Daily Report Monday, 28 January 2019 CONTENTS€¦ · Daily Report Monday, 28 January 2019 This report shows written answers and statements provided on 28 January 2019 and the information

Daily Report Monday, 28 January 2019

This report shows written answers and statements provided on 28 January 2019 and the

information is correct at the time of publication (06:39 P.M., 28 January 2019). For the latest

information on written questions and answers, ministerial corrections, and written statements,

please visit: http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/

CONTENTS

ANSWERS 7

ATTORNEY GENERAL 7

Money Laundering: Criminal

Investigation 7

Prosecutions 7

BUSINESS, ENERGY AND

INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 7

Climate Change Convention 7

Coal: Imports 8

Competition and Markets

Authority 8

Competition and Markets

Authority: Finance 8

District Heating: Regulation 9

Employment: Parents 9

Freezers: EU Action 10

Nuclear Power Stations:

Construction 10

Strength in Places Fund 11

Tickets: Sales 11

Timber: Construction 11

Warm Home Discount Scheme 12

Wylfa Power Station:

Construction 13

CABINET OFFICE 13

Census 13

Census: Sikhs 14

Civil Servants 14

House of Lords: Reform 15

Leukaemia 15

Public Procurement Review

Service 15

Public Sector: Billing 16

Public Sector: Procurement 17

Sikhs 17

DEFENCE 17

Aircraft Carriers 17

Armed Forces Compensation

Scheme: Public Consultation 18

Armed Forces: Recruitment 18

BAE Systems: Rheinmetall

Defence 18

Challenger Tanks: Repairs

and Maintenance 19

Chinook Helicopters:

Accidents 19

Military Aid: Public Order 19

Ministry of Defence:

Disclosure of Information 20

Saudi Arabia: Joint Exercises 20

Syria: Military Intervention 20

Warrior Armoured Vehicle:

Repairs and Maintenance 21

http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers

http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers

Yemen: International Law 21

Yemen: Terrorism 22

DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND

SPORT 22

Broadband: Rural Areas 22

Cultural Heritage: Museums

and Galleries 22

Internet: Safety 23

Skateboarding 23

Skateboarding: Governing

Bodies 25

Social Media: Taxation 25

Third Sector 26

EDUCATION 26

Apprentices 26

Children: Social Services 27

Education and Skills Funding

Agency: Billing 27

Education: Children 28

Foreign Students 29

Forensic Science: Misconduct 29

Free School Meals: Greater

London 30

Further Education 30

Further Education: Labour

Turnover 30

Higher Education: Admissions 31

Knowledge Economy: Young

People 32

National Education Union 33

Overseas Students 33

Overseas Students: Finance 34

Pre-school Education:

Cooperatives 34

Pre-school Education:

Disadvantaged 35

Pupil Referral Units 35

Schools: Uniforms 36

Supply Teachers: Chemistry 36

Teachers: Pay 36

Teaching Assistants: Job

Description 37

T-levels 37

William Torbitt School Ilford 37

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND

RURAL AFFAIRS 38

Air Pollution: Hospitals and

Schools 38

Air Pollution: Schools 39

Animal Welfare Act 2006 39

Animals: Trade 39

Beverage Containers:

Recycling 40

Biodiversity 40

Department for Environment,

Food and Rural Affairs:

Statutory Instruments 41

Environment (Amendment

etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations

2019 41

Fisheries 42

Floods and Water

(Amendment etc.) (EU Exit)

Regulations 2019 42

Pets: Travel 43

Seagulls 43

Transport: Exhaust Emissions 43

EXITING THE EUROPEAN

UNION 44

Brexit 44

Department for Exiting the

European Union: Pay 44

FOREIGN AND

COMMONWEALTH OFFICE 44

British Nationals Abroad:

Homicide 44

British Overseas Territories:

Companies 45

Chechnya: LGBT People 46

Climate Change: International

Cooperation 47

Democratic Republic of

Congo: Human Rights 47

India: Christianity 48

Israel: Palestinians 48

Malaysia: Paralympic Games 48

Sudan: Demonstrations 49

Syria: Conflict Resolution 49

Turkey: Politics and

Government 50

UK Relations with EU 50

Zimbabwe: Internet and Social

Media 50

Zimbabwe: Politics and

Government 51

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE 51

Accident and Emergency

Departments 51

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse 52

Breast Cancer 52

Continuing Care 53

Department of Health and

Social Care: Brexit 53

Diabetes: Young People 53

Drugs: Price Controls 55

Eyesight: Children 55

Fibromyalgia 57

General Practitioners 57

Genito-urinary Medicine:

Finance 58

Health Professions: Pay 58

Healthy Start Scheme 59

HIV Infection: Drugs 59

Influenza: Vaccination 59

Lung Diseases 60

Mental Health and Employers

Independent Review 62

Mental Health Services:

Training 63

Mental Health Services: Young

People 63

Mental Health: Schools 63

National FGM Centre: Finance 64

NHS Trusts: Greater London 64

NHS: Agency Workers 65

NHS: Drugs 65

NHS: Migrant Workers 67

NHS: Redundancy 68

NHS: Redundancy Pay 68

NHS: Re-employment 70

NHS: Waiting Lists 71

Pre-eclampsia 71

Prostate Cancer 72

Speech Therapy: Training 72

Veterans: Mental Health

Services 73

HOME OFFICE 73

Asylum and Visas:

Applications 73

Asylum: Chechnya 74

Asylum: Children 75

Asylum: Detainees 75

Asylum: Employment 76

Asylum: EU Countries 76

Asylum: Nationality 77

Asylum: Slavery 77

Asylum: Undocumented

Migrants 77

Buildings: Insulation 78

Council of Europe Convention

on Preventing and Combating

Violence against Women and

Domestic Violence 78

Domestic Violence 79

Drugs: Organised Crime 79

Educational Testing Service:

Assessments 80

EU Justice and Home Affairs 81

Eurojust and Europol 82

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome 82

Fraud: Criminal Investigation 82

Home Office: Contracts 83

Home Office: Migrant Workers 83

Home Office: Vacancies 84

Human Trafficking: Children 84

Immigrants: Deportation 84

Immigrants: EU Nationals 85

Immigrants: Personal Records 85

Immigration: EEA Nationals 86

Immigration: EU Nationals 86

Immigration: Public

Consultation 88

Immigration: Turkey 89

Immigration: Zimbabwe 89

Knife Crime Community Fund 89

Knives: Crime Prevention 90

Modern Slavery Act 2015:

Convictions 90

Modern Slavery Human

Trafficking Unit: Finance 91

National Crime Agency and

Regional Organised Crime

Units: Finance 91

National Police Chiefs'

Council: Staff 92

Passports: Applications 92

Police: EU Countries 92

Police: Finance 93

Police: Pensions 93

Police: Private Finance

Initiative 94

Police: Staff 95

Refugees: Bangladesh 95

Refugees: Welfare State 96

Seasonal Agricultural Workers'

Scheme 96

UK Visas and Immigration:

Staff 96

Undocumented Migrants: EU

Action 97

Unexplained Wealth Orders 97

Visas 97

HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND

LOCAL GOVERNMENT 98

[Subject Heading to be

Assigned] 98

Council Tax 99

Council Tax: Christchurch 99

Departmental Responsibilities:

North of England 99

Homelessness: Domestic

Violence 100

Homelessness: Mortality

Rates 100

Lakanal House: Fires 101

Local Government Finance 101

Private Rented Housing:

Homelessness 101

Social Rented Housing:

Construction 102

Social Services: Children 102

UK Shared Prosperity Fund 103

INTERNATIONAL

DEVELOPMENT 103

Females: Equality 103

Government Departments:

Sustainable Development 103

HIV Infection: Drugs 104

Hospital Ships 104

Pakistan: Overseas Aid 105

Palestinians: Overseas Aid 105

Palestinians: Schools 106

Poverty: Overseas Aid 106

South America: Bilateral Aid 107

South Sudan: Human Rights 107

Syria: Education 108

Zimbabwe: Violence 108

INTERNATIONAL TRADE 109

Companies: EU Action 109

Department for International

Trade: Legal Costs 109

Department for International

Trade: Pay 109

Trade Remedies 110

Trade Remedies Authority 110

JUSTICE 111

Administration of Justice:

Disclosure of Information 111

Criminal Injuries

Compensation: Crimes of

Violence 112

Ministry of Justice: Contracts 112

Ministry of Justice: Sikhs 112

Offences against Children 113

Prison Sentences 113

Prisoners: Veterans 114

Prisons: Drugs 114

Television: Licensing 116

NORTHERN IRELAND 117

Northern Ireland Office: Staff 117

PRIME MINISTER 117

Ulster Unionist Party 117

TRANSPORT 118

Bus Services 118

Channel Ferries: Freight 118

Civil Aviation Authority:

Certification 119

Department for Transport:

Brexit 119

Driving: Diabetes 120

High Speed 2 Railway Line 120

Mersey Tunnels 121

Railways: Wolverhampton 121

Transport: Disability 124

TREASURY 124

Cash Dispensing: Urban Areas 124

Debts 125

Loans: Mozambique 125

Medicine: Education 126

Motor Vehicles: Taxation 127

Tax Avoidance 127

WALES 128

Renewable Energy: Wales 128

Wylfa Power Station 129

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES 129

Females: Employment 129

WORK AND PENSIONS 130

Housing Benefit 130

Housing Benefit and State

Pension Credit (Temporary

Absence) (Amendment)

Regulations 2016 130

Housing Benefit: City of

Westminster 131

Independent Case Examiner 131

Jobcentres: Sheffield 132

Personal Independence

Payment: Hyperactivity 133

Social Security Benefits 135

Social Security Benefits:

Tumours 136

State Retirement Pensions:

Uprating 136

Universal Credit 137

MINISTERIAL CORRECTIONS 139

HOME OFFICE 139

Sexually Transmitted

Infections: Crime 139

Unexplained Wealth Orders 139

WRITTEN STATEMENTS 140

EDUCATION 140

Teacher Recruitment and

Retention Strategy 140

HOME OFFICE 141

Migration 141

HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND

LOCAL GOVERNMENT 142

Local government update 142

Notes:

Questions marked thus [R] indicate that a relevant interest has been declared.

Questions with identification numbers of 900000 or greater indicate that the question was originally tabled as an

oral question and has since been unstarred.

ANSWERS

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Money Laundering: Criminal Investigation

Kelvin Hopkins: [210428]

To ask the Attorney General, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of

resources available to the Serious Fraud Office to undertake investigations into (a)

Mukhtar Ablyazov and (b) other cases of large-scale international money laundering.

Robert Buckland:

The SFO has sufficient funding to carry out its work. Funding arrangements were

reviewed in April 2018 when cost-neutral changes were made to the SFO’s core

budget enabling it to work flexibly and efficiently. This allows the SFO to carry out its

work, including money laundering investigations that fit within its statutory remit.

Prosecutions

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: [211357]

To ask the Attorney General, what discussions he has had with the Director of Public

Prosecutions on the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the effective prosecution

of criminals.

Mr Geoffrey Cox:

The United Kingdom and the European Union have agreed the outline terms of a

comprehensive future security relationship including law enforcement, criminal

justice, and judicial cooperation.

I have regular meetings and briefings with the Director of Public Prosecutions and

senior officials of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). A significant amount of

planning for EU Exit has taken place and the CPS is making preparations for both for

the implementation period or for an exit without a deal.

BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

Climate Change Convention

Caroline Lucas: [211255]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if she will

make it her policy to support a formal bid by the UK to host the 26th session of the

Conference of Parties to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change in 2020.

Claire Perry:

At the 24th UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP 24) we expressed an interest in

hosting COP26 in 2020, along with other countries from the Western European and

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2019-01-21/210428



Other Countries Group (WEOG). We are currently engaging with the interested

countries and WEOG.

Coal: Imports

Philip Davies: [211165]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if the

Government will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing (a) minimum

health and safety and (b) environmental production standards that overseas coal

producers would have to meet before they are allowed to export coal to the UK; and if he

will make a statement.

Claire Perry:

Health, safety and environmental standards for the mining of coal is an important

issue. The industry’s Bettercoal initiative works to support the majority of UK coal

buyers on responsible sourcing of coal on the global market — particularly around

social, environmental, and ethical practices in the supply chain.

Competition and Markets Authority

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: [210020]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what

assessment he has made of the adequacy of ministerial oversight of the Competition and

Markets Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Kelly Tolhurst:

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is a non-Ministerial Department and is

operationally independent. Under the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013,

the CMA must prepare an annual plan to be laid before Parliament and an annual

report for my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State and

officials of the Department also have regular contact with the CMA.

Competition and Markets Authority: Finance

Jo Stevens: [211803]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether

additional funding will be made available to the Competitions and Market Authority to fulfil

its new role in the enforcement of state aid rules.

Kelly Tolhurst:

The Government provided the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) with £20

million in HM Treasury’s autumn budget for 2019/20. This will ensure the CMA has

the resources to prepare for EU exit, and includes funds to fulfil its new role in the

enforcement of State aid rules. This funding is in addition to the £23.6m allocated for

2018/19, which specifically included £3.3m provision for the CMA to prepare for its

State aid function.




The Government is working with the CMA to ensure they are ready to deliver a robust

and independent State aid regulatory function at the point it is required and has every

confidence in the CMA’s ability to do so.

District Heating: Regulation

Stephen Timms: [211073]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he

has to regulate district heating systems.

Claire Perry:

Heat networks are an important part of our Clean Growth Strategy with the potential

to play a vital role in the long-term decarbonisation of heating. In December last year,

we published our approach to establishing a regulated framework for heat networks.

We set out three priorities for the sector: protecting consumers; building investment;

and maximising the decarbonisation benefits of heat networks. This built on the

Competition and Market Authority’s recommendations for heat network regulation,

published in the summer.

We intend to consult on more detailed policy proposals later this year. Any

subsequent legislation would be introduced when Parliamentary time allows.

Employment: Parents


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his

Department has consulted (a) parents, (b) employers and (c) other organisations as part

of its internal review of workplace provision for parents of premature babies.


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference

to his Department's internal review of workplace provision for parents of premature

babies, what steps his Department is taking to understand the experiences of those

parents who live outside of London.



to his Department's internal review of workplace provision for parents of premature

babies, what steps his Department is taking to understand the experiences of employed

fathers with babies receiving neonatal care.

Kelly Tolhurst:

The Department is conducting a short, focussed internal review of the provisions for

parents of premature and sick babies and those that experience multiple births. The

purpose of this work is to obtain a high-level understanding of the barriers to

participating in the labour market that these parents can face.





BEIS officials are working with organisations who represent the interests of these

parents (The Smallest Things, Bliss, and TAMBA) to better understand the issues

that parents can face and have also held focus groups with a small number of

parents themselves.

We are also considering options for addressing other information gaps – including

those that are attributable to regional variations in provision and experiences of

parents.

Freezers: EU Action

Sir Christopher Chope: [211093]


to paragraph 31 of the Government's response, dated 27 March 2018 to the Business,

Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee's report on the safety of electrical goods,

HC920, whether the UK block on the fridge freezer Standard being accepted at European

level is still in place; and if he will make a statement.

Kelly Tolhurst:

The UK’s objection to the adoption of the CENELEC standard on household

refrigeration appliances by the EU Committee on Standards has been in place since

2016. This reflects the specific concerns that the standard should go further in

relation to fire safety. However, the UK does support other recent changes to the

Standard including issues relating to electrical safety, mechanical safety and

refrigerant safety.

All household refrigeration appliances sold in the UK must be safe before they can be

placed on the market as they must comply with the relevant Electrical Equipment

(Safety) Regulations.

Nuclear Power Stations: Construction

Sir Nicholas Soames: [211609]


assessment he has made of the potential merits of developing mini nuclear power plants.

Richard Harrington:

Diversity in our energy mix provides vital insurance against future uncertainty and in

ensuring security of supply can be maintained. As part of this, nuclear power as well

as other low carbon power technologies have an important role to play in the UK’s

energy future as we transition to a low carbon economy.

We regularly compare the impact on electricity system costs of deploying

technologies, as well as assessing their impact on energy security, decarbonisation

and consumer bills. This includes looking at the benefits smaller reactors can provide

to the UK energy mix.

This will also include considering the findings of the Expert Finance Working Group

which was set up to advise Government on how small reactor projects could raise



private investment in the UK, and the outputs from the Advanced Modular Reactor

(AMR) R&D Programme of which all 8 participants have now submitted their

feasibility studies

Strength in Places Fund

Dan Jarvis: [R] [211754]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he

plans to announce successful bids for the Government’s Strength in Places Fund.

Chris Skidmore:

During 2018, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) invited ‘expression of interest’ bids

into Wave 1 of the Strength in Places Fund. All eligible bids were considered by an

independent assessment panel, which made recommendations to UKRI. UKRI is

currently in the process of finalising the assessment process, and will notify those

bids proceeding to the full stage in due course.

Tickets: Sales


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the cost

has been of the Competition and Markets Authority investigation into (a) Viagogo and (b)

other secondary ticket sites.

Kelly Tolhurst:

The CMA is a non-Ministerial Department and is operationally independent.

The CMA has provided the following information: the CMA’s secondary tickets

investigation cost £1.9 million to the end of 2018. However, a significant proportion of

those costs relate to the CMA’s litigation against viagogo. Under the court order that

the CMA secured against viagogo AG, viagogo AG will meet the CMA’s reasonable

costs of those proceedings.

Timber: Construction

Eddie Hughes: [211876]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much

timber used for structural construction purposes in (a) England and (b) Great Britain in

each year from 2010 was (i) imported and (ii) domestically grown.

Richard Harrington:

Sales by UK manufacturers have seen particularly large increases in the last two

years of the period. The Department does not hold information about domestically

grown timber. The information is not available for England or Great Britain. The

following table provides aggregate information for the value of sawn wood, densified

wood, particle board, laminated wood and fibreboard (i) imported into the UK and (ii)

sold by UK manufacturers.




£M, CURRENT PRICES IMPORTS INTO UK UK MANUFACTURERS SALES

2010 939.3 646.8

2011 852.5 652.5

2012 835.7 719.4

2013 937.5 733.5

2014 1,097.7 769.2

2015 1,043.5 777.3

2016 1,249.7 861.4

2017 1,371.1 1,219.5

Sources:

UK Manufacturers Sales – Office for National Statistics UK Manufacturers' Sales by

Product (PRODCOM)

Imports into UK – Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Monthly

Statistics of Building Materials and Components

Warm Home Discount Scheme

Anna McMorrin: [210705]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate

his Department has made of the number of smaller energy companies who have been

unable to participate in the Warm Home Discount scheme as a result of having fewer

than 250,000 customers.

Claire Perry:

No suppliers are unable to participate in the Warm Home Discount. While 15 of the

approximately 60 energy suppliers currently in operation are obligated under the

Warm Home Discount scheme this winter, others may approach Ofgem to participate

voluntarily, and 3 have opted to do so.

The threshold for mandatory participation will be reduced over time, from 250,000

domestic customers in 2018/19 to 200,000 domestic customers in 2019/20 and

150,000 in 2020/21. We intend to reduce the threshold to zero or a small minimum, if

the evidence on the impacts of reducing the threshold on the energy markets

supports this approach. This gradual reduction will give smaller suppliers time to

prepare for delivery, adjust their business models and help minimise the risk of non-

compliance.


Anna McMorrin: [210706]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps

the Government is taking to ensure that smaller companies in the energy supply market

are eligible to participate in the Warm Home Discount scheme.

Claire Perry:

No suppliers are unable to participate in the Warm Home Discount. Suppliers with

fewer customers than the obligated threshold already have the option to approach

Ofgem to participate in the scheme voluntarily. This year, there are 3 suppliers with

less than 250,000 domestic customers, who have opted to participate in the scheme

voluntarily.

For all suppliers, we took the decision following the Warm Home Discount

consultation last year to reduce the threshold for participation over time. It will remain

at 250,000 domestic accounts for participating suppliers in 2018/19, and then reduce

to 200,000 in 2019/20 and 150,000 in 2020/21. We intend to reduce the threshold to

zero or a small minimum, if the evidence on the impacts of reducing the threshold on

the energy markets supports this approach. This gradual reduction will give smaller

suppliers time to prepare for delivery, adjust their business models and help minimise

the risk of non-compliance.

Wylfa Power Station: Construction

Chris Ruane: [211671]


contingency plans his Department is putting in place in the event that work on Wylfa

Newydd Power Plant is not resumed.

Richard Harrington:

As my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State said to the House on 17 January, the

Government will continue to discuss with Hitachi bringing forward new nuclear at

Wylfa. He also said that the Government will set out a new approach to financing new

nuclear in the planned energy White paper in the summer. Furthermore, the Wylfa

project was not due to be operational until the late 2020s and there are a range of

options for generating this capacity over that time-frame.

CABINET OFFICE

Census

Preet Kaur Gill: [211868]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to paragraph 3.89 of the White

Paper entitled Help Shape Our Future: The 2021 Census of Population and Housing in

England and Wales, which of the 55 proposed tick boxes received the most number of

requests.




Chloe Smith:

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority.

I have asked the Authority to reply.

Attachments:

1. UKSA Response [Combined PQ211865, 211866, 211867,211868_ (1).pdf]

Census: Sikhs


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2018

to Question 202832 on Census: Sikhs, of the 53 participants who took part in the focus

groups to consider the possible addition of new tick boxes, how many felt a specific Sikh

ethnic tick-box was not acceptable.

Chloe Smith:



Attachments:



To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number and

proportion of Sikhs who did not tick the optional Sikh religious tick box in the 2011

census.

Chloe Smith:



Attachments:


Civil Servants

Frank Field: [211104]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants by (a) government

department, (b) executive agency and (c) non-departmental public body are located (i) in

London and (ii) outside London.

Oliver Dowden:

In March 2018, 83,530 Civil Servants were reported as employed in London and

343,680 in locations outside London on a headcount basis.




Civil Service employment by Government department and region is available in Table

12 ‘Civil Service employment; regional distribution by government department’ as part

of the annual National Statistics publication, Civil Service Statistics at the following

link:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorperso

nnel/datasets/civilservicestatistics.

A table presenting the number of civil servants employed by government department,

executive agency and Crown Non Departmental Public Body located in London and

outside London has been placed in the library.

Information on the regional employment of Non-Departmental Government Bodies is

not collected centrally.

House of Lords: Reform

Wayne David: [211678]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress the Government is making on

reform of the House of Lords.

Mr David Lidington:

The Government is continuing to work constructively with Peers, where there is

consensus within the House of Lords, to enable them to achieve reforms that ensure

the House continues to work effectively. The Prime Minister has committed to do her

bit to reduce the size of the House by continuing the restrained approach she has

taken so far to appointments. The Government welcomes the work of Lord Burns and

his Committee and his second report which shows that good progress had been

made on retirements.

Leukaemia

Jim Shannon: [210606]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have a diagnosis of myeloid

leukaemia.

Chloe Smith:



Attachments:

1. UKSA Response [PQ210606 (1).pdf]

Public Procurement Review Service

Jon Trickett: [210030]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many cases have been raised with the

Procurement Review Service broken down by (a) contracting authority and (b) contractor

in each year since that service was established.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/civilservicestatistics






Oliver Dowden:

The Public Procurement Review Service allows government suppliers and potential

government suppliers to raise concerns anonymously about potentially poor public

sector procurement practice. It would be inappropriate for us to publically name

contractors/suppliers that have raised the concern.

All case results (including the contracting authority in scope) are published on

Gov.UK at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/mystery-

shopper-results

No contracting authority has submitted a case for review to the service, all cases are

from government suppliers, potential government suppliers and third parties.

The number of cases received by the Public Procurement Review Services per

financial year is as follows:

FINANCIAL YEAR NUMBER OF CASES RECEIVED

2010/11 15

2011/12 186

2012/13 186

2013/14 233

2014/15 220

2015/16 191

2016/17 160

2017/18 161

2018/19 (Year to Date) 206

Public Sector: Billing


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2018 to

Question 197338 on Pubic Sector: Billing, what assessment his Department has made of

the effectiveness of using a business' ability to meet the core standard of paying 95 per

cent of invoices within 60 days over the previous two six month periods to determine

whether those businesses will be able to pay their sub-contractors within 30 days as

required by the Public Contract Regulations 2015.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/mystery-shopper-results




Oliver Dowden:

Following a public consultation in 2018, the standard of paying 95% of invoices within

60 days across both a supplier’s private and public sector business was deemed a

suitable indicator of overall performance. There are a series of questions a supplier is

expected to respond to about their payment practices and performance if they bid for

a major Government contract from 1 September onwards.

Public Sector: Procurement


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2018 to

Question 197334 on public sector: procurement, how many of those spot checks carried

out by the Procurement Review Service were targeted at a contracting authority that had

previously not complied with a part of public procurement regulations.

Oliver Dowden:

All spot checks to date have been carried out as a result of instances of non

compliance identified by a supplier or potential supplier to central government or the

wider public sector and subsequently investigated by the Public Procurement Review

Service.

Sikhs


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the

number of Sikhs in England and Wales.

Chloe Smith:



Attachments:


DEFENCE

Aircraft Carriers

Nia Griffith: [211137]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there are plans to fit cats and traps to

the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.

Stuart Andrew:

There are no plans to fit cats and traps to the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.




Armed Forces Compensation Scheme: Public Consultation


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to publish a response to the

consultation on Better Combat Compensation.

Mr Tobias Ellwood:

The proposals set out in the Better Combat Compensation consultation would

increase the level of compensation paid to Service personnel, or their family, in cases

of injury or death in combat. The Government is currently considering how best to

respond to the public consultation and will announce a way forward in due course.

Armed Forces: Recruitment


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timeline is for the publication of the

comprehensive strategy for personnel recruitment and retention as set out in the

Modernising Defence Programme published in December 2018.

Gavin Williamson:

The Government plans to set out its strategy for Defence People, including their

recruitment and retention, during 2019. I will update the House as the work develops.

BAE Systems: Rheinmetall Defence

Mr Kevan Jones: [211144]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the implications are for his Department's

policies as a result of the decision by BAE Systems and Rheinmettal to enter into a joint

venture to build military vehicles.

Stuart Andrew:

This announcement reflects that the UK defence sector is a world leader in designing,

supplying and supporting ground combat platforms for the UK and Allied Armed

Forces. It is too early to speculate on specific acquisition programmes in relation to

the joint venture.


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the implications are for competition for

the Challenger 2 Life Extension Programme contract as a result of BAE Systems' and

Rheinmettal's decision to enter into a joint venture to build military vehicles.

Stuart Andrew:

It is too early to speculate on specific programmes in relation to the joint venture.





Challenger Tanks: Repairs and Maintenance


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on the

programme to extend the service life of the Challenger 2 main battle tank; and how many

vehicles he plans to upgrade under the Challenger 2 Life Extension Programme.

Stuart Andrew:

The Challenger 2 Life Extension Programme is in its Assessment Phase. No final

decisions have been made.

Chinook Helicopters: Accidents

Lady Hermon: [211684]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps the Government is taking to

preserve the records relating to the crash of the RAF Chinook helicopter on the Mull of

Kintyre on 2 June 1994; and where those records are currently archived.

Mr Tobias Ellwood:

Ministry of Defence (MOD) records that were closed in 1995 and 1996 will be

reviewed for release or alternative disposal this year. These reviews have not been

completed, and a decision will be made in due course.

The records relating to the crash of the RAF Chinook helicopter on the Mull of Kintyre

on 2 June 1994 are currently archived with the MOD's Air Historical Branch (RAF) at

RAF Northolt.

Military Aid: Public Order

Sir Vince Cable: [211088]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what guidance his Department has issued to

service personnel on standby for the UK leaving the EU on their role in maintaining public

order.

Mark Lancaster:

The Ministry of Defence has been working across Government, including the Home

Office and the National Police Chiefs' Council, to ensure that Defence is prepared for

a range of scenarios. There are no plans to utilise military personnel for public order

in the event of a no-deal Brexit, however Defence remains closely engaged on

contingency planning and remains available to support the civil authorities if

necessary.

Sir Vince Cable: [211089]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what roles service personnel on standby for

the UK leaving the EU without a deal would have in such an event; and what roles have

been specifically precluded for such personnel.





