Daily Report Tuesday, 15 May 2018 CONTENTSqnadailyreport.blob.core.windows.net/qnadaily... ·...

Daily Report Tuesday, 15 May 2018

This report shows written answers and statements provided on 15 May 2018 and the

information is correct at the time of publication (06:29 P.M., 15 May 2018). For the latest

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

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

CONTENTS

ANSWERS 6

BUSINESS, ENERGY AND

INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 6

Department for Business,

Energy and Industrial Strategy:

Freedom of Information 6

Renewable Energy 6

Renewable Energy: Feed-in

Tariffs 6

Research: Finance 7

Solar Power: Housing 7

CABINET OFFICE 8

Cabinet Office: Internet 8

Cabinet Office: Interserve 9

Cabinet Office: Public

Expenditure 9

Cancer 9

Government Departments:

Email 9

Lung Cancer 10

Public Records: Digital

Technology 10

Public Sector: Land 10

Public Sector: Procurement 11

Public Service Ombudsman

Bill (Draft) 11

Unemployment: Dyslexia 11

Unemployment: Hearing

Impairment 12

DEFENCE 12

Armed Forces: Deployment 12

Armed Forces: Food 12

Army: Recruitment 12

Clyde Naval Base:

Submarines 13

Ministry of Defence: Ministers 13

Nuclear Weapons: Transport 13

Saudi Arabia: Air Force 14

Saudi Arabia: Armed Forces 15

Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade 15

Saudi Arabia: BAE Systems 16

Saudi Arabia: Civil Servants 16

Saudi Arabia: Military Alliances 16

Submarines 17

Veterans: Post-traumatic

Stress Disorder 17

DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND

SPORT 18

Arts: Northern Ireland 18

Commercial Broadcasting:

Radio 18

Department for Digital,

Culture, Media and Sport:

Disclosure of Information 18

http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers

http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers

Department for Digital,

Culture, Media and Sport:

Incentives 19

Gaming Machines 19

Public Libraries: Standards 20

Social Media: Radicalism 20

Television: Licencsng 20

EDUCATION 21

16-18 Mathematics Education

Review 21

Apprentices 21

Apprentices: Jarrow 22

Department for Education:

Training 22

Disabled Students' Allowances 24

Headteachers: Costs 24

Open University: Finance 24

Pre-school Education: Living

Wage 25

Schools: Buildings 25

Social Services: Children 26

Young People: Employment 27

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND

RURAL AFFAIRS 27

Agriculture: Waste Disposal 27

Animal Experiments:

Cosmetics 27

Beverage Containers:

Recycling 28

Department for Environment,

Food and Rural Affairs:

Disclosure of Information 29

Department for Environment,

Food and Rural Affairs:

Training 29

Incinerators 30

Nitrogen Oxides: Pollution

Control 30

Trees: Conservation 31

EXITING THE EUROPEAN

UNION 31

Ports 31

Ports: Greater London 32

Security: Northern Ireland 32

FOREIGN AND

COMMONWEALTH OFFICE 33

Bahrain: Elections 33

Bahrain: Torture 33

Burundi: Peace Negotiations 33

Companies: Ownership 34

EU Common Foreign and

Security Policy 34

Foreign and Commonwealth

Office: Training 34

Hezbollah: Weapons 35

India: Diplomatic Relations 35

South Sudan: Peace

Negotiations 36

Sudan: Religious Freedom 36

Turkey: Foreign Relations 37

USA: Diplomatic Relations 37

Zimbabwe: Elections 37

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE 38

Ambulance Services 38

Autism 38

Breast Cancer: Screening 38

Clinical Commissioning

Groups 40

Dental Health 40

Department of Health and

Social Care: Training 40

Drugs: Innovation 41

Mental Health Services:

Children and Young People 42

Norovirus 43

Nurses 44

Postnatal Depression 44

Pre-school Education: Mental

Health 44

Suicide: Males 45

Sustainability and

Transformation Partnerships:

South East 45

Visual Impairment: Depressive

Illnesses 46

HOME OFFICE 46

Compulsorily Detained

Psychiatric Patients 46

DNA: Databases 46

Domestic Violence: Homicide 47

Educational Testing Service 48

EU Immigration: Horn of Africa 48

Human Trafficking: Scotland 49

Immigration: EU Nationals 49

Immigration: Married People 50

Knives: Crime 51

Members: Correspondence 51

Prince Harry: Marriage 51

Seasonal Agricultural Workers'

Scheme 52

Social Media: Children 52

UK Border Force: Armed

Forces Covenant 52

Undercover Policing Inquiry 52

Visas: Scotland 53

Visas: Skilled Workers 53

HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND

LOCAL GOVERNMENT 54

[Subject Heading to be

Assigned] 54

Affordable Housing: Young

People 54

Areas of Outstanding Natural

Beauty 55

Building Regulations and Fire

Safety Independent Review 55

Land Use 55

Leasehold 56

Letter Boxes: Standards 56

Local Government Finance 56

Local Government:

Procurement 58

Sleeping Rough 58

INTERNATIONAL

DEVELOPMENT 59

Internally Displaced People:

Departmental Coordination 59

Palestinians: Overseas Aid 59

INTERNATIONAL TRADE 60

Department for International

Trade: Training 60

Trade Agreements: Israel 60

JUSTICE 61

Attorney General: Registered

Intermediaries 61

Educational Testing Service 61

Homicide: Reoffenders 62

Ministry Of Justice: Training 62

NORTHERN IRELAND 66

Borders: Northern Ireland 66

City Deals: Northern Ireland 66

Customs Officers: Northern

Ireland 66

Northern Ireland Office:

Apprentices 67

SCOTLAND 67

Scotland Office: Incentives 67

Scotland Office: Official Cars 67

Scotland Office: Training 68

TRANSPORT 68

Department for Transport:

Official Cars 68

Dial-a-Ride: West Lancashire 68

Merchant Shipping:

Registration 69

Roads: Safety 70

Shipping: Apprentices 70

Shipping: Employment 71

Shipping: Training 72

TREASURY 72

Air Passenger Duty 72

Brexit 72

Children: Day Care 73

Financial Services 73

Financial Services: EU

Countries 74

Instalment Credit 75

Royal Bank of Scotland: Fees

and Charges 75

Royal Bank of Scotland: Small

Businesses 76

WALES 76

Wales Office: Apprentices 76

Wales Office: Incentives 77

Wales Office: Official Cars 77

Wales Office: Training 77

WORK AND PENSIONS 78

Bereavement Allowance:

Cohabitation 78

Carers 78

Children: Maintenance 79

Employment and Support

Allowance: Appeals 80

Personal Independence

Payment 80

Personal Independence

Payment: Appeals 81

Social Security Benefits:

Appeals 81

State Retirement Pensions:

Females 82

State Retirement Pensions:

Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath 82

Universal Credit 83

MINISTERIAL CORRECTIONS 84

EDUCATION 84

Young People: Employment 84

WRITTEN STATEMENTS 85

BUSINESS, ENERGY AND

INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 85

Consumer Policy Update 85

EXITING THE EUROPEAN

UNION 86

Publication of the Framework

for the UK-EU Security

Partnership, 09/05/2018 86

TREASURY 86

Operation of the UK’s Counter-

Terrorist Asset Freezing

Regime: 1 July 2017 to 30

September 2017 and 1

October 2017 to 31 December

2017 86

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

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Freedom of Information

Christian Matheson: [141813]

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

plans to respond to the Freedom of Information Request relating to PEDL 189 submitted

by Mr Ben Dean on 21 March 2018.

Claire Perry:

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has not received a

Freedom of Information Request relating to PEDL 189 submitted by Mr Ben Dean on

21 March 2018. The Department understands that Mr Dean has approached the Oil

and Gas Authority on this matter and that they will respond to Mr Dean as

appropriate.

Renewable Energy

Tracy Brabin: [142905]

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

his Department provides to people who have had renewable energy systems fitted by

businesses fraudulently claiming to be MCS accredited and are therefore unable to

receive the grants from Ofgem.

Claire Perry:

Certification of the products and the installation by the Microgeneration Certification

Scheme (MCS) is a key eligibility requirement for two government incentives, the

Renewable Heat Incentive and the Feed-in Tariff. The Department works closely with

MCS and Consumer Codes operating in this sector to ensure that consumers using

an MCS certified contractor for a renewable energy installation are protected.

Where an installer fraudulently claims to be MCS certified, the consumer can contact

their local trading standards office https://www.gov.uk/find-local-trading-standards-

office.

Where the Department receives individual correspondence regarding such cases,

officials work closely with Ofgem and MCS to ensure best possible outcomes can be

achieved for the consumer.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Rebecca Long Bailey: [142884]

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

plans to publish the consultation on proposals for replacement of the feed-in tariff policy

framework.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2018-05-08/141813


https://www.gov.uk/find-local-trading-standards-office




Claire Perry:

We are considering options for small-scale low-carbon generation beyond 2019, and

a consultation on the Feed-in Tariffs scheme will be published in due course.

Research: Finance

Chi Onwurah: [142842]

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

assessment he has made of the effect of the short term project funding model on the

diversity of early years researchers.

Mr Sam Gyimah:

The Research Councils monitor and publish annually the diversity data of their

applicants which has been extended to include data for successfully appointed

students since 2015-16. The data is used to track progress and inform policy. With

the creation of UKRI, we recognise there is a real opportunity to build on this data

collection and we aim to extend this to include a similar dataset for Innovate UK.

UKRI has recently launched the recruitment for establishing an external advisory

group and will be developing an equality, diversity and inclusion action plan.

The UK Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers 2008

provides a single, unambiguous statement of the expectations and responsibilities of

research funders and institutions with respect to the management of

researchers/contract research staff. In accordance with this, diversity and equality

must be promoted in all aspects of the recruitment and career management of

researchers. Vitae leads on its management and implementation, reporting to the

Concordat Strategy Group which includes representatives of all the main UK funders

and employers of researchers. The Concordat Strategy Group is currently carrying

out a ten-year review of the Concordat. The review will be carried out by an

independent expert review panel, with a secretariat provided by UKRI and Innovation.

A report will be published in September 2018.


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

employment rights are associated with (a) post-doctoral and (b) project research funding

for researchers in the early stage of their careers.

Mr Sam Gyimah:

Researchers have statutory employment rights as do any other UK employee,

irrespective of their career stage. Any other contractual entitlements they may have

would vary from employer to employer. PhD students are not necessarily employed

by the institution where they are studying.

Solar Power: Housing

Justin Madders: [141832]

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

domestic solar panels have been installed in each of the last five years.




Claire Perry:

The Central FiTs Register (CFR) contains all of the installations confirmed on the

FiTs scheme; from this database domestic solar installations can be identified. The

number of new domestic installations per year is set out in the table below. Domestic

installations that have not accredited under the FiT scheme are not captured in these

figures.

ANNUAL PERIOD

CFR 1 DOMESTIC PHOTOVOLTAIC

INSTALLATIONS

2013 89,822

2014 118,594

2015 155,459

2016 33,815

2017 16,422

1. Central Feed-in Tariff Register (CFR) data is provided to BEIS quarterly by Ofgem

and details all of the installations currently confirmed on the FiTs scheme. There is

a lag in the CFR data compared to the FiTs application data, due to the process for

approval onto the scheme. Data for 2017 is provisional.

CABINET OFFICE

Cabinet Office: Internet

Jon Trickett: [137912]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to Answer of 29 March 2018 to

Question 132881 on Government Departments: Internet, if he will publish the data for

each publication from his Department in the last 12 months.

Chloe Smith:

Information on Cabinet Office ministerial gifts, hospitality, travel and external

meetings is published quarterly. To date, the page views for each set of data are as

follows:

January – March 2017 1976

April – June 2017 2401

July – September 2017 1636

October – December 2017 622

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministers-transparency-publications




Cabinet Office: Interserve


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2018 to

Question 135322, on Government Departments: Interserve, how many of the meetings

with Cabinet Office officials were with Crown Representatives.

Oliver Dowden:

Cabinet Office Officials met with the company 11 times within the last six months.

The Crown Representative attended 9 of these meetings.

Cabinet Office: Public Expenditure


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's publication

entitled Expenditure over £25,000 - March 2018, published on 2 May 2018, for what parts

of the grants efficiency accelerator programme the payments to Ernst & Young were

made.

Chloe Smith:

Ernst & Young (EY) were successful through a procurement process to deliver Phase

1 of the Grants Efficiency Accelerator, which aims to validate risk in general grants

administration and realise efficiency savings. EY worked as part of a blended team

with the Cabinet Office Grants Function and provided flexible access to the expertise

and capabilities required to deliver this work at pace. This included fraud and data

experts as well as economic data modelling and programme delivery specialists.

Cancer

Mr Gregory Campbell: [142781]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the five most common cancer diagnoses

were among (a) men and (b) women in (i) 2007 and (ii) 2017.

Chloe Smith:

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

I have asked the Authority to reply.

Government Departments: Email

Martyn Day: [141853]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government has taken to

ensure encryption is provided on all email between hon. Members' offices and

Government departments.

Chloe Smith:

The National Cyber Security Centre published guidance on email security in

September 2017, including specific directions for public sector users at OFFICIAL.

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/email-security-and-anti-spoofing







Government departments are to encrypt emails to a level appropriate to the content

and classification of that communication.

The Cabinet Office cannot, however, speak for the security of emails sent by Hon.

Members from non-government email systems, as this is dependent on which system

and service an email is sent.

Lung Cancer

Jim Shannon: [139491]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the (a) age and

(b) gender of people diagnosed with lung cancer in each of the last five years.

Chloe Smith:



Attachments:

1. UKSA Response [PQ139491 .pdf]

Public Records: Digital Technology


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to paragraph 74 of the

Government Response to the 30 Year Rule Review, whether the review of the strategy

for managing digital records has taken place.

Chloe Smith:

The Review of Government Digital Records was completed by Sir Alex Allan in

December 2015 and published on GOV.UK –

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-digital-records-and-

archives-review-by-sir-alex-allan

Public Sector: Land


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many times his Department's Government

Property Finder has been used in the last twelve months.

Oliver Dowden:

The Government Property Finder tool allows you to search the Government property

and land available to rent or buy. It allows you to search by location and department.

There have been 16,872 individual property and land searches on the Government

Property Finder website in the last 12 months.



https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-digital-records-and-archives-review-by-sir-alex-allan




Public Sector: Procurement


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his oral contribution to the

Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on 9 May 2018, which

providers outside the UK are being examined and for which contracts.

Oliver Dowden:

Departments are encouraged to maximise competition in order to achieve value for

money. Public procurement are required to go through fair and open competition and

procurers are not permitted to discriminate based upon the nationality of the supplier.

In addition, through the Commercial Operating Standards

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

ent_data/file/567659/Commercal_Standards_new.pdf, departments are encouraged

to maximise competition by designing service requirements that are accessible to as

many suppliers as possible, including those from overseas.

The current public procurement rules will continue to apply until the UK has left the

EU following the successful conclusion of exit negotiations. The longer-term

opportunities for UK Government procurement regulations are being considered

carefully.

Public Service Ombudsman Bill (Draft)


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to bring forward the Public

Service Ombudsman Bill.

Chloe Smith:

I refer the Hon. Member to previous answers 119692 and 119693.

The Government published the draft Public Service Ombudsman Bill in December

2016, setting out in detail its plans to introduce a new Public Service Ombudsman.

The draft Bill will be progressed as and when a legislative opportunity arises.

Unemployment: Dyslexia

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: [141038]

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

people with dyslexia who are (a) unemployed and (b) not in training or further education.

Chloe Smith:



Attachments:

1. UKSA Response [PQ141038 and PQ141039 draft (1).docx]


https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/567659/Commercal_Standards_new.pdf





Unemployment: Hearing Impairment

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: [140765]

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

people with hearing impairments who are (a) unemployed and (b) not in training or further

education.

Chloe Smith:



Attachments:

1. UKSA Response [PQ140765, 140766, 140770, 140771.pdf]

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Deployment

Jonathan Edwards: [141766]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in which countries which are in a state of war

UK armed forces personnel are serving as support staff.

Mark Lancaster:

The only countries currently in a state of war are the Republic of Korea and the

Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea, albeit, the Korean Armistice Agreement,

signed on July 27 1953, did bring about a cessation of conflict on the peninsula. A

number of UK Armed Forces personnel are currently serving in the Republic of

Korea, both within the Defence Staff in the British Embassy and filling staff officer

posts within United Nations Command Korea.

Armed Forces: Food

Frank Field: [141316]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2018 to

Question 131423, what progress he has made on reviewing his Department's policy of

redistributing surplus ration packs to the homeless.

Guto Bebb:

The Ministry of Defence continues to review its storage and disposal policy for

Operational Ration Packs.

Army: Recruitment

Mr Mark Francois: [142789]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people (a) applied to join and (b)

were recruited into the British Army between January and March 2018.





Mark Lancaster:

The information requested will be published as Official Statistics. The next release of

the UK Armed Forces Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics will be on Thursday 17

May 2018, and will be available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2018

Clyde Naval Base: Submarines

Deidre Brock: [142889]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many nuclear safety events have occured

on submarines docked at Faslane in each year since 2006 by (a) class of submarine and

(b) type of incident.


