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Daily Report Thursday, 25 January 2018
This report shows written answers and statements provided on 25 January 2018 and the
information is correct at the time of publication (06:26 P.M., 25 January 2018). For the latest
information on written questions and answers, ministerial corrections, and written statements,
please visit: http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/
CONTENTS
ANSWERS
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Attorney General: Carers
BUSINESS, ENERGY AND
INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Biofuels
Bombardier: USA
Broadband
Carillion
Department for Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy:
Beverage Containers
Department for Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy:
Departmental Responsibilities
Department for Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy:
Former Members
Food: Production
Fuel Poverty
Gratuities
Incinerators: Carbon
Emissions
Incinerators: Greenhouse Gas
Emissions
Land Registry: Electronic
Government
Renewable Energy
Tickets: Sales
Utilities: Cooperatives
Washing Machines: Standards
CABINET OFFICE
Cabinet Office: Departmental
Responsibilities
Carillion
Children: Social Services
TREASURY
Boats: VAT
Carillion
Carillion: Company
Liquidations
Child Care Vouchers:
Coventry South
Energy: VAT
Export Controls: Arrests
Public Private Partnerships:
Disclosure of Information
Treasury: Brexit
Treasury: Carillion
Treasury: Procurement
CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
Fracking
Religion: Education
DEFENCE
Aircraft Carriers
Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Army: Recruitment
Artillery
Carillion
Defence Equipment:
Procurement
Defence: Industry
Germany: Armoured Fighting
Vehicles
Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft
Military Decorations: Veterans
Ministry of Defence: Contracts
Ministry of Defence:
Procurement
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Single Source Regulations
Office
Trident
Type 31 Frigates
DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND
SPORT
Bank Services: Internet
BBC: Legal Costs
Broadband: Cornwall
Channel Four Television:
Location
Department for Digital,
Culture, Media and Sport:
Procurement
Digital Technology:
Departmental Coordination
Internet: Bullying
Mayflower: Anniversaries
Mobile Phones
Olympic Games
Theft
Tourism
EDUCATION
Academies: Bethnal Green
and Bow
Apprentices: Pay
Apprentices: Taxation
Carillion
Children: Day Care
Children's Centres:
Inspections
Department for Education:
Carillion
Faith Schools: Admissions
Free School Meals:
Eastbourne
Further Education: Finance
Knives: Crime
Mathematics: Schools
Music: Education
Office for Students
Pre-school Education:
Teachers
School Meals
Schools: Academic Year
Schools: Cost Effectiveness
Social Mobility Commission
Teachers: Recruitment
Universities: Sexual Offences
Wakefield City Academies
Trust
World War II: Genocide
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND
RURAL AFFAIRS
Ash Dieback Disease
Electronic Training Aids: Dogs
Livestock: Antibiotics
Poultry: Antibiotics
Poultry: Disease Control
Trees: Conservation
Waste Management
Waste management:
Recycling
EXITING THE EUROPEAN
UNION
Brexit
Department for Exiting the
European Union: Sick Leave
Energy: Conservation
FOREIGN AND
COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Burma: Protest
Burma: Rohingya
Democratic Republic of
Congo: Children
Democratic Republic of
Congo: Mining
Diplomatic Service
Egypt: Religious Freedom
Eritrea: Religious Freedom
Foreign and Commonwealth
Office: Procurement
Honduras: Violence
Palestinians: Children
Qatar: Foreign Relations
Sierra Leone: Female Genital
Mutilation
Sudan: Migration
Syria: Armed Conflict
Syria: Foreign Relations
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
Accountable Care
Organisations
Carillion
Chronic Illnesses
Clinical Trials: EU Law
Dental Services
Dentistry: Migrant Workers
Department of Health and
Social Care: Carillion
Department of Health and
Social Care: Procurement
Diabetes
Diabetes: Medical Equipment
Diabetes: Nurses
East of England Ambulance
Service NHS Trust
Food: Labelling
General Practitioners
Gray Zone Lymphoma
Health Education: Young
People
Health Services and Social
Services: Finance
Hospitals: West Yorkshire
Medical Treatments
Medical Treatments:
Innovation
Medicine: Education
Mental Health Services:
Prisons
Minor Injuries Units: Cornwall
NHS: Crimes of Violence
NHS: Data Protection
NHS: Fees and Charges
Obesity: Children
Prescription Drugs: Packaging
Prisons: Drugs
Soft Drinks: Children
Thyroid Gland: Drugs
University Hospitals Coventry
and Warwickshire NHS Trust:
Accident and Emergency
Departments
HOME OFFICE
Agriculture: Seasonal Workers
Asylum
Asylum: Housing
Aviation: Security
Crimes of Violence: Young
People
Deportation
Firearms: Licensing
Hezbollah
Home Office: Contracts
Immigrants: Detainees
Immigration: EU Nationals
National Police Air Service:
Wales
Police: Greater Manchester
Police: Reorganisation
Slavery
Torture
Undocumented Migrants
Witnesses
HOUSE OF COMMONS
COMMISSION
House of Commons: Catering
House of Commons: Cleaning
Services
Parliamentary Estate: Waste
Management
HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Affordable Housing:
Construction
Carillion
Health: Finance
High Rise Flats: Fire
Prevention
Housing: Construction
Local Government Finance
Ministry of Housing,
Communities and Local
Government: Beverage
Containers
Prosperity Fund
Retail Trade: Urban Areas
Social Rented Housing
Supported Housing: Finance
INTERNATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
Democratic Republic of
Congo: Mining
Sierra Leone: Female Genital
Mutilation
UNRWA
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Arms Trade: Trade Fairs
Developing Countries: Motor
Vehicles
EU Trade
Trade Agreements
Trade Remedies Authority
Turkey: Foreign Relations
Turkey: Military Aircraft
JUSTICE
Birmingham Prison: Civil
Disorder
Carillion
Crime: Victims
Liverpool Prison
Ministry of Justice: Carillion
Ministry of Justice: Contracts
Ministry of Justice:
Procurement
Prisons: Repairs and
Maintenance
Reoffenders
Sentencing: Females
NORTHERN IRELAND
Northern Ireland Office:
Beverage Containers
PRIME MINISTER
Department for Exiting the
European Union: Junior
Ministers
SCOTLAND
Carillion: Scotland
Scotland Office: Beverage
Containers
Scotland Office: Carillion
Scotland Office: Keith
Cochrane
Scotland Office: Ministerial
Powers
TRANSPORT
Aviation: Training
Carillion
Cross Country Rail Franchise
Cycling and Walking: South
West
Department for Transport:
Procurement
Driving Tests: Pontypridd
Electric Vehicles
Engineering: Young People
Govia Thameslink Railway:
Tickets
High Speed 2 Railway Line
High Speed 2 Railway Line:
Scotland
Large Goods Vehicle Drivers:
Training
Midland Main Railway Line:
Electrification
Motorways: Repairs and
Maintenance
Roads: Litter
Transport: Apprentices
Tyne and Wear Metro:
Standards
WOMEN AND EQUALITIES
Gender Recognition
WORK AND PENSIONS
Carers: Personal
Independence Payment
Department for Work and
Pensions: Chief Scientific
Advisers
Department for Work and
Pensions: Former Members
Department for Work and
Pensions: Procurement
Employment and Support
Allowance: Appeals
Employment Schemes: Young
People
Jobcentres: Glasgow
Jobcentres: Training
Social Security Benefits:
Disability
Statutory Sick Pay: Public
Consultation
Universal Credit
Universal Credit: Income Tax
Universal Credit: Payments
Work Capability Assessment
WRITTEN STATEMENTS
BUSINESS, ENERGY AND
INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Energy Frameworks
Energy Policy
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND
RURAL AFFAIRS
January Agriculture and
Fisheries Council
HOME OFFICE
Report of the Independent
Reviewer of Terrorism
Legislation on the Operation in
2016 of the Terrorism Act
2000 and Part 1 of the
Terrorism Act 2006
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
Attorney General: Carers
Frank Field: [122204]
To ask the Attorney General, whether his Department has a carer's policy for its
employees; and what other steps his Department has taken to support employees with
caring responsibilities.
Robert Buckland:
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO), the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the
Government Legal Department (GLD), the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and Her
Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) have no specific carer’s
policy, but operate a number of policies that support employees with caring
responsibilities, including flexible working, and opportunities for special leave and
career breaks.
In addition, and as part of encouraging diversity and inclusion within the organisation,
GLD has set up a staff carers network that raises awareness of caring related issues
across the Department and provides an additional source of support to those staff in
the network. In the future, GLD, the AGO and HMCPSI will look to adopt the carers’
charter currently being developed by Civil Service Employee Policy, and introduce
the carer’s passport so that people moving around the organisation for developmental
or career reasons will be able to discuss and manage their situation with their new
management in a more open and consistent manner.
CPS offer advice and guidance from their ‘Employee Assistance’ providers and a
member of the SFO’s senior management team has been appointed as a Flexible
Working Champion to ensure that all staff are fully supported in any personal
commitments, such as caring responsibilities and is establishing a group to help
promote and embed the ideals of flexible working within the SFO.
BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Biofuels
Dr David Drew: [R] [123648]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his
Department plans to take to encourage the development of (a) SMEs and (b) other
businesses in the bio-energy Industry.
Claire Perry:
The Industrial Strategy white paper sets out a long-term plan to boost the productivity
and earning power of people throughout the UK. Through the Clean Growth Grand
Challenge we will maximise the advantages for UK industry from the global shift to
clean growth. The upcoming UK Bioeconomy Strategy will build on these themes to
set out a framework for growth for companies within the bioeconomy, including those
working in the bioenergy sector.
Bombardier: USA
Lady Hermon: [123619]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will
publish the papers his Department submitted to the US International Trade Commission
in support of Bombardier in Belfast in relation to that company's dispute with Boeing in
the US; and if he will make a statement.
Andrew Griffiths:
The Government has submitted over 7,000 pages of argument and evidence to the
US International Trade Administration and International Trade Commission. These
are publically available [subject to some redactions of confidential information] at:
https://access.trade.gov and https://edis.usitc.gov respectively. We continue to work
closely with Canada and Bombardier, and our submissions complement theirs.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her by my right hon. Friend the
Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth on 16 January 2017 to Question
122103.
Broadband
Grant Shapps: [124037]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the
proposed Consumer Green Paper is planned to contain any measures to improve
consumer representation in the mobile and broadband market.
Andrew Griffiths:
The Consumer Green Paper will tackle areas where markets are not working well for
consumers.
Carillion
Bill Esterson: [124241]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what
discussions he has had with the Official Receiver and his Special Managers on support
for sub-contractors of Carillion since that company entered liquidation. .
Andrew Griffiths:
The Official Receiver is appointed by the courts and is independent of Government.
My rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial
Strategy, and I are therefore keen to facilitate dialogue between the Official Receiver
and companies impacted by Carillion’s insolvency. Therefore we have invited
representatives from PwC in their capacity as special managers on behalf of the
Official Receiver to two meetings chaired by my rt. hon. Friend; the first, a meeting
with the major trade associations and construction trade associations on 17 January
and the second on 22 January to the second meeting of the Carillion Task Force
comprising trade associations, TUC and other interested parties. These meetings
have enabled PWC to expand the information on their dedicated website for Carillion
suppliers - www.pwc.co.uk/carillion.
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Beverage Containers
Mary Creagh: [123853]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many
disposable coffee cups were purchased by his Department in each of the last five years.
Andrew Griffiths:
The Department was created in July 2016.
The Department’s catering supplier, Baxter Storey, purchased the following
disposable cups for use in the staff restaurants and coffee shops:
YEAR NO. OF CUPS
2016 60,832
2017 48,912
The Department makes provision for recycling and has specially marked recycling
bins throughout the Department.
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Departmental
Responsibilities
Clive Lewis: [124232]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will
publish the responsibilities of each Minister of his Department.
Richard Harrington:
The responsibilities of each Minister in the Department for Business, Energy and
Industrial Strategy are published on Gov.uk at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-energy-and-
industrial-strategy
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Former Members
Luke Pollard: [123806]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many
former Conservative Members of Parliament who were defeated at the 2017 general
election and who now work in his Department were appointed after a publicly advertised
and open recruitment process.
Andrew Griffiths:
No former Conservative Members of Parliament have been appointed to the
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, or its Partner
Organisations, since the 2017 General Election.
Food: Production
Philip Davies: [124092]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what
information his Department holds on the amount of coal used in the production of food in
the UK in each year since 1992 for which data is available; and if he will make a
statement.
Claire Perry:
BEIS does not hold coal consumption statistics at this level of disaggregation;
however, the table below presents the final consumption of coal by the UK food and
beverage industry as a whole from 2005 to 2016:
Final consumption of coal by the UK food and beverage industry, 2005 – 2016:
THOUSAND
TONNES
THOUSAND
TONNES
2005 26 2011 45
2006 25 2012 44
2007 34 2013 55
2008 39 2014 62
2009 48 2015 54
2010 43 2016 44
Source: Digest of UK Energy Statistics, table 2.4, available at
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/solid-fuels-and-derived-gases-chapter-2-
digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukes
Fuel Poverty
Layla Moran: [123969]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference
to the report Cutting the cost of keeping warm: a fuel poverty strategy for England,
published in March 2015, cm 9019, what progress the Government has made on
reducing fuel poverty in (a) Oxfordshire and (b) England since the publication of that
report.
Claire Perry:
We have not yet quantify progress in reducing fuel poverty in Oxfordshire since the
year 2015. The latest official statistics cover the year 2015 and show that 9.6% of
homes in Oxfordshire were fuel poor, which is below the national average of 11%.
Official statistics for the year 2016 will be published this summer.
Since 2015 Government has taken action to tackle fuel poverty. This includes
reforming the £640m Energy Company Obligation to increase the expenditure under
the scheme which is focused in low income households from £310m to £450m in
2017. We will be consulting soon on focussing the whole of ECO on low income and
vulnerable households from October 2018.
Gratuities
Paula Sherriff: [124231]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to
the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy
and Industrial Strategy of 12 December 2017, Official Report, column 166, what guidance
has been issued on tipping; and what the evidential basis is for the statement there has
been a significant improvement since his Department commissioned the review of tipping,
gratuities and hospitality.
Andrew Griffiths:
The Government has been clear that employers should not make unreasonable
deductions from the tips their staff receive. Furthermore, guidance on the National
Minimum Wage explains that income from tips can not be used to top up a worker’s
pay to the National Minimum Wage. The Government consultation on tipping
practices published in 2016 also explained the law on how income from tips should
be handled.
Since the publication of that consultation, the Association of Licensed Multiple
Retailers and Unite the Union have established a joint Code of Practice for good
practice in handling tips. The Government supports these efforts, and will respond to
that consultation in due course.
Incinerators: Carbon Emissions
Dr David Drew: [124082]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what
information his Department holds on biogenic CO2e emissions from waste incineration
with energy recovery; and where such information is published.
Dr David Drew: [124084]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the data
reported by his Department to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change were for
(a) biogenic and (b) non-biogenic CO2e emissions from UK waste incineration in each
year since 2010; and if he will make a statement.
Claire Perry:
Defra commissioned a report “Biodegradability of municipal solid waste” (project
reference WR1003) which provides measurements of the biogenic content of waste
by mass. Waste incinerators which are in receipt of government support are required
by OfGEM to either provide assessments of the biogenic content of the waste or to
use a disadvantageous default value. The Defra report is available on their science
and research project website:
http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=12266_WR1003Biodegradabilit
yofMSWReportfinal.pdf.
Emissions from UK waste incineration are included in the UK Greenhouse gas
emissions inventory annually:
http://unfccc.int/national_reports/annex_i_ghg_inventories/national_inventories_subm
issions/items/10116.php.
These emissions estimates are split by biogenic and non-biogenic, however this is
not possible for municipal solid waste (MSW).
Emissions from UK waste incineration, including waste incineration with energy
recovery, for the years 2010-2015 were as follows:
MILLION TONNES OF CARBON DIOXIDE EQUIVALENT (MTCO 2 E)
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Total UK
waste
incineration
(includes
waste
incineration
with energy
recovery) 1
2.2 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.8 3.6
Of which:
Non-
biogenic
(including all
MSW)
2.1 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.7 3.5
Biogenic 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0
1 Totals may not sum due to rounding
This includes emissions from methane (CH 4 ) and Nitrous Oxide (N 2 O) as well as
carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions.
These emissions are included in our annual submission to the UNFCCC. Waste
incineration can be found in table 5 of the Convention tables on the UNFCCC
website:
http://unfccc.int/files/national_reports/annex_i_ghg_inventories/national_inventories_s
ubmissions/application/zip/gbr-2017-crf-13apr17.zip
The numbers above do not match the numbers presented in the table 5 of the
Convention tables submitted to the UNFCCC as waste incineration with energy
recovery is reported under the energy supply sector (table 1).
Source:
http://unfccc.int/national_reports/annex_i_ghg_inventories/national_inventories_subm
issions/items/10116.php
Incinerators: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Dr David Drew: [123763]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what
information his Department holds on the amount of CO2e that is emitted for every tonne
of waste that is incinerated.
Claire Perry:
According to the latest Conversion Factors for Company Reporting, published in
August 2017, the conversion factor of incineration of any waste material is 21.8 kg
CO2e per tonne. Therefore each tonne of waste that is incinerated will release 21.8
kg CO2e of emissions.
Source: Conversion Factors 2017, available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/635632
/Conversion_factors_2017_-_Condensed_set__for_most_users__v02-00.xls
Land Registry: Electronic Government
Jon Trickett: [123673]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to
the Written Ministerial Statement of 18 January 2018, HCWS409, on Departmental
Contingent Liability Notification (HM Land Registry Digital Mortgage Service), what
estimate he has made of the number of people who will use Verify while signing
mortgage documents electronically by 2020.
Andrew Griffiths:
HM Land Registry forecasts that it will receive approximately 140,000 digital
mortgage applications per year by 2020.
Many mortgage applications will be signed by more than one person, and as such
HMLR estimates that by 2020 approximately 210,000 people per year will use
GOV.UK Verify to sign mortgage deeds electronically.
Renewable Energy
Paul Masterton: [124100]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much the
Government has invested in renewable energy through the Contract for Difference
programme since 2010.
Claire Perry:
To date, contracts have been signed to bring forward nearly 10 gigawatts of
renewable generation capacity, with the first of these recently beginning to generate.
Government support for these projects is expected to rise to around £2.5 billion a
year by 2024/25 (in 2011/12 prices).
Our sustained support has helped deliver dramatic falls in the costs of renewable
technologies such as offshore wind.
The Government is committed to delivering clean, smart, and flexible power, which is
why in our ambitious Clean Growth Strategy we committed up to £557 million of
annual support for further Contracts for Difference, with the next one planned for
spring 2019 (in 2011/12 prices).
Tickets: Sales
Mrs Sharon Hodgson: [124034]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what
additional funding has been allocated to National Trading Standards to enforce relevant
consumer legislation on secondary ticketing in (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19 and (c) 2019-20.
Andrew Griffiths:
National Trading Standards have been tasked with investigating potential
enforcement cases against sellers and secondary ticketing websites that do not
comply with legislation from within their current and forthcoming annual budgets.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy provides National
Trading Standards with £13.25m per year for the coordination of regional and
national Trading Standards activity in England and Wales. The National Trading
Standards Board has allocated £300,000 towards investigation work on ticketing for
this current financial year but has not yet allocated budgets for 2018-19 and 2019-20.
Mrs Sharon Hodgson: [124039]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his
Department plans to issue updated guidance on s90 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 to
take account of the changes made by the Digital Economy Act 2017.
Andrew Griffiths:
The Department has been consulting key stakeholders and will publish updated
guidance on s.90 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 on the Business Companion
website in due course.
Steve Double: [124138]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans his
Department has better to regulate online ticket sales companies to ensure that (a)
consumers are protected when a company fails to supply the tickets and (b) a full refund
is easy to obtain.
Andrew Griffiths:
Consumer Protection legislation is in place to protect consumers where traders,
including online ticket resale companies, fail to deliver what they promise. Consumers
who have had problems should contact the Citizens Advice consumer service on
03454 04 05 06 (or through its website). The helpline service offers consumers free
advice on their rights and how to seek redress.
The Competition and Markets Authority is investigating online secondary ticket sites
and is considering in particular, difficulties for customers in getting their money back
under a website’s guarantee.
Utilities: Cooperatives
Dan Jarvis: [124221]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what
assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of the use of a cooperative
model of ownership for gas and water providers.
Claire Perry:
The Government has not assessed the use of a cooperative model of ownership for
gas or water.
Washing Machines: Standards
Luke Pollard: [123336]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what
regulatory standards are in place for filters in washing machines; and whether he has
plans to review those standards.
Andrew Griffiths:
Washing machines placed on the market on or after the 8 December 2016 must
comply with the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 and before that date
with the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994. As these regulations require
manufacturers to ensure that washing machines they place on the market are safe,
this means any filter used in the product must also be safe. There are no plans to
review these requirements.
Manufacturers can create a presumption of compliance with the legislation by
conforming to relevant Harmonised European safety standards.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is responsible for
environmental protection policy.
CABINET OFFICE
Cabinet Office: Departmental Responsibilities
Jon Trickett: [123040]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to responsibilities of the Minister
for the Constitution, what the term knowledge management refers to.
Chloe Smith:
In the context of the responsibilities for the Minister for the Constitution, Knowledge
Management refers to the Cabinet Office’s responsibilities for government record
keeping and information management systems.
Carillion
Jon Trickett: [123963]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the terms in Carillion’s contracts with the
Government were in respect of that company's possible liquidation.
Oliver Dowden:
Since January 2011, details of central government contracts above the value of
£10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published prior to 26 February
2015 can be viewed at:
https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive
Those published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at:
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search
Children: Social Services
Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: [120865]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which reports or reviews have been
commissioned or conducted by his Department in respect of the number of looked after
children or children subject to child protection or child in need plans.
Mr David Lidington:
The Cabinet Office supports the Prime Minister by tracking the delivery of the
Government's programme. This includes working with departments to track the
number of looked after children or children subject to child protection or child in need
plans.
TREASURY
Boats: VAT
Dr Matthew Offord: [123196]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Department is taking to ensure
that the UK market for second-hand recreational boats is not affected by different levels
of VAT paid in the UK and the EU after the UK leaves the EU.
Mel Stride:
The future VAT rules for goods moving between the UK and the EU, including
arrangements relating to recreational boats, will depend on the outcome of
negotiations with the EU.
Carillion
John McDonnell: [123482]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what criteria his Department has used to
approve and monitor contracts to Carillion since 2010; and what due diligence his
Department undertakes before awarding contracts to companies that have issued profit
warnings.
John McDonnell: [123493]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, If he will place a copy of each risk assessment
undertaken by his Department relating to Government contracts secured by Carillion
since January 2015 in the Library.
Elizabeth Truss:
Departments continually monitor the operational performance of contracts to ensure
the best outcome for taxpayers.
Since January 2011, details of central government contracts above the value of
£10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published prior to 26 February
2015 can be viewed at: https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive. Those
published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at:
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.
John McDonnell: [123490]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the
cost to the public purse of replacing Carillion contracts.
Elizabeth Truss:
Our top priority is to keep public services running. We have carried out extensive
scenario planning, and expect all vital public services to run as normal. Government
will provide funding for public services to enable them to continue in the immediate
future and to enable some of them to be run by new suppliers.
Carillion: Company Liquidations
John McDonnell: [123451]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the
potential cost to the public purse of the liquidation of Carillion.
Elizabeth Truss:
The Official Receiver is conducting an orderly liquidation, preserving public services
with the support of various government customers and otherwise preserving the
company’s assets having due regard for the costs he’s incurring.
Child Care Vouchers: Coventry South
Mr Jim Cunningham: [124045]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many claimants of childcare vouchers there
were in Coventry South constituency in each year since April 2010.
Elizabeth Truss:
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 25 January 2017 to the
Honourable Member for Hull North (123405).
Energy: VAT
Clive Lewis: [124233]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to respond to his Department's
consultation on VAT on energy-saving materials of December 2015.
Mel Stride:
HM Revenue and Customs’ consultation closed on 3 February 2016.
HM Treasury are discussing the practical application of the Court of Justice of the
European Union’s judgment regarding the UK’s application of VAT law in respect to
energy saving materials with the European Commission.
Export Controls: Arrests
Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [124122]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2018 to
Question 123165, what the dates were of each of the five arrests made; what the names
were of each of the people arrested; and what the details of the charges were by section
of the 2008 control order.
