Daily Report Monday, 8 January 2018...
Transcript of Daily Report Monday, 8 January 2018...
Daily Report Monday, 8 January 2018
This report shows written answers and statements provided on 8 January 2018 and the
information is correct at the time of publication (06:54 P.M., 08 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
BUSINESS, ENERGY AND
INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Aviation: Exhaust Emissions
Bankruptcy
Business: Human Rights
Business: Regulation
Carbon Emissions
Credit Cards: Debts
Department for Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy:
EU Law
Department for Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy:
Regulation
Electric Vehicles
Energy: Meters
Industry: Cheltenham
Minimum Wage: Social
Services
Offshore Industry: North Sea
Ryanair
Shipbuilding
Small Businesses: Conditions
of Employment
Tidal Lagoons Independent
Review
Tidal Power
Working Hours: EU Law
CABINET OFFICE
Average Earnings
Cabinet Office: Regulation
Cabinet Office: Staff
Cost of Living and Standard of
Living
Elections: Visual Impairment
Electoral Register: Students
Government Departments:
Flags
Malnutrition
Older Workers
Prescription Drugs: Death
Prostate Cancer: Mortality
Rates
Public Sector: Billing
Returning Officers: Pay
Young People: Gower
TREASURY
Children: Day Care
Cider: Excise Duties
Consumer Prices Index
Cost of Living
Crime: Alcoholic Drinks
Cryptocurrencies
Customs Officers
Land Use
Private Finance Initiative:
Corporation Tax
Public Private Partnerships
Public Sector Debt
Royal Bank of Scotland:
Closures
Stamp Duty Land Tax
Sterling: Exchange Rates
COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
Building Regulations: Disability
Department for Communities
and Local Government: EU
Law
Department for Communities
and Local Government:
Regulation
Leasehold
Persimmon Homes: Pay
Public Houses
DEFENCE
Armed Forces
Armed Forces Day: Northern
Ireland
Armed Forces: Redundancy
Armoured Fighting Vehicles:
Procurement
Army Apprentice College
Harrogate
Army: Recruitment
Army: Rifles
Army: Young People
Cluster Munitions: Military
Bases
HMS Queen Elizabeth
Members: Correspondence
Military Exercises
Ministry of Defence: Christmas
Ministry of Defence: Official
Hospitality
RAF Volunteer Reserve
Rosyth Dockyard: Materials
Handling Equipment
Royal Auxiliary Air Force: Pay
Syria: Military Intervention
Veterans: Scotland
Warrior Armoured Vehicle
DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND
SPORT
Charities: Young People
Charity Commission: Public
Appointments
Sanitary Protection: VAT
Technology: Industry
Television: Licensing
Tickets: Sales
Young People: EU Grants and
Loans
EDUCATION
Carers: Finance
Children in Care: West
Midlands
Children: Day Care
Children: Protection
Department for Education:
Travel
Education Funding Agency:
Buildings
Free School Meals: Coventry
South
Music: Education
Pupils: Sanitary Protection
Schools: Cost Effectiveness
Schools: Coventry
Schools: Fire Extinguishers
Schools: Greater London
Schools: Suffolk
Secondary Education:
Standards
Special Educational Needs
Teachers: Training
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND
RURAL AFFAIRS
Balloons and Sky Lanterns:
Environment
Clean Air Zones
Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs: Written
Questions
Environment Protection
Fish: West Sussex
Flood Control: Finance
Fly-tipping: Wealden
Food: Procurement
Food: Standards
Genetically Modified
Organisms: Licensing
Ground Water: Suffolk
Landfill
Water: Standards
Wood-burning Stoves
EXITING THE EUROPEAN
UNION
Architecture: Qualifications
Borders: Northern Ireland and
Republic of Ireland
Chevening Scholarships
Programme
Department for Exiting the
European Union: Data
Protection
Department for Exiting the
European Union: Email and
Social Media
Department for Exiting the
European Union: EU Law
Department for Exiting the
European Union: Families
Department for Exiting the
European Union: Stationery
Department for Exiting the
European Union: Written
Questions
European Banking Authority
and European Medicines
Agency
Ferries: Companies
State retirement pensions:
British Nationals Abroad
UK Notified Bodies
FOREIGN AND
COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Austria: Foreign Relations
Bahrain: Prisoners
China: North Korea
Japan: Foreign Relations
Marine Protected Areas
Portugal: Foreign Relations
Rohingya
Turkey: Islamic State
HEALTH
Ambulance Services:
Southwark
Blood: Contamination
Department of Health:
Departmental Expenditure
Limits
Eating Disorders
Employment and Support
Allowance: Suicide
EU Rapid Alert Systems for
Food and Feed
Eyesight: Testing
Gadolinium: Health Hazards
General Practitioners
Haim-Munk Syndrome:
Medical Treatments
Health Services: Prisons
Health: Males
Hospitals: Fire Extinguishers
In Vitro Fertilisation
King's College Hospital
King's College Hospital:
Accident and Emergency
Departments
King's College Hospital:
Surgery
King's College Hospital:
Waiting Lists
Lancashire Care NHS
Foundation Trust
Mental Health Services
Mental Health Services:
Children and Young People
Mental Health: Children
NHS: Departmental
Expenditure Limits
NHS: Reorganisation
Obesity: Children
Ophthalmic Services
Organs: Donors
Pick's Disease: Medical
Treatments
Postnatal Depression
Public Health England
Raine Syndrome: Medical
Treatments
Social Services
Spinal Injuries: West Midlands
Transplant Surgery: Northern
Ireland
University Hospitals Coventry
and Warwickshire NHS Trust:
Acute Beds
University Hospitals Coventry
and Warwickshire NHS Trust:
Vacancies
HOME OFFICE
Asylum
British Nationality: Applications
Direct Selling
EU Nationals: Skilled Workers
Home Office: Written
Questions
Immigration
Immigration: EU Nationals
Organised Crime: Drugs
Police: Unmanned Air Vehicles
Refugees
Refugees: British Nationality
INTERNATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
Africa: Adam Smith Institute
and Legatum Institute
Department for International
Development: Aviation
Department for International
Development: EU Law
Department for International
Development: Regulation
Developing Countries: Waste
Management
Israel and Occupied
Territories: Overseas Aid
Palestinians: Overseas Aid
Palestinians: Schools
Syria: Internally Displaced
People
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Department for International
Trade: Statutory Instruments
JUSTICE
Adoption
Community Orders
Community Orders: Females
Community Rehabilitation
Companies
Courts
Courts: ICT
Courts: Video Conferencing
Crimes of Violence: Acids
HM Inspectorate of Prisons
Legal Aid Scheme
Long Lartin Prison
Magistrates' Courts
Mediation
Members: Correspondence
National Tactical Response
Group
Parking Offences
Prison Officers
Prison Sentences
Prisoners: Females
Prisons: Crimes of Violence
Prisons: Expenditure
Prisons: Smoking
Prisons: Staff
Probate
Probation
Rape: Trials
Reoffenders
Trials: Legal Costs
NORTHERN IRELAND
Marriage: Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Assembly:
Pay
Northern Ireland Government
Schools: North Down
Voting Rights: Females
SCOTLAND
Scotland Office: Caledonian
Media
TRANSPORT
A75: Scotland
Aviation
Aviation: Carbon Emissions
Aviation: Exhaust Emissions
Aviation: Noise
Bicycles: Hire Services
Blue Badge Scheme
Bus Services: Information
Govia Thameslink Railway
Govia Thameslink Railway:
Industrial Disputes
Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport: Air Pollution
Heathrow Airport: Night Flying
Heathrow Airport: Noise
London-Coventry Railway
Line: Mobile Phones
Members: Correspondence
Parking Offences: Pedestrian
Areas
Railways: Compensation
Railways: Fares
Railways: Fylde
Railways: Greater London
Rapid Transit Systems: Oxford
Road Traffic Control
Speed Limits
Uber
WALES
Economic Situation: Wales
EU Grants and Loans: Wales
WOMEN AND EQUALITIES
Government Equalities Office:
EU Law
Sanitary Protection: Scotland
WORK AND PENSIONS
Access to Work Programme:
Southwark
Bereavement Benefits:
Cohabitation
Jobcentres
Jobcentres: Closures
Jobcentres: Glasgow
Mortgages: Government
Assistance
Occupational Pensions: Public
Consultation
Older Workers
Pensions: Uprating
Personal Independence
Payment: Appeals
Personal Independence
Payment: Medical
Examinations
Personal Independence
Payment: Mental Illness
Poverty: Children
Schools: Staff
Social Security Benefits
Social Security Benefits:
Arrears
Social Security Benefits:
Glasgow
Social Security Benefits:
Terminal Illnesses
State Retirement Pensions
State Retirement Pensions:
Females
Universal Credit
Universal Credit: Council Tax
Reduction Schemes
Universal Credit:
Disqualification
Universal Credit: Telephone
Services
Work Capability Assessment
Work Capability Assessment:
Mental Illness
MINISTERIAL CORRECTIONS
BUSINESS, ENERGY AND
INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Department for Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy:
Written Questions
Gratuities
EDUCATION
Department for Education:
Written Questions
NORTHERN IRELAND
Northern Ireland Office:
Families
WRITTEN STATEMENTS
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND
RURAL AFFAIRS
Waste
HEALTH
Conclusions of the
Employment, Social Policy,
Health and Consumer Affairs
(Health) Council: 8 December
2017
HOME OFFICE
Surveillance Camera
Commissioner – Annual
Report
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
BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Aviation: Exhaust Emissions
Zac Goldsmith: [120954]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference
to page 85 of the Government's Clean Growth Strategy, what estimate he has made of
the actual and projected emissions for the aviation sector for (a) 2030, (b) 2040 and (c)
2050; and what estimate he has made of the required level of aviation emissions if
emissions from from transport need to be as low as 3 Mt by 2050.
Claire Perry:
Latest BEIS data shows that carbon dioxide emissions from UK departing flights in
2015 were 34.5 Mt. DfT’s October 2017 aviation forecasts give CO2 emissions from
UK departing flights of between 36.6 and 45.7Mt in 2030; between 36.3 and 45.1Mt in
2040; and between 35.0 and 44.3Mt in 2050, depending on demand scenario and
airport capacity options.
The Government will set out its strategic approach to the aviation sector in a series of
consultations leading to the publication of a new Aviation Strategy for the UK. The
Strategy will consider what the best approach and combination of policy measures
are to ensure we effectively address carbon emissions from aviation.
The 3 Mt figure quoted from page 85 of the Clean Growth Strategy concerns
emissions from transport not including domestic or international aviation and
shipping.
Bankruptcy
Jo Stevens: [120777]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many
bankruptcy cases there were in each year since 2010.
Margot James:
The Insolvency Service produces quarterly statistics on the number of new
insolvencies for companies and individuals in England and Wales. The most recent
statistics, covering the period July to September 2017, which include a comparison
with previous periods, were published on Friday 27 October 2017 on gov.uk
Business: Human Rights
Tom Brake: [120819]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the
timetable is for his Department to respond to the Sixth Report from the Joint Committee
on Human Rights, Human Rights and Business 2017: Promoting responsibility and
ensuring accountability, HC443 of Session 2016–17.
Margot James:
The Department and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office jointly led preparation of
the Government’s response, which was passed to the Committee on 13 December. I
understand the Committee is to consider and then publish the Government’s
response.
Business: Regulation
Priti Patel: [120886]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which
regulations affecting business his Department has withdrawn or amended in each year
since 2010 to date; which regulations affecting business his Department plans to
withdraw or amend in (i) 2018 and (ii) years beyond 2018; and what estimate he has
made of the net cost to business to withdrawal or amendment of each withdrawn or
amended regulation.
Margot James:
The changes to regulations affecting business during the 2010-15 Parliament are
recorded in Statements of New Regulation that were published every six months.
These are available on https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/one-in-two-out-
statement-of-new-regulation. For the 2015-17 Parliament, the Government will shortly
publish its final report on the savings to business delivered during that Parliament.
This will be published on www.gov.uk.
As we leave the EU, the Government is committed to maximising certainty for
individuals and businesses, making the UK the best place in the world to do
business. This will mean fostering a high quality, stable and predictable regulatory
environment, whilst also actively taking opportunities to support innovative business
models. It is not possible to give a definitive figure on which regulations will be
withdrawn or amended in (i) 2018 and (ii) years beyond 2018. This is because the
volume of legislation will depend on policy decisions to be taken.
Carbon Emissions
Zac Goldsmith: [120629]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he
plans to publish the sensitivity analysis which sets out the emissions reductions by each
sector of the economy.
Claire Perry:
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy publishes annual
updated energy and emissions projections, which project future energy use and
greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. These include projections of emissions
reductions by sector, and sensitivity to fossil fuel prices and economic growth.
The 2017 energy and emissions projections are the most recent published
projections, and were published on Jan 2 nd 2018. They are available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/updated-energy-and-emissions-
projections-2017
Credit Cards: Debts
Stella Creasy: [120254]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what
assessment he has made of the contribution of credit card debt to personal insolvency
over the last five years.
Margot James:
The Insolvency Service regularly assesses how changes in debt levels impact on the
number of personal insolvencies. It considers a wide range of economic indicators to
determine which has the greater impact on levels of personal insolvency. Over the
last five years, the analysis has shown that total household debt is a better indicator
of personal insolvency movements than levels of credit card debt.
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: EU Law
Priti Patel: [120908]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which EU (a)
Directives, (b) Regulations and (c) other legislation affecting his Department he is
planning to propose the (i) revocation and (ii) amendment of after the UK leaves the EU.
Margot James:
The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will retain EU law as it applies in the UK on exit
day.
We expect between 800 and 1000 statutory instruments will be required across
Government to correct this retained EU law to ensure the statute book functions
appropriately outside the EU. All Departments are engaged in this process.
Once we leave the EU, we will make our own laws. As we leave the EU, the
Government’s EU exit legislative programme is designed to cater for the full range of
negotiated and non-negotiated outcomes.
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Regulation
Priti Patel: [120972]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what
processes his Department has put in place to (a) monitor, (b) collate cost information on,
(c) review and (d) respond to requests to amend or revoke regulations introduced by his
Department.
Margot James:
For the current Parliament, the Government is committed to maintaining a
proportionate approach to regulation to enable business growth while maintaining
public protections.
The Department both monitors and reviews the impact of regulation through the
Business Impact Target (BIT) and statutory review clauses. In addition, policy teams
regularly speak with stakeholders and monitor data and intelligence to understand the
impact of regulation.
The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act (SBEE) 2015 requires the
Government to publish its progress against the BIT. This involves publishing an
annual BIT report on the estimated impact of regulatory changes in that year. In order
to produce this information, the Department is required to collect and collate
information on costs or benefits to business of regulatory changes over the year. The
BIT report for the 2015-17 Parliament will be published shortly.
Electric Vehicles
Mr Gregory Campbell: [120853]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what
assessment his Department has made of the effect on energy supplies of the estimated
numbers of electric and hybrid vehicles on UK roads by 2020.
Claire Perry:
We have regular discussions with all the key parties in the electricity systems –
including energy suppliers, network operators and National Grid – to ensure that they
are prepared for electric vehicle take up. We are also taking powers as part of the
Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill, announced in the Queen’s speech, which will
mean all chargepoints sold or installed in the UK will be ‘Smart’ enabled. Smart
charging has the potential to reduce the demands from electric vehicles by ensuring
their charging can flex to meet grid needs. Through their ‘Future Energy Scenarios’
work published on 13 July 2017, National Grid project that with smart charging the
additional peak demand caused by electric vehicles in GB could be reduced to 6GW
in 2050.
Northern Ireland Electricity Networks is responsible for the transmission and
distribution of electricity in Northern Ireland, and energy policy in Northern Ireland is
devolved.
Energy: Meters
Stephen Timms: [120439]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what
assessment he has made of the cyber security of smart meters; and if he will make a
statement.
Richard Harrington:
Security lies at the heart of smart metering systems and has been a key
consideration at every stage of system development. Robust security controls have
been developed and are independently reviewed regularly to ensure the systems
remain protected.
Requirements include the need to protect personal data, detect and prevent
unauthorised access and ensure a secure link is in place between the devices and
the wider communication network.
Industry: Cheltenham
Alex Chalk: [120521]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he
is taking to promote engagement with residents and businesses in Cheltenham
constituency on the industrial strategy in order to maximise the benefits of that strategy to
that local area.
Claire Perry:
The launch of the Green Paper, ‘Building our Industrial Strategy’, in January 2017,
commenced an extensive period of consultation, capturing feedback to inform the
development of the White Paper. Over 2,000 organisations from across the country
responded to the consultation, including a wide range of businesses, public sector
organisations and private individuals.
The White Paper set out the government’s approach to working with places to
maximise the benefits of the Industrial Strategy, based on the belief that the people
best placed to drive forward local economies are those who live, work and do
business in them. It included a variety of new opportunities for Local Enterprise
Partnerships to drive local economic growth. I am sure that GFirst, the LEP for
Gloucestershire, will be keen to build on the area’s cyber security strength with
Cheltenham home to GCHQ.
The White Paper also included proposals to work with local leaders to develop Local
Industrial Strategies, which will establish new ways of working between national
leaders in both the public and private sectors, harnessing their local insights to
develop clear, long-term strategies for future growth. Universities, colleges and other
local institutions will be key in this process.
Minimum Wage: Social Services
Catherine McKinnell: [120805]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what
assessment his Department has made of the effect of retrospective changes to the
guidance on the application of the national minimum wage to sleep-in shifts on care
workers in the learning disability sector; and if he will make a statement.
Margot James:
The legislation and policy regarding sleep-in shifts remains unchanged. However,
employment tribunal judgments have, over time, clarified the position on what
constitutes “work” in connection with sleeping time and therefore when the National
Minimum Wage is payable for sleep-in shifts. Government guidance issued in
February 2015 included clarification from those judgments. We are clear that
everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum or National Living Wage should
receive it.
The Government is exploring further options to minimise any impact on the sector as
a consequence of arrears arising from sleep-in shifts. Any intervention must be
proportionate and necessary, and it must satisfy EU state aid rules on government
support for private organisations. We are therefore engaging more widely with the
social care sector, including the learning disability sector, to strengthen the evidence
base.
Offshore Industry: North Sea
Rebecca Long Bailey: [120329]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate
he has made of the number of (a) shore-based maritime, (b) seafarer and (c) supply
chain jobs that will be created in the UK as a result of decommissioning activity in the
North Sea in each year until 2025.
Richard Harrington:
With increasing numbers of offshore oil and gas fields reaching the end of their
economic life, forecasts from industry estimate that the annual expenditure for
decommissioning over the next 5 years will be in the region of £1.7 to £2 billion. With
recent estimates from industry suggesting that decommissioning will represent
around 11 per cent of total expenditure on oil and gas for 2017, and the industry will
have provided over 300,000 jobs in total in the UK, decommissioning is already
supporting a significant number of UK jobs.
Rebecca Long Bailey: [120330]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he
is taking to ensure that National Minimum Wage rates are (a) applied and (b) enforced for
seafarers employed to work on oil and gas decommissioning projects on the UK
continental shelf.
Margot James:
The National Minimum Wage (Offshore Employment) Order 1999 applies the 1998
National Minimum Wage Act to offshore employment in the territorial waters of the
UK and the UK sector of the continental shelf.
The Government is clear that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage
(NMW) or National Living Wage (NLW) should receive it. HM Revenue and Customs
(HMRC) investigates every complaint it receives and workers can call the Advisory,
Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) Helpline (on 0300 123 1100) for
information and guidance about the NMW, or visit their website ( www.acas.org.uk ).
Furthermore, the Government has established the Legal Working Group on Seafarers
to improve the guidance on these matters, and to ensure seafarers are aware of their
rights.
Ryanair
Bill Esterson: [120988]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent
representations he has received on working conditions at Ryanair.
Margot James:
Ministers and officials across the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial
Strategy discuss and consider a wide range of business issues on a regular basis
and with many business and employee representative stakeholders.
This Government is clear that employers must take their employment law
responsibilities seriously and cannot simply opt out of them. Any worker who believes
that they are being treated unfairly should contact the Advisory Conciliation and
Arbitration Service (Acas) helpline on 0300 123 1100 for guidance.
Shipbuilding
Mr Paul Sweeney: [120247]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the
Government plans further to develop the National Shipbuilding Strategy to include
commercial as well as naval shipbuilding opportunities in the UK; and if he will make a
statement.
Claire Perry:
The shipbuilding industry is leading the Maritime Enterprise Working Group with
support of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Ministry
of Defence to develop an in-depth understanding of the opportunity for the wider UK
supply chain in the domestic and international markets in both commercial and naval.
Small Businesses: Conditions of Employment
Priti Patel: [120868]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent
assessment he has made of the effects of employment regulations on micro-businesses;
and if he will make a statement.
Margot James:
Government assesses all significant new employment regulation on all types of
businesses, including micro businesses, through undertaking impact assessments.
The Government commissioned Matthew Taylor to conduct an independent review
into modern working practices. The review was published in July 2017 and
highlighted the strengths of the UK’s flexible labour market relative to other countries.
However, the review also proposed new measures the Government should take to
improve outcomes for all those participating in the labour market. The Government
will respond shortly.
Tidal Lagoons Independent Review
Rebecca Long Bailey: [120331]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate
he has made of the cost to the public purse of the Hendry review.
Richard Harrington:
The Department’s revised estimate of the costs incurred by the Hendry Review,
excluding the salaries of seconded civil servants, is approximately £156,000.
Jo Stevens: [120487]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the
Government plans to publish its full response to the Hendry review.
Richard Harrington:
A Government response to the Hendry Review will be published in due course.
Tidal Power
Rebecca Long Bailey: [120339]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to
answer of 13 December to Question 118103, whether Tidal Range is classified as a less
established technology that is eligible to participate in auctions for additional contracts for
difference under the Control for Low Carbon Levies announced in Autumn Budget 2017.
Richard Harrington:
Tidal range has not been eligible to participate in Contract for Difference auctions due
to its particular characteristics, including: lack of cost data available and the site
specific nature of these technologies. The list of technologies that were eligible to
participate in the most recent auction for less established technologies was set out in
the answer I gave to Question 118103; tidal range did not fall within that list.
Working Hours: EU Law
Jo Stevens: [120486]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many
and what proportion of the full-time workforce choose to opt out of the Working Time
Directive.
Margot James:
The Department does not routinely collect comprehensive information about how
many workers opt-out of the 48 hour maximum working week.
However, the Department conducted a review of the impact of the Working Time
Regulations in 2014. The review reports roughly one third (32 per cent) of British
workplaces had at least one employee who had signed an opt-out agreement in
2011.
Labour Force Survey analysis shows that the proportion of employees usually
working over 48 hours a week has also declined over time. 13 per cent of all
employees worked over 48 hours a week in 2013, compared to 18 per cent in 1997.
More information can be found in the Department’s review of the impact of the
Working Time Regulations:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/389676
/bis-14-1287-the-impact-of-the-working-time-regulations-on-the-uk-labour-market-a-
review-of-evidence.pdf
CABINET OFFICE
Average Earnings
Chris Ruane: [120261]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the median real earnings were in each
region of the UK in each of the last 30 years.
Chris Skidmore:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority.
I have asked the Authority to reply.
Attachments:
1. UKSA Response [PQ 120261 UKSA .pdf]
Cabinet Office: Regulation
Priti Patel: [120870]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the title was of each set of regulations
introduced by his Department in each month since May 2010; which of those regulations
have been (a) subject to the (i) one in one out and (ii) one in two out procedure and (b) (i)
revoked and (ii) amended; and what the net cost to (A) the public purse; and (B) business
of those regulations is.
Priti Patel: [120901]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what processes his Department has put in
place to (a) monitor, (b) collate cost information on, (c) review and (d) respond to
requests to amend or revoke regulations introduced by his Department.
Chris Skidmore:
The changes to regulations affecting business during the 2010-15 Parliament are
recorded in Statements of New Regulation that were published every six months.
These are available on https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/one-in-two-out-
statement-of-new-regulation.
For the 2015-17 Parliament, the Government will shortly publish its final report on the
savings to business delivered during that Parliament.
For the current Parliament, the Government is committed to maintaining a
proportionate approach to regulation to enable business growth while maintaining
public protections. This will be monitored through the target that the Government is
required to set under the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015.
Cabinet Office: Staff
David Linden: [121001]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 December 2017
to Question 115711, on Cabinet Office: staff, when he plans for the Europe unit to be fully
staffed.
Chris Skidmore:
Following a recruitment campaign at the end of 2017, current vacancies within the
Europe Unit are expected to be filled shortly, depending on normal HR and security
clearance processes.
Cost of Living and Standard of Living
Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: [120546]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the timetable is for the harmonisation of
the surveys on Living Costs and on Living Conditions; what consultation will take place on
that harmonisation; and what the process will be for the formulation of questions for the
new harmonised survey.
Chris Skidmore:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority.
I have asked the Authority to reply.
Attachments:
1. UKSA Response [PQ120546 UKSA.pdf]
Elections: Visual Impairment
Cat Smith: [120968]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2017
to Question 118799, what changes he recommended for the Certificate of Visual
Impairment in England; and what obligations will be placed on electoral administrators as
a result of those changes.
Chris Skidmore:
Following discussions, including with the RNIB, I recommended widening the use of
the Certificate of Visual Impairment in England to support severely sight impaired
(blind) and sight impaired (partially sighted) people to participate in elections. There is
no change to the support electoral administrators are required to provide to blind and
partially sighted people within current statutory requirements but it increases the
opportunity for people to be made aware of the services on offer and promotes
communication of those services.
Electoral Register: Students
Andrew Gwynne: [121017]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to provide funds from the
public purse for programmes to encourage students to register to vote before the next
General Election.
Chris Skidmore:
The government recently published the Democratic Engagement Plan that set out
strategies for democratic engagement with under registered groups including
students. The Plan is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/every-voice-matters-building-a-
democracy-that-works-for-everyone
The Cabinet Office is continuing to work with the Electoral Commission, local
authorities, universities, colleges and other organisations to ensure citizens have
every chance to be registered. The Government is also working to enact the student
registration provisions of the Higher Education and Research Act (HERA) 2017,
which encourages Higher Education providers to share information with EROs’ in
order to encourage registration.
Attachments:
1. Democratic Engagement Strategy 2017 [Democratic Engagement Strategy 2017.PDF]
Government Departments: Flags
Patrick Grady: [118594]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which official UK Government buildings (a) in
the UK and (b) outside the UK fly the (i) UK flag and (ii) EU flag.
Chris Skidmore:
I refer the hon. Member to PQ118370.
This information is not centrally held and could be compiled only at disproportionate
cost.
Malnutrition
Jonathan Ashworth: [120850]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many patients were recording as having
died as a result of malnutrition in NHS hospitals in each of the last 10 years.
Chris Skidmore:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority.
I have asked the Authority to reply.
Attachments:
1. UKSA Response [PQ120850 UKSA.pdf]
Older Workers
Mr Gregory Campbell: [120255]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the change in numbers has been of
people aged 65 and over in (a) full-time and (b) part-time work over the last five years.
Chris Skidmore:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority.
I have asked the Authority to reply.
Attachments:
1. UKSA Response [PQ120255 UKSA .pdf]
Prescription Drugs: Death
Mr Gregory Campbell: [120861]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for how many deaths was consumption of an
excess of prescription drugs the primary cause between 2014 and 2017.
Chris Skidmore:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority.
I have asked the Authority to reply.
Attachments:
1. UKSA Response [PQ120861 UKSA.pdf]
Prostate Cancer: Mortality Rates
Mr Gregory Campbell: [120571]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what change there has been in survival rates
for men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the last ten years.
Chris Skidmore:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority.
I have asked the Authority to reply.
Attachments:
1. UKSA Response [PQ120571.pdf]
Public Sector: Billing
Bill Esterson: [120817]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2017
to Question 114740, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of public sector
buyers' published payment performance; and what estimate he has made of the
proportion of public sector buyers who are meeting the stated 30-day payment term.
Caroline Nokes:
Although their performance is not monitored routinely, public sector buyers are
required to publish their payment performance annually. Data published in 2015-16
shows that by the final quarter all major departments, apart from one (at 76%), were
meeting their 5 days target and that all departments were paying at least 96% of their
invoices within the 30 day target, with several departments achieving 100%.