Mark Lancaster:

The Ministry of Defence is closely engaged with other Government Departments on

contingency planning for a range of scenarios. At this point no formal requests have

been received for support. As with extant Military Aid to Civil Authorities policy, any

use of military personnel will be subject to agreement by a Defence Minister, who

would need to be satisfied that it was appropriate to use military personnel in the

manner requested.

Ministry of Defence: Disclosure of Information

Sir Mike Penning: [211172]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2019 to

Question 207554 on Ministry of Defence: Disclosure of Information, in what form the

information on non-disclosure agreements is held centrally by his Department.

Sir Mike Penning: [211173]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2019 to

Question 207554 on Ministry of Defence: Disclosure of Information, what estimate he has

made of the cost of providing the information for each year.

Mr Tobias Ellwood:

The Ministry of Defence does not regularly use non-disclosure agreements and they

could be held across a number of areas in the Department in both paper file format

and as digital records.

In the absence of either a central list or local lists of paper and digital files containing

non-disclosure agreements, extensive searches would need to be under taken, the

cost in effort for this would exceed the disproportionate cost limit of £850.

Saudi Arabia: Joint Exercises


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13 December 2018

to Question 200616 on Saudi Arabia: Joint Exercises, (a) how many personnel and (b)

what Royal Navy assets will take part in the Royal Navy Passage Exercise with Saudi

Arabia between 3 and 7 February 2019.

Mark Lancaster:

Two Royal Navy Mine Countermeasures Vessels (MCMVs) will participate in this

activity. MCMVs typically have a crew of between 35 to 50 personnel.

Syria: Military Intervention

Chris Williamson: [210524]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many British ground forces are operating

in Syria; and with which countries those forces are embedded.





Mark Lancaster:

We do not provide details of the locations of our embedded personnel as to do so

would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the

Armed Forces. Details of UK Armed Forces embedded in other countries' forces are

published annually in the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts.

Warrior Armoured Vehicle: Repairs and Maintenance


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on

extending the service life of the Warrior infantry fighting vehicle (IFV); and many Warrior

(a) IFVs and (b) variants does he plans to upgrade under the Warrior Capability

Sustainment Programme.

Stuart Andrew:

The Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme will extend the service life of Warrior

beyond 2040 and is currently in its Demonstration Phase. The programme entered

trials in September 2018.

The first phase of unmanned firing has now been completed and rigorous testing of

the demonstration vehicles is under way.

The final number of platforms and variant mix is dependent on securing the best

value for money during manufacture negotiations.

Yemen: International Law

Stephen Twigg: [210006]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many incidents of potential concern on

violations of international humanitarian law in Yemen his Department has tracked in each

month since January 2018.

Mark Lancaster:

As at 21 January 2019, the number of alleged instances of breaches or violations of

International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in Yemen listed on the "Tracker" database

maintained by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is 409. Of these, 15 are duplicate

entries, which means that some incidents will have been recorded on more than one

occasion likely because of the incomplete nature of Non-Governmental Organisation

and media reporting upon which the MOD relies to update the "Tracker".

The MOD does not assess allegations of IHL violations. The Saudi-led Coalition is

best placed to do this and does so through its Joint Incident Assessment Team.



Yemen: Terrorism


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the extent to

which Saudi Arabian-supplied arms are reaching Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups in

Yemen.

Mark Lancaster:

The Ministry of Defence has not undertaken any such formal assessment.

DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Broadband: Rural Areas


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the (a) the

supplier contribution, (b) estimated take-up; (c) actual take-up, and (d) associated take-up

clawback are for each project involved in the roll-out of rural broadband.

Margot James:

The public subsidy and most recent actual take-up figures can be found on our

public-facing document - Link below:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Hs00bNsyRV1WoOt-

fow3rsNXzpcKg26AsOWvk1bvJRk/edit#gid=0

Contract specific data is held by each Local Body for their own contracts, so you

would need to direct this request to them. Please note that some of this data is

commercially sensitive.

Cultural Heritage: Museums and Galleries


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an

estimate of the proportion of artefacts in national museums which have never been on

public display.

Michael Ellis:

It is estimated that together the fifteen DCMS-sponsored museums care for over 100

million objects. These institutions are engaged in an active programme of object

loans, touring exhibitions and research programmes and in 2017/18 lent to over

1,300 venues in the UK. This allows millions of people throughout the UK to access

the world class collections held by the national museums.

The department does not hold information on what proportion of objects in the

national museums’ collections have never been on display and it is not possible to

estimate.



https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Hs00bNsyRV1WoOt-fow3rsNXzpcKg26AsOWvk1bvJRk/edit#gid=0




The national museums provide further public access to their stored collections

through their websites, publishing images, catalogue entries and interpretation and

direct access.

Internet: Safety

Hannah Bardell: [211824]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when the

Government’s plans to publish its white paper on internet safety.

Margot James:

The Government plans to publish its Online Harms White Paper this Winter

(2018/2019).


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his

Department is taking to ensure parents are able to access information on online harms

and their prevention.

Margot James:

As set out in the Internet Safety Strategy Green Paper, Government is committed to

working with a wide range of partners to ensure that online safety messages are

delivered to all users, including parents, through a range of communication channels.

The forthcoming Online Harms White Paper will set out a wide range of legislative

and non-legislative measures to help make the UK the safest place to be online.


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he

has made of the effectiveness of technology companies in promoting online safety.

Margot James:

The forthcoming Online Harms White Paper will set clear standards for industry to

make sure there is improved support for users online, and that more companies are

taking consistent action to tackle online harms.

Skateboarding

Tracey Crouch: [211228]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding

has been allocated to skateboarding from (a) Sport England and (b) UK Sport (i) by

recipient organisation and (ii) for what purpose in each of the last two years.

Mims Davies:

a) Between 2017-2018, Sport England invested £844,869 into 20 projects, including

the refurbishment and development of skateparks and related facilities. Full details of

these investments can be found on Sport England’s website.

(b) (i) UK Sport has allocated up to £166,825 from the innovative Aspiration Fund to

support the sport’s route to the Tokyo Olympics. The skateboarding investment





award made through the Aspiration Fund has been allocated to the sport pending

identification of the best funding delivery model. This award is dependent upon the

sport satisfying UK Sport’s conditions of award.

(b) (ii) The £3 million Aspiration Fund announced by DCMS in October 2018 allows

sports who do not currently receive full UK Sport funding to develop plans to help

teams and athletes qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Alongside skateboarding’s proposed qualification plan for Tokyo 2020, the sport must

demonstrate how they will capitalise on the impact of competing at the 2020 Games

and engage and inspire communities.


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the

inclusion of skateboarding at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, what plans he has to support

skateboarding in the UK.

Mims Davies:

UK Sport announced on 7 December 2018 that 14 Olympic and Paralympic sports,

including skateboarding, will receive investment from the new £3m Aspiration Fund,

which aims to support sports that do not currently receive full UK Sport funding to

develop plans to help teams and athletes qualify and prepare for Tokyo 2020.

Alongside their qualification plan, sports seeking funding submitted details on how

they intend to capitalise on the impact of competing at the 2020 Games and engage

and inspire future generations.

This Aspiration Fund provides a fantastic opportunity for sports to develop their

potential not only to inspire through their performances, but also to have a genuine

social impact in communities across the UK


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his

Department has made of how many people aged (a) under 16 and (b) over 16 participate

in skateboarding each week.

Mims Davies:

Active Lives provides a comprehensive overview of sport and physical activity in

England. Within Active Lives, there are two surveys: Active Lives Adult, which is

published twice a year, and Active Lives Children and Young People, which is

published annually.

Sport England does not hold weekly figures for adults; these are only held for

children. Also Sport England does not have skateboarding separated for children.

71,600 adults aged 16+ (0.2%) took part in Skateboarding at least twice in the last 28

days (May 2017/18).

322,700 children aged 5-16 (4.6%) took part in Skateboarding, roller skating, blading

at least once a week (Academic Year 2017/18).



Skateboarding: Governing Bodies


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he

has made of compliance to the Code for Sports Governance of (a) the British Roller

Sports Federation, (b) the British Skateboard Federation and (c) Skateboard GB /

Skateboard England.

Mims Davies:

UK Sport has carried out an initial governance assessment of the British Roller

Sports Federation, British Skateboarding Federation and Skateboard GB; comparing

publicly available information on each organisation with the requirements of A Code

for Sports Governance.

This type of assessment has been made on all potential Aspiration Fund (AF)

recipients ahead of the full assessment carried out on successful AF recipients,

leading to a confirmation of compliance with the Code or the establishment of a

Governance Action Plan to achieve compliance.


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he

has had with UK Sport on the most appropriate organisation to be recognised as the

governing body of skateboarding.

Mims Davies:

Ministers meet with UK Sport regularly to discuss a range of issues. UK Sport are

providing ongoing guidance and support to all skateboarding parties as they aim to

meet the conditions of UK Sport's Aspiration Fund award, announced in December

2018. This includes efforts to identify the appropriate delivery model of the funding to

which the whole sport is committed.

Skateboard GB and the British Roller Skating Federation are working with their

International Federation, World Skate, to clarify recognition for the sport of

Skateboarding at the Olympic Games.

Social Media: Taxation


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has plans

to introduce a social media levy.

Margot James:

The Government Response to the Internet Safety Strategy noted the Government’s

intention to set a new, strategic approach to online safety funding, while maintaining

the benefits of current funding streams from the major technology companies.

Detailed plans to tackle the full range of online harms will be set out in the

forthcoming Online Harms White Paper, including legislative and non-legislative

measures.




Third Sector

Mr Steve Reed: [211785]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page

15 of the Civil Society Strategy published in August 2018, what steps his Department has

taken to work with civil society stakeholders and the Charity Commission to agree on joint

action to open up trusteeship to people from different backgrounds as set out in that

Strategy.

Mims Davies:

We are fully committed to working with the charity sector to take action on this issue.

Since the Strategy was published we have been holding exploratory conversations

with stakeholders, including the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and the

Charity Commission. These conversations are helping to improve understanding of

the opportunities and challenges around enabling people from different backgrounds

to become involved in trusteeship.

EDUCATION

Apprentices

Mr Jim Cunningham: [211639]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of

the cost to the public purse of the creation of a UCAS-style portal for apprenticeships.

Anne Milton:

We want to make the system easier to navigate for young people considering

technical and vocational routes, as we committed to in the government's manifesto.

We are still considering the feasibility of a centralised portal for further education. We

have conducted extensive research with over 2,000 young people, colleges and

career advisers. We will make final decisions on this in the context of our reforms to

apprenticeships and the introduction of T levels.

We have already introduced functionality that allows levy-paying employers to

advertise their own vacancies on the apprenticeship service. The Find an

Apprenticeship website is accessed by thousands of would-be apprentices, their

teachers and parents. Employers that do not pay the levy can continue to advertise

their vacancies by contacting the national contact centre or working with their training

provider. We will continue to develop this in future, informed by our engagement with

employers and their feedback on the service.

The National Apprenticeship Service and UCAS have developed a higher and degree

apprenticeships ‘vacancy finder’ to consolidate many of these opportunities into one

place. In November, we published thousands of vacancies from various employers

starting in 2019.



Gordon Marsden: [211662]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Aspire Achieve Advance

apprentices were (a) affected by that provider ceasing trading and (b) have been found

alternative provision.

Anne Milton:

In total, the closure of Aspire Achieve Advance has affected 4,216 apprentices. The

apprentices were split between apprenticeships supported via levy funding and those

supported via non-levy funding, based on the size of the employer involved. There

were 2,384 apprentices with large levy paying employers and 1,832 apprentices with

smaller non-levy paying employers.

It is the responsibility of the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to source

alternative high quality provision for the non-levy apprentices while employers retain

the lead for sourcing alternative provision funded by the levy. They do this with the

full support of the National Apprenticeship Service. So far, for the non-levy funded

apprentices, the ESFA has approved 1,358 apprentice transfers to 125 high quality

alternative providers.

Officials have also identified alternative, high quality provision for each of the

remaining 410 apprentices and are contacting the providers involved to facilitate the

transfers. 64 apprentices have notified us that they have successfully completed or

withdrawn from their apprenticeship. Of the 2,384 apprentices funded by the levy,

National Apprenticeship Service account managers are supporting those employers

to identify new providers. To date levy paying employers have transferred 534

apprentices to new providers of their choice.

Children: Social Services

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: [211786]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 18 January 2018

to Question 122517, how many requests he received from local authorities for

exemptions from statutory guidance in respect of children’s social care in each of the last

three years; how many exemptions were granted in each of those years; which local

authorities had exemptions granted, and for what purpose is such exemption was

granted.

Nadhim Zahawi:

The department has had one request for an exemption to statutory guidance in the

last three years, which was not granted.

Education and Skills Funding Agency: Billing


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on

instances in which the Education and Skills Funding Agency has issued a contract that

does not include provisions that any payment due from the contracting authority to the




contractor under the contract is to be made no later than the end of a period of 30 days

from the date on which the relevant invoice is regarded as valid and undisputed.

Nick Gibb:

The department has standard terms and conditions in contracts for the delivery of

goods and services where payments will be made based on an invoice submitted.

These standard terms include the requirement for invoices to be paid within 30 days

by the department.

Contracts and funding agreements relating to the delivery of education and training

are not paid on invoice.

Education: Children

Anna Turley: [211290]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the

potential merits of expanding his Department's review of education outcomes for children

in need to consider (a) employment outcomes, (b) training outcomes, (c) housing

outcomes and (d) health outcomes.

Nadhim Zahawi:

The department is committed to ensuring that all children, regardless of background,

have the opportunity to fulfil their potential. To this end we have undertaken a broad

programme of evidence gathering to review the outcomes of and support for Children

in Need.

The scope of the review is focussed on educational outcomes, and we have no plans

to extend this – however we recognise that the factors affecting these children and

young people’s educational outcomes, such as the support they receive, may also

lead to other poorer outcomes. That is why our March data publication set out our

intention to understand the lifetime outcomes of Children in Need, including exploring

the feasibility of matching the Department for Education’s Children in Need data with

data from other government departments.

Children’s social care and schools have a central role in supporting Children in Need

– it is therefore important for us to focus the review on what we can do now whilst

making progress and working across government to understand more about other

outcomes over the longer-term.

We recognise that there are times when children and families need additional support

when experiencing difficulties in their day to day lives. Our new data shows that many

families have received help from children’s services at times of difficulty over the

three year period. In many cases these families have received the support they need

to move on without further contact with children’s services.

We will spend the final part of the review considering what more we can do, in policy

and practice, to support the change that is needed.


Foreign Students

Mr Gregory Campbell: [211680]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the change has been in the number of

UK students studying abroad between 2016 and 2018.

Chris Skidmore:

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

collect and publish the number of UK students studying wholly overseas. Tertiary

education is defined as International Standard Classification of Education levels 5-8.

Statistics on mobile UK students studying abroad in 2016 and 2017 have been

provided in the table. Data for 2018 has still to be published by UNESCO.

UK DOMICILED STUDENTS STUDYING ABROAD 2016 TO 2017

Year Number of UK students studying tertiary

education programmes abroad

2016 34,017

2017 34,025

Source: UNESCO, internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroad (2016 to

2017), data available at http://data.uis.unesco.org/.

In addition, ERASMUS collect and publish further information on the number of

students studying overseas as part of their studies at their UK university, available at

http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/about/statistics_en.

Forensic Science: Misconduct

Louise Haigh: [211270]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether any of the local authorities that

commissioned forensic tests from Trimega Laboratories Limited between January 2010

and April 2014 have carried out a case-by-case assessment of the effect of toxicology on

decision-making in relation to the welfare of children.


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November

2018 to Question 191954, what additional required steps local authorities have identified

to fulfil their statutory safeguarding responsibilities.

Nadhim Zahawi:

The department does not have information on whether the local authorities that

commissioned forensic tests from Trimega, between January 2010 and April 2014,

have carried out a case by case assessment of the effect of toxicology on decision-

making in relation to the welfare of children. However, the department wrote to local

authorities on 17 November 2017 and 16 February 2018, asking them to review


http://data.uis.unesco.org/

http://data.uis.unesco.org/

http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/about/statistics_en

http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/about/statistics_en



whether they had commissioned forensic tests from Trimega Laboratories Limited

between January 2010 to April 2014, and to consider whether there was a need to

take further action in order to fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities.

Free School Meals: Greater London

Joan Ryan: [211627]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of

children who have applied for free school meals in (a) Enfield North, (b) the Borough of

Enfield and (c) London since the roll-out of universal credit in those areas; and if he will

make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi:

The information requested is not held centrally as we do not collect and publish data

on the number of individual applications made for free school meals through schools

or local authorities.

The department publishes data on the number and proportion of pupils eligible for

and claiming free school meals by local authority area and region.

The latest version, published in January 2018, is available at:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm

ent_data/file/735777/Schools_Pupils_and_their_Characteristics_2018_LA_Tables.xls

x.

Further Education

Royston Smith: [211296]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people in post-16 education are

currently working towards (a) level two, (b) level three, (c) level four and (d) level five

qualifications.

Anne Milton:

The attached table shows the official participation estimates and highest qualification

aims for 16 to 18 year olds in full and part-time education in England for the latest 5

years.

Attachments:

1. 211296_Highest_Qualification_Estimates_16_to_18

[211296_Highest_Qualification_Estimates_16_to_18.pdf]

Further Education: Labour Turnover


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of recent

trends in the levels of retention of further education teachers and staff.

Anne Milton:

While further education (FE) providers are a key part of our national infrastructure,

unlocking potential, developing skills, and improving social mobility and productivity,


https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/735777/Schools_Pupils_and_their_Characteristics_2018_LA_Tables.xlsx






they are private sector institutions, independent of government. As such, the

department has not historically collected data that would allow us to measure rates of

retention amongst FE teachers and other staff. However, in 2018, we carried out the

first College Staff Survey, gathering new workforce data, and we expect to extend

this to other types of provider in 2019, as well as conducting a follow-up survey that

will allow us to assess a number of issues concerning the FE sector.

Higher Education: Admissions


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of young people that

attended school-based sixth forms went on to attend Russell Group universities in each

of the last nine years.

Chris Skidmore:

The table below shows the percentages of young people attending state-funded

mainstream school sixth forms that went on to sustained destinations at Russell

Group Universities after 16 to 18 study (taking A level or other level 3 qualifications)

in academic years 2010/11 to 2016/17 (the last 7 years for which data is available).

DESTINATION YEAR NUMBER OF PUPILS OVERALL DESTINATIONS

RUSSELL GROUP

DESTINATIONS

2010/11 162,520 89% 12%

2011/12 164,580 91% 15%

2012/13 169,395 90% 15%

2013/14 172,635 91% 17%

2014/15 173,720 90% 17%

2015/16 182,880 91% 17%

2016/17 191,925 90% 17%

Information on pupil destinations is published annually at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/destinations-of-ks4-and-ks5-pupils-2017.


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of young people that

attended further education colleges went on to attend a Russell Group university in each

of the last nine years.

Chris Skidmore:

The table below shows the percentages of young people attending further education

colleges (including sixth form colleges) that went on to sustained destinations at

Russell Group Universities after 16 to 18 study (taking A level or other level 3


https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/destinations-of-ks4-and-ks5-pupils-2017



qualifications) in academic years 2010/11 to 2016/17 (the last 7 years for which data

is available).

DESTINATION YEAR NUMBER OF PUPILS

ANY EDUCATION OR

EMPLOYMENT

DESTINATION

RUSSELL GROUP

DESTINATIONS

2010/11 178,680 84% 5%

2011/12 170,910 85% 6%

2012/13 176,390 85% 6%

2013/14 186,330 87% 6%

2014/15 189,210 86% 6%

2015/16 183,265 88% 7%

2016/17 180,330 87% 7%

Information on pupil destinations is published annually at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/destinations-of-ks4-and-ks5-pupils-2017.

Knowledge Economy: Young People


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to prepare young

people to participate in the knowledge economy.

Chris Skidmore:

We agree that the Knowledge Economy is important, and we are making key reforms

across education which will give young people the opportunities to gain the

education, skills and knowledge they will need in the Knowledge Economy.

In 2016 the government published a white paper, ‘Success as a Knowledge

Economy’, which set out our proposals to help support the UK succeed as a

knowledge economy. This can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-success-as-a-

knowledge-economy-white-paper.

Following this white paper, we introduced the Teaching Excellence Framework, which

aims to assess, recognise and reward high quality teaching in higher education. Its

purpose is to drive up the standard of teaching, give students clear information about

where teaching quality is best and information about where students have achieved

the best outcomes.

Through the Higher Education Research Act (2017), the Office for Students, a new

regulator for the higher education sector was established. Its focus is to ensure that




https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-success-as-a-knowledge-economy-white-paper



any student with the ability to benefit from higher education is supported in doing so,

and that they have a positive experience and receive worthwhile outcomes.

Building on the apprenticeship programme, which provides employment and high

quality training in a range of professions, we have also established degree

apprenticeships. They sit alongside the higher education academic offer and provide

another route for people to gain the knowledge and skills that they need.

We are also making key reforms to technical education by introducing T levels which

will provide high quality, technical qualifications to rival traditional academic options.

We are addressing technical needs at level 4 and 5, looking at how classroom-based

education - particularly technical education - meets the needs of learners and

employers. In addition, we have announced our intention to establish a system of

employer-led national standards for higher technical education.

In schools we have overhauled a curriculum that was denying pupils the core

academic knowledge, reformed the examination system, are actively encouraging

take-up of science, technology, engineering and maths subjects, improving the

quality of the schools teaching profession and raising standards.

These polices help provide young people with a wide range of opportunities to gain

the education, skills and knowledge they need to be successful in their chosen path.

National Education Union


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions his Department has

had with the National Education Union on the results of their indicative ballot on strike

action over teacher pay and education funding.

Nick Gibb:

The outcomes of the indicative ballot for strike action were published on 21 January.

The Department regularly meets with the National Education Union and the other

teacher and head teacher unions to discuss issues relating to teacher pay and

funding.

Overseas Students


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to increase the number of

international students choosing to study in the UK.

Chris Skidmore:

The government fully recognises the important economic and cultural contribution

that EU and international students make to the UK’s higher education sector. We

want that contribution to continue and we are confident – given the world-class quality

of our higher education sector – that it will. We welcome international students and

there continues to be no limit on the number who can come here to study, nor any

plans to limit any institution’s ability to recruit them.



The UK remains a highly attractive destination for non-EU students, with their

numbers remaining at record highs – over 170,000 non-EU entrants to UK higher

education institutions for the seventh year running. The UK is a world-leading

destination for study, with 4 universities in the world’s top 10 and 16 in the top 100 –

second only to the USA. We actively promote study in the UK through the GREAT

Campaign and to over 100 countries through the British Council.

That is why the government announced on 21 January that an international education

strategy will be produced by the Department for Education and the Department for

International Trade in 2019. The strategy will set out the government’s ambition for

international education, in which international students play a key role, and plans to

support the sector in driving growth in education exports.

In the Immigration White Paper, published on 19 December 2018, the UK

government proposed to increase the post-study leave period for international

students following completion of studies to 12 months for those completing a PhD,

and to 6 months for all full-time postgraduate students and undergraduate students at

institutions with degree awarding powers. Going beyond the recommendations set

out by the Migration Advisory Committee, these proposals will benefit tens of

thousands of international students.

Overseas Students: Finance


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the

Home Secretary on enabling access to student finance for people with leave to remain in

the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Skidmore:

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State meets with my right hon. Friend, the

Home Secretary and other Cabinet secretaries regularly to discuss the Department

for Education agenda.

Pre-school Education: Cooperatives

Tracy Brabin: [211360]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on

the proportion of early years providers that are co-operatives.

Nadhim Zahawi:

Information on early years providers that are co-operatives is not held centrally.

The department’s Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers collects data on

group-based providers, maintained providers and childminders. The survey is

published annually.



Pre-school Education: Disadvantaged


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the

specific funding needs of early-years settings in deprived communities where provision is

almost exclusively local authority funded.

Nadhim Zahawi:

We will be spending around £6 billion on childcare support in 2019-20 – a record

amount. That includes funding for our free early education entitlements, on which we

plan to spend around £3.5 billion this year alone.

The government’s Early Years National Funding Formula allocates funding to local

authorities for the purpose of delivering our early years entitlements. Our new formula

was introduced in April 2017 following extensive consultation and it includes an

additional needs factor to weight funding according to disadvantage.

To accompany the government response to the consultation, we published an

Equalities Impact Assessment looking into the effects of the formula on specific

groups. Both documents may be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/early-years-funding-changes-to-

funding-for-3-and-4-year-olds.

We also require local authority funding formulas, which allocate funding to providers,

to have a mandatory deprivation supplement.

The government recognises the need to keep the evidence base on costs up to date.

We continue to monitor the provider market closely through a range of regular and

one-off research projects which provide insight into various aspects of the provider

market.

Pupil Referral Units

Vicky Foxcroft: [211308]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average annual per pupil cost is of

a Pupil Referral Unit.

Nick Gibb:

Funding for alternative provision (AP) comes from the high needs block of the

dedicated schools grant and includes funding for Pupil Referral Units (PRUs).

Local authorities provide place funding of £10,000 for each AP place in a pupil

referral unit from their high needs budget. In addition, top up funding is paid by the

commissioner of AP and relates to additional costs above the £10,000 for each

individual pupil.

The Department estimates the per pupil cost of AP (including PRUs) to be £17,000

nationally.


https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/early-years-funding-changes-to-funding-for-3-and-4-year-olds




The Department’s data is based on actual reported spending by local authorities to

the Department and is a national average.[1] This does not capture spending on AP

by schools who might commission services directly.

Isos Partnership also published research in 2018, estimating the average cost of AP

to be £18,000 but this may be based on different methodology from the Department’s

internal analysis. Their analysis can be found here:


ent_data/file/752548/Alternative_Provision_Market_Analysis.pdf.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/section-251-materials.

Schools: Uniforms


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the timetable is for issuing statutory

guidance on school uniform affordability.

Nick Gibb:

The Department intends to put the school uniform guidance on a statutory footing

when a suitable legislative opportunity arises. No education bill was announced in the

most recent Queen’s speech, which set out the proposed legislative programme for

this session of Parliament.

Supply Teachers: Chemistry

Stephen Metcalfe: [210631]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many specialist chemistry supply

teachers are available in each region of England.

Nick Gibb:

The information requested is not held centrally.

The Department collects information on teacher numbers from the School Workforce

Census but does not hold information on the available number of supply teachers in

specialist subject areas.

Teachers: Pay


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate his Department has

made of the number of teachers who have received pay increases in line with the

recommendations of the School Teachers' Review Body since that organisation's July

2018 report.

Nick Gibb:

The information requested is not held centrally.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/752548/Alternative_Provision_Market_Analysis.pdf



https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/section-251-materials

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/section-251-materials




The School Workforce Census collects information for teachers’ salaries and is

available from the publications ‘School Workforce Census’ available at the following

web link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-workforce.

Teaching Assistants: Job Description

Vicky Foxcroft: [210657]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has issued a

standardised specification for the job description for teaching assistants.

Nick Gibb:

The Department has not issued a job description or specification for the role of

teaching assistants. It is for employers to define job roles and make decisions about

contracts of employment. The Education Endowment Foundation has published

evidence and guidance providing recommendations for the effective use of teaching

assistants in order to support employers further on this matter.

T-levels


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the

potential effect of the introduction of T Levels on the number of people starting B Tech

courses.

Anne Milton:

We want T levels and A levels to become the qualifications of choice for 16 to 19 year

olds taking level 3 classroom-based qualifications. T levels will offer a world-class

option for students who want to choose technical study over academic study.

Alongside the introduction of T levels, we have committed to carry out a review of

post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below. The review aims to simplify the current

qualification landscape at level 3 and below, so that all qualifications continuing to be

eligible for public funding will meet three principles: have a distinct purpose, are high

quality, and support progression to good outcomes.

We are conducting a two stage consultation and we will work closely with schools,

colleges, and others affected by the review to consider the full range of evidence

surrounding these qualifications.

William Torbitt School Ilford

Wes Streeting: [211266]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the

potential merits of the planned academisation of William Torbitt primary school in Ilford

North constituency.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-workforce

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-workforce





To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions his Department has had

with the London Borough of Redbridge on the proposed academisation of William Torbitt

primary school in Ilford North constituency.