Mel Stride:
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not release the details of investigations
where no conviction has taken place or the names of those individuals or companies
that HMRC have previously, or are currently, investigating.
Details of the prosecution for a trafficking and brokering offence arising under the
provisions of the Export Control Order 2008 are as follows:
One individual was arrested in March 2011 for promoting the supply or delivery of
handguns and hand-held surface to air missiles to Azerbaijan, in contravention of the
Export Control Order 2008. In July 2012, they were found guilty on both counts and
sentenced to three and a half years in respect of missiles and two and a half years in
respect of the handguns, to run concurrently.
The action HMRC takes in respect of breaches of export controls will depend on the
nature and seriousness of any offence, and that action is not limited to investigation
with a view to prosecution.
Public Private Partnerships: Disclosure of Information
Jon Trickett: [123291]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to update his Department's
transparency release entitled Private Finance Initiative and Private Finance 2 projects.
Robert Jenrick:
The 2017 edition of the annual data on Private Finance Initiative and Private Finance
2 contracts will be released very soon.
Treasury: Brexit
Jo Platt: [124025]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 18 January 2018 to
Question 122519, for what reasons the titles of all assessments carried out by his
Department on the effect of the UK leaving the EU were not listed.
John Glen:
The government is in the process of carrying out a programme of rigorous and
extensive analytical work that will contribute to our exit negotiations with the EU and
inform our understanding of how EU exit will affect the UK’s domestic policies and
frameworks.
However, it is not standard practice to provide an ongoing commentary on internal
analysis.
Ministers have a specific responsibility, which Parliament has endorsed, not to
release information that would expose our negotiating position.
Treasury: Carillion
John McDonnell: [123471]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he or officials representing the Treasury
met representatives from Carillion in the past 24 months.
John McDonnell: [123472]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what were (a) the dates of and (b) the topics
discussed at any meetings that he or officials representing the Treasury attended with
representatives from Carillion in the past 24 months.
John McDonnell: [123484]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, What discussions he has had with the Secretary
of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the effect of the liquidation of
Carillion plc on (a) jobs and (b) public finances.
John McDonnell: [123499]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the minutes of any meetings
which were held between Carillion and (a) HM Revenue and Customs and (b) his
Department on monitoring the performance of Carillion in the last three years.
John McDonnell: [123501]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, If he will publish the dates of any meetings which
were held between Carillion and (a) HMRC and (b) his Department on monitoring the
performance of Carillion in the past five years.
Elizabeth Truss:
Treasury ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in
the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and
delivery.
Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations
are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-
and-overseas-travel
John McDonnell: [123478]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, How many contracts with Carillion have been
signed by his Department since 13 July 2016.
John McDonnell: [123480]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, How many (a) PFI and (b) PF2 contracts were
signed by his Department since 13 July 2016.
Elizabeth Truss:
Since January 2011, details of central government contracts above the value of
£10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published prior to 26 February
2015 can be viewed at: https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive. Those
published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at:
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.
Treasury: Procurement
Jon Trickett: [123540]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many contracts his Department holds with
Government strategic suppliers.
Robert Jenrick:
The Government is committed to maintaining transparency about its procurement
activity and publishes information about its contracts with a value of over £10,000 on
the “Contracts Finder” website. The information requested is readily available there.
CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
Fracking
Rosie Cooper: [123905]
To ask the Rt. Hon. Member for Meriden representing the Church Commissioners what
the policy of the Church of England is on fracking on land owned by the Church of
England.
Dame Caroline Spelman:
All oil and gas deposits in the UK are owned by the Crown. There are no plans for the
Church Commissioners to use its land or mineral rights for the purpose of fracking.
As a policy, The Church Commissioners do not seek applications for seismic
drilling/exploration and fracking. Allowing seismic testing/exploratory drilling does not
imply approval of fracking, litigation risks arise for landowners should they wish to
oppose a request to carry out geophysical surveys on their land. The Church
Commissioners seek to minimise this risk.
The Church Commissioners are responsible landowners and landlords and we seek
to protect both our interests and those of our tenants. The Church does not have an
official position on fracking and recognises it’s a controversial and evolving issue and
people within the church hold a range of views. The Church of England issued a
Briefing Paper on Shale Gas and Fracking in December 2016 which can be found
here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2017-11/shale-gas-and-
fracking.pdf
Religion: Education
Rehman Chishti: [903525]
To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what
discussions the Church of England has had with the Department for Education on
ensuring that religious studies remains a priority in schools.
Dame Caroline Spelman:
The Education Office of the Church of England is in regular dialogue with the
Department for Education and is a member of the ‘Faith Providers’ group, which
meets frequently with the Department to discuss a range of issues connected with
schools of a religious character. One of the issues that the Office has raised in those
discussions is the concern that Religious Education is not included within the EBacc.
The Education Office has also submitted written and oral evidence to the
Commission on Religious Education and, following the publication of its interim
report, has discussed its findings with the Commissioners. The Education Office is
part of a programme run by the Theos Think Tank, bringing together leading players
in RE with officials from the Department for Education and also the Department of
Housing, Communities and Local Government to discuss a range of issues including
RE.
DEFENCE
Aircraft Carriers
Mr Kevan Jones: [123944]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what account his Department takes of the
effect of potential currency fluctuations on its ability to deliver Carrier Enabled Power
Projection; and if he will make a statement.
Guto Bebb:
Cost approvals for the constituent programmes of Carrier Enabled Power Projection
(Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers, F-35B Lightning 2, Crowsnest) include provision to
address FOREX risks. This will continue to be monitored, and as necessary, can be
prioritised against the delegated and the overall departmental position.
Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Mr Kevan Jones: [123299]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the status of the Warrior Capability and
Sustainment Programme is.
Guto Bebb:
The Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme is in the Demonstration Phase. A
prototype vehicle has already undergone initial live firing and a rigorous trials
programme will start shortly.
Mr Kevan Jones: [123315]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the delivery time-frame is for the
Oshkosh Joint Light Tactical Vehicle as part of his Department’s Multi Role Vehicle
Protected Group 1 requirement.
Guto Bebb:
The Multi Role Vehicle - Protected (MVR-P) project is still going through the
approvals process, and is not yet on contract. Therefore there is no fixed time frame
for its delivery.
Mr Kevan Jones: [123317]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to procure a
single family fleet of light protected mobility platforms for the armed forces.
Guto Bebb:
The Army seeks to maintain an optimum combination of light protected mobility
platforms, taking into consideration operational requirements and value for money.
No single fleet would be able to meet all of the Ministry of Defence's requirements.
Army: Recruitment
Mr Kevan Jones: [123946]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the difference has been in his
Department's business case spending compared to its actual spending on the Army
Recruiting Partnership Project since the 2011-12 financial year.
Mark Lancaster:
The Recruiting Partnership Project is a ten-year output based contract between the
Army and the service provider (Capita), spend includes both the Service Provider and
Defence costs.
For the period from contract award (February 2012) to 31 March 2017 against a Main
Gate Approval of £698.4 million the actual spend has been £751.9 million.
The overall cost increase within the contract is primarily a result of the decision to
transfer responsibility for the delivery of the Information Communication Technology,
including the Defence Recruiting System from Defence to the Service Provider.
Artillery
Mr Kevan Jones: [123306]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to procure a
new artillery system to support his Department’s planned strike brigades.
Guto Bebb:
The Ministry of Defence is currently considering the artillery system requirement for
the armoured infantry and strike brigades.
Carillion
Mr Kevan Jones: [123308]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many individual contracts existed
between his Department and Carillion at the time of that company’s liquidation; and how
many of those contracts were joint ventures with other suppliers.
Mr Tobias Ellwood:
As of 15 January 2018 the Ministry of Defence had eleven contracts with Carillion
which were still delivering services. Eight of these contracts were joint ventures with
other suppliers.
Defence Equipment: Procurement
Mr Kevan Jones: [123951]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the budget is for each programme in his
Department's equipment plan.
Guto Bebb:
The Ministry of Defence is due to publish the Equipment Plan 2017 to 2027 by the
end of this Financial Year, setting out its plans for expenditure on equipment
procurement and support. The report will provide an analysis of the budget allocated
to each operating centre over the ten year period.
Defence: Industry
Mr Kevan Jones: [123300]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Industry for Defence and a
Prosperous Britain: Refreshing Defence Industrial Policy, published on 20 December
2017, what is the budget is for the Supplier Portal and how many people are employed
for the Supplier Portal.
Guto Bebb:
The Supplier Portal is delivered by our service provider as part of a concession
contract. The content of the portal is maintained by the Ministry of Defence's Supply
Chain Development team, consisting of four people, as part of its wider remit to
provide supplier outreach activities.
Mr Kevan Jones: [123301]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Industry for Defence and a
Prosperous Britain: Refreshing Defence Industrial Policy, published on 20 December
2017, what internal guidance his Department has on engaging potential SME suppliers.
Guto Bebb:
The Ministry of Defence's Acquisition System Guidance contains significant guidance
and examples of good practice on how to engage effectively with SMEs. This
guidance is reinforced with specific SME content on internal training courses and
through periodic coverage in internal newsletters and other publications.
Mr Kevan Jones: [123303]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Industry for Defence and a
Prosperous Britain: Refreshing Defence Industrial Policy, published on 20 December
2017, which of his Department's bodies or agencies are responsible for scrutinising
supply chain plans for competitive contracts with a value of more than £100 million.
Guto Bebb:
Project delivery teams are responsible for assessing Industry Supply Chain Plans as
part of contract management activity.
Germany: Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Nia Griffith: [123307]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with his
German counterpart on the Mechanised Infantry Vehicle programme.
Guto Bebb:
The Secretary of State for Defence regularly holds discussions with his international
colleagues on a number of topics.
Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft
Jamie Stone: [123217]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the cost of F-35 Lightenings
being purchased for the British Armed Forces will be accrued by UK contractors involved
in their production.
Guto Bebb:
Approximately 15% by value of every one of the 3,000 aircraft in the worldwide F-35
programme will be produced in the UK, bringing significant economic benefits to the
nation.
Military Decorations: Veterans
Marion Fellows: [123205]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there are options available to ex-
servicemen and women who wish to officially return their service medals.
Mark Lancaster:
When medals are no longer required by a veteran they should be returned to the
Ministry of Defence Medal Office. Returned medals are normally retained for a period
of six months before being destroyed.
Ministry of Defence: Contracts
Mr Kevan Jones: [123311]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which of his Department’s contracts which
were joint ventures that included (a) Carillion and (b) Babcock are being renegotiated.
Mr Tobias Ellwood:
None of the joint venture contracts that include Carillion and Babcock are being
renegotiated.
Ministry of Defence: Procurement
Mr Kevan Jones: [123304]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions suppliers engaged in
single-source contracts with his Department have successfully appealed contracts in
court resulting in changes to those contract prices.
Guto Bebb:
There have been no occasions when suppliers engaged in single-source contracts
with the Ministry of Defence have successfully appealed contracts in court resulting in
changes to those contract prices.
Jon Trickett: [123536]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many contracts his Department holds with
Government strategic suppliers.
Guto Bebb:
The Ministry of Defence currently holds 1,029 contracts with the Government's
strategic suppliers.
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Mr Kevan Jones: [123298]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to treat fleet
solid support ships as warships for tendering purposes.
Guto Bebb:
The National Shipbuilding Strategy makes clear that all non-warships, which includes
the Fleet Solid Support vessels, will be subject to international competition.
Single Source Regulations Office
Nia Griffith: [123339]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to appoint a new permanent
Chief Executive of the Single Source Regulation Office.
Guto Bebb:
Executive members of the Single Source Regulations Office (SSRO), including the
Chief Executive, are appointed by the SSRO Board and not by the Ministry of
Defence. We understand from the SSRO that the process of appointing for this post
will begin shortly.
Trident
Dr David Drew: [123199]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the
compatibility of replacing trident with the Government’s policy on nuclear non-
proliferation.
Mark Lancaster:
We remain committed to creating the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons,
and fulfilling our obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which remains the
cornerstone of the global non-proliferation regime. But we must continue to maintain
a credible nuclear deterrent for as long as the global situation demands. Given the
current threat to international security, and the reality that this will continue for the
foreseeable future our independent nuclear deterrent remains as vital today as it ever
has.
Type 31 Frigates
Mr Kevan Jones: [123285]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the National Shipbuilding
Strategy, what the evidential basis is for his Department's decision to set the objective of
exporting 40 Type 31e frigates.
Guto Bebb:
With reference to the National Shipbuilding Strategy no Departmental objective has
been set for the export of 40 Type 31e frigates. The Government has assessed that
there is a potential light frigate market of around 40 ships over the next 10 years.
Mr Kevan Jones: [123296]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the answer given by his
Department’s Permanent Secretary to question 45 in evidence to the Public Accounts
Committee on Wednesday 10 January 2018, HC 723, what the evidential basis is for
efficiencies being produced by adopting the procurement model outlined in the National
Shipbuilding Strategy for the Type 31 frigate.
Guto Bebb:
Informed by Sir John Parker's independent report, the National Shipbuilding Strategy
concluded that that there was a competitive market for Type 31e. The use of
competition remains the cornerstone of Defence procurement as a means of driving
innovation and industrial performance and providing value for money for the taxpayer.
DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Bank Services: Internet
Siobhain McDonagh: [123442]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his
Department has made an assessment of (a) the level of use of online banking and (b) the
effect of online banking on the number of charitable donations made by the public.
Tracey Crouch:
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles data on the activities carried out by
people that use the internet, including internet banking. This can be found at:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/householdcharacteristics/hom
einternetandsocialmediausage
The ONS estimates that in Great Britain, in 2017, 90% of households had internet
access and 63% of adults over the age of 16 used the internet to bank in 2017.
More and more people want to donate digitally and the Charities Aid Foundation
reports that over a quarter of people have given money to charity online.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is providing training with the
Foundation for Social Improvement to help civil society organisations to maximise the
opportunity from online giving.
The Digital Skills Partnership is also improving digital skills for individuals, charities
and businesses to support the UK's ambition to be a world-leading digital economy.
Partner organisations have already delivered more than two million free digital skills
training opportunities, with a further two million pledged.
BBC: Legal Costs
Mr David Lammy: [123369]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what information he
holds on the amount and proportion of monies from the public purse received by the BBC
which it has spent on legal fees and out of court settlements and associated costs
relating to non-disclosure agreements in cases of alleged victims of discrimination,
bullying and harassment in each of the last seven years.
Margot James:
We do not hold this information. The BBC is operationally and editorially independent
of government.
Broadband: Cornwall
Scott Mann: [123572]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he has
taken to facilitate access to superfast broadband for people who live in (a) Cornwall and
(b) North Cornwall constituency; and whether he has held discussions with superfast
broadband providers on delivering that service.
Margot James:
The Government has provided over £5.9m for the delivery of superfast broadband in
Cornwall. According to Thinkbroadband, currently over 90% of premises in Cornwall
have access to Superfast Broadband, up from 33% in 2011. The local Superfast
Cornwall project has a current delivery contract with BT which will extend coverage to
at least a further 3% of premises within Cornwall.
As confirmed in our announcement in December 2017 we are pushing ahead with our
plans for a Universal Service Obligation (USO) so that by 2020 everyone across the
UK will have a clear, enforceable right to request high speed broadband.
Channel Four Television: Location
Richard Burden: [123791]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent
discussions he has had with (a) Birmingham City Council and (b) the West Midlands
Combined Authority on the potential relocation of Channel 4 outside London.
Mr Jim Cunningham: [124029]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent
discussions he has had with Coventry City Council on the potential relocation of Channel
4 outside London.
Margot James:
We received a number of submissions to the Channel 4 regional consultation from
individuals and local authorities across the UK. No decisions have been taken. The
government is working with Channel 4 on how it can best increase its regional
impact, and we will set out next steps in due course.
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Procurement
Jon Trickett: [123543]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many contracts
his Department holds with government strategic suppliers.
Tracey Crouch:
The Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport holds four such contracts.
Digital Technology: Departmental Coordination
Anna Turley: [123947]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent meetings
officials and ministers from his Department have had with their counterparts at the
Department for Education on education and the proposed Digital Charter.
Margot James:
Ministers and officials have regular meetings and discussions with their counterparts
in the Department for Education to discuss a range of issues, including the Digital
Charter.
Internet: Bullying
Anna Turley: [123945]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his
Department has made of the potential merits of the Royal Foundation's National Action
Plan to Tackle Cyberbullying, published on 16 Novmber 2017, to tackle on-line (a)
Islamophobia, (b) homophobia and (c) antisemitism.
Margot James:
The Royal Foundation has played a key role bringing together technology companies
with those working hard to protect children, in order to help create industry-driven
initiatives and encourage the companies to take their social responsibility seriously.
The Royal Foundation’s National Action Plan tackles cyberbullying which can include
islamophobia, homophobia and antisemitism. In our Internet Safety Strategy, we
consulted on introducing a code of practice, which will build on the Royal
Foundation’s work. As set out in the Digital Economy Act 2017, the code will address
all forms of bullying, insulting, intimidating and humiliating behaviour by setting out
guidance for social media providers about what they should do in relation to conduct
on their platforms.
Mayflower: Anniversaries
Mr Gary Streeter: [123274]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is
taking to appoint a special representative for the Mayflower 400 celebrations in 2020; and
if he will make a statement.
Michael Ellis:
The Prime Minister established the post of Special Envoy for the Mayflower
commemorations in the Spring Budget of 2017 and invited Oliver Colvile to take up
the position. Following the 2017 General Election, the Prime Minister invited Mr
Colvile to continue in the role, which he accepted.
Mobile Phones
Grant Shapps: [124035]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his
Department plans to take steps to end the practice of people continuing to be charged for
the cost of their mobile handset after the end of the minimum contract period.
Margot James:
The Government’s Manifesto committed to making it clear when a mobile customer
has paid off the price of their handset. This is an area where Government recognises
that action is needed to improve protections for consumers. The Department is
currently considering this issue. We will listen to the views of stakeholders and are
working closely with Ofcom, as the UK’s independent communications regulator, and
mobile service providers to find a solution that protects consumers.
Olympic Games
Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: [124055]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what criteria a sports
governing body must fulfil in order to be recognised as an official Olympic partner by the
UK Government.
Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: [124056]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reasons the
Deaflympics is not recognised as an official Olympic sporting event by the Government.
Tracey Crouch:
Recognition as an official Olympic partner is a matter for the International Olympic
Committee (IOC). The Government does not therefore set such criteria. Decisions on
which sports are on the programmes for the Olympic and Paralympic Games are
matters for the IOC and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) respectively. The
Deaflympics (previously called World Games for the Deaf and International Games
for the Deaf) are an International Olympic Committee (IOC) sanctioned event at
which deaf athletes compete at an elite level.
Theft
Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: [123378]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his
Department is taking to help prevent the sale of stolen goods on classified advertising
and auctioning websites.
Margot James:
The Home Office is working with the National Police Chief’s Council lead for
acquisitive crime and other partners at the national level to look at whether there is
more to be done to tackle the markets for stolen goods to make products less
attractive to thieves. The work is covering a number of different elements including
strengthening identity and due diligence checks carried out by second hand traders
and agreeing a national code of conduct, which aims to protect both businesses and
the public from inadvertently buying stolen goods.
Tourism
Jeremy Lefroy: [123647]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has held
recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the effect on levels of tourism of litter on
(a) public highways and (b) the countryside; and if he will make a statement.
Michael Ellis:
Littering is a concern for everyone, residents and visitors alike. VisitBritain have
recently carried out research into the factors that encourage people to come to the
UK. Litter was one of the factors they asked people to consider, and the report will be
released on the VisitBritain website in due course.
Additionally, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have put forward
measures in their 25 Year Plan to address littering.
EDUCATION
Academies: Bethnal Green and Bow
Rushanara Ali: [123489]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in Bethnal Green and
Bow constituency have become an academy in each year since 2010.
Nadhim Zahawi:
Two schools in Bethnal Green and Bow constituency have become academies since
2010. The Green Spring Academy Shoreditch opened in 2012 and the Old Ford
Primary School opened in 2013.
Apprentices: Pay
Angela Rayner: [123942]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when apprentices transferred from Carillion
Training Services to the Construction Industry Training Board were last paid wages; and
when such apprentices are next planned to be paid wages.
Anne Milton:
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) can confirm that all affected
apprentices will continue to be paid by the receiver until the end of January 2018.
Following the announcement on the 15 January 2018, regarding the liquidation of
Carillion, the ESFA has enacted robust contingency plans and identified the
Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) as the best-placed alternative provider.
The CITB is currently utilising their existing employer contacts in the sector and the
grant incentives they have available, to secure existing employers or find alternative
employers for the apprentices to complete their frameworks or standards.
Once alternative employment has been secured, it will be the responsibility of these
individual employers to determine the frequency of payments to their apprentices.
Apprentices: Taxation
Mr Gary Streeter: [123295]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect
of the apprenticeship levy on schools in (a) Devon and Plymouth and (b) England; and if
he will make a statement.
Anne Milton:
As with other areas of the public sector, the department will be monitoring the uptake
of apprenticeships by the school workforce. Public sector bodies included in the
apprenticeship target are required to annually publish and report to the department
their progress towards the target. The first reports (covering the period 1 April 2017 –
31 March 2018) are due on 30 September 2018. As we have outlined to the Public
Accounts Committee, the department will also include the financial impact of the
apprenticeship levy as part of our publication regarding the cost pressures on
schools.
Priti Patel: [123344]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many organisations have (a) paid the
Apprenticeship Levy and (b) utilised funds from the Apprenticeship Levy to date.
Anne Milton:
Information on the number of organisations that have paid the apprenticeship levy is
not available in the format requested. Data on the apprenticeship levy is reported to
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs via the Pay As You Earn scheme rather than by
organisation.
The department plans to publish statistics on registrations and commitments for the
levy in due course.
Priti Patel: [123347]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to issue guidelines to
Apprenticeship Levy payers on forthcoming measures to enable them to transfer of up to
10 per cent of their funds to another employer of an apprenticeship training agency; and if
he will make a statement.
Priti Patel: [123356]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the
potential merits of enabling funds raised from the Apprenticeship Levy to be used to
support the provision of skills and training courses that are not provided by
apprenticeships.
Anne Milton:
The department will be issuing guidance to levy-paying employers regarding
measures that will allow them to transfer up to 10% of the annual value of funds
entering their apprenticeship service account to another employer or an
apprenticeship training agency. This guidance will be issued prior to the introduction
of these measures in April 2018.
The levy allows employers to spend their funds on the apprenticeship training that
they judge best meets their needs. Funds in an employer’s levy account can only be
used towards the cost of approved apprenticeship training and assessment. The
purpose of the levy and the associated funds is to drive the uptake of quality
apprenticeship training.
The government will continue to work with employers and providers on how the
apprenticeship levy is best spent to meet employers’ needs and support productivity
across the country.
Carillion
Angela Rayner: [124195]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2018
to Question 123188, how many local authority and academy trust schools are covered by
catering, facilities management or other service contracts with Carillion.
Nadhim Zahawi:
The department does not ordinarily collect information on procurement activity
because local authorities and academy trusts are responsible for their own contracts.
Information available to the department indicates that the number of local authority
and academy trust schools covered by service contracts with Carillion is relatively
low, and significantly lower than figures initially published on Carillion’s website.
Schools affected already have robust contingency plans in operation and, for many,
this may include transferring services in house, or re-procuring with alternative
providers. We are working closely with the Official Receiver, Special Manager and
local authorities to confirm the position.
Angela Rayner: [124198]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made
of the effect on school finances of the fees being charged by PwC in its capacity as the
liquidator of Carillion; and if he will make a statement.
Nick Gibb:
The Government’s priority has been to ensure schools can continue to operate as
usual. To date, all schools have remained open and no significant issues have been
reported. Schools affected already have robust contingency plans, and for many this
may include transferring services in-house, or re-procuring with alternative providers.
For schools that continue to receive services through the Official Receiver/Special
Manager, any additional fees are yet to be finalised. The Department is working
closely with the Cabinet Office, the Official Receiver and the Special Manager to
ensure schools using the services provided through this arrangement are kept
informed.
Schools receive funding to pay for catering and facilities management services like
the ones provided by Carillion. The Department expect them to continue to use this
funding to pay for replacement services, but if any schools or trusts are concerned
about their ability to manage these costs, they should contact the Department.