Moreover, businesses can report poor payment practice and instances of late
payment, including late payment through the supply chain, in public sector contracts
to our Mystery Shopper service, which will then investigate
Returning Officers: Pay
Cat Smith: [121014]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will review the merits and value to the
public purse of additional payments or fees for Returning Officers at local and national
elections.
Chris Skidmore:
The returning officer is a statutorily independent officer who is entitled, by statute, to
recover payments for services rendered in administering national polls. The fee
reflects the additional duties placed on the returning officer alongside duties carried
out in their normal post. The fee also reflects the considerable responsibility a
returning officer has in administering an election as they are ultimately responsible
and liable to the courts for their actions and decisions.
We are already looking to review the funding of elections, following on from changes
to the funding process instituted in 2010, to seek to find efficiencies and improve
value for money and intend to consider payments to Returning Officers as part of that
process.
The Cabinet Office is not responsible for additional payments or fees made to
Returning Officers at local elections which are a matter for individual local authorities.
Young People: Gower
Tonia Antoniazzi: [120682]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many 18 to 25 year olds in Gower
constituency were recorded (a) in the latest census estimate and (b) on the electoral
register.
Chris Skidmore:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority.
I have asked the Authority to reply.
Attachments:
1. UKSA Response [PQ120682.pdf]
TREASURY
Children: Day Care
Mike Amesbury: [120414]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of
people likely to be detrimentally affected by the withdrawal of the childcare voucher
scheme and replacement of that scheme with the tax free childcare scheme.
Elizabeth Truss:
I refer the hon member to the answer I gave on 18 December 2017 to the Right Hon
Member for Sevenoaks (PQ118344).
Tracy Brabin: [120802]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reasons tax-free childcare is not
available for fostered children.
Tracy Brabin: [120803]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many text messages his Department has
sent to parents to remind them to re-enrol for the 30 hours of funded childcare scheme.
Elizabeth Truss:
On the 13th December 2017 HM Revenue and Customs issued 18,000 text message
reminders to those parents who needed to confirm their details before January to
continue receiving 30 hours free childcare.
Foster carers already receive funding for the care of their foster child from local
authorities.
Cider: Excise Duties
Norman Lamb: [120593]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the potential
effect of the new duty band for high-strength white cider on the number of alcohol-related
deaths.
Norman Lamb: [120594]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the potential
effect of the new duty band for high strength white cider on the number of alcohol-related
hospital admissions.
Stephen Barclay:
The government announced the creation of a new band for high strength ciders at
Autumn Budget 2017. However a decision has not yet been made on the duty rate to
be applied to products that fall within the band.
When making decisions on alcohol duty HM Treasury engages with interested
stakeholders, including public health organisations, to consider the impact of these
decisions.
Consumer Prices Index
Anna McMorrin: [120395]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessments his Department has made of
the implications for its policies in the increase of consumer prices since June 2016.
Stephen Barclay:
Inflation is expected to fall over the coming year, but the government recognises that
families are feeling a squeeze now.
The government is helping with the cost of living today by letting people keep more of
what they earn, raising the National Living Wage, freezing duty on fuel and alcohol,
and tackling housing costs.
Anna McMorrin: [120397]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of
the UK leaving the EU on the Consumer Prices Index rate of inflation.
Stephen Barclay:
In their November 2017 Economic and Fiscal Outlook, the OBR forecast that CPI
inflation would average 2.7% in 2017. This is above the Bank of England’s 2%
inflation target, as the past depreciation of sterling has pushed up import prices. The
OBR expect this effect to fade over 2018, so inflation is expected to fall back towards
the 2% target by the end of the year.
The government is helping with the cost of living today by letting people keep more of
what they earn, raising the National Living Wage, freezing duty on fuel and alcohol,
and tackling housing costs.
Cost of Living
Anna McMorrin: [120398]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessments his Department has made on
the potential effect on the cost of living of the UK leaving the EU.
Stephen Barclay:
As the Chancellor made clear in front of the Treasury Select Committee on
Wednesday 6 December, the department has undertaken a variety of analysis and
continues to do. The Treasury has modelled and analysed the impact of a wide range
of potential alternative structures between the EU and the UK. This analysis is
ongoing and continues to inform our negotiation position with the EU.
Crime: Alcoholic Drinks
Norman Lamb: [120595]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential
effect of the new duty band for high strength white cider on levels of alcohol-related
crimes.
Stephen Barclay:
The government announced the creation of a new band for high strength ciders at
Autumn Budget 2017. However a decision has not yet been made on the duty rate to
be applied to products that fall within the band.
When making decisions on alcohol duty HM Treasury engages with interested
stakeholders, including law enforcement organisations, to consider the impact of
these decisions.
Cryptocurrencies
Alex Sobel: [120432]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assesment he has made of the potential
risks to the UK economy and markets posed by Bitcoin and other digital currencies.
Stephen Barclay:
The independent Financial Policy Committee (FPC), established by the Government,
aims to ensure the UK financial system is resilient to, and prepared for, the wide
range of risks it could face — so that the system could support the real economy,
even in difficult conditions.
The Bank of England continues to monitor developments, and provided its latest
assessment of the risks to financial stability in the Financial Stability Report,
published in November 2017.
Customs Officers
Peter Dowd: [120262]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many customs agents there were in the UK
in each year since 2010.
Mel Stride:
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold information on the number of
customs agents in the UK. HMRC does not authorize customs agents and the role is
not defined in Customs legislation. Individuals and companies may appoint third
parties or intermediaries to act on their behalf to perform a range of services in the
international supply chain including freight forwarders and/or acting as a customs
representative and the term can be used to cover each of these services.
Land Use
Mr Paul Sweeney: [120248]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what changes to taxation and other fiscal policies
the Government plans to make to incentivise the productive regeneration and reuse of
vacant and derelict land in the UK.
Mel Stride:
The government is focusing on measures to address unused sites such as
incentivising the development of derelict land through Land Remediation Relief. Also,
to ensure that our brownfield and scarce urban land is used as efficiently as possible,
the government will consult on introducing policy changes to make it easier to convert
underused retail and employment land into housing.
Private Finance Initiative: Corporation Tax
Stella Creasy: [120238]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has conducted an impact
assessment on the changes to corporation tax rates between 2008 and 2020 on the tax
receipts predicted by the value for money assessments in private finance contracts.
Stephen Barclay:
Private finance contracts are assessed for Value for Money using the Green Book
before the contract is agreed. Any privately financed option will only be pursued if it is
value for money.
Private finance contracts are designed to pass on a number of risks to the private
sector, including the risk of a policy change in the corporation tax rates. The private
sector takes this risk for the duration of the contract and it is not reassessed once the
contract has been entered into.
Public Private Partnerships
Stella Creasy: [120243]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2017 to
Question 5727, on Department of Health: Private Finance Initiative, when the revised
value for money guidance on public private partnerships will be published.
Elizabeth Truss:
Public Private Partnerships should be assessed in line with The HM Treasury’s
Green Book, which is currently being revised and will be published in due course.
Public Sector Debt
Mr Gregory Campbell: [120573]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether Public Sector Net Debt is scheduled to
change in the way set out by the Office for Budget Responsibility in November 2015.
Stephen Barclay:
The Office for Budget Responsibility’s November 2015 debt forecasts have been
superseded by more recent forecasts.
The most up-to-date forecast for Public Sector Net Debt was published by the OBR at
the recent 2017 Autumn Budget. This forecast shows debt starting to fall next year,
and falling below 80% of GDP by 2021-22.
Royal Bank of Scotland: Closures
Ian Blackford: [121039]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of
the proposed closure of Royal Bank of Scotland branches on the ability of local business
to deposit and collect funds.
Ian Blackford: [121048]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of
the proposed Royal Bank of Scotland branch closures on (a) elderly, (b) disabled and (c)
vulnerable people who are unable to use online banking services.
Stephen Barclay:
The industry’s Access to Banking Standard, launched in May 2017, commits banks to
ensure personal and business customers are better informed about branch closures
and the reasons for them closing, along with the options they have locally to continue
to access banking services, including specialist assistance for customers who need
more help. The Access to Banking Standard is monitored and enforced by the
independent Lending Standards Board.
99% of banks’ personal and 95% of banks’ business customers are now able to
withdraw cash, deposit cash and cheques, and make balance enquiries at a Post
Office counter via its network of 11,600 branches. At Autumn Budget 2017, I wrote to
the Post Office and UK Finance to ask them to raise public awareness of the banking
services available at the Post Office for individuals and SMEs.
The Government will have provided nearly £2 billion during the period 2011 to 2018
to maintain and modernise the Post Office network. In December 2018, the
Government announced an additional £370 million of funding for the period 2018-
2021.
Stamp Duty Land Tax
Catherine McKinnell: [120804]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the
level of abuse of the market-making exemption in relation to stamp duty.
Mel Stride:
All aspects of Stamp Duty Reserve Tax are monitored by HMRC and action is taken
where necessary to prevent or counter non-compliance.
Intermediary relief was introduced in 1997 to safeguard liquidity and market making in
the London equity market. Without the relief, market activity would fall and the chains
of transactions between an ultimate seller and buyer would be subject to
unsustainably high effective tax rates.
Sterling: Exchange Rates
Anna McMorrin: [120394]
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessments his Department has made of
the implication for its policies of the devaluation of sterling since June 2016.
Stephen Barclay:
The government does not express a view on the level of the exchange rate. The
value of sterling adjusts flexibly in response to economic conditions and market
forces. The Monetary Policy Committee independently sets monetary policy,
including interest rates, to achieve the objective of price stability, currently defined as
an inflation target of 2 per cent.
The government will continue to monitor economic developments closely, while at the
same time taking steps to promote economic growth and support individuals and
businesses.
COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Building Regulations: Disability
Jo Swinson: [120225]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when the
Government plans to publish its response to the recommendations made by the Women
and Equalities Committee in its report, Building for Equality: Disability and the Built
Environment, HC 631, published on 25 April 2017; and if he will make a statement.
Alok Sharma:
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to the Hon Member for Oxford West and
Abingdon on 9 November 2017 (reference 110830).
Department for Communities and Local Government: EU Law
Priti Patel: [120918]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which EU (a)
Directives, (b) Regulations and (c) other legislation affecting his Department he is
planning to propose the (i) revocation and (ii) amendment of after the UK leaves the EU.
Jake Berry:
The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will retain EU law as it applies in the UK on exit
day.
We expect between 800 and 1000 statutory instruments will be required across
Government to correct this retained EU law to ensure the statute book functions
appropriately outside the EU. All Departments are engaged in this process.
Once we leave the EU, we will make our own laws. As we leave the EU, the
Government’s EU exit legislative programme is designed to cater for the full range of
negotiated and non-negotiated outcomes.
Department for Communities and Local Government: Regulation
Priti Patel: [120890]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the title was
of each set of regulations introduced by his Department in each month since May 2010;
which of those regulations have been (a) subject to the (i) one in one out and (ii) one in
two out procedure and (b) (i) revoked and (ii) amended; and what the net cost to (A) the
public purse; and (B) business of those regulations is.
Priti Patel: [120977]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what processes
his Department has put in place to (a) monitor, (b) collate cost information on, (c) review
and (d) respond to requests to amend or revoke regulations introduced by his
Department.
Jake Berry:
The changes to regulations affecting business during the 2010-15 Parliament are
recorded in Statements of New Regulation that were published every six months.
These are available on https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/one-in-two-out-
statement-of-new-regulation.
For the 2015-17 Parliament, the Government will shortly publish its final report on the
savings to business delivered during that Parliament.
For the current Parliament, the Government is committed to maintaining a
proportionate approach to regulation to enable business growth while maintaining
public protections. This will be monitored through the target that the Government is
required to set under the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015.
Leasehold
Mike Amesbury: [121063]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the
Ministerial statement HCWS384 on 21 December 2017 on commonhold and leasehold
reform, what plans he has to provide local authorities with the additional resources
necessary to enable trading standards to provide leaseholders with comprehensive
information on the various routes to redress.
Alok Sharma:
We are in discussions with Trading Standards and the Leasehold Advisory Service
on the process for providing leaseholders with comprehensive information on routes
to redress and will provide more details shortly.
Persimmon Homes: Pay
Mr Clive Betts: [120372]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an
assessment of the implications for (a) his policies on and (b) Government funding for help
to buy of the level of the bonus awarded by Persimmons to its Chief Executive in
December 2017; and if he will make a statement.
Alok Sharma:
Under this Government, new house building starts and first time buyers are at their
highest levels for nine years. The annual number of new homes started has doubled
from the level Labour left behind and there are 120,000 more First Time Buyers a
year. The Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme has played an important role by helping
134,000 households buy their own home since 2013 and approximately 80 per cent
of these were first time buyers. The scheme does not provide a subsidy to house
builders but offers a repayable loan to buyers of new homes.
In 2016 Help to Buy sales made up only 3 per cent of total house sales and an
independent evaluation found no evidence to suggest the scheme has driven up
house prices. We want to see builders investing in growing supply and have
committed to work with the sector to consider the future of the scheme beyond 2021.
Public Houses
Andrew Gwynne: [120655]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information
his Department holds on the number of pubs in operation in England.
Jake Berry:
My Department supports the community ownership of pubs through the £3.62 million
More Than A Pub Programme which is jointly funded with Power to Change, the
independent trust supporting community businesses in England.
This programme provides bespoke advice and support plus grants and loans to
community groups who wish to take ownership of a pub. Power to Change is
currently considering an extension to the programme beyond March 2018. The
Government has also created a community pubs loan fund, which will continue to be
available to community pubs until 2025.
My Department does not collect or hold information on the number of pubs in
operation in England.
DEFENCE
Armed Forces
Diana Johnson: [120792]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with Cabinet
colleagues on the recommendations of the Royal British Legion and Poppyscotland's
2017 Manifesto for the armed forces.
Mr Tobias Ellwood:
Last year's Armed Forces Covenant Annual Report to Parliament, published on 18
December 2017, sets out the progress made and future intent across Government
and in the Devolved Administrations towards a number of key goals in the Royal
British Legion's Manifesto. These include: confirmation from the Office of National
Statistics that they will recommend the inclusion of a veterans' marker in the 2021
census; an independent review of the Covenant in Business in 2018 to identify and
share best practice, and an intention to consult on statutory guidance for local
authorities regarding housing support for divorced and separated spouses of Service
personnel.
Defence Ministers were pleased to meet with the Director General of the Royal British
Legion, Charles Byrne, in November 2017, and will continue to drive the Covenant
agenda forward across Government via the Ministerial Covenant and Veterans Board
this Year.
Chris Ruane: [121089]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the
adequacy of the fire on the move capabilities of the Armed Forces.
Harriett Baldwin:
The Army regularly reviews its capabilities in order to assess its future requirements.
Its Fire on the Move capability is provided by the world leading Challenger 2 Main
Battle Tank for which a range of further upgrades are currently being assessed. In
addition to Challenger 2, the introduction of the AJAX vehicle and the Government's
upgrade plans for the Warrior Armoured Fighting vehicle will also improve the Army's
Fire on the Move capabilities and ensure they remain amongst the best available to
any Army.
Armed Forces Day: Northern Ireland
Mr Gregory Campbell: [120570]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans are in place for Regional Armed
Forces' Day events in Northern Ireland in 2018.
Mr Tobias Ellwood:
Armed Forces Day events provide opportunities for the nation to show their support
for the Armed Forces. These events are community-led and can come in many
different forms, from the national event through to local events organised by councils,
ex-service organisations, community groups and schools. These events can be
followed on Twitter using #SaluteOurForces.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not directly support specific Armed Forces
events; other than the national event which will be held in Llandudno, in North Wales,
on Saturday 30 June 2018. We do invite local authorities and community
organisations to consider hosting an event and to apply for funding from the MOD.
To date, in Northern Ireland, Coleraine has registered on the dedicated Armed
Forces Day website that it will be holding an event including a Drum Head Service
and parade. Registration opened at the end of November and, based on the very
many successful events of previous years, we anticipate that over 200 events will be
registered. As events are registered by their organisers, they will be published on the
Armed Forces Day website: www.armedforcesday.org.uk.
Armed Forces: Redundancy
Johnny Mercer: [120799]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel who were made
redundant between 2010 and 2016 were within (a) one year, (b) two years, (c) three
years and (d) four years of their immediate pension point; and how many of each
category were (i) officers and (ii) enlisted personnel.
Mr Tobias Ellwood:
The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate
cost.
Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Procurement
Nick Smith: [120788]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2017
to Question 118755, whether his Department is considering both competition and a sole
source option for the Prime Contract in the assessment phase for the procurement of the
Mechanised Infantry Vehicle.
Harriett Baldwin:
No decisions have been taken on the acquisition strategy for the Mechanised Infantry
Vehicle.
Army Apprentice College Harrogate
Liz Saville Roberts: [120928]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many recruits training at AFC Harrogate
completed an apprenticeship in each of the past five years; and how many of those
apprenticeships were apprenticeships in Public Services.
Liz Saville Roberts: [120930]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many recruits have (a) completed a
BTEC course or (b) re-sat English or maths GCSES at AFC Harrogate in each of the past
two years.
Mark Lancaster:
AFC Harrogate (AFC(H)) does not offer a full BTEC course due to the lack of time
available within the syllabus; instead it offers modules of a Public Services Elements
(BTEC) certificate which is matched to an individual junior soldier’s need, depending
on their educational attainment to date.
Rather than offering GCSE re-sits, AFC(H) focuses on the delivery of functional skills
training and qualifications, including Functional Skills Levels 1 and 2 in English,
mathematics and ICT. These vocational qualifications are career focused and are
also recognised by civilian employers. They give junior soldiers the best opportunity
to progress in their career, and are therefore more relevant to advancing their social
mobility. A high percentage of those who have entered through Junior Entry, and
choose to remain in service, will be promoted through the ranks, to become Non
Commissioned Officers and Warrant Officers in the British Army after gaining these
functional skills.
All junior soldiers at AFC (H) are enrolled onto the Army apprenticeship, which is then
transferred to a trade-related apprenticeship when they commence initial trade
training, following graduation from AFC(H). To provide a detailed breakdown of
achievement in apprenticeships specific to AFC(H) is not possible, as this information
is not held in the required format and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Whilst the Army tracks apprenticeship achievements for all of its personnel, it does
not monitor this against their points of entry, as this is not required in order to meet its
business needs.
Liz Saville Roberts: [120929]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the maximum training capacity is of AFC
Harrogate; and how many of those places were filled at the September 2017 intake.
Liz Saville Roberts: [120932]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many recruits began Phase 1 training at
AFC Harrogate in each intake for the past three years.
Mark Lancaster:
The number of Junior Entry Entrants arriving at Army Foundation College Harrogate
(AFC (H)) in Training Year’s 2014-2015, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 is shown below.
AFC (H) INTAKE TRAINING YEAR
2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017
1,330 1,370 1,410
The maximum number of spaces available at AFC (H) is 1,632 Junior Soldiers per
training year. This is made up of one Junior Entry (Long) and two Junior Entry (Short)
courses.
The number of Junior Entry Entrants arriving at Army Foundation College Harrogate
in Training Year 2017-18 to date is 900.
Notes:
For presentation purpose, intake figures have been rounded to 10. Rounding is
necessary, as a means of disclosure control and the preservation of anonymity; it
also improves the clarity of output and conveys an appropriate level of precision to
users.
These figures are single service estimates only and are not official statistics produced
by Defence Statistics.
The intake figure for Training Year 2017-18 is comprised of Junior Entry Entrants
arriving in September and October 2017. Around 270 entrants started in September
and around 630 started in October. Intake is normally split between these two
months. The next intake for this Training Year is due to start March 2018.
AFC (H) has a total number of 1,344 bed spaces available at any one time; however,
running two Junior Entry (Short) courses per year allows AFC (H) to have the
maximum capacity of 1,632 stated above.
Army: Recruitment
Toby Perkins: [120396]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people were recruited for the British
Army from each (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) local authority area in each year
since 2000.
Toby Perkins: [120403]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people were recruited into the
Royal Air Force from each (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) local authority area in
each year from 2000 to 2017.
Mark Lancaster:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him to Question 120400 on 22
December 2017.
Attachments:
1. 120400 - Navy Recruitment [20171222_WQnA_extract_on_Navy_Recruitment.docx]
Army: Rifles
Mr Kevan Jones: [120728]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which British Army units have received
upgraded SA80 L85A3 rifles; and how many of those weapons have been produced for
his Department to date.
Harriett Baldwin:
As of 3 January 2018, 364 SA80 L85 A3 weapon systems have been delivered to the
Army. They are currently held by the Small Arms School Corps, and the Infantry
Trials and Development Unit.
Army: Young People
Liz Saville Roberts: [120931]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Army’s review of Junior Entry will be
completed; and if he will place a copy of that review when completed in the Library.
Mark Lancaster:
Work continues on the Army's Junior Entry Review. As is usual, publication will be
considered as part of the presentation the Review, and its findings, to Ministers.
Cluster Munitions: Military Bases
Alex Sobel: [120582]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information he holds on whether cluster
bombs are held on US bases in the UK.
Mark Lancaster:
Cluster munitions are not held on United States Visiting Forces bases in the UK.
HMS Queen Elizabeth
Catherine West: [120557]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions has he had with BAE
Systems about the leak on HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Catherine West: [120565]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with
representatives of BAE Systems since the discovery of the leak in the HMS Queen
Elizabeth.
Harriett Baldwin:
Ministry of Defence Ministers and officials hold regular meetings with defence
contractors and suppliers, including BAE Systems and the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, to
discuss a variety of subjects.
Members: Correspondence
Toby Perkins: [120428]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November to
Question 114677 on Army resignations, when he expects to provide the answer to that
question.
Mark Lancaster:
The number of personnel who have left each Army Arm/Corps between 1 January
2017 to 30 September 2017 is shown below.
These figures are for trained and untrained strength and therefore include those
recruits who failed to complete Phase 1 training.
ARM/SERVICE REGULARS ARMY FUTURE RESERVES 20
Staff 60 10
Household Cavalry/ Royal
Armoured Corps
520 150
Royal Regiment of Artillery 590 140
Corps of Royal Engineers 690 200
ARM/SERVICE REGULARS ARMY FUTURE RESERVES 20
Royal Corps of Signals 530 140
Infantry 2,570 670
Army Air Corps 120 20
Royal Army Chaplains'
Department
- -
Royal Logistic Corps 930 470
Royal Army Medical Corps 220 210
Corps of Royal Electrical and
Mechanical Engineers
680 280
Adjutant General's Corps 340 100
Royal Army Veterinary Corps 30 10
Small Arms School Corps 10 -
Royal Army Dental Corps 10 -
Intelligence Corps 110 100
Royal Army Physical Training
Corps
30 -
Queen Alexandra's Royal
Army Nursing Corps
70 60
Corps of Army Music 30 -
Senior Soldier Continuity Posts 20 -
General Service Corps/
General List
40 10
Officer Training Corps - 10
Notes:
Those figures marked ‘Regulars’ includes personnel who left Regular, Gurkha’s, Full
Time Reserve Service Full Commitment ( FTRS (FC)) (excluding Lead First).
Those figures marked ‘Army Future Reserves 20’ include volunteer reserves who are
mobilised, High Readiness Reserves and those volunteer reserves serving on Full
Time Reserve Service and Additional Duties Commitment. Sponsored Reserves who
provide a more cost effective solution than volunteer reserve are also included.
Personnel who transferred between the Regular, Gurkha’s and FTRS (FC)
populations and FR20 populations are included in the outflow figures.
Personnel who transfer between Arm/Corps are not included.
Figures are for both untrained and trained strength.
All Officers of Paid Rank Colonel and above are included in Staff, regardless of late
Arm/Service.
Regular officers (excluding Professionally Qualified Officers) join the Army as Officer
Cadets in the General Service Corps. Regular soldiers are recruited into a specific
Arms/Corps upon entry to Phase 1 training; however they are not officially allocated
to an Arm/Service until after completion of Phase 1 training.
For presentation purpose, figures have been rounded to 10; numbers ending in "5"
have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.
“-” denotes zero or rounded to zero.
Military Exercises
Nia Griffith: [120273]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, (a) when and (b) for what reasons the decision
was taken to cancel (i) Exercise Black Horse, (ii) Exercise Curry Trail, (iii) Exercise
Orange Marauder, (iv) Exercise Southwest Sword and (v) Commando Strike.
Mark Lancaster:
During 2017, as part of normal military prioritisation, the decision was taken not to
conduct these exercises.
Ministry of Defence: Christmas
Mr Kevan Jones: [120482]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2017
to Question 119078, who paid for that Christmas drinks reception held at his Department.
Gavin Williamson:
This was a private event; there was no cost to the public purse.
Ministry of Defence: Official Hospitality
Mr Kevan Jones: [120483]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2017
to Question 119078, what his Department's policy is on the holding of party political
events in (a) his Department's main building and (b) other departmental property.
Gavin Williamson:
The Department follows the guidance set out in the Ministerial Code of Conduct
where particular exception is allowed with regard to personal events with no expense
to the public purse.
RAF Volunteer Reserve
Mrs Madeleine Moon: [120752]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2017
to Question 116991, how many members of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force qualified for
their bounty in the years (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14, (c) 2014-15 and (d) 2015-16; and if he
will make a statement.
Mark Lancaster:
The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate
cost.
Mrs Madeleine Moon: [120761]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average size in terms of personnel is
of a Royal Auxiliary Air Force Squadron.
Mark Lancaster:
Royal Auxiliary Air Force Squadrons can vary considerably in size from as little as 40
on the specialist media squadron to 250 on the movements support squadron at
Brize Norton and therefore an average figure would be misrepresentative.
Mrs Madeleine Moon: [120764]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Reserve Service Days were
undertaken by the Royal Auxiliary Air Force in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14, (c) 2014-15, (d)
2015-2016 and (e) 2016-2017.
Mark Lancaster:
For the Financial Years up to and including 2014-15 the information is not held
centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
For Financial Year 2015-16 the total Royal Auxiliary Air Force Reserve Service Days
was 66,470.
For Financial Year 2016-17 the total Royal Auxiliary Air Force Reserve Service Days
was 67,030.
Rosyth Dockyard: Materials Handling Equipment
Mr Paul Sweeney: [120259]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the current status of the MOD-owned
Goliath heavy lift crane at Rosyth is; what estimate he has made of its net disposal value;
and what assessment he has made of its potential use in future naval shipbuilding
programmes.
Harriett Baldwin:
Options for the disposal of the Goliath crane are under consideration but no decisions
have been taken.
Royal Auxiliary Air Force: Pay
Mrs Madeleine Moon: [120763]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average amount of days required for
a Royal Auxiliary Air Force Reservist to serve each year is to qualify for their annual
bounty.
Mark Lancaster:
The majority of RAF Auxiliary (RAuxAF) personnel must serve a minimum of 27 days
per year in order to be eligible for an annual bounty payment. However, ex-Regulars
who join the RAuxAF within five years of retiring from Regular Service need only
complete 15 days. It is possible to qualify for a reduced bounty if the Service person
has joined mid-way through a training year (April to March) by undertaking a reduced
commitment.
Syria: Military Intervention
David Linden: [120695]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the
number of civilian casualties in Syria as a result of UK air strikes.
Mark Lancaster:
In carrying out airstrikes, expert analysts routinely examine data from every UK strike
to assess its effect, and we do everything we can to minimise the risk of civilian
casualties through rigorous targeting processes and the professionalism of the RAF
crews. We co-operate fully with NGOs such as Airwars, who provide evidence they
gather of civilian casualties. After detailed work on each case, we have been able to
discount RAF involvement in any civilian casualties as a result of any of the strikes
that have been brought to our attention.
Veterans: Scotland
Stephen Gethins: [120690]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will give the Scottish Government
Minister with responsibility for veterans a seat on the Ministerial Armed Forces and
Veteran’s Board.
Mr Tobias Ellwood:
The new Ministerial Armed Forces Covenant and Veterans Board will drive forward
and coordinate better Government support to the Armed Forces, their families and
veterans across the whole of the UK. The devolved administrations play an important
role in providing this support, which is why representatives from the Scottish
Government and Welsh Government, and the Northern Ireland Civil Service, were
invited to the inaugural meeting of the Board in October 2017. Following discussions
at that meeting, the Government is considering the best arrangements for future
meetings.
