Gill Furniss and Rebecca Long-Bailey comments on Fuel Poverty Awareness Day

Gill
Furniss MP, Labour’s Shadow Business Minister, commenting on Fuel Poverty Awareness
Day, said:

“Fuel poverty
affects four million households in the UK. This has a detrimental effect on
people’s lives – both physically and mentally. Cold homes impact young people’s
ability to study and socialise, and casts a shadow over vulnerable older people
who don’t want to admit they are struggling to heat their homes.

“There are
also huge financial implications for our NHS. It is estimated that suffering
from cold-related ill health costs the NHS £1.36billion each year, and if the
issue is not addressed properly, in the next 15 years £22billion will have to
be spent by the NHS to tackle ill-health related to cold homes.

“We welcome
the Government’s shift in focus towards fuel poverty; however, there is no
significant funding to back these announcements. There has been a shocking
decline in funding available for energy efficiency measures and some of the
most vulnerable fuel poor households are receiving no help at all.

“In my own
constituency of Sheffield, Brightside, and Hillsborough there are 7,241
households in fuel poverty. Whilst there have been fantastic local initiatives
to help those in need, these efforts are hindered by a lack of Government
support.

“As we
mark Fuel Poverty Awareness Day, we know that Theresa May’s
government has slashed energy efficiency incentives,
while offering meagre funding to support households in fuel poverty.

“The Labour
Party has made a commitment to end fuel poverty by making energy efficiency an
infrastructure priority and promising to insulate 4 million homes, as well as
providing support for those struggling with their energy bills so that nobody
has to live in a cold, damp home.’’

Rebecca
Long-Bailey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State of Business, Energy and
Industrial Strategy, said:

“I am calling
upon The Government to make support and investment into the industry
surrounding home and premises insulation a key infrastructure priority.

“This makes
clear moral sense in terms of ensuring that individuals, families and
businesses have access to one of our most basic human needs: warmth. Aside from
this however there is a clear
economic case too.

“The return
on investing in energy efficiency is even better than HS2, creating money for
the taxpayer with £1.27 returned for every £1 spent, saves money for the NHS
and will create tens of thousands of jobs in SMEs spread across the country.
The fact the Conservatives are slashing investment in this area beggars
belief.”

News story: Lifetime ISAs available from 6 April 2017

Opening a lifetime ISA

You can open a lifetime ISA if you are aged 18 or over but under 40. You must be either:

resident in the UK
a Crown Servant (for example a diplomat or civil servant)
the spouse or civil partner of a Crown Servant

As with other ISAs, you won’t pay tax on any interest, income or capital gains from cash or investments held within your lifetime ISA.

Saving in a lifetime ISA

You can save up to £4,000 each year in a lifetime ISA. There is no maximum monthly savings contribution, and you can continue to save in it until you reach 50. The account can stay open after then but you can’t make any more payments into it.

The £4,000 limit, if used, will form part of your overall annual ISA limit. From the tax year 2017 to 2018, the overall annual tax limit will be £20,000.

Example

You could save:

£11,000 in a cash ISA
£2,000 in a stocks and shares ISA
£3,000 in an innovative finance ISA
£4,000 in a lifetime ISA in one tax year

Your lifetime ISA won’t close when the tax year finishes. You’ll keep your savings on a tax-free basis for as long as you keep the money in your lifetime ISA.

Lifetime ISAs can hold cash, stocks and shares qualifying investments, or a combination of both.

Government bonus

When you save into your lifetime ISA, you will receive a government bonus of 25% of the money you put in, up to a maximum of £1,000 a year.

Withdrawals

You can withdraw the funds held in your lifetime ISA before you’re 60, but you’ll have to pay a withdrawal charge of 25% of the amount you withdraw.

A withdrawal charge will not apply if you are:

using it towards a first home
aged 60
terminally ill with less than 12 months to live

If you die, your lifetime ISA will end on the date of your death and there won’t be a withdrawal charge for withdrawing funds or assets from your account.

Transferring a lifetime ISA

You can transfer your lifetime ISA to another lifetime ISA with a different provider without incurring a withdrawal charge.

If you transfer it to a different type of ISA, you will have to pay a withdrawal charge.