Stephanie Peacock: [124212]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2018
to Question 123193, which (a) local authorities and (b) academy trusts have contracts
with Carillion for school support services; and for each such school what the type of
service provided is.
Nick Gibb:
The Department does not ordinarily collect information about procurement activity
since local authorities and academy trusts are responsible for their own contracts.
Information available to the department indicates that the number of local authority
and academy trust schools covered by services contracts with Carillion is relatively
low, and significantly lower than figures initially published on Carillion’s website.
Schools affected already have robust contingency plans in operation and, for many,
this may include transferring services in house, or re-procuring with alternative
providers. We are working closely with the Official Receiver, Special Manager and
local authorities to confirm the position.
Children: Day Care
Scott Mann: [123486]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average weekly cost was of a
childcare place in Cornwall in each year since 2010.
Nadhim Zahawi:
The department collects data on the weekly regional cost of childcare through our
regular parent surveys. These can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-childcare-and-early-years.
Rushanara Ali: [123492]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment the Government has made
of the regional disparities in funded childcare places in England.
Nadhim Zahawi:
On 19 December 2017, we published ’30 hours free childcare: autumn term 2017’
which showed for the first time the number of children in a 30 hours place.
This showed that, based on local authority returns to a voluntary survey, an estimated
202,800 children were in a 30 hours place. At a national level, this was 90% of the
total number of codes generated. At a regional level this ranged from 85% in the
South East to 97% in the North East.
This is the first term of delivering a new national programme and it is encouraging
that no region has under 85% of children with a 30 hours code in a 30 hours place.
We cannot account for a parents’ preference and behaviour which could, of course,
vary across the country depending on individual circumstances.
Our new Early Years National Funding Formula includes an ‘Area Cost Adjustment’
to reflect the fact that the costs of delivering childcare vary between different local
authority areas. We will monitor all 30 hours data over the first year of delivery to
understand how the new policy is being delivered and identify any operational
challenges.
Rushanara Ali: [123494]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many childcare providers in (a) Bethnal
Green and Bow, (b) London and (c) England have fallen off the register in each year
since 2010.
Nadhim Zahawi:
Ofsted is the non-ministerial government department responsible for the regulation of
early education and childcare providers. They publish a regular series of statistics
relating to early years providers, which can be viewed from this link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted/about/statistics.
This is a matter for Ofsted. I have asked, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda
Spielman, to write to the hon. Member. A copy of her reply will be placed in the
Libraries of both Houses.
Matt Western: [123511]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many formal complaints have been
made to HMRC on problems with reconfirming eligibility codes for 30 hours of free funded
childcare for three and four-year-old children since April 2017; and whether his
Department has made an assessment of HMRC’s capacity to efficiently process
applications for 30 hours of free childcare.
Nadhim Zahawi:
The Department for Education does not hold information on complaints made in
relation to reconfirmation of eligibility for 30 hours free childcare. Her Majesty’s
Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will release further information on complaints they
have received in due course.
The vast majority of parents are using the digital childcare service without issue. As
shown in our management information release, 30 hours free childcare eligibility
codes issued and validated: January 2018, more than 325,000 eligibility codes have
been issued for the spring term. The department continues to work closely with
HMRC to support parents through the application process for 30 hours free childcare.
Mr Jim Cunningham: [124030]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress has been made on the roll-out
of 30 hours of free childcare in Coventry.
Nadhim Zahawi:
On 19 December 2017, we published ’30 hours free childcare: autumn term 2017’.
This showed that, in the first term of delivery, an estimated 1,143 children were in a
30 hours place in Coventry – this was 97% of those issued with a 30 hours eligibility
code.
Furthermore, as of 8 January, 1,786 30 hours eligibility codes had been issued in
Coventry for the spring term and 1,445 of these codes had been validated via the
department's eligibility checking system.
This data was published in the management information release: ‘30 hours free
childcare eligibility codes issued and validated: January 2018’:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/30-hours-free-childcare-eligibility-codes-
issued-and-validated.
We will continue to publish regular management information on the rollout of 30 hours
free childcare at a national and local level.
Children's Centres: Inspections
Tracy Brabin: [124199]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the timetable is for Ofsted to resume
inspections of children's centres.
Tracy Brabin: [124205]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on
the number of children's centres which would have received a five year inspection before
31 December 2017 but did not as a result of his Department suspending such inspections
in September 2015.
Tracy Brabin: [124206]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, where the children's centres are which have
not received a five-year inspection as a result of the suspension of inspections imposed
in September 2015.
Nadhim Zahawi:
Children’s centre inspections are suspended. There was widespread agreement at
the time that they were not fit for purpose. As indicated in the letter of 25 September
2015 to HM Chief Inspector of Education, the Secretary of State for Education retains
the ability to require Ofsted to undertake inspections and Ofsted itself retains the
ability to inspect children’s centres if concerns are raised. The letter can also be
viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sure-start-childrens-centre-
inspections-sam-gyimah-letter.
This suspension should not affect the normal activity of children’s centres and we
expect them to continue their work to improve the outcomes for children and families
in local areas. Registered early years provision within children’s centres will continue
to be inspected by Ofsted as part of the Common Inspection Framework.
The department does not hold a list of children’s centres that have not received five-
year inspections as a result of the suspension. However, this information can be
derived from publicly available data. Records of Ofsted inspections of children’s
centres and children’s centre groups carried out between 2010 and 2015, including a
list of names and addresses and the date of the last inspection are at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/childrens-centres-statistics. Real-time
data on the current list of children’s centres and children’s centre groups including
names and address is supplied by local authorities via the Get Information about
Schools (GIAS) database portal at: https://www.get-information-
schools.service.gov.uk/.
Department for Education: Carillion
Tim Farron: [124042]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much money his Department owed to
Carillion plc in outstanding payments before that company's liquidation.
Nadhim Zahawi:
Our initial assessment is that the department does not have any significant
outstanding payments.
We are working with the Official Receiver to reconcile the financial position. The
department does expect this to take some time, since the liquidation process is
complex, given the nature and size of Carillion’s interests.
Faith Schools: Admissions
Angela Rayner: [124196]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2018
to Question 123136, whether he plans to respond to the full consultation on the Green
Paper entitled Schools that work for everyone or only to the proposals on the
establishment of new faith free schools set out in the consultation document.
Anne Milton:
The department plans to respond to the proposals set out in the consultation
document, ‘Schools that work for everyone’, including those regarding the faith
admissions cap, in due course.
Free School Meals: Eastbourne
Stephen Lloyd: [123409]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many families in Eastbourne would be
entitled to free school meals under the pre-universal credit free school meals system.
Nadhim Zahawi:
We don’t differentiate between pupils eligible for free school meals under the pre-
universal credit free school meals system and those only eligible due to the universal
credit free school meals system. The number of pupils eligible for and claiming free
school meals is published in the file “Underlying data: SFR28/2017” in the annual
‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ statistical release. For 2017 the information
can be found at:
www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-
2017.
Information for earlier years can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-and-pupil-numbers.
Further Education: Finance
Stephen Morgan: [124141]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government's proposed review
of tertiary education funding is planned to include funding for 16 to 19-year olds.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 January 2018 to Question 123890
(123890 - http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-
statements/written-questions-
answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&
uin=123890).
Knives: Crime
Ms Marie Rimmer: [123465]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking in
schools better to educate young people in the dangers of knife crime.
Nick Gibb:
The Department knows how important it is that young people understand the dangers
of knife crime. Schools can choose to include lessons on weapons awareness and
gangs as part of their Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) or Citizenship
curriculum, with high quality materials available to schools to support teaching in
these areas.
Through the Children and Social Work Act 2017, the government is also making the
subjects of Relationships Education compulsory in primary schools, and
Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) compulsory in secondary schools. These
subjects will help young people understand safe, respectful and positive relationships
and appropriate ways of resolving conflict, including conflicts that are voiced and
fuelled through the negative use of social media platforms.
The Government is currently running a Call for Evidence on what pupils should be
taught in Relationships Education, RSE and PSHE, and will be engaging with the
Police and Home Office through that process.
Mathematics: Schools
Sir Nicholas Soames: [123343]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many specialist maths schools his
Department has established since 2011; and how many he plans to establish in each of
the next five years.
Nick Gibb:
Currently, there are two maths schools, Exeter Mathematics School and King’s
College London Mathematics School, both of which opened in 2014.
The Government has not set a specific target for the number of maths schools it will
establish in each of the next five years. We want to work with leading universities to
establish high quality schools, ensuring our most mathematically able students
succeed in mathematics related disciplines at top universities.
Music: Education
Stephen Timms: [124068]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to
support music education.
Stephen Timms: [124069]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made
of the benefits of music education in schools.
Nick Gibb:
The Department is providing £300 million of ring-fenced funding from 2016-20 to
Music Education Hubs (MEHs). The national network of 120 MEHs ensures that all
children, whatever their background, have access to a high quality music education,
including learning to play musical instruments and having the opportunity to play and
sing in ensembles.
The Department also supports music education through funding: National Youth
Music Organisations such as the National Youth Orchestra; In Harmony, which aims
to inspire and transform the lives of children in disadvantaged areas in England
through community-based orchestral music-making; and Music for Youth in providing
opportunities for young people and families to perform in and attend regional and
national festivals and concerts, who might not otherwise have had access.
Office for Students
Mr David Lammy: [123354]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that
students' views are represented on the board of the Office for Students.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
The Office for Students’ (OfS) central mission is to operate in the interests of student
and its statutory duties reflect this. We will expect all members of the Board to
engage with students to ensure they understand the issues that they face and have
these as considerations when making decisions. However, to further strengthen the
voice of students on the Board, the Higher Education and Research Act made
provision for there to be at least one member of the Board with experience of
representing or promoting student interests.
There is currently an interim student representative on the Board, who is also a full
member of the Student Panel. The OfS’s Student Panel has been set up to advise
the board and senior team of the OfS. It has thirteen members and this membership
includes current undergraduate and postgraduate students, part-time and
international students, prospective students and recent graduates. They will bring a
diverse range of views and perspectives to bear on the work of the OfS.
Thelma Walker: [123365]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representation of disabled students
there will be on the Office for Students' Student Panel.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
The student panel has been appointed by the Office for Students (OfS) and will play
an important role in advising the OfS. Membership of the panel includes
representatives of students from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. The
announcement of the panel was made on 7 January and can be found at:
https://medium.com/@n.dandridge/new-student-panel-appointed-to-advise-office-for-
students-press-release-4b77ebb2769c.
Pre-school Education: Teachers
Tracy Brabin: [124210]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the implications are for his
Department's policies on the early years workforce of findings from the Nursery World
and Save the Children survey on training and employing early years teachers, published
on 22 January 2018.
Nadhim Zahawi:
We have noted the publication of findings from the survey regarding early years
teachers, conducted by Save the Children in collaboration with Nursery World,
published on 22 January 2018.
We continue to fund the 'Early Years Initial Teacher Training' programme, including
bursaries and employer incentives.
School Meals
Keith Vaz: [123313]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on
the number of school catering programmes which received nutritional and dietary training
prior to setting menus in 2017.
Nadhim Zahawi:
The department does not hold this information.
Our department supports the provision of nutritious food in schools to enable pupils to
be well nourished, develop healthy eating habits and to concentrate and learn in
school. Our school food standards regulate the food and drink provided during the
school day, and foods high in fat, salt and sugar, as well as low quality reformed or
reconstituted foods, are restricted. Resources such as the school food plan website
can be used by schools and school caterers to ensure their menus comply with the
standards.
Schools: Academic Year
Justin Tomlinson: [122903]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools have varied the dates of
their school terms in the last three years.
Justin Tomlinson: [122904]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will write to schools to remind them of
their power to vary the dates of school terms.
Nadhim Zahawi:
Head teachers, school governors and local authorities are best placed to set school
term and holiday dates, in the best interests of the pupils and parents in their local
area. As such, term dates are determined locally by schools and local authorities.
The Department for Education does not collect data on schools’ term-dates.
For maintained schools, community schools, community special schools, voluntary
controlled schools, pupil referral units and maintained nursery schools, the governing
body or local authority are responsible for setting term dates. This must be done in
line with the requirements of the length of the school year, as set out in the Education
(School Day and School Year) (England) Regulations 1999.
Academies, free schools, and other schools where the governing body is the
employer of staff, such as foundation or voluntary-aided (church) schools, are free to
set their own term and holiday dates. Some of these schools have already made
innovative changes in the interests of pupils and parents.
Schools and local authorities can find guidance on the responsibilities for setting
school term dates in the published School Attendance Guidance, which can be found
at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-attendance.
Schools: Cost Effectiveness
Mr Roger Godsiff: [123348]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding has been provided to the
Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL) for the school efficiency adviser
programme for the 2017-18 financial year; by what process the ISBL was chosen as the
provider of that programme; and whether there was an open tendering process.
Nick Gibb:
We are currently conducting a pilot on the use of school efficiency advisers (SEAs).
We have contracted the Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL) for
administrative and accreditation support as an interim measure during the pilot
phase, in order that we can deliver this scheme as quickly as possible for the benefit
of schools and trusts with the greatest need. ISBL offers a skilled, established, group
of professionals who are currently practising in the sector.
To date, we have spent approximately £33,000 on the contract with ISBL to support
the pilot. Once the pilot concludes, and assuming a decision is made to proceed to
roll out the approach, we intend to conduct an open procurement process which
would be launched later this year.
Mr Roger Godsiff: [123349]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the required level of (a) qualifications
and (b) experience is for school efficiency advisers; how such advisers are recruited; and
what the average rate of pay has been of such advisers in the last 12 months.
Nick Gibb:
Institute of School Business Leaders Fellows are an established, experienced
resource with current knowledge of the sector and of school business leadership. In
order to achieve fellowship status, they must have demonstrated a high level of
professional expertise.
The Department has introduced a robust training and accreditation process, which is
designed to provide assurance that school efficiency advisers (SEA) are proficient
and can take a consistent approach to the analysis of key efficiency metrics.
The day rate of a SEA will be £500, including travel. These experts will start working
with schools in early 2018 as part of our initial pilot.
Mr Roger Godsiff: [123350]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which schools and trusts will receive support
from schools efficiency advisers during the pilot phase; and how such schools and trusts
were selected.
Nick Gibb:
In this pilot phase, the Department is prioritising support to trusts and schools which
have the greatest need. As part of the pilot, we are taking a more proactive approach
with local authorities to support their work with maintained schools and, where
required, the Education and Skills Funding Agency will consider the use of School
Efficiency Advisers (SEAs). Over time, and subject to the outcome of the pilot, we will
expand the pool of SEAs and therefore be able to support a wider range of
trusts/schools.
The Department has used schools’ and trusts’ financial data to build a picture of the
sector as a whole. Using this data, and discussions with trusts, we have identified
those trusts who may benefit from working with a SEA.
Mr Roger Godsiff: [123351]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding will be available for the
schools efficiency adviser programme; and how much has been spent or allocated to
date.
Nick Gibb:
The pilot will test how school efficiency advisers (SEAs) deliver value for money for
the taxpayer and drive significant savings in schools at a cost efficient rate. We will
monitor effectiveness and cost as part of the pilot, which will be used to determine the
ultimate size of the programme.
To date, we have spent approximately £33,000 on the contract with Institue of School
Business Leaders to support the pilot.
Mr Roger Godsiff: [123352]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what efficiency savings targets have been
set by his Department for the schools efficiency adviser programme.
Nick Gibb:
The School Efficiency Adviser (SEA) project is one part of a wider programme, which
is committed to helping schools improve their efficiency, including saving £1 billion on
non-staff spend on schools by 2019-2020. The Department already provides support,
guidance and tools in order to help schools achieve the best value from their
resources, improve pupil outcomes and promote social mobility.
The pilot will test how SEAs deliver value for money for the taxpayer and drive
significant savings in schools at a cost efficient rate. We will monitor effectiveness
and cost as part of the pilot.
Mr Roger Godsiff: [123353]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria his Department will use to
decide whether the school efficiency adviser pilots were successful enough to roll out the
project; and who will be responsible for making that decision.
Nick Gibb:
School efficiency advisers (SEAs) are one part of the Department’s school efficiency
and financial health policy. The Department has committed to provide efficiency
experts where appropriate to support schools to improve their efficiency and financial
health. We are piloting the provision of this expertise through SEAs, working with the
Institute for School Business Leadership.
The overall objective of the support provided by the SEA is that the school can
identify how it can improve its efficiency and make best use of its resources. In
assessing the programme we will consider the value for money to the taxpayer and
the effectiveness of the SEA approach in terms of delivering efficiency savings for the
sector.
Social Mobility Commission
Stephanie Peacock: [124217]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has ministerial responsibility for
the Social Mobility Commission.
Nadhim Zahawi:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has ministerial responsibility for the Social
Mobility Commission.
Teachers: Recruitment
Tracy Brabin: [124211]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2018
to Question 123170, on what date the recruitment target for such teachers was dropped.
Nadhim Zahawi:
As confirmed in our response to parliamentary question 123170, there are no targets
for recruiting early years teachers in the workforce. This has always been a demand-
led programme and we continue to make early years initial teacher training places
available based on this basis.
Universities: Sexual Offences
Alex Sobel: [123240]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made
of trends in the level of reports by university students of sexual assaults taking place on
campus; and how many such reports there have been in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) 2017
to date.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
The department does not hold information regarding the number of reports by
university students of sexual assaults taking place on campus.
Government takes any form of violence and sexual harassment, including in higher
education, extremely seriously. That is why we asked Universities UK (UUK) to set up
a sexual violence and harassment taskforce. The Taskforce published their report
‘Changing the Culture’ in October 2016: http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/policy-and-
analysis/reports/Documents/2016/changing-the-culture.pdf.
Government expects institutions to take a proactive response to sexual harassment
and ensuring that students feel confident and able to report any issues.
The Taskforce also undertook a review of the ‘Zellick Guidelines’ on how higher
education institutions should handle student misconduct which may constitute a
criminal offence and published new guidelines alongside the report:
http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/policy-and-
analysis/reports/Documents/2016/guidance-for-higher-education-institutions.pdf.
The Taskforce’s report raises that underreporting of harassment incidents can often
be an issue and clearly sets out the need for institutions to break down barriers to
reporting, and ensure that clear, accessible and robust reporting mechanisms are in
place. As the report makes clear, low numbers of disclosures do not necessarily
mean that incidents do not occur, and this is a factor to consider when making
judgments on any changes in levels of disclosure.
To support this work, the department has asked the Higher Education Funding
Council to prioritise working with UUK in 2017-2018 on these important issues,
including surveying the sector’s progress to make sure universities are doing all they
can to protect the safety and security of their students. This will be reported on in due
course.
Meanwhile, they have provided over £4 million funding for projects to tackle
harassment and hate crime. This includes £2.45 million for projects addressing
concerns about sexual violence and harassment.
Wakefield City Academies Trust
Jon Trickett: [123422]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2018
to Question 121709, on Wakefield City Academies Trust, what the cost is of the transfer
of the schools; whether that cost falls to the public purse; and if he will make a statement.
Nick Gibb:
At this stage in the transfer process, it is not possible to specify the total cost of
transferring the academies.
We are working with Wakefield City Academies Trust to transfer all 21 academies in
a way that ensures best value for money to the public purse. Value for money is a
key consideration in developing a solution for the academies in the trust and we are
working closely with all parties to ensure that any costs are minimised.
World War II: Genocide
Joan Ryan: [123410]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps his Department has taken
to support UCL's Holocaust Education Programme's Beacon Schools Project.
Nick Gibb:
The Government has provided £3.75 million of funding to University College London
Institute of Education’s Centre for Holocaust Education (CfHE) since 2008, and we
have recently confirmed that we will continue to fund the programme until 2020. The
aim of the programme, which is jointly funded by the Pears Foundation, is to help
ensure that teachers are equipped with the training and resources they need to
deliver effective Holocaust education. Some of this funding is used to support the
CfHE’s Beacon Schools project.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Ash Dieback Disease
Sir Nicholas Soames: [123116]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment
his Department has made of the effect of Ash Dieback on tree numbers in the UK; and if
he will make a statement.
Dr Thérèse Coffey:
The 2011 National Forestry Inventory estimated that there are 125.9 million ash trees
in British woodlands (9% of the estimated 1.4 billion broadleaf trees in woodlands)
and further research suggests that there are approximately 25-60 million ash trees in
the wider environment (excluding 2 billion saplings). Evidence from continental
Europe suggests that up to 90% of ash trees may become infected. As older trees
can survive infection for a number of years and some trees may be tolerant to
disease, we expect local effects on landscapes and woodlands to be gradual and
mitigated by other tree species taking the place of ash. A proportion of ash trees will
show natural tolerance to the disease and these trees are likely to repopulate sites,
preserving the ash tree for future generations to enjoy.
Electronic Training Aids: Dogs
Kerry McCarthy: [124107]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring
forward legislative proposals to ban the use of electronic training devices for dogs.
Kerry McCarthy: [124108]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent
assessment his Department has made of the effect of electronic training collars on dog
welfare.
George Eustice:
We have updated the statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs (made under
the Animal Welfare Act 2006), and strengthened the form of wording on the use of
negative training methods. The draft code, which is currently before Parliament,
makes it clear that any training method which includes physical punishment may
cause pain, suffering and distress and could lead to aggressive responses and
worsen the problems they aim to address.
Livestock: Antibiotics
Alex Sobel: [124111]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has
plans to support a reduction in the use of antibiotics in the farming industry to reduce the
risk of anti-microbial resistance.
George Eustice:
In 2013 the Government published its Five-Year Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy,
which aimed to improve the stewardship of existing antibiotics, improve infection
prevention and control, and optimise prescribing practice.
In 2016, as part of the Government’s response to the Independent Review on
Antimicrobial Resistance, Defra committed to reduce sales of antibiotics for use in
livestock by 20% to 50mg/kg by 2018. This target was met two years early. The latest
data from 2016 shows that sales had fallen to 45mg/kg.
Defra continues to work with the livestock industry to implement the ambitious sector
specific targets published in October 2017 to promote further reduction in antibiotic
use, underpinned by improvements in biosecurity, husbandry practices and disease
prevention.
Poultry: Antibiotics
Alex Sobel: [123237]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment
his Department has made of the potential health risks to humans of medicating poultry
with fluoroquinolone antibiotics.
George Eustice:
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) assesses the risk of acquiring Antimicrobial
Resistance-related infections through the consumption and handling of contaminated
poultry meat to be very low. Thorough cooking (and pasteurisation) will destroy
bacteria present on food, including those that are resistant to some antibiotics. The
FSA promotes the importance that good hygiene practices are in place to minimise
the risk of infection and spread of AMR bacteria when handling raw meat.
The use of antibiotics is one of the drivers for selection of resistance. Through its
antibiotic stewardship programme, the UK meat poultry industry has significantly
reduced the use of antibiotics including those of critical importance to public health.
The British Poultry Council, who represents 90% of the meat poultry sector, reported
a 72% reduction in the use of fluoroquinolones between 2012 and 2016.
Poultry: Disease Control
Sir Desmond Swayne: [124236]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is
taking to increase biosecurity for poultry in Dorset and West Hampshire; and if he will
make a statement.
George Eustice:
An England-wide Avian Influenza Prevention Zone is currently in place which requires
all captive bird keepers, including those of poultry and regardless of the size of the
flock, to put enhanced biosecurity measures in place. Measures include feeding and
watering birds indoors to minimise mixing with wild birds; minimising movement in
and out of bird enclosures; cleaning and disinfecting footwear; and keeping areas
where birds live clean and tidy.
The Prevention Zone will be in place until further notice and will be kept under regular
review as part of our work to monitor the threat of avian influenza.
Trees: Conservation
Sir Nicholas Soames: [123112]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what studies his
Department is conducting into the prospects for survival of the ash tree.
Dr Thérèse Coffey:
Defra’s programme of research on ash dieback has broadly focused on three areas:
1. Impacts : Research into predicting the economic, social and environmental impacts
of ash dieback in woodlands and the wider environment.
1. Mitigation : We are conducting the world’s largest screening trials to identify
disease tolerant trees, which raises the possibility of using selective breeding to
develop strains of tolerant trees. We have also commissioned research to develop
guidance for local authorities and landowners to mitigate the impacts of the disease
2. Better understanding of the disease : We have commissioned research to enhance
our understanding of the disease including work on spread and disease
progression.
Waste Management
Mr Jim Cunningham: [124060]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his
Department plans to release the next edition of UK Statistics on Waste; and if he will
make a statement.