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will allow William Torbitt primary school

in Ilford North to remain as a local authority school because of its recent increases in

standards.

Nadhim Zahawi:

It is right that the department acts robustly and quickly where there is evidence of

failure. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, is under a duty to

make an academy order for all maintained schools that have been judged Inadequate

by Ofsted, requiring them to become an academy and receive additional support from

a sponsor. We have a responsibility to ensure all pupils are getting a great education,

and we will be unapologetic in acting where pupils’ education is suffering. This school

was properly issued an Academy Order on 24 September 2018 following an

Inadequate judgement published on 18 September 2018.

The Regional Schools Commissioner for the East of England and North East London

has had discussions with the London Borough of Redbridge about the proposed

academisation of this school.

Ofsted revisited William Torbitt Primary School on 9 January 2019. The department

will consider the outcome of that inspection and whether the findings merit the

revocation of the Academy Order.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Air Pollution: Hospitals and Schools

Sue Hayman: [211248]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is

taking to ensure that nitrogen dioxide levels around hospitals and schools will be within

legal limits by 2025.

Dr Thérèse Coffey:

This is a devolved matter, including for London. In July 2017, we published the NO2

Plan, backed by £3.5 billion funding, which sets out the steps we are taking to reduce

NO2 concentrations in the shortest possible time on all roads currently breaching

legal limits, including any such roads located near schools and hospitals. We are

working with local authorities to identify measures to bring forward compliance, and

support them with guidance and funding. Additionally, we published our new world

leading Clean Air Strategy on 14 January this year, which contains new and

ambitious goals, legislation, investment and policies to help us to clean up our air

faster and more effectively.




Air Pollution: Schools


To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent

assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of air quality around schools

in Coventry; and if he will make a statement.


Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to review and assess local ambient

air quality, and are responsible for mitigation of air pollution where people are likely to

be exposed, such as at schools.

Defra provides guidance and support to local authorities on monitoring; positioning of

monitors is expected to be in line with national and local priorities, and may include

schools and other locations where there is high risk of public exposure.

Coventry City Council monitor for both NO 2 and PM 2.5 . The council has declared an

Air Quality Management Area for exceedances in levels on NO 2 and have been

updating their action plan to improve air quality in the city.

Government is working closely with 61 English local authorities, including Coventry

City Council, and has placed legal duties on them – underpinned by £495 million in

funding – to tackle their nitrogen dioxide exceedances.

Animal Welfare Act 2006

Emma Reynolds: [211718]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the

Government next plans to review compliance with the provisions of the Animal Welfare

Act 2006.

David Rutley:

Every year 800 to 1,000 people are successfully prosecuted for animal cruelty and

poor welfare. The Government has announced that it will increase the maximum

penalties for animal cruelty ten-fold from six months’ imprisonment to five years’

imprisonment. The EFRA Select Committee held inquiries into aspects of the Animal

Welfare Act 2006 in 2010/11 and in 2016, and the Government currently has no

immediate plans to further review compliance with the 2006 Act.

Animals: Trade


To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he

has made in developing a replacement for the Trade Control and Expert System required

after the UK leaves the EU.

David Rutley:

A replacement for the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) has been

developed and is currently being tested.




This new system allows importers to raise notifications of consignments bound for the

UK and enables port health authorities to carry out and record checks on imports.

Once the new system is ready to go live, importers with the greatest need will be

given access. This managed roll-out will enable us to further test and refine the

system before the full public release.

Beverage Containers: Recycling

Seema Malhotra: [211205]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he

has made on the consultation for a deposit return scheme as announced by his

Department on 28 March 2018.


Proposals are currently being developed for the model, scope and scale of a deposit

return scheme (DRS), and the consultation will be published shortly.

Biodiversity


To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, by what date his

Department plans to publish the UK's sixth national report to the United Nations

Convention on Biological Diversity; and if he will make a statement.


To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the UK's

sixth national report to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity was

submitted to the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity by the 31

December 2018 deadline; and if he will make a statement.


The UK’s sixth national report will set out the UK’s progress towards the goals and

targets set out in the global strategic plan for the United Nations Convention on

Biological Diversity (CBD). A draft report has been prepared and is in the final stages

of internal review prior to submission and publication. We aim to submit to the CBD in

the first quarter of this year.

The UK is committed to being the first generation to leave the environment in a better

state than we found it and we are committed to leading action globally on halting the

loss of biodiversity, including under the Convention on Biological Diversity.

We have undertaken consultation and review by specialists in the Government, NGO

and academic sector to ensure the report is based on best available evidence.




Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Statutory Instruments


To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will provide a

list of the titles of his Department’s draft statutory instruments subject to the affirmative

procedure which are awaiting debate in either House with (a) an indication of the order in

which he expects them to be scheduled for debate in each House, (b) the week in which

he expects that debate to take place and (c) the time he expects to be allocated for each

debate.

George Eustice:

Defra currently has a total of 56 planned statutory instruments subject to the

affirmative procedure. These will be scheduled for parliamentary debate in the usual

way, and their timings and duration will be published on gov.uk in due course.

The attached table includes the titles of these statutory instruments.

Attachments:

1. List of affirmative SIs [PQ 211247 List of affirmative SIs.docx]

Environment (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019

Dr David Drew: [211631]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment

he has made of the extent to which the draft Environment (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit)

Regulations 2019 (a) make policy changes, (b) will lead to a change in operational

delivery, (c) will impose additional costs on (i) business, (ii) individuals and (iii) the public

sector, (d) make changes to primary legislation, (e) will result in additional environmental

impacts compared with the legislation being amended and replaced and (f) are required

only in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.


In answer to the questions and assessment of the regulations:

A) they do not;

B) they do not;

C) they will not;

D) any changes to primary legislation are set out in the SI;

E) they do not

And

F) they are required to fulfil the commitment that EU law would be transferred into UK

law when the UK leaves the EU.



Fisheries

Mr Alistair Carmichael: [211133]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his

Department is taking to ensure that fishing limits are set in line with scientific

recommendations.

George Eustice:

Scientific advice received from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea

(ICES) about the condition of fish stocks underpins the process of negotiating

sustainable total allowable catches (TACs). The UK position is developed under the

principle that all proposals must be scientifically justified in light of ICES advice, and

deliver UK objectives for sustainable fisheries.

We also draw on bespoke scientific advice when developing specific management

measures. For example scientists at the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and

Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) evaluated a proposed package of technical measures

for a previously overexploited Nephrops stock in the Farn Deeps, and advised how

the package might reduce fishing mortality. Following the introduction of measures

informed by this scientific advice, the stock is now being fished within maximum

sustainable yield levels.

The UK has always been a strong advocate for MSY both in international agreements

and in negotiations over catch limits for stocks that we have an interest in. We remain

therefore committed to continuing to work under the principle of MSY and restore

stocks to healthy conditions as quickly as possible, including taking a precautionary

approach where necessary. This commitment is confirmed by the Fisheries Bill.

Floods and Water (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019


To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment

his Department has made of the extent to which the draft Floods and Water (Amendment

etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (a) make policy changes, (b) will lead to a change in

operational delivery, (c) will impose additional costs on (i) business, (ii) individuals and

(iii) the public sector, (d) make changes to primary legislation, (e) will result in additional

environmental impacts compared with the legislation being amended and replaced and (f)

are required only in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.


In answer to the questions and assessment of the regulations:

A) they do not;

B) they do not;

C) they will not;

D) any changes to primary legislation are set out in the SI;

E) they do not



And

F) they are required to fulfil the commitment that EU law would be transferred into UK

law when the UK leaves the EU.

Pets: Travel


To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason

guidance entitled, Taking your pet abroad if there's no Brexit deal, which was updated on

19 December 2018, was withdrawn on 11 January 2019; and if he will make a statement.

David Rutley:

Following our decision to leave the EU, Defra is working to make sure pet owners

wishing to travel with their pets to the EU after March 29 are made aware of any

potential changes to the pet travel scheme and what actions need to be taken. We

have taken the view that centralising this guidance is prudent to reacting quickly to

changes as needed as well as for clarity purposes.

For this reason, while the guidance issued on 24 September 2018 Taking your pet

abroad if there’s no Brexit deal remains active, it has been replaced with follow-up

advice on GOV.UK called “ Pet travel to Europe after Brexit ”.

While the information contained in this later release hasn’t changed from the previous

technical notice, it emphasises the need for owners to seek advice from their

veterinarian and also focuses on a “no deal” scenario, as opposed to the range of

possible scenarios discussed in the technical notice.

Seagulls

Anna Turley: [211364]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the

Answer of 14 January 2019 to Question 206880 on Special protection areas, when the

lesser black-backed gull is planned to be added as a qualifying feature to the Bowland

Fells SPA; and whether there are any remaining barriers to that being done.


There are no plans to do so.

Transport: Exhaust Emissions


To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his

Department is taking to help small businesses and individuals from low-income

households switch to cleaner forms of transport in order to improve air quality.


The government has allocated £3.5 billion to improve air quality. There are a number

of different ways this is being spent. For those areas identified in the 2017 Air Quality

Plan as eligible for assistance from the clean air fund, it is for local authorities to


https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/taking-your-pet-abroad-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/taking-your-pet-abroad-if-theres-no-brexit-deal



https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pet-travel-to-europe-after-brexit

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pet-travel-to-europe-after-brexit



consider what grants they may wish to apply for, including support for changes in

transport. The Government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) offers a

comprehensive support package enabling the take up of Ultra Low Emission Vehicles

(ULEVs) including cars, vans, taxis, buses and motorcycles; grants for supporting

consumers install charging infrastructure and funding for local authorities to support

those households without off street parking. There is also support for businesses to

install charge points at workplaces.

EXITING THE EUROPEAN UNION

Brexit

Mr Paul Sweeney: [210722]

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent discussions he

has had with his EU counterpart on extending Article 50.

Kwasi Kwarteng:

As the Prime Minister said in her statement to the House on Monday 21st January,

the Government is opposed to extending Article 50 and we are committed to leaving

the EU on 29 March 2019. In any case, the EU are very unlikely simply to agree to

extend Article 50 without a plan for how we are going to approve a deal.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Pay

Gareth Snell: [209883]

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what information his

Department holds on the rate of remuneration for (a) cleaners, (b) security guards and (c)

catering staff in his Department in (i) Greater London and (ii) outside Greater London.

Kwasi Kwarteng:

The Department does not directly employ any staff in the professions listed.

The Department leases its offices from other Government departments. Those

departments may employ staff either directly or via agencies. Therefore we do not

hold this information.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

British Nationals Abroad: Homicide


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the

Answer of 17 January 2019 to Question 208405, how many of those deaths abroad due

to murder or manslaughter were British citizens residing in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c)

Wales and (d) Northern Ireland.




Harriett Baldwin:

Our case management system does not break down numbers of British nationals

who died abroad by residency in Scotland, England, Wales or Northern Ireland.

British Overseas Territories: Companies

Dame Margaret Hodge: [211610]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reasonable

assistance his Department plans to give to the Overseas Territories to support the

implementation of public registers of beneficial ownership in accordance with section 51

of the 2018 Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act.

Sir Alan Duncan:

The FCO is working in conjunction with several other Government Departments and

Overseas Territories (OTs) to determine what assistance would be most useful.

As you are aware, the Minister of State Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon announced at the

Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council that OT-UK technical workshops would

be provided from spring 2019 to provide support.

The Government will also consider what financial support it will provide for territories

which are eligible for Official Development Assistance.


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reason

2023 has been established as the new deadline for the creation of public registers of

beneficial ownership in the Overseas Territories.

Sir Alan Duncan:

The Government will prepare draft legislation by the end of 2020, as required by the

Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018.

The Overseas Territories (OTs) will be expected to have public registers in place by

the end of 2023 in line with the UK Government's global campaign to make public

registers the global norm by then.

It is important that the OTs with financial centres meet international standards on tax

transparency and anti-money laundering. Most OTs are either currently being or due

to be evaluated by the Financial Action Task Force and are also working to deliver

their commitments to the EU Commission to prevent them being included on the EU's

list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions.


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what activities will

take place during the technical workshops to be held with the Overseas Territories for the

establishment of public registers of beneficial ownership.





To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the schedule

is for the technical workshops to be held with the Overseas Territories for the

establishment of public registers of beneficial ownership.

Sir Alan Duncan:

The FCO is working with other Government Departments to determine the possible

date, location and topics that should be included in the technical workshops.

Prior to the first technical workshop, the FCO will consult all of the Overseas

Territories to find out what topics they would find it useful to cover. This should

ensure that the sessions are appropriately designed.

For the workshops themselves, we will aim to provide expertise from a range of

Departments and Executive Agencies; including Companies House, the Department

for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Department for International

Development and the Home Office.

Chechnya: LGBT People

Stephen Doughty: [211779]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much funding

his Department has allocated to organisations supporting LGBT+ people facing

persecution in Chechnya in each year since 2015.

Sir Alan Duncan:

The UK Government provides long-term support for LGBT+ rights in Russia. Officials

from the British Embassy in Moscow have registered concerns about the situation for

LGBT+ people in Chechnya at a senior level with the Russian Ministry of Foreign

Affairs.

We currently provide funding to a number of NGOs working to counter violent

extremism and promote human rights and the rule of law in the North Caucasus.

Since 2015 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have made available significant

funding to support LGBT+ rights in Russia.


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent

representations his Department has made to the Russian officials on the persecution of

LGBT+ people in Chechnya.

Sir Alan Duncan:

As the Foreign Secretary and I made clear earlier this month, we are deeply

concerned about recent reports of a renewed wave of persecution of LGBT+ people

in Chechnya. Persecution for being LGBT+, in any country in the world, is abhorrent.

Following these renewed reports of persecution, the UK Government has worked

closely with international partners to communicate to Russia that persecution of

LGBT+ people in Chechnya is completely unacceptable. This includes joint




statements from the EU Spokesperson, from the EU to the OSCE (the latter of which

Russia is a member of) and the Equal Rights Coalition. We have focused on calling

out Russia’s lack of a credible investigation, and impunity for the perpetrators of this

persecution. We are now working to sustain this strong and united international

response.

Climate Change: International Cooperation



assessment he has made of the progress on international cooperation on tackling climate

change.

Mark Field:

The UK continues to push for greater international cooperation on climate change.

Last month at the Katowice COP 24 conference we reached an agreement on the

rulebook for Paris Agreement implementation, a crucial step towards international

accountability. However, all our assessments conclude that the current level of global

ambition is still not enough to meet the Paris goals of just over three years ago. We

need unprecedented and rapid action to reduce emissions and build resilience.

Minister of State for the Commonwealth and United Nations, Lord Ahmad, spoke just

last week at the UN Security Council on the need to do more, and the UK is leading

on Climate Resilience at the UN Secretary General's Climate Summit in September.

The UK takes the lead internationally on coal phase-out, renewable energy and zero

emission vehicles, amongst others, but we are clear that in order to meet the Paris

Agreement goals, all countries need to do more.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Human Rights


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his

Department is taking to promote human rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Harriett Baldwin:

The UK is deeply concerned by the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic

of the Congo (DRC). Human rights violations and abuses include; sexual and gender

based violence, arbitrary arrest and detention, extrajudicial killings as well as further

restrictions on democratic space.

In the run-up to the December 2018 elections, the UK (alongside UN and EU

colleagues) pressed the DRC Government to open up political space, release political

prisoners, lift a block on internet communications, recognise peoples' right to

peaceful assembly, and refrain from using excessive force against protesters.

On combatting sexual violence, the UK has helped fund Trial International, who

provide support for survivors, promote accountability for sexual violence crimes and



build local capacity to effectively document, investigate and litigate sexual violence

cases.

We continue to encourage the DRC Government to cooperate with the UN Human

Rights Council investigation into the human rights abuses in the Kasais area of

southern DRC bordering Angola.

India: Christianity


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make

representations to the Indian authorities on reports of increased anti-Christian activity and

persecution in large parts of that country; and what steps he plans to take to support the

resolution of those issues.

Mark Field:

The British High Commission in New Delhi, our network of Deputy High

Commissions, and FCO officials in London maintain a continuous assessment of the

situation across India, including Christian persecution. Our officials regularly meet

with Christian minority representatives. Most recently the British High Commission

highlighted the importance of Christian persecution to the UK Government with

India’s Ministry of External Affairs on 24 January 2019.

We shall continue to engage the Indian government and the wider international

community on this matter. We also run a number of projects working with minorities

to raise awareness of their rights and promote interfaith tolerance in India.

Israel: Palestinians


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps

he has taken towards a lasting peace between Israel and Palestine.

Harriett Baldwin:

The British Government believes a negotiated two-state solution is in the firm

interests of both Israel and the Palestinians. We regularly press both parties to

resume direct negotiations towards two-state solution. Most recently at the Security

Council Open Debate on the Middle East on 22 January the UK's Permanent

Representative to the UN reiterated our belief that negotiations will only succeed

when they are conducted between Israelis and Palestinians, supported by the

international community.

Malaysia: Paralympic Games

Lee Rowley: [210726]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what

representations he has made to his Malaysian counterpart since that country’s decision to




ban Israeli swimmers from participating in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Qualifiers it is due

to host in July 2019.

Mark Field:

We do not agree with Malaysian Government's position on the banning of Israeli

athletes. It is fundamentally wrong. Israeli athletes should not be banned from

competing. The UK government strongly supports the principle of inclusiveness of the

Olympic movement.

I raised our concerns with the Malaysian Minister for Education, Dr Maszlee bin Malik

on the 22 January. The British High Commissioner in Kuala Lumpur has done

likewise with the Malaysian Foreign Minister. We will continue to raise our strong

objection with the Malaysian authorities.

Sudan: Demonstrations


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the

Government is taking to protect health professionals from the violence being perpetrated

by Sudanese security forces during the current protests in that country.

Harriett Baldwin:

The UK remains deeply concerned by the level of violence and tactics used by the

Government of Sudan in response to peaceful protests, in particular at reports of the

targeting of medical facilities and those providing assistance. Both bilaterally and

alongside Troika partners, we have called for restraint by the Government of Sudan

and raised at the highest levels our specific concern regarding the treatment of health

professionals. Most recently, I raised my concerns with the Sudanese Foreign

Minister on 22 January, stressing the need for an end to violence and for much

needed political reforms.

Syria: Conflict Resolution



diplomatic steps he has taken to help secure a resolution to the conflict in Syria.

Harriett Baldwin:

I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Minister for the Middle East and North

Africa gave to the hon. Member for Manchester, Withington on 22 January, Official

Report.Transcript here.

The Government support and keep in close contact with the UN-led political process

to end the Syrian conflict. We have used our relationships and convening power to

encourage progress, including by hosting the then UN special envoy Staffan de

Mistura and the Syria small group of like-minded countries. We are also engaging

with the new UN envoy, who has our full support.



Turkey: Politics and Government


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the

Government is taking to help protect political and ethnic groups that are being targeted by

the Turkish Government.

Sir Alan Duncan:

We have made clear to the Turkish Government the importance we place on respect

for democratic standards and the human rights of all Turkish citizens, regardless of

their ethnicity or political affiliation. Through our Embassy in Ankara we support a

range of civil society activity, including projects aimed at improving minority rights.

We will continue to engage with Turkey on these important issues.

UK Relations with EU



discussions he has had with his European counterparts on continued diplomatic

cooperation with the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

Sir Alan Duncan:

Last week the Foreign Secretary attended the Foreign Affairs Council with all his EU

counterparts. He also held separate bilateral meetings with some of them. It was

clear that the EU and its Member States value highly the UK's contribution to

European foreign and security policy and want this to continue. At the EU Informal

Minister's meeting this week he will continue to discuss future co-operation with EU

counterparts. The ambitious future relationship set out in the Political Declaration will

enable this to continue, allowing the UK and our European allies to cooperate closely

to tackle the common threats we face and promote the values and interests we

share.

Zimbabwe: Internet and Social Media

Patrick Grady: [211263]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment

he has made of the validity of recent reports of internet and social media shutdowns by

the Government in Zimbabwe.

Harriett Baldwin:

We are aware that the Zimbabwean Government shut down the internet and blocked

a number of social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp from

January 15.

On 17 January, I summoned the Zimbabwean Ambassador and urged the

Zimbabwean Government to stop the disproportionate use of force, investigate any

alleged human rights violations and restore full access to the internet. On 21 January,




the Foreign Secretary repeated this call in a public message to President

Mnangagwa.

We welcome the 21 January ruling of the Zimbabwean High Court that overturned the

government decision to shut down the internet.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

Joan Ryan: [211079]


discussions he has had with the Commonwealth Secretariat and his Commonwealth

counterparts on the political and security situation in Zimbabwe.

Harriett Baldwin:

I attended the EU-AU Ministerial meeting in Brussels on January 21 where I

discussed a range of issues, including Zimbabwe, with counterparts. I will continue to

raise the political and security situation in Zimbabwe with key interlocutors, including

those from Commonwealth states.

I have not had any recent discussions with the Commonwealth Secretariat but

officials from the FCO and DFID remain in regular contact. The UK would not support

Zimbabwe's membership of the Commonwealth at this time because of credible

reports of human rights violations by the security forces.

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

Accident and Emergency Departments

Luciana Berger: [211319]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the The

Nuffield Trust paper published on 30 December 2018, what steps his Department is

taking to address the increased likelihood that patients residing in deprived areas will be

admitted as an emergency compared to those in less deprived areas.

Stephen Hammond:

The Department has noted the Nuffield Trust’s blog ‘Are parts of England 'left behind'

by the NHS?’.

The Government wants to ensure everyone from all walks of life has the same

opportunity for a long, healthy life. The Department’s prevention vision puts

prevention at the heart of the nation’s health, shifting the focus from treatment of

individual conditions to improving long term health and putting more resource into

primary and community care.

The NHS Long Term Plan sets out how the National Health Service will develop over

the coming years and take stronger action surrounding health inequalities. NHS

England has committed to ensuring a higher share of funding goes towards



geographies with high health inequalities. This funding is estimated to be worth over

£1 billion by 2023/24.

Additionally, NHS England will commission the Advisory Committee on Resource

Allocation to conduct and publish a review of the inequalities adjustment to the

funding formulae.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Seema Malhotra: [211209]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he plans to

hold with BAME communities on the development of a new alcohol strategy.

Steve Brine:

The Government continues to hold regular discussions on the options for future

alcohol policy development. Officials across Government will continue to engage with

a variety of groups and communities in the development of alcohol policy to help

understand where we are falling short and what more we can do.

Breast Cancer

Nic Dakin: [211253]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of

the funding required to ensure that all women with secondary breast cancer have access

to (a) a clinical nurse specialist and (b) the required expertise and support.

Nic Dakin: [211254]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Long

Term Plan, whether it is his policy that all women with secondary breast cancer will have

access to a dedicated clinical nurse specialist with the skills, time and resources to

support them.

Steve Brine:

The NHS Cancer Programme aims to improve access to cancer Clinical Nurse

Specialists (CNS) for all cancer patients when they need it, including those with

secondary breast cancer. The new NHS Long Term Plan commitment is that all

patients, including those with secondary cancers, will have access to the right

expertise and support, including a CNS or other support worker by 2021. Following

publication of the Long Term Plan, Health Education England will work with NHS

England and NHS Improvement to understand the longer-term workforce implications

for further development of cancer services. This will include work to expand the

number of CNS and develop clear CNS competencies and routes into training.




Continuing Care

Mr Clive Betts: [211100]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people received

continuing health care in each Care Commission Group; and the cost of that care in each

of the last five years.

Caroline Dinenage:

A table showing the number of cases found eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare

(CHC) during the years from 2013-14 to 2017-18 is attached. The table refers to the

clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) at that time; the total is for both standard and

fast track NHS CHC.

Tables showing CCG total NHS CHC expenditure by year, 2013-14 to 2017-18 is

attached. Due to different number of weeks paid for in a care package, it is not

possible to calculate an average package cost. Activity and cost data cannot

therefore be used to approximate cost per person.

Attachments:

1. PQ211100 attached table [PQ211100 Annex B cost of CHC by CCG.xlsx]

2. PQ211100 attached table [PQ211100 Annex A Number eligible by CCG format.xlsx]

Department of Health and Social Care: Brexit

Layla Moran: [211946]


the number of (a) procurement processes his Department has run for contracts for after

the UK leaves the EU since 23 June 2016 and (b) bids his Department has received from

suppliers for services for after the UK has left the EU.

Stephen Hammond:

The Department uses BravoAdvantage e-procurement system for running

procurement processes. This system captures all procurement activity where the

strategic procurement team is involved. BravoAdvantage was introduced in

December 2017, therefore only procurements after this date can be extracted.

There are 29 contracts that extend beyond the date the United Kingdom plans to

leave the European Union. There were 161 tender responses in respect of those

contracts.

Diabetes: Young People

Tom Watson: [211689]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people under 21

years old have developed Type 2 diabetes in each of the last five years in each region of

England.




Steve Brine:

The following table shows the number of people who were diagnosed with ‘Type 2 or

other diabetes’ when aged 20 years or under in each of the five calendar years 2013

to 2017, by Strategic Clinical Network.

STRATEGIC

CLINICAL

NETWORK 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

East Midlands 30 45 65 65 75

East of

England

55 80 70 85 85

Greater

Manchester

and Eastern

Cheshire

25 45 35 55 60

London 100 115 135 135 170

North West

Coast -

Cheshire

Warrington and

Wirral

15 10 10 15 10

North West

Coast -

Lancashire and

South Cumbria

15 20 25 25 25

North West

Coast -

Merseyside

15 10 15 15 10

Northern

England

Clinical

Network

35 35 40 50 50

South East 30 40 45 55 60

South West 40 40 45 70 65

Thames Valley 25 20 30 30 35

Wessex 30 25 30 40 50

STRATEGIC

CLINICAL

NETWORK 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

West Midlands 80 80 90 95 140

Yorkshire and

The Humber

80 75 85 95 110

No clinical

commissioning

group available

in the data to

map to Clinical

Network

10 15 15 25 35

Source: National Diabetes Audit (NDA)

Note:

Disclosure control has been applied to all figures, as per the NDA publication - all

numbers are rounded to the nearest 5, unless the number is 1 to 7, in which case it is

rounded to ‘5’.

Drugs: Price Controls

Dr Philippa Whitford: [211796]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times his

Department imposed financial penalties on pharmaceutical companies for failure to

comply with regulations under the Medical Supplies (Costs) Act 2017 for (a) exceeding a

price cap and (b) failure to record or provide requested information under a statutory

scheme.

Steve Brine:

The Department has not imposed any penalties under regulations made under any

powers in the NHS Act 2006 as amended by the Health Service Medical Supplies

(Costs) Act 2017.

Eyesight: Children

Diana Johnson: [211175]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is

taking to encourage parents and carers to have their children's eyes examined by an

optometrist from the age of three as recommended by the Association of Optometrists.





taking to ensure that parents and carers are aware that children under 16 years old are

entitled to NHS-funded sight tests.

Steve Brine:

The Department does not recommend that all children have their first sight test

around the age of three.

The United Kingdom National Screening Committee recommends that vision

screening should be offered to all children aged four to five years rather than routine

sight tests for younger children. This approach is supported by the Royal College of

Ophthalmologists as well as the British and Irish Orthoptic Society. Local authorities

(LAs) have responsibility for commissioning this as local screening services. Public

Health England has made available guidance to support LAs to commissioning such

services.

All children under the age of 16 are entitled to free National Health Service sight

tests. Information about the availability of NHS funded sight tests for children is

widely available including being publicised on the NHS website (formerly NHS

Choices). The NHS Business Services Authority also provides information on

eligibility for NHS funded sight tests. Optical practices providing NHS sight tests are

required to display a notice and a leaflet showing the services available under the

NHS as well as listing the groups who are entitled to free NHS funded sight tests.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure

that the Personal Child Health Record includes information that (a) parents and carers

can take children to an optometrist for regular eye examinations and (b) children under 16

years old are entitled to NHS-funded sight tests and an optical voucher.

