Ben Lake MP: written questions 2024
46 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Turkey: Gülen MovementForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20703More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Turkish counterpart on upholding the human rights of members and those associated with the Gulen Movement.
Answer: We fully recognise how seriously the Turkish Government takes the Gülen movement which they proscribe as a terrorist organisation. We consistently encourage Turkey to uphold the rule of law. The UK Government believes that all legal cases should be treate...
Answered 6 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMohammed HamoudaForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18601More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2024 to Question 15678 on Mohammed Hamouda, what information he has received on Dr Hamouda’s (a) status and (b) well-being.
Answer: We are concerned by the reports that Dr. Mohammed Hamouda was detained by the Israeli authorities on 6 November. I raised his case with the Israeli Ambassador on 18 November and FCDO officials have been following up the case since then. Whilst we do not c...
Answered 17 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordGaza: Health ProfessionsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18600More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps is he taking to help ensure that (a) protections under international humanitarian law for medical professionals in Gaza are upheld and (b) people who violate such
Answer: It is unacceptable that over 1000 health workers have reportedly been killed since 7 October 2023. Israel must do more to protect civilians and those working to support those in such desperate need. The UK has raised protection of civilians and the destru...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordGaza: Health ProfessionsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18599More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps is he taking to tackle (a) detention and (b) mistreatment of healthcare workers in Gaza.
Answer: Medical workers and facilities, including ambulances and rescue personnel, must be protected in accordance with International Humanitarian Law and allowed to provide life-saving services. It is unacceptable that northern Gaza now has no functioning hospit...
Answered 17 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordChildren: MaintenanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18598More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to enable unearned (a) income and (b) assets be considered in initial Child Maintenance Service calculati
Answer: The Department has been conducting a review of the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose and reflects today’s social trends. The review will also consider the treatment of unearned income and assets within the automatic calculat...
Answered 12 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordIsraeli SettlementsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 27 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 16500More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help prevent the development of illegal settlements in North Gaza.
Answer: The UK's position on settlements is clear. They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. To date, we have sanctioned eight individuals responsible for inciting and perp...
Answered 4 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordUK Shared Prosperity Fund: WalesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 26 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 16233More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding her Department plans to provide through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to projects in Wales in the (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26 financial year by project.
Answer: The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) operates under a delegated delivery model, meaning lead local authorities are responsible for managing the funding for their area and the allocation of funds to projects.Lead local authorities in Wales have been paid ...
Answered 2 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPublic ExpenditureTreasuryTabled 22 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15661More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to review the (a) operation and (b) adequacy of the Barnett Formula.
Answer: There are currently no plans to modify the operation of the Barnett formula. The Barnett formula has stood the test of time because it is simple, efficient and provides a clear and certain outcome. The Welsh Government currently receives at least 20% more...
Answered 27 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordTourism Industry Council: Passenger ShipsDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 20 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15279More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to invite representatives from the cruise industry to sit on the Tourism Industry Council when it is re-established.
Answer: The department is in the process of setting up the new Visitor Economy Council and will share details of the membership as soon as possible when it is confirmed.
Answered 4 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordEmployers' Contributions: WalesTreasuryTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13497More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2024 to Question 11940 on Employers' Contributions: Wales, whether the referenced support will be provided annually; and over what duration that support will be provided.
Answer: The Government will provide support for departments and other public sector employers for additional Employer National Insurance Contribution costs only. This funding will be allocated to departments, with the Barnett formula applying in the usual way. Gi...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordEmployers' ContributionsTreasuryTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13481More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the value of increased national insurance contributions from (a) GP surgeries, (b) higher education institutions and (c) care facilities (i) in Wales and (ii) nationally.