Dr Thérèse Coffey:
The next edition of UK Statistics on Waste is currently listed with a provisional
release date of March 2018 and it is expected that a firm date will be confirmed this
month.
The publication date announcement can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/uk-statistics-on-waste--2.
Waste management: Recycling
Mrs Anne Main: [123974]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent
estimate he has made of the capacity of the UK’s waste recycling system.
Dr Thérèse Coffey:
The latest figures available for England in 2016 show that there were 2,782 recycling
treatment facilities permitted managing 72.4 million tonnes of waste. There were also
2,420 metal recovery facilities managing 13.8 million tonnes of waste.
The Government has signalled clear ambitions for resources efficiency in the Clean
Growth Strategy, Industrial Strategy and 25 Year Environment Plan, which set out an
ambition for zero avoidable waste by 2050. We are committed to supporting
comprehensive and frequent waste and recycling collections which protect local
amenity and ensure that products are recycled as much as possible. The
Government is developing a new strategy on resources and waste to be published
later this year.
EXITING THE EUROPEAN UNION
Brexit
Jo Platt: [124022]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of
19 January 2018 to Question 122352, for what reasons he did not list the assessments
conducted by the Market Access team in his Department on the effect of the UK's
withdrawal from the EU.
Jo Platt: [124024]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of
19 January 2018 to Question 122361, for what reasons he did not state what information
his Department plans to publish on the effect of the UK leaving the EU on different
sectors of the economy in addition to that information released by his Department on 27
November 2017 before any Parliamentary vote on (a) the UK's withdrawal agreement or
(b) a UK-EU trade deal.
Jo Platt: [124026]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of
18 January 2018 to Question 122345, whether the Market Access and Budget Directorate
is tasked with undertaking analytical studies into the economic effect of the UK leaving
the EU.
Jo Platt: [124027]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of
19 January 2018 to Question 122352, whether releasing the titles of all assessments
undertaken by his Department's Market Access team on the UK leaving the EU would
undermine the UK's negotiating position; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Robin Walker:
The Department for Exiting the European Union is undertaking a wide range of
analysis looking at the implications of UK withdrawal from the EU. As part of this, we
have looked at 58 sectors of the economy, as set out in our response to the Lords EU
External Affairs Sub-committee report “Brexit: Trade in Goods” which can be found
at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201617/ldselect/ldeucom/129/129.pdf.
The Market Access and Budget Directorate works closely with partners across
Whitehall to facilitate and coordinate policy development on the UK's future economic
partnership after we leave the EU.
We have published 14 detailed papers on the negotiations to date and will continue to
be as open as possible subject to the overwhelming national interest of preserving
our negotiating position. It is not standard practice to provide a running commentary
on ongoing analysis.
Attachments:
1. Brexit: Trade in Goods [Brexit-trade in goods.pdf]
Department for Exiting the European Union: Sick Leave
Tom Brake: [123430]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many and what
proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in
the last 12 months; and what proportion of total sick leave in his Department that leave
was.
Tom Brake: [123431]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many days sick leave
officials in his Department took for reasons relating to stress in the 12 months.
Mr Steve Baker:
We are not in a position to release this data as individuals may be identifiable due to
fewer than 10 individuals being absent in the last 12 months due to stress or mental
health conditions.
Health and Wellbeing forms part of the Department for Exiting the European Union’s
commitment to making the Department a great place to work. The Department has a
dedicated mental health and wellbeing group who have been leading on a number of
wellbeing activities across the Department to improve the physical and mental
wellbeing of staff employed in the Department. DExEU, along with many other
Government departments, has a programme in place that provides support and
advice on wellbeing.
These activities have included the Department signing up, in March 2017, to the Time
for Change pledge to demonstrate the Department’s commitment to reducing the
stigma attached to mental health. Additionally, to date, Mental Health First Aid
England has trained 32 DExEU staff as mental health champions.
Energy: Conservation
Clive Lewis: [124234]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent discussions he
has had with the (a) Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) EU institutions on the rate of
VAT on energy-saving materials.
Mr Robin Walker:
The Secretary of State regularly meets members of the Cabinet and the EU
institutions to discuss a wide range of policy issues.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Burma: Protest
Stella Creasy: [123990]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his
Department has made representations on the killing of nine ethnic Rakhine protesters in
Rakhine State’s Mrauk U Township to the Burmese Government; and if he will support an
investigation into that incident.
Mark Field:
The UK is deeply concerned by the killing of protestors in Mrauk U on 16 January.
The British Embassy in Rangoon released a statement on 17 January offering
condolences to the families of those killed and calling on the authorities to investigate
the incident.
Burma: Rohingya
Rushanara Ali: [123502]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps are
being taken to ensure that the repatriation of Rohingya people from Bangladesh is
overseen by an independent UN monitor to help ensure the safety and security of those
refugees.
Mark Field:
The UK proposed and secured a UN Security Council Presidential Statement on 6
November that urged the Governments of Burma and Bangladesh to ensure the
voluntary, safe and dignified return to Burma of Rohingya refugees, and the full
participation of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in the repatriation process.
We have repeatedly used our bilateral representations to the Governments of Burma
and Bangladesh to call on them to ensure the repatriation process meets these
conditions. The British Ambassador to Burma most recently pressed for UNHCR
involvement in the repatriation process in his meeting with the Minister for the Office
of the State Counsellor on 11 January. The British High Commission in Dhaka
regularly raises our concerns about premature returns with the government of
Bangladesh.
We share UNHCR's concerns regarding the risk of premature or precipitous returns,
and its assessment that conditions in Rakhine are not presently in place to enable
safe and sustainable returns.
Rushanara Ali: [123503]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent
discussions has he had with his counterparts in other EU countries on ensuring a joined-
up response to the Rohingya crisis.
Mark Field:
The UK has been actively maintaining dialogue on Burma within the EU, including in
discussions in the Asia-Oceania Working Party, the Political and Security Committee,
and the Foreign Affairs Council. EU coordination can be seen through the retention of
the EU arms embargo and the suspension of all military visits to the UK. The UK was
instrumental in securing EU wide support for these measures.
Rushanara Ali: [123504]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what
representations the Government has made to the UN on the need for UN security for the
protection of the repatriated Rohingya people.
Mark Field:
The UNHCR holds the expertise on refugee returns which is why the government has
repeatedly called for their involvement in both Bangladesh and Burma. We have
discussed this directly with the UNHCR, most recently on 12 January in a meeting
between FCO-DFID Minister Alastair Burt and the High Commissioner for Refugees,
Filippo Grandi. We have also raised it in the UN Security Council, through the
Presidential Statement on 6 November and in our intervention during the 12
December Council session. The UK has always been clear that refugee returns must
be safe, voluntary and dignified. In our view guaranteed safety for the Rohingya once
they are in northern Rakhine requires independent international oversight of the
returns process.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Children
Anna Turley: [123950]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what
representations he has made to the Democratic Republic of Congo on upholding Article
32.1 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Harriett Baldwin:
The UK actively encourages countries to uphold Article 32.1 of the UN Convention on
the Rights of the Child. The UK was among the main sponsors of the annual
resolution at the Human Rights Council on the Rights of the Child in March 2017 and
we are already working on the Rights of the Child Resolution ahead of the Human
Rights Council session in March 2018. The UK actively encourages International
Labour Organisation (ILO) member states, including the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC), to fulfil their ILO obligations and work towards ratifying and meeting
the provisions of the core ILO conventions. This includes ILO conventions relating to
child labour.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Mining
Anna Turley: [123948]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what
representations he has made to the Government of Democratic Republic of Congo on
working conditions for children involved in the mining of cobalt.
Harriett Baldwin:
The UK is concerned about working conditions for children involved in the mining of
cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The DRC is a Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights Priority Country. We
will continue to encourage the DRC Government to take concrete steps to improve
respect for human rights. Through our existing and future programming in DRC, we
hope to eradicate child labour in the mines in the long term.
DFID is working to tackle the root causes of child labour in the mining sector in the
DRC. DFID collaborates closely with other Government Departments and through a
European Partnership for Responsible Minerals. We provide funding to the Carter
Center in the DRC to improve transparency and governance of the sector. DFID DRC
is also working with other international partners to consider how we might tackle the
issues in the cobalt supply chain in future programme design.
Diplomatic Service
Tom Brake: [123713]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant 120823,
what the 48 countries are where the UK has no consular representation; and in which of
those countries the UK has bi-lateral arrangements for consular representation with non-
EU countries.
Harriett Baldwin:
Information about the UK's diplomatic representation around the world can be found
at https://www.gov.uk/world/embassies. The FCO's consular contact centres ensure
that British people can access consular services 24/7 from anywhere in the world.
Our 24/7 Global Response Centre and extensive network of Honorary Consuls mean
that we can provide consular assistance to British people in countries where we do
not have an embassy, high commission or consulate. In addition, the UK has a
number of bilateral arrangements with non-EU countries relating to consular
assistance where the UK does not have consular representation.
Egypt: Religious Freedom
Siobhain McDonagh: [123428]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make
representations to the Egyptian Government on the arrest of 25 Ahmadi Muslims in that
country on the grounds of their religion; and if he will make a statement.
Alistair Burt:
I refer the Honourable Member for Mitcham and Morden to my answer to her earlier
PQ on this matter (121319) on 15 January. We will continue to raise our concerns
around the discrimination of religious minorities in Egypt. This includes concerns over
the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly in Egypt. These rights
are essential to improving the protection of Freedom of Religious Belief in Egypt.
Eritrea: Religious Freedom
Dr David Drew: [123598]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make
representations to the Government of Eritrea on its treatment of religious minorities.
Harriett Baldwin:
Our Ambassador and EU counterparts have called for the release of all prisoners
detained for religious beliefs or, as a minimum, that they are brought before a court
for public hearing and fair trial, allowing them to defend themselves against any
charge. We will continue to raise our concerns on this and other human rights issues
with the Government of Eritrea.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Procurement
Jon Trickett: [123550]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many
contracts his Department holds with government strategic suppliers.
Sir Alan Duncan:
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not centrally hold the number of
contracts with government strategic suppliers worldwide. To provide this information
would incur disproportionate cost.
Honduras: Violence
Patrick Grady: [123937]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will respond to
Early Day Motion 825 on post-election violence in Honduras.
Sir Alan Duncan:
The Government is concerned about the fragile, political and security situation in
Honduras. We continue to urge all sides to pursue a resolution through dialogue and
to avoid violence. The Government condemns attacks and threats against journalists,
peaceful protesters and human rights defenders.
Following confirmation on 5 January by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal of the re-
election of Juan Orlando Hernandez, the British Ambassador to Honduras issued a
statement calling on the authorities to protect human rights and work to restore
confidence in national institutions. We support the conclusions of the EU Election
Observer Mission, and encorage the Government of Honduras to implement
recommended reforms to the electoral system in advance of future elections.
Palestinians: Children
Mr Gavin Shuker: [123374]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what
representations he has made to his Israeli counterparts on the detention of Palestinian
children.
Alistair Burt:
The issue of children in Israeli military detention remains a human rights priority for
the UK. Our Embassy officials in Tel Aviv most recently raised the issue with the
Israeli authorities on 16 January, and senior British Government officials raised this
issue with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 8 January. I raised our concerns on
this issue with the Israeli Government during my visit to Israel in August 2017
Qatar: Foreign Relations
Sir Nicholas Soames: [124145]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the aims and
objectives are of Her Majesty's Government's policy on Qatar.
Alistair Burt:
The Government's objectives for Qatar are to promote mutual prosperity, provide
support for British nationals in Qatar, and promote regional stability through
partnership with Qatar.
Sierra Leone: Female Genital Mutilation
Stella Creasy: [123988]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is
taking in response to reports that FGM has been used by political parties in Sierra Leone
as part of the electoral process.
Harriett Baldwin:
We are not aware of any formal reports of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) being
used as part of the electoral process; but with our partners we are closely monitoring
all risks around the election.
The Department for International Development (DfID) is committed to working with
the Government of Sierra Leone to promote the rights of women and girls and will
seek to work with the new Government to specifically tackle FGM in the country.
Sudan: Migration
Dr David Drew: [123964]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the
Answer of 15 January 2018 to Question 122065, on Sudan: Migration, if his Department
will publish the research on helping shape policy and programming in Sudan.
Harriett Baldwin:
The UK Government has no plans to publish the research commissioned on
migration in Sudan. We will continue to use this research to inform our discussions on
migration with the Government of Sudan and with key civil society groups.
Syria: Armed Conflict
Sir Nicholas Soames: [124185]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what
representations he has made to the Government of Turkey on its recent intervention in
Syria.
Sir Alan Duncan:
The Foreign Secretary has spoken to Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu about the
Turkish operation in Afrin. We recognise Turkey's legitimate interest in the security of
its borders. We have urged them to avoid any escalation in violence and to seek to
protect civilians. It remains in our shared interest to focus on achieving a political
settlement that ends the war and suffering, and provides stability for all Syrians and
the wider region.
Syria: Foreign Relations
Sir Nicholas Soames: [124186]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the aims and
objectives are of Her Majesty's Government's policy on Syria.
Alistair Burt:
The UK’s goals in Syria are defeating Daesh, and achieving a political settlement that
ends the war and suffering, provides stability for all Syrians and the wider region, and
enables refugees to safely return. To do this, there needs to be a transition to a new,
inclusive, non-sectarian government that can protect the rights of all Syrians and
unite the country. We support the UN-led Geneva process between the Syrian parties
as this is the forum for reaching a lasting solution to the conflict. We also aim to
alleviate suffering through our humanitarian response to the crisis, to which we have
committed £2.46 billion.
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
Accountable Care Organisations
Justin Madders: [124049]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to what individual or body
Accountable Care Organisations will be accountable.
Stephen Barclay:
NHS England will be launching a consultation on the contracting arrangements for
Accountable Care Organisations (ACOs) in March. No ACO contract will be awarded
in the meantime.
There is widespread support for ending the fragmented way that care has been
provided to improve services for patients and the National Health Service has been
working towards this in a number of ways. ACOs are just one of these ways and are
intended to allow health and care organisations to formally contract to provide
services for a local population in a coordinated way.
An ACO is not a new type of legal entity and so would not affect the commissioning
structure of the NHS. An ACO would simply be the provider organisation which is
awarded a single contract by commissioners for all the services which are within
scope for the local accountable care model. Therefore any proposal to award an ACO
contract would engage local commissioners’ own duties under the NHS Act 2006.
Any area seeking to use an ACO contract would need to comply with longstanding
public procurement law.
The consultation will set out how the contract fits within the NHS as a whole, address
how the existing statutory duties of NHS commissioners and providers would be
performed under it (including how this will work with existing governance
arrangements), and will set out how public accountability and patient choice would be
preserved.
Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the two areas at the forefront of using a
contract of this sort are Dudley, and Manchester’s proposed local care organisation.
Emerging bidders for both proposals are NHS bodies, have the support of local
general practitioners and are not private sector organisations.
Carillion
Alex Sobel: [123919]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what analysis he has made of
the exposure of NHS trusts to the liquidation of Carillion.
Stephen Barclay:
Carillion provides facilities management services to 13 National Health Service trusts
through subcontracts with Private Finance Initiative (PFI) project companies. Carillion
is also building two NHS hospitals under PFI contracts.
The Department and the hospital regulator NHS Improvement have been helping
trusts supplied by Carillion with planning and will continue to work intensively with
trusts over the coming days to minimise disruption. The Government is committed to
maintain public services and has an agreement with the Official Receiver to ensure
that Carillion workers in public sector contracts will continue to be paid.
The contracts between the trusts and PFI Companies are still in place, which means
that each PFI Company is still contractually obliged to manage the projects and find
another construction or facilities management services subcontractor who can
continue to deliver the services and building work. The PFI Companies are currently
in discussions with PWC (on behalf of the official receiver), their lenders and with
other service and construction companies to assess how best to continue delivering
these contracts.
Three NHS trusts also directly contract Carillion (ie outside of PFI contracts) to
provide facilities management services and car parking management. Each NHS
trust with a direct contract may, at any given point in time, have amounts owing to or
withheld from Carillion on the basis of the contract’s provisions. This data is not
collected centrally.
The Department has no direct contracts with Carillion.
In addition, Carillion provide maintenance services to a number of NHS LIFT
Companies. The NHS LIFT Companies have their own contingency plans in place to
source these maintenance services from other companies and prior to the current
issue have replaced Carillion on a variety of sites. These buildings are typically
primary care facilities ranging from general practitioner surgeries to small community
facilities.
Tim Farron: [124089]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has he made
of the effect on the NHS of the liquidation of Carillion plc.
Stephen Barclay:
Carillion provides facilities management services to 13 National Health Service trusts
through subcontracts with Private Finance Initiative (PFI) project companies. Carillion
is also building two NHS hospitals under PFI contracts.
The Department and the hospital regulator NHS Improvement have been helping
trusts supplied by Carillion with planning and will continue to work intensively with
trusts over the coming days to minimise disruption. The Government is committed to
maintain public services and has an agreement with the Official Receiver to ensure
that Carillion workers in public sector contracts will continue to be paid.
The contracts between the trusts and PFI Companies are still in place, which means
that each PFI Company is still contractually obliged to manage the projects and find
another construction or facilities management services subcontractor who can
continue to deliver the services and building work. The PFI Companies are currently
in discussions with PWC (on behalf of the official receiver), their lenders and with
other service and construction companies to assess how best to continue delivering
these contracts.
Three NHS trusts also directly contract Carillion (ie outside of PFI contracts) to
provide facilities management services and car parking management. Each NHS
trust with a direct contract may, at any given point in time, have amounts owing to or
withheld from Carillion on the basis of contract’s provisions. This data is not collected
centrally.
The Department has no direct contracts with Carillion.
In addition, Carillion provide maintenance services to a number of NHS LIFT
Companies. The NHS LIFT Companies have their own contingency plans in place to
source these maintenance services from other companies and prior to the current
issue have replaced Carillion on a variety of sites. These buildings are typically
primary care facilities ranging from general practitioner surgeries to small community
facilities.
Chronic Illnesses
Keith Vaz: [123321]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to make it
easier for people with (a) diabetes and (b) other chronic conditions to access their patient
records.
Steve Brine:
General practitioner (GP) practices offer access to detailed coded records to their
patients upon request and steps have been taken to improve this process. NHS
England is encouraging practices to actively offer access to records to patients with
long term conditions such as diabetes; the Royal College of General Practitioners has
been commissioned to develop guidance for GPs on how to offer access to records
to their patients most effectively; and the Empower the Patient portfolio, part of the
Personalised Health and Care 2020 portfolio, aims to improve access to patient
records for patients or their representatives.
Clinical Trials: EU Law
Chris Law: [124008]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had
with the scientific community on the regulatory changes needed to ensure that the UK will
have continued alignment with EU regulations on clinical trials after the UK leaves the
EU.
Jackie Doyle-Price:
The Government has made clear that a key priority through the negotiations will be to
ensure that the United Kingdom remains one of the best places in the world for
science and innovation, including on clinical trials. We are in regular contact with the
scientific community through the Ministerial and industry co-chaired UK-European
Union Life Sciences Steering Group. Outside of this group we have consistent
contact with industry and research charities on clinical trials.
Dental Services
James Frith: [123628]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Units of Dental
Activity were delivered in (a) Bury North constituency, (b) Greater Manchester and (c)
England in each of the last five years.
Steve Brine:
The following table shows the information available on number of units of dental
activity delivered for Bury Local Authority, Greater Manchester and England. Data is
available for Bury Local Authority, Greater Manchester for 2013/14 to 2016/17 and
England for 2012/13 to 2016/17. Data is not available broken down by constituency.
YEAR
BURY LOCAL
AUTHORITY
GREATER MANCHESTER
1 ENGLAND
2016-17 320,578 4,952,821 85,731,304
2015-16 337,942 4,985,119 86,350,897
2014-15 336,160 4,978,641 87,220,891
2013-14 334,639 4,985,364 88,691,434
2012-13 - - 88,097,804
Source: NHS Digital
Note:
1 Greater Manchester is defined as the following local authorities: Bolton, Bury,
Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan.
Dentistry: Migrant Workers
James Frith: [123630]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many overseas qualified
dentists are waiting for a Performer Number by country of origin; and what the the
average waiting time has been to receive such a number in each of the last three years.
Steve Brine:
Information is not held centrally on the number of dentists who qualified overseas
who are waiting for a Performer Number or on the average turnaround time for
applications to join the National Dental Performers List.
Department of Health and Social Care: Carillion
Tim Farron: [124041]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much money his
Department owed to Carillion plc in outstanding payments before that company's
liquidation.
Stephen Barclay:
The Department has no direct contracts with Carillion.
Department of Health and Social Care: Procurement
Jon Trickett: [123547]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many contracts his
Department holds with government strategic suppliers.
Stephen Barclay:
The Department holds seven contracts with Government strategic suppliers.
Diabetes
Keith Vaz: [123320]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many hospitals and care
centres operate a newly diagnosed support and care programme for people with
diabetes.
Steve Brine:
Data on how many hospitals and care centres operate a newly diagnosed support
and care programme for people with diabetes is not centrally held.
Diabetes: Medical Equipment
Keith Vaz: [123316]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there are plans to
ensure that the FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring system is available to all people
with diabetes.
Steve Brine:
Freestyle Libre has been approved for reimbursement on National Health Service
prescription from 1 November through listing in Part IX of the England and Wales
Drug Tariff. The Drug Tariff is a price list, and the listing of Freestyle Libre should not
be interpreted as a recommendation to prescribe it. Patients will need to discuss the
ongoing management of their condition with their healthcare professional and
consider whether flash glucose monitoring is suitable for them.
NHS England has established four Regional Medicines Optimisation Committees
(RMOC) that are responsible for providing guidance on the use of drugs and other
technologies that are not being assessed by the National Institute for Health and
Care Excellence.
The RMOC (North) has issued guidance on the use of Freestyle Libre suggesting a
careful start to its use and data collection to better understand the benefits. The
Committee’s recommendations are available in full at:
https://www.sps.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Flash-Glucose-monitoring-
System-RMOC-Statement-final-2.pdf
Diabetes: Nurses
Keith Vaz: [123318]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there are plans to
introduce a Diabetes Specialist Nurses qualification to ensure standardisation of care for
people with diabetes.
Stephen Barclay:
There are currently no national plans to introduce a Diabetes Specialist Nurses
qualification.
Diabetes nurse training is currently available as part of a post graduate course
offered by a number of universities which would be funded locally as part of on-going
continuous professional development.
It is the responsibility of the Nursing and Midwifery Council to set the required
standards for nurse practice in order for qualifications to be recognised on the nursing
register.
East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Clive Lewis: [124235]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his
Department has had with East of England Ambulance Service Trust since 17 January
2018 on ambulance delays during December 2017 and January 2018.
Stephen Barclay:
The Department made enquiries about whether ambulance delays during mid-
December 2017 to early January 2018 caused additional harm to patients at the
Trust, through NHS Improvement.
The Department has received assurance that all cases that had significant delays
have already been identified and are being investigated by the Trust, in conjunction
with its commissioners. Where cases are classified as ‘serious incidents’ there is a
nationally set process which ensures that investigations are appropriately rigorous.
NHS England and NHS Improvement have called a risk summit to review the current
situation in East of England Ambulance Service. The Care Quality Commission has
also been notified of the concerns raised.
Food: Labelling
Keith Vaz: [123322]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had
with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on ensuring that food
labelling for products aimed at children is accurate, clear and accessible for children and
young people.
Keith Vaz: [123323]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussion he has had
with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on steps to improve
the clarity and accessibility of food labelling.
Steve Brine:
My Rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not had
any recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs on food labelling for children, young people or adults. There are ongoing
discussions between Officials in the Department of Health and Social Care and the
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the labelling of food and
drink.
General Practitioners
Scott Mann: [123476]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to simplify
funding streams for general practice.
Steve Brine:
NHS England is responsible for payments to general practices for the provision of
National Health Service primary medical services. The majority of general practitioner
practices operate under General Medical Service (GMS) contract arrangements.
Typically, at least half of the money that a GMS practice receives is in the form of the
‘global sum’, derived through the Carr-Hill Formula.
NHS England is working with the British Medical Association to review the Carr-Hill
funding formula for general practice and has begun a review of the Quality and
Outcomes Framework. Implementation of any changes will need careful planning so
that they do not threaten stability or cause financial uncertainty for practices.