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many leaks of radioactive coolant there

have been from submarines berthed at Faslane in each of the last ten years.

Guto Bebb:

The information requested will take time to collate and I will write to the hon. Member

when this has been completed.

Ministry of Defence: Ministers

Andrew Gwynne: [142792]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2018 to

Question 136906, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that the spouse of a

Minister who has financial interests divests themselves of those interests upon the

Minister taking office in his Department.

Mr Tobias Ellwood:

In accordance with the Ministerial Code, on appointment to each new office, Ministers

must provide their Departmental Permanent Secretary with a full list in writing of all

interests which might be thought to give rise to a conflict. This list also includes

interests of the Minister's spouse or partner and close family which might be thought

to give rise to a conflict. All Ministerial interest returns are reviewed by the Prime

Minister's Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests. Where appropriate the

Minister will meet the Permanent Secretary and the Prime Minister's Independent

Adviser on Ministers' Interests to agree action on the handling of interests.

Nuclear Weapons: Transport


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many incidents excluding trivial incidents

involving the nuclear weapons convoys between Coulport and Berkshire there have been

in each of the last ten years which were classified as (a) engineering incidents to nuclear

convoy vehicles and (b) operational incidents.





Guto Bebb:

The transportation of Defence Nuclear Material, including warheads, is carried out to

the highest standard in accordance with stringent safety regulations.

We record every incident and occurrence during a convoy, which could consist of

over 20 vehicles, regardless of how minor. This may, for example, include very minor

occurrences such as a vibration in the wing-mirror glass of a vehicle. The list below

comprises largely unscheduled stops to make minor maintenance checks on the

vehicles - none posed any risk to the public.

DEFENCE NUCLEAR MATERIAL MOVEMENTS 2008 -2017

Engineering Operational

2008 9 3

2009 2 4

2010 13 1

2011 10 2

2012 19 3

2013 5 5

2014 6 6

2015 6 4

2016 17 21

2017 20 24

Saudi Arabia: Air Force


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Royal Air Force personnel were

seconded to serve in Saudi Arabia in each of the last five years; and what the roles and

responsibilities have been of those personnel.

Guto Bebb:

The number of RAF personnel on secondment in Saudi Arabia in each of the last five

years is:


YEAR RAF PERSONNEL

2013 29

2014 36

2015 34

2016 30

2017 26

2018 (up to 11 May) 21

These personnel were all seconded to BAE Systems to provide training support to

Royal Saudi Air Force aircrew and routine aircraft engineering support.


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what role Royal Air Force personnel play in

respect of Saudi Tornado IDS fighter-bombers in Saudi Arabia.

Guto Bebb:

Royal Air Force instructors on secondment to BAE Systems provide training support

to Saudi Tornado IDS aircrew.

Saudi Arabia: Armed Forces


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the procedure is for UK military

personnel working on his Department's contracts in Saudi Arabia to report violations of

international humanitarian law.

Guto Bebb:

Military personnel, wherever they are serving, would be expected to report any

concerns about possible violations of international humanitarian law through

submissions to their chain of command.

Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the 2005 Al Salam agreement

between the UK and Saudi Arabia.

Guto Bebb:

The arrangements within the Understanding Document signed by the Governments

of the United Kingdom and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in December 2005, that included

the proposed supply of Typhoon aircraft to the Royal Saudi Air Force, are confidential

to the two Governments. I am therefore withholding the document as its disclosure




would, or would be likely to, prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and

another State.

Saudi Arabia: BAE Systems


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the Al Yamamah

memorandum of agreement between the UK and Saudi Arabia.

Guto Bebb:

The arrangements within the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the

Governments of the United Kingdom and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in February 1986,

which continue to govern the supply of military equipment and support to the Saudi

Arabian Armed Forces, are confidential to the two Governments. I am therefore

withholding the document as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice

relations between the United Kingdom and another State.

Saudi Arabia: Civil Servants


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse has been of

UK civil servants operating in Saudi Arabia in each of the last five years.

Mark Lancaster:

The Ministry of Defence has funded only one civil servant post in Saudi Arabia for

which the cost has fallen to the public purse. For financial years 2013-14 to 2017-18

inclusive, the pay band for the civil servant ranged from £18,554 to a maximum of

£20,987.

Saudi Arabia: Military Alliances


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the UK’s ongoing military commitments

are with the Saudi Government.

Gavin Williamson:

The UK Ministry of Defence supports the Saudi Government across a wide range of

Defence and Security-related issues in pursuit of mutual security and regional

stability. In March this year the Prime Minister launched a new Strategic Partnership

with Saudi Arabia, which will see us develop our cooperation in areas such as military

capacity-building, cyber security, countering terrorism and violent extremism, aviation

security and assisting in the transformation of the Saudi Ministry of Defense.


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the 2017 Military and Security

Cooperation Agreement between the UK and Saudi Arabia.





Gavin Williamson:

The Military and Security Cooperation Agreement is a bilateral agreement between

the UK Ministry of Defence and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the detailed content of

which is not disclosable to third parties. I am therefore withholding the document as

its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice relations between the United

Kingdom and another State.

In pursuit of mutual security and regional stability, the Agreement will help Saudi

Arabia better protect her national security, in areas such as counter-terrorism,

intelligence, training and education, medical services and logistics.

Submarines

Nia Griffith: [142375]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 May 2018 to

Question 140023, on Submarines, what the cost has been to the public purse of storing

submarines awaiting recycling at (a) Rosyth and (b) Devonport in each of the last five

years.

Guto Bebb:

The costs of storing and maintaining submarines awaiting recycling at Rosyth and

Devonport in each of the last five years, for which figures are available, are detailed

below:

FINANCIAL

YEAR 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17

Total (£ million) 3.9 3.4 1.0 2.2 0.9

Veterans: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the provision for reintegration into civilian

life is for armed forces personnel who leave the forces in need of help for post traumatic

stress.

Mr Tobias Ellwood:

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 March 2018 to Question 133430

to the hon. Member for Telford (Lucy Allan).

Attachments:

1. Armed Forces Mental Health Services [Hansard Extract 26 March 2018 UIN

13340.docx]



DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts: Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: [140617]

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

visit Northern Ireland to meet with representatives of the creative industries.

Margot James:

The Secretary of State has no current plans to visit Northern Ireland. However he is

constantly reviewing his regional visits programme.

Creative industries policy is a devolved matter. Members of the Devolved

Administrations attend meetings of the Creative Industries Council, which the

Secretary of State co-Chairs.

We work closely with Northern Ireland on creative industries policy through DCMS’s

participation in the British-Irish Council creative industries workstream.

Commercial Broadcasting: Radio

Mr Edward Vaizey: [R] [141343]

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

bring forward legislative proposals to implement commercial radio deregulation.

Margot James:

The commercial radio deregulation consultation closed on 8 May 2017 and the

government response was published on 18 December 2017.

The next phase is for DCMS to begin the detailed work to develop the new legislative

structure and to bring forward legislation prior to analogue licenses coming up for

renewal in 2022. Legislation will be brought forward when Parliamentary time allows.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Disclosure of Information


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many leak

enquiries his Department has undertaken in the last two years.

Margot James:

It has been the policy of successive Governments not to comment on security

matters other than in exceptional circumstances when it is in the public interest to do

so. The leak of any Government information or material is not acceptable and the

Government takes such incidents very seriously.


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many non-

disclosure agreements his Department has signed with employees in each of the last five

years for which figures are available.





Margot James:

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is not able to provide a

response to cover the last five years. In 2017, there were five non-disclosure

agreements, all relating to recruitment of temporary staff. Non-disclosure agreements

are put in place in exceptional circumstances. Non-disclosure agreements in DCMS

are only used for temporary staff who will work on sensitive information, where

commercially or politically sensitive.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Incentives


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many bonuses

were awarded to senior civil servants working at his Department and its agencies in each

of the last six years; and what the total cost of those bonuses was.

Margot James:

As part of the Government’s transparency agenda, departments publish annual

information on the number of awards and spend on end-year and in-year Non-

Consolidated Performance Related Pay. This information can be found on the

department’s website and on data.gov.uk:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dcms-non-consolidated-performance-

related-payments-for-the-appraisal-year-2015-to-2016.

Information for future years will be published in the usual way.

Gaming Machines

Mrs Anne Main: [141341]

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

made of the effect of a £2 maximum stake on B2 gaming machines on the number of (a)

betting shop jobs that would potentially be lost and (b) betting shops that would

potentially close.

Mrs Anne Main: [141342]


made of the potential switch from fixed odds betting terminals to online gambling if a £2

maximum stake is introduced.

Tracey Crouch:

The consultation on proposals for changes to gaming machines and social

responsibility measures closed on 23 January and the responses are being

considered. The Government’s response will be published in due course with a

revised final impact assessment.




Public Libraries: Standards

Gill Furniss: [142903]

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

assessment of whether local authorities providing unstaffed public libraries using open

technology are fulfilling their duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service.

Michael Ellis:

Local authorities in England have a statutory duty under the Public Libraries and

Museums Act 1964 to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. In

considering how best to deliver this statutory duty, each local authority is responsible

for determining local needs and delivering a modern and efficient library service that

meets the requirements of their communities within available resources.

The Department encourages local authorities to make appropriate use of the

expertise of library staff and available technology to support and enhance the delivery

of their library services. The use of technology to allow access to a library outside of

staffed hours would not of itself mean that a local authority is failing in its duty to

provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. It is important that the local

authority strikes a suitable balance between the provision of staffed and self-service

library services to provide a comprehensive and efficient service overall.

Social Media: Radicalism

Mr Jim Cunningham: [142759]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent meetings

he has had with leading social media companies to discuss the prevalence, removal and

prevention of hate speech and other extreme content on social media platforms.

Margot James:

Ministers and officials have regular meetings and discussions with social media

companies on a range of issues including the removal of hate speech and extreme

content. Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the Gov.uk

website.

Television: Licencsng



made of the loss of revenue to the public purse as a result of television licence fee

evasion in (a) 2012 and (b) 2017.

Margot James:

We do not hold this information. The BBC is responsible for the administration,

collection and enforcement of the licence fee regime.




EDUCATION

16-18 Mathematics Education Review

Stephen Timms: [142743]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress has been made on

implementing the recommendations of the Smith Review of post-16 mathematics since its

publication on 20 July 2017.

Nick Gibb:

The Government is committed to increasing participation in level 3 mathematics to

ensure the future workforce is skilled, competitive and productive. Since 2004, entries

to A level mathematics have risen by 83% (84,226 in 2017). It is now the most

popular A level and taken by 23.8% of students taking academic qualifications. There

are currently over 250 students attending the two open mathematics schools

sponsored by King’s College London and Exeter University along with Exeter

College.

The Department has already implemented a number of the recommendations made

by the Smith Review. A funding incentive has been introduced to help schools and

colleges increase participation in post-16 academic mathematics qualifications. The

advanced maths premium will provide up to £600 per additional student studying

academic level 3 mathematics qualifications.

The Department has reduced the requirements for an additional payment that

supports those 16 to 19 year olds who are undertaking a greater number of subjects

post 16. The changes aim to provide a further financial incentive for promoting the

further mathematics A level. Students will now need to achieve a grade C rather than

a grade B in their further mathematics A level for their school or college to receive

this additional payment

The Government continues to fund centrally delivered professional development

programmes for core maths, AS/A levels mathematics and further mathematics. A

new Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP), worth £16 million over two

years, started on the 1 May.

The Department is also working with the Royal Society’s Advisory Committee on

Maths Education to embed occupation-specific maths within the technical

qualification component of each of the new T levels.

Apprentices

Eddie Hughes: [905263]

What steps his Department is taking to promote apprenticeships.

Anne Milton:

The best promoters of apprenticeships are apprentices themselves and young

apprentice ambassadors network play an important role is this. I would also like to



commend the work of Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network who’s work

makes sure that we reach the widest possible number of people.

The National Apprenticeship Service promotes apprenticeships by working with

schools and works with the largest levy-paying employers to help them grow their

programme. We have a number of campaigns including Get in Go far, targeting

specific sectors and telemarketing.

Apprentices: Jarrow

Mr Stephen Hepburn: [141384]

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

number of apprenticeships available in the Jarrow constituency.

Anne Milton:

We have introduced a wide range of reforms to apprenticeships to improve their

quality and encourage employers to increase the number of apprenticeships they

offer. This includes moving to new apprenticeship standards, designed by employers

themselves, to give apprentices the skills, knowledge and behaviours that businesses

need. Over 250 standards have already been approved, with nearly 300 more in

development.

The apprenticeship levy and wider funding changes are designed to encourage

employers to invest in apprenticeships and improve the skills of their workforce. To

help employers to take advantage of the changes and increase the number of

apprenticeships they offer, levy payers can now transfer 10 per cent of their levy to

other employers, and we have released an additional £68 million to fund

apprenticeships among smaller employers.

In the Jarrow constituency, there were 1,250 apprenticeships starts in 2016/17; and

there have been 3,470 starts since May 2015.

Department for Education: Training

Hywel Williams: [141334]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what training his Department has provided to

(a) general civil servants, (b) fast stream civil servants and (c) senior civil servants on

understanding the scrutiny and legislative roles of the UK Parliament; how many such

courses have taken place; and how many civil servants have attended such training

courses in each of the last five years.

Anne Milton:

All civil servants have access to the central learning offer provided through Civil

Service Learning (CSL). There are one-day workshops on understanding Parliament,

which are delivered at Foundation and Practitioner levels, which both cover

Parliament’s scrutiny and legislative roles. Dedicated training sessions covering

specific topics are also available including introductions to Parliament, select

committees, debates and voting, pre and post legislative scrutiny, Parliamentary

questions, delegated legislation, and primary legislation. A half-day workshop is



available on producing effective Explanatory Memoranda to accompany secondary

legislation. The Cabinet Office’s Parliamentary Business and Legislation Team

provide training to Bill Teams. The Government Legal Department and Parliamentary

Counsel run a course on ‘Dealing with Parliamentary Bills for Lawyers’, which covers

parliamentary stages and handling. Bespoke sessions for government departments

are also available on request.

There is an e-learning course on understanding Parliament, and access to two

massive open online courses. These have been produced in partnership between the

House of Commons and Future Learn, which is a digital education platform owned by

the Open University.

The only course we have a data for is staff who have accessed e-learning training on

‘Parliamentary Processes’:

STARTED BUT YET NOT COMPLETED COMPLETED TOTAL

2018 20 13 33

2017 55 65 120

2016 23 16 39

Total 98 94 192

Fast Stream civil servants receive a Parliament workshop during their induction,

covering the role of Parliament in scrutinising government policy. For policy

professionals, a Fast Stream Base Camp includes an optional workshop which

focuses on the legislative process in both houses, typical timetables and roles of

Ministers, Bill Teams and civil servants in delivering legislation.

For senior civil servants, a tailored a one-day workshop, ‘Leading in Parliament’, is

available, which covers Parliament’s role, powers and relationship with government,

and the day-to-day work of Members. A workshop delivered jointly between CSL and

HM Treasury is provided for Accounting Officers. CSL provides a workshop

specifically for Senior Responsible Officers with responsibility for secondary

legislation. Every department has an Senior Civil Service Parliamentary Champion.

There is a buddy system in place between Parliamentary Champions and senior

House staff.

We also provide learning opportunities as follows:

The Policy Academy event: ‘Law and Policy: when and how to use legislation’

session, which includes secondary legislation and Explanatory Memoranda for

Statutory Instruments. This is delivered four times a year with enough places for

100 G7 staff per year.

‘Introduction to Policy Making’ event that is aimed at people new to policy making

and policy delivery.

The Parliamentary team also deliver training on parliamentary accountability and

Handling Statutory Instruments.

Disabled Students' Allowances

Angela Rayner: [142874]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 9 May 2018 to

Question 139972 on Disabled Students' Allowances, what estimate he has made of the

potential cost to the public purse of funding the £200 contribution made by students in

receipt of Disabled Students’ Allowance for the purchase of computer hardware in each

year up to 2023.

Mr Sam Gyimah:

The department has no plans to change the requirement for the £200 contribution to

the cost of computer equipment and has made no assessment of the potential cost of

doing so. Computers are a mainstream cost for all students and it is right therefore

that students eligible for the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) should contribute

towards the cost of their DSAs-recommended computer equipment.

Headteachers: Costs

Angela Rayner: [142872]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the cost to his Department was of

headteacher boards in 2017-18; and what estimate he has made of the potential cost of

those boards in each year up to 2023.

Nick Gibb:

The compensation paid to elected, co-opted and appointed members of the eight

English Headteacher Boards (HTBs) was £472,530 for 2017/18. For 2018/19 that

cost is expected to be approximately £450,000. The Department has not yet profiled

the budget for years beyond 2018/19.

The schools/trusts of each HTB member are paid £500 per day when head teachers

attend HTB meetings, plus in some cases, £250 for half-day reading/prep time. If

HTB members are not serving head teachers, this money is paid directly to them.

Open University: Finance

Hilary Benn: [142765]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations he has received on the

effect of changes to higher education funding on the Open University.