Warrior Armoured Vehicle
Chris Ruane: [121090]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) the original planned and the (b)
revised date for the delivery of warrior capability sustainment programme is.
Harriett Baldwin:
The expected in-service date at approval was November 2018. The forecast in-
service date as reported in the Defence Equipment Plan 2016 was July 2020. The
Defence Equipment Plan 2017 is due to be published shortly.
DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Charities: Young People
Dan Jarvis: [120969]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the
Answer of 11 December 2017 to Question 117774, whether the youth full-time social
action review's report and recommendations will be published in advance of the
Government's response to those recommendations.
Tracey Crouch:
The Chair of the review was recently granted an extension by one month, and will
make recommendations to government by the end of January 2018. Timing and
format of publication is to be agreed with the Chair.
Charity Commission: Public Appointments
Mr Steve Reed: [120754]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she expects
a new Charity Commission chair to be appointed before the current chair's role ends on
31 January 2018.
Mr Steve Reed: [120755]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reasons a
new Charity Commission chair has not yet been announced.
Mr Steve Reed: [120758]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many candidates
have been interviewed for the role of Charity Commission chair.
Tracey Crouch:
Interviews for the role of Charity Commission chair concluded in November and an
announcement is expected in due course. The recruitment process is following the
Cabinet Office Governance Code for Public Appointments, including its principles of
fairness, merit and openness. Six candidates were interviewed for the role
Sanitary Protection: VAT
Diana Johnson: [120795]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reasons her
Department's Tampon Tax Fund project summary dated 30 March 2017 states that the
£250,000 allocated to Live Charity will be used to provide counselling.
Tracey Crouch:
The project summaries from March 2017 were taken from original applications to the
Tampon Tax Fund. Between March 2017 and grant awards being finalised, projects
were refined and final project activities agreed.
Life Charity has been awarded £247,000 from the Tampon Tax Fund for a project
that supports vulnerable, homeless or at risk women who are pregnant and have
nowhere to turn. Life will not be able to use the Tampon Tax grant to fund its
counselling service that considers decisions regarding pregnancy related pressures,
in particular an unplanned pregnancy, or its 'Life Matters Education Service' and is
prohibited from spending the money on any publicity or promotion.
The grant is for a specific service in west London that aims to support vulnerable,
homeless or at risk pregnant women (who have already decided to keep their babies)
and mothers. Activities include training for staff and volunteers in skilled listening.
Those trained will be better able to support pregnant women and mothers in
preparing for and coping with motherhood. All payments will be made in arrears and
on receipt of a detailed monitoring report.
Technology: Industry
Danielle Rowley: [903087]
What recent assessment she has made of the potential effect on the digital and tech
industries of the UK leaving the EU.
Matt Hancock:
The UK digital sector currently is worth over £116 billion a year. Ensuring the sector
remains strong and at the forefront of innovation is a priority for us. We published the
UK Digital Strategyin March 2017, with further investment of over £500m into
emerging tech announced in the November 2017 Budget and Industrial Strategy.
These put in place the conditions for the UK’s digital sectors to remain world-leading,
while also ensuring that the benefits of digital are felt by every business and every
individual across the country.
The UK will remain open for business, and will strengthen trading ties with both
Europe and the rest of the world.
Television: Licensing
Mr Gregory Campbell: [120569]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what savings will
accrue to the public purse on account of the BBC bearing the cost of free licensing for
people aged over 75 for each of the next five years.
Matt Hancock:
I refer the Honorable Member to the response to PQ HL4001. The BBC will take on
the policy responsibility for the concession from 1 June 2020.
Tickets: Sales
Mrs Sharon Hodgson: [116211]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will list the (a)
people and (b) organisations who contributed to informal consultation on implementation
of Section 106 of the Digital Economy Act 2017.
Matt Hancock:
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills undertook an informal
consultation on the implementation of both S.105 and S.106 of the Digital Economy
Act 2017 in August and September 2017. The consultation was sent to over a
hundred individuals, organisations and businesses with an interest in the event
ticketing market, including cultural and sporting event organisers, consumer groups
and primary and secondary ticketing agencies. Most respondents restricted their
comments to S.105 issues but the following organisations and individuals responded
on the implementation of S.106:
FanFair Alliance,
Music Managers Forum,
Association of Independent Festivals,
Society of Ticket Agents & Retailers (STAR),
Royal Shakespeare Company,
Union des Associations Europeennes de Football (UEFA),
CreativeArtistsAgency UK Ltd,
Society of London Theatre (SOLT),
ebay,
Professor Waterson.
Young People: EU Grants and Loans
Catherine West: [120452]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many youth
projects are in receipt of EU funding.
Tracey Crouch:
The Department does not hold this information. There are many EU funding streams
which organisations coordinating youth projects can bid into, including Erasmus Plus
Youth.
EDUCATION
Carers: Finance
Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: [120361]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to
local authorities on levels of financial support for kinship carers; and whether that
guidance sets out how those amounts differ (a) depending on the amount of children a
person has in kinship care and (b) if a person has their own children at home.
Mr Robert Goodwill:
The government issued statutory guidance in 2011 for local authorities about
supporting family and friends providing care for children who cannot live with their
parents. The guidance makes it clear that children and young people should receive
the support that they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare. It
explains that support, including financial support, can be provided under section 17 of
the Children Act 1989. There is no limit on the level of support, including financial
support, that local authorities can provide. The guidance does not specifically
address the issue of supporting more than one child or where the family have their
own children. However, these factors will be taken into account in the assessment of
need of the family. The local authority should have in place clear eligibility criteria in
relation to the provision of support services including financial support.
Children in Care: West Midlands
Mr Jim Cunningham: [120334]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of
the number of children taken into care in the West Midlands in each of the last five years.
Mr Robert Goodwill:
The number of children who started to be looked after, and who were taken into care
in the West Midlands is given in the attached table.
Attachments:
1. Children taken into care 2013-2017 [120334 - Children who started to be looked after
and those who were taken into care - 201217.docx]
Children: Day Care
Thangam Debbonaire: [120517]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate her Department has
made of the contribution of the childcare industry to the UK economy.
Mr Robert Goodwill:
By 2019-20, the department will be spending around £6 billion on childcare support –
a record amount. We have not recently undertaken an economic assessment of the
contribution of the industry to the UK economy.
Children: Protection
Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: [120490]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she next plans to update the
publication entitled Keeping Children Safe in Education.
Mr Robert Goodwill:
We are currently consulting on proposals to update the statutory guidance Keeping
Children Safe in Education from September 2018. The consultation opened on 14
December 2017 and closes on 22 February 2018.
We plan to publish the revised guidance, for information, early in the summer term
2018. This will give schools and colleges adequate time to review their policies and
procedures and make any changes necessary to meet the requirements before the
guidance comes into force in September 2018.
The hon. Member may wish to be aware that we have also published separate advice
on sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges.
This defines what sexual violence and sexual harassment is, how to minimise the
risks of it happening and how to manage reports of incidents. The consultation on
Keeping Children Safe in Education seeks views both on this advice and on the
extent to which it should be reflected in the statutory guidance.
Department for Education: Travel
Andrew Gwynne: [121025]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department has spent on (a)
taxis, (b) first class train tickets and (c) business class air travel in each of the last four
years.
Mr Robert Goodwill:
The table below sets out the total spend by the Department for Education in each of
the last four years in respect of (a) taxis, (b) first class train tickets and (c) business
class air travel.
SPEND IN £
Financial Year Taxis* First class train tickets Business class air
travel
2016-17 110,163 52,863 21,095
2015-16 124,916 48,277 11,692
SPEND IN £
2014-15 142,741 77,930 26,793
2013-14 81,112 68,187 32,977
*figure for taxis is drawn from the department’s expenses system. There may be
expenditure for taxis through other routes but the information is not readily available
and could only be compiled at a disproportionate cost.
Education Funding Agency: Buildings
Stephen Timms: [120436]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answers of 15
September 2016 to Question 45976 and of 29 March 2017 to Question 68740, on
Education Funding Agency: buildings, what steps her Department has taken to determine
the future use of the former East Ham police station.
Stephen Timms: [120437]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 19 October
2016 to Question 48231, what was the purchase price for the former East Ham police
station on 4 February 2014; and how much money has since been spent on that building
and other buildings on the site.
Mr Robert Goodwill:
The department has acquired the former East Ham Police Station to become a free
school and we are working with the City of London Academies Trust to consider its
suitability for one of their schools. The purchase of East Ham Former Police Station
was completed on 4 February 2014 and the purchase price was £3,350,000. The
department approved £599,470 for works to the former East Ham Police Station, of
which £476,947 was for the demolition of the accommodation building at the rear of
the site, and the remainder was used for essential maintenance works to the Grade II
listed building to ensure it was safe.
Free School Meals: Coventry South
Mr Jim Cunningham: [120601]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number
of primary school children who are eligible for free school meals in Coventry South
constituency.
Mr Robert Goodwill:
The information is published in the underlying data: SFR28/2017 of the annual
‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ statistical release.
www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-
2017.
Music: Education
Kerry McCarthy: [120514]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to review the National Plan
for Music Education.
Nick Gibb:
The National Plan for Music Education sets out a vision for music education that
gives children from all backgrounds and every part of England the opportunity to
learn a musical instrument; to make music with others; to learn to sing; and to have
the opportunity to progress. The Department continues to have regular meetings with
music teachers to discuss aspects of the National Plan for Music Education. The
current plan runs until 2020 and any proposals for a review or extension of the Plan
will be announced in 2018.
Pupils: Sanitary Protection
David Linden: [120630]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2017 to
Question 5159, if she will conduct an assessment on the effect of period poverty on
young women and girls in schools.
Mr Robert Goodwill:
The Department for Education collects information on absences through the termly
school census. The department collects data on the number of possible sessions,
number of authorised absences, number of unauthorised absences and the reason
for absence for each pupil. The reasons for absence do not include a category which
would enable sessions missed due to a lack of access to menstrual products to be
identified. Full details of the absence data we collect in the school census can be
found in the census guidance here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-census.
The department has sought to establish whether there has been any rigorous
national assessment of the prevalence of period poverty or its impact on attendance,
however none appears available. We reached out to school stakeholders in July 2017
through the Association of School and College Leaders forum asking for contributions
on the issue and have received a very limited response. The department is producing
additional analysis of the absence of data in order to look for evidence of period
poverty and will publish findings in due course.
Julie Elliott: [120706]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number
of children who are routinely missing school because they are unable to afford menstrual
products.
Julie Elliott: [120707]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will bring forward proposals to provide
free menstrual products to children on free school meals.
Mr Robert Goodwill:
No girl should be held back from reaching her potential because of her background or
gender. Our current Sex and Relationships Education guidance encourages schools
to make adequate and sensitive arrangements to help girls cope with menstruation.
Schools are best placed to identify and address the needs of their pupils, have
discretion over how they use their funding and can make sanitary products available
to disadvantaged pupils if they identify this as a barrier to attainment or attendance.
We support schools in addressing the needs of disadvantaged pupils through the
provision of the Pupil Premium, equivalent to almost £2.5bn of additional funding this
year alone.
The department is committed to ensuring that any policy aimed at improving the
attendance or attainment of pupils eligible for free school meals is based on robust
evidence. We have sought to establish whether there has been any rigorous national
assessment of the prevalence of period poverty or its impact on attendance, however
none appears available. The department reached out to school stakeholders in July
2017 through the Association of School and College Leaders forum asking for
contributions on the issue and have received a very limited response.
The department collects information on absence through the termly school census.
We collect data on the number of possible sessions, number of authorised absences,
number of unauthorised absences and the reason for absence for each pupil. The
reasons for absence do not include a category, which would enable sessions missed
due to a lack of access to menstrual products to be identified. The method of data
collection does not enable us to identify pupils who are routinely missing school as
we collect information on the total sessions missed each term. Full details of the
absence data we collect in school census can be found in the census guidance here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-census . We are producing additional analysis of
our absence data to look for evidence of period poverty and will publish findings in
due course.
We have made it a priority to reduce school absence for all pupils and there has been
some notable success in this area, with overall yearly absence rates decreasing from
6.5% of possible sessions missed in 2006/7 to 4.6% in 2015/16.
Tulip Siddiq: [120772]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2017 to
Question 82, what support the Government provides to schools to assist them to make
adequate and sensitive arrangements to help girls cope with menstruation.
Mr Robert Goodwill:
The government provides guidance on Sex and Relationship Education which
outlines how and when schools can prepare girls and boys for puberty and
menstruation. The year 5 programme of study also provides guidance to schools on
how puberty should be covered in the Science curriculum. Schools and teachers
should decide what to teach based on their pupils’ needs and, where appropriate,
seek the support of specialist organisations and expert professionals. The Personal,
Social and Health Education (PSHE) association supports schools by providing
materials for teaching girls and boys about puberty and menstruation for children
aged 8-11 and 11-12.
The government is in the process of making Relationships Education in primary
schools and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) in secondary schools
mandatory and is considering expanding this to PSHE. We have launched a call for
evidence to gather the views of teachers, parents, and most importantly, young
people to help us shape relationships education and RSE and determine priorities for
future guidance. This was launched on 19 December 2017 and closes on 12
February 2018: https://consult.education.gov.uk/life-skills/pshe-rse-call-for-evidence.
Schools are best placed to identify and address the needs of their pupils, have
discretion over how they use their funding and can make sanitary products available
to disadvantaged pupils if they identify this as a barrier to attainment or attendance.
We support schools in addressing the needs of disadvantaged pupils through the
provision of the Pupil Premium, equivalent to almost £2.5 billion of additional funding
this year alone.
Tulip Siddiq: [120773]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.8 of the Sex
and Relationship Education Guidelines, what is meant by the phrase make adequate and
sensitive arrangements to help girls cope with menstruation; and whether the intention of
that phrase extends to schools acting to provide girls with free sanitary products.
Mr Robert Goodwill:
The government is clear that all young people deserve the opportunity of a rounded
education that equips them with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need for
adult life in modern Britain. Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) guidance thus
encourages schools to prepare boys and girls for puberty, including menstruation.
SRE guidance focuses primarily on supporting girls by helping them understand
menstruation before they experience the onset of physical changes. However, it also
prompts schools to consider providing sanitary protection for girls who start their
periods at school and do not have the products necessary to continue their learning.
Schools are best placed to identify and address the needs of their pupils, have
discretion over how they use their funding and can make sanitary products available
to disadvantaged pupils if they identify this as a barrier to attainment or attendance.
We support schools in addressing the needs of disadvantaged pupils through the
provision of the Pupil Premium, equivalent to almost £2.5 billion of additional funding
this year alone.
Tulip Siddiq: [120774]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number of
school days missed by female pupils who live in households unable to afford sanitary
products; and if she will make a statement.
Mr Robert Goodwill:
The Department for Education collects information on absence through the termly
school census. We collect data on the number of possible sessions, number of
authorised absences, number of unauthorised absences and the reason for absence
for each pupil. The reasons for absence do not include a category, which would
enable us to identify sessions missed due to a lack of access to menstrual products.
Full details of the absence data we collect in school census can be found in the
census guidance here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-census.
We are committed to ensuring that any action to address absence is based on robust
evidence. We have sought to establish whether there has been any rigorous national
assessment of the prevalence of period poverty or its impact on attendance, however
none appears available. We reached out to school stakeholders in July 2017 through
the Association of School and College Leaders forum asking for contributions on the
issue and have received a very limited response. We are producing additional
analysis of our absence data to look for evidence of period poverty and will publish
findings in due course.
We have made it a priority to reduce school absence for all pupils and there has been
some notable success in this area, with overall yearly absence rates decreasing from
6.5% of possible sessions missed in 2006/7 to 4.6% in 2015/16.
Schools: Cost Effectiveness
Chris Philp: [120537]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of areas in
which savings could be made in the school system to increase expenditure on teaching.
Nick Gibb:
In July, we announced that we will be investing an additional £1.3 billion in core
schools and high needs funding across 2018-19 and 2019-20, in addition to the
schools budget as set out in the 2015 Spending Review. This additional investment in
core schools funding will be funded in full from efficiencies and savings from within
the Department's budget, as we believe strongly that this funding is most valuable in
the hands of head teachers and principals. We have already announced savings of
£700 million from our capital budgets, primarily from delivering the free schools
programme more efficiently and scaling back the Healthy Pupils Capital programme
to reflect reductions in forecast revenue from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. We are in
the process of identifying the remaining savings.
There is scope for schools to improve their levels of efficiency, and to find savings on
their non-staff expenditure which can be reinvested into frontline teaching. Our
analysis indicates that if the 25% of schools spending the highest amounts on each
category of non-staff expenditure were instead spending at the level of the rest, this
could save over £1 billion. The Department will continue work to deliver the initiatives
set out in the Schools’ Buying Strategy (published in January 2017), to help schools
deliver the best value for money from their non-staff expenditure and secure these
savings.
Schools: Coventry
Mr Jim Cunningham: [120335]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in Coventry have been
(a) built and (b) refurbished as a result of funding from the Education Funding Agency;
and how many of those schools have been fitted with sprinkler systems.
Nick Gibb:
The Government takes the safety of pupils and staff seriously. All schools have to
follow strict fire safety regulations, including having a Fire Risk Assessment, designed
to ensure they are as safe as possible and well prepared in the event of a fire.
Where sprinklers are deemed necessary to keep pupils and staff safe, following an
assessment of risk at the design stage, or to meet local planning requirements, they
must be fitted. All new school building projects must comply with Building
Regulations, including on fire safety, and this is independently checked by Building
Control or an Approved Inspector before buildings are occupied.
As not all new schools are commissioned by the Department, we do not hold data on
the number of all new schools that have been built with or without sprinklers installed.
The Department do hold information on the centrally funded Priority Schools Building
Programme (PSBP).
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has built or refurbished seven
schools in Coventry under phase one of PSBP and of those, five schools were fitted
with sprinklers.
The Depatment does not hold comprehensive data on the number of free schools
fitted with sprinklers as schools developed under the free schools programme were
originally managed by the individual free school proposer groups. The Department is
doing further work that will enable us to provide figures on sprinklers fitted in all
schools delivered centrally by the ESFA.
Alongside the rest of Government, the Department will take forward findings from the
independent review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, and from the Public
Inquiry into the tragic Grenfell Tower fire.
Schools: Fire Extinguishers
Stephen Timms: [120438]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in (a) England and
Wales, (b) Greater London and (c) the London Borough of Newham have sprinkler
systems fitted.
Nick Gibb:
The Government takes the safety of pupils and staff seriously. All schools have to
follow strict fire safety regulations, including having a Fire Risk Assessment, designed
to ensure they are as safe as possible and well prepared in the event of a fire.
Where sprinklers are deemed necessary to keep pupils and staff safe, following an
assessment of risk at the design stage, or to meet local planning requirements, they
must be fitted. All new school building projects must comply with Building
Regulations, including on fire safety, and this must be independently checked by
Building Control or an Approved Inspector before buildings are occupied.
As not all new schools in England are commissioned by the Department, we do not
hold data on the number of all new schools that have been built with or without
sprinklers installed. The Department does hold information on the centrally funded
Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP). This programme covers schools in
England only. The devolved National Assembly for Wales is responsible for schools
in Wales.
In England, 74 schools in total have had, or are planned to have, sprinklers fitted
under the PSBP phase one. In London two schools have had sprinklers fitted under
the PSBP phase one. In Newham there are no schools that have had sprinklers fitted
under PSBP phase one.
The Department does not hold comprehensive data on the number of free schools
fitted with sprinklers in England, or London as schools developed under the free
schools programme were originally managed by the individual free school proposer
groups. The Department is doing further work that will enable us to provide figures on
sprinklers fitted in all schools delivered centrally by the Education and Skills Funding
Agency.
Alongside the rest of Government, the Department will take forward findings from the
independent review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, and from the Public
Inquiry into the tragic Grenfell Tower fire.
Mr Jim Cunningham: [120600]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what advice she has received from the West
Midlands Fire Service on fitting sprinklers in schools.
Nick Gibb:
The Government takes the safety of pupils and staff seriously. All schools have to
follow strict fire safety regulations, including having a Fire Risk Assessment, designed
to ensure they are as safe as possible and well prepared in the event of a fire.
New school building projects must comply with Building Regulations, including on fire
safety, and this is independently checked by Building Control or an Approved
Inspector before buildings are occupied. Schools have a range of measures to
ensure they provide a suitable standard of safety. Where sprinklers are deemed
necessary to keep pupils and staff safe, they must be fitted.
The Department contracts the design and build of schools under its central
programmes. The Department does not liaise with Fire and Rescue Services directly,
but they may be consulted by Building Control officers or individual projects.
Alongside the rest of Government, the Department will take forward findings from the
independent review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, and from the public
inquiry into the tragic Grenfell Tower fire.
Schools: Greater London
Clive Efford: [119951]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in London have been
damaged by fires since the 2009-10 academic year; and how many of those schools
were fitted with sprinkler systems (a) prior to those fires occurring and (b) since those
fires occurred; and if he will make a statement.
Clive Efford: [119953]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in London have been (a)
built and (b) refurbished through funding from the Education Funding Agency; how many
of those schools have been fitted with sprinkler systems; and if she will make a
statement.
Clive Efford: [119954]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what advice she has received from the
London Fire Brigade on fitting sprinklers in schools which are being refurbished or newly
built; and if she will make a statement.
Nick Gibb:
[Holding answer 21 December 2017]: The Government takes the safety of pupils and
staff seriously. All schools have to follow strict fire safety regulations, including having
a Fire Risk Assessment, designed to ensure that they are as safe as possible and
well prepared in the event of a fire.
Where sprinklers are deemed necessary to keep pupils and staff safe, following an
assessment of risk at the design stage, or to meet local planning requirements, they
must be fitted. All new school building projects must comply with Building
Regulations, including on fire safety, and this must be independently checked by
Building Control or an Approved Inspector before buildings are occupied.
The Department does not collect data on the number of school fires. The Home
Office publishes fire statistics on GOV.UK -
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fire-statistics. These are taken from data
supplied by the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) and includes information on
educational establishments.
As not all new schools are commissioned by the Department, we do not hold data on
the number of all new schools that have been built with or without sprinklers installed.
We do hold information on the centrally funded Priority Schools Building Programme
(PSBP). Of the 32 schools rebuilt in phase one of the PSBP in London, two include
sprinkler systems. We do not hold comprehensive data on the number of Free
Schools fitted with sprinklers as schools developed under the Free Schools
programme were originally managed by the individual free school proposer groups.
The Department does not liaise directly with the FRS, including the London Fire
Brigade, in the design of new school buildings. The Department commissions the
design and build of schools under its central programmes and the FRS may be
consulted by Building Control officers or contractors on individual projects whenever
necessary.
Alongside the rest of Government, the Department will take forward findings from the
independent review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, and from the public
inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire.
Schools: Suffolk
Jo Churchill: [120670]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the
adequacy of funding of secondary and primary schools in (a) Bury St Edmunds
constituency and (b) Suffolk; and if she will make a statement.
Nick Gibb:
We are determined to create a country that works for everyone. That is why we are
delivering on our promise to reform the unfair, opaque and outdated school and high
needs funding systems and introduce the national funding formula. Commencing in
2018-19, the national funding formula will allocate funding on the basis of the specific
characteristics of every school and pupil.
For Suffolk County Council, the national funding formula means an increase in
schools funding of 4.7% per pupil in 2018-19. Suffolk will also receive a 3.6%
increase in its high needs budget in 2018-19, subject to technical adjustments made
later in the year to reflect the latest data.
Allocations for 2018-19 for each local authority were confirmed on 19 December 2017
and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-
grant-dsg-2018-to-2019. The allocations take into account the latest pupil numbers
from the October 2017 census.
Schools in the constituency of Bury St Edmunds are attracting an additional 2.6% per
pupil through the national funding formula in 2018-19. Their final budgets for 2018-19
will however be determined through the local formula set by Suffolk County Council.
Secondary Education: Standards
Mr Jim Cunningham: [120599]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what comparative assessment her
Department has made of the proportion of secondary schools rated (a) good and (b)
outstanding in the (i) West Midlands and (ii) London in each of the last three years.
Nick Gibb:
In the West Midlands, the proportion of secondary schools judged Good in their last
inspection as at 31 August 2015, 2016 and 2017 was 49%, 53% and 56% while the
proportion judged Outstanding over the same period was 21%, 21% and 22%.
In London, the proportion of secondary schools judged Good in their last inspection
as at 31 August 2015, 2016 and 2017 was 50%, 53% and 51% while the proportion
judged Outstanding over the same period was 35%, 36% and 38%.
Nine out of ten schools are now rated Good or Outstanding across England with 1.9
million more pupils being taught in schools rated Good or Outstanding than in 2010.
As my Rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education said on 14 December
when launching our action plan to drive social mobility through education, we want to
make sure opportunities are spread evenly across the country. The action plan
‘Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential’ is available in the Libraries of both Houses.
We are targeting the areas that need the most support through the £72 million
‘Opportunity Areas’ programme, and by investing £280 million over the next two
years to target resources at the schools most in need to improve their performance
and deliver more good school places.
Special Educational Needs
Anneliese Dodds: [121074]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the costs
incurred by schools of dyslexia assessments; and if she will make a statement.
Mr Robert Goodwill:
The Department for Education (DfE) does not collect data on costs incurred by
schools in the assessment of dyslexia. Schools are required to identify and address
the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) of pupils, including arranging
for appropriate tests. They receive funding which enables them to meet additional
needs up to £6,000 per pupil with SEND. Building on 2013-16 funding, the DfE is
funding the British Dyslexia Association (BDA) and partners in 2017-18, with
£500,000 to facilitate better support for children with dyslexia. BDA resources include
affordable (£20-£50) on-line screening tools.
Teachers: Training
Anneliese Dodds: [121075]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect
of changes in the level of the provision of in-work training for teachers inacademy chains
on the provision of training by specialist voluntary and third sector organisations.
Anneliese Dodds: [121076]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria her Department uses to assess
the quality of in-work training provided to teachers in academy chains.
Nick Gibb:
The Department does not hold the information requested. Academies, like all other
schools, are responsible for the development of their teaching staff and evaluating
the impact of training provided.
The Department’s consultation on strengthening qualified teacher status and
improving career progression for teachers is currently open and seeks views on a
range of areas including options to increase access to high-quality continuous
professional development. The consultation is available at:
https://consult.education.gov.uk/teaching-profession-unit/strengthening-qts-and-
improving-career-progression/.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Balloons and Sky Lanterns: Environment
Kerry McCarthy: [120649]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment
his Department has made of the environmental effect of the intentional release of helium-
filled balloons and sky lanterns.
Kerry McCarthy: [120650]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he
plans to take to ensure that intentional releases of helium-filled balloons and sky lanterns
do not negatively affect marine and terrestrial life.
George Eustice:
An independent study commissioned by Defra and the Welsh Government published
in 2013 to identify and assess the impacts and risks associated with sky lanterns and
helium balloons concluded that any risks arising from their use to animal health, or
their impact on the environment were insignificant, and reported that voluntary action
and initiatives have been shown to be effective.
Clean Air Zones
Steve McCabe: [120934]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will expand
the national network of clean air zones.
Dr Thérèse Coffey:
The UK plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations, published in July
2017, sets out the Government’s approach to improving air quality in the shortest
possible time. The plan states that due to the highly localised nature of the problem,
local knowledge will be crucial to solving pollution problems in these hotspots. We
have put in place a £3,5 billion air quality plan, including £475 million specifically to
help local authorities develop and implement their plans.
There are a range of measures local authorities can introduce, such as retrofitting
buses, changing road layouts or introducing Clean Air Zones should they consider
this an appropriate solution. Local authorities already have the powers required to
introduce Clean Air Zones under the Transport Act 2000. A framework published in
May 2017 provides guidance on the approach local authorities should take to the
introduction of Clean Air Zones.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Written Questions
Chris Ruane: [119166]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (a) how many and
(b) what proportion of her Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions
have advised that the requested information was not available on the grounds of
disproportionate cost associated with data collection and collation in the current session.
George Eustice:
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have answered 14 written
parliamentary questions explaining that the requested information was not available
on the grounds of disproportionate cost since 20th June 2017. This is out of a total of
1,278 parliamentary questions that have been answered.
Chris Ruane: [120318]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and
what proportion of his Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions in the
2017-18 Session to date have referred to the information requested not being (a)
collected or (b) collated centrally.