Gray Zone Lymphoma
Royston Smith: [123508]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance NICE has
issued on gray zone lymphoma.
Steve Brine:
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has not published any
guidance on the treatment of gray zone lymphoma nor is it in the topic selection
process for technology appraisals and highly specialised technologies guidance.
Royston Smith: [123509]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what public funds are available
to treat patients suffering from gray zone lymphoma.
Steve Brine:
Clinical commissioning groups take decisions on how their National Health Service
budgets are spent on commissioning services to meet the needs of local populations,
including those for gray zone lymphoma.
Health Education: Young People
Dr David Drew: [123202]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made
of the effect of the Facts4Life programme on health education for young people; and if he
plans to roll out the pilot across the UK.
Steve Brine:
The Facts4Life programme is a local training programme in the Gloucestershire area.
The Secretary of State has made no assessment of the effect the programme has on
health education for young people, and has no current plans to roll out the
programme across the United Kingdom.
Health Services and Social Services: Finance
Sir Nicholas Soames: [124144]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to reform the
funding of the NHS and adult social care; and what the timetable is for bringing forward
proposals on such reform.
Stephen Barclay:
The Government is clear that the long term sustainability of the National Health
Service and adult social care is a key priority. We support the NHS England report,
Next Steps on the NHS Five Year Forward View, published in March 2017. This set
out practical steps for ensuring that the NHS is able to adapt and transform to meet
our priorities for the future. We are actively working with NHS England and national
partners to use the period covered by the Five Year Forward View to put in place the
necessary steps for the future.
An ageing society means that we need to reach a longer-term sustainable settlement
for social care. This is why the Government is committing to publish a Green Paper
by summer 2018 setting out its proposals for reform.
To support these plans for long-term reform, we gave the NHS certainty at the 2015
Spending Review, when we set annual budgets up to and including 2020-21. In doing
so, the Government funded the NHS’s Five Year Forward View plan, with a £10
billion a year real terms increase in its budget by 2020/21.
The spring Budget announced an additional £2 billion will be given to councils over
the next three years for social care and in total, we have given councils access to
£9.25 billion more dedicated funding for social care between 2017/18 and 2019/20.
Hospitals: West Yorkshire
Jon Trickett: [123563]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15
January 2018 to Question 121387, on hospitals: West Yorkshire, if he will provide that
data from 1 December 2017.
Stephen Barclay:
NHS England’s statistics publication plan can be accessed online at:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/12-months-statistics-calendar/
It confirms that cancelled elective operations data for Quarter 3 2017-18 (which
includes December 2017 data) will be published on 8 February 2018.
All published quarterly performance data on cancelled elective operations, which
includes national, regional and provider level activity, is available at:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancelled-elective-
operations/cancelled-ops-data/
Medical Treatments
Mr Ben Bradshaw: [123721]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients in the last
three years have been referred by their GP for elective care but have been refused
treatment due to clinical commissioning group policies to restrict access to treatment
because a patient (a) has a BMI of more than 30 and (b) is a smoker.
Steve Brine:
Information on how many patients who have been referred by their general
practitioner for elective care but have been refused treatment due to clinical
commissioning group policies to restrict access to treatment because a patient has a
Body Mass Index of more than 30 and is a smoker is not held centrally.
Medical Treatments: Innovation
Crispin Blunt: [123207]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made
of the effect on the public purse of the UK entering the top quartile of comparator
countries for the speed of adoption and overall uptake of innovative treatments.
Steve Brine:
The proposal for the United Kingdom to move to the upper quartile of comparator
countries for the uptake of innovative medicines by 2023 was a strategic goal of the
Life Science Industrial Strategy report to the Government by Sir John Bell. The
Government supports the ambition to maximise the appropriate use of uptake of
innovative treatments in the National Health Service, and work is currently underway
to develop appropriate metrics to support this. Current metrics on the use of
medicines in the UK compared to other countries is published annually in the Office
for Life Sciences, Life Science Competitiveness Indicators using a methodology
devised by the Office for Health Economics and data of medicine use from IQVIA.
The indicator compares the average per capita level of uptake compared to other
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.
Medicine: Education
Johnny Mercer: [124031]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his
Department's news story of 9 August 2017, 1,500 extra medical undergraduate places
confirmed, how those training places will be allocated.
Johnny Mercer: [124032]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an
assessment of the way in which medical school places are allocated.
Stephen Barclay:
500 medical school places have already been allocated by the Higher Education
Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to established medical schools in England and
will be available to students starting medical school from September 2018.
HEFCE and Health Education England (HEE) are currently undertaking a competitive
bidding process for established and prospective new medical schools to bid for the
remaining 1,000 places that will be available from September 2019. Amongst other
criteria, bids will based on priorities such as widening participation in to the
profession, a focus on priority specialties and geographical areas across England.
Bids are being assessed by an expert assessment panel and HEFCE and HEE are
expected to confirm the allocation of the additional 1,000 places in March 2018.
The draft health and care workforce strategy that is currently out for consultation
proposes that HEE will consider a periodic review of the number and allocation of
medical school places.
Mental Health Services: Prisons
Luciana Berger: [124176]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the written
evidence submitted to the Public Accounts Committee by NHS England on 23 October
2017, MHP0008, on mental health in prisons, what steps his Department is taking to
reduce the time taken for prisoners to be transferred to a mental health ward.
Luciana Berger: [124179]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the written
evidence submitted by NHS England to the Public Accounts Committee on 23 October
2017, NHS England MHP0008, what steps are being taken to prevent Regulation 28
failures from contributing to prisoners taking their own life.
Jackie Doyle-Price:
NHS England is working with partners across the criminal justice system to improve
services for offenders with mental health difficulties, which includes a service review
across all adult medium and low secure services.
The service review is considering a number of issues including the future demand
and capacity required against a number of criteria, levels of security, gender, service
type and geographical location. A detailed understanding of difficulties in the system
in relation to remissions from hospital to prison is being considered so that access,
egress and throughput are all improved. This is vital to ensuring that the appropriate
capacity is planned for the future.
The current Prison Transfer and Remission Guidance, published by the Department
in 2011, is being reviewed, and two separate documents being developed to replace
it, one for Immigration Removal Centres and another for Prisons. A particular focus of
this work is about ensuring that the timescales within the guidance take into account
clinical urgency and need. NHS England anticipates publication of the new guidance
documents in April 2018.
Regulation 28 letters are sent to local commissioning leads, in addition to NHS
England’s National Medical Director. Local commissioners produce reports in
response to the challenges raised in each Regulation 28 letter.
The dedicated NHS England national lead picks up any recurring themes and reflects
these in the responses made on behalf of NHS England. Action plans are initiated at
a local level to support changes in how organisations and professionals work locally,
where these are viewed as potentially being contributory to deaths.
The national lead works very closely with the local commissioner to ensure activities
described in the local response, and reiterated in the national report, are adhered to.
Luciana Berger: [124180]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the written
evidence submitted by NHS England to the Public Accounts Committee on 23 October
2017, NHS England MHP0008, what steps are being taken to monitor the (a) quality and
(b) outcome of mental health services delivered by private providers in prisons.
Luciana Berger: [124181]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the written
evidence on NHS England's spending on mental health and substance misuse services in
prisons in 2016-17 which was submitted to the Public Accounts Committee on 23 October
2017, NHS England MHP0008, how much of the funding referred to was provided to
which prisons; and what contracts were allocated to healthcare providers in respect of
that funding.
Jackie Doyle-Price:
The need to improve the collection and analysis of performance and activity data in
relation to mental health provision in prisons has been recognised.
NHS England is currently reviewing existing systems to identify and improve current
processes. The first of these changes, amendments to the Health and Justice
Indicators of Performance data set, will be in place by April 2018, ensuring that NHS
England is able to track and manage performance of all providers within all prisons.
This will also identify blockages within the system and highlight where NHS England
needs to take steps and remedial measures to ensure better outcomes for this patient
group.
NHS England plan to work with NHS Improvement to agree comparable performance
measures.
The funding breakdown submitted to the Public Accounts Committee in October 2017
outlined how much each NHS England region spent on mental health and substance
misuse services in prisons as a percentage of the total adult prison healthcare
budget.
This was 37% of the £400 million budget for healthcare in adult prisons in England in
2016-17. Information on individual contract values per prison is commercially
sensitive.
Minor Injuries Units: Cornwall
Steve Double: [123282]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is
taking to utilise the role of NHS minor injury units in (a) St. Austell and (b) Newquay to
reduce pressures on A&E departments in Cornwall.
Stephen Barclay:
Community-based services, which include minor injuries units, urgent treatment
centres and minor injury services provided by general practitioners and pharmacists,
play an important role in making sure people can access the appropriate services
when and where they need them.
Minor injury units (MIUs) across Cornwall have treated over 86,000 people during the
past financial year and during the last three months, MIUs in the Cornwall area have
treated nearly 25,000 patients. Of those, just over 3,000 were treated at St Austell
and just over 1,500 at Newquay.
Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has a protocol in place which enables
resources to be shared between St Austell and Newquay MIUs. In addition,
partnership arrangements are in place between the National Health Service and the
local council to use the Better Care Fund to provide a range of services including:
generic support workers; improved community bed capacity, and more flexible and
responsive domiciliary care to ensure that patient assessments and re-ablement are
carried out in the most appropriate, out-of-hospital setting.
Locally, the NHS has extensively promoted the use of all community based services,
including support from pharmacists, self-care and the importance of having the flu
jab.
NHS: Crimes of Violence
Dr Dan Poulter: [123235]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many healthcare staff have
been physically attacked or assaulted at (a) Ipswich Hospital, (b) other healthcare
provider settings in Suffolk and (c) other healthcare provider settings in England in each
year since 2015.
Stephen Barclay:
In 2015/16, the number of staff physically attacked or assaulted at:
- Ipswich Hospital was 115 involving medical factors 1 and eight not involving medical
factors;
- In other healthcare settings in Suffolk 2 the number was 1,189 involving medical
factors and 503 not involving medical factors; and
- In other healthcare provider settings in England the number was 52,704 involving
medical factors and 17,851 not involving medical factors.
Employers from across the National Health Service will collect data on physical
assaults, and working alongside local police are responsible for protecting their staff.
The Department is working with NHS England and NHS Improvement on new
arrangements to support NHS and primary care employers to “…take vigorous and
immediate action against those who abuse or attack the people who work for and
make our NHS”.
Notes:
1 Assaults involving medical factors are the number of physical assaults where the
perpetrator did not know what they were doing, or did not know what they were doing
was wrong due to medical illness, mental ill health, severe learning disability or
treatment administered.
2 The data, extracted from NHS Protect’s “Reported Physical Assaults data for
2015/16 for healthcare settings in Suffolk includes Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust,
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and
East of England Ambulance Trust. Some of the trusts geographical areas cover more
than just Suffolk.
NHS: Data Protection
Kate Green: [123271]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department
has made of the cost of the requirement to respond to subject access requests free of
charge after 25 May 2018 under the General Data Protection Regulation for (a) Acute
Trusts (b), Mental Health Trusts, (c) GP practices and (d) the NHS as a whole.
Jackie Doyle-Price:
The Department has not made any assessment of the cost of responding to subject
access requests under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The United Kingdom is reviewing its data protection legislation in light of the GDPR.
The Data Protection Bill is currently going through Parliament. Once it is enacted it
will become the new Data Protection Act. It will implement the GDPR from May 2018.
Article 12(5) of the GDPR refers to the rights of the data subject when requesting
their information and that this is provided free of charge. Data controllers that process
personal data will be required to comply with subject access requests in this way.
There are provisions in the GDPR and the Data Protection Bill, as there are currently
under the Data Protection Act 1998, to charge or refuse a request should it be
considered manifestly unreasonable or repeated. However, these should be
considered on a case by case basis and considered in line with guidance provided by
the Information Commissioner’s Office.
NHS: Fees and Charges
Mr David Lammy: [123355]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to his letter to the hon.
Member for Tottenham of 9 January 2018, when he is planning to review the effect of
upfront charging in the NHS and extending charges to out-of-hospital care and care
provided by non NHS organisations.
Stephen Barclay:
Following the commencement of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas
Visitors) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (the “amendment regulations”), in line with
the continuing public sector equalities duty, and also recognising concerns that have
been raised by stakeholders regarding the introduction of the amendment
regulations, the Department has begun a review of the impact of the changes
introduced by the amendment regulations.
The Department is working with arm’s length bodies and stakeholders to review the
impact of the amendment regulations in respect of upfront charging, patient records,
community services and non-NHS providers, with a particular focus on the extent to
which there are any unintended consequences on delivery of care in the community
for the most vulnerable, and how any such unintended consequences could be
addressed.
The Department will provide an update to stakeholders once the review is completed
(likely in spring 2018), and will set out any further action that is considered necessary
following the review.
Obesity: Children
Keith Vaz: [123314]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans
to offer dietary education programmes to children and parents to help curb childhood
obesity.
Steve Brine:
We recognise that consumer education is an important aspect of our childhood
obesity plan and we are continuing to support Public Health England’s flagship
Change4Life social marketing campaign which encourages children and families to
eat well, move more and live longer. Recent Change4Life nutrition campaigns have
provided practical information to parents on healthier snacking and on the sugar, salt
and saturated fat content of everyday food and drink. Campaigns include direct to
parent communications via the media and close partnership working, including with
primary schools across England, other Government departments, the National Health
Service, local authorities, businesses and charities.
Maintained schools already teach children about food, nutrition and healthy eating
and how to cook a repertoire of dishes as part of the national curriculum. The primary
and secondary science curriculum also includes content about what constitutes a
healthy diet. For example, this includes the importance of eating the right amounts of
different types of food, the impact of diet on the way our bodies work and the
consequences of an imbalanced diet.
Alongside this, schools are encouraged to use the School Fruit and Vegetables
Scheme, which contributes towards the recommended five portions a day, as an
opportunity to educate children about fruit and vegetables and to assist a healthy,
balanced diet.
Prescription Drugs: Packaging
Laura Smith: [123688]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made
of the potential merits of re-packaging unused medication that has been returned to
pharmacies to reduce waste in the health sector.
Steve Brine:
The Government does not promote the reuse of medicines that have left the
pharmacy and returned to a pharmacy by patients, as it is not possible to guarantee
the quality of a returned medicine on physical inspection alone.
When medicines are returned from patients’ homes, there is no way of knowing how
the medicines have been stored in people’s homes.
The July 2017 edition of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s ‘Medicines, Ethics and
Practice – The professional guide for pharmacists’ states that patients should be
advised that unused, unwanted medicines should be returned to a pharmacy for safe
disposal.
Prisons: Drugs
Richard Burden: [123666]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is
taking to treat and support prisoners who are addicted to psychoactive substances.
Jackie Doyle-Price:
NHS England is working closely with Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service to
ensure establishment-level resilience to psychoactive substances, through a co-
ordinated approach to both supply reduction and demand reduction.
The UK Drug Misuse and Dependence Clinical Guidelines were recently updated by
an independent expert working group, following a public consultation. The guidelines
were published in July 2017. The Guidelines require that (as a part of a
comprehensive assessment) there is confirmation of use of psychoactive substances
and identification of the degree of problem use or dependence. This would usually be
followed by abstinence-oriented psychosocial interventions.
The Guidelines are available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/673978
/clinical_guidelines_2017.pdf
NHS England is due to publish the revised prison Substance Misuse Service
Specification shortly. This specification modernises and updates expectations in
relation to the management of individuals with drug-related issues, including
specifically, responses to psychoactive substances. The responses range from
helping to build resilience to prevent use, management during acute intoxication
(including ambulance transfer to acute hospital setting), psychosocial interventions
and longer term strategies to prevent and avoid use.
Soft Drinks: Children
Keith Vaz: [123310]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is
taking to assess the potential merits of introducing a ban on energy drinks for people
under 16 years of age.
Steve Brine:
I refer the Rt hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for West
Lancashire on 15 January 2018 to Questions 121787 and 121788.
Thyroid Gland: Drugs
Richard Burden: [123658]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is
taking to ensure that medicines approved for patients with thyroid conditions are
competitively priced.
Steve Brine:
The costs of branded medicine are controlled by the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation
Scheme and the statutory scheme for branded medicines. For unbranded generic
medicines, the Department encourages competition between suppliers to keep prices
down. In primary care, community pharmacies are incentivised to source products at
the lowest possible cost and in secondary care, competitive tenders ensure value-for-
money to the National Health Service.
Where competition does not appear to be working, the Department alerts the
Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Where the CMA finds that a company has
breached competition law by charging excessive prices, it can impose a fine as well
as order companies to reduce their prices. In those instances the Department can
and does seek damages and invests that money back into the NHS.
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust: Accident and
Emergency Departments
Mr Jim Cunningham: [124028]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of patients at
University Hospital Coventry were treated in A&E within one hour of their arrival at that
hospital in the most recent quarter for which data is available.
Stephen Barclay:
The count and proportion of unplanned accident and emergency (A&E) attendances
at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust with a treatment
duration of up to and including one hour is shown in the table below. Also shown is
the count and proportion of unplanned A&E attendances at the trust with a duration to
the conclusion of treatment of up to and including one hour. This data is not available
at hospital site level, only at trust level. The data for both of these counts is for the
period 1 July 2017 and 30 September 2017 and is provisional.
ATTENDANCES PERCENTAGES
Duration to treatment (up to and including one hour) 20,857 44.6%
Duration to conclusion of treatment or attendance (up to and
including one hour)
10,111 21.6%
TOTAL A&E ATTENDANCES 46,738
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS Digital
HOME OFFICE
Agriculture: Seasonal Workers
Dr Lisa Cameron: [123933]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to
ensure that UK Visas and Immigration has sufficient capacity to process visas to allow
non-UK workers to perform on-farm duties during harvest season.
Caroline Nokes:
The present immigration system makes no provision for workers outside of the
European Economic Area to come to the UK as harvest workers.
Currently EEA citizens do not require a visa to work in the UK. UK Visas and
Immigration has sufficient capacity to process all visas for those who require a visa to
come to the UK to work.
Asylum
Tim Farron: [124088]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19
January 2018 to Question 123154, what the plans are which are in place to reduce the
number of asylum cases older than six months which are still awaiting a decision.
Caroline Nokes:
The Home Office has detailed plans designed to reduce the number of cases older
than six months which are still awaiting a decision . These include a staff retention
strategy to ensure it retains its highly skilled asylum decision makers, further
expansion of digital processes to increase caseworking flexibility and the creation of a
new team in Bootle which has been specifically established to tackle the older cases
in the asylum system. This team has been designed to establish and roll out best
practise in the management of older cases.
Asylum: Housing
Stuart C. McDonald: [124000]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract
notice and the current procurement process for her Asylum Accommodation and Support
Services Contract, what steps she is taking to ensure compliance with (a) the Public
Contract Regulations 2015 in terms of its article 57 on assessing whether any mandatory
and discretionary grounds apply, (b) ss1(3),(6) and (7) Public Services (Social Value) Act
2012 and (c) s149 Equality Act 2010.
Caroline Nokes:
The Procurement process for the new Asylum Accommodation and Support Services
Contract will be fully compliant with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR
2015). The initial stage of the process, which has just been completed, conforms with
the Crown Commercial Service Procurement Policy Note (8/16) dated 9 September
2016, and has used the Standard Selection Questionnaire (SSQ) 2016 as the basis
to complete the selection stage.
In accordance with the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, we have undertaken
extensive and relevant market and stakeholder consultation during the pre-
procurement phase of the procurement. Information derived during this process has
informed the design of the service delivery model. This has enabled the Authority to
place the Service User, and “relevant areas” at the centre of the new contract.
The procurement process for the project is compliant with the Equality Act 2010, it
ensures that the services procured under this contract are accessible to, and meet
the diverse needs of all users.
Stuart C. McDonald: [124001]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Procurement Policy
Note: Standard Selection Questionnaire (SSQ) for 2016 applies to the current
procurement process for her Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contract;
and for what reasons the SSQ completion requirement was not expressly specified in its
contract notice, published on 18 November 2017.
Caroline Nokes:
The Procurement process for the new Asylum Accommodation and Support Services
Contract has recently completed its initial SSQ stage. The process is fully compliant
with the Crown Commercial Service Procurement Policy Note (8/16) dated 9
September 2016, and used the Standard Selection Questionnaire (SSQ) 2016 to
complete the initial stage (Request For Information) which is referred to at Section
v1.3 of the contract notice, published on 18 November 2017.
Aviation: Security
Paul Girvan: [123867]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has
had with the US State Department on introducing US pre-clearance to airports in the UK.
Caroline Nokes:
Discussions with the US Administration on their proposals for the pre-clearance in the
UK of passengers travelling to the US are ongoing, and no decision has yet been
made.
Crimes of Violence: Young People
Alex Sobel: [124106]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is
taking to prevent young people committing violent crimes.
Victoria Atkins:
The Government is delivering a range of action to prevent violent crime including
action to tackle knife crime and gang related violence and exploitation.
Our work to tackle knife crime includes early intervention and prevention work with
key partners such as the charity Redthread who intervene with young people in
hospital at the ‘teachable moment’. We have awarded £765,000 from a new anti-knife
crime community fund launched in October 2017 to support local communities to
tackle knife crime. 47 different projects have been supported through the community
fund, and the projects awarded funding were particularly aimed at helping young
people.
We are also supporting the Operation Sceptre national week of action by police
forces to tackle knife crime which is taking place in February. Police forces will be
undertaking weapon sweeps, targeted stop and search operations, undertaking test
purchasing, encouraging the use of surrender bins, and carrying out educational
activities with young people.
Through the Ending Gang Violence and Exploitation (EGVE) programme the Home
Office is providing match funding for local area and strategic reviews in areas
experiencing gang related issues and challenges to test and build local resilience
towards tackling these types of criminal activity, especially county lines. 13 local
areas were reviewed in 2016/17 and a further 15 areas are benefiting from these
reviews in 2017/18. This supports our wider work to tackle county lines and especially
preventing young people becoming offenders or victims through county lines drugs
dealing with its associated violence and exploitation. The new Drugs Dealing
Telecommunications Restriction Orders (DDTROs) introduced in December will also
help tackle county lines drugs dealing.
We have provided funding for 12 Young People’s Advocates to work directly with
gang-affected women and girls. We have also provided funding in 2017/18 of over
£280,000 to 16 local EGVE projects, including projects delivering gang, knife and
county lines awareness training for young people, practitioners and foster carers,
community sports and arts projects and mentoring programmes.
An action plan to tackle the use of acid and other corrosives in violent attacks was
announced by the Home Secretary in July 2017. This included actions to improve the
policing response and also the introduction of a voluntary set of commitments for
retailers to not sell certain particularly harmful corrosive substances to under 18s.
The agreement with retailers was introduced earlier this month.
The Government will be publishing a Serious Violence Strategy shortly.
Deportation
Louise Haigh: [124168]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 22
January 2018 to Question 122955, on Deportation, how many detainees have sustained
injuries during attempted escorted removals in each of the last five years.
Caroline Nokes:
Published Immigration Enforcement transparency data can be found at the following
link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data#immigration-
enforcement.
Firearms: Licensing
Mike Hill: [124355]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is
taking to ensure that firearms licensing medical procedures are being (a) complied with
and (b) promoted.
Mr Nick Hurd:
In accordance with arrangements introduced in 2016, the police write to the GPs of
those who apply for a firearms licence to seek relevant information regarding the
applicant’s medical and mental health before the licence is issued. We are working
with the police, relevant medical bodies and others to understand whether these
arrangements are working as intended or whether further measures are required to
ensure that we have consistent arrangements across the country.
The Policing and Crime Act 2017 provides the Secretary of State with the power to
issue statutory guidance to the police on their firearms licensing functions, including
guidance on these medical arrangements. We intend to consult on this guidance
before it is finalised.
Hezbollah
Paul Girvan: [123859]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is
taking to prevent the promotion of the military wing of Hezbollah in the UK.
Mr Ben Wallace:
Hizballah's External Security Organisation was proscribed in March 2001 and in 2008
the proscription was extended to Hizballah's military apparatus including the Jihad
Council.
Proscription means that an organisation is outlawed and is unable to operate in the
UK. It is a criminal offence for a person to: • belong to or invite support for a
proscribed organisation; • arrange a meeting in support of a proscribed organisation;
• wear clothing or carry articles in public which arouse reasonable suspicion that an
individual is a member or supporter of the proscribed organisation. The penalties for
proscription offences can be a maximum of 10 years in prison and/or an unlimited
fine.