Steve Brine:

The Personal Child Health Record, also known as the PCHR or 'red book', is a

national standard health and development record given to parents/carers at a child's

birth. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health is responsible for overseeing

the content of the PCHR. Further information on the PCHR is available at the

following link:

https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/personal-child-health-record-pchr

In November 2013 the United Kingdom National Screening Committee (UK NSC) re-

affirmed its recommendation that child vision screening between four and five years

of age should be offered by an orthoptic-led service. Vision defects looked for in the

school age screening test should include amblyopia and refractive error. The UK

NSC were aware of issues around quality and consistency of the current vision

screening service in the UK and in October 2017 published a suite of resources to





help improve quality and provision of service in all four countries; these are available

to view at the following link:

https://phescreening.blog.gov.uk/2017/10/24/vision-screening-comes-of-age-new-

resources-now-available/

Fibromyalgia

Thelma Walker: [211936]


taking to support families with members who have fibromyalgia syndrome.

Steve Brine:

The Department is committed to making sure people with long term conditions

receive the personalised care and support they need. Where suitable, loved ones and

carers should be involved in tailoring care options.

Last summer the Department published a Carers Action Plan, setting out a cross-

Government programme of targeted work to support carers over the next two years

and will also ensure a clear focus on carers in the forthcoming Adult Social Care

Green Paper. The Department is clear that planning for people with long term

conditions should involve loved ones and carers. The aim is supporting carers to

provide care as they would wish, and to do so in a way that supports their own health

and wellbeing.

As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, published on 7 January 2019, NHS England

is taking action in range of areas to improve the care treatment and support provided

to people with neurological conditions including rolling out the NHS Comprehensive

Model of Personalised Care across the country, reaching 2.5 million people by

2023/24.

General Practitioners

Helen Hayes: [211831]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the proposals

in the NHS Long Term Plan for online GP appointments, what steps his Department is

taking to ensure health services remain accessible to people without internet access.

Steve Brine:

Online appointments are being developed to enhance and support existing general

practice services and will give patients more choice on how they access services.

This approach is in addition to not a substitute for more traditional ways of seeing a

general practitioner or nurse at a patient’s own registered practice. Patients who do

not wish to use this way of accessing services are still able to get a face to face or

telephone appointments.

Everyone across the country can now also access general practice appointments in

the evenings and weekends, which will provide an estimated nine million additional

appointments per year. This means that patients can see a doctor, nurse or other

https://phescreening.blog.gov.uk/2017/10/24/vision-screening-comes-of-age-new-resources-now-available/





member of the practice team at a time that is convenient to them, 365 days per years

including on bank holidays.

Genito-urinary Medicine: Finance


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the research

undertaken by The King’s Fund published on 30 December 2018, for what reason there

has been a 13 per cent reduction in funding for sexual health services between 2013 and

2017 despite an increase in attendance for those services.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the research

entitled Sexual health services and the importance of prevention, published by the King’s

Fund 30 December 2018, for what reason there has been a 13 per cent reduction in

funding for those services.

Steve Brine:

It is for local authorities to assess local needs, and to secure services to meet those

needs in line with their statutory responsibilities which include provision of open

access sexual health services. Local authorities determine levels of spending on

individual services they commission.

Health Professions: Pay

Jonathan Ashworth: [211283]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS England (a)

nurses, (b) doctors and (c) allied healthcare professionals are employed on salaries

below £30,000 per year in each (a) hospital and (b) NHSTrust; and if he will make a

statement.

Stephen Hammond:

NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce

statistics for England. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical

commissioning groups (CCGs), but not staff working in primary care, local authorities

or other providers.

The attached table shows the number of doctors, nurses and health visitors and allied

healthcare professional staff whose total earnings are under £30,000 in National

Health Service trusts, CCGs, Support Organisations and Central Bodies in England,

between October 2017 and September 2018, headcount.

These figures use the total annual earnings of staff which includes basic pay and

non-basic pay elements. Non-basic pay includes, where applicable, unsocial hours

payments, on call payments and high cost area supplements. These figures also

include staff working on a part time basis, who tend to have lower annual earnings




than those on full time contracts. It is possible that if a part time member of staff

worked full time, they would earn more than £30,000.

Attachments:

1. PQ211283 attached data [PQ211283 Doctors NursesHVs and AHPs less than 30K Sept

2018 (002).xlsx]

Healthy Start Scheme


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the public consultation on

the Government’s Healthy Start scheme he plans to publish.

Jackie Doyle-Price:

We are considering a range of options for consulting on Healthy Start vouchers and

will confirm our intentions shortly.

HIV Infection: Drugs


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will increase the number of

places on the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Impact Trial so that no one who could

benefit from PrEP is denied that opportunity.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department

has made of the number of people that will be infected with HIV as a result of being

unable to access the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Impact Trial.

Steve Brine:

The Department recognises the importance of the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)

impact trial. NHS England has announced it supports expansion of the trial and we

are actively considering the next steps in relation to PrEP.

The Department has not made any assessment of the number of people that will be

infected with HIV as a result of being unable to access the trial. Where centres are

closed to recruitment there are arrangements in place to re-direct people to other trial

centres.

Influenza: Vaccination

Norman Lamb: [211142]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his

Department has made of the merits of funding the free influenza vaccine for social care

staff.

Steve Brine:

Flu vaccination of social care workers is recommended to protect staff, protect

vulnerable users and to contribute to resilience of the health and social care system

in the winter, including prevention of outbreaks in care homes.





In October 2017, NHS England announced additional funding to support vaccination

of frontline social care staff working in residential and care homes and in the

community and offering direct care to vulnerable people. The 2017/18 NHS seasonal

flu programme offered by general practices and community pharmacy was extended

to include frontline social care staff. This was continued in 2018/19 and extended to

frontline health and care staff working in the voluntary managed hospice sector. This

scheme is intended to complement, not replace, any established occupational health

schemes that employers have in place to offer the flu vaccination to their workforce.

Norman Lamb: [211143]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his

Department has made of the merits of monitoring influenza vaccination uptake among

social care staff.

Steve Brine:

Frontline social care workers should be provided with influenza vaccine by their

employer, with some staff able to access vaccination from their general practitioner or

community pharmacy in a scheme funded by NHS England. Collecting

comprehensive uptake data at a national level would be challenging. Most social care

organisations do not have appropriate systems in place either to deliver influenza

vaccine or collect uptake information and there are a large number of organisations,

many independent, in the sector.

In 2016/17, Public Health England undertook a pilot data collection in a sample of

320 care homes across England with a response rate of 51%. 70% of responding

care homes do not have systems in place to collect data on staff influenza

vaccination. In addition, only 38% of the responding care homes in the study sample

provided data on vaccine uptake despite considerable local follow-up.

For the 2018/19 season, NHS England is collecting data on the number of social care

workers that access vaccination through the scheme they fund for some staff.

Lung Diseases

Paul Farrelly: [211682]


taking to (a) detect and diagnose lung disease earlier and (b) support people with chronic

respiratory conditions to manage their health.

Steve Brine:

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those with respiratory

disease.

Respiratory disease is a clinical priority within the recently published NHS Long Term

Plan. This has the overarching objective of improving outcomes for people with

respiratory disease. The Long Term Plan sets out how the National Health Service

will take action in a number of areas. This includes expanding programmes that

support earlier diagnosis of respiratory disease including the pioneering lung health



checks trialled in Manchester and Liverpool; increasing access to proven treatments

such as pulmonary rehabilitation (a structured exercise and education programme for

those with chronic respiratory disease and breathlessness); and improving support

for those with chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma to receive and use the

correct medications.

The NHS Long Term Plan will build on a range of existing national initiatives focussed

on the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory disease, some of which are detailed

below.

The NHS Outcomes Framework sets out the Department’s priority areas for the NHS,

and includes reducing deaths from respiratory disease as a key indicator.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) publishes quality

standards that define best practice and areas in need of improvement for a range of

respiratory illnesses including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),

asthma and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, with the aim of raising the standard of care

that people with these conditions receive. NICE quality standards cover both

diagnosis and treatment.

The NHS RightCare COPD pathway is being rolled out nationally through clinical

commissioning groups and defines the core components of an optimal service for

people with COPD. This includes timely access to pulmonary rehabilitation as part of

the optimal treatment pathway.

The Department and NHS England are supportive of the National Asthma and COPD

Audit Programme. Launched in March 2018 and led by the Royal College of

Physicians, this programme aims to improve quality of care, services, and clinical

outcomes for patients with asthma and COPD by collecting and providing data on a

range of indicators.

Furthermore, NHS England commissions treatments for rare or complex respiratory

conditions through the Specialised Respiratory Clinical Reference Group, which is

chaired by Professor Mike Morgan. This includes specialist treatment for pulmonary

hypertension, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and severe asthma among other

conditions.

The Department also funds research on respiratory illnesses through the National

Institute for Health Research.

Paul Farrelly: [211683]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding will be

allocated to the respiratory programme set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.

Steve Brine:

NHS England is not able to release exact figures at present.

The National Implementation Framework, to be published in the spring, will provide

further information on how the Long Term Plan will be implemented. Further details,


based on local health system five year plans, will be brought together in a detailed

national implementation plan in the autumn.

Mental Health and Employers Independent Review


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the

Backbench Business Committee debate on Mental Health First Aid on 17 January 2019,

Official Report columns 1366-1395, what steps the Government has taken to implement

each of the recommendations of the Farmer-Stevenson review.



Backbench Business Committee debate on Mental Health First Aid on 17 January 2019

Official Report columns 1366-1395, by what date the Government plans to ensure that

the recommendations of the Farmer-Stevenson review that are not yet implemented are

implemented.



Backbench Business debate on Mental Health First Aid of 17 January 2019, how the

Government plans to make employers aware of examples of best practice concerning

mental health in the workplace.

Jackie Doyle-Price:

The review’s 40 recommendations covered proposals for how the standards should

be communicated and promoted, and suggestions for wider policy change. Following

the Prime Minister’s acceptance of the recommendations that apply to the Civil

Service and NHS England as major employers, both have made progress in

implementing these.

Significant progress has been made in the public sector. The National Health Service

is implementing the mental health standards through the new single NHS Workforce

Health and Wellbeing Framework, which was published on 16 May 2018 and shared

with NHS organisations. The Civil Service has benchmarked all main Government

departments and their agencies/non-Departmental public bodies against the core and

enhanced mental health standards to identify best practice and areas requiring

further action. On 18 July 2018, the Work and Health Unit and the Local Government

Association held a Public Sector Summit which brought together public sector leaders

and experts to share best practice on mental health support and how the review’s

recommendations are being implemented and championed by employers in this

sector.

With regards to the private sector, we have promoted the standards through a range

of communication channels. We have also recently established the Thriving at Work

Leadership Council which met on 17 January 2019 and consists of a range of

business representatives and leading trade associations. The council will continue to




meet throughout 2019 and provide a platform to champion the core and enhanced

standards and explore innovative solutions to further drive their implementation and

take up.

Work is also underway on the policy recommendations.

Mental Health Services: Training



the number of mental health counsellors who have undertaken Improving Access to

Psychological Therapies training in each year for which data is available.

Jackie Doyle-Price:

The information is not available in the format requested.

Mental Health Services: Young People

Kate Hollern: [210635]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to

ensure that young people with mental health problems can access treatment on the NHS.

Jackie Doyle-Price:

In June last year the Government announced a £20.5 billion annual real terms uplift

for the National Health Service by 2023/24. Following this, the NHS has published its

Long Term Plan which sets out what the NHS will deliver for patients over the coming

years. An additional investment of £2.3 billion a year will go into the NHS for mental

health services by 2023/24, ensuring growth in investment in mental health services

for children and young people faster than both NHS spending and mental health

spending overall.

Over the next five years, the NHS will therefore continue to invest in expanding

access to community-based mental health services to meet the needs of more

children and young people, so that by 2023/24 at least an additional 345,000 children

and young people aged 0-25 will be able to access support via NHS funded mental

health services and school or college-based Mental Health Support Teams.

Mental Health: Schools




Official Report columns 1366-1395, by what date the Government plans to ensure that at

least one member of staff in each primary and secondary school has received mental

health first aid training.








by what date the Government plans to put out to tender the contracts to provide mental

health first aid training for a primary school staff member in each school.

Jackie Doyle-Price:

This Government has committed to ensuring that at least one member of staff in

every secondary school will receive mental health ‘first aid’ training by 2020 to enable

school staff to spot common signs of mental health issues, and to help children and

young people receive appropriate support.

During the 2017 general election, the Conservative manifesto also pledged to extend

the existing commitment to deliver mental health first aid training to all primary

schools by the end of parliament. The Department of Health and Social Care is

working with the Department for Education to explore the appropriate procurement

options to deliver this commitment.

National FGM Centre: Finance

Sarah Champion: [210639]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans

to allocate future funding to the National FGM Centre.

Jackie Doyle-Price:

The Department has no plans to allocate future funding to the National FGM Centre.

NHS Trusts: Greater London

Matthew Pennycook: [211306]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to his oral contribution

of 7 January 2019, Official Report, column 84, on NHS Long Term Plan, when he plans to

write to the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich with further details of the effect of

changes to the market forces factor on funding for NHS Trusts in London to be allocated

as part of the Plan.

Matthew Pennycook: [211307]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made

of the effect of changes to the market forces factor on future funding for NHS Trust and

Clinical Commissioning Groups in London.

Stephen Hammond:

NHS England is responsible for decisions on the weighted capitation formula used to

allocate resources between clinical commissioning group (CCGs). NHS England take

advice from the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation, a group of academics

and other experts. This process is independent of Government.

The CCG allocation formula takes account of unavoidable cost differences between

areas by applying the Market Forces Factor (MFF) to all services except for

prescribing.




The MFF has not been updated in nearly ten years so it was right that this has been

reviewed as part of the changes made in the Long Term Plan. NHS England and

Improvement are responsible for updating the methodology and underlying data used

to calculate the MFF.

The proposed changes would result in changes in income and allocations for some

providers and commissioners. Changes would be implemented over five years to

phase the impact on providers.

My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will write to the

hon. Member shortly.

NHS: Agency Workers


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 7 of the

NAO Report of 18 January 2019 on NHS financial stability, what assessment his

Department has made of the additional cost of agency staff as a result of staff shortages.

Stephen Hammond:

The Department recognises that staff shortages can mean trusts are required to

recruit temporary staff through agencies to maintain safe staffing levels. Whilst a

certain degree of temporary staffing is desirable to efficiently manage variable

demand, engaging these staff through recruitment agencies is expensive, meaning

trusts cannot always secure value for money.

To manage this cost, we are working with NHS Improvement to implement a number

of measures to reduce agency expenditure and to support trusts to develop their own

in-house staff banks, whereby individuals directly employed by the National Health

Service can be deployed to fill a temporary shift, avoiding agency commission and

the premium often charged by agencies. As a result of this work, total agency

expenditure across NHS trusts in England has fallen from a peak of £3.6 billion in

2015/16 to £2.4 billion in 2017/18 – a £1.2 billion reduction.

The NHS Improvement Agency Programme is committed to further reducing agency

spend by monitoring trusts’ compliance with the Agency Rules and supporting them

to develop their in-house banks in a way that makes better use of workforce

deployment technology, such as e-rostering and acuity modelling.

NHS: Drugs

Ruth George: [211348]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps NHS England will

take to encourage the uptake of innovative and cost-effective medicines as set out in the

2019 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access.

Steve Brine:

The 2019 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access contains

ambitions to improve patients’ outcomes and the health gain from medicines spend



by simplifying, streamlining and improving access, pricing and uptake arrangements

for cost-effective medicines; and delivering faster adoption of the most clinically and

cost-effective medicines.

This will be supported by changes to the National Institute for Health and Care

Excellence’s value assessment of new products, availability of increased commercial

flexibility, and support for the National Health Service to increase uptake where

appropriate. Use of products, particularly those which provide greatest health gain for

patients, will be monitored and reviewed through this scheme. NHS England is

developing a cohesive commercial framework to support this.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times he has used

his powers under the Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs) Act 2017 to impose lower

prices on unbranded generic or off-patent medicines sold to the NHS; and how many

companies have had lowered prices as a result of those powers.

Steve Brine:

The Department has not used its powers under the NHS Act 2006, as amended by

the Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs) Act 2017, to limit prices of generic

medicines. The Department continues to work with the Competition and Markets

Authority on the cases they are taking forward. It has also put in place the Health

Service Products (Provision and Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2018 that

support its price setting powers. It is currently preparing a consultation with industry

representative bodies on proposals for implementation of the price setting powers.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the NHS' spend on

unbranded generic or off-patent medicines has reduced since the Health Service Medical

Supplies (Costs) Act 2017 came into force.

Steve Brine:

Spend on generic medicines in primary care went down by 4% in 2017/18 compared

to 2016/17 whilst the number of items dispensed remained broadly stable.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has

made an (a) assessment of the equity of the level of remuneration for special medicinal

products sold to the NHS and (b) estimate of what is an equitable amount of

remuneration; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Brine:

In the period from December 2017 to November 2018, the Department spent £65

million on specials in primary care in England. That is 0.7% of spend on medicines in

primary care. Spend on specials has reduced significantly since 2010 when it was

£136 million. This is the consequence of a reduction in the prescribing of specials and

the introduction of reimbursement prices for the most commonly prescribed specials.

Specials listed with a price in the Drug Tariff incentivise community pharmacies to




source the special at the lowest price possible which creates a competitive market

and reduces costs. Out of the £65 million spent on specials in 2018, £20 million was

spent on specials listed with a price in the Drug Tariff covering more than half of the

items dispensed. The Department aims to include more specials with a

reimbursement price in the Drug Tariff and seek alternative arrangements for specials

that are not commonly prescribed and therefore cannot be listed with a

reimbursement price. Potential savings will depend on the specials which can be

listed with a Drug Tariff reimbursement price and the approach taken for those which

cannot.

NHS: Migrant Workers

Keith Vaz: [R] [210018]


the number of nurses and non-clinical staff paid under £30,000 per annum who will be

able to continue to work in the UK after the UK leaves the EU.

Stephen Hammond:

The United Kingdom’s future immigration system is set out in the Government’s

Immigration White Paper, which was published on 19 December 2018. At the time of

publication, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department

announced that the salary threshold would be the subject of further engagement. The

Government is continuing to work with employers, representative bodies and charities

in the health and social care sector to help contribute to the discussion on an

appropriate threshold.

European Union nationals currently working in the health and social care sectors can

apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to secure their long-term status in the UK. The

scheme is now open and, further to the Prime Minister’s announcement on 21

January 2019, from 30 March 2019 onwards, EU nationals will not have to pay for

their application. Any application made before that date, including those that have

already been made, will be reimbursed.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many EEA nationals from

countries other than the UK were employed in the NHS in each year since 2015.

Stephen Hammond:

NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce

statistics. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning

groups, but not staff working in primary care, local authorities or other providers.

The following table shows the headcount figures for all HCHS staff in England who

have specified an European Economic Area (EEA) nationality as at 30 September for

each of the years specified.



2015 2016 2017 2018

HCHS staff who

have specified an

EEA nationality

371 401 432 467

HCHS staff who

have specified an

EU27 nationality

52,808 59,796 61,974 63,484

Source: National Health Service HCHS quarterly workforce statistics, NHS Digital

NHS: Redundancy


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department

spent on NHS staff redundancies in each financial year since 2010; and if he will publish

an anonymised list detailing the value of each individual redundancy payment.

Stephen Hammond:

The following table shows the cost of National Health Service exit packages in each

financial year from 2010 to 2018:

FINANCIAL YEAR ENDING 31 MARCH TOTAL COST OF EXIT PACKAGES (£ MILLION)

2011 475.7

2012 417.3

2013 429.7

2014 180.2

2015 178.1

2016 122.1

2017 91.0

2018 89.6

The list detailing the value of individual redundancy payments since April 2010 is not

held.

NHS: Redundancy Pay


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average cost per staff

member has been of redundancy payments in the NHS since May 2010; what the largest



individual redundancy payment has been for that period; how many such redundancies

involved an individual redundancy payment of over (a) £50,000, (b) £100,000 and (c)

£200,000; and what the total cost to the public purse has been of those redundancies.

Stephen Hammond:

The following table shows the average cost of exit packages per staff member in

each financial year from 2010 to 2018:

FINANCIAL YEAR ENDING 31 MARCH AVERAGE COST OF EXIT PACKAGES (£)

2011 51,136

2012 43,431

2013 36,567

2014 29,945

2015 33,021

2016 26,877

2017 20,800

2018 20,841

Information on the largest individual redundancy payment since May 2010 is not held

The following table shows the number and total cost of exit packages by cost banding

in each financial year from 2010 to 2018:

£50,001 TO £100,000 £100,001 TO £200,000

OVER

£200,000

Number Cost (£

million)

Number Cost (£

million)

Number Cost (£

million)

2011 875 88.3 380 78.6 56 86.2

2012 739 152.6 304 40.2 69 18.7

2013 1,237 88.9 575 80.5 131 36.1

2014 804 56.3 272 36.2 33 8.6

2015 647 44.8 290 40.2 79 20.3

2016 503 35.7 189 25.2 17 7.2

2017 320 22.8 147 19.7 3 0.6

2018 342 24.1 137 19.0 5 1.3

NHS: Re-employment


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS staff have been

made redundant and subsequently re-employed by NHS organisations on a (a)

permanent basis and (b) fixed-term contract basis since May 2010.

Stephen Hammond:

The following table shows the number of redundancies from 2010/11 financial year to

2017/18 financial year and those subsequently re-employed up to the end of

September 2018. As time goes by the numbers of those returning is likely to increase

in relation to those made redundant in previous years.

YEAR REDUNDANCIES RETURNED

RETURNED ON

PERMANENT

CONTRACT

RETURNED ON

FIXED-TERM

CONTRACT

2010/11 5,521 1,383 790 593

2011/12 6,820 1,676 1,008 668

2012/13 6,750 1,624 1,015 609

2013/14 4,637 1,132 774 358

2014/15 3,690 856 567 289

2015/16 3,221 690 455 235

2016/17 2,405 468 312 156

2017/18 2,243 363 230 133

These estimates are derived from un-validated data from the Electronic Staff Record

(ESR) Data Warehouse, and so only cover redundancies from, and re-employment

to, those organisations that use the ESR. The ESR Data Warehouse is a monthly

snap shot of the live ESR system, which is the HR and payroll system that covers all

National Health Service employees other than those working in general practice, two

NHS foundation trusts that have chosen not to use the system, and organisations to

which functions have been transferred, such as local authorities.

In cases where an individual has been made redundant on more than one occasion

only the first redundancy is counted. In cases where an individual returns more than

once only the first case after the redundancy is included.


NHS: Waiting Lists


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, over what time period targets

will be met for (a) a four hour maximum wait at accident and emergency, (b) a maximum

18 week wait for non-urgent consultant-led treatments and planned operations, (c) cancer

care within 62 days of referral, (d) mental health therapy within six weeks and (e) other

statutory access standards in (i) Brighton and Hove and (ii) England; and if he will make a

statement.

Stephen Hammond:

The Government’s Mandate to NHS England for 2018-19 is that NHS England should

meet agreed core standards, including accident and emergency, referral to treatment

and cancer waiting times. A further Mandate deliverable is to embed access and

waiting time standards for mental health services for Early Intervention in Psychosis,

Improving Access to Psychological Therapies and eating disorders.

The Mandate is available at the following link:


ent_data/file/691998/nhse-mandate-2018-19.pdf

NHS England’s ‘Operational and Planning Guidance for 2019/20’ sets out

deliverables against key performance areas and the Government expects the

National Health Service to deliver these actions set – in full – as key steps toward

fully recovering performance against core access standards.

It is for NHS commissioners and providers locally to work together to manage

demand and plan sufficient capacity to achieve and maintain statutory access

standards.

Pre-eclampsia

Jim Shannon: [210613]


taking to ensure that pre-eclampsia is diagnosed in the early stages of pregnancy.

Jackie Doyle-Price:

Hypertension or high blood pressure during pregnancy (known as pre-eclampsia) is

the most common medical problem that is encountered in pregnancy. The National

Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance, ‘Hypertension in

pregnancy: diagnosis and management’, is aimed at healthcare professionals and

women who develop hypertension during pregnancy. The guidance aims to improve

care during pregnancy, labour and birth for women and their babies.

Most clinical activity relating to pre-eclampsia is focused on diagnosing the condition

as early as possible and managing the condition when it has been identified. NHS


https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/691998/nhse-mandate-2018-19.pdf




England expects providers of maternity care to pay due regard to NICE guidelines on

diagnosing and managing pre-eclampsia. These are set out at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg107

There are currently plans to review the relevant NICE guidelines, with a consultation

expected between February and March 2019 on the following recommendations:

- management of pregnancy with chronic hypertension;

- management of pregnancy with gestational hypertension;

- management of pregnancy with pre-eclampsia;

- breastfeeding; and

- advice and follow-up care at transfer to community care.

We would encourage relevant stakeholders to contribute to this consultation.

Publication of any update to these recommendations is expected in June 2019.

Prostate Cancer


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to

reduce the incidence of prostate cancer over the next two years.

Steve Brine:

Prostate cancer is largely a disease of older men and we expect incidence to rise in

the coming years due to the ageing population. However, early diagnosis is important

and that is why the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme is in place so

men can discuss the risks and benefits of being tested within general practice.

The United Kingdom National Screening Committee (UK NSC) last reviewed the

evidence about screening for prostate cancer in 2016 and recommended against a

population screening programme. The UK NSC will be reviewing the evidence for

screening for prostate cancer in 2019/20. More information is available at the

following link:

https://legacyscreening.phe.org.uk/prostatecancer

Speech Therapy: Training

Rebecca Pow: [210672]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to allow

speech and language therapists to train as approved mental capacity professionals.

Geraint Davies: [211069]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department

plans to provide to speech and language therapists to allow them to train as approved

mental capacity professionals.








Caroline Dinenage:

We envisage that speech and language therapists will play a vital role in the new

system of the Liberty Protection Safeguards, particularly in circumstances when the

person is non-verbal or has communication support needs. We expect speech and

language therapists would be consulted in appropriate cases in order to ascertain the

wishes and feelings of the cared-for person.

We will use the statutory Code of Practice to describe the detail of when the

involvement of Speech and Language Therapists can help and support the Liberty

Protection Safeguards process. We will also use the statutory Code of Practice to

detail the professionals who can become Approved Mental Capacity Professionals.

Veterans: Mental Health Services

Kirstene Hair: [210713]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has

to provide further support for veterans with mental health issues.

Jackie Doyle-Price:

In England, the National Health Service has announced that an extra £10 million will

be invested into a new NHS dedicated crisis service that will expand the current

bespoke veteran mental health services and provide intensive support to veterans

battling alcohol, drugs and mental health problems, capturing those individuals

nearing crisis.

The extra funding will also enable a roll out of veteran-friendly general practitioner

surgeries and hospitals as part of efforts to make sure those who have served their

country get specialist help they deserve in every part of the health service.

HOME OFFICE

Asylum and Visas: Applications

Rebecca Long Bailey: [211291]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) visa applications

and (b) asylum applications were awaiting a decision on 22 January 2019.

Caroline Nokes:

All asylum claims lodged in the UK are carefully considered on a case by case basis,

based on their individual merits, against a background of relevant case law and up to

date country information. The available information for the number of visa

applications awaiting a decision up until the end of September 2018, can be found at

table Visa_03 of the International Operations Transparency Data at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-operations-transparency-

data-november-2018



https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-operations-transparency-data-november-2018



The available information for the number of Asylum Applications awaiting a decision

up until the end of September 2018 can be found at table Asy_11 of Asylum

Transparency Data at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-transparency-data-november-

2018

Asylum: Chechnya


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum claims his

Department has received from LGBT+ people fleeing persecution in Chechnya in each

year since 2015.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department has

taken to expediate asylum claims by LGBT+ people fleeing persecution in Chechnya.

Caroline Nokes:

On 29 November 2018, the Home Office published statistics on asylum claims lodged

on the basis or part basis of sexual orientation covering the period 2015 – 2017. The

statistics reflect the claims made by asylum applicants and do not reflect a confirmed

sexual orientation basis for a claim. Some individuals applying for asylum may have

less reason to mention sexual orientation when making a claim because it may not be

a significant factor in their seeking asylum. Such nationalities would be undercounted

in these statistics

The statistics can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-

september-2018/experimental-statistics-asylum-claims-on-the-basis-of-sexual-

orientation. Chechnyan nationals cannot be identified separately in the data but

would be included in the figure for Russia. For Russia, which may also include non

Chechnyan nationals, six claims based on LGBT+ issues were received in 2016 and

twelve in 2017. As a signatory to the Refugee Convention, the UK fully considers all

asylum claims lodged in the UK. We remain committed to improving the asylum pro-

cess for those claiming asylum on the basis of their sexual or gender identity. In the

case of considering sexual identity claims, we are confident that our re-vised

guidance and dedicated training is thorough and ensures every sexual identity claim

decision is scrutinised in depth, either by a senior case worker or Technical

Specialist. We do not consider asylum claims lodged outside UK ter-ritory.