Answer: The latest forecasts for tax revenues were published alongside the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) October Economic and Fiscal Outlook. These forecasts are based on economic determinants, including wage growth and employment levels. Detailed tax ...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordEmployers' Contributions: Public SectorTreasuryTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13480More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an estimate of the value of increased national insurance contributions from public sector organisations included within the StatsWales definition of public sector but omitted from the definition
Answer: The Treasury routinely uses the Office for National Statistics (ONS) classification of the public sector boundary, for example in relation to public sector spending, public sector borrowing and public sector debt.The latest forecasts for tax revenues were...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordEmployers' Contributions: Public SectorTreasuryTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13479More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.40 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of using the StatsWales definition of public sector workers for determining e
Answer: The Treasury routinely uses the Office for National Statistics (ONS) classification of the public sector boundary, for example in relation to public sector spending, public sector borrowing and public sector debt.The latest forecasts for tax revenues were...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12480More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC 295, what estimate she has made of the number of owners of working farms in Wales by (a) marital and (b) residency status who will be liable
Answer: The Government has published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/what-are-the-changes-to-agricultural-property-relief. In accordance with standard practice, a tax...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12479More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC 295, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of changes to (a) inheritance tax, (b) agricultural property relief and (c) busine
Answer: The Government has published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/what-are-the-changes-to-agricultural-property-relief. In accordance with standard practice, a tax...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordRoads: WalesTreasuryTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12470More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 3.19 of Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, what amount of consequential funding the Welsh Government will receive from the money allocated to local roads maintenanc
Answer: The Welsh Government’s Spending Review settlement for 2025-26 is the largest in real terms of any Welsh Government settlement since devolution. The Welsh Government is receiving at least 20% more funding per person than equivalent UK Government spending i...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordUNRWA: FinanceForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 31 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 12137More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 7336 on Israel: Palestinians, what criteria his Department uses to assess the UK's funding for UNRWA following the resum
Answer: As the Minister for Development reiterated in the House on 29 October, we expect UNRWA to uphold the highest standards of neutrality. We are providing £1 million of the UK's funding support for UNRWA to implement the recommendations of Catherine Colonna's...
Answered 5 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordEmployers' Contributions: WalesTreasuryTabled 30 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11940More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much and what proportion of the allowance to public sector organisations for changes to employer national insurance contributions has been allocated to the Welsh Government.
Answer: Funding will be provided to the public sector to support them with the additional cost associated with changes to Employer National Insurance Contributions policy. Given the impacts of the policy change are complex, the UK Government departmental and devo...
Answered 4 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordWestern Sahara: Self-determination of StatesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9750More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 8 February 2024 to Question 13004 on Western Sahara: Politics and Government and pursuant to the Answers of 5 August 2024 to Question 1972 on
Answer: The UK supports UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. The UK continues to support the UN-led efforts and the ...
Answered 24 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordCrown Estate: Fees and ChargesTreasuryTabled 7 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7523More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring the Crown Estate to publish the fees it receives from local authorities in (a) Wales (b) England and (c) Northern Ireland to access its land.
Answer: The Crown Estate receives payment on its assets from local authorities through regulating leases. The terms of those leases are determined based on several factors, including the nature and value of the asset, the specific terms and conditions of the leas...
Answered 10 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordCrown Estate: WalesTreasuryTabled 7 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7522More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fees the Crown Estate charges for leasing land to local authorities in Wales.
Answer: The Crown Estate receives payment on its assets from local authorities through regulating leases. The terms of those leases are determined based on several factors, including the nature and value of the asset, the specific terms and conditions of the leas...
Answered 10 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordCrown Estate: WalesTreasuryTabled 7 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7521More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much have each local authority in Wales paid to the Crown Estate to access Crown Estate land in each year of the last five years.
Answer: The Crown Estate operates as an independent and unified commercial entity, engaging in a variety of business activities across Wales, England and Northern Ireland. To achieve efficiency in its operations, The Crown Estate runs many of its functions at a w...
Answered 10 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordAcquittals: CompensationMinistry of JusticeTabled 4 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 6421More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of using alternative methods of determining eligibility for compensation in the event of an acquittal following a re-trial.
Answer: The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the statutory Miscarriages of Justice Application Service (MOJAS). Individuals who have had their convictions quashed in an out of time appeal are eligible to apply for compensation, including those who have subs...
Answered 9 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: WomenLeader of the HouseTabled 11 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5354More
Question: To ask the Leader of the House, if she will facilitate a vote on proposals for financial redress contained in the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report on changes to women's State Pension age, published on 21 March 2024.
Answer: The Government is taking the necessary time to properly review and consider the Ombudsman's report, given the significance and complexity of the issue. Once the Government has outlined its approach, opportunities for the House to debate this matter would ...
Answered 7 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordPharmacy: DrugsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 5099More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help community pharmacies with increases in the cost of medications.
Answer: The Department undertakes a quarterly assessment of the adequacy of drug prices paid to community pharmacies through the medicine margin survey. The survey samples independent pharmacy contractors’ sales invoices for the medicines they dispense, and compa...
Answered 18 Sept 2024
Original Parliament record
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