underpaid vehicle tax in respect of vehicles with higher emissions than certified by emission test data.

Damian Hinds

Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) rates are based on carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. The “defeat devices” recently found in some VW diesel cars affect nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) emissions. There is therefore currently no evidence that this issue has resulted in an artificial reduction in VED revenues.

UK taxpayers will not incur higher VED if their existing vehicles are found to be fitted with illegal software that manipulates emissions tests. Following VW’s admission of using ‘defeat devices’ in diesel cars there is an ongoing UK government investigation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-12-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has been unable to provide MyCSP with accurate pension data for its staff on which pension benefit statements can be based; and by what date he expects that matter to be resolved.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is not able to provide myCSP with accurate pensions data on its staff because of an ongoing technical issue with the interface between its shared service supplier and myCSP.

All parties are working on a permanent solution and the MCA understands that this issue will be fixed early in 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-01-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much of the UK’s contribution to the EU budget through customs duties related to each (a) product type and (b) country in 2014-15.

Damian Hinds

To identify how much of the UK’s contribution to the EU budget through customs duties related to each (a) product type and (b) country in 2014-15 would incur disproportionate cost.

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

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to put measures in place to provide that the proposed higher rate stamp duty land tax will not apply when a purchaser who owns more than one property is replacing a main residence.

Mr David Gauke

The Government intends that a purchaser who is replacing a main residence (even if owning more than one property) will not be subject to the higher rates of SDLT on purchases of additional properties. A consultation has recently concluded on the higher rates and the final policy design will be confirmed at Budget 2016.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will place in the Library a copy of the representations which Natural England made in response to the (a) proposal in the draft Christchurch local plan for housing development on green belt land at Marsh Lane, Christchurch, and (b) planning application by Dorset County Council for a two-form entry primary school on green belt land at Marsh Lane, Christchurch.

Rory Stewart

Natural England made two formal responses to Christchurch and East Dorset Council authority about the proposed housing at Marsh Lane which are attached

Subsequently we provided Dorset County Council (DCC) with advice on the proposed New Christchurch Primary School in relation to the Habitats Regulations Assessment undertaken by DCC. Our response is also attached.

Planning documents related to the New Christchurch Primary School, Marsh Lane, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 2NH (8/15/0665) can be accessed via this link: http://countyplanning.dorsetforyou.com/ePlanningOPS/.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many EU migrants left the UK because they had been on job seeker’s allowance for three months and had not found a job in the last year.

James Brokenshire

We do not hold the information requested on EU nationals who have departed. We only hold data on EU nationals who have left following immigration enforcement action.

We have been clear that EU job seekers will not be supported by UK taxpayers, and can be removed if they have not found work within six months. In addition, the new EU settlement negotiated by the Prime Minster confirms that we do not have to pay Universal Credit to EU nationals who come to the UK as job seekers.

From January 2014 to December 2015, we have served over 6,000 administrative removal papers to EEA nationals for a variety of free movement abuses, from non-exercise of Treaty Rights to participation in sham marriages, (2,635 papers were served in 2014, and 3,480 in 2015).