We recognise the continuing concerns of key partners domestically and inter-

nationally, and we remain committed to continuing engagement with them on this

issue

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-transparency-data-november-2018





https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2018/experimental-statistics-asylum-claims-on-the-basis-of-sexual-orientation.




Asylum: Children

David Linden: [201715]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied

minors seeking asylum were detained by the UK in 2018.

Caroline Nokes:

Unaccompanied minors are not detained for asylum purposes in the UK.

Information on people entering detention by age, sex and place of initial detention (as

at year ending September 2018) can be found in table dt_01_q of the detention

tables, which can be found in the latest release of ‘Immigration Statistics’, available

from the Home Office website at:


september-2018/list-of-tables#detention

Asylum: Detainees

David Linden: [201714]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people that had

applied for asylum in the UK were detained in each category for detention in 2018.

Caroline Nokes:

The UK has a proud history to providing refuge to those who need our protection.

Information on the number of asylum claims, subsequent grants of asylum and

humanitarian protection, irrespective of whether the individual was detained, is

available in table as_01 of the latest release of the ‘Immi-gration Statistics, Year

Ending September 2018’. This is available on the Home Office website at; https://

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-

september-2018-data-tables

Information on people entering detention in 2018 is available in table dt_01 of the

detention tables in the latest release of ‘Immigration Statistics, Year Ending

September 2018’, available from the Home Office website at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/681703

/detention-september-2018-tables.ods

The table shows the figures broken down by those who have claimed asylum at some

point.

Kate Green: [R] [202126]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have applied

for asylum while in immigration detention in 2018.

Caroline Nokes:

The Home Office does not hold the information you have requested in a reportable

format or within published statistics. The information could only be obtained at a

disproportionate cost.


https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2018/list-of-tables#detention




https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/681703/detention-september-2018-tables.ods




Asylum: Employment

Keith Vaz: [203243]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support to gain

employment is available for asylum-seekers.

Caroline Nokes:

Whilst the Home Office does not provide specific support to gain employment, asylum

seekers are permitted to work, in jobs on the Shortage Occupation List, if they have

been waiting for a decision on their claim for 12 months or more and the delay is

through no fault of their own.

Those granted refugee status or humanitarian protection have immediate and

unrestricted access to the labour market and benefits. Unemployed refugees are

entitled to receive employment support from the Department for Work and Pensions.

Asylum: EU Countries

Alex Sobel: [202852]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average length of time

for a transfer under the Dublin III regulation procedure is from the moment an outgoing

request is issued to the UK to the transfer to the Member State responsible.

Alex Sobel: [202853]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average length of time

for a transfer under the Dublin III regulation procedure is from the moment another

Member State accepts responsibility to the transfer from the UK to that Member State.

Caroline Nokes:

The Dublin III Regulation is a long-standing mechanism between EU Member States

to determine responsibility for examining asylum claims. It is not an application route

for transfer to the UK. At present we do not publish data on cases covered by the

Dublin Regulation. Eurostat, the EU’s statistics agency, regularly publishes Member

State figures, which can be found at:

http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=migr_dubto&lang=en

Under the Dublin III Regulation, member states have two months from receiving a

request from another participating Member State to accept or reject responsibility for

processing the asylum claim. Once a Dublin request has been accepted, the

Regulation provides that the sending Member State has six months to enact the

transfer. The Home Office works closely with EU Member State partners to enact

transfers as soon as possible and ahead of the six-month timeframe.




Asylum: Nationality


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many inadmissibility

decisions based on the concept of first country of asylum were made by the UK in 2018

by country designated as first country of asylum.

Caroline Nokes:

The UK is committed to providing protection to those who need it, in accordance with

its international obligations.

Information regarding how many inadmissible decisions based on the concept of first

country of asylum made by the UK in 2018 by country designated as first country of

asylum is not recorded and held in a reportable format.

This could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.

Asylum: Slavery

Alex Norris: [211929]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department has

taken to ensure that survivors of modern slavery are aware of the repayment scheme for

victims of modern slavery who received asylum support in England and Wales between 1

March and 8 November 2018.

Victoria Atkins:

Government is making every effort to ensure those affected are aware of the back-

payment scheme.

We will be sending out personalised letters to all those affected, notifying them of the

amount they are entitled to and when they will receive the payment. If an individual

believes they are eligible but does not receive a letter, they can complete an

application form. Further information is available on gov.uk

(https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-subsistence-rates-back-payment-victims-of-

modern-slavery).

We are also working with NRM support providers and other stakeholders to ensure

as many victims as possible are aware of this process.

Asylum: Undocumented Migrants


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his oral contribution

of 7 January 2019, Official Report, column 85, how many asylum seekers arriving on the

Kent coast since 1 October 2018 had their applications deemed as inadmissible; and

what the basis was for deeming those applications as inadmissible.

Caroline Nokes:

Over 500 migrants, the majority of whom are Iranian nationals, attempted to travel to

the UK on small vessels in 2018. The vast majority of those attempts were made in




the last three months of the year. We are unable to state how many applications from

this route have been considered inadmissible, as these cases are still being

processed.

We are working to utilise all legislative powers available to ensure we protect our

borders and deter illegal migration. To do so, we are working closely with safe third

countries to explore the return of asylum claimants to them, where evidence supports

this assertion.

Those who need international protection should claim in the first safe country they

reach, as that is the fastest route to safety, rather than risk their lives trying to enter

other countries unlawfully.

For those we are unable to deem inadmissible, Section 8 of the Asylum and

Immigration Treatment of Claimants Act 2004 will be considered when assessing

their case. This legislation states that failure to take advantage of a reasonable

opportunity to claim asylum in a safe country shall be taken in to account in

assessing the individual’s credibility.

Buildings: Insulation


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information his Department

holds on the number of fires involving buildings below 18 metres in height that were (i)

clad and (ii) insulated with combustible building materials in each year for which

information is available.

Mr Nick Hurd:

The Home Office do not hold this information.

Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against

Women and Domestic Violence

Zac Goldsmith: [211250]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the timetable is for the

ratification of the Istanbul Convention in full.

Victoria Atkins:

The Government signed the Istanbul Convention to signal the UK’s strong

commitment to tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG). On 30 October

2018, in line with the requirements of the Preventing and Combating Violence Against

Women and Domestic Violence (Ratification of Convention) Act 2017, we published a

progress report which set out that, in most respects, the UK already complies with, or

goes further than, the Convention requires. We have significantly strengthened the

legislative framework; introduced new protective tools; and issued a range of

guidance and support for frontline professionals.

We have always been clear on our commitment to ratifying the Convention. The

Domestic Abuse Bill will be another step towards meeting that commitment by



extending extraterritorial jurisdiction over offences required by the Convention which,

for England and Wales, is the final legislative step necessary for ratification. We

published the Domestic Abuse Bill in draft form for pre-legislative scrutiny on 21

January 2019.

As the criminal law and the majority of the areas covered by the Convention are

devolved to Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Devolved Administrations are

considering what legislative or other changes are necessary for compliance with the

Convention in their territories. The Government liaises regularly with the Devolved

Administrations on VAWG issues and we will continue working closely with the

Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive.

Domestic Violence

Chris Evans: [203395]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made

of recent reductions in police numbers on police forces' responses to domestic violence.

Victoria Atkins:

We recognise that there are significant demands on the police from the changing

nature of crime, with more victims of high harm crimes such as domestic abuse

coming forward. The provisional 2019/20 police funding settlement announced on 13

December builds on this year’s total increase in police funding of £460m. The police

workforce has remained stable over the past year and the number of people joining

police forces has increased by 58% since 2015/16.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Service’s last

inspection into domestic abuse found that police forces in England and Wales have a

strong commitment to protecting victims of domestic abuse. Forces are continuing to

invest in public protection and staff numbers have increased in many safeguarding

units, with people being moved from other departments to provide more resilience.

Drugs: Organised Crime


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle

sexual exploitation occurring as a result of county lines activity.

Victoria Atkins:

The Government recognises the devastating impact of county lines activity on

children and vulnerable people which can include both sexual and criminal

exploitation. The Government has provided £3.6m to establish the new National

County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) to enhance our cross border intelligence

and activity on county lines and to better safeguard and protect victims of county

lines. Work is ongoing to protect the exploited and target the offenders, and in its first

week of intensification there were 505 arrests and 320 individuals safeguarded. In

addition, the Government provides a range of support for county lines victims

including: funding Young People’s Advocates in Birmingham, Manchester and



London to provide help and support for young people exploited through county lines;

funding through the Trusted Relationships fund of £13 million over two years to help

foster relationships between frontline professionals and young people at risk of

exploitation including county lines; and we have provided £17.7m of funding for 29

projects through the Early Intervention Youth Fund over two years of which six will

specifically address those at risk of involvement in county lines and criminal

exploitation.

Educational Testing Service: Assessments


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether anyone has been

prosecuted for taking a Toeic English language test as a proxy in place of the actual

candidate.

Caroline Nokes:

Three individuals have been prosecuted and convicted for criminal offences in

connection with taking a TOEIC English Language test as a proxy in place of the

actual candidate. These convictions occurred in two separate criminal investigations

undertaken by the Home Office.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what was the commencement

date for the licence awarded to ETS to provide English language tests for overseas

students.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department made

any payment to ETS while it held its licence for English language tests for overseas

students.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions officials

from his Department visited centres delivering the Toeic test while ETS held its licence for

English language tests for overseas students.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department took

to verify that ETS implemented the security requirements specified in its licence.

Caroline Nokes:

The Home Affairs Committee inquiry into the Home Office's use of English-language

testing in relation to the issuing of visas, with particular reference to its handling of






recent allegations involving English-language test centres, can be found in the

following links.

Question 60, contains information requested in PQ 211621:

http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/

home-affairs-committee/english-language-testing/written/36541.pdf

Question 49 in the following link contains information requested in PQ211624:



Question 100 in the following links contains information requested in PQ211625:





holds on the amount of money paid to proxies who took Toeic English language tests in

place of the actual candidates.

Caroline Nokes:

Criminal investigations conducted by the Home Office concerning TOEIC abuse have

revealed evidence that proxy test takers were receiving money for taking the TOEIC

tests on behalf of actual candidates. The amounts varied; but, evidence indicates that

they were being paid in the region of £30-£50 per test.

EU Justice and Home Affairs


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has

for alternative arrangements for (a) Schengen Information System II, (b) European Arrest

Warrant, (c) European Criminal Records Information System, (d) Europol, (e) Eurojust

and (f) European Investigation Orders in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a

deal.

Mr Nick Hurd:

The continued safety and security of both UK and EU citizens remains our top

priority.

That is why we are preparing for all eventualities – including a no deal scenario in

which the current mechanisms we use to cooperate with EU Member States are not

available when we exit the EU in March 2019.

The alternative arrangements for the EU ‘tools’ in question would include making

more use of Interpol, Council of Europe Conventions and other forms of cooperation

with European partners, such as bilateral channels

http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/home-affairs-committee/english-language-testing/written/36541.pdf











Eurojust and Europol


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will set out what UK's

relationship with (a) Europol and (b) Eurojust will be after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Nick Hurd:

The Government has put forward proposals for an ambitious agreement with the EU

that provides a comprehensive framework for our future security, law enforcement

and criminal justice cooperation and delivers the capabilities our operational partners

need to keep our people safe.

These proposals cover Europol, Eurojust and are set out in full in the White Paper on

“The future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union”

published in July 2018.

As part of the Political Declaration, the UK and EU have agreed to continue

cooperating through Europol and Eurojust in the future. The exact terms of that

relationship will be for negotiation.

The Future Security Partnership will enable strong operational capabilities to tackle

serious crime and terrorism: swift and effective data exchange; fast-track surrender

arrangements; and continued close cooperation with Europol and Eurojust.

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome

Bill Esterson: [211220]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether foetal alcohol spectrum

disorders will be covered in his department's alcohol strategy.

Victoria Atkins:

The Government recognises that foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) can have

a significant impact on the early years development of children and their life chances.

The Department for Health and Social Care is continuing to raise awareness of the

dangers of drinking alcohol while pregnant by working with PHE, NHS England, local

commissioners, royal colleges and regulatory bodies.

Fraud: Criminal Investigation

Hilary Benn: [204418]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his Department

has made of the current average waiting time for fraud cases to be allocated for

investigation by police forces in England; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Nick Hurd:

The Home Office does not hold information on the length of time taken to allocate

fraud cases to police forces for investigation. The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau

is responsible for determining whether there are sufficient grounds to allocate a fraud

case to the police for investigation. It is then a matter for receiving forces to




determine if they are going to undertake an investigation, which is driven by local

resourcing and priorities.

Home Office: Contracts


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which service providers are

contracted to carry out third party cleaning contracts for his (a) Department and (b)

executive agencies; if he will list all of the services delivered by third party contractors to

his (i) Department and (ii) executive agencies; and how many people working for those

third party contractors are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage

Foundation.

Victoria Atkins:

Cleaning services for the Home Office and its executive agencies are out-sourced.

The cleaning services for the majority of the Home Office estate are contracted out to

Interserve and OCS. The cleaning of the department’s headquarters at 2 Marsham

Street is the responsibility of the PFI provider. The Home Office is not able to provide

information regarding third party contractors and any sub-contractors to these without

incurring dispropor-tionate cost, noting the wide range of services that could be in

scope such as Overseas VACs, Transportation in IE/BF environment, provision for

Premium Services and others

The Home Office does not hold data about what contractors pay

The Home Office requires all of its suppliers to comply with the legal mini-mum

standards of pay as set out in the Government’s National Living Wage legislation.

This is a contractual obligation on the supplier and is monitored through contract

compliance mechanisms. We do not plan to require or stipulate in our contractual

arrangements a requirement to meet the Living Wage Foundation’s rates.

Home Office: Migrant Workers



of the potential merits of his Department paying the £65 application fee for settled or pre-

settled status for EU nationals (a) employed by and (b) working as an outsourced worker

in his Department; what estimate he has made of the total cost to his Department of

paying those fees; and what assessment he has made of the risks that the EU Settlement

Scheme poses to the retention of EU nationals (i) employed by or (ii) working as an

outsourced worker in his Department.

Caroline Nokes:

The setting of the fee for the EU Settlement Scheme is proportionate and fair and

people have until June 2021 to apply. The department has no plans to cover the cost

of the fee for its employers or contractors. The Government has continually made

clear that we wish EU citizens already here to continue to live and work broadly as

they do now.



Home Office: Vacancies


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of his staff leave

their respective posts on an annual basis; how many vacant posts there are in his

Department; and what proportion of posts in his Department are currently vacant.

Victoria Atkins:

The Department records actual staffing levels but does not centrally record the

number of posts or vacancies. It is therefore not possible to provide details of vacant

posts. The level of turnover within the Department is currently 5.35% per annum.

Turnover represents the number of staff that leave the Home Office, voluntarily or

otherwise, i.e. through resignation or dismissal.

Human Trafficking: Children


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans his Department has

to make specialist support and accommodation for trafficked children available under the

National Referral Mechanism.

Victoria Atkins:

Independent Child Trafficking Advocates (ICTAs) are a source of specialist support

for trafficked children. In July 2018, the Government announced that it would roll out

the service to eligible children in one third of local authorities in England and Wales

by April 2019.

The Government is committed to rolling ICTAs out nationally. Section 48 of the

Modern Slavery Act 2015, which makes provisions for ICTAs, is being considered in

the Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act, led by Frank Field MP, Maria

Miller MP, and Baroness Butler-Sloss. The Government will carefully consider any

recommendations about ICTAs which come out of the Review ahead of any national

rollout.

Local authorities play a pivotal role in the safeguarding of all children in their care,

regardless of their backgrounds or experiences. It is absolutely right that local

authorities continue to make decisions about the placement and welfare of children,

which includes ensuring they have access to suitable accommodation. To support

this, in addition to the national rollout of ICTAs, we have revised statutory guidance

on the care of unaccompanied children and child victims of modern slavery and

funded 1,000 additional training places for foster carers and support workers.

Immigrants: Deportation


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many disabled migrants

were removed from the UK in each year since 2010.




Caroline Nokes:

The Home Office does not hold central records of migrant disabilities. Providing the

information requested would require a manual check of individual records which

could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Immigrants: EU Nationals

Rushanara Ali: [203379]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he will take to ensure

that safeguards are in place under EU Settlement Scheme to protect victims of domestic

abuse.

Caroline Nokes:

The Immigration Rules on eligibility for status under the EU Settlement Scheme

reflect the provision made by the Free Movement Directive for victims of domestic

abuse to retain the right of residence in the UK in particular circumstances. This is in

line with the draft Withdrawal

Agreement with the European Union. We are also putting in place a range of

measures to ensure that the scheme is accessible to potentially vulnerable

individuals. We are working closely with a user group of external stakeholders who

represent the needs of such individuals, including victims of domestic abuse, to

ensure that the right support arrangements are put in place.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional support will be

made available to people who cannot afford the EU Settlement Scheme application fee.

Caroline Nokes:

The approach to fees is reasonable, proportionate and fair to all EU citizens.

Nonetheless, the situation will be kept under review as we move forward with the

implementation of the scheme.

Immigrants: Personal Records

Mr David Lammy: [181535]


holds on incidents of damage or loss to large quantities of immigration records in the last

20 years.

Caroline Nokes:

The department has no central record of any incident of damage or loss to large

quantities of immigration records in the last twenty years.

Mr David Lammy: [181536]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of

the number of records of immigration status that have been (a) lost and (b) damaged in

the last 20 years.





Caroline Nokes:

The Case Information Database (CID) has been the source immigration case working

system since 1998. Individual records of immigration status have therefore been

digitised for the last 20 years. CID undergoes nightly back-ups to tape and has

replication between the primary and secondary data centres.

There has been no systematic loss of immigration status records. Where any

individual cases are identified or raised as having incorrect or incomplete records,

these are treated as an absolute priority.

Immigration: EEA Nationals

Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods: [211180]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to provide more

information on the immigration system that will be in operation for EEA nationals after 29

March 2019 in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Caroline Nokes:

In the event of the UK leaving the European Union without a deal, we will continue to

run the EU Settlement Scheme for EEA nationals resident in the UK by 29 March

2019. This is consistent the policy paper “Citizens’ Rights – EU citizens in the UK and

UK nationals in the EU” published by the Department for Exiting the European Union

on 6 December 2018.

The Immigration Bill will end free movement of EEA nationals to the UK. In a ‘no deal’

scenario we have been clear that there will have to be a period of transition to the

future skills-based immigration system. We will set out more information shortly on

the arrangements for EEA nationals coming to the UK during this period.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Afzal Khan: [199921]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the report, EU

Settlement Scheme Private Beta 1, what assessment he has made of the reason for the

nine people who had valid PR/ILR documentation not being granted settled status.

Caroline Nokes:

Where an applicant declares they hold valid Permanent Residence documentation /

Indefinite Leave to Remain, this is checked against Home Office records. If the

declared status cannot be confirmed, we work with the applicant to ensure they

obtain the leave under the scheme for which they qualify. The nine cases referred to

from the private beta 1 test have all now been granted leave under the scheme.

Deidre Brock: [210042]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which agencies and bodies

outside of Government will have access to the data of non-UK EU citizens who register

under the settled status scheme.





To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is

taking to protect the data of non-UK EU citizens who register under the settled status

scheme.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what purposes the data of

non-UK EU citizens who register under the settled status scheme will be shared with

organisations outside his Department.

Caroline Nokes:

The Home Office is the data controller for all data processed within the EU

Settlement Scheme, this includes where organisations are contracted to act on behalf

of the Home Office as the Home Office. No other organisations have access to the

personal information of applicants to the EU Settlement Scheme. The Home Office

may however share information with other organisations, but only where the

information needs to be shared and there is an appropriate legal basis for doing so.

Further detail on this is set out in the Borders, Immigration and Citizenship System

privacy information notice:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-information-use-in-borders-

immigration-and-citizenship.

The Home Office takes its data security and data protection obligations ex-tremely

seriously. There are processes in place in the Home Office for the capturing and

mitigation of risks and vulnerabilities to ensure appropriate con-trol of our services. I

can confirm this is the case for the EU Settlement Scheme

All Home Office systems including EU Exit applications undergo rigorous cyber

assessments prior to launch. This includes an independent security testing to ensure

they are resilient to external attack.

Our IT systems hosting platform include a number of mechanisms to detect and

respond to malicious intrusions.

All data is encrypted both in transit and at rest. Our IT staff are security cleared and

your data will only be accessed by those who have a valid business reason to access

it. The Home Office regularly monitors the systems for abuse and misuse.

With this non-exhaustive list of measures, we protect the data of non-UK EU citizens

who register under the Settlement Scheme.

Stuart C. McDonald: [211215]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the process is for the

reimbursement of fees paid by non-UK EU nationals for applications for settled status;

and how that process will be communicated to those non-UK EU nationals.



https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-information-use-in-borders-immigration-and-citizenship.




Caroline Nokes:

As the Prime Minister announced on 21 January anyone who has already applied for

settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or who applies and pays a fee

during the pilot phases, will have their fee refunded.

The Home Office will set out full details in due course.



taking to support people to prove their eligibility for settled status.

Caroline Nokes:

The EU Settlement Scheme provides a simple, streamlined process for resident EU

citizens and their family members to obtain their new UK immigration status. The

application process draws on existing government data, to minimise the need for

applicants to provide evidence of their UK residence. Caseworkers will work with

applicants to help them to establish their eligibility under the scheme from the

evidence they have, and they will be able to exercise discretion in favour of

applicants where appropriate, to minimise administrative burdens.

Arrangements are also being developed to provide a range of support, offered by the

Home Office and through third parties such as community groups and charities, to

help vulnerable applicants in applying for status under the scheme.

Tom Brake: [211619]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Government will reimburse

all reasonable administrative costs to EU citizens who apply for settled status.

Caroline Nokes:

As the Prime Minister announced on 21 January, there will be no fee for applications

under the EU Settlement Scheme when we roll out the scheme in full by 30 March.

Anyone who has applied during the pilot phase, or who does so, will have their fee

reimbursed. The Home Office will set out further details in due course.

Immigration: Public Consultation


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) timetable and (b)

scope of his Department’s consultation on the Immigration White Paper 2018 will be.

Caroline Nokes:

The Government published its White Paper “The UK’s future skills-based immigration

system” (Cm 9722) on 19 December 2018. The Home Office has now launched a

year-long engagement process to enable businesses and other stakeholders to

shape the final details of policy and processes.





To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the document

entitled, the UK’s future skills-based immigration system whether she has plans to

undertake a public consultation on Chapter 10, Protecting the Vulnerable.

Caroline Nokes:

The proposals in the Government’s paper “The UK’s future skills-based immigration

system” provide a platform for further discussion.

Immigration: Turkey

Dan Carden: [211939]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is

taking to protect the rights of Turkish citizens who applied for permanent residency in the

UK through the Ankara Agreement before 16 March 2018.

Caroline Nokes:

Turkish business persons and their family members who submitted settlement

applications under the Ankara Agreement prior to 16 March 2018 will be assessed

under the guidance that was in force at the date of their application.

Immigration: Zimbabwe


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had

with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) the Government of Zimbabwe on linking trade and aid

agreements with decreasing immigration from Zimbabwe to the UK.

Caroline Nokes:

The Home Secretary has not had discussions with Cabinet colleagues or the

Government of Zimbabwe to the effect of this question.

Knife Crime Community Fund

Vernon Coaker: [211113]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding remains

available from the 2018-19 Knife Crime Prevention fund; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: [211114]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which police forces have been

successful in bids to the 2018-19 Knife Crime Prevention Fund; and if he will make a

statement.

Victoria Atkins:

The anti-knife crime Community Fund is part of the Government’s commit-ment in its

Serious Violence Strategy on early intervention and prevention to tackle knife crime.

The fund is open only to voluntary and community sector groups to apply. Police

forces are not eligible to apply






In year 1 (2017-18) we funded 47 successful projects and a further 68 in year 2

(2018-19). We announced the successful 68 bids on 2 August 2018 with total funding

of £1.5 million. All monies have been allocated and work to deliver the interventions is

ongoing. The following links contain the list of pro-jects funded in years 1 and 2:


/successful_bids_knife_crime.csv/preview


/anti_knife_fund.csv/preview

Knives: Crime Prevention

David Simpson: [203268]


taking to reduce knife crime.

Victoria Atkins:

The Government is very concerned about increases in knife crime and its impact on

victims, families and communities. The action we are taking is set out in our Serious

Violence Strategy and includes new legislation in the Offensive Weapons Bill, which

completed its passage through the House of Commons on 28 November. The Bill

includes specific new knives offences, in particular making it an offence to possess

certain offensive weapons in private, and stopping knives being sent to residential

addresses after they are bought online.

We have also introduced a number of other measures, including the £1.5m anti-knife

crime Community Fund to support local initiatives, with funding to an additional sixty-

eight projects this year. In addition, the #knifefree media campaign to raise

awareness of the consequences of knife crime and discourage young people from

carrying knives is continuing, and all police forces continue to participate in Operation

Sceptre, which includes targeted stop and searches, weapon sweeps of hotspot

areas, test purchases of knives from retailers, and educational events.

Modern Slavery Act 2015: Convictions


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he has taken to

improve the process of securing a conviction under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Victoria Atkins:

The Prime Minister has convened a taskforce to coordinate the response across

Government to this complex crime.

Following this, the Government has provided £8.5m of additional funding to the police

in England and Wales to help improve the front line response to tackling modern

slavery

Aligned to this activity, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has delivered

mandatory accredited training for all prosecutors who work on modern slavery cases

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/707629/successful_bids_knife_crime.csv/preview



https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/734836/anti_knife_fund.csv/preview





and have appointed a Chief Crown Prosecutor lead for modern slavery work across

the CPS. CPS training has a strong focus on the provision of early investigative

advice to police forces so that charges may be made under the Modern Slavery Act

2015.

Through the Serious Violence Strategy we have provided £3.6 million over the next

two years to establish a new National County Lines Co-ordination Centre. The

NCLCC was launched on 21 September 2018.

The NCLCC will help bring the law enforcement effort together as the links behind

county lines are complicated and the threat crosses police force boundaries. The

NCLCC will support operational policing as well as providing a central point at which

intelligence and information is shared and the links with criminal exploitation and

illegal drugs markets are identified.

Modern Slavery Human Trafficking Unit: Finance

Chris Evans: [203394]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding from the

public purse his Department has allocated to the National Crime Agency's Modern

Slavery Human Trafficking Unit.

Victoria Atkins:

The National Crime Agency (NCA) allocates its resources flexibly to respond to

serious and organised crime including modern slavery and human trafficking.

The NCA’s dedicated Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Unit consists of

approximately 55 posts, including the National Referral Mechanism Competent

Authority. This Unit draws on assistance from across the NCA to boost the overall

resources deployed at any one time against this threat. Therefore, it is not possible to

provide an exact figure for the total spend.

National Crime Agency and Regional Organised Crime Units: Finance


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much public funding (a) has

been allocated to the (i) National Crime Agency and (ii) regional organised crime units in

each year since 2015-16 and (b) he plans to allocate to those organisations in total under

the 2019-20 provisional police funding settlement.

Mr Nick Hurd:

Regarding the public funding for the National Crime Agency, the figures are as

follows: - 15/16: Resource DEL (excluding depreciation): 371; Capital DEL, 40 -

16/17: Resource DEL (excluding depreciation): 384; Capital DEL, 50 - 17/18:

Resource DEL (excluding depreciation): 387; Capital DEL, 50 - 18/19: Resource DEL

(excluding depreciation): 377; Capital DEL, 50.