Home Office: Contracts
Stuart C. McDonald: [124002]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has taken any
steps as a result of Carillion entering liquidation to conduct an analysis and risk
assessment of the financial stability and viability of both her current outsourced public
service suppliers and in-current tendering of public services in respect of their viability
and profit warning records of any bidders.
Victoria Atkins:
The Home Office regularly monitors the financial performance of its current strategic
suppliers as part of its supplier management processes. As part of the wider
Government Commercial Function, the Home Office receives market intelligence
from the Markets and Suppliers team, and the department works closely with Crown
Representatives who operate at board level with our strategic suppliers and provide
insights into company strategy and issues. The Home Office has applied this process
in assessing the impact of the Carillion liquidation.
All Home Office contracts are tendered in compliance with the EU Procurement
Directives and as part of its tendering process an assessment of financial viability is
undertaken, which is in line with best practice and Cabinet Office guidance. The
assessment is proportionate to the risk of the procurement being undertaken and is
completed on each bidder by independent qualified accountants. The outcomes are
considered within the normal tendering governance processes. The
recommendations of the independent assessment will be considered alongside any
other financial intelligence and insights that are held as part of the wider Government
Commercial Function.
Immigrants: Detainees
Ruth George: [123978]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigration
detentions took place in the (a) north of England, (b) North West, (c) East Midlands and
(d) West Midlands in (i) 2016 and (ii) 2017.
Caroline Nokes:
Our published detention data is available at the following link:
www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-july-to-september-2017-
data-tables
Ruth George: [123980]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the maximum detention
time in reporting centre holding rooms in the immigration estate was in (a) 2016 and (b)
2017.
Caroline Nokes:
Information on the length of detention for individuals held in reporting centre holding
rooms is not collected centrally by the Home Office.
Reporting centre holding rooms are not open overnight and the length of length of
time in detention for individuals held in these locations would not usually exceed
twelve hours, although there may be occasional short extensions.
Ruth George: [123981]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to respond to the
North and Midlands Monitoring Board for Short-Term Holding Facilities, Annual Report
2016.
Caroline Nokes:
I will review the annual report of the North and Midlands Independent Monitoring
Board for Short-Term Holding Facilities and respond in due course.
Immigration: EU Nationals
Tom Brake: [123987]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the settled status
document will be free for EU citizens in the UK with a valid permanent residence
document; and if he will make a statement.
Caroline Nokes:
EU citizens and their family members who are resident in the UK before the date the
UK leaves the EU and hold valid permanent residence documents at the time that
they apply for settled status will not pay a fee. This will also apply to beneficiaries of
the Withdrawal Agreement who hold indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK.
National Police Air Service: Wales
Jonathan Edwards: [124423]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment the
Government has made of the performance of the National Police Air Service in Wales.
Mr Nick Hurd:
The Home Office does not collect performance information on the National Police Air
Service (NPAS). NPAS is a collaboration of English and Welsh Police Forces. The
Service’s Strategic Board comprised of Chief Constables and Police and Crime
Commissioners, including the Dyfed Powys PCC, are responsible for overseeing
NPAS. HMICFRS published a study of Police Air Support in November 2017. NPAS
and the National Police Chief’s Council have both announced that they are
undertaking work to address recommendations concerning NPAS.
Police: Greater Manchester
Mr Ivan Lewis: [124382]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent representations she
has received from the Mayor of Greater Manchester on changes (a) in the number of
police officers and (b) to police funding.
Mr Nick Hurd:
The Home Office is in regular correspondence with Police and Crime Commissioners
on a range of topics, including funding and resources.
I recently announced the proposed police funding settlement for 2018/19 which would
see an additional £450m invested in the policing system, around £270m direct to
PCCs. Should the Mayor choose to use increased precept flexibility, this could mean
an additional £10.4m for Greater Manchester Police. It is a matter for police leaders
to determine locally how to use these resources.
Police: Reorganisation
Mike Hill: [124457]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the status is of the
proposal to create a national infrastructure police force; and if she will make a statement.
Mr Nick Hurd:
The Government continues to consider the feasibility, benefits and risks of creating a
national infrastructure police force. As this work continues, the Civil Nuclear
Constabulary, Ministry of Defence Police and the British Transport Police continue to
work together and in collaboration with territorial forces to optimise the protection of
the public and our critical infrastructure.
Slavery
Frank Field: [124178]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department
collects on (a) housing provision for confirmed victims of modern slavery after they have
left the National Referral Mechanism and (b) the number of such victims who become
homeless after support from the Government has ended.
Frank Field: [124182]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department
collects on the (a) immigration status of confirmed victims of modern slavery after they
have left the National Referral Mechanism and (b) number of such victims who have been
deported from the UK.
Frank Field: [124183]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department
collects on (a) the employment status of confirmed victims of modern slavery after they
have left the National Referral Mechanism and (b) the number of such victims who have
the right to work in the UK.
Victoria Atkins:
The Home Office does not routinely collect data on victims after they have left the
National Referral Mechanism. In October 2017, the Government announced a
package of reforms to the National Referral Mechanism including the development of
a digitised casework system. It is anticipated that the digital system will improve our
ability to collate and report on the progress of victims through the National Referral
Mechanism.
The reform package additionally includes an extended period of move on support for
confirmed victims. This will enable a more robust transition for victims leaving
government funded support. In addition, the provision of a 6 month drop-in service
will present the opportunity for continued engagement between support providers and
confirmed adult victims.
Torture
Joan Ryan: [123423]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to
review the definition of torture used in the Adults At Risk policy.
Joan Ryan: [123433]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans his Department has
to hold discussions on the review of its Adults at Risk policy with (a) Freedom from
Torture, (b) Medical Justice and (c) Survivors Speak OUT.
Joan Ryan: [123436]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has
made of the potential merits of replacing the Adults at Risk policy with a framework which
prohibits the detention of all victims of torture and other vulnerable people from
immigration detention.
Joan Ryan: [123437]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to
improve immigration detention safeguards for victims of torture and other vulnerable
people, including people who have suffered from severe physical, psychological or sexual
violence; and if she will make a statement.
Caroline Nokes:
The adults at risk in immigration detention policy came into force in September 2016
and was part of the Government’s response to Stephen Shaw’s review of the welfare
of vulnerable people in immigration detention. It is based on a case by case
assessment of the appropriateness of detention for each individual, depending on the
nature and evidence of vulnerability available in their particular case. It involves a
balancing of vulnerability considerations against immigration factors (how soon
removal is due to take place, public protection concerns, and compliance with
immigration law). If an individual is identified as being at risk in the terms of the
policy, they will be detained (or their detention continued) only when the immigration
factors outweigh the evidence of risk. As such, the policy strengthens the existing
presumption against detention. It does not, however, represent an automatic
exclusion from immigration detention for any group of vulnerable, or potentially
vulnerable, individuals and the Government has no plans to put in place a framework
which fully prohibits the detention of any group of individuals.
Victims of sexual or gender based violence already fall explicitly within the scope of
the policy. Individuals who have suffered severe physical or psychological violence
are not explicitly referenced, but it is highly likely that such individuals would in any
case fall within its scope in that they would meet one of the other indicators of risk set
out in the policy (for example, suffering from a mental health condition or impairment,
or suffering from a serious physical health condition, or suffering from post traumatic
stress disorder, or having been a victim of torture).
Following the High Court judgment on 10 October 2017 in the case of Medical Justice
and Others v the Secretary of State for the Home Department, the Government has
been considering how it can best address the Court’s findings in relation to the
statutory guidance in respect of the adults at risk in immigration detention policy. This
includes consideration of the definition of torture that should apply in the policy. On
16 January 2018, Home Office officials wrote to a range of non-governmental
organisations, including Medical Justice and Freedom from Torture, to propose a
series of meetings in order to elicit their views as part of the process for developing
statutory amendments.
Undocumented Migrants
Luciana Berger: [124175]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the
memorandum of understanding on the processing of information requests from the Home
Office to NHS Digital for tracing immigration offenders which came into effect on 1
January 2017, what number and proportion of trace requests under that memorandum
have been conducted for individuals whom the Home Office had not re-established
contact via other centrally held government sources of information; and how many of
those requests resulted in (a) apprehension and (b) the resolution of the immigration
issue to be addressed.
Caroline Nokes:
NHS Digital’s data recently published written evidence before the health select
committee.
The report can be found here -
http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/
health-committee/memorandum-of-understanding-on-datasharing-between-nhs-
digital-and-the-home-office/written/76672.html
Witnesses
Grant Shapps: [123939]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department
provides to the police on requesting witnesses to provide facial composites of a suspect.
Mr Nick Hurd:
The decision to ask a witness to help produce an E-Fit or composite facial image of a
person they saw on a previous occasion is an operational matter for the police. The
Home Office therefore does not provide guidance to the police on such matters.
However, national operational guidance, published in 2009 by the National Policing
Improvement Agency (NPIA), can be accessed via the College of Policing Authorised
Professional Practice for Investigations. This is available at:
http://library.college.police.uk/docs/acpo/facial-identification-guidance-2009.pdf.
Grant Shapps: [123940]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the EvoFIT facial
composite process can be altered to allow witnesses to start by using a likeness, as
opposed to starting from first principles.
Mr Nick Hurd:
EvoFIT is a private company which develops and markets computer software for
producing composite images to assist the police in tracing and identifying unknown
suspects. Any change to the system is an operational matter for the National Voice
and Video Identification Strategy Group, which sits under the relevant National Police
Chiefs’ Council portfolio.
HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION
House of Commons: Catering
Dr David Drew: [122602]
To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of
Commons Commission, what plans the Commission has to increase the range of food
available for both vegetarians and vegans in catering facilities in the House.
Tom Brake:
Catering services provide a wide choice of dishes to cater for vegans and vegetarians
throughout the estate. Menus are changed on a regular basis to provide variety and
to reflect seasonality. There has also been an increase in the number of choices for
vegans and vegetarians across our venues in recent years.
We gather customer suggestions and feedback through regular surveys and through
our customer feedback email address. This assists us with our menu planning and to
improve our offers and dishes on our menus where possible.
There are no specific plans to increase the range of food available to vegans and
vegetarians. In 2017, all cafeterias supported National Vegetarian Week (15 to 19
May) and World Vegan Month (in November) where we promote and further offer a
selection of dishes to our customers. Catering services will continue to promote these
in 2018.
House of Commons: Cleaning Services
Diana Johnson: [124149]
To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of
Commons Commission, which company has been contracted to carry out cleaning work
on the ceiling of Westminster Hall; and what archaeological supervision has been
provided to supervise that cleaning work.
Tom Brake:
Work is currently underway in Westminster Hall to complete phase three of the
conservation programme. This includes: the refurbishment of the lantern; removing
the extensive dust deposits from the roof timbers; minor repairs to the interior of the
roof to stabilize decorative elements and tracery; fire protection improvements; and
new lighting.
The principal contractor for the programme is Mitie, who have in turn subcontracted
the refurbishment of the lantern, cleaning of dust deposits and the minor repairs to
the heritage and conservation specialists, DBR Limited. The programme of work is
supervised by heritage architects Donald Insall Associates.
There is a large body of academic material on the Hall already available, with
principal studies conducted between 1854 and 2016. Both information from this,
together with extensive condition surveys, have been used as the basis for the
specification for the current work and any further survey in this regard would be of no
evident value to Parliament. It should be noted that the roof is an example of
‘standing archaeology’ – that is, it will be accessible for the foreseeable future as it
has been in the past. The obligation to record the repairs and to deposit the records
in the archives will be undertaken by the consultant conservation architect (Donald
Insall Associates), specialist conservators, the in-house Architecture & Heritage team
and Historic England. This information will be made available to interested parties
and therefore no further archaeological supervision is necessary.
I have sent the hon. Lady a copy of the list of references to studies of the roof, and
placed a copy in the Library.
Attachments:
1. References to studies of Westminster Hall Roof [References-to-studies-of-Westminster-
Hall-Roof.pdf]
Parliamentary Estate: Waste Management
Dr David Drew: [122009]
To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of
Commons Commission, what percentage of parliamentary waste was (a) recycled and (b)
incinerated in the most recent period for which data is available.
Tom Brake:
In the calendar year of 2017, Parliament recycled 48.8% (937,854 kg) of waste.
Parliament recovered 13.4% (253,056 kg) of waste, which is a process that applies to
food waste, treated to produce methane fuel for energy generation with the solid
residues used as soil improver.
In the same timeframe, Parliament incinerated 36.7% (691,464 kg) of waste at an
‘energy from waste facility’. No waste from the Parliamentary Estate goes to landfill.
HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Affordable Housing: Construction
John Healey: [123928]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
estimate his Department has made of the number of organisations that will miss the
deadline for the completion of grant-funded homes under the Affordable Homes
Programme 2015 to 2018; and what estimate he has made of the number of homes that
will not be completed under that same programme's deadline.
Dominic Raab:
The Affordable Homes Programme is delivered through the Greater London Authority
for London and by Homes England outside of London.
The contractual date for completion of affordable homes in the Affordable Homes
Programme 2015-18 is 31 March 2018. With the introduction of the 2016-21
programme part way through this programme the deadline was incorporated into the
2016-21 programme.
The programme will contain a proportion of homes due to be completed at later
dates, where there has been valid delay to the build programme. Where such
instances arise each request is individually assessed before a later forecast build
completion date is accepted, reducing the possibilities of an organisation missing the
deadline.
It is not possible to give a nationwide figure for the number of homes that will not be
completed under the programme's deadline as this would pre-empt the publication of
the national statistics.
Carillion
John Healey: [123694]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will
place in the Library copies any analysis that (a) his Department or (b) Homes England
have conducted on the exposure of the housing market to the liquidation of Carillion.
Jake Berry:
[Holding answer 23 January 2018]: The Department and Homes England continue to
monitor risks across the housing market, including their exposure to financial risk as a
result of Carillion’s liquidation. As these risk assessments contain commercially
sensitive information, we do not publish them.
Furthermore, the Regulator for Social Housing has been in touch with housing
associations in England to assess those that might have been affected by the
collapse of Carillion. So far, the Regulator has not been alerted to any immediate
difficulties and will continue to monitor this.
Health: Finance
Andrew Gwynne: [122455]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
meetings (a) Ministers in his Department and (b) officials in his Department have had with
Public Health England on the public health grant in the last 12 months.
Rishi Sunak:
Officials from my Department attend a monthly meeting hosted by both Public Health
England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) which
specifically focuses on matters relating to the Public Health Grant. In addition to such
meetings, officials from my Department have frequent ad-hoc dialogue on the Public
Health Grant with their counterparts from PHE and DHSC.
High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention
Mr Clive Betts: [124148]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will
publish the report produced by Atkins for his Department’s industry response group on
advice to building owners on cladding and insulation systems in tower blocks.
Dominic Raab:
The government established an Industry Response Group in June 2017, following the
Grenfell Tower Fire, to advise on immediate steps to ensure building safety. Working
with Atkins and the Industry Response Group, the Department produced an
Information Note to assist building owners to assess what measures should be taken
to make their buildings safe. This Information Note was published by the Department
in December 2017 and can be found on gov.uk.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/information-note-for-landlords-and-
building-owners-of-tall-residential-buildings-with-acm-cladding
John Healey: [124153]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the
timescale is for all privately-owned tower blocks with dangerous aluminium composite
material cladding to have been identified.
Dominic Raab:
Nothing is more important than keeping people safe. We wrote to all local authority
chief executives on 11 August 2017 asking them to identify private sector residential
buildings over 18 metres with Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding in their
area. This work is ongoing and my Department will provide monthly updates on
progress through Gov.uk.
These updates are at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/building-safety-programme#data-on-the-building-safety-
progamme.
John Healey: [124155]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
information his Department holds on the number of privately-owned tower blocks
identified with dangerous aluminium composite material cladding which have had such
cladding replaced.
Dominic Raab:
The Department’s most recent data release can be found at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-programme-monthly-
data-release-january-2018, which was published 22 January 2018.
Housing: Construction
John Healey: [123693]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
estimate his Department has made of the housing capacity of public land disposed of to
date; and what proportion of homes built on that land will be affordable.
Dominic Raab:
[Holding answer 23 January 2018]: Between 2011 and 2015, the Government
exceeded its target of selling surplus public sector land with the capacity for 100,000
homes.
The Public Land for Housing programme 2015-20 annual report was published in
February 2017 and shows the land disposed of for housing.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-land-for-housing-programme-
2015-to-2020-annual-report
The Public Land for Housing Programmes was designed to specifically address the
shortage of land for housing but we want to ensure that homes are built on that land.
We are now monitoring the progress of sites sold through both the 2011-15 and
2015-20 Public Land for Housing Programmes, in order to estimate the number, type
and tenure of homes under construction.
Local Government Finance
Diana Johnson: [124110]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the
amount of financial reserves held by each local authority was in England in each year
since 2009-10.
Rishi Sunak:
Information on financial reserves by all local authorities in England are published
each year on the Department's website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-
financing
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Beverage Containers
Mary Creagh: [123856]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how
many disposable coffee cups were purchased by his Department in each of the last five
years.
Jake Berry:
The information requested is not held centrally. Disposable coffee cups are
purchased by an external catering supplier, which was unable to provide this
information.
The catering facilities in the Department’s headquarters office in 2 Marsham Street
are provided through the Home Office. The coffee cups used in the Department’s
headquarters office in 2 Marsham Street are biodegradable.
Staff and visitors are encouraged to dispose of waste appropriately and userecycling
bins where it is appropriate to do so.
Prosperity Fund
Jon Trickett: [123325]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant
to the Answer of the 15 January 2018 to Question 121225, which projects listed in the
Prosperity Fund's Annual Report 2016-17 and spend data were subject to spend controls;
what those spend controls were; and if he will make a statement.
Jake Berry:
My Department continues to develop the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The Fund has
not yet launched and as such there are no projects to which spending controls can
apply.
Retail Trade: Urban Areas
Chris Ruane: [123363]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
assessment his Department has made of the effect on the vibrancy and resilience of the
high street of the presence of (a) rental purchase retailers, (b) bookmakers, (c) payday
lenders and (d) pawnbrokers.
Jake Berry:
Issues about the particular make-up of individual high streets are for the relevant
local authority to address. They are best placed to determine how to help their local
high streets, ensuring that their high streets meet the needs of the local community
and maximise local growth in their areas. Ultimately, if a high street is to flourish, then
local people, businesses and councils in an area need to work together to develop
their own unique offer for the high street that resonates with the local community.
The Government recognises that this is a difficult time for high streets and has taken
significant actions to help high streets adapt and thrive. These include making
pragmatic changes to planning rules in England, such as allowing more changes of
use on the high street, including the change of use for up to two years to support
retail and business start-ups, and supporting helpful reforms to parking. Also in
England, from 2015 a planning application is required for any new betting office or
pay-day loan shop. The Government is also committed to communities establishing
Business Improvement Districts and the positive impact they have on their local
areas, including town centres.
Social Rented Housing
Rushanara Ali: [123615]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the regulation of the
social housing sector.
Dominic Raab:
Social housing is a priority for this Government. We are committed to ensuring that
social homes are safe, decent, well managed and suitable for the needs of the people
who live in them. The Regulation Committee within the Homes England - known as
the Regulator of Social Housing - is responsible for overseeing the regulation of
social housing. The Regulator of Social Housing is responsible for setting and
ensuring compliance with economic and consumer regulation standards that apply to
providers who are registered with it. The Regulator also has a number of tools
available to take action where there is evidence that a registered provider is not
meeting its requirements.
The Tailored Review of the Homes and Communities Agency, now Homes England,
was carried out in 2016 This Review assessed the structure and delivery of the
regulatory function within the Agency. The Review was clear that it had heard much
evidence from registered providers, lenders and others in the sector that the
Regulation Committee and its functions were seen as independent, strong and
credible. The Review recommended the separation of the Regulator of Social
Housing into a new standalone Non Departmental Public Body to address any conflict
of interest that could potentially arise from the Agency’s current configuration. We
have consulted on proposals to put in place arrangements to do so.
Supported Housing: Finance
Peter Aldous: [123922]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
protections he plans to put in place for people who need supported housing once the
Government’s local grant fund, as proposed in the consultation document, Funding
Support Housing, is exhausted in a specific local authority area.
Mrs Heather Wheeler:
We will be working closely with local government to ensure this does not happen.
We are clear that in the year of introduction in 2020-21 the level of grant will be
equivalent to the spend on short-term supported housing had it remained in the
welfare system. We will work closely with local authorities over 2018 and 2019 to
determine local grant allocations, and will continue to monitor progress over 2020.
Grant funding after 2020-21 will be set on the basis of current projections of future
need, and will continue to take into account the costs of provision. We will also
continue to work with local authorities.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Democratic Republic of Congo: Mining
Anna Turley: [123952]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to
support the reduction in the use of children involved in cobalt mining in the Democratic
Republic of Congo.
Harriett Baldwin:
DFID is working to tackle the root causes that enable child labour to flourish in the
mining sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo. To this end, DFID collaborates
closely with other Government Departments and through a European Partnership for
Responsible Minerals. We provide funding to the Carter Center in the DRC to
improve transparency and governance of the sector. DFID DRC is also working with
other international partners to consider how we might tackle the issues in the cobalt
supply chain in future programme design.
Sierra Leone: Female Genital Mutilation
Stella Creasy: [123989]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what reports she has
received on the use of FGM by political parties in Sierra Leone as part of the electoral
process; and what the effect is of such use on her Department's efforts to tackle FGM.
Harriett Baldwin:
We are not aware of any formal reports of FGM being used as part of the electoral
process; but with our partners we are closely monitoring all risks around the election.
DFID is committed to working with the Government of Sierra Leone to promote the
rights of women and girls and will seek to work with the new Government to
specifically tackle FGM in the country. Supporting Sierra Leones’ elections bodies to
deliver free, fair and inclusive elections is a top priority for the UK. We are working
with the National Elections Commission (NEC) and Civil Society Organizations to
deliver civic and voter information better targeted to specific groups like women and
persons with a disability. Efforts are underway by the UN in country to establish a
women’s situation room to help monitor and tackle instances of violence against
women and other vulnerable groups. The NEC is also working to make voting centres
more physically accessible and/or able to provide special voting arrangements e.g.
tactile ballots for the visually impaired, and table-top voting screens for mothers with
small children.
UNRWA
Emily Thornberry: [123994]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much was disbursed
from the public purse in voluntary contributions excluding assessed or non-discretionary
contributions to the UN Relief and Works Agency in each financial year since 2010.
Alistair Burt:
The amount of UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) funds to the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in each calendar year since 2010 is
given in the table below. This data is published each year in the Statistics for
International Development (SID) publication. Figures for 2017 will be released next
year.
The UK remains firmly committed to supporting UNRWA and Palestinian refugees
across the Middle East and we have so far provided around £50 million in 2017/18.
(£
MILLIONS) 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Bilateral
ODA
through
Multilateral
2.1 4.5 5.8 18.4 29.1 30.0 21.0
(£
MILLIONS) 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Core
Multilateral
ODA
27.0 30.5 47.5 22.9 36.6 34.0 33.4
Total UK
ODA to
UNRWA
29.1 35.0 53.3 41.4 65.7 64.0 54.4
Source: Statistics for International Development 2010 - 2017
ODA figures are produced only on a calendar year basis in line with the Organisation
for Economic Development and Cooperation, Development Assistance Committee
definitions.
Bilateral ODA through multilateral is funding to multilateral organisations for specific
programmes or for specific countries. Core multilateral ODA describes un-earmarked
funds from national governments which are pooled with other donors’ funding and
disbursed as part of the core budget of the multilateral organisation.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Arms Trade: Trade Fairs
Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [124053]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to Answer of 15 January
2018 to Question 122006 on Arms Trade: Trade Fairs, if he will publish the ranks of the
Military Escort Officers who attended (a) DSEI 2017 and (b) Farnborough 2016; and what
the ranks are of the Military Escort Officers who are planned to attend the Security and
Policing expo in Farnborough in March 2018.
Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [124054]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 15
January 2018 to Question 122006, how many ranks of the Military Escort Officers
chaperoned each national delegation to which they were assigned for (a) DSEI 2017 and
(b) Farnborough 2016; and how many ranks of the Military Escort Officers are planned to
chaperone each national delegation to which are to be assigned for the Security and
Policing expo in Farnborough in March 2018.