George Eustice:
Defra has answered 34 Written Parliamentary Questions explaining that the
requested information was not available on the grounds of it not being collected or
held centrally. This is out of a total of 1,278 Parliamentary Questions that have been
answered since the 20th June 2017.
Environment Protection
Dr David Drew: [120556]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which
organisations his Department consulted in preparation for the 25 Year Environment Plan.
Dr Thérèse Coffey:
In order to help develop the 25 Year Environment Plan, Defra has consulted a wide
range of stakeholders and organisations from relevant sectors including
environmental organisations, farming organisations, land management specialists,
academics, representatives from major retailers, food producing organisations, house
building companies, water companies, representatives from chemical industries, local
authorities, other Government departments and the Devolved Administrations. In
addition to these, it has worked closely with the Natural Capital Committee.
Fish: West Sussex
Sir Nicholas Soames: [120742]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the
Environment Agency is taking to secure the stocks of salmon and sea trout along the
coast of West Sussex; and into which rivers those stocks commonly run.
Dr Thérèse Coffey:
The Environment Agency (EA) enforces byelaws to ensure that fish stocks remain
healthy. These byelaws prevent the sale of rod and line caught salmonids, provide a
close season during spawning and encourage fish to grow to adulthood by imposing
minimum size limits for retained fish. There is no licenced net fishery along the West
Sussex coast.
The EA is also conserving and enhancing salmon and sea trout stocks by sharing
resources with regulatory partners and by supporting communities, landowners and
fisheries representatives. This includes conducting patrols with the Sussex Inshore
Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) to protect fish stocks from illegal
plunder. The Sussex IFCA is reviewing legislative measures for protecting migratory
fish, subject to consultation.
The EA’s work with partners also includes improving fish passage and habitat by
planting trees to provide protective shade for fish and by constructing fish passes,
such as on the River Ouse at East Mascalls. Through improving water quality the
Environment Agency aims to maximise fish spawning success and is working with the
Sussex Flow Initiative to address pollution from diffuse sources.
Young salmon (or parr) were seen for the first time on the River Ems in West Sussex
during the EA’s 2016 fish survey. This is testament to the collective impact of this
work.
Flood Control: Finance
Jo Churchill: [120669]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he
has made of public spending on flood prevention in (a) Bury St Edmunds constituency
and (b) the UK in each of the (i) last and (ii) next five years.
Dr Thérèse Coffey:
The table below summarises Government investment (Flood Defence Grant in Aid or
FDGiA) to flood and coastal risk management schemes in the Bury St Edmunds
constituency and England between April 2012 and March 2021. Budgets for 2021-22
and beyond have not been set.
YEAR BURY ST EDMUNDS FDGIA (£K) ENGLAND FDGIA (£M)
2012/13 0 269
2013/14 0 315
2014/15 0 479
2015/16 0 403
2016/17 691 447
2017/18 21 413
2018/19 0 450
2019/20 0 490
2020/21 0 459
Fly-tipping: Wealden
Ms Nusrat Ghani: [120540]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, how many cases
of repeat fly-tipping have been recorded in Wealden District in the last 12 months.
Dr Thérèse Coffey:
Defra does not hold information on how many cases of repeat fly-tipping have been
recorded in Wealden District in the last 12 months and to obtain the information
would incur disproportionate cost. Information on fly-tipping incidents and the actions
taken by Wealden District and other local authorities in England is published annually
and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/env24-
fly-tipping-incidents-and-actions-taken-in-england
Food: Procurement
Kerry McCarthy: [120306]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the
Government plans to include the Eatwell Guide into Government buying standards on the
public procurement of food and drink.
George Eustice:
The Eatwell Plate (the forerunner of the Eatwell Guide) is referenced under the
detailed Health and Wellbeing criteria (Section 2.1) of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC)
tool in the Plan for Public Procurement of Food and Catering Service 2014.
Food: Standards
Jo Stevens: [120484]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his
Department has to bring forward proposals on increasing environmental protections or
food product standards in 2018.
George Eustice:
The Government is committed to having strong environmental protections, and on 12
November the Secretary of State set out plans to consult on a new, independent
statutory body to regulate environmental policy and hold government to account on
environmental commitments once the UK has left the EU.
The Government is also committed to delivering and promoting robust food standards
nationally and internationally, to protect consumer interests, facilitate international
trade, and ensure that consumers can have confidence in the food they buy.
Genetically Modified Organisms: Licensing
Dr David Drew: [120296]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what advice he
will be offering UK regulatory bodies on the licensing of GMOs after the UK’s exit from the
EU.
George Eustice:
Defra and the devolved administrations (DAs) are the regulatory bodies responsible
for decisions on the release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the
environment. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in England, Wales and Northern
Ireland and Food Standards Scotland lead on the marketing of GMOs as food or
animal feed products. Where licensing decisions are currently taken as part of a
centralised EU process, the intention is for the EU rules to be converted into UK law
so that a similar regulatory framework will apply after the UK’s withdrawal from the
EU. Discussions are ongoing between Defra, the FSA and DAs on how best to
convert the EU arrangements.
Ground Water: Suffolk
Jo Churchill: [120668]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many
groundwater activity permits have been issued in (a) Bury St Edmunds constituency and
(b) Suffolk in each of the last five years.
Dr Thérèse Coffey:
The Environment Agency has issued the following number of groundwater activity
permits in each of the last five years in (a) Bury St Edmunds constituency and (b)
Suffolk:
YEAR
BURY ST EDMUNDS
CONSTITUENCY SUFFOLK
2013 1 1
2014 0 4
2015 1 8
2016 0 5
2017 (year to date) 1 6
Landfill
Mr Barry Sheerman: [120801]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much
tonnage in landfill waste is generated by each (a) region of England, (b) city and (c) local
authority.
Dr Thérèse Coffey:
Information about permitted waste activities in England, including landfill inputs, is
publicly available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-
management-for-england-2016
Water: Standards
Daniel Zeichner: [120734]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his
Department is taking to ensure (a) the retention of high water standards in the UK and (b)
international cooperation in water regulation in the event that the UK leaves the EU.
Dr Thérèse Coffey:
We have a strong track record on protecting our water environment. We have
improved more than 5,300 miles of rivers since 2010. The water environment is in the
healthiest state for 25 years with otters, salmon, sea trout and other wildlife returning
to many rivers for the first time since the industrial revolution.
The EU Withdrawal Bill will ensure that the whole body of existing EU environmental
law continues to have effect in UK law and that the same protections for the water
environment are in place. The Bill will preserve the laws that have transposed EU
directives, including the Water Framework Directive, the Urban Waste Water
Treatment Directive, and the Drinking Water Directive.
We have committed to enhancing environmental standards as we leave the EU. We
will consult on a new independent, statutory body to hold government to account and
enforce standards for environmental protection.
We remain committed to internationally recognised environmental principles and
cooperation on water quality. The UK is a party in its own right to a number of
multilateral agreements on water. These include the 1971 Ramsar Convention on the
Conservation and Protection of Wetlands, the 1997 Convention on the Law of the
Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses, and UN Sustainable
Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation. We will continue to uphold our
international obligations under these agreements.
Wood-burning Stoves
Thangam Debbonaire: [120689]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her
Department has to discourage the use of wood-burning stoves.
Dr Thérèse Coffey:
Around 40% of the UK’s primary emissions of harmful particulate matter come from
domestic burning of wood and coal.
To tackle this we are raising consumer awareness about the impact of burning wet
wood on health and working with industry to help reduce harmful emissions by
encouraging people to shift from using wet/unseasoned wood to dry wood, which can
halve emissions of soot and smoke.
We have recently distributed an advice leaflet on open fires and wood burning stoves
to all local authorities which includes advice on burning less and the benefits of
quality fuels, modern appliances and regular servicing as a means to reduce
environmental impact.
EXITING THE EUROPEAN UNION
Architecture: Qualifications
Catherine West: [120572]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether his Department is
seeking to ensure that EU member states will recognise UK architect qualifications after
the UK leaves the EU.
Mr Robin Walker:
During negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, we have agreed the
continued recognition of qualifications, where recognition decisions were received or
where recognition procedures were ongoing before the withdrawal date. Architecture
qualifications fall into scope of this agreement.
On 15 December the European Council formally confirmed that sufficient progress
had been made to move onto the second phase of negotiations. During these talks
on our future trading relationship with the EU, we will seek to agree a continued
system for the mutual recognition of professional qualifications as part of a bold and
ambitious future economic partnership.
Borders: Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
Stephen Timms: [120137]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether he has identified
any factors which could give rise to a hard border between Northern Ireland and the
Republic of Ireland and which could be resolved though (i) general EU-UK negotiations or
(ii) specific solutions to address the unique circumstances of the island of Ireland; and if
he will make a statement.
Mr Steve Baker:
The Government is committed to avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland
and Ireland.
The UK:EU Joint Report sets out our plan to address Northern Ireland’s unique
circumstances and the border in the context of the wider UK-EU deep and special
partnership. That is the right approach - we want a deal that works for all parts of the
UK, whilst recognising Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances.
These principles also address the question of a fall-back option to avoid a hard
border and disruption to businesses and supply chains both sides of the border in the
unlikely event that we do not reach the agreement we want.
In that scenario, the Government will ensure regulatory continuity in those sectors
that are crucial to cross-border cooperation, businesses and the farming community.
These are sectors where cross-border policies and approaches have already
received cross-community support.
The Government also recalls its commitment to preserving the integrity of the UK
internal market and Northern Ireland's place within it. In all circumstances, the United
Kingdom will continue to ensure the same unfettered access for Northern Ireland's
businesses to the whole of the United Kingdom internal market.
Chevening Scholarships Programme
Deidre Brock: [120862]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, who the multiple
stakeholders within the private sector were at each Chevening business event listed in
the Ministerial Meetings section of his Department's Transparency Data for July to
September 2017.
Mr Steve Baker:
Details of Ministerial and senior official meetings are published in the Department’s
Quarterly Transparency Returns, which are made publicly available on GOV.UK.
Department for Exiting the European Union: Data Protection
Jon Trickett: [119470]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many data incidents
his Department (a) recorded and (b) reported to the Information Commissioner's Office in
(i) 2015-16 and (ii) 2016-17.
Mr Steve Baker:
To date, the Department for Exiting the European Union has not had any data
security incidents which have involved the release of data or breached data
protection rules. Therefore, we have had no incidents that have required reporting to
the ICO.
Department for Exiting the European Union: Email and Social Media
Mr Ben Bradshaw: [120712]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what guidance has been
issued to Ministers of his Department on the use of private email accounts and WhatsApp
messaging to engage with outside organisations on issues relating to their ministerial
responsibilities.
Mr Steve Baker:
Upon joining the Department, Ministers for the Department for Exiting the European
Union (DExEU) are provided with a departmental email account and mobile phone,
which they may use for correspondence and calls relating to their ministerial duties.
DExEU Ministers are briefed by both the Centre for the Protection of National
Infrastructure (CPNI) and National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on a range of
topics, including the correct use of departmental IT assets.
Department for Exiting the European Union: EU Law
Priti Patel: [120900]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, which EU (a) Directives, (b)
Regulations and (c) other legislation affecting his Department he is considering to
propose (i) revocation and (ii) amendment of after the UK leaves the EU.
Mr Steve Baker:
The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will retain EU law as it applies in the UK on exit
day.
We expect between 800 and 1000 statutory instruments will be required across
Government to correct this retained EU law to ensure the statute book functions
appropriately outside the EU. All Departments are engaged in this process.
Once we leave the EU, we will make our own laws. As we leave the EU, the
Government’s EU exit legislative programme is designed to cater for the full range of
negotiated and non-negotiated outcomes.
Department for Exiting the European Union: Families
Fiona Bruce: [119212]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, to which legislation his
Department has applied the Family Test, published in August 2014.
Mr Steve Baker:
The Government is committed to supporting families. To achieve this, in 2014 the
Department for Work and Pensions introduced the Family Test, which aims to ensure
that impacts on family relationships and functioning are recognised early on during
the process of policy development and help inform the policy decisions made by
ministers. The Family Test was not designed to be a ‘tick-box’ exercise, and as such
there is no requirement for departments to publish the results of assessments made
under the Family Test.
Department for Exiting the European Union: Stationery
Jenny Chapman: [120029]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, What estimate his
Department has made of the cost to the public purse for Departmental paper in (a) 2016-
17 and (b) 2017-18.
Mr Steve Baker:
We do not hold this information centrally. The Department occupies space in a
number of OGD buildings and the way paper is procured varies depending on the
building. Wherever possible, Directorates are encouraged to use the centrally
managed departmental contract for procuring all stationery, including paper when not
supplied as part of the accommodation agreement.
Department for Exiting the European Union: Written Questions
Chris Ruane: [119167]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, (a) how many and (b) what
proportion of her Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions have advised
that the requested information was not available on the grounds of disproportionate cost
associated with data collection and collation in the current session.
Mr Steve Baker:
In the current session, the Department for Exiting the European Union has answered
one written parliamentary question (UIN 3927) which stated that the information
requested was not available on the grounds of disproportionate cost. However, on
this occasion we did provide some of the information requested.
This is out of a total of 573 written parliamentary questions that have been answered.
European Banking Authority and European Medicines Agency
Tom Brake: [120820]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many jobs will be
relocated out of the UK as a result of the (a) European Banking Authority and (b)
European Medicines Agency moving their headquarters out of London.
Mr Robin Walker:
The decision to relocate the Agencies was one for the EU27, and the exact details of
the moves are a matter for the Commission.
Ferries: Companies
Jon Trickett: [118968]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to his
Department's publication Ministerial Meetings: January to March 2017, if he will publish
the names of the attendees at the UK Ferry Companies Roundtable attended by Lord
Bridges of Headley.
Mr Steve Baker:
Details of Ministerial and senior official meetings are published in the Department’s
Quarterly Transparency Returns, which are made publicly available on GOV.UK.
State retirement pensions: British Nationals Abroad
Alex Norris: [116532]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether UK pensioners
living in EU countries will continue to get their state pension uprated after the UK has left
the EU.
Mr Steve Baker:
We have now agreed with the EU that under reciprocal arrangements, the UK will
continue to export an uprated UK State Pension and provide associated healthcare
cover for UK nationals living in the EU who are covered by the Withdrawal
Agreement.
This will include people who are of state pension age and those who are not yet at
state pension age, once they start drawing their UK State Pension.
UK Notified Bodies
Peter Dowd: [119975]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps his Department
is taking to ensure UK notified bodies can continue to provide EU certification services in
the UK and elsewhere after the UK leaves the EU.
Mr Steve Baker:
We want a deep and special partnership with the EU which allows the freest and
most frictionless possible trade in goods. As part of this partnership, we want to
ensure that UK companies have the maximum freedom to trade with and operate
within European markets, including with respect to the activity carried out by UK
notified bodies.
We are working closely with colleagues across government to make sure that we
have a regular dialogue with UK notified bodies, and the businesses for whom they
provide services, as we develop our negotiating position.
In relation to the content of those discussions, we will not reveal now anything which
might risk harming our negotiating position.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Austria: Foreign Relations
Mr Jim Cunningham: [120602]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last met
his Austrian counterpart; and what issues were discussed at that meeting.
Sir Alan Duncan:
On 19 December 2017 the Foreign Secretary called Dr Karin Kneissl, the new
Austrian Foreign Minister, to congratulate her on her appointment. They discussed
the bilateral relationship, migration, developments in the Middle East Peace Process,
Russia and the Western Balkans.
Bahrain: Prisoners
Jo Swinson: [120230]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his
Department has made representations to the Government of Bahrain on the treatment of
women in Bahrain's Isa Town Women's Prison.
Alistair Burt:
The Government monitors events in Bahrain closely. We regularly raise human rights
concerns with the Bahraini authorities in private and public and will continue to do so.
Where we have concerns on specific cases we raise these at an appropriately senior
level. We continue to encourage the Government of Bahrain to deliver on its
international and domestic human rights commitments.
We encourage those with concerns about treatment in detention to report these to the
relevant human rights oversight bodies.
China: North Korea
Sir Nicholas Soames: [120377]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent
discussions he has had with the Government of China on North Korea.
Mark Field:
The Foreign Secretary spoke to the Chinese Foreign Minister on 4 August, 1 and 18
September during the UN General Assembly in September to urge China to use its
influence on the DPRK regime and implement sanctions fully. The Foreign Secretary
also spoke to Vice Premier Liu Yandong on 7 December during the People to People
Dialogue.
Japan: Foreign Relations
Mr Jim Cunningham: [120965]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last met
his counterpart in Japan; and what issues were discussed at that meeting.
Mark Field:
The Foreign Secretary last met Japanese Foreign Minister Kono on 14 December for
the annual UK-Japan 2+2 security and defence talks. The focus was on tackling
global security issues, such as the threat posed by the DPRK, and agreeing
frameworks for greater bilateral security and defence cooperation.
Marine Protected Areas
Kerry McCarthy: [120646]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his
Department is taking to monitor Marine Protected Areas for illegal fishing and other
proscribed maritime activities.
Sir Alan Duncan:
The Government's commitment to establish a Blue Belt of marine protection around
the Overseas Territories is on track to deliver 4 million square kilometres of marine
protection by 2020. In delivering the Blue Belt initiative, the Centre for Environment,
Fisheries and Aquaculture Science and the Marine Management Organisation are
helping to ensure that the large scale Marine Protected Areas which have been
designated, or are being developed, around the UK Overseas Territories are
effectively managed, monitored and enforced. Traditional surveillance techniques,
including sea and aerial patrols, are also being supplemented with trials of new
techniques including satellite surveillance (radar and optical imagery); autonomous
underwater vehicles; and unmanned aerial systems, to detect any illegal, unreported
and unregulated fishing.
Portugal: Foreign Relations
Mr Jim Cunningham: [120966]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last met
his Portuguese counterpart; and what issues were discussed at that meeting.
Sir Alan Duncan:
I spoke with my Portuguese counterpart, Portugal’s Secretary of State for European
Affairs Ana Paula Zacarias, on 14 August 2017. I welcomed Zacarias to her new role
and we discussed the UK’s exit from the EU, our bilateral relationship and foreign
policy issues of common interest.
Rohingya
Ian Murray: [120308]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what long-term
plans his Department has to tackle the crisis for the Rohingya people in Myanmar and
Bangladesh.
Mark Field:
The Government continues to press to ensure full implementation of the UN Security
Council Presidential Statement proposed by the UK and secured on 6 November.
The UK will continue to lobby Burma and Bangladesh to ensure that Rohingya
refugee returns are safe, voluntary and in dignity; support Bangladesh in its generous
effort to host the refugees; work with international partners to bring the perpetrators of
human rights violations in Rakhine to justice and to press Burma to allow the UN Fact
Finding Mission free and unhindered access; encourage the Burmese Government to
implement in full the recommendations of the Rakhine Advisory Commission and
make Rakhine safe for Rohingya by ending discrimination with immediate effect.
Turkey: Islamic State
Mr Gregory Campbell: [120246]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he
has received on suspected IS terrorists using Turkey as a route to enter the EU; and if he
will discuss those reports with the Turkish Government.
Sir Alan Duncan:
Turkey is an important partner in our efforts to counter terrorism globally, including on
the subject of Daesh fighters returning from Syria and Iraq. The UK is committed to
its security and that of our European partners, and will continue to work closely with
them, and with the Turkish Government, to mitigate the threat these individuals may
pose.
HEALTH
Ambulance Services: Southwark
Ms Harriet Harman: [120781]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many ambulances called in the London
Borough of Southwark have responded outside the (a) Category A and (b) Category C
response time target in each of the last seven years.
Mr Philip Dunne:
The information is not available in the format requested. Data about ambulance calls
broken down by ambulance service, including performance against the service
standards, is published monthly by NHS England and can be found online at the
following address:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-
indicators/
Blood: Contamination
Diana Johnson: [120553]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to remove the need
for bank statements to be submitted in support of discretionary grant applications with the
England Infected Blood Support Scheme.
Jackie Doyle-Price:
The discretionary payments scheme, part of the England Infected Blood Support
Scheme administered by NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA), and the
criteria under which these payments are made is currently being reviewed.
As was required under the former infected blood payment schemes, the criteria for
some discretionary payments may be linked to an individual’s income. One way a
beneficiary could demonstrate their income is through the submission of bank
statements, although NHS BSA is considering with beneficiaries other possible
options as part of the review process.
NHS BSA will try to keep additional information requests to support claims to a
minimum.
Department of Health: Departmental Expenditure Limits
Dr Philippa Whitford: [120543]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to Autumn Budget 2017, what
recent estimate his Department has made of the (a) Resources Department Expenditure
Limit (RDEL) and (b) Capital Department Expenditure Limit for his Department in (i) 2017-
18, (ii) 2018-19, 2019/20 and (iii) 2020-21.
Mr Philip Dunne:
The Department’s Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit (RDEL) and Capital
Departmental Expenditure Limit (CDEL) for the years 2017-18 – 2020-21 are outlined
below:
YEAR RDEL (£ BILLION) CDEL (£ BILLION)
2017-18 120.6 5.6
2018-19 123.4 6.4
2019-20 125.7 6.7
2020-21 128.7 6.8
Of that total funding, National Health Service funding is confirmed each year in the
Financial Directions to the NHS Mandate. Funding for the years up to 2020-21 can be
found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-mandate-2016-to-2017
The NHS Mandate and Financial Directions are refreshed on an annual basis and the
latest can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-mandate-2017-to-2018
The next NHS Mandate refresh will reflect funding adjustments following the recent
Budget announcements.
Eating Disorders
Helen Whately: [120961]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the report of the Parliamentary
and Health Services Ombudsman, Ignoring the Alarms: How NHS Eating Disoider
Services are Failing Patients, what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS organisations
respond to complaints about breaches of patient safety in a coordinated, open and
transparent way.
Mr Philip Dunne:
It is important for all complaints to National Health Service organisations to be
robustly investigated, with responses sent that cover the issues raised in an open and
sensitive manner. In order fully to learn from mistakes, it is vital that, where
appropriate, there is effective co-operation and co-ordination across organisational
boundaries.
The Department continues to work with system partners, including NHS England and
NHS Improvement, to improve the handling of, and responses to, complaints and
more general feedback across the healthcare system.
Employment and Support Allowance: Suicide
Neil Coyle: [120704]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons his Department's report,
Preventing suicide in England: third progress report of the cross-government outcomes
strategy to save lives, published in January 2017 does not prioritise employment and
support allowance claimants for additional help and support.
Jackie Doyle-Price:
The Cross-Government Suicide Prevention Strategy for England (2012) identified
high risk groups and groups of people for whom tailored approaches to their mental
health are required to address the risk of suicide. This includes people who are
unemployed and those with long-term health conditions.
EU Rapid Alert Systems for Food and Feed
Luke Pollard: [121047]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the UK will continue to participate in the
EU Rapid Alert Systems for Food and Feed after the UK leaves the EU.
Steve Brine:
The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed is important in enabling the management
of food and feed safety risks by providing early alerts of health or food contamination
issues across the European Union. At present, this enables the United Kingdom to
respond quickly to serious risks to public health relating to food and animal feed. The
Government is considering the best approach for the management of notification of
food and feed safety risks once we have left the EU. It will be our priority to maintain
the UK’s high standards of food and feed safety, and continue to be able to provide a
timely response to food safety incidents. This is essential for the protection of public
health, and for maintaining consumer confidence in food.
Eyesight: Testing
Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [120605]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if the Government will make an assessment of
the potential merits of bringing forward a national eye health strategy.
Steve Brine:
Given the size of England, and the diversity of the health needs of different
communities, we believe commissioning needs to be owned and managed locally
and do not, therefore, believe there is merit in having a national eye health strategy.
However, the Department supports Vision UK, an umbrella organisation for the eye
health and sight loss sector, which aims to improve eye health and end sight loss,
improve support across eye health and social care services and improve awareness
of sight loss.
Gadolinium: Health Hazards
Jonathan Ashworth: [120702]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment has been made of the
effect of Gadolinium on health outcomes.
Steve Brine:
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency participated in a recent
European-level review of gadolinium retention in the brain and other tissues following
exposure to gadolinium-containing contrast agent used to enhance magnetic
resonance imaging scans. The review, which completed on 24 November 2017,
included a comprehensive assessment of available scientific evidence on the
implication of retention of low levels of gadolinium in the brain and other tissues. The
assessment found no evidence that gadolinium deposition in the brain has caused
adverse neurological effects in patients, but data on long-term effects of gadolinium
deposition are very limited.
The outcome of the review can be found at:
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/medicines/human/referrals/Gad
olinium-
containing_contrast_agents/human_referral_prac_000056.jsp&mid=WC0b01ac05805
c516f.
Jonathan Ashworth: [120703]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what reports he has received on the number of
people who have been adversely affected by Gadolinium.
Steve Brine:
Reports of ‘suspected’ Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) are collected by the
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Commission for
Human Medicines through the spontaneous reporting scheme, the Yellow Card
Scheme. The Scheme collects suspected ADR reports from the whole of the United
Kingdom in relation to all medicines and vaccines. Reporting to the Yellow Card
Scheme is voluntary for healthcare professionals and members of the public, there is
however also a legal obligation for pharmaceutical companies to report all serious
ADRs for their products that they are aware of.
A summary of the reports received by the MHRA of people who have had a
suspected adverse reaction to a gadolinium containing agent is published as an
interactive Drug Analysis Profiles (iDAP) on the Yellow Card websiteiDAPs are listed
by substance and there are several Gadolinium-containing contrast agents (GdCAs).
The GdCAs to note are gadodiamide (Omniscan), gadoversetamide (Optimark),
gadopentetic acid (Magnevist), gadobenic acid (Multihance), gadoxetic acid
(Primovist), gadoteridol (Prohance), gadobutrol (Gadovist) and gadoteric acid
(Dotarem).
The first UK spontaneous ADR report received by the MHRA in association with a
GdCA was reported in 15 July 1991 and the table below provides the number of
reports and reactions reported for each contrast agent as of 31 October 2017. It
should be noted that one report can contain multiple reactions.
CONTRAST AGENT NUMBER OF REPORTS NUMBER OF REACTIONS
Gadodiamide 59 119
Gadoversetamide 0 0
Gadopentetic Acid 160 401
Gadobenic Acid 98 267
Gadoxetic Acid 34 73
Gadoteridol 272 628
Gadobutrol 352 1,013
CONTRAST AGENT NUMBER OF REPORTS NUMBER OF REACTIONS
Gadoteric acid 344 881
Gadolinium (not otherwise
specified)
27 111
Yellow Card data cannot be used as a reliable indicator of the frequency of suspected
ADRs to medicines. The level of ADR reporting may fluctuate between given years
due to a variety of reasons such as a medicine being new (reporting rates are
generally higher when a product is first introduced), stimulated interest/publicity and
variations in exposure to the medicine. The data should be seen in the context of the
many millions of people who have received gadolinium containing contrast agents.
It is also important to note that Yellow Card reports are not proof of a side effect
occurring but only a suspicion by the reporter that the medicine may have caused the
symptoms. Yellow Card reports may therefore relate to true side effects of the
medicine, or they may be due to coincidental illnesses that would have occurred in
the absence of medicine.
General Practitioners
Jonathan Ashworth: [120848]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent estimate he has made of trends in
the number of GPs.
Steve Brine:
NHS Digital produce quarterly publications of general practitioner workforce data. The
latest figures, for September 2017, were published in November and are available at
the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB30149
Haim-Munk Syndrome: Medical Treatments
Mr Jim Cunningham: [120338]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the
adequacy of treatment provisions for people diagnosed with Haim-Munk syndrome
Steve Brine:
Haim-Munk syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterised by the development of
red, scaly thickened patches of skin.
NHS England commissions specialised services for patients with rare or complex skin
diseases which includes those which may be due to rare genetic disorders. NHS
England has published a national service specification for specialised skin services
which sets national standards and has published policies on drug therapies where
appropriate. This is available at:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/group-a/a08/
Health Services: Prisons
Dr Paul Williams: [120562]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what criteria his Department is using to monitor
the performance of healthcare providers in English prisons and effect of those services
on the overall health and well-being of prisoners.
Jackie Doyle-Price:
Since 2013, NHS England has been responsible for commissioning health services in
public sector prisons in England. When contracts are awarded a plan is established
between NHS England, as commissioner, and the provider to ensure a smooth
transition in the delivery of the contract specifications if there has been a change of
provider, or, if the provider remains the same, a planned approach to how the
provider will meet any new requirements that sit within the new contract specification.