Mr Sam Gyimah:

The Open University (OU) plays an important role in the higher education sector.

Department for Education officials have met with senior staff from the OU and I am

due to meet with both its interim and immediate former vice chancellors.




The government and the Office for Students (OfS) monitor the financial sustainability

of the higher education sector in England. The OfS monitors the financial

sustainability of individual providers in receipt of public funding, including the OU.

The independent panel supporting the review of post-18 education and funding

recently concluded a call for evidence process which invited all interested parties to

submit evidence to inform its work.

The government has provided £48 million to support teaching in 2017 to 2018 at the

OU, including funds to support part-time students.

Pre-school Education: Living Wage


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

of the introduction of the national living wage on the financial viability of early years

providers.

Nadhim Zahawi:

The government will be investing £1 billion a year to increase our hourly funding rates

for the free entitlements and deliver 30 hours of free childcare. These funding rates

are based on our ‘Review of Childcare Costs’, which was described as “thorough and

wide ranging” by the National Audit Office. This looked at both the current costs of

childcare provision and the implications of future cost pressures facing the sector,

including the National Living Wage.

We continue to monitor delivery costs of our early years entitlements and have

commissioned new research to provide us with robust and detailed cost data from a

representative sample of early years providers.

Schools: Buildings

Catherine West: [141862]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding sources are available for

schools with derelict or dilapidated buildings.

Nick Gibb:

[Holding answer 11 May 2018]: The Government has committed to invest over £23

billion in the school estate between 2016-17 and 2020-21.

Since 2015, the Government has invested £5.6 billion to maintain and improve school

facilities. In addition, the £4.4 billion Priority School Building Programme is rebuilding

or refurbishing those buildings in the very worst condition across the country.

All schools receive a direct payment of devolved formula capital funding. In addition,

the Department allocates condition funding to the bodies responsible for school

buildings through the following routes:

Local authorities and larger multi academy trusts (MATs), with at least five schools

and 3000 pupils, receive School Condition Allocations to invest in the schools for



which they are responsible. This funding is calculated formulaically and takes account

of the condition of schools. For voluntary aided (VA) schools, the relevant local

authority facilitates a local discussion at which organisations representing the VA

schools – most commonly the relevant diocese – agree how the funding should be

invested.

Social Services: Children

Steve McCabe: [142756]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report Crumbling

Futures published by the Children's Society in March 2018, what steps his Department is

taking to ensure that 16 and 17-year-olds referred to children’s services are receiving

adequate support as they transition into adulthood.

Nadhim Zahawi:

We welcome the findings in the Children’s Society ‘Crumbling Futures’ report and

agree that this is a difficult and important transition. The government is committed to

ensuring that vulnerable children are ready for adult life and is taking action to ensure

that services protect and support children. We recognise the importance of avoiding

‘cliff edges’ in support for the most vulnerable children and the offer of support from

local authorities now extends to all care leavers up to 25. ‘Working Together to

Safeguard Children’ makes it clear that when children on Child Protection Plans

reach 18, local authorities should consider whether support services are still required.

As a priority, we are taking forward a review of the educational outcomes of Children

in Need. This review and call for evidence, which was launched on 16 March 2018, is

looking at the quality of support provided to all Children in Need including 16 and 17

year olds. We will consider the full range of views we receive in response to the call

for evidence, including any around transition to adult services.

We are delivering a major programme of reform to improve the support provided to

Children in Need. As set out in ‘Putting Children First’ (2016), we are working to

improve the quality of the workforce, develop and spread innovative practice, and

improve the quality of local authority children’s services. We are also using the

Department for Education’s Social Care Innovation Programme to trial programmes

to improve the quality of support for adolescents, including assessing how early help

and contextual safeguarding can help protect them from the specific threats they

face.

A key finding of ‘Crumbling Futures’ is that the mental health needs of children and

young people appear to be one of the main issues affecting older adolescents as they

progress into adulthood. The new Mental Health Support Teams proposed in the

government’s Mental Health green paper will provide significant support to 16 to 18

year olds in schools and colleges. The Department for Education will also test how

the teams can support vulnerable 16 to 18 year olds and other young people not in

school or college, such as those in apprenticeships and other work-based learning.

Additionally, the Department of Health and Social Care is setting up a new national


strategic partnership with key stakeholders focused on improving the mental health of

16 to 25 year olds by encouraging more coordinated action, experimentation and

robust evaluation.

Young People: Employment

Priti Patel: [905264]

What steps his Department is taking to support more pathways from education into

employment for young people.

Anne Milton:

We are developing 15 prestigious technical routes to set a clear pathway through

apprenticeships and new flagship T levels to skilled employment for young people.

We are working with employers to design the content for T levels, which will provide

in future a distinctive and rigorous technical alternative to A levels.

But apprenticeships must be of high quality. I am pleased that the move from the old

frameworks to the new standards has seen the proportion of these apprenticeships in

the number of all starts grow from 3% to 36% since last year.

Traineeships for those most distant from the labour market are yielding good results.

With two thirds progessing to positive destinations and reporting high levels of

satifaction (82%). With 84% saying it helped them gain the skills they need.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Waste Disposal

Paul Girvan: [140861]

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

assessment of the potential merits of introducing a grant to encourage farmers with slurry

tanks to erect more effective safety railings around those tanks.

George Eustice:

The Government does not currently provide funding for safety rails around slurry

tanks in England. However, we keep the focus of our Rural Development Programme

schemes under review. If we were to introduce a scheme for slurry management

under the programme in future we would consider what it should fund.

All UK administrations have their own EU funded Rural Development Programmes.

Any funding for slurry tank safety rails in Northern Ireland through this means would

be a matter for the Northern Ireland programme.

Animal Experiments: Cosmetics

Lesley Laird: [143238]

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

Department is taking to seek to end cosmetic animal testing throughout the world.




George Eustice:

Defra has no specific policy responsibility for international efforts to end cosmetic

testing on animals. The Home Office regulate the use of animals in science in the UK.

The Office for Life Sciences has shared the UK’s own experience of introducing a

ban on cosmetics testing on animals with other countries, including, most recently,

China.

Beverage Containers: Recycling

Richard Burden: [140566]

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

he has made of the potential merits of implementing a deposit return scheme for

aluminium cans.

George Eustice:

From 2 October to 20 November 2017, an independent working group set up under

the Litter Strategy for England held a call for evidence on measures to reduce littering

of drinks containers and promote recycling. This included metal drinks containers that

are sold sealed and used for the sale of alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages, often

for consumption ‘on the go’. It involved seeking evidence on the costs, benefits and

impacts of deposit and reward and return schemes. Early this year, Ministers

received and reviewed the working group’s report summarising its call for evidence

and recommendations. This can be found at:

www.gov.uk/government/consultations/drinks-containers-reducing-litter-and-

increasing-recycling-call-for-evidence.

The Government has confirmed that it will introduce a deposit return scheme in

England, subject to a consultation later this year. The consultation will look at the

details of how such a scheme would work, alongside other measures to increase

recycling rates.

Mr Jim Cunningham: [142325]

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

responses were received to his Department's call for evidence on voluntary and

economic incentives to reduce littering of drinks containers and promote recycling which

closed on 20 November 2017.

George Eustice:

The call for evidence on voluntary and economic incentives to reduce littering of

drinks containers and promote recycling was held by the independent Voluntary and

Economic Incentives Working Group.

The Working Group’s report summarising responses to its call for evidence and

including its expert views has been published on the GOV.UK website. Annex B of

this report states that there were 276 responses to the call for evidence. It also

includes a breakdown of the number of responses by organisation and a list of

respondents.



Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Disclosure of Information


To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many leak

enquiries his Department has undertaken in the last two years.

George Eustice:

The leak of any Government information or material is not acceptable and the

Government takes such incidents very seriously.

It has been the policy of successive Governments not to comment on security

matters other than in exceptional circumstances when it is in the public interest to do

so.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Training


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

Department has provided to (a) general civil servants, (b) fast stream civil servants and

(c) senior civil servants on devolution and inter-governmental relations; how many such



George Eustice:

Defra uses Civil Service Learning and local delivery for the provision of learning and

development.

Defra provides a range of learning on devolution and intergovernmental relations for

all levels of staff. This includes online learning, face to face workshops, and bespoke

sessions designed for specific requirements of Defra staff. The learning includes

sessions for new and existing staff, senior civil servants, fast stream civil servants,

civil servants registered in talent schemes, civil servants working on legislation, and

those working closely with Ministers.

Since April 2017, Defra has facilitated or delivered 20 devolution seminars to over

1,200 of its staff who have the most engagement with counterparts in the devolved

administrations. We do not hold information on the numbers of Defra staff who

attended devolution training held before 2017.


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


(c) senior civil servants on understanding the scrutiny and legislative roles of the UK

Parliament; how many such courses have taken place; and how many civil servants have

attended such training courses in each of the last five years.

George Eustice:

Defra uses Civil Service Learning (CSL) for the provision of learning and

development to our people. The management information data provided by CSL to




Defra does not differentiate between generalists and fast stream civil servants and

therefore we are not able to provide specific attendance data for CSL courses for fast

streamers. The CSL managed learning offer changed in late 2016 / early 2017 and

the department only has management information data for learning products

accessed via the new managed offer.

CSL’s ‘EU exit and new UK partnerships’ course is a face to face workshop for all

grades. CSL released this course in early 2018 and one pilot session has been

delivered. No Defra general, fast stream or SCS civil servants attended the pilot

course.

Incinerators

Dr David Drew: [140553]

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

to amend the pollution inventory reporting guidance sent to incinerator operators.

George Eustice:

The Environment Agency plans to issue updated pollution inventory reporting

guidance to incinerator operators before the end of 2018. The updated guidance will

apply to the reporting returns for 2018 which operators need to submit during January

or February 2019.

Nitrogen Oxides: Pollution Control

Kerry McCarthy: [140659]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding

has been allocated by (a) Government (b) the EU to Natural England for the

implementation of Shared Nitrogen Action Plans; what annual spend was of Natural

England for that work; and how many employees of National England have been located

to the delivery of that work.

George Eustice:

The development of Shared Nitrogen Action Plans (SNAPs) as an approach for

Natura 2000 sites at risk from excess nitrogen deposition was proposed in the

Atmospheric Nitrogen Theme Plan under the EU LIFE funded IPENS (Improvement

Programme for England’s Natura 2000 Sites) programme. The total EU contribution

to the IPENS programme – which looked at all the major pressures on Natura 2000

sites - was €1,785,388. This included around £45,000 for evidence projects

associated with the nitrogen theme plan, but it is not possible to distinguish the

amount of funding for staff time in developing the SNAPs concept itself.

The SNAPs approach is still at a pilot stage and some initial pilot work led by Natural

England (NE) started in 2016. Although each SNAP does not necessarily need to be

led by NE, over the next two years we expect NE area team staff to be involved in

investigating the approach in at least eight areas where nitrogen emissions from

different types of source are affecting Natura 2000 sites. This pilot work is being



overseen by two NE senior specialists in air quality and supported by staff in each of

the relevant area teams.

By overall reduction in risk at the site level, declines in background reactive nitrogen

concentrations through implementation of the Government’s approaches to meet

targets under the National Emissions Ceiling Directive will contribute to SNAPs. So

too will localised reductions in emissions, including those funded through Rural

Development Programme for England schemes to reduce ammonia emissions from

agriculture, as well as advice on efficient use of nitrogen and ammonia reduction

measures through catchment sensitive farming (CSF). CSF is in the process of

appointing 11 additional members of staff to work on aspects of ammonia reductions

from farming, and to build capability in this area that will also contribute to meeting

objectives under SNAPs.

The pilot work is funded by Government under NE’s Grant in Aid allocation, but it is

not readily possible to determine the specific time spent by our area teams on this

aspect of NE’s site protection work at these Natura 2000 sites. EU LIFE funding is

involved in a few of the sites, though again the SNAPs element is usually only one of

a range of activities being funded at the site in this way.

Trees: Conservation

Neil Parish: [140711]

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

assessment he has made of the effect of disease on trees.

George Eustice:

Tree health risks are systematically assessed through the publically available UK

Plant Risk Register (approximately one third of the nearly 1000 pests and diseases

on the register are forestry pests and diseases), risks are reviewed monthly and

prioritised for actions such as surveillance. Forestry Commission carry out aerial and

ground based surveillance on priority risks to tree health, including Phytophthora

ramorum, oak processionary moth, ash dieback and the results are published on the

Forestry Commission website.

EXITING THE EUROPEAN UNION

Ports

Andy McDonald: [142866]

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, which of the UK’s ports (a)

he and (b) other Ministers in of his Department have visited since July 2016.

Suella Braverman:

Ministers from across Government have carried out extensive engagement on EU

exit - with businesses and industry bodies from all sectors of the economy and in all

parts of the UK, including representatives from UK ports.



Details of DExEU Ministerial visits to UK ports since July 2016 are as follows:

October 2016, Lord Bridges, Port of Tilbury

November 2016, Lord Bridges, Port of Felixstowe

December 2016, David Jones, Port of Southampton

December 2016, David Jones, Port of Liverpool

July 2017, Robin Walker, Poole Harbour

September 2017, Robin Walker, Belfast Harbour

January 2018, David Davis and Suella Braverman, Teesport

March 2018, Suella Braverman, Port of Southampton

May 2018, Suella Braverman, Port of Dover

Details of Ministerial meetings are published in the Department's Quarterly

Transparency Returns, which are made publicly available on GOV.UK. The next set

of Transparency Returns will be released in June.

Ports: Greater London

Andy McDonald: [142865]

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether he or Ministers of

his Department have made an official visit to the Port of London since July 2016.

Suella Braverman:

Ministers from across Government have carried out extensive engagement on EU

exit - with businesses and industry bodies from all sectors of the economy and in all

parts of the UK, including representatives from UK ports.

Lord Bridges, then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for

Exiting the European Union, made an official visit to the Port of Tilbury, in October

2016.

Details of ministerial meetings are published in the Department's Quarterly

Transparency Returns, which are made publicly available on GOV.UK.

Security: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: [142367]

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 8

May 2018 to Question 139996 on Security: Northern Ireland, if he will place in the Library

copies of the redacted minutes of his briefings with (a) PSNI officers and (b) Northern

Ireland Office officials during his visit to Northern Ireland of 23 April 2018.

Mr Steve Baker:

The Secretary of State meetings with PSNI Officers and Northern Ireland Office

officials relate to matters concerning our exit from the EU. Release of this information

while our exit from the EU is ongoing would indicate sensitive information relating to



the negotiations. Ministers have a specific responsibility, which Parliament has

endorsed, not to release information that could undermine our negotiating position.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

Bahrain: Elections

Ann Clwyd: [142354]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has

made representations to the Government of Bahrain on its proposed legislation

prohibiting candidates from dissolved societies and organisations running for office in

elections; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt:

We are closely monitoring this proposed legislation. As with all elections in the region

and beyond, we encourage the Government of Bahrain to ensure fair, inclusive and

transparent elections.

Bahrain: Torture

Hilary Benn: [142764]

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

he has made of reports of alleged use of torture and forced confessions in Bahrain.

Alistair Burt:

The Government monitors events in Bahrain closely. We regularly raise human rights

concerns with the Bahraini authorities in private and in public and will continue to do

so. We encourage the Government of Bahrain to deliver on its international and

domestic human rights commitments.

We encourage those with concerns about the treatment of prisoners in detention to

report these to the relevant human rights oversight bodies. We encourage these

oversight bodies to carry out swift and thorough investigations.

Burundi: Peace Negotiations

Fiona Bruce: [142405]

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

the Government has taken to help promote peace in Burundi.

Harriett Baldwin:

The British Government is deeply concerned by the situation in Burundi. Our non-

resident Ambassador and officials hold regular consultations with the Burundi

Government; most recently on 8 May with the Burundi Foreign Minister. These

discussions cover human rights, the rule of law, and the importance of maintaining

the principles of the 2000 Arusha Agreement, including the protection of minority

groups. We are also working with UN, EU and African Union partners to support an

inclusive, negotiated solution to the political crisis. The UK Special Envoy to the Great




Lakes, presently Chair of the International Contact Group on the Great Lakes, visited

the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa on 26 and 27 February and

discussed Burundi with regional and international partners, in the context of the

Peace Security and Cooperation Framework for the Great Lakes region. In addition,

the UK supports projects in Burundi focused on human rights, sexual and gender

based violence and security

Companies: Ownership

Paul Flynn: [142768]

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

Written Statement of 1 May 2018, HCWS660, on beneficial ownership in the Overseas

Territories and Crown Dependencies, whether information on merchant shipping

beneficially owned in Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies is included in the

Exchange of Notes arrangements.

Sir Alan Duncan:

The Exchanges of Notes concluded with the Overseas Territories and Crown

Dependencies in 2016 provide for the exchange of information on the beneficial

ownership of corporate and legal entities incorporated in these jurisdictions. As ships

are assets, and not corporate and legal entities, the beneficial owners of merchant

ships registered in the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies would not be

covered by the Exchanges of Notes, unless the vessels are owned by corporate and

legal entities incorporated in these jurisdictions.