Regarding the public funding for the regional organised crime units (ROCUs), funding

is provided through a combination of PCC funding, Home Office Grant funding



(including around £20m ROCU grant per annum) and the Police Transformation

Fund. The total figures are as follows:

- 15/16: Just over £101m. - 16/17: Just under £119m (they were also granted just

over £2.6m in capital). - 2017/18: Just over £129m (they were granted capital of just

over £2.4m). In 2018/19, the ROCU network has a combined operating budget of

around £166.4m with a total capital expenditure of around £4.6m. It should be noted

that the 2018/19 figure excludes London, but we can confirm that London was

allocated just over £2.1m through the Home Office ROCU Grant.

National Police Chiefs' Council: Staff


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 21

January 2019 to Question 207609 on National Police Chiefs' Council: Staff, how many of

the 50 personnel being recruited for the International Crime Coordination Centre are in

post.

Mr Nick Hurd:

As of 23 January, the National Police Chiefs’ Council have filled 34 of the posts in the

International Crime Coordination Centre. Recruitment is under-way to fill the

remaining posts in advance of exit.

Passports: Applications

Marion Fellows: [211806]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 10

January 2019 to Question 207212 on Passports: Applications, how much (a) has been

spent and (b) will be spent on radio advertising.

Caroline Nokes:

Of the total communications spend outlined previously (PQ 207212), £222,857 has

been spent on radio and digital audio advertising. The 30 second advert aimed to

raise awareness of the ease and convenience of the online passport renewal service

including the £9.50 cost saving it offers for customers.

A re-launch of the campaign in the next financial year (2019/20) is being considered,

with an estimate of £500,000 forecast for radio and digital audio advertising.

However, this activity is dependent on the outcome of the EU Exit withdrawal

agreement (in a ‘no deal’ scenario, budget would be re-allocated to activity informing

passport holders about the passport validity rules changes).

Police: EU Countries


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when specific alternative

arrangements will replace (a) the Schengen Information System II, (b) the European

Arrest Warrant, (c) the European Criminal Records Information System, (d) intelligence




sharing through Europol, (e) Eurojust and (f) European Investigation Orders in the event

of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Mr Nick Hurd:

The Government’s position remains that the agreement reached with the EU, which

includes ambitious internal security arrangements, is in the UK’s best interests.

In a “no deal” scenario, however, we are working with operational partners to put in

place alternative contingency arrangements for each of the EU law enforcement

‘tools’ listed, including making more use of Interpol and Council of Europe

arrangements. In the event of no deal, whilst these would not be like-for-like

replacements, we are preparing for these alternative mechanisms to operate from

exit day.

Police: Finance


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how the additional £90 million to

tackle serious organised crime announced in the provisional police funding settlement

2019-20 will be allocated.

Mr Ben Wallace:

The SOC Strategy, published on 1 November 2018, sets out the Government’s

response to the full range of serious and organised crime threats

The priorities for investment for the £90 million announced in the provisional police

funding settlement 2019-20 will be geared toward delivering the SOC Strategy. Home

Office officials are in discussions with operational colleagues on how to allocate the

money. This process is ongoing.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether police forces will be

required to apply for special grant funding as a result of unexpected and exceptional

events relating to the UK's exit from the European Union without a deal.

Mr Nick Hurd:

The Home Office has been working closely with policing to support planning for a

range of scenarios around our exit from the EU, including leaving without a deal. At

present, forces who face significant additional costs can currently apply for additional

funding through the Police Special Grant, and we have already provided £845k in

funding to Kent Police for costs being incurred this year. We are considering an

alternative mechanism for any future requests.

Police: Pensions


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had

with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential effect of changes to employee

pension contributions on police numbers.




Mr Nick Hurd:

Home Office and Treasury Ministers have regular discussions covering a number of

issues including changes to pension schemes. In his Budget speech, the Chancellor

committed to providing funding to support the police with additional pensions costs.

On 13 December we announced our proposed police funding settlement for 2019/20

which provides up to £970 million of additional investment in the policing system. This

includes £153 million of additional pensions funding, £161 million in increased

general grants and up to £509 million of additional funding from council tax precept, if

Police and Crime Commissioners use the full flexibility provided. This provides

enough funding for the police to meet their increased costs, while continuing to recruit

and fill capability gaps like the shortage of investigators.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Written

Statement of 6 September on Quadrennial valuations of the public service pension

schemes, HCWS945, whether (a) he and (b) the Minister of State for Policing and the

Fire Service held discussions with (i) the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and (ii) the

Chancellor of the Exchequer prior to that Statement's publication on the implications of

those valuations on policing.

Mr Nick Hurd:

Home Office and Treasury Ministers have regular discussions covering a number of

issues including changes to pension schemes. In his Budget speech, the Chancellor

committed to providing funding to support the po-lice with additional pensions costs.

On 13 December we announced our proposed police funding settlement for 2019/20

which provides up to £970 million of additional investment in the policing system. This

includes £153 million of additional pensions funding, £161 million in increased

general grants and up to £509 million of additional funding from council tax precept, if

Police and Crime Commissioners use the full flexibility provided. This provides

enough funding for the police to meet their increased costs, while continuing to recruit

and fill capability gaps like the shortage of investigators.

Police: Private Finance Initiative



has made of the total cost of PFI projects to police forces in each year since 2016-17.

Mr Nick Hurd:

HM Treasury publish data on all current PFI projects, including information on the

unitary charge for each contract. The information can be found at the link below.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/private-finance-initiative-and-private-

finance-2-projects-2017-summary-data



https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/private-finance-initiative-and-private-finance-2-projects-2017-summary-data



Police: Staff



and its operational partners have made of the number of police officers that will be

needed to respond to the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Mr Nick Hurd:

It is entirely responsible and appropriate that we prepare for every eventuality and we

will continue to work closely with all of our operational partners, including the police,

on contingency planning to ensure the safety and security of our citizens.

Decisions on arrangements for police use and deployment of resources are

operational matters for policing and are the responsibility of Chief Constables and not

the Home Office.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Library

briefing paper entitled Police Service Strength, published on 16 October 2018, if he will

make an assessment of the effect on the level of crime of the 18 per cent reduction in the

police workforce between 2010 and 2018.

Mr Nick Hurd:

The Crime Survey for England and Wales shows crime has reduced by more than a

third since 2010, and has remained broadly stable over recent months. However, we

recognise the changing and increasing demand on the police, particularly in areas of

low-volume high-harm crime like serious violence. We responded by increasing

police funding by £460 million in 2018/19, including £280 million from council tax

precept. The police workforce statistics released on 24 January show the first year on

year increase in police officer numbers in a decade, indicating that Police and Crime

Commissioners have been able to protect the front line.

For 2019/20, we have proposed a settlement that will see overall funding for the

policing system increase by up to £970 million, including council tax precept. Many

PCCs are consulting on plans to use this flexibility for significant police officer

recruitment.

Refugees: Bangladesh

Imran Hussain: [202113]


taking to ensure that refugees in the Kutupalong Refugee Camp in Bangladesh who are

eligible to apply for leave to remain in the UK are able to access the (a) identity and (b)

health checks required for that application process.

Caroline Nokes:

Visa Application Centres and approved medical screening centres in Dhaka and

Sylhet provide applicants with facilities to provide the required information for visa

applications.




The Government of Bangladesh does not currently permit refugees living in refugee

camps in Cox’s Bazar to leave the camps either for the purpose of making a visa

application or to leave Bangladesh to travel to a third country.

The British High Commission has raised this issue with the Government of

Bangladesh, but the Government of Bangladesh position remains unchanged.

Refugees: Welfare State

Thangam Debbonaire: [203323]


of the effectiveness of the Post Grant Appointment Service in ensuring that refugees are

able to access the welfare system following a decision to grant asylum.

Caroline Nokes:

As described by the British Red Cross in their report ‘Still an ordeal: the move-on

period for new refugees’, the Post Grant Appointment Service is effective in setting

up an early appointment for the refugees with their local Jobcentre, thus enabling

them to make an application for mainstream benefits before they leave the asylum

support system.

We will provide more information about the service when we respond to the British

Red Cross report in due course

Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress he has made on

the roll-out of the pilot Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme.

Caroline Nokes:

The roll-out of the Seasonal Workers Pilot remains on track and will be implemented

in spring this year. A commencement date for the pilot will be announced in the

coming weeks.

UK Visas and Immigration: Staff


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many officials were

responsible for examining and making decisions on asylum applications at the end of

November 2018.

Caroline Nokes:

The number of officials who were responsible for examining and making decisions on

asylum applications at the end of November 2018 are maintained at a level that

allows the Home Office to progress cases in line with current service standards.

Decisions on asylum claims are made by Decision Makers in Asylum Operations; and

the Home Office has rolling recruitment campaigns to maintain the number of

Decision Makers




All asylum claims lodged in the UK are carefully considered on their individual merits

against a background of relevant case law and up to date country information

Undocumented Migrants: EU Action


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment the UK has

made on the effectiveness of the EU's Operation Sophia in deterring illegal migrants who

seek entry into the UK.

Caroline Nokes:

Operation SOPHIA is just one part of the EU’s overall approach to tackling the

migration crisis of 2015 onwards. It aims to break the smugglers’ business model in

North Africa, alongside other interventions in the EU’s comprehensive approach to

reducing migration flows, which also includes work in countries of origin and transit to

reduce the need of migrants to leave their home country or move on from a safe third

country in their region.

The Operation means that smuggling networks can no longer operate with impunity in

Central Mediterranean international waters and it has put over 551 smuggling vessels

beyond use and rescued over 44,000 migrants.

Operation Sophia is considered to have contributed to a reduction in the volume of

migrants crossing the Central Mediterranean into Italy, and complements other EU

work to reduce secondary movements across Europe, including towards France and

the Channel ports. However, it is not possible to make a direct correlation between

Operation Sophia and arrivals on the English coast

Unexplained Wealth Orders

Anneliese Dodds: [204624]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Office, how many Unexplained Wealth Orders

have been invoked in each month since they were introduced.

Mr Ben Wallace:

The Home Office does not comment on particular cases. The SFO investigates and

prosecutes only the most serious or complex fraud, bribery and corruption cases.

The decision to commence an investigation is that of the Director alone. Government

cannot interfere with the operational independence of investigative or prosecutorial

agencies. As new tools, it is important that courts and law enforcement establishes

the use and process to ensure that they deliver the correct objectives.

Visas

Peter Dowd: [211222]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many tier one visas the

Home Office issued in (a) 2018, (b) 2017, (c) 2016, (d) 2015 and (e) 2014.




Caroline Nokes:

Information on Tier 1 entry clearance visa applications and outcomes (grant-ed,

refused, withdrawn, lapsed) is published on a quarterly basis in the Home Office’s

‘Immigration Statistics’, Visas data tables volume 1, table vi_01_q, latest edition at:


september-2018/list-of-tables#visas

Corresponding data for Q4 (October to December) 2018 is planned to be published

on 28 February 2019.

HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

[Subject Heading to be Assigned]

Bill Grant: [908851]

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure fire safety in buildings.

James Brokenshire:

Nothing is more important than ensuring people are safe in their homes. The

implementation plan we published in December sets out the far-reaching programme

of work that the Government intends to undertake to deliver a fundamental reform of

the building safety system.

Gordon Henderson: [908852]

What steps he is taking to ensure that adequate infrastructure is put in place to support

the proposed increase in housing in the Swale borough council area.

James Brokenshire:

We will engage with Highways England and Swale Council to explore ways forward.

We are already providing £3.5 million to provide local infrastructure for Swale, and we

are working with Kent County Council to develop their proposals for larger, strategic

infrastructure.

Eddie Hughes: [908853]

What progress his Department has made in its review of the rules that require carbon

monoxide alarms to be fitted in homes across England.

Kit Malthouse:

We are making good progress with the review of carbon monoxide alarms. This has

included constructive engagement with industry to gather new evidence and

information. We are now considering this updated evidence and will set out the

Government response in due course.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2018/list-of-tables#visas






Council Tax


To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what

recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of council tax rises on the

living standards of low-income families.

Rishi Sunak:

Council tax decisions are for local authorities to take having considered local

circumstances. However, the Government has maintained referendum thresholds to

give council tax-payers in England the right to veto excessive increases in a local

referendum and council tax this year remains lower in real terms than in 2010. To

assist those facing financial hardship, including those in receipt of low incomes,

authorities in England are required to have locally designed council tax support

schemes in place.

Council Tax: Christchurch



steps the Government has taken to ensure that all Band D council taxpayers in

Christchurch make the same financial contribution to the Bournemouth Christchurch and

Poole Unitary Authority in 2019-2020 whether they live in Hurn, Burton or Christchurch;

and if he will make a statement.

Rishi Sunak:

The statutory framework, including the Local Government (Structural and Boundary

Changes) (Amendment) Regulations 2018, will ensure that all Band D council

taxpayers in Christchurch make the same contribution to Bournemouth, Christchurch

and Poole Unitary Authority in 2019-2020, whether they live in Hurn, Burton, or

elsewhere in Christchurch. This is unless the Unitary Authority, in accordance with

the provisions of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, decides that items in its

budget are special expenses not chargeable on the council tax payers of certain

parishes on the grounds that in those parishes the service concerned is provided by

the parish council and not by the Unitary Authority.

Departmental Responsibilities: North of England


To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with

reference to the speech made in Halifax by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State,

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth, what plans he has for a

secretary of state for the north of England.

Jake Berry:

Though questions about the machinery of Government are not for me to decide, my

comments reflect the importance of the Northern Powerhouse to this Government.

We are committeed to delivering power and money away from Whitehall, through the




establishment of Mayoral combined authorities and growth deals and devolution

deals across the North worth over £5 billion.

Homelessness: Domestic Violence

Sarah Champion: [210048]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether

he plans to introduce priority housing status for all homeless survivors of domestic abuse

in the forthcoming Domestic Abuse Bill.

Mrs Heather Wheeler:

Domestic abuse is an abhorrent crime that nobody should have to suffer. The

Government is absolutely committed to protecting victims of domestic abuse and their

families.

A victim of domestic abuse already has priority need under the homelessness

legislation if they are vulnerable as a result of having to leave accommodation

because of violence from another person, or threats of violence from another person

that are likely to be carried out.

In addition, people who are homeless or owed a duty under the homelessness

legislation must be given reasonable preference (priority) for social housing. Statutory

guidance issued in 2012 goes further and makes it clear that local authorities should

consider giving additional preference (high priority) to those who are homeless and

require urgent rehousing as a result of domestic abuse.

The Department has no plans currently to change the definition of priority need or

reasonable preference.

Homelessness: Mortality Rates



steps his Department is taking to reduce mortality among homeless people.


Every person who dies while they do not have a place to call home is one too many

and we have a moral duty to act.

It should not happen that people die prematurely and on the street because they are

homeless. Whilst we recognise that suitable housing is a key part of the solution,

health services have a significant role to play, alongside other public services.

My Department is working with the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure

that rough sleepers have the health care they need, when they need it. In its long-

term plan, the National Health Service committed to investing up to £30 million extra

on meeting the needs of rough sleepers. This will ensure that the parts of England

most affected by rough sleeping have better access to specialist homelessness NHS

mental health support, integrated into existing outreach services.



We are also ensuring that where a homeless person dies, or is seriously injured,

Safeguarding Adult Reviews take place where appropriate, so that local services can

learn lessons from these tragic events to better prevent them from happening in the

future.

Lakanal House: Fires


To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what

reasons the full review of approved document B called for by the inquest into the Lakanal

House fire was not carried out.

Kit Malthouse:

Work on a revised approved document B was in hand, but was put on hold when the

independent review of building regulations and fire safety was commissioned

following the Grenfell Tower fire. A consultation draft of a clarified approved

document was published for consultation in July 2018 and a further call for evidence

for a full technical review was published in December.

Local Government Finance


To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will

publish the level of reserves held by each local authority in (a) absolute terms and and (b)

as a proportion of revenue spending at the end of each of the last three financial years.

Rishi Sunak:

MHCLG collects and publishes budget and outturn data from all local authorities

annually. This published data allows anyone to see absolute reserves levels and to

also calculate reserves as a proportion of revenue spending both at individual local

authority and sector wide levels. The measure of reserves that is most commonly

referred to is non ring-fenced reserves which can be found in cells 915 & 916. The

level of spend that is most commonly used is net service expenditure which can be

found in cell 805. A web link to the GOV.UK website where this information is

published is provided here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-

authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing.

The Department also publishes a report alongside each data release that provides

expenditure and reserves data at both a sector and class of local authority level. A

web link to the report for the 2017/18 financial year is provided here:


ent_data/file/756323/2017-18_RO_Final_Outturn_Statistical_Release.pdf.

Private Rented Housing: Homelessness


To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how

many properties owned by private landlords have received funding from local authorities



https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/756323/2017-18_RO_Final_Outturn_Statistical_Release.pdf




to house people who are homeless in the most recent period for which figures are

available.


MHCLG does not collect information on payments made by local authorities to

landlords. Information is collected on the number of new private social housing lets

made to applicants who are statutorily homeless in table 3f of the CORE summary

tables accompanying the annual release.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/social-housing-lettings-in-england-

april2017-to-march-2018.

Social Rented Housing: Construction



estimate his Department has made of the number of social homes granted planning

permission in (a) Lambeth, (b) Southwark, (c) Greater London and (d) England in 2018.

Kit Malthouse:

The number of affordable units granted final planning permission during 2017-18 by

local authority and tenure, are reported to the department in question 10, Section I of

the Local Authority Housing Statistics, which can be found at

www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/local-authority-housing-statistics-data-

returns-for-2017-to-2018.

The London Development Database (LDD) records more detailed information on

significant planning permissions in London. The data is entered by London's planning

authorities, and is checked by the GLA to ensure consistency across London.

https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/planning-permissions-on-the-london-development-

database--ldd-.

Social Services: Children



representations he has made to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on additional funding for

local authority children’s social services.

Rishi Sunak:

My Department works on a regular basis with the Her Majesty’s Treasury regarding

funding for local government. This includes children’s services and I speak to

colleagues at the Department for Education on this matter as well. At the last Autumn

Budget, Government made available an additional £410 million to local authorities for

spend on children’s and adult’s social care in the next year. Our Departments will

continue to work closely together in the run-up to the next Spending Review.


https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/planning-permissions-on-the-london-development-database--ldd-




UK Shared Prosperity Fund


To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant

to the Answer of 21 January to Question 208793 on UK Shared Prosperity Fund, whether

hon. Members were informed in advance of stakeholder events in their constituencies;

and whether the Government plans to inform them of future events.

Jake Berry:

My officials have been holding engagement events across the UK, including in

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The stakeholder events were with external

stakeholders from a breadth of sectors in order to aid policy development. No

ministers or political representatives have been in attendance.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Females: Equality


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what additional (a) funding

and (b) staff resources the Government has provided to each Department to enable them

to implement Sustainable Development Goal 5.

Harriett Baldwin:

Departmental budgets are allocated, through the Spending Review, against Single

Departmental Plans. Each Department is responsible for supporting, resourcing, and

reporting against achievement of the SDGs, as appropriate to its mandate. The UK’s

upcoming Voluntary National Review will provide a snapshot of the UK’s contribution

to Global Goal 5, both domestically and internationally, and will be underpinned by

data to ensure that it is robust and credible. The UK played an instrumental role in

advocating for the inclusion of Goal 5 in the Sustainable Development Goals and is a

world leader in supporting international progress against the targets under this Goal.

Government Departments: Sustainable Development


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to

monitor progress of Government Departments in implementing the Sustainable

Development Goals.

Harriett Baldwin:

The Government has embedded the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in

Single Departmental Plans and is working to produce a strong Voluntary National

Review, which will be presented to the UN in July this year. The Voluntary National

Review will take stock of the UK’s domestic and international progress in delivering

the SDGs. All Government Departments have nominated an ‘SDG Champion’ at




Director level whose responsibility it is to promote the SDGs and the Voluntary

National Review in their department.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Gareth Thomas: [210448]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has

plans to allocate funding for research into acting/extended-release (a) injectable and (b)

implantable forms of Antiretroviral drugs to help (a) a patients adherence to treatment and

(b) decrease HIV drug resistance.

Harriett Baldwin:

Our HIV/AIDS research focuses on HIV prevention technologies and understanding

the structural drivers/factors that can increase HIV infection. Underpinning these

themes is the need for strong health systems, to deliver services to those who need

it.

Our product development research portfolio includes the International Partnership for

Microbicides (IPM). IPM is developing the first long-acting HIV prevention (containing

an antiretroviral drug) designed for women, a self-initiated female prevention product.

Research into the root causes of HIV and how best to tackle them are being

addressed through the Tackling the Structural Drivers of HIV (STRIVE) and the

recently completed Evidence for HIV Prevention in Southern Africa (EHPSA) projects.

The results of this research have the potential to increase adherence to treatment

and reduce drug resistance. It will help some of the most poor and vulnerable people,

and will be of benefit to people in all countries affected by HIV/AIDS including the UK.

DFID is also supporting the scale-up of long-acting technologies through our funding

to Unitaid. Unitaid is a global health initiative which aims to improve access to

medicines, diagnostics and preventative commodities for people affected by

HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria in lower income countries. The Unitaid board has recently

approved development of grants to drive innovation and rollout of the rich pipeline of

long-acting technologies for HIV and other diseases.

Hospital Ships

Luke Pollard: [210727]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has

plans to allocate funding to the introduction of a UK hospital ship.

Luke Pollard: [210728]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, on how many occasions (a)

she and (b) officials in her Department have held discussions with counterparts in the

Ministry of Defence on the potential procurement of a UK hospital ship.




Penny Mordaunt:

Both DFID’s Directors General for Policy, Humanitarian and Research and DFID’s

Director for Humanitarian, Migration and Security have held discussions with their

counterparts at the MoD to discuss the proposal; a senior official-led DFID-MOD

working group has met on two occasions and a series of more junior official level

discussions have taken place between DFID’s Conflict, Humanitarian and Security

Division and the Ministry of Defence. A further senior cross-Whitehall workshop is

planned this week.

This builds on broader collaboration between DFID and the Ministry of Defence,

including on the establishment of the Humanitarian Innovation Hub, and on taking a

joined up approach to building stability in fragile and conflict-affected regions.

Pakistan: Overseas Aid


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what (a) Official

Development Assistance and (b) other resources her Department has allocated to the

rule of law initiative in Pakistan; and if she will publish her Department's human rights

assessment of that initiative for 2018-2019.

Harriett Baldwin:

DFID has spent £7.69m to-date since financial year 2015/16 on rule of law initiatives

in Pakistan which are funded through the Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF).

This has supported work to improve the justice system in Pakistan for citizens.

HMG makes robust use of the oversees security and justice assessment (OSJAs)

process to manage any human rights risks arising from security and justice

assistance delivered overseas. A risk assessment has therefore been carried out on

the DFID led work in Pakistan. OSJAs include a UK assessment of the human rights

situation in a country at a given time and are regularly updated to inform exposure to

risk and adjust programme delivery to reduce that risk if necessary. OSJAs therefore

need to be candid about the situation in order to work. Placing them in the public

domain could prejudice relations between the UK and another state, the interests of

the UK abroad or the promotion or protection by the UK of its interests abroad.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

Joan Ryan: [R] [211626]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the

business case for her Department's Programme 300667 entitled Supporting Economic

Empowerment and Development in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the

statement by PwC that it was not required to consider whether funds had been

transferred to persons implicated in terrorism, whether she plans to alter the terms of

engagement for the auditors of this programme.



Harriett Baldwin:

The UK has a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and robust controls against the

diversion of aid to ensure that funds are used only for their intended purpose. These

include due diligence assessments of our partners, mapping of funds through the

delivery chain, regular programme monitoring and annual audits.

DFID’s programme Supporting Economic Empowerment and Development in the

Occupied Palestinian Territories (SEED OPTs) has several components, working on

trade facilitation and customs, water and energy, and helping the PA and Israel to

abide by their obligations under the Paris Protocol. Work with the Palestinian

Authority in the water and energy sectors will be channelled through The World Bank

Partnership for Infrastructure Development in the West Bank and Gaza Multi Donor

Trust Fund. Through this framework, funds will flow from the trust fund to dedicated

accounts that will be managed by the PA in accordance with rules established by the

World Bank.

Alongside a range of other safeguards, all components will be subject to financial

audits. The terms of reference of the audits will vary depending on the component,

however all independent financial audits provide assurance to DFID that the

expenditure of funds will only be on agreed programme activities. The overall DFID

OPTs portfolio is also subject to the regular audit cycle of DFID’s Internal Audit

Department and the National Audit Office.

Palestinians: Schools

Joan Ryan: [R] [211628]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of

21 January 2019 to Question 209284 on Palestinians: Schools, and with reference to the

meeting between the Minister of State and the Palestinian Authority (PA) Minister for

Education in the week beginning 21 January, what steps the PA Minister plans to take to

address UK Government concerns on the Palestinian curriculum.

Harriett Baldwin:

The UK Government is concerned by allegations of incitement in the Palestinian

Authority (PA) curriculum, and Minister of State Alistair Burt raised these issues with

the PA Minister for Education again, on 21 January 2019. The PA Minister confirmed

that he was willing to take into account the findings of an expert textbook review. This

review remains a priority for DFID and will be completed by September 2019.

Poverty: Overseas Aid


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to

ensure that UK aid is (a) effective, (b) transparent and (c) targeted at ending extreme

poverty.



Harriett Baldwin:

DFID’s core mission is reducing extreme poverty. We are striving to ensure that every

project we spend British taxpayers’ money on contributes to both reducing poverty in

the developing country and to the UK national interest, for example by tackling

multiple drivers of poverty and instability.

We are committed to improving the effectiveness and transparency of UK aid to

ensure we are attaining maximum impact from our aid budget. In the 2015 Aid

Strategy, the government made a commitment to aim for all UK government

departments to be ranked as ‘Good’ or ‘Very Good’ in the Aid Transparency Index by

2020. The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) has the remit to provide

independent scrutiny of the impact and value for money of all UK Government aid

spending and reports its finding to Parliament’s International Development

Committee.

South America: Bilateral Aid


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the value was of

bilateral aid provided to (a) Bolivia, (b) Colombia, (c) Ecuador and (d) Peru in each year

since 2015; and what plans he has for such spending in each of the next three years.

Harriett Baldwin:

DFID provided no direct bilateral aid to Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador or Peru in the

years 2015 - 2017, the latest year for which ODA spend has been published. DFID

has no plans to allocate bilateral aid to those countries in each of the next three

years.

South Sudan: Human Rights


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent steps her

Department has taken to support better cross-border cooperation to tackle the human

rights situation in South Sudan.


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent steps her

Department has taken to support better cross-border co-operation to tackle the

humanitarian situation in South Sudan.

Harriett Baldwin:

As a landlocked country, cross-border transportation of aid is essential for an

effective humanitarian response in South Sudan. DFID is funding TradeMark East

Africa to improve efficiency and capacity on the Uganda-South Sudan border at

Nimule, and to work with the UN to speed up the importation on humanitarian goods.

The World Food Programme (WFP) is also working, with DFID funding, to strengthen

cooperation on land border crossings between Sudan and South Sudan. In June




2018 a one-year Memorandum of Understanding was signed between WFP and the

Government of Sudan to enable the cross-border movement of humanitarian

assistance for the South Sudan response.

Syria: Education


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment her

Department has made of the adequacy of education provided to displaced Syrian children

in refugee camps.

Harriett Baldwin:

The UK remains at the forefront of the humanitarian response to the Syria crisis,

which includes providing life-saving and life-changing support to millions of Syrians

who have taken refuge in neighbouring countries. Working with the governments of

neighbouring countries, including Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, our assistance is

focused on the most vulnerable Syrian refugees in the region, including children, to

meet their immediate needs and improve their lives until they can safely return to

Syria.

Education is a key part of this work. We rely on regular assessment of education

needs and learning outcomes, from implementing partners and UN agencies, in order

to inform our decisions around our education response in the region. As a result,

DFID funded partners in the region are providing educational activities, and child

friendly spaces where children receive learning support and psychosocial care, both

within refugee camps and in host communities. Overall, in 2017/18 alone, DFID’s

support provided over 584,000 children in the region with access to quality education.

Zimbabwe: Violence

Patrick Grady: [211262]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what international support is

being made available to Zimbabwe in light of recent civil unrest and disproportionate use

of force by the security forces of that country.