Providers and commissioners meet on a quarterly basis, for the life of the contract for
contract and performance management reviews. Where there are performance
issues these meetings are more frequent, weekly or monthly, and the providers will
be required to provide a remedial action plan against which they will be monitored
and measured.
If the providers fail to meet the required quality for the delivery of the service at any
time during the life of the contract, and after any improvement planning has not been
productive, the local commissioners can give notice on the contract and re-procure
the services.
Dr Paul Williams: [120563]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to increase the
availability of stop smoking support services in prisons that have implemented a smoking
ban.
Jackie Doyle-Price:
Prisons are rolling out the smoke free policy, subject to a series of assessments
which will test the operational stability, readiness and health readiness of the prisons
to implement the policy in a safe, decent and secure way.
As the roll out of the smoke free estate continues, each new cohort of prisons
preparing to go smoke free must complete a state of readiness document which
details that across the establishment everything is in place to ensure a smooth
transition to a smoke free establishment. This includes the information sharing plan
for the prisoner population, the increase in stop smoking services, and the availability
of Nicotine Replacement Therapy, and e cigarettes.
Health: Males
Mr Gregory Campbell: [120258]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has made an
assessment of behavioural changes among adult males in reporting their own medical
health issues over the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.
Jackie Doyle-Price:
No such assessment has been made. However, there are a number of programmes
funded by the Government which are likely to have a differential impact on men’s
health, given evidence that men may be less likely to seek help with health problems.
For example, the Government has funded the Time to Change anti-stigma campaign,
which challenges attitudes towards mental health. Time to Change launched the ‘In
your corner’ campaign this year which is specifically aimed at encouraging men to
talk about mental health. Another example is heart disease: the British Heart
Foundation states that men are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease at an
earlier age than women.
In 2016 NHS RightCare launched the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Optimal
Value Pathway, which aims to reduce unwarranted variation to improve people's
health and lessen inequalities in health access, experience and outcomes. In
addition, local authorities offer the NHS Health Check to all adults aged 40-74 who do
not have certain pre-existing health conditions; the Health Check therefore offers an
opportunity to engage with men who might otherwise not be seen by health services.
Public Health England’s One You campaign aims to improve health by encouraging
adults to change their lifestyles and adopt healthier behaviours. In addition, the Men’s
Health Forum are a member of the voluntary, community and social enterprise Health
and Wellbeing Alliance, a group of 21 organisations and consortia which aims to
bring the voice of the sector into policy making in the Department, NHS England and
Public Health England.
The life expectancy of both males and females continues to rise; whilst there remains
a gap between female and male life expectancy, this gap is closing.
Hospitals: Fire Extinguishers
Stephen Timms: [120648]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential
merits of installing sprinkler systems in all hospitals.
Mr Philip Dunne:
Design teams are required to consider the benefits of using sprinklers as part of the
building design process for trusts. The outcomes of that process should be recorded
in each trust’s fire strategy document, including where sprinklers are to be fitted and
the reasons why they should not be used in specific areas.
Fire safety guidance in relation to sprinklers is available in the following Health
Technical Memorandum (HTM) 05 publication provided to National Health Service
organisations: “HTM 05-02: Firecode Guidance in support of functional provisions
(Fire safety in the design of healthcare premises)” 2015 edition. All Firecode
guidance is being reviewed following the recommendations of the Grenfell Tower
Public Inquiry.
In Vitro Fertilisation
Tonia Antoniazzi: [120701]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2017 to
Question 112909 on in vitro fertilisation, whether his Department plans to extend the 10-
year holding period for a healthy woman to freeze her eggs.
Mr Philip Dunne:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22 November 2017 to Question
113114.
King's College Hospital
Ms Harriet Harman: [120780]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average cancer treatment waiting time
was at King's College Hospital Denmark Hill site in each of the last seven years.
Steve Brine:
Data is not available in the format requested.
NHS England publishes quarterly performance data on cancer waiting times
standards, along with monthly provisional statistics. This is published at trust level
rather than by individual hospital site and can be accessed at:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/
Ms Harriet Harman: [120784]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many operations at King's College Hospital
were cancelled in each of the last seven years.
Mr Philip Dunne:
NHS England publishes quarterly performance data on the number of last minute
elective operations cancelled for non-clinical reasons. This is published at trust level
rather than by individual hospital site. This can be accessed via NHS England’s
statistical work areas webpages:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancelled-elective-
operations/cancelled-ops-data/
King's College Hospital: Accident and Emergency Departments
Ms Harriet Harman: [120779]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time was in A&E at the
King's College Hospital Denmark Hill site in each of the last seven years.
Mr Philip Dunne:
The information is not available in the format requested. NHS England publishes
monthly performance data for accident and emergency attendances and emergency
admissions. This is published at trust level rather than by individual hospital site and
can be found via the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-
activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2017-18/
King's College Hospital: Surgery
Ms Harriet Harman: [121027]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients have died while on a waiting
list at King's College Hospital in Denmark Hill for (a) heart surgery and (b) neurosurgery
in each of the last seven years.
Mr Philip Dunne:
This information is not held centrally.
King's College Hospital: Waiting Lists
Ms Harriet Harman: [121029]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients have waited over 18 weeks
for (a) elective operations and (b) non-surgical procedures at King's College Hospital's
Denmark Hill site in each of the last seven years.
Mr Philip Dunne:
Data is not available in the format requested.
NHS England publishes monthly performance data on Consultant-led Referral to
Treatment Waiting Times for both admitted and non-admitted procedures. This is
published at trust level rather than by individual hospital site and can be accessed at
the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/
Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust
Rosie Cooper: [120527]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will investigate the case of a
West Lancashire constituent who required an inpatient bed at Lancashire Care NHS
Foundation Trust and was informed that the nearest available bed was in Somerset.
Jackie Doyle-Price:
Day to day operational decisions about the management of individual patients are a
matter for NHS England and/or the trusts with responsibility for patient care.
The Government is committed to ensuring that patients with mental health conditions
can receive treatment as close as possible to where they live. Inappropriate out of
area placements are unacceptable and the Government has set a target to eliminate
these in non-specialist, acute mental health care by 2020/21.
More than £400 million has been made available for investment in mental health
crisis resolution home treatment teams over the next four years, enabling them to
provide 24/7 crisis response and intensive home treatment as a genuine alternative
to admission where appropriate. Shared learning and best-practice advice on
reducing out of area placements through improved system capacity management will
be included in acute care commissioning guidance.
Mental Health Services
Jonathan Ashworth: [120843]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many therapists are working in primary care
at (a) March 2017 and (b) the most recent date for which data is available.
Steve Brine:
The latest data available are at 31 March 2017. The figures are set out in the table
below.
Census
Therapists2 Physiotherapists3
England England
Headcount Full-Time Equivalent4 Headcount Full-Time Equivalent4
March 2017 1 49 17 35 16
Source: NHS Digital
Notes:
1 All data as at 31 March, which is the most recent date for which data is available.
2 Primary Care staff working in any of the following job roles, as defined by the
Workforce Minimum Data Set (WMDS) - 'Therapist- Counsellor', 'Therapist-
Occupational Therapist' or 'Therapist- Other'.
3 Primary Care staff working in a job role of 'Physiotherapist', as defined by the
WMDS.
4 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) refers to the proportion of full time contracted hours that
the post holder is contracted to work. 1 would indicate they work a full set of hours,
0.5 that they worked half time, where 1 FTE = 37.5 hours per week.
Figures contain estimates for practices that did not provide fully valid Direct Patient
Care (DPC) data. DPC staff group contains the job roles 'Physiotherapist', 'Therapist-
Counsellor', 'Therapist- Occupational Therapist' or 'Therapist- Other'.
These figures refer to therapists and physiotherapists employed directly by a primary
care provider (and would not include staff working in a primary care setting but
employed by other organisations - e.g. National Health Service trusts)
Jonathan Ashworth: [120847]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to roll-out
nationally Mental Health Support Teams in 2022-23 in the event that the pilot phase is
successful.
Jackie Doyle-Price:
Decisions about future rollout of the Mental Health Support Teams will be informed by
the trailblazer programme and the outcomes of the evaluation which will help to
understand what works, and will be subject to future spending reviews.
Mental Health Services: Children and Young People
Luciana Berger: [120468]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to oral evidence given by the
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health to the Health Committee's inquiry Child
and Adolescent Mental Health Services on 21 November 2017, what the evidential basis
is for ring-fences ultimately to become ceilings.
Jackie Doyle-Price:
At a local level, ring fencing has been seen to distort spending, and in line with the
Health and Social Care Act 2012 this approach has been replaced by clinical
commissioning groups (CCGs) having the autonomy to make decisions about the
health services that best meet the health needs of their local population.
However, the mental health investment standard and NHS England Mental Health
Dashboard have been introduced to ensure transparency and accountability and set
a requirement for CCGs and specialised commissioning hubs to increase their spend
on mental health services by a greater amount than the growth in their programme
allocation.
Mr Steve Reed: [120698]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to promote
the use of de-escalation techniques in Tier 4 CAMHS.
Jackie Doyle-Price:
The Coalition Government published ‘Positive and Proactive Care; reducing the need
for restrictive interventions’ and ‘A Positive and Proactive Workforce’ in April 2014.
Both guidance documents are clear that corporate training strategies to manage
violence and aggression should include clear learning outcomes about effective use
of de-escalation techniques, the risks associated with restrictive interventions and
safe implementation of restrictive physical interventions. Additionally a multi-agency
programme of work is underway to target reductions in restrictive interventions across
all mental health services including Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Tier
4. This includes ensuring provision of accredited training for staff to use de-escalation
techniques as appropriate.
Mental Health: Children
Jo Stevens: [120971]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment his Department has
made of the risk that cyber bullying poses to the mental health of children.
Jackie Doyle-Price:
Evidence exists on the impact of bullying, including cyberbullying, on the mental
health and wellbeing of children. The Government published the joint Department of
Health and Department for Education ‘Transforming children and young people’s
mental health provision: a green paper’ in December 2017, is available at the
following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/transforming-children-and-young-
peoples-mental-health-provision-a-green-paper
This sets out work by the Department of Health and the Department for Digital,
Culture, Media and Sport to convene a working group comprising social media and
technology companies, which will consider what further action can be taken to
improve the mental health of young online users and will consider tackling
cyberbullying and harmful content.
As part of the Government’s work to develop a Digital Charter, announced in the
Queen’s speech, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport published the
‘Internet Safety Strategy’ in October 2017, which focuses on keeping all users safe
online:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/internet-safety-strategy-green-paper
The Strategy covers the responsibilities of companies to their users, the use of
technical solutions to prevent online harms and Government’s role in supporting
users. The Strategy also includes initiatives for tackling cyberbullying.
Public Health England published analysis of cyberbullying in school age children in
June 2017, ‘Cyberbullying: An analysis of data from the Health Behaviour in School-
aged Children (HBSC) survey for England, 2014’, is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/621070
/Health_behaviour_in_school_age_children_cyberbullying.pdf
This analysis showed the prevalence of cyberbullying reported by schoolchildren in
England and highlighted evidence that exists which shows that schoolchildren that
are bullied and those who are engaged in bullying behaviour experience poorer
health and wellbeing outcomes.
NHS: Departmental Expenditure Limits
Dr Philippa Whitford: [120357]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent estimate he has made of the
Resources Department Expenditure Limit (RDEL) and (b) Capital Department
Expenditure Limit for the NHS, in (i) 2017-18, (ii) 2018-19, 2019/20 and (iii) 2020-21.
Mr Philip Dunne:
The Department’s Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit (RDEL) and Capital
Departmental Expenditure Limit (CDEL) for the years 2017-18 – 2020-21 are outlined
below:
YEAR RDEL (£ BILLION) CDEL (£ BILLION)
2017-18 120.6 5.6
2018-19 123.4 6.4
2019-20 125.7 6.7
2020-21 128.7 6.8
Of that total funding, National Health Service funding is confirmed each year in the
Financial Directions to the NHS Mandate. Funding for the years up to 2020-21 can be
found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-mandate-2016-to-2017
The NHS Mandate and Financial Directions are refreshed on an annual basis and the
latest can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-mandate-2017-to-2018
The next NHS Mandate refresh will reflect funding adjustments following the recent
Budget announcements.
NHS: Reorganisation
Luciana Berger: [120469]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the
effectiveness of local authority engagement in the Cheshire and Merseyside STP.
Steve Brine:
The Department has not made an assessment of the effectiveness of local authority
engagement in the Cheshire and Merseyside Sustainability and Transformation Plan.
Across each borough, local authorities are integral partners in developing place-
based integrated health and social care systems to provide joined up, better care and
improved outcomes for their populations.
Obesity: Children
Mr Gregory Campbell: [120859]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to review and amend the
Government's childhood obesity strategy over time to account for developments in the
causes and extent of such obesity.
Steve Brine:
All reports and data published on progress in delivering our world-leading childhood
obesity plan will be open to scrutiny. We will use this, alongside developing evidence,
to determine whether sufficient progress has been made and whether alternative
levers need to be considered.
Ophthalmic Services
Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [120603]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will take steps to ensure
collection of routine data on the number of admissions for people with (a) age-related
macular degeneration, (b) glaucoma and (c) diabetic retinopathy.
Mr Philip Dunne:
Activity data is collected for all hospital admissions, including age-related macular
degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy by NHS Digital.
Organs: Donors
Fiona Bruce: [121077]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of
the potential benefit of measures to support organ donation other than an opt-out system.
Jackie Doyle-Price:
The last major review of organ donation in 2008 concluded that the case for a change
to the law on consent was finely balanced and that other aspects of the systems
supporting donation should be developed before any change to the law. Those
actions, included in the United Kingdom-wide strategy Taking Organ Transplantation
to 2020, have resulted in year on year growth in the number of transplants, seen the
number of people on the NHS Organ Donation Register increase by almost five
million people over the last five years and, in 2016/17, the highest ever deceased
donor rates in England. The Government wants to see rates of transplantation in
England amongst the best in the world and is keen to explore all options to increase
the availability of suitable organs for transplantation. As part of the consultation on an
opt-out system of consent, the Government has invited further evidence to be
submitted which could impact on the desired outcome to increase the number of
organs for transplant in England. This evidence will be carefully considered before
the Government responds.
Pick's Disease: Medical Treatments
Mr Jim Cunningham: [120604]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the
adequacy of treatment provided to people diagnosed with Pick's disease.
Jackie Doyle-Price:
While there is no specific treatment available for Pick’s disease, or frontotemporal
dementia as it is sometimes referred to, it is important that people diagnosed with this
disease and other forms of dementia receive appropriate treatment and support that
can help with the symptoms.
Dementia is a priority for this Government. Whilst the Government’s Dementia 2020
Challenge does not distinguish between different types of dementia, we want every
person diagnosed with dementia to receive meaningful care following their diagnosis.
The Challenge Implementation Plan, published in March 2016, set out the actions
partners across health and care will take to ensure commitments in the 2020
Challenge are delivered. This includes ensuring every person diagnosed with
dementia has meaningful care following their diagnosis, which supports them and
those around them, irrespective of the type of dementia diagnosis they have.
The Government has doubled research spending on dementia, with a commitment to
maintain this level of spending at £60 million a year to 2020, with an ambition for
overall spending on research from all sectors to double by 2025. Much of this
investment is in research to better understand the nature of dementia, to inform
development of future treatments and ways to prevent the onset of the condition.
Postnatal Depression
Catherine West: [121045]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, Health what discussions he has had with NCT
on the identification of postnatal problems in that organisations Hidden Half campaign.
Jackie Doyle-Price:
Ministers have not met with representatives from the National Childbirth Trust, but are
aware of their Hidden Half campaign.
This Government is committed to improving perinatal mental health services for
women during pregnancy and in the first postnatal year, so that women are able to
access the right care at the right time and close to home.
A key element of NHS England’s £365 million perinatal mental health transformation
programme is to increase awareness and skills across the workforce.
The six week postnatal check is recommended by the National Institute for Health
and Care Excellence’s guidance on postnatal care and identified as a crucial element
of postnatal care by NHS England’s National Maternity Review. This check should
make an assessment of how a woman has made the transition to motherhood,
including her mental health.
Public Health England
Rosie Cooper: [120935]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the timetable is for the implementation of
the recommendations of the McNeil Review into cancer patient data at Public Health
England (PHE), and what effect that implementation will have of PHE's adherence to
NHS rules on consent.
Steve Brine:
The McNeil Review into Public Health England’s (PHE) data collection and data
management functions considered whether, how and when these should be
transferred to NHS Digital. It identified four tranches of data, based on the complexity
of the processes involved in the collection and quality assurance of the data and
recommended that cancer registration be considered within tranche three and only
after the earlier tranches had been completed; this is expected to take at least three
years. PHE and NHS Digital are currently scoping the work programme to implement
the review’s recommendations. PHE will continue to process cancer data in line with
current legal gateways and the National Health Service rules on consent, taking into
account any changes that may arise with emerging legislative and policy frameworks.
Raine Syndrome: Medical Treatments
Mr Jim Cunningham: [120967]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the
adequacy of treatment provision for people diagnosed with Raine syndrome.
Steve Brine:
Raine syndrome is a rare congenital condition that largely affects the craniofacial
area. Individuals with this condition will access a range of locally and nationally
commissioned services according to their specific clinical needs. For example, NHS
England commissions specialised assessment, surgery and follow up services for
craniofacial conditions in children, including those caused by congenital conditions.
The service specification can be found at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/e02-craniofacial.pdf
NHS England monitors the quality of all specialised services it commissions via its
Quality Surveillance Team (QST). The QST produce annual profiles of services
based on self-assessment against core requirements of the service specification,
clinical outcomes and external monitoring such as Care Quality Commission
assessments, undertaking peer review processes as required. Specialised paediatric
craniofacial services are regularly monitored via this process.
Social Services
Barbara Keeley: [120237]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2016 to
Questions 32038, 32039 and 32040 on the Care Act 2014, what the timetable is for
implementation of Section 18(3) of the Care Act 2014 after 2020.
Jackie Doyle-Price:
The Government has announced that it is committed to publishing a Care and
Support Green Paper by summer 2018.
In developing the Green Paper, it is right that we take the time needed to debate the
many complex issues and listen to the perspectives of experts and care users,
building consensus around reforms which can succeed. This is why we have started
a process of initial engagement over the coming months through which the
Government will work with experts, stakeholders and users to shape the long-term
reforms that will be proposed in the Green Paper.
Spinal Injuries: West Midlands
Mr Jim Cunningham: [120332]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have had spinal operations in
the West Midlands in each of the last seven years.
Mr Philip Dunne:
Information is not held in the format requested. The available data from Hospital
Episode Statistics (HES) dataset for the years 2010-11 through to 2016-17 is shown
in the table below and provides a count of finished admission episodes1 (FAEs) with a
main or secondary spinal procedure2, for the West Midlands Government Office
Region. Figures do not represent the number of individual patients, as a person may
have more than one episode of care in the same year.
YEAR FAES
2010-11 12,475
2011-12 11,893
2012-13 11,637
2013-14 11,641
2014-15 12,147
2015-16 12,422
2016-17 12,503
Source: HES, NHS Digital
Notes:
1 A FAE is the first period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one
healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year or month in which the
admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of patients, as a
person may have more than one admission within the period.
2 The first recorded procedure or intervention in each episode, usually the most
resource intensive procedure or intervention performed during the episode. It is
appropriate to use main procedure when looking at admission details, (e.g. time
waited), but a more complete count of episodes with a particular procedure is
obtained by looking at the main and the secondary procedures. The first recorded
procedure or intervention in each episode, usually the most resource intensive
procedure or intervention performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main
procedure when looking at admission details, (e.g. time waited), but a more complete
count of episodes with a particular procedure is obtained by looking at the main and
the secondary procedures.
Transplant Surgery: Northern Ireland
Paul Girvan: [120998]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of
the merits for England of the organ retrieval system in Northern Ireland.
Jackie Doyle-Price:
The National Organ Retrieval Service (NORS) was established by NHS Blood and
Transplant in April 2010 and operates across all parts of the United Kingdom,
including Northern Ireland.
Since 2010 NORS has been successful in playing a vital role in contributing to the
increase in deceased donors and organ transplants. As a key component of the
organ donation and transplantation infrastructure, it provides a national 24 hour
service for retrieving organs from deceased donors.
NORS ensures the best possible transplant outcomes are achieved for all organs
offered. Thanks to donors and their families’ selfless generosity, thousands of lives
are saved every year.
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust: Acute Beds
Mr Jim Cunningham: [120964]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to support
acute services at University Hospital Coventry.
Mr Philip Dunne:
In addition to its funding from local and specialised commissioners, University
Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust has received £2,195,994 to support
the delivery of urgent and emergency care over the winter period; of this £374,000
has been earmarked to support medical staffing in the Trust.
The Trust has also has been receiving support from NHS Improvement’s Emergency
Care Intensive Support Programme for the last 18 months, to help the Trust to
improve its urgent and emergency care performance. The Trust has also engaged
with a series of NHS Improvement Collaborative events on recruitment and retention.
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust: Vacancies
Mr Jim Cunningham: [120963]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many vacancies there are for (a) doctors,
(b) nurses and (c) ancillary healthcare staff at the University Hospitals Coventry and
Warwickshire NHS Trust.
Mr Philip Dunne:
The information is not available in the format requested.
Health Education England’s (HEE’s) latest estimates of staff shortages and the plan
for tackling these issues is set out in its Facing the Facts, Shaping the Future, A draft
health and care workforce strategy for England to 2027 published in December 2017.
NHS Digital publishes the number of vacancies that are advertised on NHS Jobs, the
dedicated online recruitment service for the National Health Service. However, as the
basis of the figures is the number of vacancies advertised for the first time in each
given month, it is not possible to determine from these figures the number of
vacancies live at any given point in time. The figures only cover those vacancies
advertised via NHS Jobs, and it is not always possible to determine how many posts
are associated with any given advertisement. The published figures are at the HEE
region and do not go to the level of individual trusts.
The latest figures are available at the following link:
www.digital.nhs.uk/media/31747/NHS-Vacancy-Statistics-England-February-2015-
March-2017-Provisional-Experimental-Statistics-Tables/default/nhs-vac-stats-feb15-
mar17-eng-tables
HOME OFFICE
Asylum
Heidi Allen: [121008]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many parents have been
(a) granted and (b) refused a visa to join their child with either refugee leave or
humanitarian protection in the UK in (i) 2015, (ii) 2016 and (iii) 2017.
Amber Rudd:
The specific information you have requested is not currently published.
Published statistics on visa applications in the Family category can be found online at
the following address:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/662518
/entry-visas1-jul-sep-2017-tables.ods
Heidi Allen: [121009]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people seeking family
reunion with extended family members in the UK have (a) applied for and (b) been
granted asylum in exceptional circumstances in each of the last three years.
Amber Rudd:
The Home Office does not record information in such a way to be able to report on
the number of people seeking family reunion with extended family members in the UK
and an individual cannot apply to be considered for family reunion under the
exceptional circumstance arrangements. Instead, they would apply for Family
Reunion under the Immigration Rules but, if they are refused under the Rules, the
Home Office would then go on to consider whether there are exceptional
circumstances.
As such, the figures for applications and visas issued under the Rules and under the
exceptional circumstances arrangements are as follows:
TOTAL NUMBER OF
FAMILY REUNION
APPLICATIONS –
AGE AT THE DATE
OF APPLICATION -
UNDER 18
TOTAL NUMBER OF
FAMILY REUNION
APPLICATIONS –
AGE AT DATE OF
APPLICATION -
OVER 18
TOTAL NUMBER OF
FAMILY REUNION
VISAS ISSUED
(‘FAMILY OTHER’
CATEGORY)
TOTAL NUMBER OF
FAMILY REUNION
VISAS ISSUED
UNDER
EXCEPTIONAL
CIRCUMSTANCES
ARRANGEMENTS
2015 4,980 3,220 4,887 21
2016 4,811 3,701 6,098 49
2017 (up to 30
September 2017)
2,625 2,821 3,801 49
All those issued a family reunion visa are granted leave to enter or remain in the
United Kingdom, not asylum. The family reunion application process does not require
an assessment of the applicant’s international protection needs. It is the family
member in the UK that is required to have been granted refugee status or
Humanitarian Protection.
British Nationality: Applications
Ian Lavery: [120211]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his Department's current
target is for the length of time for it to complete an application for citizenship; and what
the current average waiting time is for an application for citizenship.
Brandon Lewis:
The target is to decide straightforward cases within six months. Performance against
that target is recorded in published data here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/in-country-migration-data-november-
2017 on the tab InC_02.
The latest data published shows that 100% of straightforward cases were decided
within target. There is no published data on actual processing times.
Direct Selling
Robert Courts: [903120]
What steps she is taking to tackle doorstep crime.
Mr Ben Wallace:
The Government set up the Joint Fraud Taskforce through which police, banks and
trading standards work together to help protect vulnerable people from the fraudulent
approaches made by doorstep criminals. The Banking Protocol, which helps bank
staff recognise signs of fraud, such as unusually high cash withdrawals, has stopped
over £9 million pounds from getting into criminal hands and led to over 100 arrests.
EU Nationals: Skilled Workers
Stephen Timms: [120645]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19
December 2017 to Question 118914, whether the September 2018 report of the
independent Migration Advisory Committee will be made available to Parliament upon
completion.
Amber Rudd:
The Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) 2018 report will be published. The MAC
publishes its reports at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/migration-advisory-committee
Home Office: Written Questions
Mr Andrew Mitchell: [120818]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to answer
Question 116509, tabled on 29 November 2017.
Brandon Lewis:
Question UIN 116509 was answered on 21st December 2017.
Immigration
John Spellar: [903121]
How many applications for leave to remain are under consideration by her Department.
Amber Rudd:
At the end of September 2017, at the time of our last published data, 86,219
applications for limited leave to remain were under consideration by the Department.
Immigration: EU Nationals
Daniel Zeichner: [903117]
What guidance and support her Department is providing to EU citizens on registering for
settled status before the UK leaves the EU.
Amber Rudd:
There will be a streamlined and digital process for EU citizens applying for settled
status, that minimises the administrative burden and helps to ensure swift and
successful applications. My Department is engaging frequently with representatives
of EU citizens in the UK, so we can design a system that best addresses their needs.
This includes guidance for the new scheme, which is being developed and will be
published in due course.
Organised Crime: Drugs
Joan Ryan: [903125]
What steps she is taking to tackle county lines exploitation.
Victoria Atkins:
We are taking a wide range of actions to tackle county lines and are working together
closely across Government, with the police, the National Crime Agency, local
authorities and voluntary sector partners. Most recently, in December we
implemented the new Drug Dealing Telecommunications Restriction Orders to enable
the police and NCA to close down phone numbers being used for county lines drugs
dealing.
Police: Unmanned Air Vehicles
Bridget Phillipson: [120637]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to
measure the effectiveness of police forces' use of drones in response to (a) motorbike,
(b) off-road bike and (c) moped related crimes.
Mr Nick Hurd:
Decisions to use drones and in which circumstances are operational matters for the
police.
In a study published on 30 November HMICFRS recommended that the National
Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) publish an Air support strategy to consider how
drones, rotary and fixed wing aircraft are most effectively used by police forces. The
NPCC has accepted this recommendation.
Refugees
Michael Tomlinson: [903119]
What steps she is taking to support refugees living in different regions of the UK.
Victoria Atkins:
We are committed to supporting refugees to integrate and rebuild their lives in the
UK. This is why they are given the same access to the labour market and benefits as
UK residents, as well as access to English language training. The most vulnerable
refugees who arrive under one of our resettlement programmes also receive a
comprehensive package of support.
Refugees: British Nationality
Gareth Thomas: [120523]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made
of the effect of nationalisation fees on the UK's obligations under Article 32 of the 1954
convention to facilitate the applications for British citizenship for stateless persons.
Amber Rudd:
An impact assessment was completed in early 2016 which considered the changes
being made as part of the Immigration and Nationality Fees Order (2016), the details
of which can be found via the following link:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2016/33/pdfs/ukia_20160033_en.pdf
We believe the current policy which requires payment of a fee for all applications for
British Citizenship, meets our international obligations.