EU Common Foreign and Security Policy

Matt Rodda: [905299]

What recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on foreign policy co-

operation after the UK has left the EU.

Boris Johnson:

On leaving the EU, the UK will pursue an independent foreign policy, but we would be

open to co-operating closely, where this is in our shared interest. We are currently in

discussions with the EU on our future security partnership, and we continue to

discuss this with our counterparts across Europe. The UK has also published online

our vision for the future external security relationship.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Training


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


(c) senior civil servants on understanding the scrutiny and legislative roles of the UK

Parliament; how many such courses have taken place; and how many civil servants have

attended such training courses in each of the last five years.




Sir Alan Duncan:

Our records do not cover training provided over the whole period of the last five years

or differentiate between fast stream and main stream civil servants. However, since

July 2015, over 1200 civil servants have completed learning on Parliamentary

scrutiny and Parliament's legislative role as part of the Foreign and Commonwealth

Office (FCO) Diplomatic Academy's Foundation and Practitioner Levels. Of these, 23

are senior civil servants.

In addition, the FCO also runs tailored face-to-face courses on Working with

Parliament and on FCO Oral Questions every 5 weeks during the parliamentary

session and provides ad hoc one-to-one level learning where requested. FCO and

Government staff also access material and attend courses organised by Civil Service

Learning, which is a cross-departmental resource and is managed centrally.

All fast stream new entrants to the FCO have since last year been required to study

for and pass a City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma in UK Foreign Policy and Diplomacy, as

do some staff to obtain promotion. This diploma includes material on a broad range of

the FCO's parliamentary responsibilities.

Hezbollah: Weapons

Chris Davies: [905304]

What recent assessment he has made of trends in the size of Hezbollah’s weapons

arsenal.

Alistair Burt:

We remain concerned by reports that Hizballah continues to amass an arsenal of

weapons in Lebanon. We condemn the threat this poses to regional stability and that

this is done in direct contravention of UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and

1701.

India: Diplomatic Relations

Mr Philip Dunne: [905300]

What recent assessment he has made of the UK's diplomatic relations with India.

Mark Field:

The UK’s relations with India remain excellent, as demonstrated by Prime Minister

Modi’s hugely successful visit in UK. We share a longstanding and deep friendship

with India, and a ‘living bridge’ connecting our people. To be frank, I am keen we

focus less on legacy and nostalgia and more on the future relationship between our

two countries, including the new UK-India Tech Partnership, as I saw on my visit to

New Delhi and Hyderabad only last week.



South Sudan: Peace Negotiations

Stephen Twigg: [141673]

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

he has made of the progress of the peace process in South Sudan.

Harriett Baldwin:

We welcome the expected resumption of the High Level Revitalisation Forum (HLRF)

talks in South Sudan on 17 May. However, the British Government is disappointed

that the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) signed by all parties in December

last year has not held, and that the HLRF has so far failed to generate serious

commitments from the parties to compromise.

We strongly condemn ongoing violations of the COHA, and urge the

Intergovernmental Authority on Development to take immediate action to ensure that

those who violate any agreement, or undermine the peace process, face

consequences for their actions, to leave the parties in no doubt about the region's

commitment to peace.

Alex Sobel: [141893]

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

assessment he has made of the progress of the peace process in South Sudan.

Harriett Baldwin:

We welcome the expected resumption of the High Level Revitalisation Forum (HLRF)

talks in South Sudan on 17 May. However, the British Government is disappointed

that the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) signed by all parties in December

has not held, and that the HLRF has so far failed to generate serious commitments

from the parties to compromise.

We strongly condemn ongoing violations of the COHA, and urge the

Intergovernmental Authority on Development to take immediate action to ensure that

those who undermine the peace process, face consequences for their actions, to

leave the parties in no doubt about the region's commitment to peace.

Sudan: Religious Freedom

Alex Sobel: [141892]

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

assessment he has made of the extent of freedom of religion or belief in Sudan.

Harriett Baldwin:

Sudan remains a Human Rights Priority Country for the Foreign and Commonwealth

Office (FCO), and we are deeply concerned about infringements and restrictions on

freedom of religion or belief. We are considering ways that FCO programme funding

could help to promote freedom of religion or belief in Sudan. We raised our concerns

with the Government as part of the UK-Sudan Strategic Dialogue on 24 April and will

continue to do so as part of our ongoing bilateral engagement.




Turkey: Foreign Relations

Ann Clwyd: [142355]

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

Government plans to raise with the Turkish President, Tayyip Erdogan, on his visit to the

UK in May 2018.

Sir Alan Duncan:

The visit is an opportunity for the UK and Turkey to discuss our close co-operation on

counter-terrorism, migration, regional stability, trade and to raise other issues,

including human rights.

USA: Diplomatic Relations

Kwasi Kwarteng: [905297]

What recent assessment he has made of the UK’s diplomatic relations with the US.

Boris Johnson:

The UK has a special and enduring relationship with the United States based on our

long history and commitment to shared values. Last week I saw the Vice President,

National Security Advisor and Secretary of State to further strengthen those ties. No

two countries will agree on every issue, but the US remains our No. 1 friend, ally and

partner.

Zimbabwe: Elections

Kate Hoey: [142313]

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

Government has to help ensure that elections due to be held in Zimbabwe in 2018 are

conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner.

Harriett Baldwin:

The UK has consistently called for free and fair elections in Zimbabwe, in line with the

country’s constitution. We have engaged regularly with actors from across the

political spectrum to discuss how the international community can best support

Zimbabwe’s democratisation process. Most recently, our Ambassador in Harare met

President Mnangagwa on 5 May and the Foreign Secretary met MDC Alliance leader

Nelson Chamisa on 9 May to discuss these points.

The UK will participate in the EU Electoral Observation Mission which will be

deployed to Zimbabwe to monitor the electoral process. Between 2014 and 2019 we

are spending £24 million on civil society support for transparency, accountability,

human rights and citizen engagement in Zimbabwe, much of which will help support

democratisation. This includes an increase of £5 million announced in February

specifically to support election-related work.




HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

Ambulance Services

Jonathan Ashworth: [142861]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the performance criteria

are against which 999 ambulance call handlers are assessed.

Stephen Barclay:

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 April 2018 to Question 135015.

Autism

Laura Pidcock: [141911]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has

made of the trends in waiting times for Autism Spectrum Disorder assessments; and if he

will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage:

The Department has made no recent assessment of the trends in waiting times for

autism spectrum disorder assessments.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommend

that the time from a referral to a first appointment is no longer than three months.

The latest available data for the country as a whole is available in Public Health

England’s report, ‘Autism Self-Assessment Exercise 2016 Detailed report and

thematic analyses’ (published June 2017). The report states that 33 local authorities

(22%) reported already meeting the NICE recommended waiting times, 35 (23%)

anticipated meeting NICE recommended waiting times by March 2017 and to be able

to sustain this thereafter and 66 (43%) did not anticipate being able to reach NICE

recommended waiting times sustainably by March 2017. 18 local authorities did not

respond to the relevant question.

Collection of national waiting times data from referral to a first appointment and on to

a diagnosis if one is given, began in April this year. Results will be published in due

course.

Breast Cancer: Screening


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to his oral statement

of 2 May 2018, Official Report, column 315, on Breast Cancer Screening, how many

women have been affected by the NHS breast screening programme failure in (a)

Newcastle Gateshead clinical commissioning group and (b) South Tyneside clinical

commissioning group.




Ian Lavery: [141347]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of

the number of women in (a) Wansbeck Constituency, (b) Northumberland County and (c)

the North East who might have been affected by the breast cancer screening error.

Steve Brine:

Data on the number of women affected by the National Health Service breast

screening programme failure will be published by the end of May.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has plans to

facilitate the use of private clinics to carry out mammograms as a result of the failures in

the breast cancer screening process for women aged 68 to 71.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) mammographers

and (b) radiologists his Department plans to recruited to provide the additional capacity

required for the breast screening programme as a result of the failures of the breast

cancer screening programme.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment (a) his

Department, (b) Public Health England and (c) other organisations made of the timetable

to clear the backlog in the screening programme as a resulted of the failure of the breast

cancer screening programme.

Steve Brine:

NHS England is taking major steps to put in place additional capacity of screening

services to respond to the breast screening incident working with existing staff,

including over evenings and weekends, and advise that they are also working closely

with all local services and commissioners to ensure that they can co-ordinate any

extra screening required across the programme.

In addition, NHS England is confident that all areas of the country will have the

capacity to absorb any increase in demand on diagnostic services for those women

who require follow up tests. Private capacity will only be used if necessary and where

it meets national standards.

The Department, Public Health England and NHS England are working closely to

ensure timelines agreed are met as a result of the failure of the breast cancer

screening programme.

All women affected who wish to have a breast screen will receive an appointment to

take place before the end of October 2018, but the vast majority will be seen sooner.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to oral statement of 2

May 2018, Official Report, column 315, on Breast Cancer Screening, what steps his






Department are taking to ensure that the additional screenings offered to women affected

by the failure will not affect the (a) speed and (b) quality of the provision of screening to

women aged between 50 and 70 years of age.

Steve Brine:

Any additional capacity being provided in response to this incident is being delivered

in addition to existing capacity. The screening service for women aged 50-70 will

continue to be delivered in the usual way.

Clinical Commissioning Groups


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether clinical commissioning

group areas that are subject to the capped expenditure process will continue to be so

subject in the event that are merged with another clinical commissioning group.

Stephen Barclay:

The Capped Expenditure Process was run as an extension to the 2017/18 planning

process aimed at those places that were otherwise unable to live within their means.

It was therefore limited to the 2017/18 financial year and so is now in effect

concluded. For the 2018/19 planning process it is still essential that all clinical

commissioning groups (CCGs) do their utmost to submit a plan to live within their

means, and to repay any cumulative historical overspends. Where CCGs are merging

as of 1 April 2018 the same rules will apply to the merged entity as applied to the

individual entities prior to the merger.

Dental Health


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the regional distribution of

dental gum disease specialists is.

Steve Brine:

This information is not held centrally.

Department of Health and Social Care: Training


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what training his Department

has provided to (a) general civil servants, (b) fast stream civil servants and (c) senior civil

servants on understanding the scrutiny and legislative roles of the UK Parliament; how

many such courses have taken place; and how many civil servants have attended such

training courses in each of the last five years.

Caroline Dinenage:

The Department runs three training courses on understanding the scrutiny and

legislative roles of the United Kingdom Parliament: legislation, Parliamentary




accountability and select committees. Further information on registrations for these

courses is in the following table.

NAME OF MODULE DATE INTRODUCED NUMBER OF SESSIONS

NUMBER OF

REGISTRATIONS

Legislation March 2015 14 240

Parliamentary

Accountability

February 2015 16 265

Select Committees March 2016 7 117

Note:

These courses are open to civil servants at all grades, including fast streamers, as

well as staff in our arm’s length bodies. Therefore the total number of registrations will

include non-civil servants as well as civil servants. These courses have been running

since February 2015.

Information on organisation and grade of attendee is collected in our feedback forms.

However, not all attendees return feedback forms and this data is not an accurate

representation of the grades of people who attended.

Between November 2017 and January 2018 the Department also ran three

workshops on secondary legislation for staff with statutory instruments due to be laid.

16 civil servants attended these workshops; information on grade was not collected.

Drugs: Innovation

Nic Dakin: [141346]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is

taking to ensure that NHS England rapidly adopts innovative medicines.

Steve Brine:

The Life Sciences Industrial Strategy set out a vision of being a world-leader in

developing and bringing to market innovative medicines to improve patient outcomes.

It highlighted the importance of evolving and simplifying the access system for new

medicines by implementing, and building on, the findings of the Accelerated Access

Review.

The response to the Accelerated Access Review, published last year, set out a series

of actions the Government and the National Health Service are taking to increase the

rate of adoption of innovative products. We have brought together the key

Government, NHS and industry partners through the newly formed Accelerated

Access Collaborative, who will oversee the Accelerated Access Pathway, to

streamline regulatory and market access decisions, getting breakthrough products

that we believe will be truly transformative to patients more quickly. The response

also committed to £86 million of support, including £39 million to improve local


adoption and uptake of innovative medical technologies through a greater role for the

Academic Health and Science Networks and £6 million to help the NHS to adopt and

integrate new technologies into everyday practice, through the Pathway

Transformation Fund. These build on our existing schemes to encourage quicker

patient access such as the Early Access to Medicine Scheme and the Innovation

Technology Tariff. Additionally, the Innovation Scorecard tracks the uptake of cost-

effective new medicines approved by the National Institute for Health and Care

Excellence.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Mary Robinson: [141812]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients have died

whilst under the care of inpatient children and adolescent mental health services since

January 2013.

Jackie Doyle-Price:

Since January 2013, the National Health Service has reported 17 deaths of patients

under the care of inpatient children and young people’s mental health services.

Following the written statement to Parliament by the then Parliamentary Under-

Secretary for Public Health and Innovation (Nicola Blackwood) on 20 January 2017

(HCWS 427), all deaths of patients under the care of inpatient children and young

people’s mental health services are reported to Ministers and the National

Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness which

will include the figures in its annual reports.

Patient safety is a key priority for this Government and we published Learning from

Deaths guidance to the NHS in 2017 to improve the way the NHS investigates and

learns from deaths to prevent future tragedies. My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of

State for Health and Social Care also announced a zero suicide ambition for mental

health inpatients in January this year, which is supported by £25 million of

investment, so that every mental health provider of NHS services has a zero suicide

policy in place.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to

ensure that children and young people have access to appropriate mental health

treatment.

Jackie Doyle-Price:

We have made an additional £1.4 billion available over the course of 2015/16 -

2020/21 to transform services and ensure access to specialist mental health services

for an additional 70,000 children and young people a year by 2020/21.

We have also introduced two waiting time standards for children and young people.

The first is for 95% of children (up to 19 years old) with eating disorders to receive

treatment within a week for urgent cases (and four weeks for routine cases). The

second is for 50% of patients (of all ages) experiencing a first episode of psychosis to



receive treatment within two weeks of referral. We are currently exceeding or on track

to meet these waiting time standards.

The recent Green Paper, ‘Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health

Provision’, published by the Department for Health and Social Care and the

Department for Education, announced the creation of new Mental Health Support

Teams. These teams will deliver mental health interventions for those with mild to

moderate needs in or close to schools and colleges (and refer those with more

severe needs on to specialist services). The Green Paper also announced the

piloting of a four week waiting time to improve access to National Health Service

mental health services, which we will roll out in a number of trailblazer areas

alongside the support teams. The Green Paper is supported by an additional £300

million.

We will also ensure that at least one teacher in every primary and secondary school

will receive mental health awareness training to enable school staff to spot common

signs of mental health issues, and to help children and young people receive

appropriate support.

Norovirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many ward closures in

each of the last five years were due to novovirus outbreaks.

Stephen Barclay:

The following table shows the number of suspected and laboratory confirmed

norovirus outbreaks and ward/bay closures in hospitals reported to Public Health

England from 2013-16.

YEAR

TOTAL NUMBER OF

NOROVIRUS OUTBREAKS

NUMBER OF

LABORATORY

CONFIRMED NOROVIRUS

OUTBREAKS

NUMBER OF WARD/BAY

CLOSURES*

2016 573 433 547

2015 662 436 617

2014 689 459 642

2013 881 593 810

*Note:

Not all outbreaks result in whole ward closures; some closures are restricted to bays

only. The data on ward and bay closures are not available separately.


Nurses

Dr Paul Williams: [142927]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which his Department plans to

respond to the Second Report of the Health and Social Care Committee, Nursing

Workforce, HC353, published on 29 January 2018.

Stephen Barclay:

The Government is considering carefully the important issues raised in the Second

Report of the Health and Social Care Committee, Nursing Workforce HC353 and

plans to publish its response in the coming weeks.

Postnatal Depression

Julie Cooper: [141351]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support General

Practitioners provide to mothers experiencing perinatal mental health problems.

Jackie Doyle-Price:

We are committed to improving mental health support for expectant and new

mothers. General practitioners have a crucial role in identifying and treating perinatal

mental illness. Support provided includes pre-conception counselling, monitoring

during pregnancy, and referring women to Improving Access to Psychological

Therapies (IAPT) and specialist mental health services if necessary. We are

expanding IAPT to reach 1.5 million people by 2020/21, and are investing £365

million in specialist perinatal mental health services so that 30,000 more women are

able to access the right care at the right time, close to home, by 2020/21.

Pre-school Education: Mental Health


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he his taking to

increase the number of mental health specialists working in early years settings.

Jackie Doyle-Price:

It is for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to decide on how local mental health

provision should be made, based on local need and circumstances. CCGs are

required to work with other local services to produce local transformation plans

(LTPs), now included in sustainability and transformation plans, which set out how

children and young people’s mental health services will be delivered locally, including

in early years.

We are making available an additional £1.4 billion to support them in this. NHS

England’s report, ‘Children and young people’s mental health Local Transformation

Plans – a summary of key themes’, estimated that almost 90% of LTPs referenced

having early years programmes in place. The report is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/mentalhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2016/08/cyp-

mh-ltp.pdf




https://www.england.nhs.uk/mentalhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2016/08/cyp-mh-ltp.pdf



Suicide: Males

David Simpson: [141750]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department

have taken to tackle male suicide rates.