Harriett Baldwin:

The UK aid programme in Zimbabwe provides specialised medical, counselling and

legal assistance as well as extensive financial and technical assistance to a number

of civil society organisations aimed at protecting and promoting human rights and

upholding Zimbabwe’s democratic principles. In addition, we continue to provide

humanitarian assistance and support to basic service provision to benefit the poorest

Zimbabweans.



INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Companies: EU Action

Barry Gardiner: [210452]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate he has made of the

number of British companies in EU supply chains in which a party has an outstanding

trade complaint being (a) considered and (b) investigated by the EU.

George Hollingbery:

Trade remedies are currently under EU competence while we remain a Member

State.

The European Commission is currently conducting four anti-dumping investigations,

two anti-subsidy investigations and 14 expiry reviews. The Commission provides

information about complaints to Member States on a confidential basis. The

involvement of British companies in EU supply chains varies on a case by case basis.

The UK is committed to a rules-based international trade system and is in the

process of establishing the Trade Remedies Authority to ensure that UK businesses

continue to be protected from unfair and injurious trade practices once we leave the

EU.

Department for International Trade: Legal Costs

Richard Burgon: [209810]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the highest hourly rate was

that (a) his Department and (b) each of his Department's arms-length bodies paid for

legal advice in 2018.

George Hollingbery:

The highest hourly rate paid by the Department for International Trade for external

legal advice in 2018 was £816ph. This was for a piece of urgent foreign law advice

for which it was not possible to use the usual Government Legal Services Panels.

The advice was subject to an overall fee cap and only 4.4 hours was charged at the

£816 hourly rate.

The Department for International Trade does not currently have any arms-length

bodies.

Department for International Trade: Pay

Gareth Snell: [209885]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what information his Department

holds on the rate of remuneration for (a) cleaners, (b) security guards and (c) catering

staff in his Department in (i) Greater London and (ii) outside Greater London.

George Hollingbery:

Cleaning, security guarding and catering services in buildings managed by the

Department are outsourced under a facilities management contract. Specific rates of




pay are a matter for each individual contractor, as the employer, but assurances are

provided to ensure full compliance with the requirements of the National Minimum

Wage and the National Living Wage.

Where the Department for International Trade is a tenant in buildings belonging to

other Government departments, this information is not held.

Trade Remedies


To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the timeframe will be in which

the Trade Remedies Authority will be required to conclude proceedings in respect of a

WTO Article 5 investigation.

George Hollingbery:

Article 5 of the WTO Agreement on Anti-Dumping sets out that investigations should

normally be concluded within 12 months, and must not take longer than 18 months.

The same rules apply in respect of subsidy investigations.

We have been clear that the TRA will be expected to comply with WTO rules; this

includes in respect of timeframes where relevant.


To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Taxation

(Cross-Border Trade) Act 2018 whether there will be a presumption that the Trade

Remedies Authority will impose a trade remedy unless it can be demonstrated that the

negative economic effect determined under the economic interest test outweighs the

economic benefits of imposing that remedy.

George Hollingbery:

Where the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) finds that there has been injury to a

domestic industry caused by the import of dumped or subsidised goods, it is required

to conduct an Economic Interest Test, as set out in the Taxation (Cross-border

Trade) Act 2018, before recommending measures to the Secretary of State.

In applying that test, the Act makes clear in respect of anti-dumping duties and

countervailing duties that there is a presumption in favour of measures being

imposed. That presumption applies to the TRA, and to the Secretary of State, and

means that measures will be imposed unless it can be demonstrated that the

negative economic effects of doing so outweigh the positive.

Trade Remedies Authority


To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate he has made of the

volume of (a) legislation and (b) regulations required to be (i) introduced and (ii) amended

to give effect to the work of the Trade Remedies Authority; and how many of those items

will be brought forward in secondary legislation.




George Hollingbery:

The trade remedies framework is set out in the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act

2018, which received Royal Assent on 14 September.

The regulations that will set out the detail of the system will be laid by my Department

in the coming weeks; we anticipate that this will amount to 3 substantive statutory

instruments.

There will be also some need for amendment of other secondary legislation in

relation to enabling appeals to be heard by the Upper Tribunal, and the imposition of

trade remedy measures on affected imports. These will be included in statutory

instruments to be laid by MoJ and HMRC respectively.

JUSTICE

Administration of Justice: Disclosure of Information

Mr George Howarth: [211132]

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what policies and procedures his Department

had put in place in relation to the (a) legal and (b) other advice on to the release of

information about an individual in the criminal justice system; what policies and procedure

his Department had put in place for the (i) designation and (ii) authorisation of personnel

to release that information at the time when information on Jon Venables being in custody

was released on or around 2 March 2010; whether changes to those policies and

procedures since that date; and how changes to those policies and procedures were

issued to staff in his Department.

Rory Stewart:

It is the Department’s policy not to release information about an individual in the

criminal justice system, although it will sometimes be necessary for the Department

to confirm information which is already in the public domain.

Under the statutory Probation Victim Contact Scheme (VCS), qualifying victims who

have chosen to receive the services of the VCS are entitled to receive certain

information about an offender at key stages of the sentence being served by that

offender. It is for the Probation Victim Liaison Officer (VLO) to provide that

information to victims.

In relation to the offender once known as Jon Venables, a VLO employed by a

Probation Trust was designated and authorised to disclose to qualifying victims on or

around 2 March 2010 that Venables had been recalled to custody for breaching his

licence conditions.

There has been no change to the relevant policies and procedures since that time,

albeit that VLOs are no longer employed by a Probation Trust but by the National

Probation Service.


Criminal Injuries Compensation: Crimes of Violence


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment his Department has

made of the adequacy of the application process for victims of violent crime to apply for

compensation; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Argar:

In our Victims Strategy published in September 2018, we set out our commitment to

review the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. The terms of reference for the

review were published on 18 December 2018. The review will consider how the

Scheme can best reflect the changing nature of violent crime, effectively support

victims in their recovery and opportunities for simplification. As part of this work, we

will be considering the recommendations made by the Victims’ Commissioner in her

report (Compensation without re-traumatisation) which was published on 23 January.

We intend to publish proposals later this year.

Ministry of Justice: Contracts


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which service providers are contracted to carry

out third party cleaning contracts for his (a) Department and (b) executive agencies; if he

will list all of the services delivered by third party contractors to his (i) Department and (ii)

executive agencies; and how many people working for those third party contractors are

paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.y the Living

Wage Foundation.

Edward Argar:

Cleaning services in the MoJ are typically undertaken by outsourced providers as

part of large Facilities Management (FM) service contracts. Providers to the MoJ HQ

and probation estate are OCS and Sodexo, to the court and tribunal estate are G4S

and Mitie, and to the prison estate Amey, Gov Facilities Services Ltd (GFSL) and

Mitie. Rates of pay for cleaners are determined by their respective employers and not

held by the Ministry of Justice. All outsourced providers are required to pay as a

minimum, either the National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage.

A list of all services delivered by third party contractors to the Department is not held

in a centralised location, the information requested could only be obtained at


Ministry of Justice: Sikhs


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Sikhs are employed in his

Department; and whether they are recorded as (a) an ethnic or (b) a religious group.




Edward Argar:

As at 31st March 2018, there are 236 Sikh staff employed within the MoJ; this is

based on staff declaring their religious beliefs on the HR system (SOP), the

declaration rate stands at 28.3%. This data will be included in the Workforce

Monitoring Report. The tentative due date for publication of the Workforce Report is

31st January 2019.

Offences against Children


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of the

potential merits of extending the provisions of sections 16 to 24 of the Sexual Offences

Act 2003 to include (a) sports coaches, (b) driving instructors, (c) faith leaders and (d)

other positions of trust; and if he will make a statement.

Lucy Frazer:

Any sexual activity with a child under 16 is a criminal offence, regardless of whether

consent is given. Any non-consensual sexual activity is also a crime, whatever the

age of the victim and whatever the relationship between the victim and perpetrator.

Where a manipulative offender grooms a child prior to them reaching the age of

consent and then engages in a sexual relationship with them when they are over 16,

this could be prosecuted under offences such as Section 15A of the Sexual Offences

Act 2003.

We remain absolutely committed to protecting children and young people from sexual

abuse and we already have a wide range of criminal offences under which to

prosecute and sentence those who carry out such acts. We continue to keep this

under review.

Prison Sentences


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have received an

Imprisonment for Public Protection sentence in each of the last three years.


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners serving Imprisonment for

Public Protection sentences have served time in excess of the original sentence.

Rory Stewart:

The Courts have handed down one Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP)

sentence in the last three years. The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of

Offenders Act abolished the IPP sentence for offences committed on or after 3

December 2012. However, the offender in this one case committed the offences prior

to abolition of the IPP sentence.

Prisoners serving an IPP sentence have no fixed date of release. At the time of

sentencing, the Court set a tariff – that is, the minimum custodial period to be served




before the prisoner would be eligible for release. At the end of September 2018,

2,319 IPP prisoners had served more than their minimum tariff period. The number of

tariff-expired prisoners serving an IPP sentence, and the time they have served over

tariff, is published in table 1.9b of the OMSQ Prison Population publication:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/offender-management-statistics-quarterly-

april-to-june-2018

Figures for Quarter 4 of 2018 will be published at the end of January 2019.

These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any

large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and

processing.

Public protection is our priority. Prisoners serving IPP sentences will only be released

if the independent Parole Board is satisfied that it is safe to do so based on a

thorough assessment of risk. Those who have served their minimum tariff have the

opportunity to apply to the Parole Board and demonstrate that they are no longer a

risk to society.

Prisoners: Veterans

Andrew Rosindell: [211189]

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government is taking to reduce

the number of armed forces veterans in prison.

Edward Argar:

NHS England Liaison and Diversion services are able to assess vulnerable

individuals, including former service personnel at first point of contact with the

Criminal Justice System, for example at police stations and courts across England.

Individuals may be diverted away from the Criminal Justice System, or into

appropriate community orders.

Project Nova in partnership with NHS Liaison & Diversion services across four

regions, are able to offer former service personnel support to address the underlying

issues that lead to re-offending.

The Ministry of Justice understands the unique nature of those who served in the

Armed Forces and those prisoners who declare a military background are able to

access a range of specialist support, including from military charities who deliver

services in prisons and in the community.

Prisons: Drugs

Liz Saville Roberts: [210641]

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of

prison staff exposed to new psychoactive substances during the course of their work in

each year since 2010; and if he will make a statement.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/offender-management-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2018





Rory Stewart:

[Holding answer 24 January 2019]: Protecting the health and safety of our prisoners

and staff is our priority and I am concerned by reports of the effects of secondary

inhalation of psychoactive substances in addition to the harm which prisoners do to

themselves by using these drugs.

We do not have reliable data on the number of incidents where staff may have been

exposed to psychoactive substances but we are working closely with Public Health

England and other experts to understand the scale of the issue and to ensure our

response to the threat is clinically and scientifically appropriate.

Our internal guidance on controlling the risks of secondary exposure has, though,

been substantially revised following consultation and includes detailed information on

how to assess and control risk on entry into cells where psychoactive substances

have been used.

Of course, the best way to do address this risk is to keep drugs out of prisons. That is

why we have formed a Drugs Taskforce which is working with law enforcement and

health partners across government to restrict supply, reduce demand and build

recovery. The Taskforce is developing a national Drug Strategy, which will provide all

prisons with guidance and examples of best practice to support them in tackling

drugs. We are also investing £6 million in 10 of the most challenging prisons, to

provide more staff focused on effective searching, drug detection dogs, body

scanners and improved perimeter defences.

Psychoactive substances have presented a particular challenge and in September

2016, we became the first prison service in the world to introduce innovative

mandatory drug tests for these substances, a significant step in tackling the supply

and use of them. We have made it a criminal offence to possess psychoactive

substances in prison, trained more than 300 sniffer dogs specifically to detect them

and ensured all prisons have clear guidance on how to detect and prevent attempts

to send paper laced with psychoactive substances into prisons.


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) searches for and (b) discoveries

of drugs there have been in prisons in each of the last three years.

Rory Stewart:

The misuse of drugs in prison drives violence, vulnerability and crime and so tackling

this is one of our top priorities. Consequently, we are improving our security to restrict

the availability of drugs. We use body, property, cell and area searches, metal-

detecting scanners and drug and phone detection dogs across the estate. We are

investing £6 million to tackle drug supply and reduce demand in 10 of the most

challenging prisons, with body scanners and more staff focused on effective

searching.


The Ministry of Justice does not record the number of searches conducted in each

prison. Data and information on drug finds is routinely published as part of the normal

publication schedule

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-hm-prison-and-probation-service-

digest-2017-to-2018

Data on drug finds in 2018-19 will be published in due course in line with the normal

publication schedule.

Television: Licensing


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 6 December 2018 to

Question 198197 on Television: Licensing, what estimate he has made of the number of

people who have been given custodial sentences for failure to pay fines levied for non-

payment of the BBC licence fee in each of the last three years.

Rory Stewart:

The number of people who have been committed to prison for failure to pay fines

imposed for non-payment of the BBC licence fee in each of the last three years can

be viewed in the table.

Table 1: Sentenced prison admissions for non-payment of the fine

associated with using a TV without a licence, by sex; 2015 to 2017

2015 2016 2017

Total 38 29 19

Of which:

Female 20 12 8

Male 18 17 11

Data sources and quality

The figures in this table have been drawn from administrative IT

systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are

subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Source PQ 211130 (Ministry of Justice; ASD-JSAS)

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-hm-prison-and-probation-service-digest-2017-to-2018




NORTHERN IRELAND

Northern Ireland Office: Staff


To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the corrected Answer of

22 January 2019 to Question 206251, how many civil servants in his Department were

working part or full-time on projects in the Government Major Projects Portfolio in (a)

June 2016 and (b) December 2018.

John Penrose:

No civil servants in my Department were working part or full-time on projects in the

Government Major Projects Portfolio in (a) June 2016 and (b) December 2018.

PRIME MINISTER

Ulster Unionist Party

Peter Grant: [211208]

To ask the Prime Minister, on how many occasions she has held meetings with

representatives of the Ulster Unionist Party to discuss the Northern Ireland Backstop in

2019; and when she plans to next hold a meeting with that party on that matter.


To ask the Prime Minister, on how many occasions she met representatives of Sinn Fein

to discuss the Northern Ireland backstop proposal in the Withdrawal Agreement; and

when the next such meeting is due to take place in 2019.



representatives of the Social Democratic and Labour Party Party to discuss the Northern

Ireland Backstop in 2019; and when she plans to next hold a meeting with that party on

that matter.


To ask the Prime Minister, on how many occasions in 2019 she met representatives of

the Democratic Unionist Party to discuss the Northern Ireland backstop proposals in the

Withdrawal Agreement; and when the next such meeting is due to take place.



representatives of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland to discuss the Northern Ireland

Backstop in 2019; and when she plans to next hold a meeting with that party on that

matter.







Mrs Theresa May:

I refer the Hon. Member to the Oral Statement I gave on Leaving the European Union

on the 21 January 2019, Official Report, Column 25.

TRANSPORT

Bus Services

Gloria De Piero: [211167]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many cessations of bus services his

Department or Traffic Commissioners were notified of in 2017-18; and where in the UK

those cessations have been.

Ms Nusrat Ghani:

The number of cancelled bus services in 2017-18 in Great Britain (outside of

London), by region, registered with the Traffic Commissioners, can be found in the

Traffic Commissioners annual report 2017/18 -


ent_data/file/768769/201718_TC_annual_report.pdf

The figures relate only to the local bus service registered with a Traffic Commissioner

in Great Britain. They do not include those services registered with Transport for

London or those in Northern Ireland.

Channel Ferries: Freight

Joanna Cherry: [210601]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what unforeseeable events led his

Department to award contracts for additional shipping freight capacity under Regulation

32 of The Public Contracts Regulations 2015.


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria his Department used to identify

new entrants to the market in the absence of an invitation to tender being published when

awarding contracts for additional shipping freight capacity under Regulation 32 of The

Public Contracts Regulations 2015.


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria his Department used to select

existing cross channel operators in the absence of an invitation to tender being published

when awarding contracts for additional shipping freight capacity under Regulation 32 of

The Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

Ms Nusrat Ghani:

I refer the hon Member to my Rt hon Friend's Written Statement of 7 January [HCWS

1233].





A negotiated procurement procedure without prior publication was concluded as

allowed for by Regulation 32 of The Public Contracts Regulations 2015. An

accelerated competitive process was carried out in order to ensure that capacity can

be in place in time for a No Deal exit whilst at the same time securing value for

money for the taxpayer.

Civil Aviation Authority: Certification

Mr Laurence Robertson: [211084]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to ensure that

certificates provided by the Civil Aviation Authority to British companies will be valid within

the EU after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Laurence Robertson: [211085]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to ensure that

British aviation supply companies will be able to qualify for work certified by the European

Aviation Safety Agency after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling:

The UK is seeking continued participation in the European Aviation Safety Agency

(EASA) system in order to facilitate the continued frictionless trade in aerospace

goods between the UK and EU. The UK, with the second largest aerospace sector in

the world, supplies vital components to aerospace exporters within the EU. It is not in

the interests of the UK or the EU to disrupt the ‘just in time’ supply chains of our

integrated aerospace sector.

The Commission has proposed a regulation which, when agreed, would provide an

extension of the validity of certain safety certificates issued to or by UK based

organisations. In addition, The Aviation Safety (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit)

Regulations which were laid in draft on 26 November 2018 provide that certificates

issued by EASA or an EU Member State shall remain valid for a period of up to 2

years.

Department for Transport: Brexit

Layla Moran: [211945]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of

(a) procurement processes his Department has run for contracts for after the UK leaves

the EU since 23 June 2016 and (b) bids his Department has received from suppliers for

services for after the UK has left the EU.

Chris Grayling:

In line with transparency obligations contracts over £10k are published on Contracts

Finder.

Contracts Finder provides a facility to search for information about contracts worth

over £10,000 with the DfT and its agencies. https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder




https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder

https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder

Driving: Diabetes


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to The Motor Vehicles (Driving

Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2017, when the DVLA plans to update its guidance

on diabetes testing and driving to allow the testing of interstitial fluid.

Jesse Norman:

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is currently amending the Assessing

Fitness to Drive guidance on the use of new monitoring technologies for people with

diabetes. The revised guidance is due to be published in February. This will allow the

testing of interstitial fluid for driving licensing purposes for people with diabetes who

drive cars or motorcycles. Drivers of goods vehicles and buses must continue to

monitor blood glucose levels.


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) assessment he has made of new

diabetes monitoring technologies for drivers and (b) discussions his Department has had

with the DVLA on updating the DVLA guidance on new diabetes monitoring technologies.

Jesse Norman:

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has worked closely with the

Secretary of State for Transport’s Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on driving and

diabetes mellitus to understand the potential impacts of allowing the use of alternative

methods of glucose monitoring. Following consultation with key stakeholders the

panel agreed that the evidence demonstrated that interstitial fluid glucose monitoring

systems could be used to monitor glucose levels for the purpose of driving cars and

motorcycles once the DVLA had published the revised guidelines.

The DVLA is currently amending the Assessing Fitness to Drive guidance on the use

of new monitoring technologies for people with diabetes. The revised guidance is due

to be published in February. This will allow the testing of interstitial fluid for driving

licensing purposes for people with diabetes who drive cars or motorcycles. Drivers of

goods vehicles and buses must continue to monitor blood glucose levels.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Antoinette Sandbach: [210561]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2019

to Question 206432, whether he plans to hold a further route refinement consultation in

relation to the High Speed Two Phase 2b route this year.

Ms Nusrat Ghani:

The Secretary of State explained in his statement to the House on 11 October 2018,

that he expects to consult on further potential changes to Phase 2b in 2019, including

some to facilitate Northern Powerhouse Rail.




Mersey Tunnels


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the

potential merits of bringing the Mersey Tunnels into the national road network.

Jesse Norman:

The Mersey Tunnels were constructed by the local authorities in the area and, since

opening, have been managed locally. Following the establishment of the Liverpool

City Region Combined Authority, it has assumed responsibility for the management,

operation and funding of the Mersey Tunnels. The Tunnels are therefore not the

responsibility of the Department for Transport and there has been no recent

assessment by the Department of any change to this arrangement.

Railways: Wolverhampton


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much rail fares have increased in each

year since 2010 for a peak time return ticket between (a) Wolverhampton and

Birmingham New Street and (b) Wolverhampton and London Euston.

Andrew Jones:

To provide context, we have provided figures for increases in rail fares since 2005.

Since 2005, the fares for a peak time return ticket (an Anytime Day Return) between

Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street, set by the West Midlands Passenger

Transport Executive, have risen as shown in the below table:

FROM WOLVERHAMPTON TO BIRMINGHAM NEW STREET

Anytime Day Return

Valid from Valid until Price Increase

02/01/2005 11/06/2005 £5.35

12/06/2005 01/01/2006 £5.35 £0.00

02/01/2006 01/01/2007 £5.50 £0.15

02/01/2007 19/05/2007 £5.70 £0.20

20/05/2007 08/09/2007 £5.70 £0.00

09/09/2007 01/01/2008 £5.70 £0.00

02/01/2008 06/09/2008 £6.00 £0.30

07/09/2008 01/01/2009 £6.00 £0.00

02/01/2009 05/09/2009 £6.30 £0.30



FROM WOLVERHAMPTON TO BIRMINGHAM NEW STREET

06/09/2009 01/01/2010 £6.30 £0.00

02/01/2010 22/05/2010 £6.20 -£0.10

23/05/2010 04/09/2010 £6.20 £0.00

05/09/2010 01/01/2011 £6.20 £0.00

02/01/2011 03/09/2011 £6.60 £0.40

04/09/2011 01/01/2012 £6.60 £0.00

02/01/2012 19/05/2012 £7.00 £0.40

20/05/2012 01/09/2012 £7.00 £0.00

02/09/2012 01/01/2013 £7.00 £0.00

02/01/2013 07/09/2013 £7.20 £0.20

08/09/2013 01/01/2014 £7.20 £0.00

02/01/2014 06/09/2014 £7.40 £0.20

07/09/2014 01/01/2015 £7.40 £0.00

02/01/2015 16/05/2015 £7.50 £0.10

17/05/2015 05/09/2015 £7.50 £0.00

06/09/2015 01/01/2016 £7.50 £0.00

02/01/2016 03/09/2016 £7.50 £0.00

04/09/2016 01/01/2017 £7.50 £0.00

02/01/2017 01/01/2018 £7.60 £0.10

02/01/2018 19/05/2018 £7.80 £0.20

20/05/2018 01/01/2019 £7.80 £0.00

02/01/2019 £8.00 £0.20

Since 2005, the fares for a peak time return ticket (an Anytime Return) between

Wolverhampton and London Euston, set by Virgin Trains West Coast, have risen as

shown in the below table:

FROM WOLVERHAMPTON TO LONDON EUSTON

Anytime Return

Valid from Valid until Price Increase

02/01/2005 01/01/2006 £106.00

02/01/2006 10/06/2006 £114.00 £8.00

11/06/2006 09/09/2006 £114.00 £0.00

10/09/2006 01/01/2007 £114.00 £0.00

02/01/2007 01/01/2008 £123.00 £9.00

02/01/2008 06/09/2008 £129.00 £6.00

07/09/2008 01/01/2009 £129.00 £0.00

02/01/2009 01/01/2010 £139.00 £10.00

02/01/2010 01/01/2011 £147.00 £8.00

02/01/2011 01/01/2012 £157.00 £10.00

02/01/2012 01/01/2013 £166.00 £9.00

02/01/2013 01/01/2014 £166.00 £0.00

02/01/2014 17/05/2014 £173.00 £7.00

18/05/2014 06/09/2014 £173.00 £0.00

07/09/2014 01/01/2015 £173.00 £0.00

02/01/2015 05/09/2015 £177.00 £4.00

06/09/2015 01/01/2016 £177.00 £0.00

02/01/2016 03/09/2016 £179.00 £2.00

04/09/2016 01/01/2017 £179.00 £0.00

02/01/2017 01/01/2019 £182.00 £3.00

02/01/2019 £184.00 £2.00

The figures show that over the five years between 2 January 2005 and 2 January

2010, the peak time return ticket between Wolverhampton and London Euston rose

by 39%. By comparison, over nearly double the time period, in the nine years

between 2 January 2010 and 2 January 2019, the peak time return ticket rose by only

25%.

Transport: Disability


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to

ensure that disabled people have suitable transport access when seeking employment

opportunities.

Ms Nusrat Ghani:

The Government is committed to ensuring that disabled people have the same

access to transport and opportunities to seek employment as everyone else. In July

2018 the Government launched the Inclusive Transport Strategy (ITS) which sets out

key policy and investment priorities to deliver an inclusive transport system.

Access to Work is a publicly funded employment support programme that aims to

help more disabled people start, or stay in, work. It can provide practical and financial

support for people who have a disability or long term physical or mental health

condition. The scheme is demand-led and offers a discretionary grant, administered

by Jobcentre Plus (JCP). Support for disabled workers can include travel to work and

travel within work as well as specialised aids, equipment and support workers.

TREASURY

Cash Dispensing: Urban Areas


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the

number of cash machines on high streets in the UK in each year since 2010.

John Glen:

The Treasury has not made an estimate of the number of cash machines on high

streets in the UK in each year since 2010.

The Government recognises that widespread access to cash remains extremely

important to the day-to-day lives of many consumers and businesses; and continues

to engage with the regulators and industry in this area.

The Government established the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) in 2015, with a

statutory objective to ensure that the UK’s payment systems work in the interests of

their users. The PSR is, therefore, closely monitoring developments within ATM

provision. It has recently used its powers to ensure LINK meets its commitment on

maintaining the broad geographical spread of free-to-use ATMs.

Statistical data on the number of ATMs is publicly available on the LINK website. This

includes data on the number of ATMs across the UK, both free-to-use and pay-to-

use, since 2010.



Debts


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has plans to included

the debts owed to (a) HMRC, and (b) other government bodies in the Breathing Space

scheme.

John Glen:

The Government published a consultation on a single policy proposal for the

breathing space scheme in October 2018. The consultation proposed that as wide a

range of an individual’s personal debts as possible would be included in the scheme,

including certain tax and benefit debts.

The consultation closes on 29 January and the Government intends to confirm its

approach to these aspects of the scheme in its response.


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of trends

in the regional spread of household debt since 2010.

John Glen:

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) routinely produces estimates of household

debt in the UK, at an aggregate level.

The latest available data on regional household debt, covering the period 2014 to

2016, shows that median household financial debt in the South East is the largest of

any English region, while the West Midlands is the lowest. In the UK as a whole,

household debt-to-income was 139% in Q3 2018. This remains significantly below

the pre-crisis peak of 160% in Q1 2008. Debt interest payments as a share of income

remain low by historical standards and below pre-crisis levels. Household net

financial wealth as a proportion of income remains close to record highs and above

pre-crisis levels.

Loans: Mozambique

Dan Carden: [210062]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2018

to Question 172591 on Mozambique: Loans, what steps he is taking with UK and

Mozambican authorities to ensure that London-based banks and individuals concerned

are held to account for undisclosed loans to state owned companies.

John Glen:

UK-based lenders are subject to prudential disclosure requirements under UK

prudential and accounting law. This includes loans made to foreign governments.

Compliance with these requirements are independently assessed by the relevant UK

regulator during their supervisory activities.

Given the complex international nature of sovereign debt, we continue to believe that

internationally-agreed approaches are the most effective way to promote sovereign




debt transparency. Sovereign governments are ultimately responsible for the

transparency of their own borrowing. The UK supports the IMF and World Bank’s

efforts to improve capacity and capabilities of sovereign borrowers to fulfil this

responsibility.

The UK recognizes that creditors also have an important role to play in securing debt

transparency and sustainability. The UK is working through the G20 to monitor an

industry-led initiative by the Institute of International Finance (IIF) to improve the

transparency of lending of private creditors.

Regarding the particular case in question, I can confirm that the relevant UK

authorities have considered the allegations and have offered assistance to

Mozambique in relation to their investigations.

Medicine: Education

Julie Cooper: [211256]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with

the Department of Health and Social Care on funding for additional domestic medical

student places.


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the

potential merits of allocating funding for additional domestic medical student places to

meet NHS demand.


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he is taking to ensure that the

UK has the ability to train the medical students it needs to supply NHS workforce

requirements.