Graham Stuart:
The number of countries attending, number of Military Escort Officers and their ranks
are shown in the tables below for both Defence and Security Equipment International
2017 (DSEI) and Farnborough International Airshow 2016 (FIA).
The number and ranks of Military Escort Officers who will volunteer at Security and
Policing 2018 is not yet known.
Source: DIT DSO Inward Visits Unit
Military Escort Officers are drawn from both the Reserves and the Regular Armed
Forces. One Military Escort Officer is normally assigned to chaperone each foreign
delegation attending.
Grouped Questions: 124053
Developing Countries: Motor Vehicles
Stephen Kerr: [123272]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether his Department has had
discussions with the Global Vehicle Trust on export support for the Ox flat-packed truck
for the developing world.
Graham Stuart:
My Department has actively supported the Global Vehicle Trust (GVT) in promoting
the OX, and in seeking investors and manufacturing partners. This support included
helping arrange for the OX to be displayed at the Low Carbon Vehicle show at
Millbrook, Bedfordshire in 2016, and introducing GVT to potential international
partners at the show; and discussions in 2017 between our Post in India and potential
local partners. My Department continues to offer its support to this project.
EU Trade
Bill Esterson: [124239]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 19
January 2018 to Question 122986, what representations he has received on whether the
adoption of existing EU Free Trade Agreements with third party countries can only
happen with the agreement of the EU and those countries.
Greg Hands:
Since the Trade White Paper was published, the Government has engaged
extensively with stakeholders and will continue this programme of engagement until
continuity in trade agreements is secured.
Respondents have welcomed the government’s commitment to providing stability and
certainty for businesses and consumers, by seeking to continue existing EU-Third
country trade agreements. The Government is working towards this end.
Trade Agreements
Bill Esterson: [124238]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 9
January 2018 to Question 120867, on Trade Agreements, for what reason he has not
listed the organisations that submitted responses to his Trade White Paper.
Greg Hands:
I refer the Hon Member for Sefton Central to the answer given by me on 17 January.
UIN: 122189
Trade Remedies Authority
Peter Kyle: [123965]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many of his Department's staff
are working on establishing the proposed new Trade Remedies Authority.
Graham Stuart:
There are currently 25 members of staff within the Department for International Trade
tasked with the policy and framework development, including creating legislation, for
the Trade Remedies Authority. Specialist staff may also be called upon, such as
lawyers.
Peter Kyle: [123967]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what his plans are for the staff
requirement upon full establishment of the proposed Trade Remedies Authority.
Greg Hands:
We are currently undertaking an organisation design process to determine the
precise capacity and capability requirements for the Trade Remedies Authority.
We have reviewed the structures, caseloads and resources of a range of trade
remedies systems. We have also worked closely with counterparts in other UK
government departments and arm’s-length bodies.
We are committed to creating an organisation that has the appropriate number of
people, skills and infrastructure to investigate cases and assess injury quickly and
effectively, in order to ensure that we can continue to protect UK Business from unfair
and injurious trading practices.
Turkey: Foreign Relations
Mr Kevan Jones: [123949]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, who travelled with him in his
delegation to Turkey on Friday 12 January 2018.
Graham Stuart:
My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade was accompanied on
his visit to Turkey by a private secretary, special adviser and press officer as is
common for ministers undertaking high-profile international visits.
Turkey: Military Aircraft
Mr Kevan Jones: [123931]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions his Department
has had with (a) BAe and (b) Rolls Royce on the viability of the Turkish Government's
plan to field a prototype aircraft by 2023 as part of its TF-X indigenous fighter programme.
Graham Stuart:
The Department has had a number of discussions with both companies and TAI and
SSM regarding the future timetable for production of the TF-X aircraft.
JUSTICE
Birmingham Prison: Civil Disorder
Richard Burgon: [123578]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the report of Sarah Payne into
the riot at HMP Birmingham in December 2016.
Rory Stewart:
The investigation into the disturbance at HMP Birmingham was concluded in early
2017. We have considered its findings and have taken any necessary actions arising
from them. We do not intend to publish the report.
We have robust processes in place to closely monitor and manage privately
managed prison providers, ensuring that they are providing a safe and secure
environment and delivering value for money to the taxpayer. We will not hesitate to
take action if and when standards fall short.
Carillion
Richard Burgon: [123256]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times representatives from his
Department met with representatives of Carillion to discuss contracts for prison
maintenance in (a) 2016 and (b) 2017.
Rory Stewart:
Representatives of the Department at all levels involved in the monitoring of delivery
of contracts for prison maintenance meet with Carillion on a frequent basis. This
includes weekly meetings at an operational site level through to at least monthly
meetings at a leadership level. Leadership teams also met to discuss specific issues
and such meetings have been more frequent over the past 18 months. We do not
hold a record of the number of total number of meetings.
Richard Burgon: [123257]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times his Department issued letters
of concern to Carillion on its delivery of contracts for prison maintenance in (a) 2016 and
(b) 2017.
Rory Stewart:
Formal concerns about issues with the delivery of the contract were are issued
through the Early Warning Notice and Defect provisions as laid out in the NEC3
standard form of contract which is employed for prison maintenance. A formal letter
of concern was issued in 2016 to advise Carillion of performance failures. A
performance action plan was put in place to address these failings and some
improvements were made. This process was subsequently subsumed into a wider
service improvement initiative.
Richard Burgon: [123261]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many meetings were held with Carillion
and his Department to discuss the plan agreed with Carillion to improve their delivery of
prison maintenance services between September 2016 and February 2017.
Rory Stewart:
Steering Groups were held initially weekly and then fortnightly between HMPPS and
Carillion Leadership to track and monitor their improvement plan, and were attended
by Senior Leaders across the department.
Jo Stevens: [123677]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department took in response to
reports issued between 2015 and 2017 by Independent Monitoring Boards on Carillion's
execution of prison maintenance contracts.
Rory Stewart:
Each IMB report which flags up concerns on the estate has been reviewed by the
HMPPS National Service Management Team who have provided information on the
action being taken to address some of the issues highlighted and this has been fed
back into the official responses from HMPPS. Where the issues highlighted are to do
with Carillion performance these concerns have fed in through either the performance
reviews held regularly at site or if necessary escalated through meetings with senior
leaders from both organisations. In some instances, the concerns when investigated
have related to the requirement for investment in assets which is not a responsibility
of the maintenance contractors, but is managed through the internal asset investment
process which decides how limited funds can be allocated to operational and
maintenance priorities.
Jo Stevens: [123679]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department put in place any
qualitative targets to monitor Carillion’s performance in delivering prison maintenance
services.
Rory Stewart:
The performance mechanism within the Carillion contracts contains 16 key
performance indicators. These employ a mix of both quantitative and qualitative
measures to monitor Carillion’s performance in delivering prison maintenance
services.
Jo Stevens: [123681]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the oral contribution of the
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice of 15 September 2016, Official
Report, Column 475WH, whether a meeting with Carillion was held; and what methods
his Department subsequently used to monitor Carillion’s performance.
Rory Stewart:
Minister Gyimah met with Carillion on 11 October 2016 to express dissatisfaction and
made clear that significant performance improvement was required before the end of
December 2016. An improvement plan was established, overseen by a weekly Joint
Steering Group. Key milestones were identified, together with a high level dashboard
tracking success factors. The development of alternative commercial options was
also planned to inform a strategic decision about the future of Carillion as an FM
provider in January 2017.
Crime: Victims
Gloria De Piero: [124119]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have joined the victim contact
scheme in each of the last four years; and what proportion of eligible people that number
represents in each of those years.
Dr Phillip Lee:
The information requested by the hon Member for Ashfield, Gloria De Piero, is not
available. The current national victim’s database was only introduced in April 2016
and data migration of active cases from previous databases was not fully completed
until February 2017.
Data currently held on the national victim’s database indicates that the proportion of
eligible victims who have opted into the Victim Contact Scheme is approximately
46%.
Liverpool Prison
Dan Carden: [123529]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to publish his Department's
action plan for HMP Liverpool.
Rory Stewart:
HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) undertook an inspection of HMP Liverpool on 4-
15 September 2017. The report of that inspection and the corresponding action plan
were published on Friday 19 January. The plan sets out our actions to respond to
issues which the inspectorate has raised.
The action plan along with the HMIP inspection report for HMP Liverpool can be
found on prison finder at http://www.justice.gov.uk/contacts/prison-finder/liverpool
Ministry of Justice: Carillion
Jo Stevens: [123680]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department signed any new or
renewed contracts with Carillion for any services in the last 12 months.
Rory Stewart:
The Department has not signed any new or renewed contracts with Carillion for any
services in the last 12 months.
Ministry of Justice: Contracts
Richard Burgon: [123664]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment his Department has
made of the financial viability of all those companies with which it has contracts.
Rory Stewart:
A review of the financial stability of contractors is an integral part of both the
tendering of new contracts and continued contract management undertaken by the
Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The financial viability of suppliers is checked during the
tendering process and once a contract is awarded, the MoJ will review the Supplier's
financial circumstances on a regular basis to ensure that these have not significantly
changed.
Ministry of Justice: Procurement
Jon Trickett: [123549]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many contracts his Department holds with
Government strategic suppliers.
Dr Phillip Lee:
The Ministry of Justice currently holds 85 contracts with Government Strategic
Suppliers.
Prisons: Repairs and Maintenance
Richard Burgon: [123254]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff in his Department worked on
monitoring the delivery of contracts for prison maintenance by private sector companies
in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) 2017.
Rory Stewart:
The number of staff working (by Full Time Equivalent) on monitoring the delivery of
contracts for prison maintenance by private sector companies is as follows:
a) 2015: 95
b) 2016: 98
c) 2017: 97
Richard Burgon: [123259]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what changes to contracts were agreed
between his Department and private sector companies contracted to provide prison
maintenance after his Department confirmed in July 2017 that the contracts would not
deliver the savings budgeted for.
Rory Stewart:
The Department has been undertaking a significant continuous improvement initiative
in collaboration with both Carillion and Amey since May 2017. The aim was to make
improvements to the systems, processes and practices that exist within the FM
environment of prisons to deliver service and productivity improvements. To date no
changes to contracts have been made as a consequence of this initiative
Richard Burgon: [123262]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what research his Department has undertaken
into the effectiveness of prison maintenance services being carried out in House, and if
he will place that research in the Library.
Rory Stewart:
An independent review of the service was undertaken in early 2017 which was used
to support several improvement initiatives. There are no plans to place the
information in the library as the report contains commercially sensitive information.
Richard Burgon: [123441]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of
the effectiveness of prison maintenance services being carried out in-house.
Rory Stewart:
An independent review of the service was undertaken in early 2017, which was used
to support several improvement initiatives. We are currently working with the Official
Receiver to ensure the continuation of prison maintenance services, whilst we finalise
the timing of implementation of our contingency plans.
Reoffenders
Michael Tomlinson: [122852]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the cost to the
public purse of the number of reoffenders for each year since 2010.
Rory Stewart:
Her Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS), does not calculate separately
the annual cost of prisoners who have reoffended. However, recent studies show that
reoffending costs £15 billion to society and we are committed to rehabilitating
offenders to reduce reoffending and create fewer victims.
We are clear that prisons must become places of discipline, hard work and self-
improvement. Our reforms will help deliver a system that is focused on getting
prisoners the education and training they need to live law-abiding lives when they are
released.
Sentencing: Females
Chris Ruane: [123960]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of women who
have received a custodial prison sentence have had children under the age of 18 at the
time of their sentencing in each of the last five years.
Dr Phillip Lee:
This information is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate
cost.
We recognise the impact that imprisonment has on the offender and their families,
particularly children.
Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information that sentencers receive about
community sentencing options and to ensure that sentencers are made aware and
can take account of whether an offender is a primary carer or has been pregnant or
given birth within the last 6 months.
We will shortly be setting out our strategy for female offenders, to improve outcomes
for women in the community and in custody. This will include women with young
children, babies and other caring responsibilities.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Northern Ireland Office: Beverage Containers
Mary Creagh: [123860]
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many disposable coffee cups
were purchased by her Department in each of the last five years.
Mr Shailesh Vara:
The Northern Ireland Office has, in 2015 purchased 1,500 disposable cups, in 2016
purchased 1,000 and in 2017 purchased 5,000. Records relating to purchases of
cups in the previous two years are not held.
PRIME MINISTER
Department for Exiting the European Union: Junior Ministers
Layla Moran: [123302]
To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 9 January to Question 121819, for
what reasons she did not provide an explanation of why she appointed an additional
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European
Union on 9 January 2017 in that Answer.
Mrs Theresa May:
I have nothing further to add.
SCOTLAND
Carillion: Scotland
Ged Killen: [123050]
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking to ensure that major
public sector construction projects in Scotland held by Carillion will still proceed as
planned.
David Mundell:
The UK Government has instructed the Official Receiver to maintain public services
across the UK. Those public services which are provided in Scotland by Carillion
through contracts with devolved bodies are for the relevant devolved bodies to
oversee. The UK and Scottish Governments are in close contact at all levels, and are
working together constructively.
Scotland Office: Beverage Containers
Mary Creagh: [123857]
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many disposable coffee cups were
purchased by his Department in each of the last five years.
David Mundell:
The Scotland Office does not have any in-house canteen or coffee shop facilities, and
as such, no disposable coffee cups were purchased in each of the last five years.
Scotland Office: Carillion
Marion Fellows: [123584]
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many meetings (a) Ministers and (b)
officials of his Department have had with representatives of (i) Carillion and (ii) Carillion
subsidiaries since January 2017; who attended those meetings; and what was discussed
at each such meeting.
David Mundell:
The Scotland Office has no contracts with Carillion or its subsidiaries. Ministers and
officials of the Scotland Office have had no meetings with representatives of (i)
Carillion and (ii) Carillion subsidiaries in those capacities since January 2017.
Ged Killen: [124201]
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he had any discussions with Keith
Cochrane at meetings of the Joint Management Board of the Scotland Office on the
financial health of Carillion.
David Mundell:
No.
Ged Killen: [124203]
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether Keith Cochrane in his role on the (a)
Joint Management Board of his Department or (b) Government Network of non-Executive
directors raised the prospect of a Government bail-out of Carillion.
David Mundell:
No.
Scotland Office: Keith Cochrane
Ged Killen: [124202]
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many meetings he had with Keith
Cochrane during his term as a member of the Joint Management Board of his
Department.
David Mundell:
Keith Cochrane attended nine meetings of the Joint Management Board between
December 2015 and December 2017.
Scotland Office: Ministerial Powers
Jon Trickett: [122846]
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many ministerial directions were issued
to his Department in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) 2017.
David Mundell:
No ministerial directions were issued to my Department in those years.
TRANSPORT
Aviation: Training
Mr Barry Sheerman: [123401]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure all those
working on the airside of UK airports are qualified and trained to work on or near aircraft.
Jesse Norman:
There are a large number of different roles undertaken airside at UK airports which
require a wide variety of different qualifications and training. It is for employers to
ensure that workers have the appropriate qualifications and training for their role. In
relation to aircraft operators, European regulations require operators to ensure that all
personnel assigned to, or directly involved in, ground and flight operations are
properly instructed, have demonstrated their abilities in their particular duties and are
aware of their responsibilities and the relationship of such duties to the operation as a
whole. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) oversees operators’ compliance with this
requirement.
Mr Barry Sheerman: [123459]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when were training and qualifications for all
staff working on the airside of the airports last evaluated.
Jesse Norman:
There are a large number of different roles undertaken airside at UK airports which
require a wide variety of different qualifications and training. It is for employers to
ensure that workers have the appropriate qualifications and training for their role and
to consider whether any changes are needed.
Mr Barry Sheerman: [123466]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what specialized training is provided for
people who work in vulnerable areas of the operative parts of UK airports.
Jesse Norman:
There are a large number of different functions undertaken airside at UK airports
which require a wide variety of different qualifications and training. It is for employers
to ensure that workers have the appropriate qualifications and training relevant to the
function they undertake and to the location in which they operate. All persons must as
a minimum be trained in general security awareness before being issued with an
airside pass.
Mr Barry Sheerman: [123467]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what skills and qualifications are required for
an operative who is tasked with refuelling aircraft at a UK airport.
Jesse Norman:
Internationally agreed procedures for handling aviation fuel at airports and upstream
aviation fuel facilities are contained in The Joint Inspection Group (JIG) Standards for
Aviation Fuel Quality Control and Operating Procedures.
Mr Barry Sheerman: [123468]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what training is required for operators who
drive vehicles airside at airports.
Jesse Norman:
All operators who drive vehicles airside at airports must be competent to drive and to
operate the vehicle they are driving, while the vehicle must have a permit to confirm
its suitability. All operators who drive vehicles airside must have a valid Airside
Driving Permit (ADP), which is gained by undertaking driver awareness training, the
successful completion of an exam and practical/familiarisation training at their
location. Additionally, all drivers must have the appropriate licence to operate the
vehicle they are driving – either a EU driving licence or in the case of a specialist
vehicle, a license or permit issued on completion of an approved training course.
Carillion
Tim Farron: [124040]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much money his Department owed to
Carillion plc in outstanding payments before that company's liquidation.
Ms Nusrat Ghani:
As far as can be determined, there is no outstanding money owed by the Department
to Carillion plc since its liquidation.
Andy McDonald: [124218]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department made an
assessment of the viability of Carillion to deliver on its contractual responsibilities and
remain solvent prior to awarding the company a High Speed Two contract in July 2017;
and if he will make a statement.
Ms Nusrat Ghani:
The Department did not award a High Speed Two contract to Carillion in July 2017. A
joint venture called CEK JV (comprising Carillion, Eiffage and Kier) was awarded the
contract in July 2017. HS2 Ltd undertook due diligence on the CEK Joint Venture
prior to the MWCC Award in July. The CEK Joint Venture met the required financial
standing criteria. HS2 has carried out additional due diligence and sought re-
assurance of both Joint Venture partners, Kier and Eiffage, that they remain
committed and capable to deliver the contract. Each company's Boards have both
given that assurance and confirmed that they underwrite the performance of each
other and have the capacity to deliver the HS2 contract.
Cross Country Rail Franchise
Dr David Drew: [123929]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the
performance of the Cross Country Franchise; and what plans he has to improve services
on the lines affected by that franchise.
Joseph Johnson:
My officials meet on a regular basis with Cross Country to monitor delivery of the
requirements of its Franchise Agreement with the Department. We are currently in
the early stages of scoping for the new Cross Country franchise due to start in the
latter part of 2019. We will be consulting on this later this year.
Cycling and Walking: South West
Mr Gary Streeter: [123276]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has allocated to
(a) Plymouth and (b) Devon for projects relating to his Department's cycling and walking
investment strategy in the financial year 2017-18.
Jesse Norman:
The Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy identified £1.2 billion that may be
invested in cycling and walking between 2016/17 to 2020/21. Many of the decisions
on the allocation of these funds will be made by the relevant local body in line with
the Government’s devolution and localism agenda.
The tables below provide a guide to the funding allocated in 2017/18 to Plymouth and
Devon identified in the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.
Plymouth City Council
FUNDING PROGRAMME £M
Access Fund 0.499
Integrated Transport Block* 0.291
Bikeability (national cycling training) 0.142
Total 0.932
Devon County Council
FUNDING PROGRAMME £M
Access Fund 0.5
Integrated Transport Block* 0.540
Bikeability (national cycling training) 0.280
FUNDING PROGRAMME £M
Total 1.32
The Department is also providing technical support to Plymouth City Council to assist
with the development of their Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan. The level
of support has yet to be determined. The Heart of the South West Local Enterprise
Partnership has allocated £18.330m to cycling and walking projects between 2016/17
and 2020/21.**
*This is based on a survey of Local Transport Authorities published by the
Department in February 2016 revealed that 11% of this fund supports cycling
schemes and 4% supports streetscape and Rights of Way schemes.
** This is based on self-reported data received from the Local Enterprise Partnership.
Department for Transport: Procurement
Jon Trickett: [123538]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many contracts his Department holds
with government strategic suppliers.
Ms Nusrat Ghani:
Contracts that my Department holds with Government strategic suppliers are as
follows:
COUNT OF CONTRACT
DfT(c) 24
DVLA 22
DVSA 17
MCA 23
VCA 10
DfT total 96
Driving Tests: Pontypridd
Owen Smith: [124051]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on which date a Minister of his Department
last visited Pontypridd DVSA test centre.
Jesse Norman:
There is no record held by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency of a Minister
visiting Pontypridd driving test centre.
Electric Vehicles
Scott Mann: [123575]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the
adequacy of provision of charging points and other infrastructure associated with electric
vehicles.
Jesse Norman:
At present the vast majority of Electric Vehicle (EV) drivers choose to charge their
cars at home, overnight, but adequate availability of public charging is also very
important. Thanks to Government policy, a growing private sector and the work of
Local Authorities, the UK now has over 11,500 publicly accessible charge points.
These include over 900 rapid charge points, giving the UK one of the largest rapid
networks in Europe.
On 17 January, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) published its report
"Plugging the gap: An assessment of future demand for Britain’s electric vehicle
public charging network", which sets out the findings of a new analysis of the optimal
Electric Vehicle (EV) public charging infrastructure needed to meet future growth of
EVs in Great Britain to 2030. The Government is considering this analysis and
expects to publish an updated strategy by end of March this year on the transition to
zero emission vehicles.
Engineering: Young People
Andrew Percy: [123736]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the Government will follow the 2018 Year of
Engineering campaign with further campaigns to engage young people with engineering.
Ms Nusrat Ghani:
Inspiring the next generation of engineers is crucially important to the UK economy.
The Department for Transport is working across government, the Professional
Engineering Institutions and industry partners to create not only engaging and
inspiring activity for the Year of Engineering 2018 itself, but also to identify and
manage its legacy beyond 2018. The aspiration is for the campaign brand
‘Engineering: Take a Closer Look’ and website, with its events calendar and wealth of
case studies and teaching resources, to live beyond 2018.
Govia Thameslink Railway: Tickets
Peter Kyle: [124159]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2018
to Question 121931, by what date the wider enhancements to the Key smartcard are
planned to be delivered; and what those enhancements are.
Joseph Johnson:
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) will shortly be significantly expanding the coverage
of KeyGo, its pay-as-you-go product which uses the Key smartcard, and will make
further improvements to this product throughout the year. As a result of the
government’s £80m investment in smart ticketing, GTR will also be adopting common
standards for smart ticketing so as to allow passengers to make journeys across the
network using smart cards.
Peter Kyle: [124164]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2018
to Question 121931, if he will include Hove passengers in the next trial for part-time
season tickets on the Key smartcard.
Joseph Johnson:
No decision has been taken on the details of the next trial. Govia Thameslink Railway
(GTR) will be considering options for the scope and coverage of the next trial and will
submit its proposal to the Department in due course.
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Laura Smith: [123290]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidelines on the remit of the HS2
Phase 2a Bill he plans to provide the Select Committee about the Crewe Hub.
Ms Nusrat Ghani:
It is for the House to agree any instruction to the Select Committee which will
consider the High Speed Rail (West Midlands – Crewe) Bill and there is a motion on
the order paper which relates to that instruction. Furthermore, we have recently
consulted on proposals for a Crewe Hub and expect to publish our response shortly.
High Speed 2 Railway Line: Scotland
Luke Graham: [123599]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to
ensure that Scotland benefits fully from the High Speed Two project.
Ms Nusrat Ghani:
Scotland stands to benefit substantially from HS2. When Phase One opens in 2026,
services will run directly between London and Glasgow, bringing the journey time
below 4 hours. When the full HS2 network opens in 2033, journeys between London
and Glasgow and Edinburgh will be 3 hr 40 min. The Department for Transport
estimates HS2 will deliver around £5bn of benefits to the Scottish economy.
Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Training
Mike Kane: [123943]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what changes his Department has made to
UK HGV testing guidance as a result of EU Directives 2014/45/EU and 2014/47/EU.
Jesse Norman:
The May 2018 draft heavy goods vehicle inspection manual incorporates the changes
required by Directive 2014/45/EU as do the draft public service vehicle manual, and
the draft MOT inspection manual for classes 3, 4, 5 & 7.
Directive 2014/47/EU, which is relevant to roadside inspection and the categorisation
of defects, is currently being amended to incorporate the changes to this directive.
Midland Main Railway Line: Electrification
Paul Blomfield: [123714]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December to
Question 117877, what assessment he has made of the effect on air quality of using bi-
mode trains on the Midland Mainline on the basis that the line beyond Kettering will not
be electrified.