Saving for your first home

Your lifetime ISA savings and the bonus can be used towards buying your first home, worth up to £450,000, without incurring a withdrawal charge. You must be buying your home with a mortgage.

You must use a conveyancer or solicitor to act for you in the purchase, and the funds must be paid direct to them by your lifetime ISA provider.

If you are buying with another first time buyer, and you each have a lifetime ISA, you can both use your government bonus. You can also buy a house with someone who isn’t a first time buyer but they will not be able to use their lifetime ISA without incurring a withdrawal charge.

Your lifetime ISA must have been opened for at least 12 months before you can withdraw funds from it to buy your first home.

If you have a Help to Buy ISA, you can transfer those savings into your lifetime ISA or you can continue to save into both – but you will only be able to use the government bonus from one to buy your first home.

Contact your provider directly for more information about the lifetime ISA.

News story: Parole Board Quarterly Performance Report

Statistics and performance information for quarter two of 2016/2017 (July – September).

PDF, 679KB, 7 pages

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email info@paroleboard.gsi.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

The Parole Board is committed to keeping stakeholders informed of our work and progress towards achieving our objectives. As part of this openness we will publish our quarterly performance report which is produced for the Board’s Management Committee. This report represents a summary of Parole Board operational performance in all its key areas of external delivery and internal management. It provides a snapshot of that period which is used to advise and guide on performance and executive decision making.

The data in this pack shows the large volume of business being processed by the Board, and how that business feeds into hearing demand and outcomes. The number of cases outstanding is now falling on a consistent trajectory and it is hoped the Board will make further significant progress during the rest of the year as we aim to increase the number of hearings held to 750-800 a month.

Based on the year so far, the Board can be confident that by the end of this year we will yet again have completed more oral hearings than ever before and, as the backlog clears, will safely release more people. The deferral rate of hearings remains a concern despite falling over the last few years, as it remains at a high level. We are considering what further steps can be taken to tackle these problems by sharing the reasons for deferrals with the Public Protection Casework team within NOMS (National Offender Management Service) and the National Probation Service.

The below information is intended to aid understanding of the attached performance report, which covers quarter two of 2016/2017 (July – September):

Paper Hearings – MCA assessments This graph shows the outcomes from all paper based hearings on a 12 month rolling basis. All cases, irrespective of sentence type or review category are assessed on the papers in the first instance through the Member Case Assessment (MCA) process.
There are a number of outcomes possible at the MCA stage, depending on the sentence type: no release, direct to oral hearing, release, defer.
Listing Queue for oral hearings This graph shows the queue of cases deemed ready to be considered at oral hearing and currently waiting to be allocated a confirmed date. The graph additionally records those cases that have been waiting more than 90 days for a confirmed oral hearing date, including a figure specifically for IPP cases. This highlights the capacity constraints across the system to list all those cases that are ready to be heard.
Oral Hearings Outcomes and Release Rate This graph shows the outcomes from all oral hearings on a 12 month rolling basis. In addition it shows the conduction rate (cases that do actually progress to on the day against the original number of cases listed) and completion rate, i.e. those cases that are concluded on the day. The release rate is also captured in the smaller chart.
Deferrals These graphs show the number of cases which are deferred on the day for each month in a 12 month rolling period and also by quarter since 2013. Identifying and mitigating against deferrals is a key aim to contribute to reducing the backlog.
Generic Parole Process – Cases Outstanding This graph shows the volume of Generic Parole Process cases that are outstanding in a 12 month rolling period (it does not include recall cases) Case outstanding is defined as all cases referred to the Parole Board for a GPP review, where the original target date to conclude the review has now passed but the review is still ongoing, and as such overdue. A case may be outstanding for a variety of reasons including complexity of the case, case readiness, justified and reasonable deferral or because of an inability of the Board to list the case.
This is a key metric for the Parole Board and reducing this number down to pre-Osborn figures of around 1200 by the end of 2017 is a core focus of our strategy.

If you have any questions relating to this report please contact our Performance Team on info@paroleboard.gsi.gov.uk

Press release: West Belfast shooting

James Brokenshire issued a statement following the shooting of a child in the Forest Street area of West Belfast on Thursday 16 February.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP said:

This was a brutal and shocking attack on a child by abusive criminals.

I will continue to offer all possible support to the PSNI and Department of Justice to ensure that the thugs responsible are held to account. Collectively we will continue to work to build a society where violence of this sort has no place.

