Tag: Julian Knight

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2015-10-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to ensure that small businesses are able to access high speed broadband.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Government has provided £780 million to support the roll-out of superfast broadband to 95 per cent of homes and businesses in the UK. In addition we are supporting seven pilot projects to explore ways to extend superfast broadband beyond 95 per cent of UK home and businesses.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-02-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to reduce the burden of regulation on businesses.

Anna Soubry

The Government is committed to cutting £10bn worth of red tape, as set out in the 2015 Conservative Manifesto, and will report on progress by June this year. We are putting forward proposals in the Enterprise Bill to systematically track for the first time the impact of regulators’ actions. This will drive savings through, for instance, simpler guidance, less paperwork and coordinated inspections. Through my department’s Cutting Red Tape programme, businesses are encouraged to report burdens and recommend sectors that Government may wish to review. There are currently seven reviews in progress: Energy; Care; Agriculture; Mineral Extraction; Waste; Anti-Money Laundering; and House Building.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-04-14.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the readiness of the financial services industry to provide lifetime ISAs.

Harriett Baldwin

The new Lifetime ISA will provide savers with the flexibility to save towards a first home and retirement at the same time.

From April 2017, people aged 18 to 40 will be able to save up to £4,000 each year into a Lifetime ISA and receive a 25% bonus from the Government.

The Government is engaging with the industry on the detail of implementation of the Lifetime ISA to ensure that it is delivered for April 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of potential steps to reduce corruption in Pakistan (a) in general and (b) within the political system.

Mr Desmond Swayne

As the Prime Minister recently confirmed at the UK-hosted Anti-Corruption Summit the UK and DFID are committed to tackling corruption with new measures to reduce opportunities, punish the perpetrators and empower people to demand that it stops. Corruption impacts on all aspects of public life in Pakistan. DFID Pakistan is working to support the Government of Pakistan, civil society and the private sector to address corruption by improving the business environment, creating more effective institutions and engaging citizens for better service delivery and accountability. By supporting reforms to the taxation sector, DFID Pakistan is seeking to support the Government of Pakistan to make it easier for tax payers to submit payments directly, thus reducing the opportunity for corruption. By supporting reforms to the management of public funds, and improving access to information DFID Pakistan seeks to further limit the opportunities for corruption by public officials. By supporting parliament, political parties and citizen groups, DFID and other cross-Government interventions ensure that the democratic institutions are more accountable and the state as a whole is more responsive to the needs and aspirations of the Pakistani people.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-09-02.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to monitor and regulate the liquidity ratio on property funds.

Simon Kirby

The monitoring and regulation of property funds is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority. Action by the government and the Bank of England over the last six years has substantially strengthened the resilience of the financial system.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2015-12-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what protections she plans to put in place for landlords who, unwittingly and after carrying out reasonable checks, allow an illegal immigrant to rent their property.

James Brokenshire

The Immigration Act 2014 prohibits landlords from leasing property to persons who are disqualified from renting by reason of their immigration status. Right to rent checks are simple to conduct and comprise of an examination of documents from a range prescribed in law as acceptable for the purposes of establishing a right to rent. Landlords are not expected to be immigration or forgery experts and the Act provides defences in law for the landlord who may have accepted a falsified document in good faith and having acted reasonably.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the installation by China of missile launchers on Woody Island in the South China Sea; what representations he has made to China on that matter; and if he will discuss with his Japanese counterpart what steps the UK and Japan can take to oppose the militarisation of the South China Sea.

Mr Hugo Swire

We are very concerned about Chinese missile deployments on Woody Island in the Paracel Islands as reported in the media on 17 February. We oppose any actions which are likely to increase tensions in the South China Sea, including militarisation. We urge all parties to exercise restraint, to pursue the settlement of disputes peacefully in accordance with international law, and to uphold freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight.

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) has held detailed discussions with his Japanese counterpart about the South China Sea, most recently, during his visit to Japan in January for the annual UK-Japan Foreign and Defence Ministerial talks. Following those meetings the UK and Japan released a joint statement setting out our shared concerns about the situation in the South China Sea, calling on all parties to refrain from activities that increase tension and to pursue urgently the settlement of the maritime disputes peacefully in accordance with international law.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-04-14.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to cap charges on equity investment lifetime ISAs.

Harriett Baldwin

The new Lifetime ISA will provide savers with the flexibility to save towards a first home and retirement at the same time.

From April 2017, people aged 18 to 40 will be able to save up to £4,000 each year into a Lifetime ISA and receive a 25% bonus from the Government.

The Government is engaging with the industry on the detail of implementation and regulation of the Lifetime ISA. Further details will be announced when the Government brings forward legislation to enact the Lifetime ISA in the autumn.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-06-03.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions the Government has had with the Financial Conduct Authority on widening the provision of real-time sharing of credit information between banks, other major financial institutions and short-term credit providers.

Harriett Baldwin

Ministers and officials meet regularly with the Financial Conduct Authority to discuss relevant regulatory issues.

As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Treasury’s practice to provide details of all such discussions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-09-02.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to minimise the administrative effect on small businesses of information requests from the Financial Ombudsman.

Simon Kirby

The issue raised is a matter for the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) who are operationally independent from Government.

The question has been passed on to the FOS. The FOS will reply directly to the Honorable Member by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.