Joseph Johnson:
We are committed to improving journeys for passengers on the Midland Main Line,
which is why we are delivering biggest upgrade of the route since it was completed in
1870. The upgrade will enable increased passenger capacity and reduced journey
times, and will see modern trains introduced across the route, including a fleet of
brand new bi-mode intercity trains from 2022. The Government has made this
decision to deliver benefits for intercity passengers sooner than would otherwise be
possible.
In addition to greenhouse gas emissions, the appraisal of the effect of using bi-modes
considered the monetary valuation of changes in NO x emissions. The results of this
appraisal show that compared to the do-minimum scenario, which was continued
diesel operation with the existing fleet for 10 years and then the introduction of bi-
modes in 2030/31, introducing bi-modes earlier to replace diesels delivers £6m of NO
x emission savings over the 60-year appraisal period, whilst fully electric trains would
have delivered £20m of monetised NO x savings over the same period.
Motorways: Repairs and Maintenance
Justin Madders: [124071]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many miles of (a) 40mph and (b) 50mph
zones have been in place on motorways in each of the last ten years.
Jesse Norman:
Highways England do not hold data in the requested format. On Smart Motorways,
speed limits below the national limit are set dynamically to smooth traffic flows or
manage incidents so the length of 40mph or 50mph zones changes all the time.
When Highways England are undertaking improvements or maintenance works, it is
sometimes necessary to set a temporary speed limit below the national limit. Details
on live traffic information can be tracked on Highways England’s Traffic England
Website http://www.trafficengland.com/ and upcoming roadworks are available on
https://roadworks.org/ .
Roads: Litter
Justin Tomlinson: [124019]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the
proportion of litter collected by Highways England which was recycled in each year since
2010..
Jesse Norman:
Highways England is responsible for complying with the mandatory legal
requirements under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which includes removing
litter on England’s motorways and some trunk roads.
Highways England recycles where possible. There is not, however, a requirement to
record the amount recycled.
Large debris collected from the network, such as timber, metal, rubber and tyres will
be sent for recycling, but the weight or volume is not currently recorded by or for
Highways England.
Transport: Apprentices
Mr Barry Sheerman: [123391]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many new apprenticeships have been
created in the transport sector in each of the last five years.
Ms Nusrat Ghani:
The Department for Education have published apprenticeship starts by subject area
over the required time period.
The Department for Transport began reporting in 2016 through the Strategic
Transport Apprenticeship Taskforce (STAT). The STAT “One year on” report sets out
apprentice starts in: DfT; Roads and Rail client bodies; and the supply chain,
generated through procurement contracting. In 2016-17, 2,000 apprenticeships were
delivered in roads and rail. A report covering 2017 to 2018 is due to be published this
summer. The Transport Infrastructure Skills strategy published in 2016 committed to
creating 30,000 apprenticeships by 2020.
Tyne and Wear Metro: Standards
Mr Stephen Hepburn: [124081]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November
2017 to Question 113229, what information his Department holds on the recent
performance and punctuality of services on the Tyne and Wear Metro.
Jesse Norman:
Regular updates are provided to the North East Combined Authority, who are
responsible for the operation of the Tyne and Wear Metro. The Department is
provided with a range of metrics on a regular basis, which include punctuality and
fleet availability.
WOMEN AND EQUALITIES
Gender Recognition
Catherine West: [123724]
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether her Department has made an
assessment of the findings in the Stonewall report LGBT in Britain: Trans Report.
Victoria Atkins:
The Government Equalities Office has seen the report and is considering its findings.
The report makes an important contribution to the evidence base on transgender
equality.
We will assess the report in conjunction with the findings from the National LGBT
survey, which received over 100,000 responses.
This Government is committed to advancing transgender equality. As part of this, we
will soon be bringing forward a consultation on amending the Gender Recognition Act
in order to make the legal recognition process less bureaucratic and intrusive for
trans people.
Catherine West: [123726]
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she or her officials have met
representatives from Stonewall to discuss Stonewall's LGBT in Britain: Trans Report.
Amber Rudd:
I have met with Stonewall since my appointment as Minister for Women and
Equalities and we discussed this report.
My officials also regularly engage with Stonewall on various matters associated with
LGBT Policy, including how the Government can improve outcomes for transgender
people.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Carers: Personal Independence Payment
Dr Paul Williams: [123200]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department
has made of the effect of personal independence payments assessments on carers of
people with disabilities.
Sarah Newton:
Carer’s Allowance (CA) provides a measure of financial support and recognition for
people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular
and substantial care for a severely disabled person. In order for CA to be paid, the
disabled person must be in receipt of a “gateway benefit” which includes the daily
living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
Once a claim to Personal Independence Payment for the disabled person has been
awarded, CA may be backdated to the date payment started. In order to have a claim
to CA backdated, it must be made within three months of the decision on the
disability benefit claim, and the qualifying conditions for CA must be satisfied
throughout the past period.
Since 2010 the rate of CA has increased from £53.90 to £62.70 a week, meaning an
additional £450 a year for carers. In April 2018, a further increase to £64.60 is
planned. This will mean that since 2010, the rate of CA will have increased by over
£550 a year. Carers also have access to the full range of social security benefits
according to their circumstances.
Department for Work and Pensions: Chief Scientific Advisers
Norman Lamb: [124397]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many meetings (a) she and (b)
her predecessor held with her Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser between October
2017 and December 2017.
Kit Malthouse:
There have been no meetings with the Chief Scientific Adviser and the Secretary of
State for Work and Pensions between October 2017 and December 2017.
Department for Work and Pensions: Former Members
Luke Pollard: [123823]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many former Conservative
Members of Parliament who were defeated at the 2017 general election and who now
work in her Department were appointed after a publicly advertised and open recruitment
process.
Kit Malthouse:
This data is not recorded or stored. Candidates taking up appointment into the Civil
Service are required to be impartial and independent of political and other external
influence.
Department for Work and Pensions: Procurement
Jon Trickett: [123545]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many contracts her
Department holds with government strategic suppliers.
Kit Malthouse:
On the 19th of January 2018, the Department for Work and Pensions has 55 contracts
with government strategic suppliers.
Employment and Support Allowance: Appeals
Vicky Foxcroft: [123514]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the
number of people who were successful in appeals for Employment Support Allowance
were (a) evicted or (b) threatened with eviction in the period between the original
assessment and the appeal decision.
Sarah Newton:
This information is not available.
If a Local Authority considers that a claimant requires further financial assistance
towards their housing costs (including rent in advance, deposits and supporting
tenants through the transition to welfare reforms), they can award a Discretionary
Housing Payment, in addition to welfare benefits.
This may enable Housing Benefit or Universal Credit claimants to stay in their
properties, but non-payment of rent isn’t the only reason why evictions take place in.
Tenants are also be evicted because of anti-social behaviour or criminal activities.
Social landlords in particular design their policies to ensure that any evictions are
carried out only after other options have been exhausted, tenants have failed to
engage with their landlord or tenancy management remedies have proved ineffective.
Employment Schemes: Young People
Margaret Greenwood: [124173]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether young people on the new
Youth Obligation programme who have not found employment at the end of six months
will be obliged to accept a mandatory work placement.
Alok Sharma:
Claimants on the Youth Obligation programme who are still unemployed after
receiving intensive support for six months will be offered work-related training or a
three month work experience opportunity to help them achieve their job goals. The
claimant will not be referred to a work experience opportunity unless they agree that it
is the right opportunity for them. Participation in the work experience opportunity is
voluntary.
Margaret Greenwood: [124174]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which companies and
organisations provide work placements for young people on the new Youth Obligation
programme.
Alok Sharma:
Youth Obligation claimants receive a programme of intensive support to help them
find employment or an apprenticeship quickly. During their journey, claimants can
access a menu of opportunities, skills training and work experience, according to
individual need.
There are currently 128 employers on the Department’s National Portfolio who have
committed to offering work experience opportunities, including Accenture, Asda,
Balfour Beatty, B&Q, Compass Group and Greggs.
Additionally, each Jobcentre district has their own Local Employer and Partnerships
Team dedicated to identifying skills needs, building and sharing labour market
intelligence and advising on local recruitment opportunities, including sourcing
employers to provide work placements.
Jobcentres: Glasgow
Stewart Malcolm McDonald: [123608]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the
increased footfall at (a) Newlands and (b) Laurieston jobcentres resulting from the closure
of Langside jobcentre.
Alok Sharma:
Langside Jobcentre, as of 13 December 2017, had 500 claimants.
Although no specific assessment has been made of the increased footfall at
Newlands and Laurieston jobcentres, we know that these sites have the capacity to
accommodate the movement of claimants from Langside.
This means we will be able to match the increase in footfall by moving our work
coaches, who were previously working in Langside, with their claimants to Newlands
and Laurieston jobcentres.
Jobcentres: Training
Dan Jarvis: [124215]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many work coaches in each
job centre have received mental health training.
Sarah Newton:
The information requested is not held at Jobcentre level and could only be provided
at disproportionate cost.
As outlined in the response to PQ 121780, each Work Coach receives
comprehensive and tailored training based on their individual knowledge and
requirements. The mental health route way forms part of the UC Full Service Work
Coach training, and all work coaches working on Full Service will have undertaken
this.
In addition to Work Coach support, the Department has also recruited local
Community Partners to provide extra expertise on disability and health conditions.
Furthermore, our Disability Employment Advisors actively provide advice and
guidance to support claimants with disabilities, including those with mental health
issues.
Social Security Benefits: Disability
Ged Killen: [123213]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will review the accuracy of
reporting on DLA and PIP assessments; and if she will update best practice guidance for
producing these reports.
Sarah Newton:
As Personal Independence Payment has replaced Disability Living Allowance for
people aged 16 to 64, the vast majority of Disability Living Allowance claims are
decided on the basis of self-reporting of need. Where a medical assessment is
required, the Department has published comprehensive guidance for Health
Professionals on how to complete the assessment report. This guidance was last
updated in July 2017.
As the majority of assessments are now undertaken on Personal Independence
Payment, we work closely with the Assessment Providers to further improve the
quality of assessments which includes ensuring their assessment reports are to the
standard that the Department expects and are completed within an optimum
timeframe. We have a programme of continuous improvement which includes
Assessment Providers increasing clinical coaching, along with feedback and support
available to each assessor. We are undertaking more observations of assessments
and have introduced an independent audit of assessment reports to ensure that the
advice provided to the Department’s Case Managers is of suitable quality, fully
explained and justified. We will commit to progress the recommendations in Paul
Gray’s second independent review around quality and consistency of Personal
Independence Payment assessments.
The Personal Independent Payment Assessment Guide provides comprehensive
guidance for Health Professionals regarding all aspects of the assessment process
including completion of assessment reports. This guide is updated regularly and was
last updated December 2017.
Ms Marie Rimmer: [123740]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department
provides on allowing disability benefit assessors to provide feedback on mistakes or
errors that occur during health assessments to improve the assessment process.
Sarah Newton:
Where a Work Capability Assessment and Personal Independence Payment health
professional’s report is examined by a Decision Maker that person will look to see if
there are obvious flaws. For Example, if there are any contradictions or
inconsistencies or omissions within that report. If that report is considered
unacceptable or requires clarification the Decision Maker or Quality Assurance
Manager will contact the assessment provider for clarification, advice or to return the
report for re-work as unacceptable.
Statutory Sick Pay: Public Consultation
Dame Cheryl Gillan: [123697]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the timetable is for the
Government's proposed consultation on statutory sick pay.
Sarah Newton:
As announced in Improving Lives: the Future of Work, Health and Disability, we want
to see a reformed Statutory Sick Pay system which supports more flexible working,
for example to support phased returns to work. We are taking forward further policy
development and will bring forward a consultation on these changes, as well as any
other SSP changes we identify in our wider work, before bringing forward this reform.
We are also considering Matthew Taylor’s further recommendations about SSP and
how to make sure the appropriate balance of incentives and expectations is in place
for employers.
We plan to report back on preliminary work later this year.
Universal Credit
Margaret Greenwood: [124172]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims for universal
credit were paid an advance of the value of (a) less than £50, (b) £50.01-£100, (c)
£100.01-£150, (d) £150.01-£200, (e) £200.01-£250, (f) £250.01-£300, (g) £300.01-£350,
(h) £350.01-£400, (i) £400.01-£450, (j) £450.01-£500, (k) £500.01-£550, (l) £550.01-£600
and (m) greater than £600 in each month from 5 June 2017 up to and including 31
December 2017.
Alok Sharma:
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer provided on 24 January 2018 to
question 123902.
Universal Credit: Income Tax
Alex Sobel: [124109]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons a claimant's
weekly income tax rebate is regarded as earnings under universal credit.
Alok Sharma:
Repayments of Income Tax and National Insurance contribution repayments add to
people’s financial resources, so they need to be taken into account in calculating their
Universal Credit. If the claimant was in any paid work during the tax year the
repayment relates to, these repayments will be treated as earnings. Where this does
not apply, the repayments will be treated as capital. If the repayment increases a
claimant’s capital to £6,000 or more, it may affect the amount of Universal Credit they
receive.
Universal Credit: Payments
Joan Ryan: [123710]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have had
payment of universal credit delayed by (a) one week, (b) two weeks, (c) three weeks or
(d) four weeks or more in (i) the Enfield North Constituency and (ii) the London Borough
of Enfield.
Margaret Greenwood: [124170]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of new claims for
universal credit under full service (a) received full payment on time or (b) received some
payment on time each week from the week beginning 18 September 2017 up to and
including 31st December 2017.
Margaret Greenwood: [124171]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of new claims for
Universal Credit under Full Service (a) received full payment on time or (b) received
some payment on time from the week beginning 18 September 2017 up to and including
31 December 2017.
Alok Sharma:
There is no Universal Credit payment timeliness data broken down by area or region.
The table below shows the proportion of new claims to Universal Credit Full Service
that received some or all of their payment on time during the period requested:
WEEK COMMENCING:
% OF NEW CLAIMS TO UC
RECEIVING SOME PAYMENT ON
TIME
% OF NEW CLAIMS TO UC
RECEIVING FULL PAYMENT ON
TIME
18/09/2017 87% 76%
25/09/2017 86% 76%
02/10/2017 88% 78%
09/10/2017 88% 76%
16/10/2017 87% 77%
23/10/2017 88% 78%
30/10/2017 88% 78%
06/11/2017 88% 79%
13/11/2017 88% 80%
20/11/2017 88% 81%
27/11/2017 88% 81%
WEEK COMMENCING:
% OF NEW CLAIMS TO UC
RECEIVING SOME PAYMENT ON
TIME
% OF NEW CLAIMS TO UC
RECEIVING FULL PAYMENT ON
TIME
04/12/2017 90% 82%
11/12/2017 89% 82%
18/12/2017 91% 84%
25/12/2017 87% 80%
The data in the rows for 30/10/2017 to 25/12/2017 are estimates based on
information currently available.
The average proportion of new claims for Universal Credit Full Service that received
full payment on time over the entire period shown above is 80%.
The average proportion of new claims for Universal Credit Full Service that received
some payment on time over the entire period shown above is 87%.
Work Capability Assessment
Marion Fellows: [123597]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons work capability
assessment reports are not released to claimants until a decision has been made on their
claim; and if she will review this policy.
Sarah Newton:
As part of the first Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment, Professor
Malcolm Harrington recommended a copy of the personalised summary of the
assessment report was sent to every claimant.
Following a trial in 2011 evidence suggested a better approach would be to send
claimants the Decision Makers justification. This approach was agreed with Professor
Harrington and implementation commenced in December 2011. The implementation
considered policy, operational and claimant’s requirements. As a result it was agreed
that the Decision Maker’s justification will be shared in all adverse decisions, and only
shared on request where entitlement has been awarded.
Dr Lisa Cameron: [123747]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15
January 2018 to Question 121884, when her Department plans to begin testing new
approaches to Work Capability Assessments.
Sarah Newton:
We are currently testing in our assessment centres some of the measures outlined in
the Improving Lives: The Future of health, Work and Disability command paper.
Dr Lisa Cameron: [123748]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15
January 2018 to Question 121884, who the stakeholders are whom her Department is
approaching to be involved in testing new approaches to Work Capability Assessments.
Sarah Newton:
We are committed to working with a comprehensive range of external stakeholders
including disability charities, academics, people with disabilities and their advocates.
Layla Moran: [123882]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will undertake an end-to-end
review of her Department's approach to the work capability assessment process.
Sarah Newton:
We are committed to assessing people with health conditions and disabilities fairly
and accurately, helping people to access the right support. We recognise the
importance of getting reform in this area right. We therefore intend to focus on testing
new approaches to build our evidence base for future reform. In the Improving Lives:
The Future of health, Work and Disability command paper we committed to work with
external stakeholders to inform future changes to the Work Capability Assessment.
Thelma Walker: [124177]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department
has made of the potential merits of changing the work capability assessment to take into
account degenerative illnesses.
Sarah Newton:
We are committed to assessing people with health conditions and disabilities fairly
and accurately, helping people to access the right support. We recognise the
importance of getting reform in this area right. We therefore intend to focus on testing
new approaches to build our evidence base for future reform. In the Improving Lives:
The Future of health, Work and Disability command paper we committed to work with
external stakeholders to inform future changes to the Work Capability Assessment.
WRITTEN STATEMENTS
BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Energy Frameworks
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Energy and
Industrial Strategy) (Richard Harrington): [HCWS427]
I am today launching a public consultation on the draft National Policy Statement and
supporting environmental appraisals for geological disposal infrastructure for higher
activity radioactive waste. I am also laying the draft National Policy Statement before this
House which will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny, including review by the Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee.
A second consultation ‘Working with Communities’ proposes how local people should be
engaged if they express an interest in hosting a disposal facility. A facility will only be
approved for construction with the consent and support of the local community affected.
In 2014 the Government set out a renewed approach to finding a site to host a geological
disposal facility in the ‘Implementing Geological Disposal’ White Paper which was
developed following consultation with stakeholders and the public. In it, the Government
committed to bringing geological disposal facilities and the deep investigatory boreholes
necessary to characterise sites within the definition of nationally significant infrastructure
projects and to producing a draft National Policy Statement for this type of infrastructure
in England. The relevant secondary legislation to designate geological disposal facilities
and deep investigatory boreholes as nationally significant infrastructure projects was
passed in March 2015.
The draft National Policy Statement sets out a clear route for future planning decisions in
respect of geological disposal infrastructure in England, as well as providing planning
guidance for developers of such projects and for the Planning Inspectorate and Secretary
of State in their consideration and determination of any such applications. The National
Policy Statement will give greater certainty to developers and lead to faster and more
transparent delivery of planning decisions. The Government has appointed Radioactive
Waste Management Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning
Authority, to develop this infrastructure. It does not prevent any other developer from
bringing forward an application for development consent for a geological disposal facility
or deep investigatory boreholes; however, we are not aware of any other developers
showing an interest in developing a geological disposal facility and do not expect this to
occur.
In this consultation we are actively looking for views and suggestions on the draft
National Policy Statement and the related environmental and sustainability appraisal
documents to enable us to meet our objective of delivering a clear planning process for a
geological disposal facility in the most effective and efficient way.
The consultation will run for 12 weeks, and will include a series of regional events and
technical workshop with interested parties. In parallel with this consultation, we are also
running another consultation seeking views on a draft framework for Radioactive Waste
Management Ltd’s engagement with willing communities as part of the separate process
of finding a suitable site for a geological disposal facility. The approach of working with a
willing community to host a geological disposal facility, as set out in the 2014 White
Paper, gives communities an opportunity to decide whether or not they wish to proceed
with the development of a geological disposal facility. The Working with Communities
policy sets out how Radioactive Waste Management Ltd will work with a community
throughout the siting process. Once a community has indicated its support for hosting a
geological disposal facility the National Policy Statement sets out how a geological
disposal facility application will be assessed through the planning system. It is important
to stress that all the usual opportunities for the public to have a say in the development of
a facility like this through planning, safety, security and environmental permitting
processes will also be in place.
Planning is a devolved issue and so this draft National Policy Statement provides the
framework for the decision making on development consent applications for geological
disposal infrastructure in England only. The planning process in Wales and Northern
Ireland is to be decided by their respective administrations. Scotland has a different policy
for the long-term management of higher activity radioactive waste.
Following our analysis of the responses to this consultation and the consultation on
working with communities and feedback from the Select Committee, we will finalise our
policy approach.
The ‘relevant period’ for parliamentary scrutiny of the National Policy Statement will be
from 25 January 2018 to 28 September 2018.
The consultation document and supporting papers will be laid in the Libraries of the
House.
Today I am also publishing the seventh and latest annual report on the geological
disposal programme covering the period April 2016 to March 2017. The report can be
found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/implementing-geological-disposal-
annual-report-april-2016-to-march-2017 and I have made available copies in the Libraries
of the House.
Energy Policy
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Greg Clark):
[HCWS428]
Exploring and developing the UK’s shale gas resources could bring substantial benefits
and the government’s view is that there is a national need to develop these resources in
a safe, sustainable and timely way. As set out in the Clean Growth Strategy, the
government is fully committed to the development and deployment of low carbon
technologies for heat and electricity generation. As we move towards this low carbon
economy, natural gas will continue to play an important role in our energy system. The
government is confident that the right protections are in place to explore shale safely and
has always been clear that shale development must be safe and environmentally sound.
On 29 November 2017 I issued a Direction to the Oil and Gas Authority. This Direction
closed a loophole in instances where prospective shale gas wells had been drilled prior to
the Infrastructure Act 2015 coming into force. It ensures that all operators proposing to
hydraulically fracture a well are subjected to the same rigorous final step of scrutiny.
Third Energy UK Gas Limited’s proposals to hydraulically fracture its site in Kirby
Misperton, North Yorkshire have been referred to me as a result. I am committed to
ensuring that a meticulous approach, rooted in rigorous evidence, is taken when
reviewing the application.
Having given careful consideration to the evidence submitted, I have informed the Oil and
Gas Authority today that I am satisfied that the thirteen technical requirements set out in
section 4A of the Petroleum Act 1998 have been met.
I also consider that an equivalent assessment should be undertaken of the financial
resilience of companies proposing to carry out hydraulic fracturing operations so that
stakeholders can have confidence in the company’s ability to meet its commitments.
I note that as of 24 January Third Energy UK Gas Limited and other related companies
had yet to submit their accounts for the accounting period ending in December 2016,
despite a statutory deadline of 30 September 2017 for them to do so. I have therefore
asked the Oil and Gas Authority to seek further financial information from the company,
including the required set of up-to-date accounts, to inform my decision.
I have also asked the Infrastructure and Projects Authority to assess the financial
resilience of the applicant, including its ability to fund decommissioning costs. Once I
have received this assessment I will inform the Oil and Gas Authority whether I am
satisfied with the application as required by the 1998 Act.
The Government considers that the financial resilience of a company wishing to
hydraulically fracture is a relevant consideration. As a matter of policy, we will therefore
look at the financial resilience of all companies wishing to carry out hydraulic fracturing
operations alongside their application for Hydraulic Fracturing Consent.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
January Agriculture and Fisheries Council
Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (George Eustice):
[HCWS426]
Agriculture and Fisheries Council will take place on 29 January in Brussels.
As the provisional agenda stands, the primary focus will be information from the
European Commission on ‘The Future of Food and Farming’, looking towards the next
cycle of the Common Agricultural Policy.
The Bulgarian Presidency will present its work programme for the remainder of this term,
finishing at the end of June. The European Commission will update the Council on the
situation in EU agricultural markets, and on trade-related agricultural issues.
There are currently three items scheduled under ‘Any other business’:
situation in the sugar market after the abolition of the quota system
situation in the pig meat market
conclusions from the Ministerial Conference on Xylella fastidios a (Paris, 1
December 2017).
Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European
Union and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. The outcome
of these negotiations will determine what arrangements apply in relation to EU legislation
in future once the UK has left the EU.
HOME OFFICE
Report of the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation on the Operation in
2016 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and Part 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006
The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Amber Rudd): [HCWS429]
In accordance with section 36(5) of the Terrorism Act 2006, Max Hill QC, the Independent
Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, has prepared a report on the operation in 2016 of the
Terrorism Act 2000 and Part 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006.
I am today laying this report before the House, and copies will be available in the Vote
Office. It will also be published on GOV.UK.
I am grateful to Max Hill for his report. I will carefully consider its contents and the
recommendations he makes, and will respond formally in due course.