Neil Bibby launches Protect Our Pubs campaign

Friday, 17 February 2017

Neil Bibby launches Protect Our Pubs campaign

Labour MSP Neil Bibby has lodged a draft proposal in Holyrood that could transform Scotland’s pubs and give customers more choice over the drinks on sale. A consultation on the proposal is set to open on Monday. You can read the consultation document here.

The proposed Member’s Bill would make it fairer for tenants of pubs who have a ‘tied’ arrangement with large owning companies – often known as ‘pubcos’.

This comes in the same week that the Competition and Markets Authority announced that they are to investigate Heineken’s proposed acquisition of part of the Punch Taverns pubs portfolio.

Under the current arrangements, these tenants often have a contractual obligation to buy some or all products from the pubco, which can restrict the choice of beer, cider, wine and spirits available – as well as forcing tenants to sell more expensive drinks.

Mr Bibby’s proposed Bill would provide Scottish licensees the same opportunities afforded to their counterparts in England and Wales.

A Pubs Code came into force in England and Wales in May 2016 that introduced more relaxed rules. A new voluntary code was recently introduced in Scotland, but is not adhered to by all pub companies and does not go as far as the statutory code in England and Wales.

It is estimated there are nearly 1,000 tenanted pubs in Scotland. The proposal has been welcomed by the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, the Campaign for Real Ale and GMB Scotland.

Scottish Labour MSP Neil Bibby said:

“This proposal is about fairness, choice and jobs. Fairness for Scotland’s publicans, greater choice for pub customers, and an opportunity to protect and create jobs in Scotland’s pub and brewing industry.

“Scottish pub tenants should have the ability to opt out of the tied arrangements if they wish. I know from speaking with tied pub tenants in my own area in the west of Scotland how one-sided these arrangements can be.

“Access to a fair and reasonable market rent for premises, without strings attached, should be a right for Scottish publicans. They will then be free to source and purchase products as they see fit, on the same basis as other pubs in Scotland, and pubs in England and Wales.

“Times are tough in the pub sector. Scottish licensees that choose to opt out should have the flexibility they need in a crowded and competitive market place to react to changes that could affect their business – from new pubs opening in their area to changes in the way people socialise. My proposal would give them that flexibility.”

Paul Waterson, chief executive of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, said:

“The SLTA are delighted to support Neil Bibby’s bill advocating protection for Scottish pub tenants. It is only fair that Scottish tenants are afforded the same rights and safeguards as their counterparts in England and Wales.

“With more and more pubs closing in Scotland each week, it’s crucial the government takes action to protect tenants who are the most vulnerable operators in our trade. The SLTA and many others from within the brewing industry have been campaigning for the government to legislate progressively on this issue for a number of years, and we hope that Neil’s bill will add further weight to our collective position on the matter.”

Colin Valentine, CAMRA’s National Chairman, said:

“CAMRA fully welcomes the new consultation that has been launched into the tied pub sector by Neil Bibby. We expect that it will paint a picture of pubs struggling to survive across Scotland, with examples of large pub companies taking more than is fair or sustainable from individual publicans’ profits.

“Earlier this year, the Scottish Government carried out its own research into the tied pub sector. That report concluded that there is no need for reform after surveying just 25 pubs – only 10 of which were tied to large companies. This represents less than 0.5% of the 4,600 pubs across the country, and cannot be considered a representative sample.

“The Scottish Government’s inaction on this issue is letting the pubs sector down. Pubs in Scotland deserve the same level of protection as they have in England and Wales, and we hope this new research will persuade the Scottish Government to make the appropriate reforms.”

GMB Scotland Organiser Martin Doran said:

“GMB Scotland supports the proposed Tied Pubs Bill because by tackling the pubco giants, it can deliver fairness for tied pubs tenants, give more choice for punters and help create a more level playing field for Scottish brewers.

“Ultimately, this can help create better conditions for the protection and growth of brewing jobs across Scotland, which is good for our members in the likes of the historic Tennent’s Wellpark brewery and for the working-class communities supported by their employment.

“This intervention is not before time and our members will warmly welcome Neil Bibby’s efforts to bring about changes to the industry that can only benefit Scottish jobs and the Scottish economy in the long run.”