Jackie Doyle-Price:

The National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England was updated in 2017 to

strengthen delivery in a range of key areas for action including targeting high risk

groups such as men. The updated strategy is supported by £25 million of investment

over the next three years.

Every area is implementing a multi-agency suicide prevention plan to ensure that all

local services are working together to implement tailored approaches to reducing

suicides in their communities. We acknowledge that men may not engage as easily

with services and increasingly, evidence indicates that men feel more comfortable

accessing support and services in non-clinical settings.

This has led to a wide range of innovative responses to provide support to men in

community environments they find accessible and relevant including, for example, the

Men’s Sheds Movement, Andy’s Man Clubs and State of Mind Sport.

We are encouraged that the number of male suicides in England has reduced for the

second consecutive year and the overall suicide rate is at its lowest since 2010, but

there is much more we must do to ensure that everyone at risk of suicide has the

help and support they need.

Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships: South East

Sir Nicholas Soames: [142741]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to

ensure that progress is made on the Sussex and East Surrey Sustainability and

Transformation Partnership's move to integrated care systems; and what the timetable is

for that move.

Stephen Barclay:

All sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) are at different stages with

many not yet ready to apply to become integrated care systems (ICS). Although the

requirements for ICS are recognised, and Sussex and East Surrey STP is working on

all the desired characteristics in 2018/19, the STP is currently focusing on the key

areas of improving system financial and service delivery performance in 2018/19

before making any decision about whether or not to apply to become an ICS.

There is no defined timescale for this as it is a voluntary decision for each STP

depending on their own circumstances.



Visual Impairment: Depressive Illnesses


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people registered as

blind have been diagnosed with depression.

Caroline Dinenage:

The number of people who are registered as blind or severely sight impaired with a

diagnosis of depression is not collected centrally.

HOME OFFICE

Compulsorily Detained Psychiatric Patients

Luciana Berger: [142435]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people detained

under section 13 of the Mental Health Act 1983 were held in police cells in (a) Liverpool,

Wavertree constituency, (b) Liverpool, (c) Liverpool City Region and (d) England in each

in of the last two years.

Mr Nick Hurd:

The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of persons

detained under section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983, at police force area level

only.

These data were collected on a mandatory basis for the first time in 2016/17, and are

published as part of the ‘Police powers and procedures, England and Wales’

statistical bulletin, which can be accessed here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-powers-and-procedures-england-

and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2017

Table MHA.05c of the accompanying data tables show that, in 2016/17, nobody was

detained in a police station following a section 136 detention in the Merseyside police

force area. In England, 898 people in total were detained in a police station following

a section 136 detention.

Figures for 2015/16 were published by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and can be

accessed using the following links:

http://www.npcc.police.uk/documents/S136%20Data%202015%2016.pdf.

DNA: Databases

Philip Davies: [142388]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many DNA profiles have

been removed from the national DNA database since 2014.



https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2017



http://www.npcc.police.uk/documents/S136%20Data%202015%2016.pdf

http://www.npcc.police.uk/documents/S136%20Data%202015%2016.pdf


Mr Nick Hurd:

Between 1st April 2014 and 31st March 2018 845,267 DNA profiles from individuals

and 22,321 crime scene DNA profiles have been deleted from the National DNA

Database.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many DNA profiles of

prisoners still serving a sentence have not yet been added to the DNA database.

Mr Nick Hurd:

It has been standard practice for the police to take DNA profiles from all persons

arrested for a recordable offence for many years. If the person is then convicted, their

DNA profile is retained indefinitely. The proportion of prisoners whose profiles are not

on the database is therefore likely to be very small.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many successful matches

there have been between DNA profiles taken from crime scenes and those stored on the

national DNA database in each of the last two years.

Mr Nick Hurd:

In 2016-17 there were 31,743 matches between DNA profiles taken from crime

scenes and subject records stored on the National DNA Database

In 2017-18 there were 30,780 matches between DNA profiles taken from crime

scenes and subject records stored on the National DNA Database.

Domestic Violence: Homicide


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information his Department

holds on the number of men who were killed by their current or former partner in each of

the last five years.

Mr Nick Hurd:

The Home Office Homicide Index holds information on the relationship between

homicide victims and suspects, including partner/ex-partner.

The Office for National Statistics publishes such information and the latest statistics

on the number of men aged 16 and over killed by a partner/ex-partner in England and

Wales were published in Homicide in England and Wales: year ending March 2017,

in Appendix Table 9, available here:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/ap

pendixtableshomicideinenglandandwales




https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/appendixtableshomicideinenglandandwales



Educational Testing Service


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department took

to validate allegations made by ETS that individuals had cheated in their Test of English

for International Communication; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes:

Further to PQ 140550, a number of steps were taken to ensure that the ETS process

for declaring test results invalid was suitably robust. This included commissioning an

independent expert report from a leading Professor of Forensic Speech Science

which concluded that the number of false matches would be very small, and that the

system used were more likely to produce false negatives than false positives.

Where a result was marked as questionable, nobody was refused immigration leave

on that basis without first being given the opportunity to re-sit a test with another

provider or attend an interview.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions

Ministers in his Department (a) met representatives of ETS between May 2010 and

February 2014 and (b) have met such representatives since February 2014.

Caroline Nokes:

Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international

partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as

part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of Ministerial meetings

are passed to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis and are subsequently published

on the Gov.uk website:

https://data.gov.uk/dataset/2eac556f-f2d3-4e84-8230-ca5b7cd9e428/ministerial-gifts-

hospitality-travel-and-meetings-with-external-organisations-in-home-office

EU Immigration: Horn of Africa

Stephen Twigg: [141674]

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

of progress made under the EU-Horn of Africa Migration Route Initiative to tackle irregular

migration from the Horn of Africa.

Caroline Nokes:

The Khartoum Process has made good progress to address people smuggling and

human trafficking in the Horn of Africa. The UK chaired two thematic meetings in

2016 and 2017 and Egypt hosted a trilateral meeting (Khartoum/Rabat Processes

and Horn of Africa Initiative) in November 2017 to understand progress to date;

ongoing challenges and the solutions needed for a joined-up and concerted

response.



https://data.gov.uk/dataset/2eac556f-f2d3-4e84-8230-ca5b7cd9e428/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-with-external-organisations-in-home-office




The Khartoum Process has approved 147 programmes under its Better Migration

Management (BMM) programme in this area and it also continues to implement the

Regional Operation Centre of Khartoum (ROCK) which aims to improve cooperation

and information sharing between law enforcement agencies to effectively disrupt the

people smuggling and trafficking rings exploiting migrants.

The 2018 Italian Chairmanship will build upon these efforts with further thematic and

training workshops alongside a review of thematic conclusions to ensure tangible

future delivery. There will also be a Joint Senior Officials Meeting in November to

assess the progress made under the Joint Valletta Action Plan.

Human Trafficking: Scotland

Mr Alister Jack: [141881]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is

taking to tackle human trafficking in Scotland.

Victoria Atkins:

The tackling of human trafficking is a devolved matter and the Scottish Government

works closely with Police Scotland, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities,

Procurator Fiscal Service and other key partners to address this crime and support

victims. This includes co-ordination with the Home Office and UK-wide bodies

including Border Force and Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority.

The Scottish Parliament passed legislation in 2015 entitled “Human Trafficking and

Exploitation (Scotland) Act” to tackle human trafficking in Scotland. Since then, a

range of work has taken place to implement the Scottish Government’s Trafficking

and Exploitation Strategy, focussing on three action areas: identifying and supporting

victims, identifying and disrupting perpetrators, and addressing the conditions that

foster trafficking and exploitation. The Scottish Government will soon publish the first

annual progress report on implementation of the Strategy.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Kate Green: [R] [142440]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the mobile application

for the registration of EU nationals for after the UK leaves the EU will be available in

languages other than English.

Caroline Nokes:

We have established user groups to discuss the development of a scheme for EU

citizens to apply for settled status. This includes the design of the Rules, guidance

and systems; testing them as they are developed; understanding the range of user

needs; and our plans for communications about the Scheme to ensure EU citizens

understand what they need to do.

We are conscious of the need to ensure the application process is straightforward

and accessible, including language needs, particularly of vulnerable groups.



We will be setting out more detail in the coming months.

Kate Green: [R] [142441]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultations his

Department is holding with trade unions to raise awareness among EU nationals in their

workplaces of the (a) need and (b) process to apply for settled status.

Caroline Nokes:

It is vital that the over three million non-UK EU citizens and their family members

living in the UK understand how and when to apply under the settlement scheme.

That is why the Home Office has already launched a national ‘stay informed’

awareness campaign to set out EU citizens’ rights after the UK leaves the EU and to

point towards reliable sources of information, including official emails from the

government.

Further comprehensive communications activity is planned in line with the roll-out of

the settlement scheme later this year, including a multi-channel advertising campaign

tailored to reach EU citizens. In addition, we have a well-established programme of

stakeholder engagement, including businesses and EU citizens’ representatives –

and will ensure trade unions, regional and employer organisations, associations and

trade bodies are fully involved.

Immigration: Married People


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to issue guidance

to UK citizens who are living with non-EU spouses in the UK under the Surinder Singh

principle on their residence rights after the UK leaves the EU.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his Department

has made of the number of UK citizens with non-EU born spouses who have returned to

the UK from another EU Member State under the Surinder Singh principle.

Caroline Nokes:

We have reached an agreement with the EU on citizens’ rights that will protect those

EU citizens and their family members who are lawfully resident in the UK by 31

December 2020. We will introduce a new settlement scheme under UK law for EU

citizens and their family members to secure their rights under the Withdrawal

Agreement.

Although not covered by citizens rights’ agreement with the EU, it is our intention that

family members of UK nationals who have exercised their free movement rights in

another EU Member State before returning to the UK before 31 December 2020, as

per Surinder Singh case law, will be eligible to apply for the UK’s settlement scheme.

We will provide details in advance of the scheme opening on the eligibility of those

who benefit from the Surinder Singh judgment to apply for the settlement scheme.




Currently, non-EU born spouses of British citizens returning to the UK from another

EU member state under the Surinder Singh judgment are not required to apply for a

right of residence and therefore no estimate of numbers is available.

Knives: Crime

Leo Docherty: [141871]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is

taking to reduce knife crime in Hampshire.

Victoria Atkins:

On 9 April 2018, the Government published the Serious Violence Strategy that set

out action being taken to address serious violence and in particular the recent

increases in knife crime, gun crime and homicide. This also includes the national

knife crime media campaign, #knifefree, to raise awareness of the consequences of

knife crime among young people and to encourage them to take up positive activities.

We will continue to encourage police forces in England and Wales to undertake a

series of coordinated national weeks of action to tackle knife crime under Operation

Sceptre. In February this year, Hampshire Police participated in Operation Sceptre,

which includes targeted stop and searches, weapon sweeps, test purchases of

knives from identified retailers, the use of surrender bins and educational activities.

We also announced up to £1million for a new round of the anti-knife crime

Community Fund which will invite bids for funding later this Spring from community

groups to tackle knife crime in their area.

Members: Correspondence

Tony Lloyd: [142342]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, by what date he plans to

respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Rochdale dated 22 March 2018 on the

Immigration Health Surcharge, reference number IW/0045.

Caroline Nokes:

I responded to the hon. Member’s correspondence on 10 May 2018.

Prince Harry: Marriage

Tommy Sheppard: [142892]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18

April 2018 to question 135723, on Prince Harry: Marriage, whether Thames Valley Police

have submitted an application to her Department for Special Grant funding for additional

costs associated with policing the royal wedding.

Mr Nick Hurd:

The Home Office is working with Thames Valley Police to support the policing

operation around the wedding of Prince Harry and Ms Markle. The Thames Valley




Police and Crime Commissioner has not applied for Special Grant funding at this

point, but any such application will be considered carefully.

Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme

David Warburton: [113255]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will introduce a seasonal

agricultural workers scheme once the UK has left the EU.

Caroline Nokes:

I refer my Hon Friend to the answer given to the Honourable Member for Dundee

West on 5 July UIN 1283.

Social Media: Children


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department is taking

steps to monitor and regulate dating sites to prevent the exploitation of under-age people.

Victoria Atkins:

Children using adult dating sites face serious risk from those who are seeking to

exploit them, and anyone using these platforms to communicate sexually with

someone under the age of 16 is committing a crime.

As set out in the Internet Safety Strategy, the Government would like to work with

adult dating companies to review processes and procedures, and to develop new

protective messaging to help their user community prevent young people being put at

unnecessary risk, and to ensure they remain in line with the law. We will consider

whether there is a stronger role for companies to act to protect young people,

including by terminating accounts belonging to young people.

UK Border Force: Armed Forces Covenant

Gavin Robinson: [142875]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 8 May

2018 to Question 140136 on UK Border Force: Northern Ireland, whether the UK Border

Agency (a) supports the Military Covenant and (b) recognises its UK-wide applicability.

Caroline Nokes:

The Government is in full support of the Military Covenant and its application across

the UK.

Undercover Policing Inquiry

Louise Haigh: [142899]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Strategic

Review into the Undercover Policing Inquiry, what assessment he has made of the

potential merits of appointing panel members to assist the Chairman prior to the

commencement of Module One hearings.





Mr Nick Hurd:

Prior to the publication of the Strategic Review by Sir John Mitting on 10 May 2018,

consideration was given to the appointment of panel members to the Undercover

Policing Inquiry. A decision was taken by the previous Home Secretary to continue

with a single Chair and to keep the inclusion of panel members under review as the

Inquiry progresses.

Visas: Scotland

Dr Philippa Whitford: [142881]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many tier 2 visas were

awarded to licensed sponsors based in Scotland for each month from December 2016 to

April 2018.



awarded to licensed sponsors based in England for each month from December 2016 to

April 2018.



awarded to licensed sponsors based in London for each month from December 2016 to

April 2018.

Caroline Nokes:

The specific information requested is not included in statistics published by the Home

Office. The number of Tier 2 visas awarded to licensed sponsors can be found on the

Home Office website. Published data on Tier 2 Visas can be found in the immigration

statistics release.

The available published Tier 2 information relates to outcomes (grants, refusals,

withdrawn, lapsed) of visa applications, broken down by visa type (including Tier 2

skilled visas) and is published in the quarterly Immigration Statistics, Visas volume 1,

table vi_01_q, latest edition at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-

statistics-october-to-december-2017.

Visas: Skilled Workers

Daniel Zeichner: [142467]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to update

the Shortage Occupation List; if she will update that list more frequently than once every

12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes:

The independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) reviews the Shortage

Occupation List when commissioned to do so by the Government.




https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2017




The MAC has carried out two full reviews and four partial reviews of the Shortage

Occupation List since May 2010. The MAC recently reviewed the teaching sector and

published its report in January 2017, alongside an updated methodology on

assessing labour market shortages, and published a review of nursing in March 2016.

Further information about the MAC’s methodology and the reviews it has carried out

are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/migration-advisory-committee

HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

[Subject Heading to be Assigned]

Mrs Louise Ellman: [137054]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will

make representations to the freeholders of Heysmoor Heights, Liverpool on the funding

the fire safety measures required after the Grenfell Tower tragedy as a result of the

decision by the owners of Cityscape to fund their fire safety measures; and if he will make

a statement.

Dominic Raab:

[Holding answer 26 April 2018]: Building owners should do all they can to protect

leaseholders from costs arising from fire safety works in buildings clad with potentially

unsafe aluminium composite material cladding – either funding it themselves or

looking at alternative routes such as insurance claims, warranties or legal action. This

could include working with the developer to reach a solution which avoids costs being

passed to leaseholders. In the case of Citiscape, the decision to cover costs was

made by the original developer, not the current owner. I have also arranged to speak

with the agent of Heysmoor Heights’ freeholder regarding the costs of remediation.

Affordable Housing: Young People


To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant

to the Answer of 30 April 2018 to Question 137953 on Affordable Housing: Young

People, if he will publish the Government's definition of affordable housing.

Dominic Raab:

The Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21 supports the delivery of a wide range of

affordable homes to rent or buy. Housing associations and local authorities can bid

into the programme to provide homes for social rent, affordable rent, shared

ownership, rent to buy, and specialist affordable homes for vulnerable, older people

and people with disabilities.

Providers will only qualify for funding if their bids meet the requirements for affordable

homes as set out in Homes England’s capital funding guide. Further details can be

found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/capital-funding-guide





https://www.gov.uk/guidance/capital-funding-guide

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/capital-funding-guide

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Scott Mann: [140167]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will

introduce new protections for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the revised National

Planning Policy Framework.

Dominic Raab:

The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that the

Government attaches great importance to the protection of Areas of Outstanding

Natural Beauty (AONBs). There are no new protections for AONBs in the revised

NPPF as great weight should already be given to conserving their landscape and

scenic beauty within the existing framework.

Building Regulations and Fire Safety Independent Review

Kevin Hollinrake: [R] [142488]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what

plans his Department has to report on progress in implementing the recommendations of

the Hackitt Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety.

