Tag: Karl McCartney

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2015-11-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the quality of the evidence presented by the Association of British Insurers on the continuing increases to motor insurance premiums being a result of fraudulent personal injury claims; and if he will make a statement.

Dominic Raab

The Government is concerned about the incidence of fraudulent personal injury claims and the costs that they cause. The Insurance Fraud Taskforce is considering the evidence from a range of stakeholders, including the ABI, as part of its remit to make recommendations to tackle insurance fraud more generally.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-02-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the effect of third party capture on motor insurance premiums.

Dominic Raab

The Government is determined to crack down on fraud and the compensation culture.

The Government recognises that offers to settle made to claimants without medical evidence may encourage opportunistic and fraudulent claims. The Government introduced new court rules in October 2014 to discourage such offers and we continue to keep the matter of third party capture, including the impacts on motor premiums, under review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-04-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward proposals to prevent vehicle lease or hire companies receiving fines for non-payment of the Dart Charge in place of the driver of the vehicle.

Andrew Jones

As required by legislation, Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) are issued to the registered keeper of the vehicle, which can be lease and hire companies. Lease and hire companies are then able to transfer the liability for the PCN to the vehicle’s driver at the time the contravention occurred by providing Highways England with the relevant details.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-04-28.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the rule under the new community amateur sports club scheme that requires a minimum of 50 per cent of club members to participate at least 12 times a year, how that threshold was decided and what evidence and consultation that decision was based on.

Damian Hinds

The new regulations for CASCs were introduced on 1 April 2015. All the changes made were necessary to reinforce the original spirit of the scheme requiring clubs to be open to the whole community, with the promotion of participation in sport as their main purpose.

The Government consulted widely with the sector on all the changes to the scheme. It was aware that there was confusion about the meaning of participation prior to the consultation period for the new regulations. Responses to the consultation were mostly supportive of the 12 times a year rule for participation.

The scheme does not permit clubs to impose fees which are a significant obstacle to membership. The vast majority of CASCs charge less than £520 for annual membership. To make membership more accessible, clubs with higher costs associated with membership are required to make provisions for those who can’t afford to pay more than £520 a year. If no suitable arrangements are made this club is not able to be a CASC because it is not considered to be open to the whole community.

During the development of the new CASC regulations the Government was aware of State aid complaint SA.38208 (2014/NN). At the time, the Government was only asked to provide a response to the complaint. The Government provided this response, explaining why the CASC scheme was not State aid. The Commission’s subsequent ruling confirmed this view.

Since the introduction of the new regulations all CASCs were given a 12-month period of grace to make any necessary changes to remain in the scheme. The Government wrote to all registered CASCs explaining the new regulations and asked clubs to complete a self-assessment checklist on income, membership and participation levels. They were also asked to contact HMRC if they did not meet the new requirements.

From 1 April 2016, 500 clubs have been deregistered as CASCs, affecting some 35 different types of sport.

Since 2010 there has been a steady increase in the numbers of CASCs registered in the scheme. Although the Government does not yet have figures for clubs registered as at 5 April 2016, the breakdown of figures since 2010 is:

5630 – 5 April 2010

5976 – 5 April 2011

6165 – 5 April 2012

6334 – 5 April 2013

6571 – 5 April 2014

6715 – 5 April 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-04-27.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received on the potential merits of exempting telematics car insurance policies from insurance premium tax.

Harriett Baldwin

HM Treasury receives representations on a wide variety of issues. We keep all taxes under review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will estimate the amount of funding that will be made available to each part of the UK for the fishing industry through the Common Fisheries Policy in the post-2020 Multi Annual Financial Framework.

George Eustice

No decisions on post-2020 funding have been taken yet. The post-2020 Multi Annual Framework negotiations will be led by HMT.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps his Department has taken to prepare for the UK to leave the EU since 23 June 2016; and what further such steps his Department plans to take in the remainder of 2016.

Alun Cairns

The Department for Exiting the European Union has responsibility for overseeing preparations for the withdrawal of the UK from the EU and conducting these withdrawal negotiations in support of the Prime Minister.

In doing this it is working very closely with other government departments, including the Wales Office, and a wide range of other interested parties.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the role of transport infrastructure in delivering economic growth.

Mr John Hayes

As the CBI have said “world-class infrastructure provides a strong foundation for businesses to deliver jobs, growth and prosperity for all.”

An assessment of the impact on the economy is a routine part of transport investment decisions. The Department uses an internationally respected analytical framework for assessing schemes which includes the impact on jobs, growth and regeneration^[1].

Good transport infrastructure will continue to be important after the UK leaves the EU.

^[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/253484/transport-appraisal-in-investment-decisions.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/253860/understanding-valuing-impacts-transport-investment.pdf

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Government support for the tourism sector in Wales.

Alun Cairns

In July, the Government published its 5-point plan to ensure the benefits of tourism extend beyond London and across the UK. The Welsh economy continues to benefit from a thriving tourist industry, with recent figures showing the amount spent by overseas visitors increased by £34 million over the last year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-02-04.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the effect on motor insurance premiums of the recent increase in insurance premium tax.

Harriett Baldwin

Insurers must pay IPT on the value of premiums received for general insurance. If insurers pass on the full rate increase to their customers, the impact on premiums would be an increase of only 3.5%.

Tax forms only a small part of the cost of motor insurance. Other factors include competition, the volume of low value personal injury claims and fraud. The government has taken steps to crack down on the fraud and claims culture such as announcing at Autumn Statement 2015 proposals to end the right to cash compensation for minor whiplash injuries. The government expects the insurance industry to pass an average saving of £40 to £50 per motor insurance policy on to consumers.

The government also encourages consumers to shop around for the most suitable cover at the best price.