Article 32 does not prohibit charging fees to stateless individuals. The current cost of
limited and indefinite leave to remain for those who enter the UK on a five-year route
to settlement is approximately £4,750. We feel that waiving these fees for stateless
individuals up to the point of settlement, but requiring a fee upon becoming a British
citizen is fair.
Taking this approach does not mean that the entitlement to apply for citizenship is
lost, but rather deferred, until the fee is affordable. Our current approach allows us to
fulfil our convention obligations whilst reducing the burden on the UK taxpayer;
therefore striking the right balance for all.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Africa: Adam Smith Institute and Legatum Institute
Dr David Drew: [120583]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, in which countries in Africa
has her Department commissioned work from (a) the Adam Smith Institute and (b) the
Legatum Institute in the last three years; and what the nature of that work is.
Rory Stewart:
DFID has not directly commissioned any work from the Adam Smith Institute or the
Legatum Institute in the last three years.
Department for International Development: Aviation
Tulip Siddiq: [120732]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what her Department’s
policy is on the purchase of premium economy and business class flights by
departmental senior executives; and if she will set out how much of the £24,065.94 total
expenses incurred by senior executives set out in the publication DFID senior executives
business expenses were due to expenditure on premium economy or business class
flights.
Rory Stewart:
DFID policy is for employees always to use the most efficient and economic means of
travel for duty visits. All journeys of up to 5 hours must be in economy/standard class.
Journeys of over 5 hours must also be in economy/standard class unless there is
legitimate business approval provided in advance for a higher standard of travel.
Details of Senior Executives’ expenses, which include a breakdown of expenditure on
premium economy and business class flights, can be found at the following address
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/669802
/travel-april-june-2017.csv/preview
Department for International Development: EU Law
Priti Patel: [120922]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which EU (a) Directives, (b)
Regulations and (c) other legislation affecting her Department she is planning to propose
the (i) revocation and (ii) amendment of after the UK leaves the EU.
Rory Stewart:
The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will retain EU law as it applies in the UK on exit
day.
We expect between 800 and 1000 statutory instruments will be required across
Government to correct this retained EU law to ensure the statute book functions
appropriately outside the EU. All Departments are engaged in this process.
Once we leave the EU, we will make our own laws. As we leave the EU, the
Government’s EU exit legislative programme is designed to cater for the full range of
negotiated and non-negotiated outcomes.
Department for International Development: Regulation
Priti Patel: [120895]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the title was of each
set of regulations introduced by her Department in each month since May 2010; which of
those regulations have been (a) subject to the (i) one in one out and (ii) one in two out
procedure and (b) (i) revoked and (ii) amended; and what the net cost to (A) the public
purse; and (B) business of those regulations is.
Rory Stewart:
No regulations have been introduced by the Department for International
Development since 2010.
Priti Patel: [120980]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what processes her
Department has put in place to (a) monitor, (b) collate cost information on, (c) review and
(d) respond to requests to amend or revoke regulations introduced by her Department.
Rory Stewart:
None. No regulations have been introduced by the Department for International
Development.
Developing Countries: Waste Management
Kerry McCarthy: [120567]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her
Department provides to developing countries to assist them in (a) producing waste
management strategies, (b) tackling pollution and (c) reducing health risks associated
with (i) toxic waste and (ii) other pollutants.
Rory Stewart:
UK support to these issues is primarily through the Global Environment Facility, to
which the UK is contributing £210 million for the period 2014-2018. The GEF has
allocated $554 million of support to developing countries for waste management, to
tackle pollution and to reduce toxic waste in this period.
DFID is also providing some other limited assistance, including £7.6 million to the
World Bank Pollution Management and Environmental Health programme, which
assesses the health risks of pollution in developing countries and provides assistance
to manage that pollution, and £8 million to the Global Alliance on Clean Cooking to
reduce indoor air pollution.
DFID is currently working with other parts of government to consider how to extend
the impact of our work in this area.
Israel and Occupied Territories: Overseas Aid
Richard Burden: [120962]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what criteria her Department
employ to select projects and organisations to receive funding for people-to-people work
in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Alistair Burt:
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I provided on 25 October 2017 to Question
number 108895.
Palestinians: Overseas Aid
Ian Austin: [120609]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of
13 December 2017 to Question 118369 on Palestinians: overseas aid, what the robust
verification system that validates that funds are used for the intended purposes is; and
whether that system includes the payment of those funds into an account used only to
pay the salaries of health and education public servants on the pre-approved EU list.
Alistair Burt:
The Palestinian Authority payroll is checked by independent auditors, and UK
payments made to all eligible beneficiaries are traced through the verification
process. The EU Palestinian-European Socio-Economic Management Assistance
Mechanism (PEGASE) uses a dedicated sub-account within the PA’s Single Treasury
Account for the purpose of contributing to public servant salaries. The UK has a
further sub-account to only pay the salaries of West Bank health and education public
servants; an independent auditor is able to confirm that funds from this sub-account
reach the intended beneficiaries.
Ian Austin: [120610]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of
13 December 2017 to Question 118369 what assessment she has made of the whether
the UK will continue to use EU funding mechanisms for its development assistance to the
Palestinian Authority after the UK leaves the EU.
Alistair Burt:
The UK has assessed that, having decided to focus our support solely on Palestinian
Authority health and education public servants in the West Bank, the EU Palestinian-
European Socio-Economic Management and Assistance Mechanism (PEGASE)
offers the best value for money and the most effective way of directly providing
support to Palestinians in need, whilst providing strong safeguards for UK funds.
DFID constantly reviews expenditure to ensure value for money; this is no exception.
The UK’s ability to use the EU PEGASE mechanism will not be affected when we
leave the European Union (EU). Non-EU countries are able to channel funding
through this mechanism.
Palestinians: Schools
Andrew Percy: [120545]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether any UK government
aid is used to provides salaries for staff at any of the 31 Palestinian Authority schools
which named after terrorists who have killed Israelis or at any of the three schools named
after Nazi collaborators.
Alistair Burt:
UK funding contributes to the salaries of individual vetted health and education
Palestinian Authority (PA) public servants on the EU Palestinian-European Socio-
Economic Management Assistance Mechanism (PEGASE) list, including PA teachers
in the West Bank regardless of which school they are employed in. UK funding
enables around 25,000 young Palestinians to receive an education annually.
Syria: Internally Displaced People
Jo Swinson: [120233]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance her
Department provides to internally displaced women in Syria.
Alistair Burt:
Women and children are particularly vulnerable in conflicts. For those internally
displaced in Syria to return home safely there must be an end to the conflict and a
credible political settlement. This is the only viable path towards the peace and
security that the Syrian people deserve. In the meantime, the UK is providing food,
healthcare, water and other life-saving relief to internally displaced people across the
country. Since 2012, we have delivered 20.9 million food rations that feed a person
for a month, 3.3 million vaccines against deadly diseases, and 8.1 million medical
consultations for those in need in Syria.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Department for International Trade: Statutory Instruments
Bill Esterson: [120815]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 19
December 2017 to Question 119374, if the Government will introduce a motion to be
considered in Government time to set up a parliamentary select committee to scrutinise
statutory instruments introduced by his Department.
Greg Hands:
The Government has no such plans. The organisation of parliamentary Committees
is a matter for Parliament.
JUSTICE
Adoption
Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: [120355]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Written Ministerial
Statement of 28 February 2017, HCWS506 on Update on the Children and Social Work
Bill what the timetable is for the eligibility rules to come into force.
Dominic Raab:
The Government is still considering the issue of legal aid eligibility for parents seeking
to challenge these types of placement order.
Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: [120544]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the the Written Statement of
28 February 2017, HCWS506, on Update on the Children and Social Work Bill, whether it
is his policy that those same parents will be eligible for non-means and non-merits tested
legal aid for opposing an adoption order and for legal representation at the adoption
hearing.
Dominic Raab:
The Government is still considering the issue of legal aid eligibility for parents seeking
to challenge these types of placement order.
Community Orders
Richard Burgon: [120684]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2017 to
Question 118989 on community orders, whether his Department has conducted research
on the reasons for the decline in the number of community sentences cited in the answer.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
The Ministry of Justice collates and monitors statistics produced by relevant
agencies, so that it is able to provide commentary in published statistical bulletins.
Published statistics have identified several key factors in reduced numbers of
community sentences, as stated in previous Answers.
Community Orders: Females
Kate Green: [120661]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many women received a community
sentence by (a) nationality of offender and (b) offence category for each nationality in
each of the last five whole reporting years.
Dr Phillip Lee:
This information is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate
cost
Community Rehabilitation Companies
Richard Burgon: [120485]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December to
Question 118432, how many times a Contract Management Team has notified a
Community Rehabilitation Company that its staffing level is insufficient.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
This Question has been interpreted as asking whether Contract Management Teams
(CMTs) have formally notified Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) that
staffing levels are too low and that action should be taken to increase staffing. I can
confirm that over the last 12 months, CMTs have not formally notified any CRCs to
take action to increase staffing levels.
The contracts with CRCs require each CRC to ensure that it employs a sufficient
level of staff, and that its workforce is competent and adequately trained. Our CMTs
closely monitor and robustly manage providers on a local basis, taking into account
the regional context, to make sure they fulfil their contractual commitments to reduce
reoffending, protect the public and provide value for money to the taxpayer.
Richard Burgon: [120671]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average caseload per caseworker has
been for each Community Rehabilitation Company in the last twelve months.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
Figures on the average caseload of probation officers are not collected centrally. A
probation worker’s workload is not based solely on the number of cases they are
managing, but the level of supervision required.
The Ministry of Justice publishes statistics showing the total caseload of the National
Probation Service (NPS) and the 21 Community Rehabilitation Companies. Figures
for total probation caseload are published quarterly in the Offender Management
Statistics Bulletin, England and Wales:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly.
Courts
Richard Burgon: [120986]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have appeared in court (a)
via video link and (b) in person by (i) age, (ii) ethnicity and (iii) gender in the last 12
months.
Dominic Raab:
The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at
disproportionate cost. To identify both volumes of court appearances by video and in
person, with details of age, ethnicity and gender individual court records would need
to be checked manually.
Courts: ICT
Richard Burgon: [120983]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the joint statement by The Lord
Chancellor, the Lord Chief Justice, and the Senior President of Tribunals, Transforming
our justice system made in September 2016, how much funding the Government plans to
allocate to the digital court reform programme; and if he will Minister publish the business
case for that programme.
Dominic Raab:
The Government is committed to maintaining a world-leading legal system and is
investing over £1bn to transform our courts and tribunals and deliver a modern,
world-renowned justice system that is swifter and more accessible.
Business cases are used for internal governance purposes within HMCTS and the
wider Ministry and are shared with the HM Treasury to assist with funding
discussions. The business case relating to court reform will not be released for
external publication.
Courts: Video Conferencing
Richard Burgon: [120984]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department has spent from the
public purse on the commissioning research on the effectiveness of court hearings by
video link in each year since 2010.
Dominic Raab:
As part of HMCTS’ wider reform programme the various forms in which video links
are used in hearings are kept under regular internal review to ensure they are
working efficiently.
There has been no external evaluation commissioned which encompasses all of the
various forms of video links used in hearings. Specific projects, such as the ‘Process
evaluation of pre-recorded cross-examination pilot (Section 28)’ have been
undertaken by Ministry of Justice Analytical Services. This evaluation project cost a
total of £54,520 spent between 2015 and 2016, and was published in September
2016.
Richard Burgon: [120987]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of people who have appeared
in court for their (a) first appearance, (b) remand hearing, (c) bail hearing, (d) case
management and (e) sentencing have done so by video link in the last 12 months.
Dominic Raab:
Information is not collected centrally on the proportion of court appearances by video
link irrespective of the reason for the court appearance.
Information collected centrally in respect of hearings is published quarterly on:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-court-statistics-quarterly-january-to-
march-2017
Crimes of Violence: Acids
Stephen Timms: [120806]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the timetable is for revised guidelines on
sentencing people convicted of offences involving corrosive substances to be published.
Dominic Raab:
The sentencing guidelines are issued by the independent Sentencing Council.
The Council is currently developing new guidelines on offences relating to possession
of offensive weapons and threats to use them, which include possession and threats
involving corrosive substances .
HM Inspectorate of Prisons
Mr Gregory Campbell: [120257]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if his Department will conduct an assessment of
the range of reports issued by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons in England and
Wales compared with the reports issued by its counterpart bodies in Scotland and
Northern Ireland.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
The role of the widely respected inspectorates in England and Wales, Scotland and
Northern Ireland is critical in ensuring that there is an objective and challenging
assessment of individual prisons and criminal justice systems.
There are a range of reports that are issued by these independent scrutiny bodies,
including inspection reports, annual reports, thematic reports, monitoring reports and
action plan reviews. Some of these reports are joint publications, for example
Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of
Prisons recently conducted an inspection of HMP Magilligan which was published on
12 th December 2017.
We are always looking at ways to maximise the impact of independent scrutiny on
our prisons to improve the outcomes for prisoners. The Inspectorates are
independent and it is for them to consider how best to share their learning and best
practice.
Legal Aid Scheme
Richard Burgon: [120688]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2017 to
Question 118802, whether his Department made an assessment of the effect of changes
to the availability of the early legal help component of legal aid on the expenditure of
other Government departments.
Dominic Raab:
As part of the pre-legislative consultation process which preceded the passage of the
Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO), the
Government produced an impact and equality assessment. On 30 October, the
Government announced the commencement of its Post-Implementation Review of
the legal aid changes made by LASPO.
Long Lartin Prison
Richard Burgon: [120675]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if his Department will publish the HMPPS
investigation into the concerted indiscipline at HMP Long Lartin on 11 October 2017.
Richard Burgon: [120676]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if his Department will publish all HMPPS
investigations conducted into incidents of concerted indiscipline since 2010.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
We do not publish the Investigation reports into incidents of concerted indiscipline.
The information could allow prisoners to adapt their behaviour in a way that could
undermine or circumvent any recommendations within the reports. This would impact
negatively on the Prison and Probation Services’ (HMPPS) ability to implement
changes to security processes and procedures which will in turn increase the threat
to good order and discipline and staff safety.
Magistrates' Courts
Richard Burgon: [120985]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of the total work undertaken in
magistrates' courts was presided over by (a) lay magistrates and (b) district judges in
each year since 2010.
Dominic Raab:
For each year since 2010 the data are set out in the following table[1]:
YEAR JUDICIARY
PROPORTION OF ALL HEARINGS
(%)
2010 Magistrates 90.9%
District Judges (MC) 9.1%
2011 Magistrates 90.8%
District Judges (MC) 9.2%
2012 Magistrates 89.8%
District Judges (MC) 10.2%
2013 Magistrates 89.5%
District Judges (MC) 10.5%
2014 Magistrates 89.5%
District Judges (MC) 10.5%
YEAR JUDICIARY
PROPORTION OF ALL HEARINGS
(%)
2015 Magistrates 90.1%
District Judges (MC) 9.9%
2016 Magistrates 90.2%
District Judges (MC) 9.8%
Magistrates and District Judges (Magistrates’ Courts) bring different but equally
valuable skills to our justice system and the magistrates’ courts. We continue to work
with magistrates to ensure they have as full a role as possible.
[1] ‘Provides the percentage of cases that have a hearing listed in the specific
periods, and where a case is listed for hearing more than once in each period, it will
be counted each time it is listed. It is possible for a single defendant to have more
than one cases listed at the same time. The data is a report on all criminal cases
(including terrorism, extradition and Single Justice Notice proceedings), along with
civil and enforcement cases, but will exclude family cases heard by the magistrates’
courts judiciary in the Single Family Court. It is possible to have magistrates sitting
with District Judges at the same session; where this occurs, the case will be counted
under both categories.
Mediation
Grant Shapps: [120529]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will establish a legal process by which a
preliminary judgment is reached on the evidence presented at pre-trial mediation and
reflected in the mediation settlement.
Dominic Raab:
Any agreement reached through mediation is privileged, and any information
exchanged between the mediating parties remains a private matter, unless a court
orders otherwise. The Government is committed to encouraging parties to reach a
resolution out of court as far as possible and it may undermine the mediation process
to introduce changes to its confidential nature. Where parties apply to court with a
consent order which follows on from a mediation agreement, the court already has
the necessary scrutiny powers at its disposal.
Members: Correspondence
John Spellar: [120787]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to respond to the letter from the
Right hon. Member for Warley on Mr Maxwell.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
The response you have requested was sent out on 13 November 2017.
National Tactical Response Group
Richard Burgon: [120683]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2017 to
Question 119056, if he will publish quarterly figures for the number of call outs for the
National Tactical Response Group.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
The National Tactical Response Group (NTRG) provides additional support staff or
resources to prisons to help them deal with a variety of incidents. We currently do not
publish quarterly figures for call outs of the national tactical response group. There
are no plans to publish new security data.
Parking Offences
Stephen Doughty: [120526]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on the
number of private parking prosecution cases outstanding (a) at Northampton County
Court Business Centre and (b) UK-wide.
Dominic Raab:
The information requested is not held centrally.
Prison Officers
Richard Burgon: [120488]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December to
Question 119247, what categories of information the Government collects on detached
duty.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
The deployment of staff between prisons on detached duty is a regular and normal
part of prison management and resourcing. These are operational decisions made on
the basis of a wide range of management information and based on assessments of
the current operational need and the availability of eligible staff.
Richard Burgon: [120489]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December to
Question 119247, if he will publish all data held by the Government on detached duty.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
There is no intention to publish this information.
The deployment of staff between prisons on detached duty is a regular and normal
part of operational prison management, made on the basis of the current operational
need.
Prison Sentences
Paul Girvan: [121002]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were serving prison
sentences in each of the last five years; and what the average cost to the public purse
per prisoner was in each of the last five years.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service routinely publishes average costs per
prisoner, costs per prison place and overall prison unit costs for each private and
public sector prison in England and Wales. Additionally, the prison population
numbers are included within the published data. This information is produced on an
annual basis and is published after the end of each financial year.
Information on prison population and expenditure for previous financial years can be
accessed in the Prison and Probation Performance Statistics pages for each financial
year on the www.gov.uk website. Prison unit costs can be found within the Excel
document Costs per prison place and cost per prisoner by individual prison
establishment in the ‘Cost by Establishment’ tab.
The most recent published figures for financial year 2016-17 can be accessed on the
www.gov.uk website from the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/prison-performance-statistics-2016-to-2017
Within the costs per prison place and cost per prisoner 2016 to 2017 summary file,
the figures for financial year 2015-16 have been restated to enable a more accurate
comparison between the two years.
Prisoners: Females
Richard Burgon: [120631]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many women died in prison in 2017.
Richard Burgon: [120632]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many women who were being held on
remand died in prison in 2017.
Dr Phillip Lee:
Data on deaths in prison custody is published quarterly in the Safety in Custody
statistics. They can be viewed at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/654500
/safety-in-custody-summary-q2-2017.xlsx.
There was one death in custody whilst on remand between January and September
2017.
Prisons: Crimes of Violence
Richard Burgon: [120667]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much was paid from the public purse in
compensation to prison staff as a result of injuries suffered in a violent attack on the
prison estate in 2017.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
This information is not available until after the end of the financial year and
subsequent audit process.
Prisons: Expenditure
Richard Burgon: [120491]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, Pursuant to the Answer of 19 December to
Question 119536, what the total expenditure was in 2017 prices on (a) public and private
prisons across the whole estate, (b) public prisons and (c) private prisons in each year
since 2010.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at
disproportionate cost.
However, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, routinely publishes average
costs per prisoner, costs per prison place and overall prison unit costs for each
private and public sector prison in England and Wales. This information is produced
on an annual basis and is published after the end of each financial year.
Information on actual prison expenditure for previous financial years can be accessed
in the Prison and Probation Performance Statistics pages for each financial year on
the www.gov.uk website. Prison unit costs can be found within the Excel document
Costs per prison place and cost per prisoner by individual prison establishment in the
‘Cost by Establishment’ tab.
The most recent published figures for financial year 2016-17 can be accessed on the
www.gov.uk website from the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/prison-performance-statistics-2016-to-2017
Within the costs per prison place and cost per prisoner 2016 to 2017 summary file,
the figures for financial year 2015-16 have been restated to enable a more accurate
comparison between the two years.
Prisons: Smoking
Dr Paul Williams: [120564]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress has been made on the
implementation of a smoking ban on the prison estate in England and Wales.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
There are now 68 prisons smoke free. More prisons across England are currently
preparing for the safe implementation of a smoke free environment during the next
six months. All prisons in Wales are already smoke free.
In every prison, the decision on when to go smoke free is only taken after careful
planning and preparation to ensure it is operational safe to do so and all necessary
healthcare support is available to help prisoners give up smoking.
Dr Paul Williams: [120566]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made on the effect of
the implementation of the smoking ban in prisons on order and discipline in those prisons.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
The Government remains fully committed to making all prisons smoke free. The
decision to go smoke free in every prison is only taken after careful planning and
preparation (Readiness Assessments); and the final decision is only taken when each
prison has met stringent checks to ensure that it is safe to do so and all necessary
healthcare support is available to help prisoners give up smoking.
Maintaining order and control in our prisons is our priority and this large-scale project
has been actively managed under usual project management disciplines.
Prisons: Staff
Richard Burgon: [119048]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time was for completing
security checks on new members of staff in each prison in the last year.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
The average time for completing security checks within each prison has been collated
and is included within Annex A which accompanies this PQ.
The average times contained in Annex A are based on data from 21 December 2016
(when MoJ’s new recruitment system was introduced) to 10 December 2017.
Attachments:
1. Annex A [Copy of OFFICIAL SESNITIVE - PQ 119048- Data for response for Richard
Burgon.xls]
Richard Burgon: [120681]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions wings of privately-
owned prisons have been closed due to insufficient staff levels in the 12 months.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
Over the last 12 months, from January 2017 – December 2017, there has been no
wing closures in privately managed prisons due to insufficient staffing levels.
Probate
Ian C. Lucas: [120587]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many applications for grant of probate
have been made in each of the last five years for which records are available.
Ian C. Lucas: [120588]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many grants of probate have been issued
in each of the last five years for which records are available.
Dominic Raab:
The information below provides details of the number of grants of probate issued by
the Probate service in each of the last five years.
TOTAL NUMBER APPLICATIONS
RECEIVED TOTAL ISSUED
2012 254599 244977
2013 272111 255502
2014 254602 247040
2015 285135 245870
2016 261251 262233
2017 ( to end Nov) 278428 248816
Since January 2015 the Information contained in the response in regards to number
of applications for a grant that have issued is in the public domain and is published in
the quarterly Family Court statistics.
Link to this information below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-
justice/about/statistics
Ian C. Lucas: [120589]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, by what criteria his Department measures the
efficiency of the operation of the Probate Registry.
Dominic Raab:
The efficiency of the operation of the Probate Service is measured by monitoring cost
in relation to volume of work and by measuring performance against the two official
key performance indicators (KPIs) for the service.
Information showing performance against the Probate Service KPIs is available at
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/statistics
Ian C. Lucas: [120592]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reason his Department does not
monitor the length of time taken to process applications by the Probate Registry as a
measure of that Registry's efficiency.
Dominic Raab:
Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) does measure the length of
time taken to process applications by the Probate Registry, from receipt of the
application to issue of the application, as detailed in the answer to PQ 119252.
HMCTS does not however, measure the length of time from issue of the application
to the grant of probate.
Probation
Richard Burgon: [120672]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2017 to
Question 115581, if he will publish the recent internal review into the probation system
with commercially sensitive sections redacted.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
Given the significant commercial nature of the review of the probation system, it
would be impractical to publish redacted versions of the documentation, which were
never intended for publication.
Rape: Trials
Ms Harriet Harman: [120786]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 13 December 2017 to
Question 117911, how many of the cases selected by the CPS to assess the frequency
and outcome of applications seeking to introduce into rape proceedings evidence of the
complainant's sexual history under section 41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence
Act 1999 involved guilty pleas.
Dominic Raab:
The audit case questionnaire completed by the individual CPS areas did not capture
information with regards to plea.
Ms Harriet Harman: [121011]
To ask the Attorney General, what the cost to the public purse of the review to assess the
frequency and outcome of applications to introduce a complainant’s sexual history under
section 41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999, published on 14
December 2017 was.
Dominic Raab:
In addition to deploying policy resource, the Ministry of Justice paid the Crown
Prosecution Service £11,243.00 to resource this review.
Reoffenders
Richard Burgon: [120666]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on the
number of people losing custody of children following their recall to prison in each of the
last three years.
Mr Sam Gyimah:
The information requested is not held centrally and can only be obtained at
disproportionate cost.
Trials: Legal Costs
Grant Shapps: [120263]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make it his policy to reform the legal
system to ensure that one side does not bear the financial risk associated with taking a
case to trial and the other side cannot escape exposure to such risk through Damages
Based Agreements and Conditional Fee Agreements.
Grant Shapps: [120264]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment his Department has
made of the effect of damages based agreements and conditional fee agreements on the
number of fraudulent and unmeritorious claims pursued.
Dominic Raab:
Substantial reforms have been made over recent years to control the costs of civil
litigation, and to deter fraudulent and unmeritorious claims. In particular, the operation
of ‘no win no fee’ conditional fee agreements (CFAs) has been improved by Part 2 of
the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012. The Part
2 reforms, which came into effect in April 2013, also allowed Damages-Based
Agreements (DBAs) to be used in civil litigation for the first time.
CFAs and DBAs facilitate access to justice by enabling claims to be brought by those
of modest means. The Government recognises that access to justice has to be
meaningful for defendants too: the Part 2 and other reforms help to ensure that
claims are resolved at more proportionate cost, with the risk of litigation now being
borne by claimants rather than defendants, who no longer having to pay inflated legal
costs.
The Government is committed to carrying out a post-implementation review of Part 2
of the LASPO Act, to be completed by summer recess 2018.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Marriage: Northern Ireland
Lady Hermon: [120791]
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will publish the dates of meetings
with each of the leaders of the four main churches in Northern Ireland at which the
recognition of same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland was discussed; and if he will make
a statement.
Chloe Smith:
Northern Ireland Office Ministers have a regular programme of engagement which
includes community and faith groups. These meetings cover a wide range of topics.
The focus of recent engagement has been the restoration of a functioning Northern
Ireland Assembly, precisely so important decisions relating to issues such as same
sex marriage are considered by locally accountable politicians.
Northern Ireland Assembly: Pay
Lady Hermon: [120768]
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 18
December 2017 to Question 119152, what discussions he had with the (a) Democratic
Unionist Party, (b) Sinn Fein and (c) other political parties prior to the publication of the
Reaney review of the salaries and staff allowances of members of the Northern Ireland
Assembly; on what dates those discussions took place; and if he will make a statement.
Chloe Smith:
Beyond acknowledging the fact that advice had been commissioned and that it was
our intention to publish its recommendations, Northern Ireland Office Ministers did not
hold any discussions with any political parties about Mr Reaney’s independent advice
on MLA salaries and allowance prior to its publication in full on 20 December.
Lady Hermon: [120782]
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 18
December 2017 to Question 119152, on what date the decision was taken to publish the
findings of the Reaney review of the salaries and staff allowances of members of the
Northern Ireland Assembly.
Chloe Smith:
As has been made clear in the former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland’s letter
to Mr Reaney on 12 November commissioning his advice, it was always the Northern
Ireland Office’s intention to publish it.
The letter is available on the Northern Ireland Office website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/secretary-of-state-announces-advice-on-mla-
pay
Northern Ireland Government
Lady Hermon: [120790]
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 12
December 2017 to Question 119155, whether he plans to publish the public consultation
on legacy issues in Northern Ireland before March 2018.
Chloe Smith:
We want to move forward to achieve progress on addressing legacy issues for
victims, survivors and wider society. We hope to be in a position to consult soon with
the aim of building support and confidence in the new legacy institutions from across
the community.
Schools: North Down
Lady Hermon: [120783]
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to visit (a) schools
with an integrated ethos and (b) other schools in North Down constituency in 2018; and if
he will make a statement.
Chloe Smith:
The Northern Ireland Office Ministerial team engaged with groups and individuals
across a wide range of sectors, including integrated education, during 2017. I look
forward to this engagement continuing in 2018. My Ministerial colleagues and I have
also enjoyed a number of visits to the honourable Lady’s constituency of North Down.