Dominic Raab:

[Holding answer 14 May 2018]: Dame Judith Hackitt's review into Building

Regulations and Fire Safety final report is expected to be published in late Spring

2018. The Government will respond to its findings in due course.

Land Use

John Healey: [142329]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the

(a) nature and (b) cause of the technical issue relating to the extraction of the underlying

data was which caused the delay of the publication of Land Use Change statistics 2016

to 2017 from 24 January 2018 to 31 May 2018.

Dominic Raab:

[Holding answer 14 May 2018]: The Department will publish Land Use Change

Statistics for 2016-17 on 31 May.

To produce these statistics, the Department obtains data produced by the Ordnance

Survey. Over the course of this year, the Ordnance Survey has been making

technical improvements to the processes it uses to capture up-to-date and robust

information on land use change – these improvements are to ensure that the

methodology continues to detect real world changes in land use during 2016-17 as

accurately as possible and not changes in land use that are due to other regular

Ordnance Survey data updates. These technical improvements meant that the

methodology used to produce the final land use change figures also required

updating, to ensure that the figures for 2016-17 are consistent with past figures and

for this reason the release will be published later this month.




Leasehold


To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how

many new homes were sold on a leasehold basis in each of the last five years.

Dominic Raab:

This information is available in HM Land Registry's Price Paid Data:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/price-paid-data

House of Commons Library analysis of the data is available here:

http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8047/CBP08047---

Tables-for-download.xlsx. See Table 6 for trends in the proportion of properties sold

that were leasehold.

Letter Boxes: Standards



steps he is taking to ensure that letter boxes confirm with European Standard EN 13724.



assessment he has made of the physical effect on postal workers of properties with low

level letterboxes.

Dominic Raab:

The Department has no current assessment on how level letter boxes effect postal

workers. The statutory guidance which supports the Building Regulations references

industry technical guidance which in turn refers to a British and European standard

(BS EN 134724: 2013). This standard recommends a range for letter box apertures to

be within a height range of 700 millimetres up to 1700 millimetres.

The statutory guidance which support Building Regulations references the Door and

Hardware Federation’s technical specification TS 008: 2012, which in turn refers to a

British and European standard relating to letter boxes: BS EN 134724: 2013.

Local Government Finance

Catherine McKinnell: [142845]


to the Answer of 1 May 2018 to Question 138439 on local government finance, and with

reference to Questions 245 to 259 of the evidence given by the Chancellor of the

Exchequer to the Treasury Committee on 25 April 2015, how his Department defines the

term at risk with reference to local authority funding.

Rishi Sunak:

We consider a wide range of information around individual local authorities in order to

form judgements about the scale of challenge they may face.


http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8047/CBP08047---Tables-for-download.xlsx






Local authorities that we judge in the near future that may not be able to continue to

deliver a consistent quality of service across a range of priorities due to financial

pressures or any other reason are considered to be at risk.



to the Answer of 1 May 2018 to Question 138440, on Local Government Finance, what

processes his Department has in place to provide assurance on the sustainability of

individual local authorities.

Rishi Sunak:

We have processes in place to provide assurance around the sustainability of

individual local authorities as set out in the Accounting Officer system statement:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dclg-accounting-officer-system-

statement

Assurance advice is provided to the Accounting Officer every 6 months that sets out

how the accountability framework is performing. This advice is informed by an on

going programme of work, to assess sustainability risks, both at a sector and

individual authority level.




the timetable is for the review into the relative needs and resources of local authorities in

England to be completed.

Rishi Sunak:

The Government is conducting a review of relative needs and resources which will

establish new baseline funding levels for local authorities in England. We are working

towards implementation in 2020/21, while keeping this date under review as our work

progresses. This offers the best opportunity to achieve a thorough, evidence-based

review, developed in collaboration with local government.




drivers of local authorities’ costs have been identified by his Department and local

government representatives.

Rishi Sunak:

The Government is conducting a review of the relative needs and resources of local

authorities in England, with a view to setting fresh baseline funding levels in 2020-21.

We are working closely with local government representatives to consider the

contributory factors of local authorities’ costs, the relative resources available to them

to fund local services, and how we should account for these in a way that draws a

more transparent and understandable link between local circumstances and resource

allocations.




In December 2017 we published a consultation on relative needs which proposed

cost contributory factors that could potentially be included in a future funding formula.

The consultation was an important opportunity for all local authorities to tell us about

the factors which contribute to costs for the services they deliver on a day to day

basis and there was broad agreement from many respondents around the cost

contributory factors identified. Many of the responses received also suggested

additional cost contributory factors which will now be subject to further consideration

as we progress this review. The Government’s aim is to publish a formal response to

the consultation later this year.

The December 2017 consultation is available online:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fair-funding-review-a-review-of-relative-

needs-and-resources

Local Government: Procurement



requirements there are for local authorities to measure small business access to local

authority procurement.

Rishi Sunak:

There is no requirement on local authorities to measure small business access to

local authority procurement. As independent contracting authorities, local authorities

are responsible for taking their own procurement decisions. While authorities are

subject to the requirements of legislation and should have regard to a combination of

economy, efficiency and effectiveness, I would strongly encourage councils to

consider how the can use their procurement activity to support the local economy and

small businesses.

Sleeping Rough

Kate Green: [142838]


to Written Statement of 9 May 2018, HCWS671, how many of the c.1000 rough sleepers

that the pilots will support will be in (a) Greater Manchester, (b) Liverpool City Region and

(c) West Midlands.

Mrs Heather Wheeler:

Following the announcement of the Housing First Pilot Regions allocations on 9 May,

MHCLG will work with the respective regions to finalise the expected number of

people who will benefit from this important scheme, which invests £28 million of

public money into helping some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fair-funding-review-a-review-of-relative-needs-and-resources





INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Internally Displaced People: Departmental Coordination

Steve McCabe: [142755]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will develop a cross-

departmental strategy for the UK’s approach to supporting the (a) prevention of, (b)

protection of and (c) solution to the increasing number of internally displaced people

around the world.

Alistair Burt:

The UK Government is strongly committed to meeting the needs of internally

displaced persons (IDPs). We published a new Humanitarian Reform Policy in

October last year which includes a focus on forced displacement and measures that

are relevant for mitigating and responding more effectively to displacement. We

believe our primary focus should now be at the global level to press for a more

effective international response. For example, several UN Member States, including

the UK, are now actively exploring options with the UN – including the idea of

launching a UN High Level Panel on Internally Displaced Persons, which presents

one way of galvanising greater political and operational attention and action on IDPs.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what processes her

Department has in place to monitor the delivery and spending of UK aid in the Palestinian

Territories.

Alistair Burt:

As for all DFID programmes, officials regularly monitor and review our programmes in

the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) to ensure they are delivering results and

that UK aid reaches the intended beneficiaries and achieves the best development

outcomes, with a strong focus on ensuring value for money for the UK taxpayer. The

processes in place include comprehensive annual reviews and project completion

reports. These reviews are available on the DFID Development Tracker at

https://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/. DFID has due diligence assessment processes to

provide assurance over the expenditure of our funds, and DFID’s project spending in

the OPTs is subject to annual, independent financial audit. The overall programme is

also subject to the regular audit cycle of DFID’s Internal Audit Department and the

National Audit Office. DFID has a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and has robust

controls against diversion of aid to terrorist groups.


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how her Department works

in cooperation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to ensure that UK aid to the

Palestinians facilitates peace-building with Israel.




Alistair Burt:

Our financial assistance to the Occupied Palestinian Territories helps to maintain

stability and is underpinned by HMG’s long-standing objective that the only way to

allow Palestinians and Israelis to live in peace is through a negotiated two-state

solution. As joint-Minister for the Department for International Development and the

Foreign and Commonwealth Office, I ensure that my officials liaise closely to deliver

development programmes in support of a two-state solution which requires

collaborating equally with the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Department for International Trade: Training


To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what training his Department has

provided to (a) general civil servants, (b) fast stream civil servants and (c) senior civil

servants on understanding the scrutiny and legislative roles of the UK Parliament; how

many such courses have taken place; and how many civil servants have attended such

training courses in each of the last five years.

Greg Hands:

As part of EU Parliamentary Scrutiny awareness raising and training across the

department, the EU Trade Policy team have held internal training sessions on EU

Parliamentary Scrutiny. Events were open to all grades of staff including fast

streamers. Approximately 30 staff attended each of the sessions.

The Department for International Trade also offers a range of training sessions on the

scrutiny and legislative roles of the UK Parliament to all members of staff. This has

included specific training on secondary legislation processes as part of a ‘Secondary

Legislation Awareness Week’ in February 2018, and other sessions that were

included in Parliament Week in November 2017. The Department offers training as

part of its ‘Delivering for Ministers’ programme and delivers bespoke training for

teams on request.

Detailed records of attendance at training sessions on parliament are not held

centrally by the department, but over 300 people have attended such sessions since

the Department’s formation in July 2016. Attendance has not been broken down by

grade.

Trade Agreements: Israel


To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to

strengthen the UK’s trade relationship with Israel in medical research and development.



Graham Stuart:

I refer the hon Member for Strangford to the answer I gave to the hon Member for

North Antrim on 14 February 2018, UIN 127029.


To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to

encourage and facilitate trade cooperation between the UK and Israel in the agricultural

technology sector.

Graham Stuart:

I refer the Hon Member for Strangford to the answer given to him by the then Minister

of State for Investment (Mark Garnier MP) on 7 July 2017, UIN:2645.

JUSTICE

Attorney General: Registered Intermediaries


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department spent from the public

purse on Registered Intermediaries in each of the last four years.

Lucy Frazer:

The Department does not hold the information requested. The Ministry of Justice

manages the overall Witness Intermediary Scheme, with the payment of Registered

Intermediaries coming from police forces, the CPS and courts as the end-users of

their services.

Educational Testing Service


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many decisions since February 2014 to

curtail a person's leave to remain in the UK on the ground of cheating in an English

language test administered by ETS have been overturned on appeal.


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many decisions since February 2014 to

curtail a person's leave to remain in the UK on the ground of cheating in an English

language test administered by ETS are subject to appeal.

Lucy Frazer:

The information requested is not held centrally, and could only be provided at

disproportionate cost.





Homicide: Reoffenders


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been murdered since

2012 by people who were previously convicted of murder and then released having

served their prison sentences.

Rory Stewart:

Serious further offences are very rare (less than 0.5% of offenders under statutory

supervision commit serious further offences) and each one is taken extremely

seriously and investigated fully, in order to identify any lessons for the better

management of future cases.

Of course, murder is the most serious of all offences, and between 2012 and the end

of 2017, 7 people have been murdered by people who were previously convicted of

murder and then released by the Parole Board on licence, having served the

minimum custodial term of their prison sentence.

Ministry Of Justice: Training


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what training his Department has provided to





Dr Phillip Lee:

a) All Civil Servants

Civil Service Learning provide a range of central learning opportunities, including

online and face-to-face training, for all civil servants on Devolution &

Intergovernmental Working.

STARTED COMPLETED TOTAL ENGAGEMENTS

2018 67 346 413

2017 53 171 224



STARTED COMPLETED TOTAL ENGAGEMENTS

2016 2 7 9

Total 122 524 646

ii) The half day face-to-face Devolution & Intergovernmental Working workshop

is also available to all civil servants. Building on the above online module, delegates

learn from experienced professionals who have worked on a range of devolution

matters about topics such as confidentiality, when to seek legal advice and the

boundaries of devolution, where reserved and devolved powers meet. A total of 28

policy professionals have undertaken this training through two workshops, since June

2017.

Both the online and face-to-face workshops are included in the recommended

learning for all civil servants working in a role related to EU exit. The online learning is

included in the new EU Essentials for Policy Professionals programme, for those new

to policy making or the civil service; and the face-to-face workshop is included in the

EU Policy Practitioner Programme for those with more policy experience. These

programmes were launched in April 2018, with a total of 56 policy professionals

undertaking the training programmes so far.

iii) Also available to civil servants are the EU exit: devolution settlements and

intergovernmental working events. Delegates hear the views of Permanent

Secretaries, and other senior civil servants from the devolved administrations and

territorial offices, on intergovernmental relations within the current political climate.

Seven of these events have been delivered to 96 attendees across three

Departments, since March 2017.

b) Fast Stream

Introduced in 2017 as part of Fast Stream policy learning, delegates take part in a

Devolution workshop, which all brand new entrant centrally managed Fast Streamers

attend as part of their Induction offer. This was delivered in 2017 to over 800 Fast

Streamers. We've also delivered four optional Devolution workshops as part of Fast

Stream Policy Base Camp to 150 year 3/4 centrally managed Fast Streamers over

the last two years.

Fast Streamers are also required to complete the online 'Devolution and

Intergovernmental Working' e-learning product as mandatory e-learning within their

first year on the Fast Stream programme.

c) SCS

Each nation of the UK leads and hosts an annual SCS conference to learn from

each other and build networks across the Policy Profession. These have been held

on 28/29 April 2016 in Cardiff, 20/21 April 2017 in Belfast (this included Irish

Government Civil Servants too) and 26/27 April 2018 in Edinburgh. It will be for

England to host in 2019. All of these events each have around 100 participants

across the administrations.

The Devolution and You program

Devolution and You was established in 2015 following a Civil Service Board

commission and promotes greater understanding of devolution among civil servants

and for better intergovernmental working across the different administrations in the

UK. The program is led by Cabinet Office in partnership with the Scottish and Welsh

Governments. It aims to build devolution awareness and civil servant networks

across the One Civil Service through shared learning and knowledge exchange

throughout the year.

The Devolution and You programme enables civil servants to strengthen their skill

sets and build open and positive relationships as they engage in complex discussions

across the One Civil Service. In 2017 the program trained over 2000 civil servants

from across the UK through a variety of forums, including Civil Service Learning

resources and through bespoke training;

Local inductions for new starters

Departmental masterclasses, including tailored sessions for specialised teams

such as communications, private office, policy and legislation

Civil Service Live presentations

Civil Service Local Devolution Masterclasses

Resource material available to civil servants across the One Civil Service

We also work in partnership with the Scottish and Welsh Governments to run the One

Civil Service Interchange program which supports these objectives by providing a

platform on which civil servants can engage directly with their peers working in other

UK administrations, through an immersive programme of work-shadowing and

educational events over the course of a week. The programme runs three times a

year, with the UK, Welsh, and Scottish Governments each hosting an annual event.

Since 2017, the Northern Ireland Civil Service has also participated in the programme

by providing participants to the events.

The most recent iteration of the UK Government Interchange Week ran 5-9 March

2018 and, with a record number of applications, it was the largest Interchange Week

to date. In total, 83 Civil Servants from the Scottish (43) and Welsh (18) Governments

and the Northern Ireland Executive (22) participated in a series of whole-group

sessions and individual work shadowing across nineteen UK Government

departments.

Welsh Government Interchange week will take place 2-6 July 2018.

There are a range of workshops and digital courses that give specific training to the

Ministry of Justice in the understanding of the scrutiny and legislative role of the UK

parliament.

Data on the number of civil servants that have attended these courses is not

available for each of the last 5 years for all training. Due to a change of provider, data

is only available for the last 2 years for digital learning and the last 5 years for

workshops, as shown in table 1.

Table 1 – Number of workshops and digital courses attended by Ministry of

Justice staff, 2013 to 2017

2013

Learning method Fast Streamers Senior Civil Servant All Staff

Workshops 52 0 97

2014


Workshops 66 0 277

2015


Workshops 46 0 175

2016


Digital Learning unknown 4 757

Workshops 0 0 80

2017


Digital Learning unknown 1 1219

Note: All staff including fast streamers and Senior Civil Servants.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Borders: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: [142366]

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 8 May 2018

to Question 13996 on Security: Northern Ireland, on what dates the Police Service of

Northern Ireland met with (a) Ministers and (b) officials of her Department to discuss the

security implications of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of

Ireland after the UK leaves the EU.

Karen Bradley:

I would refer the hon Member to my previous answer of 8 May 2018. The PSNI have

been, and will continue to be, fully engaged in ongoing constructive meetings with

representatives from both the Northern Ireland Office and other Whitehall

departments on a wide range of matters, including the security implications of a hard

border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after the UK leaves the

EU.

City Deals: Northern Ireland


To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the timescale is for the Belfast

and Londonderry city deals to become fully operational.

Mr Shailesh Vara:

The Government has set out several public commitments, including in the Budget

and in the Confidence and Supply Agreement, to work towards a ‘comprehensive and

ambitious’ set of City Deals across Northern Ireland.

Negotiations have been opened for a Belfast City Regions deal; however, a timetable

has not been set to deliver a City Deal for Belfast or for Londonderry. A timetable

cannot be agreed until proposals are completed and submitted to Government.

Officials from across Whitehall and the Northern Ireland Civil Service have been

engaging with partners on their proposals.

Customs Officers: Northern Ireland

Alan Brown: [142893]

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the oral contribution

of the hon. Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, of 9 May 2018, Official Report, column

664, what discussions she has had with the Home Secretary on the proportion of

additional customs officials who will be based in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a

statement.