Elizabeth Truss:

The government is delivering on its commitment to roll out an extra 1,500 medical

school places. Around 630 have taken up places on medical courses in September

2018, bringing the total intake for 2018/19 to 6,701 - the highest on record. A further

690 will be available to students in 2019/20 and the remaining 180 places will be

available in 2020/21.

The NHS has established a national workforce group, which will look at the future

medical workforce as part of delivering on the workforce aims set out in the Long-

Term Plan. The NHS will publish a detailed workforce implementation plan in the

Spring.




Motor Vehicles: Taxation

Matt Western: [211875]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has accrued to the public purse from

the increase in (a) vehicle excise duty and (b) benefit-in-kind for diesel vehicles since

April 2018.

Robert Jenrick:

Any diesel car that is not certified to the Real Driving Emissions 2 (RDE2) standard is

liable to pay a diesel supplement on its Vehicle Excise Duty and company car tax

rate.

At Autumn Budget 2017, the government published an OBR certified costing of the

diesel supplement changes. In 2018-19, these changes are expected to raise £220

million, with this revenue being used to pay for a Clean Air Fund to help English local

authorities with the most challenging pollution problems. Aside from the diesel

supplement, VED rates for cars, vans and motorbikes increased by RPI in 2018-19

maintaining receipts in real terms.

The costings can be accessed at:


ent_data/file/661428/Autumn_Budget_Policy_costings_document_web.pdf

Tax Avoidance

Sir Edward Davey: [211081]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people subject to the 2019 Loan

Charge were contractors who were contracted to (a) HMRC, (b) a Government

Department, (c) a local authority and (d) another public sector body for some or all of the

period of the contract the renumeration for which is now subject to the Loan Charge.

Mel Stride:

The 2019 loan charge is targeted at artificial tax avoidance schemes where earnings

were paid via a third party in the form of ‘loans’ which in reality were never repaid,

‘disguised remuneration’ (DR) schemes.

HMRC has never endorsed or participated in disguised remuneration tax avoidance

schemes. It is possible for contractors to use disguised remuneration without the

participation or knowledge of their engager. As a contracting authority, the majority of

HMRC’s contracts are via an agency and use the Crown Commercial Service’s

framework contracts, or service contracts with contracted suppliers. Any contractor

identified in the course of HMRC’s compliance work as using a tax avoidance

scheme would be investigated in the same way as any other contractor.

The Government estimates that up to 50,000 individuals will be affected by the 2019

loan charge. The loan charge applies to all users of DR tax avoidance schemes. It

does not single out a specific group or industry. Further information on who the

charge affects can be found in HMRC’s issue briefing at:


https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/661428/Autumn_Budget_Policy_costings_document_web.pdf




https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-issue-briefing-disguised-

remuneration-charge-on-loans.

The data requested is not available.


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to take steps to support

freelance financial service providers following the recent IR35 changes which stipulate

they will now be classed as employees of a company.

Mel Stride:

The off-payroll working rules (sometimes known as IR35) only affect people working

like employees and through a company. They do not affect the genuinely self-

employed and do not focus on specific trades or professions.

The announced extension to the private sector, and the recent reform in the public

sector, do not change the employment status of freelance financial service providers.

As in all cases, whether they are employed, or self-employed, depends on the facts

of their working arrangements.

The recent changes to the off-payroll working rules in the public sector, shifted

responsibility for assessing the individual’s employment status from the individual’s

company to the public authority. At Budget 2018, the Government announced its

plans to extend this reform to the private sector.

HMRC will provide further detailed guidance and support, to help business and

individuals implement the reform, before it takes effect in April 2020.

WALES

Renewable Energy: Wales


To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what estimate he has made of the total value of

UK Government funded renewable energy projects that have been cancelled in Wales in

the last three years.

Alun Cairns:

On 19 October 2018, the Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC) announced that it

had terminated the contract for difference awarded to Station Yard CFD 1 during the

second Contracts for Difference (CfD) allocation round in 2017. Station Yard is a

0.05MW Advanced Conversion Technology with Combined Heat and Power project

located in Llangadog, Carmarthenshire. The project’s contract was terminated

because it failed to make sufficient progress towards meeting its milestone

requirement to demonstrate a commitment within one year of signing a CfD to deliver

the project. It is estimated that had Station Yard been commissioned it would have

received support of less than £70,000 (in 2017/18 prices) for electricity generated

over the 15-year period of its contract.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-issue-briefing-disguised-remuneration-charge-on-loans





A CfD is a private law contract between a generator and the LCCC, a government-

owned company. CfDs are managed independently by the LCCC and decisions as to

whether a generator has met its milestone requirement are for the LCCC. The

milestone requirement is a contractual requirement. Failure to meet this requirement

may result in a CfD being terminated.

The Government is not aware of any other renewable energy projects in receipt of

funding from CfDs or other UK Government schemes that have been cancelled in

Wales during this time period.

Wylfa Power Station


To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment his Department has made of

the value of investment lost to Wales by the cancellation of Wylfa Newydd project.

Alun Cairns:

Hitachi made the commercial decision to suspend, not to cancel, the Wylfa Newydd

project. We will continue to work with Hitachi to decide what the next steps will be for

the project and the site. Nuclear has a strong history in North Wales, and Wylfa

Newydd is an attractive option for new nuclear projects.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Females: Employment


To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent assessment she has made of

the effectiveness of her Department’s work to ensure that women are not held back in the

workplace.

Victoria Atkins:

Every woman in the UK must have the support needed to fulfil her potential. This

government is making this a reality by shining light on inequality through gender pay

gap reporting, Returners programmes, Shared Parental Leave and flexible working.

We have invested £4 million in our two gender equality research programmes, the

Workplace and Gender Equality Research Programme (WAGE) and the Gender and

Behavioural Insights Programme (GABI), which are providing employers with the

evidence they need about what works to create a more equal workplace.

The gender pay gap nationally is the lowest on record at 17.9%, but there is a way to

go and we are committed to supporting this change.



WORK AND PENSIONS

Housing Benefit

Ms Karen Buck: [211076]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 2

November 2018 to Question 184856 on Housing Benefit, if he will publish the

methodology that will be used to determine the allocation of discretionary housing

payment funding to local authorities for people affected by the benefit cap in 2019-20.

Justin Tomlinson:

We will publish the methodology used to determine the benefit cap funding stream for

Discretionary Housing Payment Government allocations for 2019/20. We have

consulted local authorities about the methodology and will be publishing individual

allocations shortly.

Housing Benefit and State Pension Credit (Temporary Absence) (Amendment)

Regulations 2016


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons her Department

redefined abroad in the Housing Benefit (Temporary Absence) (Amendment) Regulations

2016 to include Northern Ireland.


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department made an

estimate of the financial saving that would be achieved by redefining abroad in the

Housing Benefit (Temporary Absence) (Amendment) Regulations 2016 to include

Northern Ireland.


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department’s

response to the Social Security Advisory Committee on the Housing Benefit (Temporary

Absence) (Amendment) Regulations 2016, what assessment she has made of the effect

of redefining abroad to include Northern Ireland on those claimants with elderly parents

living in that country.

Justin Tomlinson:

It is a basic condition of entitlement for State Pension Credit and Housing Benefit to

be in Great Britain. The Housing Benefit and State Pension Credit (Temporary

Absence) Regulations 2016 did not change that condition. The regulations did,

however, amend the length of time that a person could be absent from Great Britain,

for example, travelling to Northern Ireland, whilst maintaining entitlement to Pension

Credit and Housing Benefit. There was no change to either the meaning of Great

Britain or of being abroad for the purposes of entitlement to Pension Credit and

Housing Benefit.





Housing Benefit: City of Westminster

Nic Dakin: [211198]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to Answer of 5 November

to Question 907432 on Housing Benefit, how much discretionary housing payment was

(a) awarded to and (b) spent by Westminster City Council in each of the last three years.

Justin Tomlinson:

The table below shows the amount awarded to and spent by Westminster City

Council in Discretionary Housing Payments in the last 3 financial years:

YEAR AWARDED SPENT

2015/16 £2,632,460 £2,568,048

2016/17 £2,669,172 £2,557,092

2017/18 £1,405,376 £1,938,110

Figures on the amount of Discretionary Housing Payments awarded to and spent by

Local Authorities are available:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/discretionary-housing-payments-statistics

Independent Case Examiner


Too ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to

allow complainants to ask their Member of Parliament to refer their complaint to the

Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman if the Independent Case Examiner has not

reached a substantive decision on their complaint within six months.

Justin Tomlinson:

It is open to Members of Parliament to refer complaints to the Parliamentary and

Health Service Ombudsman at any time they choose, regardless of whether the

Independent Case Examiner’s process has been exhausted. The decision as to

whether to accept them without an Independent Case Examiner’s investigation rests

with the Ombudsman’s office.


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Independent Case

Examiner (ICE) is requesting an updated form of authority from people whose advocate

submitted a current form of authority when first escalating the complaint to ICE but whose

complaint has not been investigated because of the 40-week average time period to

allocate cases to an investigator.

Justin Tomlinson:

In order to ensure that the personal information of complainants is only divulged to

current, authorised advocates, the Independent Case Examiner’s Office undertake






routine checks to ensure that the advocate retains authority to act on the

complainant’s behalf, at the point the complaint is allocated for investigation. The only

cases that are not subject to such checks are those referred by Members of

Parliament.

Jobcentres: Sheffield


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what additional outreach work his

Department is undertaking to help claimants as a result of the closure of Eastern Avenue

Job Centre in Sheffield.

Alok Sharma:

We will be reintroducing a Jobcentre outreach service at both Manor Library and

Manor and Castle Development Trust in Sheffield. Work coaches will be based in

Manor Library each Wednesday and Manor and Castle Development Trust each

Tuesday. Staff from Cavendish Court Jobcentre have been identified for these roles

and once each location has completed the necessary risk assessments we will agree

a start date for the service. Customers will be notified of the services that will be

available, which will include jobsfairs as well as benefits advice.

In addition, Sheffield City Council have agreed funding for a construction hub on the

Manor to support regeneration. The Department is working with stakeholders to

introduce a facility to train local people in construction with the first opportunity

starting in February.


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many mandatory (a) income

support and (b) employment and support allowance interviews took place at the

Cavendish Court Job Centre in Sheffield in the each of the last three months.

Alok Sharma:

The number of mandatory Income Support and Employment and Support Allowance

interviews at Cavendish Court Jobcentre in Sheffield in each of the last three months

is shown below.

INTERVIEW TYPE MONTH NUMBER OF INTERVIEWS

ESA Mandatory Interviews Oct-2018 135

Nov-2018 61

Dec-2018 25

Interview Type Month Number of Interviews

IS Mandatory Interviews Oct-2018 273



INTERVIEW TYPE MONTH NUMBER OF INTERVIEWS

Nov-2018 66

Dec-2018 10

Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management

information which was collected for internal Departmental use only and has not been

quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. The

data should therefore be treated with caution.


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to allocate

additional work to the Sheffield service centre once it is no longer administering

employment and support allowance and work and social funds.

Alok Sharma:

An announcement was made to staff at Sheffield Service Centre on Thursday 24

January 2019 to explain the Service Centre will become an Employment and Support

Allowance office for the foreseeable future.

With regard to the allocation of additional work to Sheffield Service Centre, there will

be significant planning taking place over the next few years, including deciding where

work and specialised functions will be delivered as legacy benefit work ends.

Personal Independence Payment: Hyperactivity

Angela Crawley: [211233]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many disability living

allowance claimants with ADHD have been assessed as ineligible for personal

independence payment.



allowance claimants with autism have been assessed as ineligible for personal




allowance claimants with drug and alcohol problems have been assessed as ineligible for

personal independence payment.



allowance claimants with anxiety and depression or low mood have been assessed as

ineligible for personal independence payment.








allowance claimants with behavioural disorders have been assessed as ineligible for




allowance claimants with fibromyalgia have been assessed as ineligible for personal




allowance claimants with multiple sclerosis have been assessed as ineligible for personal




allowance claimants with borderline personality disorder have been assessed as

ineligible for personal independence payment.



allowance claimants with bi-polar disorder have been assessed as ineligible for the


Sarah Newton:

The Department publishes a range of detailed statistics for PIP 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.

These statistics include monthly clearances (decisions) since PIP was introduced in

April 2013. Clearance figures can be broken down by clearance type (e.g. whether

the claim was awarded, disallowed pre-referral to an assessment provider, disallowed

at assessment or withdrawn), by reassessment type (i.e. whether the claimant was

making a new claim or was undergoing a Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to PIP

reassessment) and by main disabling condition.

Note that main disabling condition is only recorded for claims which reach the

assessment stage. Claimants may often have multiple disabling conditions upon

which their entitlement decision is based but only the main disabling condition is

recorded and shown in these statistics. Main disabling condition is the disability

recorded on the PIP administrative system. It is possible that a reassessment claim

could have a different main disabling condition recorded on the DLA and PIP

systems.

With regard to your question relating to “Behavioural Disorders” we advise that you

group together the Disability Subgroups, “Conduct disorder (including oppositional






defiant disorder)” and “Hyperkinetic Disorder – ADHD/ADD.” For the question relating

to borderline personality disorder select Personality Disorder.

Social Security Benefits



October 2018 to Question 184858, if she will place in the Library a copy of the brief for

the quantitative longitudinal research by the National Centre for Social Research into the

impact of the Benefit Cap and the qualitative case studies of local authorities.

Justin Tomlinson:

The Department intends to publish this research in Spring 2019. The research

publication will include all topic guides and questionnaires used in the research, and

an overview of the original research brief.

The quantitative survey of claimants carried out by the National Centre for Social

Research (Natcen), an independent research agency was delivered over two waves,

to explore how claimant responses to the cap had changed over time. Wave one was

conducted approximately seven months after implementation of the new cap, with

1,900 claimants interviewed. The sample included claimants affected by the cap

under both legacy benefit and Universal Credit arrangements, across Great Britain.

Wave two was conducted approximately six months later, with over 800 of those

same claimants. The survey included questions on the following topics:

• Awareness of the cap and current cap status

• Impacts of the cap on employment and employment related behaviour

• Impacts of the cap on claimants housing and housing related behaviour

• Awareness and use of Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs)

• Barriers faced by claimants regarding employment and housing changes

• Broader impacts of the cap (including upon health, relationships and finances)

• Use of available advice and support services

For the qualitative, case study strand Natcen invited people working at a range of

Local Authorities, Jobcentre Plus and local advice and support organisations to take

part in research interviews. Local organisations included family support charities,

financial charities and credit unions, housing and homelessness support

organisations, housing associations, information and advice providing services,

women’s charities, food banks and legal charities. The focus of these interviews was

on experiences of the introduction of the lower, tiered Benefit Cap and the impacts it

had on the services they delivered, and upon claimants affected by the cap. Forty-two

interviews were conducted across the six case study areas.


Social Security Benefits: Tumours

Helen Jones: [208762]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many patients diagnosed with

terminal brain tumours have been (a) placed in the work-related activity group and (b)

required to attend interviews by DWP officers administering benefits.

Sarah Newton:

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur


The honourable lady might be interested to know that people diagnosed with a

terminal illness, where as a consequence of that disease their life expectancy is

reasonably believed to be six months or less, will not need to have a face-to-face

assessment. They will be treated as having limited capability for work-related activity

and will be placed in the Employment and Support Allowance Support Group, or

Universal Credit equivalent, where they are not required to take part in any work-

related activity, including attending interviews with DWP officers.

Claims made under these rules have a decision made on their entitlement as quickly

as possible.

State Retirement Pensions: Uprating


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the Government's policy is on

whether all UK citizens living in the EU after 29 March 2019 and in receipt of a UK state

pension will benefit from annual uprating of state pensions irrespective of whether all EU

countries make reciprocal arrangement; and if he will make a statement.

Guy Opperman:

The UK State Pension will continue to be payable worldwide when the UK leaves the

EU. Under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, we have the basis on which to

maintain State Pension up-rating when the UK exits the EU for those who are already

receiving their UK State Pension as well as future UK State Pension recipients. We

will wish to discuss State Pension up-rating for individuals not covered by the

Withdrawal Agreement in future talks.

As the Government set out in its Policy Paper ‘Citizens’ Rights – EU citizens in the

UK and UK nationals in the EU’ we wish to secure continued reciprocal arrangements

covering the up-rating of State Pensions even in the event of a no deal exit. If we exit

the EU in these circumstances, we will up-rate the UK State Pension for those living

in the EU in 2019-20.

Eleanor Smith: [211869]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to

uprate the 25 pence age addition for pensioners over 80 who are currently entitled to it;

and whether the Government has any plans to provide further financial assistance to

pensioners who are over 80 years old.




Guy Opperman:

The age addition is paid with State Pension when individuals reach the age of 80.

Although there are no plans to uprate the age addition amount, this should be

considered alongside the range of other measures and benefits that are available to

pensioners over age 80. This includes Pension Credit. People who are aged 80 and

over receive a Winter Fuel Payment of £300, instead of the standard Winter Fuel

Payment of £200 for pensioners below that age.

Additionally, the non-contributory Category D State Pension is available to those

aged over 80 with either no entitlement to a basic State Pension or who are entitled

to State Pension of less than £75.50 per week who meet the residency conditions.

Universal Credit

Hywel Williams: [210033]


January to Question 208315 on universal credit, which stakeholders her Department is

working with to design the managed migration process.

Alok Sharma:

The Department is working with a diverse group of around 80 stakeholder

organisations to ensure the widest possible range of insights are played into the

design of the process to move existing claimants who do not have a change in

circumstances onto Universal Credit.

The Department is committed to engaging with these stakeholders in a respectful and

professional manner and it would not reflect our agreed working relationship of

partnership, reciprocation and trust for us to name those stakeholders participating

without first seeking their express permission.

Martyn Day: [211195]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the recent High

Court judgement on universal credit assessments, if she will review the method used to

calculate universal credit payments for (a) all claimants and (b) claimants who are paid on

a four weekly basis.

Alok Sharma:

The Department is carefully considering the High Court’s Judgment and it is therefore

not appropriate to comment further at this stage.

Nic Dakin: [211713]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Social

Security Advisory Committee’s recommendations of October 2018 on the draft Universal

Credit (Managed Migration) Regulations 2018, when the Government plans to review

explicit consent within Universal Credit in collaboration with that Committee; and if they

will publish a report on that review.




Alok Sharma:

We have agreed to explore options for improving the process of explicit consent in

relation to Universal Credit in collaboration with the Social Security Advisory

Committee. DWP officials will be meeting with them on 30th January to consider how

current practices could be enhanced. We will then publish a report on our joint

conclusions.

MINISTERIAL CORRECTIONS

HOME OFFICE

Sexually Transmitted Infections: Crime

Neil Coyle: [206383]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government has

plans to provide police with additional powers police to assist investigations into cases

involving the deliberate transmission of sexual diseases.

An error has been identified in the written answer given on 24 January 2019. The

correct answer should have been:

Mr Nick Hurd:

There is no specific offence of deliberately transmitting a sexual disease. This

behaviour can be charged under Sections 18 and 20 of the Offences Against the

Person Act 1861.

There are no current plans to make persons convicted of these offences subject to

notification requirements (commonly referred to as being placed on the Sex

Offenders Register).

Where an allegation is made to the police of deliberate transmission of a

sexual disease, the police already have powers to investigate under Sections

18 and 20 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

Unexplained Wealth Orders

Anneliese Dodds: [204624]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Office, how many Unexplained Wealth Orders

have been invoked in each month since they were introduced.

An error has been identified in the written answer given on 25 January 2019. The

correct answer should have been:

Mr Ben Wallace:

The Home Office does not comment on particular cases. The SFO investigates and

prosecutes only the most serious or complex fraud, bribery and corruption cases.

The decision to commence an investigation is that of the Director alone. Government

cannot interfere with the operational independence of investigative or prosecutorial

agencies. As new tools, it is important that courts and law enforcement establishes

the use and process to ensure that they deliver the correct objectives.

Three UWOs have been applied for, and all granted, since the UWO power

came into force in January. The UWOs concern two assets under one

investigation in relation to an Azerbaijan national. As new tools, it is important

that courts and law enforcement establishes the use and process to ensure

that they deliver the correct objectives.



WRITTEN STATEMENTS

EDUCATION

Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy

The Secretary of State for Education (Mr Damian Hinds): [HCWS1278]

Teaching remains a popular career choice for many. We recruited over 2,000 more

trainee teachers for the 2018/19 academic year than in 2017/18, continuing the positive

trend we saw the previous year. However, the growing number of pupils of secondary

age means that we need even more teachers. This is at a time when we are losing more

teachers from the profession than we can afford to, and are operating in the most

competitive labour market on record.

To address this, the Department for Education has developed a Teacher Recruitment and

Retention Strategy. Building on extensive quantitative and qualitative evidence, the

strategy was developed collaboratively with teachers, headteachers, representative

bodies, teachers’ unions, initial teacher training providers and leading experts.

At the core of the strategy is the understanding that there are no great schools without

great teachers. No other profession is as important to the fate of the next generation or is

as uniquely rewarding as teaching. The strategy outlines four key areas where focus,

investment and reform can have the biggest impact on improving teacher recruitment and

retention.

Priority One: Create the right climate for leaders to establish supportive school

cultures

At the heart of this will be reforming the school accountability system. In particular we will

radically simplify the system helping to reduce pressure, consulting on making Requires

Improvement the sole trigger for an offer of support – replacing floor and coasting

standards. The new Ofsted framework will have an active focus on reducing teacher

workload, with inspectors considering staff workload as part of the leadership and

management judgment. They will also look unfavourably on schools that implement

burdensome data practices, and will refuse to look at internal assessment data.

Priority Two: Transform support for early career teachers

We are launching the Early Career Framework, which will underpin a fully-funded, two-

year package of structured support for all early career teachers linked to the best

available research evidence – alongside funded time off-timetable in the second year of

teaching and additional support for mentors. We will create a major shift in the incentives

for new teachers by introducing phased bursaries, with staggered retention payments to

encourage good people to remain in the profession, as well as to join.

Priority Three: Build a career offer that remains attractive to teachers as their

careers and lives develop

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2019-01-28/HCWS1278/

We will develop specialist qualifications to support clearer non-leadership career

pathways for teachers that want to stay and excel in the classroom. We will invest in

these new and existing leadership qualifications, and will do so disproportionately in

challenging schools. We will support headteachers to transform approaches to flexible

working in schools.

Priority Four: Make it easier for great people to become teachers

We will launch a new Discover Teaching initiative, giving as many people as possible the

opportunity to experience the unique opportunities that a career in teaching provides. We

will radically simplify the process for becoming a teacher, introducing new digital systems

designed to make application much easier and more user-friendly. In particular, we will

introduce a new one-stop application service for ITT, which will be easier to use and

designed to better meet the needs of potential trainees. We will review the ITT market to

support it to work more efficiently and effectively.

This strategy builds on work already in hand to achieve this Government’s vision to

improve teacher recruitment and retention. We know that delivering this vision will take

time; the issues are complicated and long-standing. But we are committed to continuing

to work closely with the teaching profession to deliver this vision.

I will deposit a copy of the strategy in the House Libraries.

HOME OFFICE

Migration

The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Sajid Javid): [HCWS1280]

Since November 2018 there has been a significant increase in the number of individuals

attempting to cross the English Channel illegally in small boats.

This activity represents a substantial risk to the lives of those attempting the crossing, as

well as to the rescue services. Organised criminal networks are exploiting vulnerable

individuals to drive profit from what is a highly dangerous activity.

As I set out to the House on 7 January, I declared a major incident on 28 December to

send a clear message that we will not tolerate these life-threatening and illegal crossings.

I established a Gold Command structure to co-ordinate my department’s response to this

issue

Good progress has been made to date. The re-deployment of Border Force assets and

use of aerial surveillance has substantially improved coverage in the Channel and our

extensive work with our French counterparts has improved co-ordination, both on land

and at sea. We have built on existing structures, such as the Centre Conjoint

d’Information et de Coordination (CCIC), which sees Border Force and Police Aux

Frontieres working alongside law enforcement partners to exchange real-time intelligence

on criminality at the border and work together to identify and dismantle criminal gangs

involved in people smuggling and wider cross-border crime. The Immigration Minister

attended the formal opening of CCIC with Interior Minister Christophe Castaner on 25


January and saw first-hand the efforts that both countries are making to enhance our

cooperation around border security.

Through these efforts, we have managed to reduce the number of individuals attempting

the crossing from around 250 in December to around 90 so far in January, with roughly

half of the January attempts being intercepted by partners in France before they can

make it to British waters. But even one crossing is too many and I am determined that we

make further efforts to deter both the facilitators and the individuals making these

crossings.

To that end, I met with Minister Castaner in London on 24 January to agree a Joint Action

Plan. The plan solidifies and builds on our existing border security partnership by setting

out over £6 million (€7m) in investment for new security equipment, as well as increased

CCTV coverage of ports, air surveillance and shared intelligence. We have also agreed

that migrants encountered in the Channel will be taken to the nearest safe port, in

accordance with international maritime law.

In addition, the Plan features a mutual commitment to return more migrants to France

who have used boats to illegally cross the Channel. The first of these returns took place

on 24 January

We will not allow illegal migration and its facilitators to flourish, and we will continue to

work closely with France and other countries to provide a strong deterrent against these

dangerous crossings. This includes making it clear that those fearing persecution should

claim asylum in the first safe country they reach, and my officials are looking to

strengthen our inadmissibility guidance for claims made by those who have travelled here

through countries that are internationally recognised as being safe

The Joint Action Plan comes into force immediately and builds on the existing framework

of co-operation set out in the Sandhurst Treaty. I am confident that it will strengthen the

achievements that we have made to date and I thank our French colleagues for their

collaboration in working with the United Kingdom to tackle this critical issue – protecting

human life, and our border

I will place a copy of the Joint Action Plan in the House Library.

HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Local government update

Secretary of State for Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

(James Brokenshire): [HCWS1279]

Local government will play a critical role in making a success of Brexit at the local level.

My Department is committed to ensuring councils have the support and the funding they

need to prepare for an orderly exit from the EU and do appropriate contingency planning.

Today I am announcing an additional £56.5 million to help councils carry out their

preparations.


Councils will receive £20 million this financial year as well as £20 million to spend in the

next financial year to fund additional planning and capacity. Across the two years, all

district councils will receive £35,000, all county councils will receive £175,000, all

unitaries will receive £210,000 and all combined authorities will receive £182,000.

£1.5 million will be allocated in 2018/19 only to local authorities facing immediate impacts

from local ports, with details of the allocation and distribution of that funding to be

announced shortly.

I am retaining £10 million for allocation during 2019/20 to respond to specific local costs

that may only become evident in the months after we exit the EU.

Finally, £5 million will be split between teams in my Department and the local government

sector for specific purposes such as strengthening resilience preparations and supporting

communities.

This funding will help councils to adapt to changes caused by Brexit, while still protecting

vital local services.

This will not be the only resources councils receive to fund Brexit costs. Government has

been clear that Departments will assess and, if appropriate, fund any potential new

burdens arising on councils as part of EU Exit work they are undertaking.

As for councils’ overall funding, the provisional finance settlement which I announced

before Christmas provides extra funding, with the confirmation that Core Spending Power

is forecast to increase from £45.1 billion in 2018-19 to £46.4 billion in 2019-20. This

amounts to a cash increase of 2.8 per cent and a real-terms increase in resources

available to local authorities. I will be returning to this House shortly, following

consultation, to announce the final settlement.

Table of overall funding allocations:

2018/19 (£M) 2019/20 (£M) TOTAL (£M)

Upfront funding for all

councils*

20 20 40

Authorities affected by

ports

1.5 1.5

Retained for specific

local costs which arise

10 10

Split between

Departmental teams

and local government

sector

5 5

Total 56.5

* Division by type of authority shown in table below

Table showing split of £40m upfront funding by type of authority:

2018/19 (£K) 2019/20 (£K) TOTAL (£K)

Combined Authorities

(11 including London

(GLA))

91 91 182

District councils 17.5 17.5 35

County councils 87.5 87.5 175

Unitary authorities* 105 105 210

* Unitary authorities will receive the sum of the county and district allocations.

Metropolitan Boroughs and London Boroughs are unitary authorities.

Documents

Daily Report Monday, 28 January 2019 CONTENTS€¦ · Daily Report Monday, 28 January 2019 This report shows written answers and statements provided on 28 January 2019 and the information