Our immediate focus, however, continues to be on working with the Northern Ireland
political parties, and the Irish Government, to secure the restoration of inclusive,
stable, devolved government in Northern Ireland.
Voting Rights: Females
Lady Hermon: [120797]
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 18
December 2017 to Question 119147, which events to mark the centenary of the suffrage
movement in Northern Ireland are being organised by (a) his Department and (b) the
Devolved Administration; and if he will publish the lead organiser for each such event.
Chloe Smith:
While my Department is not organising any specific events to mark the centenary of
the suffrage movement in Northern Ireland, the UK’s official arts programme marking
the centenary of the First World War, 14-18 NOW, is commissioning activity in
Northern Ireland to commemorate the suffrage centenary.
I understand the Department for Communities are taking the lead on behalf of the
Devolved Administration to co-ordinate a programme to mark the centenary of the
suffrage movement in Northern Ireland.
The honourable Lady may wish to contact both 14-18 NOW, and the Department for
Communities, to find out more about their plans.
SCOTLAND
Scotland Office: Caledonian Media
Deidre Brock: [120866]
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, for what reasons Lord Duncan held an
introductory meeting with Caledonian Media on 24 August 2017; who he met from that
organisation; and what was discussed at that meeting.
David Mundell:
Scotland Office Ministers meet with a range of stakeholders to discuss various issues
on a regular basis. The Government publishes a list of all ministerial meetings with
external bodies on departmental business on a quarterly basis and are available at
gov.uk.
TRANSPORT
A75: Scotland
Nigel Dodds: [120558]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the
Scottish Government on improvements to the A75 road network.
Jesse Norman:
Road investment in Scotland is a devolved matter and any plans to improve the A75
therefore fall to the Scottish Government. Where there are areas of cross-border
interest, UK Ministers remain keen to collaborate with their Scottish counterparts. The
Department is contributing to discussions about the proposed Borderlands Growth
Deal, which includes an aspiration to improve the A75.
Aviation
Stephen Timms: [120656]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December
2017 to Question 119564, on aviation, what the reasons are for the directions and advice
in place in the cases of (a) Libya, (b) Syria, (c) Yemen, (d) Iraq, (e) Somalia, (f) Ukraine
and (g) Egypt.
Mr John Hayes:
The Department provides advice to operators of UK registered aircraft on the risks of
using a country’s airspace or Flight Information Region (FIR) in areas where an
elevated level of risk is assessed due to activities on the ground. This advice is
issued by the Civil Aviation Authority in the form of a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM). The
level of advice is determined based on the threat posed to aircraft in that airspace
and a risk assessment is completed, based on the best available information, before
any advice is issued. In certain cases the advice is supplemented by a Direction not
to operate.
The reasons for the current NOTAMs in the areas mentioned are:
a) Potential risk to aviation overflying Libya from dedicated anti-aviation weaponry.
b) Potential risk to aviation overflying Syria from dedicated anti-aviation weaponry.
c) Potential risk to aviation overflying Yemen from dedicated anti-aviation weaponry.
d) Potential risk to aviation overflying Iraq from dedicated anti-aviation weaponry.
e) Potential risk to aviation overflying Somalia at less than 25,000ft above ground
level from dedicated anti-aircraft weaponry
f) Potential risk to aviation overflying eastern Ukraine from dedicated anti-aviation
weaponry and the potential for confusion over air traffic control service provision in
the Simferopol (UKFV) FIR
g) Potential risk to aviation overflying Egyptian airspace in Northern Sinai Governate
at less than 25,000 ft above ground level from dedicated anti-aircraft weaponry.
Additionally, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all but essential
travel by air to or from Sharm el Sheikh following the downing of a Metrojet flight in
October 2015.
Advice is kept under regular review.
Aviation: Carbon Emissions
Zac Goldsmith: [120627]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the
measures required to keep aviation CO2 emissions to 37.5MegaTonnes in line with the
modelling in the 4th and 5th carbon budgets.
Mr John Hayes:
The Government remains open to considering all feasible measures to ensure that
the aviation sector contributes fairly to UK emissions reductions, and is committed to
meeting its emissions reduction targets under the Climate Change Act.
There are a range of measures available to reduce carbon emissions from aviation,
including biofuels, airspace reform and improvements in technology.
As mentioned in the Clean Growth Strategy, the Government will set out its strategic
approach to the aviation sector in a series of consultations leading to the publication
of a new Aviation Strategy for the UK.
The Strategy will consider what the best approach and combination of policy
measures are to ensure we effectively address carbon emissions from aviation.
Aviation: Exhaust Emissions
Zac Goldsmith: [120628]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which measures in addition to those set out
in the Clean Growth Strategy will be required to keep aviation emissions to 37.5
MegaTonnes.
Mr John Hayes:
The Government remains open to considering all feasible measures to ensure that
the aviation sector contributes fairly to UK emissions reductions, and is committed to
meeting its emissions reduction targets under the Climate Change Act.
There are a range of measures available to reduce carbon emissions from aviation,
including biofuels, airspace reform and improvements in technology.
As mentioned in the Clean Growth Strategy, the Government will set out its strategic
approach to the aviation sector in a series of consultations leading to the publication
of a new Aviation Strategy for the UK.
The Strategy will consider what the best approach and combination of policy
measures are to ensure we effectively address carbon emissions from aviation.
Aviation: Noise
Zac Goldsmith: [120276]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will assess the potential
merits of changing the boundaries at which communities affected by aircraft noise receive
compensation.
Mr John Hayes:
Following its recent Airspace Policy consultation, the Department implemented
changes to its policy on compensation for communities affected by noise as a result
of airspace change. The Government will undertake additional consideration of this
issue through the new aviation strategy it is currently developing.
Bicycles: Hire Services
Steve McCabe: [120614]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that local
authorities have the necessary powers to regulate and manage bike-share schemes in
their local authority areas.
Jesse Norman:
Local authorities currently have powers to act if bicycles, including shared bicycles,
are causing an obstruction or nuisance. However, the Department has received
representations to the effect that local authorities may find it useful to have specific
powers to regulate these schemes, and is continuing to discuss possible ways
forward with stakeholders.
Steve McCabe: [120615]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to promote bike-share
schemes in towns and cities.
Jesse Norman:
The Government agrees that bike-share schemes have the potential to deliver
various benefits, provided they are introduced and managed responsibly. This is
already a very vibrant sector, however, and it would not be appropriate for the
Government to promote individual schemes.
Steve McCabe: [120617]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the extent
of growth of bike-share schemes.
Jesse Norman:
The Department for Transport continues to have regular dialogue with local
authorities and others, including bike-share providers, about the growth of bike-share
schemes and its potential impacts, and is keeping this matter under review.
Steve McCabe: [120619]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of
effectiveness of bike-share schemes in supporting improvements in air quality.
Jesse Norman:
The Government agrees that bike-share schemes have the potential to deliver
various benefits, provided they are introduced and managed responsibly, but has not
carried out any detailed assessment of their potential impact on air quality.
Blue Badge Scheme
Gareth Thomas: [120519]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many complaints his Department has
received on the eligibility criteria for Blue Badges; and whether he plans to bring forward
legislative proposals to amend those criteria; and if he will make a statement.
Jesse Norman:
This information is not recorded.
The Department is reviewing how the scheme works for people with hidden
disabilities, to ensure that the rules and guidance are clear and that those with the
greatest needs have access to badges. It is too early to say what the outcome of this
work will be.
Bus Services: Information
Daniel Zeichner: [120740]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to consult on the
Accessible Information Regulations.
Jesse Norman:
The Bus Services Act 2017 includes powers to require the provision of audible and
visible information on local bus services throughout Great Britain.
The Government is committed to working with disabled people, bus companies, the
devolved administrations and other key stakeholders when developing associated
Regulations and Guidance. The Government will consult more widely on its proposals
in 2018.
Daniel Zeichner: [120741]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions (a) Ministers and (b)
officials of his Department have had with bus operators on the provisions of Section 17 of
the Bus Services Act 2017 on providing accessible information for bus passengers in the
last 12 months.
Jesse Norman:
The Government is committed to working with a range of stakeholders during the
development of the Regulations that will be made under Section 17 of the Bus
Services Act 2017 to require the provision of audible and visible information on
buses.
Both Ministers and officials meet with representatives of the bus operators regularly,
but we do not comment on the content of individual meetings.
Govia Thameslink Railway
Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [120283]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has accrued to the public purse in
fare revenues from the GTR franchise agreement for each rail period since the beginning
of that franchise.
Paul Maynard:
The revenue paid to the Department for the Thameslink Southern and Great Northern
franchise is shown in the Go Ahead group accounts: https://www.go-
ahead.com/en/investors/results-reports-presentations.html. The Department does not
break down the revenue into individual brands.
Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [120284]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what money has accrued to the public purse
from rail revenues from the Southern section of the GTR franchise for each rail period
since the beginning of that franchise.
Paul Maynard:
The revenue paid to the Department for the Thameslink Southern and Great Northern
franchise is shown in the Go Ahead group accounts: https://www.go-
ahead.com/en/investors/results-reports-presentations.html. The Department does not
break down the revenue into individual brands.
Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [120612]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Parliamentary Under
Secretary of State’s letter to the Chair of the Transport Committee of 17 November 2016,
what estimate it has made or received from GTR of the cost to date of (a) continuing GTR
poor performance and (b) revisions its timetable on revenue receipts; and what proportion
of that cost has been met by (a) the Government and (b) GTR.
Paul Maynard:
The Department has not made or received any further estimates on these costs. Due
to the nature of the contract, any costs incurred, for example the provision of
replacement bus services, are a commercial matter for Govia Thameslink Trains
Limited and will have been met by them.
Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [120613]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the financial
value of the force majeure claims by GTR which were agreed by the Government.
Paul Maynard:
The Department does not calculate the financial value of GTR’s Force Majeure
claims, as under the terms of GTR’s franchise agreement, the outcome of any train
operators’ Force Majeure claim are incorporated in their annual performance regime,
which measures performance over 12 months and calculates penalty or bonus
incentives. There are no separate calculations on the value of individual claims.
Govia Thameslink Railway: Industrial Disputes
Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [120285]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference the Parliamentary Under-
Secretary of State’s letter to the Chair of the Transport Committee of 17 November 2016,
what the loss to date is of farebox revenues arising from official industrial action on GTR.
Paul Maynard:
Govia Thameslink Trains Limited has advised that the loss to date of farebox
revenues arising from official industrial action on GTR services is £22.2m.
Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [120289]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Parliamentary Under-
Secretary of State’s letter to the Chair of the Transport Select Committee of 17 November
2016, what the loss to date in farebox revenue has been which has arisen from alleged
official industrial action on GTR.
Paul Maynard:
Govia Thameslink Trains Limited has advised that the loss to date of farebox
revenues arising from official industrial action on GTR services is £22.2m.
Heathrow Airport
Zac Goldsmith: [120624]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has
made of the effect on air quality of the construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport.
Mr John Hayes:
The Government believes that the Heathrow Northwest Runway scheme can be
delivered without impacting on the UK’s compliance with air quality limit values, given
the measures set out in the Government’s air quality plan, and with a suitable
package of mitigation measures taken forward by the promoter.
Should the revised draft Airports National Policy Statement be designated, then it
would be for the promoter to undertake a detailed assessment of the air quality
impacts of the scheme, including during construction, and put forward to the Planning
Inspectorate an appropriate package of mitigations that address air quality impacts
and demonstrate compliance with air quality obligations.
In order to grant development consent, the Secretary of State would need to be
satisfied that, with mitigation, the scheme would be compliant with legal obligations.
Zac Goldsmith: [120625]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proposals he plans to put in place to
mitigate the negative air quality effects of a third runway at Heathrow.
Mr John Hayes:
Should the revised draft Airports National Policy Statement be designated, then it
would be for the promoter to undertake a detailed assessment of the air quality
impacts of the scheme and put forward to the Planning Inspectorate an appropriate
package of mitigations that address air quality impacts and demonstrate compliance
with air quality obligations.
The precise package of mitigation measures would be subject to consultation with
local communities to ensure that the most effective measures are taken forward.
Furthermore, in order to grant development consent, the Secretary of State would
need to be satisfied that, with mitigation, the scheme would be compliant with legal
obligations.
Heathrow Airport: Air Pollution
Zac Goldsmith: [120278]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the
potential effect on air quality of the construction of a third runway at Heathrow.
Mr John Hayes:
The Government believes that the Heathrow Northwest Runway scheme can be
delivered without impacting on the UK’s compliance with air quality limit values, given
the measures set out in the Government’s air quality plan, and with a suitable
package of mitigation measures taken forward by the promoter.
Should the revised draft Airports National Policy Statement be designated, then it
would be for the promoter to undertake a detailed assessment of the air quality
impacts of the scheme, including during construction, and put forward to the Planning
Inspectorate an appropriate package of mitigations that address air quality impacts
and demonstrate compliance with air quality obligations.
In order to grant development consent, the Secretary of State would need to be
satisfied that, with mitigation, the scheme would be compliant with legal obligations.
Heathrow Airport: Night Flying
Zac Goldsmith: [120274]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the
feasibility of imposing an eight hour night flight ban at Heathrow Airport; and if he will
make a statement.
Mr John Hayes:
Following consultation, in October 2017, the Government implemented a new five-
year night flight regime at Heathrow, which will end in October 2022. This regime
limits the number of scheduled movements to an average of sixteen per night for a
six and a half hour night period.
The revised draft Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) sets out the
Government’s expectation for a six and a half hour ban on scheduled night flights at
an expanded Heathrow. Should the revised draft Airports NPS be designated,
consideration of any ban, including timings, would be subject to the International Civil
Aviation Organisation’s Balanced Approach to noise management, including
consultation with local communities and other interested parties.
Heathrow Airport: Noise
Zac Goldsmith: [120275]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the
potential merits of establishing a legally binding noise envelope at Heathrow Airport; and
if he will make a statement.
Mr John Hayes:
The revised draft Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) makes clear that any
noise envelope at an expanded Heathrow should be tailored to local priorities and
include clear noise performance targets. If the revised draft Airports NPS is
designated, the design of any noise envelope would be defined in consultation with
local communities and relevant stakeholders.
Zac Goldsmith: [120277]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Heathrow
Airport on potential boundary changes to its Quieter Homes scheme.
Mr John Hayes:
There have been no discussions between the Department for Transport and
Heathrow Airport on potential changes to Heathrow’s Quieter Homes scheme.
Whilst the Government sets the guidelines on when it expect airport operators to
provide compensation to local communities, decision on how to apply the guidance
are for the airport itself.
London-Coventry Railway Line: Mobile Phones
Mr Jim Cunningham: [120337]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an
assessment of the level of availability of mobile phone coverage on the Coventry to
London train line
Paul Maynard:
The Department has consulted on both the West Midlands Rail Franchise (WM) and
Intercity West Coast Rail Franchise (ICWC), which operate on the Coventry to
London line. ICWC services will form part of the new West Coast Partnership Rail
Franchise (WCP). Responses to the consultations from both stakeholders and the
public highlighted mobile connectivity as an important area for improvement. These
responses informed the specification for WM franchise, which commenced on 10
December 2017, and the WCP franchise, which is due to begin in early 2019. As part
of both new franchises there will be improvements to mobile connectivity and for
WCP the winning bidder will be required to provide a report to the Secretary of State
on the signal strength and capacity of the route.
Members: Correspondence
Joan Ryan: [120266]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to respond to the letter from
The Right hon. Member for Enfield North, dated 24 October 2017, on the development of
the Northern Gateway Access Package.
Jesse Norman:
I replied on 21 December 2017.
Parking Offences: Pedestrian Areas
Chris Davies: [120730]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will carry out research into
how best to tackle pavement parking; and what the timetable is for the consultation of
Traffic Regulation Orders.
Jesse Norman:
The Department plans to conduct a survey on Traffic Regulation Orders in the Spring.
The Department is currently considering the options for dealing with pavement
parking, and expects to engage with interested parties in the near future.
Railways: Compensation
Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [120290]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Parliamentary Under
Secretary of State’s letter of the Chair of the Transport Select Committee of 17 November
2016, how much has been paid to customers to date under the Delay Repay passenger
compensation scheme to date; and who is responsible for funding those payments.
Paul Maynard:
The compensation payments made by Train Operating Companies (TOC) to
passengers up to 2016/17 are published on the GOV.UK website, see following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/train-operating-companies-passengers-
charter-compensation.
The funding of compensation payments depends on the franchise agreement that the
TOC has with the DfT and whether or not the TOC is paying the Department for
Transport profit share or is eligible for revenue support.
Railways: Fares
Andy McDonald: [121080]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the
potential effect of the rail fare rises due in January 2018 on (a) demand and (b) fare
revenue for (i) regulated fares and (ii) unregulated fares.
Paul Maynard:
The Department makes long-term projections of rail demand and revenues, for
planning and budgeting purposes, and to assess the case for enhancement
schemes. These take into account a range of factors including changes in yield but
are not split in the way suggested.
Andy McDonald: [121081]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the
potential effect of the increase in rail fares due in January 2018 on demand for (a) Virgin
Trains East Coast main line services, (b) Virgin Trains West Coast main line services and
(c) First Great Western services.
Paul Maynard:
The Department makes long-term projections of rail demand and revenues, which
take into account a range of factors including changes in yield. Estimates of the effect
on individual train operating companies is proprietary and would risk damaging
commercial positions if released.
Railways: Fylde
Mark Menzies: [120226]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December
2017 to Question 118759, what representations his Department has received on a
business case for increasing the frequency of train services on the South Fylde line to (a)
Lytham, (b) Ansdell and (c) St Annes; and if he will make a statement.
Paul Maynard:
The Department has not received representations on a business case for increasing
the frequency of train services on the South Fylde line.
Railways: Greater London
Andy McDonald: [121079]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the proportion
of first class train seating capacity that is used for (a) peak and (b) off-peak travel for (i)
First Great Western main line services out of Paddington, (ii) Virgin Trains main line
services out of Euston and (iii) Virgin Trains East Coast main line services out of Kings
Cross.
Paul Maynard:
There is no published information regarding the proportion of First Class seating
capacity used on First Great Western services from Paddington, Virgin Trains
services from Euston or Virgin Trains East Coast services from Kings Cross.
Rapid Transit Systems: Oxford
Layla Moran: [121013]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the
potential merits of introducing a light rail system to Oxford.
Jesse Norman:
The Government supports light rail where it can be shown to be the best solution to
an area’s transport needs. No assessment has been made by the Department for
Transport on the potential merits of introducing a light rail system to Oxford. It is for
the respective local authorities to decide whether light rail is the right solution and to
develop plans accordingly.
Road Traffic Control
Sir Greg Knight: [120496]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made
of the potential merits of making greater use of tidal flow carriageways to help reduce
congestion at rush hours in towns and cities; if he will take steps to encourage local
highway authorities to make greater use of such carriageways; and if he will make a
statement.
Jesse Norman:
Section 16 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 introduced a network management
duty for local traffic authorities to manage their road networks with a view to
“achieving, so far as may be reasonably practicable, the expeditious movement of
traffic on the authority’s road network”. Local traffic authorities have a range of tools
available, including tidal flow carriageways, to manage congestion and are
responsible for deciding which measures are appropriate for use on their roads.
Speed Limits
Kerry McCarthy: [120798]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made
of the effect of 20 mph zones on road safety for pedestrians.
Jesse Norman:
Atkins, Aecom and Professor Mike Maher were commissioned by the Department for
Transport in 2014, to address a gap in the evidence available on the effectiveness of
20mph speed limit (signed only) schemes. While there is evidence suggesting that
20mph zones are effective in reducing collisions and speeds (as well as leading to
other benefits), there is an evidence gap on the effectiveness of 20mph speed limits
(i.e. 20mph limits with no physical traffic calming measures). This research is in
progress, and the Department expects to publish the final report in Spring-Summer
2018.
Uber
Jo Stevens: [120771]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he will introduce regulations in
response to the ruling by the European Court of Justice on 20 December 2017 that Uber
is a transport company and not a digital service.
Mr John Hayes:
Uber has always been regulated as a private hire vehicle operator in England and
Wales, therefore no additional or revised regulation is required as a consequence of
the European Court of Justice ruling.
I announced in a Westminster Hall debate that I would be setting up a working group
to consider current issues concerning taxi and PHV licensing. That group has now
been formed and will report its findings to me early this year.
WALES
Economic Situation: Wales
Jo Stevens: [120778]
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Welsh
Government on its recently published economic action plan for Wales.
Alun Cairns:
I have regular discussions with the Welsh Government on economic policy for Wales.
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and I met with
the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure to discuss
the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy and the Welsh Governments Economic
Action Plan. Our officials have since continued this conversation.
EU Grants and Loans: Wales
Jo Stevens: [120978]
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his Answer of 21 December 2017 to
Question 119948, on Wales Office, whether the regular meetings with Cabinet colleagues
included discussion of the Shared Prosperity Fund with the Secretary of State for
Communities and Local Government.
Alun Cairns:
Yes.
WOMEN AND EQUALITIES
Government Equalities Office: EU Law
Priti Patel: [121056]
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, which EU (a) Directives, (b) Regulations
and (c) other legislation affecting her Department she is planning to propose (i)
revocation and (ii) amendment of after the UK leaves the EU.
Mr Robert Goodwill:
EU law will be retained by the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, as it applies in the
UK on the day the we leave the EU. We expect between 800 and 1000 statutory
instruments will be required across government to correct this retained EU law to
ensure the statute book functions appropriately outside the EU. All departments are
engaged in this process. Once we leave the EU, we will make our own laws. As we
leave the EU, the government’s EU exit legislative programme is designed to cater
for the full range of negotiated and non-negotiated outcomes.
Sanitary Protection: Scotland
David Linden: [120626]
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she has met her counterpart in
the Scottish Government to discuss its initiative to provide sanitary products to women
and girls on low incomes.
Mr Robert Goodwill:
Officials at the Department for Education hold regular discussions with officials in the
devolved administrations about the issue of sanitary protection provision in schools;
the last meeting on this topic was held in November 2017 and the next discussion is
due take place in January 2018. My hon. Friend, the Minister for Women and
Equalities has not met her counterpart in the Scottish Government but has been
updated on the discussions held. Officials in the Scottish Government have
committed to update the Department for Education on all relevant initiatives, including
their Aberdeen pilot when information about its impact and affordability becomes
available.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Access to Work Programme: Southwark
Ms Harriet Harman: [121023]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many deaf people were in
receipt of Access to Work payments in (a) Camberwell and Peckham constituency and
(b) the London Borough of Southwark in each of the last three years.
Sarah Newton:
The information is not readily available and has not previously been published as
official statistics. The Department’s analysts are currently exploring the feasibility of
including payments data in the next publication of Access to Work Statistics.
Bereavement Benefits: Cohabitation
Martyn Day: [120991]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to allow
surviving members of cohabiting couples to access bereavement benefits.
Caroline Dinenage:
Bereavement Benefits are contributory benefits and it is a founding principle of the
contributory benefits system that rights derived from another person’s contributions
should be based on the concept of legal marriage or civil partnership. Moreover,
proving that cohabitation existed could be a complex process likely to cause distress
at a time of bereavement.
Jobcentres
Ged Killen: [121062]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the
average distance a claimant travels to reach their nearest job centre for an appointment;
and what the average distance is in rural areas.
Damian Hinds:
DWP does not collect information on the travel times and distances for individual
claimants.
When DWP looked at proposed jobcentre closures, there was a reasonable
expectation that claimants can travel 3 miles or 20 minutes by public transport to a
new jobcentre location from their existing jobcentre.
There are large areas of the country where claimants have always travelled further
than this.
If claimants are experiencing any difficulties with accessing DWP services, they
should discuss their issues with their work coach who will be happy to help overcome
any issues affecting their claim or work search.
Jobcentres: Closures
Ged Killen: [121061]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many jobcentre premises were
closed in 2017, including centres that were merged with larger jobcentres or co-located in
other government buildings.
Damian Hinds:
Since the Written Ministerial Statement laid out in Parliament on 5 July 2017
confirming our plan to rationalise the DWP estate, the Department has closed 46
jobcentres up to and including 20 December 2017.
The staff and services from 26 jobcentres have merged into nearby, larger Jobcentre
offices, and there have been 20 co-locations with Local Authorities.
Jobcentres: Glasgow
David Linden: [120993]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will carry out an assessment
of the potential effect of the closure of Easterhouse Jobcentre on levels of poverty that
area.
Caroline Dinenage:
There are no plans to assess poverty levels in connection with closures of individual
sites such as Easterhouse and Parkhead Jobcentres.
I would stress again that the office mergers are not about reducing services, but
about taking the opportunity to stop spending money on empty space so we can
spend more on supporting those in need. The face-to-face support our work coaches
offer at jobcentres will continue to be a core part of the service we deliver.
National statistics on the number of individuals in relative low income are set out in
DWP’s annual "Households Below Average Income" publication. Latest 3-year
estimates for Scotland in 2013/14 - 2015/16 show the rate of individuals in low
income households at 15% Before Housing Costs. The number and proportion of
individuals in relative low income is not available at a local authority or constituency
level because the survey sample sizes are too small to support the production of
robust estimates at this geography. Estimates to 2016/17 have been pre-announced
to be published in March 2018.
David Linden: [120994]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of
the potential effect of the closure of Parkhead Jobcentre on levels of poverty in that area.
Caroline Dinenage:
There are no plans to assess poverty levels in connection with closures of individual
sites such as Easterhouse and Parkhead Jobcentres.
I would stress again that the office mergers are not about reducing services, but
about taking the opportunity to stop spending money on empty space so we can
spend more on supporting those in need. The face-to-face support our work coaches
offer at jobcentres will continue to be a core part of the service we deliver.
National statistics on the number of individuals in relative low income are set out in
DWP’s annual "Households Below Average Income" publication. Latest 3-year
estimates for Scotland in 2013/14 - 2015/16 show the rate of individuals in low
income households at 15% Before Housing Costs. The number and proportion of
individuals in relative low income is not available at a local authority or constituency
level because the survey sample sizes are too small to support the production of
robust estimates at this geography. Estimates to 2016/17 have been pre-announced
to be published in March 2018.
Mortgages: Government Assistance
Diana Johnson: [121064]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of
people receiving Support for Mortgage Interest will not qualify for the loans which will
replace them from April 2018.
Caroline Dinenage:
All claimants currently receiving support for mortgage interest will be eligible to
receive a loan from April 2018.
Diana Johnson: [121065]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) Hull, (b)
Yorkshire and Humber and (c) the UK receive Support for Mortgage Interest, and how
many of those people receive (i) Employment Support Allowance, (ii) Personal
Independence Payment and (iii) Jobseekers’ Allowance.
Caroline Dinenage:
The table below gives the Department’s estimates of the caseload of Support for
Mortgage Interest (SMI) split by benefit and selected geographies.
ALL SMI
SMI AND EMPLOYMENT AND SUPPORT
ALLOWANCE
SMI AND JOB SEEKER’S
ALLOWANCE
Great Britain 110,000 49,000 2,000
Yorkshire and
Humberside
9,000 4,000 -
Table 1: SMI caseload by benefit across selected geographies
Data is not available on:
the number of SMI claimants in receipt of Personal Independence Payment;
the number of claimants of SMI in Hull and geographies smaller than Government
Office Region.
The Department does not hold data on SMI in respect of Northern Ireland.
Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000 cases.
‘-’ denotes under 500 cases.
Diana Johnson: [121066]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average Annual
Percentage Rate will be for the loans which will replace Support for Mortgage Interest
from April 2018, and whether that rate will vary as a result on the actuarial risk of
applicants.
Caroline Dinenage:
Interest will be charged on SMI loans based upon the cost of gilts as published by the
Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR). This rate reflects the cost of Government
borrowing. The Gilt Rate Forecast for 2018-19 is 1.5%, as specified in the latest
Economic and Fiscal Outlook published on the 22nd November 2017 by the OBR.
There will be no variation in the interest rate charged as a result of actuarial risk.
Diana Johnson: [121067]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of
people whose only source of income is (i) Employment Support Allowance (ESA), (ii)
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and (iii) ESA and PIP in receipt of Support for
Mortgage Interest (SMI), will not be eligible for the loans which replace SMI in April 2018.
Caroline Dinenage:
All claimants currently receiving support for mortgage interest will be eligible to
receive a loan from April 2018.
