Tag: Steve McCabe

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-04-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect bees from (a) neonicotinoids and (b) other harmful pesticides.

George Eustice

A pesticide may only be advertised, sold, supplied, stored and used if the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued an authorisation. Such authorisations can only be issued if the active substances contained in the product have been approved by the European Commission. Following a thorough risk assessment, HSE imposes conditions on the way pesticides are used to ensure there is no harm to human health and no unacceptable effects on the environment. The assessment considers risks to bees; any pesticides considered liable to harm bees are not authorised.

Neonicotinoids are subject to these rules. The European Commission withdrew approval for the use of three neonicotinoid active substances on a number of crops in December 2013. The UK Government has implemented these restrictions in full.

The National Pollinator Strategy includes actions designed to improve the status of our bees and other pollinating insects, for example tackling the loss of flower-rich habitats. Another action is to promote and increase the uptake of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) by farmers and growers. Increased uptake of IPM will help to achieve a more targeted approach to managing pests, weeds and diseases, with benefits for pollinators.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-05-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 32639, how she ensures that those most in need benefit from the Energy Company Obligation and Warm Home Discount; and whether she plans to change how households in fuel poverty are identified.

Andrea Leadsom

Currently, the Warm Home Discount and the Affordable Warmth Group under the Energy Company Obligation are targeted at low income households, using means-tested benefits as the basis for eligibility.

In April this year, Government consulted on plans to enable data sharing between government departments, specified public authorities and energy suppliers with the specific purpose of identifying and targeting assistance at fuel poor households. If successful, these proposals would allow DECC to use government-held data to identify more accurately low income households with high energy costs. This capability could then be used under a future Warm Home Discount.

There will be a reformed domestic supplier obligation (Energy Company Obligation) from April 2017, which will run for 5 years. It will upgrade the energy efficiency of homes and tackle the root cause of fuel poverty. Government will be consulting shortly on proposals for the 2017/18 scheme, including how households in fuel poverty would be identified.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with inflammatory bowel disease as their main disabling condition granted a personal independence payment between April 2013 and October 2015 were (a) new claimants, (b) expiring time-limited claimants and (c) claimants whose circumstances had changed.

Justin Tomlinson

The available data on the number of claimants in receipt of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), by main disabling condition and whether they are new claimants or reassessment claimants, are published on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html.

Data on the circumstances leading to a reassessment is not published and could only be produced at disproportionate cost.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reasons he has not yet called for the immediate release of Andargachew Tsege.

James Duddridge

The Government takes the detention and welfare of Mr Andargachew Tsege very seriously. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) raised Mr Tsege’s case with the Ethiopian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister during his visit to Ethiopia on 1 June 2016. The Foreign Secretary received assurances that Mr Tsege will be allowed access to independent legal advice to allow him to discuss options under the Ethiopian legal system. We judge that an independent lawyer would be best placed to advise Mr Tsege of his options based on points of Ethiopian law. We will continue to press the Ethiopians as necessary to ensure that Mr Tsege has legal representation. Britain does not interfere in the legal systems of other countries, any more than we would accept interference in our judicial system. Our consular role is to ensure well-being and access to legal advice.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-06-28.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what criteria his Department uses to decide when and how to negotiate the UK’s tax treaties with other countries.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have responsibility for negotiating the UK’s double taxation agreements, subject to oversight by HM Treasury. HMRC run a periodic consultation exercise to establish the negotiating priorities, which are then approved by ministers. As part of this exercise they consider representations made by UK businesses, non-governmental organisations and government departments, as well as the UK’s diplomatic missions throughout the world. The results of the last such review were published by HMRC on the gov.uk website in November 2015.

Decisions on the negotiation or renegotiation of a tax treaty are taken on the basis of a range of factors including the results of HMRC’s periodic review of the tax treaty network, economic factors, the need to counter avoidance and evasion, and the role of treaties in promoting development. We also receive requests from countries to negotiate with us, and we will endeavour to accommodate them as time and negotiating resources permit. Given the number of treaties the UK already has, most of the programme will involve renegotiating existing agreements.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 June 2016 to Question 40131, on Children: maintenance, for what reasons the (a) updating work has taken less time than assumed and (b) setting up of arrears on the CMS system is taking longer than anticipated.

Caroline Nokes

It is not unusual for cost estimates to vary as broad assumptions are replaced by more detailed ones. The cost estimates in the impact assessment were produced before the detailed processes involved were finalised and were therefore subject to change. The changes in cost estimates were not due to any change in the scope or objectives of case closure.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-02.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2016 to Question 42891, on double taxation: crown dependencies, for what reasons the Government has entered negotiations for a full revision of the treaties with Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man.

Jane Ellison

Our double taxation treaties with Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man (the Crown Dependencies) date from the 1950s and although we have updated them in part on several occasions many of the provisions are now out of date.

The OECD Model Tax Convention is the starting point for the UK’s tax treaties. This model has undergone many revisions in recent years, most recently in 2014, with further changes to be incorporated arising from the OECD base erosion and profit shifting project. These negotiations will give us the opportunity of incorporating many of these revisions.

HM Revenue and Customs officials began talks with the Crown Dependencies in April this year and will be meeting again with them soon to continue discussions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-08.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to discourage the financial sector from using performance bonuses in his Autumn Statement.

Simon Kirby

The UK is at the forefront of global efforts to tackle unacceptable pay practices in the banking sector and has the toughest regime on pay of any major financial centre.

Firms are now required to have policies in place to defer, reduce, cancel or clawback bonuses in the event that poor performance or misconduct comes to light and the Government expects firms to be proactive in their application of these policies. Used in this way bonuses can be an effective incentive for staff to act in the long term interests of a business.

The Government’s efforts have resulted in a restructuring of pay including a significant reduction in cash bonuses, and a better alignment of risk and reward in the financial sector.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39705, what assessment his Department has made of Ethiopa’s progress on providing independent legal access for Andargachew Tsege.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

​On 1 June 2016, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam assured the then Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), that Mr Tsege would be allowed access to independent legal advice to allow him to discuss options under the Ethiopian legal system. Since then, the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson) has raised Mr Tsege’s case with his Ethiopian counterpart, Foreign Minister Tedros, on 3 occasions, most recently during the UN General Assembly in New York, insisting that the Ethiopians follow through with their commitment to allow legal access. The British Government will continue to do so until Mr Tsege is given access to independent legal advice.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-15.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the length of time between the publication of his Department’s planned consultation on a proposed secondary market for annuities and the planned introduction of that market for the pensions industry to prepare for that introduction; and if he will make an assessment of the effect of that period on the effective introduction of that market.

Simon Kirby

To date, the Government has published the following consultation documents in relation to the secondary market in annuities policy:

Creating a secondary annuity market – March 2015

Creating a secondary annuity market: response to the call for evidence – December 2015

Creating a secondary annuity market: tax framework – April 2016

Creating a secondary market for annuities – secondary legislation – April 2016

These consultations have now closed. The Government will respond shortly.