Karen Bradley:

I have regular conversations with the Home Secretary on a range of issues.

I reiterate the Government’s clear commitment to there being no hard border between

Northern Ireland and Ireland, and no physical infrastructure or related checks and

controls at the border. The Border Force recruitment campaign will largely replace

individual recruitment rounds to specific roles. It will meet a range of business needs,

including meeting the normal staff turnover associated with a large operational

business such as Border Force.

Northern Ireland Office: Apprentices

Jack Lopresti: [142409]

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what levels of apprenticeships are

offered by her Department; and how many apprenticeship starts there were at each level

in each of the last three years.

Mr Shailesh Vara:

I can advise that the Northern Ireland Office has offered apprenticeships at Levels

three and four.

During 2015/16, one apprentice started at Level 3.

During 2016/17, no apprentices started.

During 2017/18, three apprentices started - two at Level 3 and one at Level 4.

SCOTLAND

Scotland Office: Incentives


To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many bonuses were awarded to senior

civil servants working at his Department and its agencies in each of the last six years;

and what the total cost of those bonuses was.

David Mundell:

Two bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working in the Scotland Office at

a total cost of £20,000.

Scotland Office: Official Cars


To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the job titles are of civil servants in his

Department who have been provided with (a) an official car and (b) a driver; and how

many civil servants are so provided for.

David Mundell:

No civil servants in the Scotland Office have an official car or driver.




Scotland Office: Training


To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what training his Department has provided to


devolution and inter-governmental relations; how many such courses have taken place;

and how many civil servants have attended such training courses in each of the last five

years.

David Mundell:

Civil Servants in the Scotland Office play a central role working with Cabinet Office to

provide formal and informal advice across Whitehall on devolution and

intergovernmental relations. We also participate in various devolution focussed

events including the Devolution and You programme, Devolution Learning Week and

the Civil Service Interchange programme. Civil servants new to the department also

have access to a wide range of central Civil Service learning opportunities on

devolution and intergovernmental relations. We do not hold exact numbers of staff

who have attended these courses.

In addition, each nation of the UK leads and hosts an annual SCS conference to

learn from each other and build networks across the Policy Profession. These have

been held on 28/29 April 2016 in Cardiff, 20/21 April 2017 in Belfast (this included

Irish Government Civil Servants too) and 26/27 April 2018 in Edinburgh. It will be for

England to host in 2019. All of these events each have around 100 participants

across the administrations.

TRANSPORT

Department for Transport: Official Cars


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the job titles are of civil servants in his


many civils servants are so provided for.

Ms Nusrat Ghani:

The Department does not provide an official car or driver for any civil servants.

Dial-a-Ride: West Lancashire

Rosie Cooper: [142802]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 3.14 of his

Department's consultation on the use of section 19 and section 22 permits for road

passenger transport in Great Britain, whether the West Lancashire Dial A Ride services

will be considered to be substantially less than cost and therefore exempt under EU and

UK regulations on PSV.








will be considered as only operating in non-contestable markets and therefore exempt

under EU and UK regulations on PSV.





will be considered as only incidental to a main, non-transport occupation and therefore

exempt under EU and UK regulations on PSV.


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's

consultation on the use of section 19 and section 22 permits for road passenger transport

in Great Britain, whether the West Lancashire Dial A Ride services will be considered as

only as only for short distances and therefore exempt under EU and UK regulations on

PSV.

Jesse Norman:

There are wide variations between different community transport organisations and

the work that they do. This Department cannot advise on whether or not a specific

community transport organisation can continue to provide the services it currently

operates in reliance on permits instead of an operating licence. I would encourage

community transport providers who are unsure about their position to seek

independent advice. The Community Transport Association’s Advice Service may be

able to help. They are available on: 0345 130 6195, between 10:00 - 16:00, on

Monday to Friday.

The Department’s consultation on how Regulation 1071/2009 applies to permits

under the Transport Act 1985 has now closed and over 500 responses have been

received. The Department will analyse the responses fully and provide a summary

response before summer recess.

Merchant Shipping: Registration


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information on beneficial ownership is

requested from shipowners by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency when it receives an

application to register a merchant vessel on the UK Ship Register.

Ms Nusrat Ghani:

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency requests beneficiary ownership details, when

an application is received to register a merchant vessel on the UK Ship Register,

through the requirement of the Bill of Sale, or if the vessel is new build, the New Build





Certificate; the Declaration of Eligibility; and the Certificate of Incorporation, to be

supplied as part of the registration process.


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information on beneficial ownership of

merchant vessels is collected from Red Ensign Group registers by the Maritime and

Coastguard Agency.

Ms Nusrat Ghani:

Apart from the UK Ship Register, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency does not

collect information on the beneficial ownership of merchant vessels from the other

Red Ensign Group registers operated by the Governments of the UK Overseas

Territories and Crown Dependencies.

Records will be maintained by the individual Governments.

Roads: Safety

Martin Whitfield: [141882]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's strategy is on (a)

improving road safety and (b) decreasing motorcycle accident rates relating to drivers'

impaired vision.

Jesse Norman:

The British Road Safety Statement sets out the Government’s commitment to

improve road safety and reduce the number of people killed or injured on the roads

every year.

All drivers and riders must be able to meet the required visual acuity and visual field

standards, which includes being able to read a number plate from 20 metres. Drivers

are also legally responsible for notifying the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

(DVLA) at any time of a change in their health or vision which may affect their ability

to meet the appropriate standards.

The government fully supports the NHS’s recommendation that adults should have

their eyes tested every two years. The DVLA has changed its driving licence

application forms to highlight the importance of having regular eyesight tests. The

photocard driving licence renewal letter the DVLA sends to drivers has also been

amended to include this important message.

Shipping: Apprentices

Karl Turner: [142429]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many seafarer Ratings were trained

using apprenticeships agreed with the Maritime Trailblazer Working Group in each year

since 2015.




Ms Nusrat Ghani:

The statistics for apprenticeship numbers are published online at this link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-

apprenticeships#apprenticeship-starts-and-achievements

The number of seafarer ratings trained using apprenticeships is steadily increasing in

each year since the able seafarer (deck) apprenticeship was introduced in August

2015 bringing the total number of seafarers trained through this route to 70. The

annual breakdown is in the table below:

2015/16 2016/17

2017/18 (Q1 &2

ONLY) TOTALS

Able Seafarer

(Deck)

0 30 40 70

The statistics for the full 2017/18 year have not yet been published so only the first 2

quarters have been included.

Shipping: Employment


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to promote

employment of UK seafarers in the domestic maritime cargo sector.

Ms Nusrat Ghani:

The Department has a number of initiatives to promote employment of UK seafarers.

Two leading schemes include: the training commitment link in UK Tonnage Tax and

SMarT/SMarT Plus maritime training funding. Both of these have helped bolster the

number of UK seafarers and will continue to ensure through put of skilled seafarers

needed for the sectors future economic success and growth.

In our “Maritime 2050: Call for Evidence” we recognised the importance of our people

in the maritime workplace, whether at sea or on land. Consequently people is one of

the six themes where we have asked respondents to concentrate their views as any

long term plans for the UK maritime sector must ensure it has the skilled staff it needs

to maintain the UK’s position as a leading maritime nation. We are keen to see more

people at all levels entering the industry and enjoying a career in the maritime area.

The Government values apprenticeships as a route to obtaining the skills needed for

the future workforce. The Department is also leading the Government’s Year of

Engineering campaign, which is committed to boosting engineering skills across the

UK.


Shipping: Training


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to promote the

training of UK seafarer Ratings to shipping company groups that have qualified for the

Tonnage Tax scheme.

Ms Nusrat Ghani:

The Department has always encouraged companies in tonnage tax to employ UK

Ratings. In 2015, following proposals from industry in 2014, this position was

solidified through a change in regulations which explicitly allowed tonnage tax

companies to employ and train three Ratings instead of one Officer cadet. It is the

responsibility of both Government and industry, as a whole, to promote these

opportunities and further advice can be found in the Department’s tonnage tax

guidance.

TREASURY

Air Passenger Duty

Steve Double: [141355]

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of

air passenger duty on levels of tourism in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales.

Robert Jenrick:

International treaties ensure that there is no taxation of international aviation fuel, and

the Government does not levy VAT on flights. Air Passenger Duty (APD) ensures the

aviation sector contributes its fair share to general taxation.

The Government has not conducted an assessment of the effect of APD on tourism

in England, Scotland and Wales. However, even at the current rates of APD, UK

airports have enjoyed strong passenger growth: exceeding 15% in the previous five

years.

The government is seeking views on the effects of APD and VAT on tourism in

Northern Ireland. Respondents to the call for evidence can submit evidence on the

wider impacts of APD upon UK tourism by 5 June 2018.

Brexit


To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what elements of his Department's preparations

for the UK leaving the EU will not be completed by March 2019.

John Glen:

The government is committed to ensuring that the UK is ready for all possible

outcomes on exit day– and HM Treasury plays its part to achieve this goal:




The Chancellor announced £3bn across 18/19 and 19/20 in the Autumn Budget and

confirmed individual departments’ allocations in the 2018 Spring Statement to ensure

that departments are funded to prepare effectively for a range of exit scenarios;

HM Treasury continues with detailed preparations for all scenarios; in particular for

financial services and customs to ensure there are functioning regimes in place on

the day the UK leaves the EU;

The Treasury takes an active role in supporting the negotiation process, in particular

on the UK’s economic and financial relationship with the EU.

Children: Day Care


To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 27 April 2018 to

Question 137634, on Children: Day Care, whether support costs will be included as part

of the £6bn spend on childcare in 2020.

Elizabeth Truss:

By 2019-20 we will be spending a record £6 billion on childcare support. The IT and

call centre costs referred to in my answer to question 137634 are not included within

this figure.


To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 27 April 2018 to

Question 137634, on 137634, what was the total amount his Department planned to

spend on support costs for policies related to childcare and early education in the

financial year 2017-18.

Elizabeth Truss:

The Childcare Service is an integrated digital service through which parents can

apply for Tax-Free Childcare and 30 hours free childcare in a single application. As

the costs of one application can be associated with both policies, there is not a clear

distinction between the operating costs of each. In 2017-18, HMRC met just under

£29 million of the total costs, and DfE £8 million.

Financial Services


To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what opportunities his Department has identified

for the financial services sector after the UK leaves the EU.

John Glen:

The UK will have the opportunity to set its own trade policy in financial services when

it leaves the European Union. For the first time in 40 years, we will be able to

negotiate, ratify and sign trade deals with old friends and new allies. The government

is working with stakeholders to identify the opportunities that this presents, and is

committed to strengthening the UK’s already world leading positions in the markets of

the future, such as in FinTech, green finance and rupee or renminbi products. The




government is engaged with industry on this through the Financial Services Trade

and Investment Board, which works to boost the competitive position of UK financial

services.


To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of

the structures that the Government will need to put in place to prepare for new rules

affecting UK financial services during the transition period of exiting the EU.

John Glen:

The UK and EU negotiating teams have agreed the terms of a time-limited

Implementation Period. While the UK will no longer be a member state of the

European Union, market access will continue on its current terms during the

Implementation Period. To give businesses and citizens certainty, common rules will

remain in place until the end of the period. This means businesses will be able to

trade on the same terms as now up until the end of 2020.

Once the UK becomes a third country, we will withdraw from the institutions of the

EU. As a non-member state, we have been clear that the UK will no longer have the

same role in the decision-making of the EU. However, it is clearly in the interests of

both sides that the UK continues to work closely together on matters that concern the

UK, as set out in the agreement.


To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of

the effect on the confidence of the UK financial services sector in (a) London, (b) the rest

of England and (c) Wales of no agreement being reached between the UK and the EU on

the UK leaving the EU.

John Glen:

Financial services firms across the UK can have confidence that the government is

committed to leaving the EU in a way that underpins prosperity and avoids

unnecessary disruption and dangerous cliff edges for businesses across the UK.

We are making significant progress and this has been well-received by industry.

Since December, we have reached agreement with the EU on an implementation

period, we have agreed a technical dialogue on cliff edge risks to be led by the Bank

of England and the European Central Bank and the Chancellor has set out a clear

vision for our future relationship with the EU on financial services.

These measures have been well-received by industry in the UK. We continue to work

closely with businesses located throughout the United Kingdom to ensure that they

are prepared for a smooth and orderly withdrawal from the EU.

Financial Services: EU Countries


To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many UK financial services institutions have

a presence in other EU countries.




John Glen:

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) maintain a Financial Services Register, a

record of firms, individuals and other bodies that are, or have been, regulated by the

UK’s financial services regulators, the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and/or

FCA. The register can be accessed at the following address:

https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/financial-services-register

Furthermore, the European Central Bank (ECB) maintains a list of financial services

institutions operating in the EU at the following address:

http://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/financial_corporations/list_of_financial_institutions/ht

ml/index.en.html

Instalment Credit

Alex Cunningham: [141783]

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to bring forward legislative

proposals to extend the protections under the payday loan cap to the (a) rent-to-own and

(b) home credit markets.


To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to help

ensure customers are protected from being pushed into problem debt by (a) rent-to-own

and (b) home credit products.

John Glen:

The Government is committed to protecting consumers from unfair lending practises.

To this end, the Government has given the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) strong

powers, including the power to cap the cost of credit, and it will do so if it thinks it is

necessary to protect consumers.

The FCA is conducting a review of the high-cost credit market, including rent-to-own

and doorstep lending, and will publish an update later this month. The Government

will continue to work closely with the FCA to ensure that all customers are treated

fairly.

As well as supporting consumers through better regulation, the Government is also

supporting consumers to make effective financial decisions, through the creation of a

Single Financial Guidance Body (SFGB). The SFGB will have a statutory duty to

improve the public’s financial capability.

Royal Bank of Scotland: Fees and Charges

Bill Wiggin: [R] [141717]

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to prevent Royal Bank of

Scotland from charging additional fees to companies employing politically exposed

persons.



http://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/financial_corporations/list_of_financial_institutions/html/index.en.html






John Glen:

Decisions on fees and charges are a commercial matter for firms. However, the

Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) requires firms to treat their customers fairly, and

has broad and robust powers to enforce breaches of its rules.

The latest Money Laundering Regulations are clear that firms must apply a risk-

sensitive approach to identifying politically exposed persons (PEPs) and then

applying enhanced due diligence (EDD) measures appropriately. This extends to

assessing the circumstances in which the beneficial owner of a company is a PEP.

The FCA has published guidance on how firms should identify and apply EDD

measures to PEPs. This makes clear that UK PEPs should be treated as a low risk of

money laundering, unless an FCA-regulated firm assesses that other risk factors not

linked to their position as a PEP mean they pose a higher risk.

Royal Bank of Scotland: Small Businesses

Bill Esterson: [142837]

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the oral contribution of the

Economic Secretary to the Treasury of 10 March 2018, Official Report, column 978, what

compensation he proposes be provided to the small business customers of Royal Bank of

Scotland who were subject to inappropriate behaviour by that company.

John Glen:

In November 2016 the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) established a complaints

process for small and medium-sized enterprises in their Global Restructuring Group

(GRG) between 2008-2013, overseen by an independent third party, and took the

decision to automatically refund complex fees paid by relevant customers to GRG

during that period. RBS have set aside £400m for this scheme.

Following a meeting with the Chief Executive of RBS I received a letter on 9 May

stating that RBS have also committed to setting up an independent appeal process

for consequential loss claims under the redress scheme.

WALES

Wales Office: Apprentices

Jack Lopresti: [142407]

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what levels of apprenticeships are offered by his

Department; and how many apprenticeship starts there were at each level in each of the

last three years.

Stuart Andrew:

The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales is committed to providing

apprenticeship opportunities in a variety of posts within the Department. We offer

both level 3 and level 4 apprenticeships, and the number of starts for each level for

the last three years is set out below:



YEAR STARTS AT LEVEL 3 STARTS AT LEVEL 4

2015 3 1

2016 1 1

2017 2 2

Wales Office: Incentives


To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil

servants working at his Department and its agencies in each of the last six years; and

what the total cost of those bonuses was.

Stuart Andrew:

As part of the Government’s transparency agenda, departments publish annual

information on the number of awards and spend on end-year and in-year Non-

Consolidated Performance Related Pay. This information can be found on the Office

of the Secretary for Wales’s website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=office-of-the-

secretary-of-state-for-wales&publication_type=corporate-reports

Information for future years will be published in the usual way.

Wales Office: Official Cars


To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the job titles are of civil servants in his


many civil servants are so provided for.

Stuart Andrew:

No Wales Office civil servants have been provided with an official car.

Wales Office: Training


To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what training his Department has provided to (a)

general civil servants, (b) fast stream civil servants and (c) senior civil servants on




Alun Cairns:

All civil servants have access to central learning provided through Civil Service

Learning which covers Parliament’s scrutiny and legislative roles. In addition, the




Cabinet Office Parliamentary Business and Legislation Team, and Government Legal

Department also provide training on Parliamentary bills.