Occupational Pensions: Public Consultation
Thangam Debbonaire: [120524]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the outcome was of the
Government's consultation entitled Defined Benefits Schemes: Security and Sustainability
which ended on 14 May 2017; and if he will make a statement.
Guy Opperman:
The Government published a consultation entitled Security and Sustainability in
Defined Benefit Schemes on 20 February 2017. The 12-week consultation closed on
14 May 2017. Over 800 responses were received from pension scheme members
(active and deferred), pensioners, scheme trustees, employers and national pension
associations. We are in the process of analysing these results and we will publish a
white paper in due course.
Older Workers
Tonia Antoniazzi: [120665]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been
helped to (a) remain in and (b) return to work by the Fuller Working Lives initiative in (i)
the UK, (ii) Wales and (iii) Gower constituency.
Damian Hinds:
The data requested is not held, however the number of older workers in the UK
currently stands at 10 million workers aged 50 years with over 8.8 million individuals
aged 50-64 in employment; an increase of 1.2 million people compared to five years
ago. There are 1.2 million individuals in employment aged 65 and over.
Employment rates for older workers have also been increasing steadily. In the past
ten years, the employment rate for people aged 50-64 has increased by 6.0
percentage points (from 65.2% in 2007 to 71.2% in 2017). The employment rate for
individuals aged 65 and over has almost doubled to 10.1%, from 5.1% twenty years
ago.
Further information on estimates of employment, unemployment, economic inactivity
and other employment-related statistics for the UK can be found in the “UK labour
market: December 2017” statistical bulletin published at the Office for National
Statistics (ONS) website:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentande
mployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/december2017
Further information on labour market statistics for separate UK countries, as well as
local areas, can be found at the NOMIS website:
https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/
The Government is committed to supporting people aged 50 years and over to
remain in and return to work; the ‘Fuller Working Lives: A Partnership Approach’
strategy was published on 2nd February. This, crucially, is led by employers, but it
also sets out the case for action by individuals, and the role of Government in
supporting them in planning their careers and their approach to retirement. The
Strategy and supporting evidence base are available at the attached web address:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fuller-working-lives-a-partnership-
approach
Analysis on the headline measures that the government uses to monitor progress on
Fuller Working Lives can be found in this statistical release:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/economic-labour-market-status-of-
individuals-aged-50-and-over-trends-over-time-september-2017
Pensions: Uprating
Thangam Debbonaire: [120525]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will bring forward legislative
proposals to require all pension schemes to index according to inflation for pre-1997
components of defined benefit pensions.
Guy Opperman:
If a pensioner’s pre-1997 defined benefit pension rights include a Guaranteed
Minimum Pension (GMP) earned after April 1988, that element must be increased by
inflation, capped at 3 per cent.
Defined benefit pensions accrued after 1997 are subject to statutory limited price
indexation: inflation capped at 5 per cent for pensions accrued between April 1997
and April 2005 and inflation capped at 2.5 per cent for pensions accrued after April
2005.
We have no plans to change this.
Personal Independence Payment: Appeals
Ms Karen Buck: [120307]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there are circumstances in
which his Department offers payments to claimants who withdraw their appeals against
decisions on personal independence payments; how many such payments have been
made; and if he will make a statement.
Sarah Newton:
Whether it is an appeal to the First-tier Tribunal or the Upper Tribunal, the
Department does not offer payments to claimants to withdraw their Personal
Independence Payment appeals.
Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations
Ms Angela Eagle: [120639]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish the total number of
people who were awarded a score of zero in the assessment of the (a) mobility and (b)
daily living components of the personal independence payment in each month of the
most recent 12 months for which data is available.
Sarah Newton:
The table below gives statistics on the number of cases given a total of zero points at
assessment for the a) mobility and b) daily living components of Personal
Independence Payment (PIP) in each month for 1st November 2016 to 31st October
2017, the most recent twelve months for which data is available.
Table 1 – number of cases scoring zero points at assessment for PIP
ZERO MOBILITY, NON-
ZERO DAILY LIVING
ZERO DAILY LIVING,
NON-ZERO MOBILITY
ZERO MOBILITY AND
ZERO DAILY LIVING
Nov 2016 6,430 460 11,480
Dec 2016 5,070 370 8,890
Jan 2017 5,760 460 9,740
Feb 2017 5,100 390 9,420
Mar 2017 5,930 440 10,860
Apr 2017 4,660 360 8,290
May 2017 5,980 490 11,720
June 2017 6,350 520 12,930
July 2017 6,700 630 13,740
Aug 2017 5,680 570 12,750
Sep 2017 5,540 490 12,250
Oct 2017 6,940 600 15,320
Total 70,150 5,780 137,380
Source: PIP Computer System
Laura Pidcock: [121087]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what qualifications health
professionals completing a Personal Independence Payment medical assessment should
possess to be able to assess people with a mental health issue.
Sarah Newton:
Health Care Professionals (HCPs) undertaking PIP assessments must have at least
2 years post full registration experience (this refers to either UK registration or
equivalent overseas registration for non-UK HCPs) or less than 2 years post full
registration experience by individual, prior, written agreement with the Department.
Requests by providers to employ HCPs with less than 2 years post full registration
experience is rare and exceptional.
All HCPs receive training on how to identify the impact of mental health conditions on
claimants. This is followed by on-going professional training and support which
continues for the duration of their employment in the role.
In addition, Mental Health Champions support HCPs by providing additional expertise
about mental health, cognitive, developmental and learning disabilities and can be
referred to at any time during the assessment process.
HCPs make every attempt to obtain the best evidence available to assist them in
undertaking the assessment. This includes accessing evidence from Community
Mental Health Teams, psychologists, psychiatrists and other medical professionals.
Health Assessment Providers frequently engage with medical experts, charities and
relevant stakeholders to strengthen review and update training programmes for all
their assessment staff.
Personal Independence Payment: Mental Illness
Laura Pidcock: [121088]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria his Department
applies when assessing claimants with mental health issues for Personal Independence
Payments.
Sarah Newton:
All claims to Personal Independence Payment are assessed against all ten daily
living activities and two mobility activities as set out in Schedule 1 of the Social
Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013 and other provisions
relating to entitlement or payment. A copy of the Regulations can be accessed here:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/377/contents.
Poverty: Children
Tonia Antoniazzi: [120677]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of
children were living in poverty in Gower in each year for which data is available.
Caroline Dinenage:
National statistics on the number of children in relative low income are set out in the
annual "Households Below Average Income" publication. The number and proportion
of children in relative low income is not available at local authority or constituency
level in this publication because the survey sample sizes are too small to support the
production of robust estimates at this geography.
Latest 3-year estimates for Wales of the proportion and number of children in low
income are available in Table 4.16ts and Table 4.17ts in the file
“4_children_timeseries_risk” from this link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/599136
/hbai-2015-2016-supporting-ods-files.zip
Schools: Staff
Alex Sobel: [120412]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many injuries were reported
involving inappropriate clothing or jewellery worn by staff in schools in the last 12 months.
Sarah Newton:
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for the enforcement of the
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013
(RIDDOR), which requires employers to report certain injuries to employees. The
type of clothing or jewellery worn does not determine whether an injury must be
reported, and HSE do not hold any data on this issue. HSE would only advise on
clothing or jewellery in the workplace where there is an identified risk to a work
activity. To be reportable, injuries must have occurred as a result of, or be connected
to, a work activity.
Social Security Benefits
Neil Coyle: [120636]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many recommendations
advanced in independent reviews of the operation of (a) personal independence
payments and (b) employment support allowance his Department has (i) accepted and (ii)
implemented.
Sarah Newton:
The Government has welcomed the publication of both the first and second statutory
Independent Reviews of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) carried out by Paul
Gray. Paul Gray made a total of twenty-eight recommendations and the Government
has accepted or partially accepted all of them.
The Government published its response to the second Independent Review on 18
December 2017. Annexes A and B in our response sets out the progress we have
made since the first Independent Review on implementing the recommendations and
what we will do next to further improve PIP .
The DWP had a statutory commitment to independently review the Employment and
Support Allowance Work Capability Assessment (WCA) annually for the first five
years. Professor Malcolm Harrington carried out the first three Independent Reviews
and Dr Paul Litchfield carried out the remaining two. In all, the Department accepted
and implemented over 100 recommendations.
The Government responses to the Independent Reviews of PIP can be found at:
The first response to the first review -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-pip-
assessments-first-independent-review-government-response
The second response to the first review –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-pip-
assessments-first-independent-review-second-government-response
The response to the second review -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-pip-
assessment-second-independent-review-government-response
The Government responses to the reviews of the WCA can be found at:
Year 1 - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-the-
work-capability-assessment-independent-review-year-1
Year 2 - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-the-
work-capability-assessment-independent-review-year-2
Year 3 - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-the-
work-capability-assessment-independent-review-year-3
Year 4 - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-the-
work-capability-assessment-independent-review-year-4
Year 5 - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-the-
work-capability-assessment-independent-review-year-5
Social Security Benefits: Arrears
Catherine West: [120568]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether a claimant is provided by
his Department with a written breakdown of monies paid in cases where welfare arrears
are paid to that claimant.
Caroline Dinenage:
What a claimant receives varies depending on the benefit being claimed. However,
the Department can provide a breakdown of arrears if a claimant or their
representative requests one.
Social Security Benefits: Glasgow
David Linden: [120997]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will monitor
trends in the level of sanction decisions at Shettleston Jobcentre for 12 months after the
divestment of Bridgeton, Parkhead and Easterhouse Jobcentres.
Damian Hinds:
The Department is continually monitoring sanction decisions across all Jobcentres.
The latest statistics regarding this can be found on Gov.uk up to June 2017 -
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-sanctions-statistics-2017
Social Security Benefits: Terminal Illnesses
Jo Stevens: [120775]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is
taking to improve access to social security payments for people who are terminally ill and
have a variable diagnosis of life expectancy.
Sarah Newton:
Special rules for people who are terminally ill provide a guaranteed entitlement to
benefit, with claims dealt with sensitively, without a face-to-face assessment and
under a fast track process. These rules apply across Attendance Allowance (AA),
Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Employment and Support Allowance, Personal
Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit.
For legislative purposes, someone is considered terminally ill if they have a
progressive disease and death in consequence of that disease can reasonably be
expected within six months. We recognise that determining life expectancy is not an
exact science, therefore claimants are not asked to provide evidence of life
expectancy. All claims made under these rules are assessed on the basis of the
claimant’s diagnosis, current and proposed treatment and details of clinical findings.
This means that many existing terminally ill claimants will remain on benefit for longer
than six months, for example of the 65,500 terminally ill claimants in receipt of a
disability benefit (AA, DLA or PIP), over two thirds have been on benefit for six
months or more.
We are committed to meeting the needs of terminally ill claimants, therefore these
rules are kept under review on an ongoing basis.
State Retirement Pensions
Tonia Antoniazzi: [120673]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) Gower, (b)
Wales and (c) the UK are not eligible for the new state pension due to having less than
10 years of national insurance contributions.
Guy Opperman:
The New State Pension was introduced for those persons reaching State Pension
age on, or after, 6th April 2016. Our latest data on the number of qualifying years
people have are for the 2015/16 financial year, so we do not yet have any data on the
numbers of people reaching State Pension age under the New State Pension with
less than 10 years of National Insurance contributions.
State Retirement Pensions: Females
David Linden: [121037]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 24
October 2017 to Question 108665, and with reference to the Answer of 3 November 2017
to Question 109823, and the Answers of 21 December 2017 to Questions 120382 and
120384, what criteria his Department used to determine that the advertising campaign
carried out to raise awareness of the new state pension age under the provisions of the
1995 Pensions Act was extensive.
Guy Opperman:
Between 2001 and 2004 the Department ran a ‘pensions education’ communications
campaign. The Department’s research report No 221, Public awareness of State
Pension age Equalisation, published in 2004, referred to the campaign in question. It
stated:
This campaign included the following:
advertising features in the press including information on the ‘equalisation of State
Pension age’ (SPa);
a ‘Women’s Pensions Pack’ containing leaflets for women on pensions and the
changes in women’s SPa is available from the Pensions Service;
direct mailings targeted specifically at women, highlighting that the SPa for women
is changing;
the Department’s State Pension forecast letters and the accompanying leaflet
showing the recipient’s SPa and explaining who is affected by the changes to the
SPa for women;
The Pension Service website contains an interactive State Pension date/age
calculator facility. This enables women and men to enter their date of birth and find
out their own individual State Pension date and age.
It was on bases like these that we described the campaign as “extensive”.
David Linden: [121043]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 21
December 2017 to Question 120384, if he will place in the Library copies of any financial
records his Department holds in relation to the pensions education communications
campaign.
Guy Opperman:
The Pensions Education Campaign ran from 2001 to 2004. Due to the time elapsed,
the Department no longer holds any financial records for this campaign, therefore has
no records to place in the library relating to the campaign.
Universal Credit
Ged Killen: [121059]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 21
December 2017 to Question 119929 on universal credit, when the automated system will
be be operational.
Damian Hinds:
In order to roll out Universal Credit safely and securely, improvements are built into
the Universal Credit IT system using a test and learn approach. We learn from our
data and research before features are considered, approved and progressed.
Implementing the automated system is important to us and will be prioritised in due
course.
Universal Credit: Council Tax Reduction Schemes
Anneliese Dodds: [121091]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether jobcentre plus staff inform
clients claiming universal credit that they are eligible to claim council tax relief in those
local authority areas where this relief is still available for working-age people.
Damian Hinds:
When making an online claim for Universal Credit, claimants are signposted to
independent websites and benefit calculators which highlight other support that may
be available in their area, including Council Tax reduction.
DWP staff are aware of support available locally and this forms a key part of the
conversations during the initial stages of a Universal Credit claim.
They also promote national products of support, such as the online money manager
developed by the Money Advice Service.
There is a section on Gov.uk relating to budgeting support which can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-budgeting-support-for-universal-credit-
claimants
Universal Credit: Disqualification
Neil Gray: [120607]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many responsible carers with
children have been sanctioned under the universal credit provisions in the last four
quarters.
Damian Hinds:
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur
disproportionate cost.
Universal Credit: Telephone Services
Jim McMahon: [121092]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 19
December to Question 118690, on Universal Credit: Telephone Services, what the
evidential basis is to support the position that people abandoned calls to use the online
service; what the cost to the public purse was of abandoned calls in each month since
September 2016; and what the average length of abandoned calls was in that time
period.
Damian Hinds:
Universal Credit Full Service is a digital service designed to enable customers to
manage their own data and account online at a time which is convenient for them. As
well as giving them access to online statements for payment information, and their
journal for interacting with their dedicated Case Manager and Work Coach,
customers are able to report changes online when they would previously have called
us.
We do not currently hold any management information that specifically correlates
abandoned calls to use of online services. However, as of November 2017, the
percentage of customers claiming online is over 95%, and those reporting changes
online is now over 80%. This type of channel shift is helping reduce the calls we
receive as a percentage of the caseload: Universal Credit Full Service calls per claim
ratio has decreased from 2.7 in April 2016 to 1.0 by the end of October 2017.
There was no cost to the public purse for abandoned calls as this forms part of the
contract we have with BT, and following the introduction of the free phone numbers to
Universal Credit helplines in November 2017 there will no longer be a cost to the
customer.
Between September 2016 and October 2017 the average length of time before a call
was voluntarily abandoned by the Universal Credit Full Service customer was 5
minutes 19 seconds.
Notes –
1) The data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which
was collected for internal Departmental use only and has not been quality assured to
National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. The data should
therefore be treated with caution.
2) Data is not yet available for November 2017.
Work Capability Assessment
Chris Ruane: [120770]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20
December 2017 to Question 118979, what the average length of time spent with clients is
by (a) doctors and (b) nurses during the process of a work capability assessment.
Sarah Newton:
This information is not available. The Centre for Health and Disability Assessments
(CHDA) only record the total time taken to undertake a Work Capability Assessment
(WCA). This includes activities undertaken while the claimant is not present, for
example Healthcare Professionals writing the assessment report to be submitted to
DWP.
Based on figures between September 2017 and November 2017, the average time to
complete a full WCA by a doctor within CHDA Assessment Centres was 80 minutes.
This includes undertaking complex-neurological WCA cases which take longer than
average assessments. Over the same period, the average time to complete a full
WCA by a nurse was 73 minutes. Nurses do not currently undertake complex-
neurological WCA cases.
Work Capability Assessment: Mental Illness
Chris Ruane: [120767]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20
December 2017 to Question 118979, what estimate he has made of the proportion of
clients undergoing work capability assessments who are suffering from mental ill health.
Sarah Newton:
The information requested on Work Capability Assessments is not readily available
and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The latest available information to June 2017 on the number of completed Work
Capability Assessments by International Statistical Classification of Diseases and
Related Health Problems (ICD) groupings can be found in Table 7 of the Employment
and Support Allowance Outcomes of Work Capability Assessments quarterly
statistics published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-
work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-
december-2017
Chris Ruane: [120769]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20
December 2017 to Question 118979, what assessment he has made of his Department's
ability accurately to assess clients against the mental functional descriptors of the work
capability assessment; and if he will review his Department's policy of not employing
psychologists and psychiatrists to adjudicate in such assessments.
Sarah Newton:
All Healthcare Professionals who undertake Work Capability Assessments are
registered healthcare professionals, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists or occupational
therapists, with a minimum of two years broad - based post registration experience,
although this can be waived in exceptional circumstances by the Department. They
are subject to a thorough recruitment process that includes formal interview and all
are required to pass a competency based assessment. Once recruited, they
undertake a comprehensive new entrant training programme.
All healthcare professionals then have 100% of their work audited until it is
demonstrated that their work meets the required standards. At this stage, the
Assessment Provider make a recommendation to the DWP that the healthcare
professional should be formally approved. All practitioners are then subject to a
programme of case reviews and audit.
They are not required by DWP to hold specialist qualifications or specific previous
experience in mental health conditions. As part of the induction Healthcare
Professionals receive training in mental health issues and are required to read
evidence based protocols on mental health conditions. In addition, they are required
to engage in a programme of continuing medical education which includes modules
on mental health conditions.
The Work Capability Assessment is a functional assessment which focuses not on a
claimant’s condition but on the functional effects of that condition. It looks at a range
of different activities related to physical, mental, cognitive and intellectual functions
and certain additional criteria that do not directly measure function to determine
capability for work.
MINISTERIAL CORRECTIONS
BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Written Questions
Chris Ruane: [120309]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many
and what proportion of his Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions in
the 2017-18 Session to date have referred to the information requested not being (a)
collected or (b) collated centrally.
An error has been identified in the written answer given on 28 December 2017. The
correct answer should have been:
Margot James:
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has answered 1675
Written Parliamentary Questions so far this session as of 21st December. Of these, 3
questions (0.18% of questions asked) have referred to the information not being
collated and 4 questions (0.24% of questions asked) have referred to the information
not being collected centrally.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has answered
1675 Written Parliamentary Questions so far this session as of 21st December.
Of these, 4 questions (0.24% of questions asked) have referred to the
information not being collected and 3 questions (0.18% of questions asked)
have referred to the information not being collated centrally.
Gratuities
Sir David Crausby: [120364]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his
Department plans to publish the response to the consultation on Tips, gratuities, cover
and service charges which closed on 27 June 2016.
An error has been identified in the written answer given on 22 December 2017. The
correct answer should have been:
Margot James:
Neither my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State, nor I have had discussions with
charities about the impact of these rules on their work.
The State aid rules apply to funding given to charities, as they would for any other
body, where they are involved in economic activities. The rules are blind as to legal
form; rather they are concerned with whether an entity is undertaking economic
activities. And equally State aid may be granted legally to charities on the same terms
as anyone else if it complies with the rules.
The Government is considering the responses to this consultation, and will
respond in due course.
EDUCATION
Department for Education: Written Questions
Chris Ruane: [119165]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of her
Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions have advised that the
requested information was not available on the grounds of disproportionate cost
associated with data collection and collation in the current session.
An error has been identified in the written answer given on 19 December 2017. The
correct answer should have been:
Mr Robert Goodwill:
In the current parliamentary session (as at 13 December 2017) 2,3652,258 written
PQs have been answered by the Department. 33 (1.4%)(1.46%) of which were
answered advising that the requested information was not available due to
disproportionate costs.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Northern Ireland Office: Families
Fiona Bruce: [119120]
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 30
November 2017 to Question HL3576, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen
families.
An error has been identified in the written answer given on 22 December 2017. The
correct answer should have been:
Chloe Smith:
It is our assessment that no legislation taken forward by the Northern Ireland Office
since August 2014 has required the application of the Family Test by the UK
Government.
The Government is committed to supporting families. To achieve this, in 2014 we
introduced the Family Test, which aims to ensure that impacts on family relationships
and functioning are recognised early on during the process of policy development
and help inform the policy decisions made by Ministers. The Family Test was not
designed to be a ‘tick-box’ exercise, and as such there is no requirement for
departments to publish the results of assessments made under the Family Test.
Many of the policy areas linked to strengthening families in Northern Ireland
are devolved matters. The UK Government is, though, helping families with the
everyday cost of living by keeping taxes low, including taking 31,000 people in
Northern Ireland out of paying income tax altogether (compared to 2015-16),
freezing fuel duty for the eight successive year and increasing the National
Living Wage again from April 2018, delivering a £600 annual pay-rise to full-
time workers in Northern Ireland.
WRITTEN STATEMENTS
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Waste
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Michael Gove):
[HCWS391]
On 1 January 2018 China imposed a ban on the import of certain types of waste including
mixed paper and post-consumer plastics (plastics thrown away by consumers). In
addition, some other types of waste, including all other paper and plastics exports, will
have to meet a reduced acceptable contamination level of 0.5% from March 2018
China’s decision has a global impact, including in the UK. 3.7 million tonnes of plastic
waste are created in the UK in a single year. Of that total, the UK exports 0.8 million
tonnes to countries around the world, of which 0.4 million tonnes is sent to China (incl.
Hong Kong). In comparison, other countries including Germany (0.6 million tonnes),
Japan and the US (both 1.5 million tonnes) export more plastic to China for reprocessing
than the UK. The UK also exports 3.7 million tonnes of paper waste to China (incl. Hong
Kong), out of 9.1 million tonnes of paper waste in total. In comparison, the US exports
12.8 million tonnes of paper waste to China
Since China announced its intentions on 18 July 2017, ministers have worked with
industry, the Environment Agency, WRAP, the devolved administrations and
representatives from local government to understand the potential impact of the ban and
the action that needs to be taken. We have engaged internationally to understand the
scale and scope of China’s waste restrictions. The UK Government raised the issue with
the EU in September. Alongside four other members, the EU subsequently questioned
the proposals at the WTO in October
Domestically, the government and the Environment Agency took steps last year to ensure
that operators were clear on their duties to handle waste in light of China’s proposals.
The Environment Agency issued fresh guidance to exporters, stating that any waste
which does not meet China’s new criteria will be stopped, in the same way as banned
waste going to any other country. There is evidence that some operators have already
been finding alternative export markets in response to the Chinese restrictions. Data for
the third quarter of last year showed increases in exports of plastics to Turkey, Taiwan,
Vietnam and Malaysia and increases in exports of paper to Turkey, Taiwan and Vietnam
Operators must continue to manage waste on their sites in accordance with the permit
conditions issued by the Environment Agency. Where export markets or domestic
reprocessing are not available, the process chosen to manage waste must be the one
that minimises the environmental impact of treatment as fully as possible and follows the
waste hierarchy. This requires operators to ensure that where waste cannot be prevented
or reused it is recycled where practicable, before considering energy recovery through
incineration or the last resort of disposal to landfill
I recognise that China’s decision will cause some issues in the short term for recycling in
the UK. We will continue to work closely with industry, the Environment Agency, local
authorities and all interested parties to manage those issues. The Government remains
committed to maximising the value we get from our resources, and is already assessing
how we handle our waste in the UK in the longer term
Tackling waste has been a top priority for the government. In July, I announced in my
speech at the World Wildlife Fund our intention to publish a new Resources and Waste
Strategy later this year. The Clean Growth Strategy, published on 12 October 2017, set
out our ambition for zero avoidable waste by 2050 and announced we are exploring
changes to the producer responsibility scheme. In December I chaired an industry
roundtable on plastics and outlined my four point plan for tackling plastic waste: cutting
the total amount of plastic in circulation; reducing the number of different plastics in use;
improving the rate of recycling; supporting comprehensive and frequent rubbish and
recycling collections, and making it easier for individuals to know what goes into the
recycling bin and what goes into general rubbish.
This builds on action the government has already taken to reduce waste. Our 5p charge
on plastic bags has taken 9 billion bags out of circulation, reducing usage by 83%. On
Tuesday 9 January, our world-leading ban on the manufacture of personal care products
containing plastic microbeads comes into force. In October 2017 we announced a call for
evidence on managing single use drinks containers and our working group will report to
Ministers early this year. We are working with HMT on a call for evidence in 2018 seeking
views on how the tax system or charges could reduce the amount of single use plastics
waste. And under the Waste Infrastructure Delivery Programme the government will have
committed £3bn by 2042, supporting investment in a range of facilities to keep waste out
of landfill and increase recycling levels
China’s decision underlines the need for progress in all these areas. In particular, we
must reduce the amount of waste we produce overall and in particular the amount we
export to be dealt with elsewhere. We will set out further steps in the coming weeks and
months to achieve these goals, including in our forthcoming 25 Year Environment Plan.
HEALTH
Conclusions of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs
(Health) Council: 8 December 2017
Minister of State for Health (Mr Philip Dunne): [HCWS393]
My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Lord
O'Shaughnessy) has made the following statement:
The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (Health) Council met on 8
December 2017 in Brussels. The UK was represented at the Health Council by Lord
O’Shaughnessy, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health.
There were three main agenda items; the Draft Council Conclusions on Health in Digital
Society; the Draft Council Conclusions on the cross border aspects in alcohol policy; and
Pharmaceutical Policy in the EU. There were a number of ‘any other business’ items.
The council conclusions on both Digital Health and Tackling the Harmful use of Alcohol
were formally agreed and adopted at the Ministerial Health Council. On digital health the
Commission welcomed the rapid implementation of the EU’s e-health infrastructure and
clear public support for the sharing of health data. On cross border aspects of alcohol
policy, the Commission highlighted their commitment to supporting Member States’
efforts in tackling the harmful use of alcohol, acknowledging most powers are held at
national level but emphasising commitment to deal with issues in a proportionate manner
at EU level. The Presidency and Commission acknowledged the recent ruling on
Scotland’s minimum unit pricing policy and the UK government stated they would closely
watch implementation in Scotland and keep the policy in England under review. The UK
welcomed the Presidency’s work on alcohol policy, which needed to respect differences
between circumstances in Member States.
Under the ‘Pharmaceutical Policy in the EU’ agenda item, the Commission provided an
update on current work including an evaluation of pharmaceutical incentives and
proposals planned for 2018 on Health Technology Assessment (HTA). A number of
Member States outlined problems resulting in medicines shortages and the high prices of
pharmaceuticals. The Netherlands and Belgium both outlined the benefits of the current
BeNeLuxA initiative where Member States could opt to work together on pharmaceutical
pricing or on joint horizon scanning work.
As part of the AOBs, the UK thanked the Estonians for hosting the event in Brussels on
AMR attended by Dame Sally Davies, UK Chief Medical Officer. Belgium spoke about
medicinal products including Valproate and risks for pregnant women and whether
pictograms should be used. There were also brief discussions on the State of Health in
the EU, the Annual Growth Survey 2018, and the Steering Group on Health Promotion,
Disease Prevention and Management of Non-Communicable Diseases.
Finally, Bulgaria outlined their priorities for their upcoming Presidency in the area of
health including healthy eating particularly for children and tackling challenges in
pharmaceutical policy such as medicine shortages.
HOME OFFICE
Surveillance Camera Commissioner – Annual Report
The Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service (Mr Nick Hurd):
[HCWS392]
My rt hon Friend the Home Secretary has today laid before the House a copy of the
2016/17 annual report of the Surveillance Camera Commissioner, as required by Section
35 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. The report is available from the Vote Office
and will also be published on the Commissioner’s website.
The Surveillance Camera Commissioner is an independent role appointed under Section
34 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 to encourage compliance with the surveillance
camera code of practice, review the operation of the code, and provide advice about the
code (including changes to it or breaches of it).
The current Commissioner is Tony Porter, whose term of appointment is set until 10
March 2020.