My Department supports this by providing training and guidance to civil servants on

how the scrutiny and legislative roles of the UK Parliament interact with the Welsh

devolution settlement.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Bereavement Allowance: Cohabitation

Lisa Nandy: [141776]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to extend

Bereavement Support Payment to people who were cohabiting but were not married or in

a civil partnership; and if she will make a statement.

Kit Malthouse:

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.

Carers


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the

number of carers; what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of

increasing the level of carer’s allowance to the existing level of contributions-based

jobseeker’s allowance for people aged 25 and over; and what estimate she has made of

the cost to the public purse of increasing the carer premium by the current difference

between carer’s allowance and contributions-based jobseeker’s allowance for people

aged 25 and over.

Sarah Newton:

The level of Carer’s Allowance (CA) is protected by uprating it annually in line with

the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Since 2010 the rate of CA has increased from

£53.90 to £64.60 a week, meaning an additional £550 a year for carers. In 2022/23

the Government is forecast to spend £3.7 billion on CA, a 36% real terms increase in

expenditure on 2016/17.

Additionally, carers have access to the full range of social security benefits according

to their circumstances. There are carer “premiums” in income-related benefits, such

as Income Support, Housing Benefit and Universal Credit. These amounts recognise

the additional contribution and responsibilities associated with caring and mean that

lower-income carers can receive more than others who receive these benefits. For

example, in 2017, 6 out of ten households on Universal Credit with a Carer

Entitlement recorded received a Monthly Award Amount of over £400: this is in

addition to any CA they may receive.



According to the Family Resources Survey (2016/17), there were an estimated 5.4

million informal carers in the United Kingdom in 2016/17. Only some of these receive

Carer’s Allowance.

DWP can provide a broad illustrative gross cost of paying an extra £8.50 a week (the

current difference between the rate of CA and the Jobseeker’s Allowance over 25

rate) to 810,000 CA recipients (rounded down CA in-payment cases in Great Britain,

August 2017). This would have cost in the region of £360m in 2018/19. (Around 9%

of this expenditure covers carers living in Scotland where CA will shortly be devolved

to the Scottish Government.) Actual costs will also be affected by possible

behavioural impacts, such as whether the higher rates of benefit will encourage more

people to claim CA and, therefore, may be higher than the indicative forecast costs.

The information requested on premiums is not available.

Children: Maintenance

Antoinette Sandbach: [141371]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the

number of parents who did not report income increases of 25 per cent or more to Child

Maintenance Services in (a) 2013, (b) 2014, (c) 2015, (d) 2016 and (e) 2017.

Kit Malthouse:

The Department has not made any estimate of the number of parents who do not

report increases of 25% or more to their income to Child Maintenance Services. Such

changes, where not reported, will be picked up from income data obtained by HMRC

at annual review. Where a parent is required to report a change in income but does

not, then this change can be backdated to when it occurred.

Antoinette Sandbach: [141372]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many parents have been

prosecuted for failing to report increases in their income to the Child Maintenance Service

or Child Support Agency in each of the last three years.

Kit Malthouse:

There have been no prosecutions undertaken in the last three years due solely to

parents failing to report “increases in their income”. Prosecutions would be

undertaken by CMG for under-declaration of income under the Fraud Act or 14(A)2 of

the Child Support Act. These prosecutions focus on wilful non-disclosure of income

streams and rarely relate to a single failure to disclose in-year increases.

We will have prosecuted people with an element of non-disclosures (of increases to

income) but these non-disclosures will only represent a small part of the overall

prosecution on each case. Therefore we cannot separate increases to income as a

single prosecution type.

We complete Annual reviews using HMRC data and where we identify backdated

increases to income, we will reassess the historical assessment and raise any

arrears, taking steps to collect. If the paying parent then fails to pay these arrears we



can register the liability in court and take enforcement action to secure the debt,

including – in some cases – enforcement including imprisonment. These actions

however, relate to the debt (and failure to pay), and not the “increase in income”.

Karin Smyth: [141842]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cases the Financial

Investigation Unit (FIU) has dealt with in the last twelve months for which data are

available; in what proportion of those cases has a member of staff in the FIU been tasked

with identifying assets and income of those alleged to be hiding such income or assets

from the Child Maintenance Service; and how many such cases are outstanding as of 1

May 2018.

Kit Malthouse:

The Child Maintenance Service can confirm for the period of April 2017 to March

2018 the Financial Investigations Unit (FIU) received 5746 referrals; during the same

period FIU staff have undertaken 3802 investigations relating to total Income/Assets

investigations. Our current Work on Hand figure as of 1 May 2018 is 2872 many of

which will relate to total Income/Asset Investigations.

Employment and Support Allowance: Appeals

Gill Furniss: [142904]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether claimants of employment

support allowance (ESA) judged by a tribunal to be eligible to be in the support group

after the expiry of their 365 days of contribution-based ESA, become eligible for indefinite

contributions-based ESA.

Sarah Newton:

People in the Support Group who are claiming Contributions based Employment and

Support Allowance (ESA) will not have their benefit time limited.

Anyone who meets the criteria for Contributions based ESA, who appeals the

outcome of their Work Capability Assessment, and is subsequently placed in the

Support Group, will not be subject to a 365 day restriction. The decision of the

tribunal applies back to the date of our original decision, hence any payments they

are found to be entitled to will be awarded from that date.

Personal Independence Payment


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress she has made on

implementing the changes to the 2017 Personal Independence Payment Regulations

advised by the High Court in December 2017.

Sarah Newton:

On the 19th January, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions announced that

she would not appeal the High Court judgment regarding part of the 2017 amending

regulations relating to eligibility to the Mobility Component of Personal Independence




Payment. The Secretary of State also confirmed that the Department will implement

the law on the mobility component, as set out in the MH Upper Tribunal judgment.

The Department is now working at pace to make the necessary guidance changes, in

order to implement the MH judgment safely and effectively.

For information on the indicative timescales for this, I refer the Hon. Member to a

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document that the Secretary of State has laid in

the House Library (Deposit reference: DEP2018-0345).

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average length of time is

that PIP appeals take to reach a hearing.

Sarah Newton:

The specific information requested for the average length of time for PIP appeals to

reach a hearing is not collated centrally.

Statistics on the lengths of time for the combination of Personal Independence

Payment, Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance appeals to be

cleared are provided in Table T.3 of the quarterly bulletin “Tribunals and gender

recognition certificate statistics quarterly – October to December 2017”.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-and-gender-recognition-certificate-

statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2017


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average amount of back

payments was made for successful PIP appeals for each of the last twelve months for

which figures are available.

Sarah Newton:

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur


Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Gordon Henderson: [141771]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether letters of support from

Members of Parliament (a) are considered for and (b) have an effect on decisions on a

claimant's (i) mandatory reconsideration and (ii) tribunal appeal for (A) employment

support allowance and (B) personal independence payment.

Sarah Newton:

At mandatory reconsideration all evidence that had been considered at the initial

decision stage is reviewed and, crucially, the claimant is prompted to provide any

further evidence that the initial decision maker had not considered. If a claimant

remains dissatisfied with the decision on their claim following mandatory


https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-and-gender-recognition-certificate-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2017





reconsideration and proceeds to appeal, all previously submitted evidence will be

reviewed, as will any evidence that is subsequently submitted and passed on to the

Department.

It is important to note that decisions on benefit entitlement are made in accordance

with the relevant legislative provisions and the decision maker’s consideration of the

available evidence. A letter of support from a Member of Parliament would be

considered on its own merits alongside any other available evidence.

State Retirement Pensions: Females



time taken by the Independent Case Examiners Office to (a) allocate a case manager, (b)

investigate a case for women affected by changes to the state pension age.

Kit Malthouse:

To date it has taken the Independent Case Examiner's Office an average (a) of 39

weeks to allocate complaints concerning changes to State Pension age to an

investigation case manager; and (b) 9 weeks to complete investigations in to this

group of complaints (against a target of 20 weeks).

State Retirement Pensions: Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many women in Kirkcaldy and

Cowdenbeath constituency who have been affected by the changes in state pension age

have (a) lodged a complaint with and (b) had that complaint reviewed by the Independent

Case Examiner’s office.

Kit Malthouse:

As of 8 May, the Independent Case Examiner's Office had (a) received 13 complaints

from women in Kircaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency concerning change to the

State Pension age: (b) and is yet to review any of the complaints that had been

accepted for examination from this group of complainants.


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will make an

assessment of the economic effect of changes to the state pension age for women born

in the 1950s in Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency.

Guy Opperman:

Successive governments have not done a constituency specific assessment of the

economic effect of changes to the State Pension age for women born in any

individual constituency. Therefore this process is not proposed for the Kirkcaldy and

Cowdenbeath constituency.




Universal Credit



number of universal credit claimants in employment who have restarted their claim having

been paid twice during a single assessment period.

Alok Sharma:

The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at


However, over the last year around 21,000 UC Full Service claims have been closed

because the household’s earnings exceeded the threshold. Of these, around 12%

have made a re-claim within a month. We do not know how many of these will have

had two paydays in one assessment period.


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has

made of the compatibility of the operation of universal credit with the earning patterns of

claimants who are not paid once a month.


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will introduce greater

flexibility to the monthly assessment period for universal credit to allow people not paid a

regular wage each month a more stable income.

Alok Sharma:

Our internal evidence suggests that around 70% of people in employment on low

incomes are paid monthly or 4 weekly. The monthly assessment period is therefore

crucial to creating and maintaining the strong work incentives at the heart of

Universal Credit by mirroring the world of work.

An assessment period of less than a month would not work for those paid monthly. In

contrast, an assessment period of a month means the system can adjust to weekly,

fortnightly, or four-weekly payments.

However, we are aware that some claimants paid four-weekly, fortnightly, weekly or

on a fixed day every month, may receive two or more sets of earnings during one

Universal Credit assessment period. This may reduce, or in some cases, nil the

Universal Credit award the claimant receives that month. We have produced

guidance to help ensure claimants, staff and representatives are aware of this and

the guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-different-earning-

patterns-and-your-payments/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-

payments-payment-cycles.

Furthermore the Government is working with employers to ensure that they use the

most appropriate payment practices and comply with Real Time Information

guidelines in order to minimise these instances.




https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments-payment-cycles




MINISTERIAL CORRECTIONS

EDUCATION

Young People: Employment

Priti Patel: [905264]

What steps his Department is taking to support more pathways from education into


An error has been identified in the written answer given on 14 May 2018. The

correct answer should have been:

Anne Milton:

We are developing 15 prestigious technical routes that will set a clear pathway

through apprenticeships and new flagship T level programmes to skilled


High quality apprenticeships offer an excellent means of progression for many

young people leaving education, giving them the skills valued by employers.

T levels are classroom based, level 3 study programmes and will provide a

distinctive and rigorous technical alternative to A levels. A substantial, high-

quality industry placement will be an essential part of each T level giving

students the chance to put into practice the technical skills they have learned

in the classroom.

Training and qualifications within the technical education routes are being

designed and developed by employers - so that students can be confident they

are getting the skills that employers need.

The reformed technical routes will ensure we unlock all the talents of young

people across the country, no matter where they come from, and support them

into strong, rewarding jobs and careers.

We are developing 15 prestigious technical routes to set a clear pathway through

apprenticeships and new flagship T levels to skilled employment for young people.

We are working with employers to design the content for T levels, which will provide

in future a distinctive and rigorous technical alternative to A levels.

But apprenticeships must be of high quality. I am pleased that the move from the old

frameworks to the new standards has seen the proportion of these apprenticeships in

the number of all starts grow from 3% to 36% since last year.

Traineeships for those most distant from the labour market are yielding good results.

With two thirds progessing to positive destinations and reporting high levels of

satifaction (82%). With 84% saying it helped them gain the skills they need.


WRITTEN STATEMENTS

BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

Consumer Policy Update

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Small Business, Consumers and

Corporate Responsibility (Andrew Griffiths): [HCWS684]

I am today publishing the department’s investigation into the safety of the Hotpoint fridge

freezer model FF175B which police identified as being involved in the tragic fire at

Grenfell Tower on 14 June last year.

The safety of consumers is a key priority for this Government, which is why my rt. hon.

Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) ordered

an immediate examination of the appliance by independent technical experts. Within days

the Department had undertaken a preliminary assessment and issued advice following a

meeting convened by the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser including public health

advisers. The advice to owners of the model concerned – Hotpoint FF175B – was that

they could continue to use their fridge freezer as the public health risk of advising not to

use the appliance was judged to be of greater risk. Owners were advised to contact the

manufacturer to register their appliance so they could be contacted directly should any

further action be necessary.

At the same time the Department began a thorough and comprehensive product safety

investigation into the model to identify whether there was any wider safety risk to the

public. BEIS experts conducted a product safety investigation, examining the Grenfell

Tower appliance, commissioning independent examination and testing of example

FF175B appliances, undertaking analysis of data and documents and risk assessment.

Whirlpool has co-operated with the investigation and has undertaken its own investigation

in line with its legal obligations as the manufacturer of the product.

The full investigation has now concluded. It confirmed the advice that was given to

consumers in June, that there is no need for a product recall or for any other corrective

action for this model, and that consumers can continue using the product as normal. The

investigation concluded that the product met legal safety requirements and that the risk

associated with the model is assessed as low. The findings have been confirmed by

separate and independent tests, under the supervision of the BEIS Chief Scientific

Advisor, carried out by scientific and technical experts including the Health and Safety

Executive and Intertek.

We have shared the results of our investigation with the Metropolitan Police, the Grenfell

Inquiry, and, of course, with the Grenfell residents through appropriate channels.

The Government continues to place huge importance on consumer safety. This is why,

on January 21, 2018, we accepted all the recommendations made by the Working Group

on Product Recall and Safety to upgrade the UK system of product safety, and we

established the Office for Product Safety and Standards.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-05-15/HCWS684/

A copy of the risk statement and technical reports relating to the investigation have been

published and copies of the documents have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

EXITING THE EUROPEAN UNION

Publication of the Framework for the UK-EU Security Partnership, 09/05/2018

Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Mr David Davis):

[HCWS683]

On Wednesday 9 May, we published the Framework for the discussions with the EU on

the UK and EU’s future security partnership. These slides have been produced by the UK

negotiating team for discussion with the EU, in order to inform the development of the

future framework. This framework will set our the terms of our future relationship and will

be concluded alongside the Withdrawal Agreement later this year.

The United Kingdom wants to build a new, deep and special partnership with the

European Union, enabling us to protect our shared interests and ensure we act together

for our mutual benefit. The threats we face do not recognise the borders of individual

nations. The Security Partnership we are seeking with the EU builds on the breadth and

depth of our shared interests and values, and goes beyond any existing third country

arrangements.

Copies of these slides will be deposited in the libraries of both Houses.

TREASURY

Operation of the UK’s Counter-Terrorist Asset Freezing Regime: 1 July 2017 to 30

September 2017 and 1 October 2017 to 31 December 2017

The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (John Glen): [HCWS685]

Under the Terrorist Asset-Freezing etc. Act 2010 (TAFA 2010), the Treasury is required

to prepare a quarterly report regarding its exercise of the powers conferred on it by Part 1

of TAFA 2010. This written statement satisfies that requirement for the periods of 1 July

2017 to 30 September 2017 and 1 October 2017 to 31 December 2017.

This report also covers the UK’s implementation of the UN’s ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida

asset freezing regime (ISIL-AQ), and the operation of the EU’s asset freezing regime

under EU Regulation (EC) 2580/2001 concerning external terrorist threats to the EU.

(also referred to as the CP 931 regime).

Under the ISIL-AQ asset freezing regime, the UN has responsibility for designations and

the Treasury, through its Office of Financial Sanctions implementation (OFSI), has

responsibility for licensing and compliance with the regime in the UK under the ISIL

(Da’esh) and Al-Qaida (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011.

Under EU Regulation 2580/2001, the EU has responsibility for designations and OFSI

has responsibility for licensing and compliance with the regime in the UK under Part 1 of

TAFA 2010.




A new EU asset freezing regime under EU Regulation (2016/1686) was implemented on

22 September 2016. This permits the EU to make autonomous Al-Qaida and ISIL

(Da’esh) listings. Once a designation is made under this regime it will appear in the table

below.

The annexed tables set out the key asset-freezing activity in the UK during each quarter.

The Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill currently before Parliament will help

ensure that UK counterterrorist sanctions powers remain a useful tool for law

enforcement and intelligence agencies to consider utilising, while also meeting the UK’s

international obligations.

Under the Bill, a designation could be made where there are reasonable grounds to

suspect that the person or group is or has been involved in a defined terrorist activity and

that designation is appropriate. This approach is in line with the UK’s current approach

under UN and EU sanctions and would be balanced by procedural protections such as

the ability of designated persons to challenge the Government in court.

Attachments:

1. Asset-freezing activity: Jul-Sep [Annex 1 - WMS Q3 2017.pdf]

2. Asset-freezing activity: Oct-Dec [Annex 2 - WMS Q4 2017.pdf]

Daily Report Tuesday, 15 May 2018 CONTENTSqnadailyreport.blob.core.windows.net/qnadaily... ·...

Documents

Transcript of Daily Report Tuesday, 15 May 2018 CONTENTSqnadailyreport.blob.core.windows.net/qnadaily... ·...