Upload
others
View
1
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Daily Report Tuesday, 8 October 2019
This report shows written answers and statements provided on 8 October 2019 and the
information is correct at the time of publication (06:38 P.M., 08 October 2019). For the latest
information on written questions and answers, ministerial corrections, and written statements,
please visit: http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/
CONTENTS
ANSWERS 15
ATTORNEY GENERAL 15
Attorney General: Crispin
Odey 15
Attorney General: Jainism 15
Attorney General: Official
Hospitality 15
Attorney General: Travel 15
Slavery: Prosecutions 16
Trials 16
BUSINESS, ENERGY AND
INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 20
Animal Experiments: Dogs 20
Business 20
Business: Garston and
Halewood 21
Ceramics: Staffordshire 21
Department for Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy:
Chief Scientific Advisers 21
Department for Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy:
Crispin Odey 21
Department for Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy:
Jainism 22
Department for Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy:
Secondment 22
Electric Vehicles: Charging
Points 22
Electricity Generation 23
Electricity: Storage 23
Energy Performance
Certificates 23
Energy: Meters 24
Fiddler's Ferry Power Station 24
Fuel Poverty 24
Manufacturing Industries:
Northern Ireland 24
Mineworkers' Pension Scheme 25
Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing
Industries 25
Natural Gas: Safety 25
Post Offices: Burglary 26
Ratcliffe Power Station 26
Renewable Energy: Carbon
Emissions 26
Retail Trade 27
Sanitary Products: Plastics 28
Solar Power: Statistics 28
Wind Power: Seas and
Oceans 29
Wind Power: Subsidies 29
CABINET OFFICE 31
Brexit 31
Brexit: Publicity 32
Cabinet Office: Brexit 33
Cabinet Office: Chief Scientific
Advisers 33
Cabinet Office: Ministerial
Duties 33
Civil Service: Pay 33
Databases 34
Election Offences 34
Government Chief Data Officer 35
Government Departments:
Disability 35
Government Departments:
Photographers and
Videographers 35
Johnny Mercer: Crucial
Academy 36
Members: Correspondence 36
Ministerial Policy Advisers:
Complaints 37
Ministerial Policy Advisers:
Conduct 37
Office for Tackling Injustices 37
Reform 37
DEFENCE 38
Armed Forces: Recruitment 38
Armed Forces: Sick Leave 39
Armed Forces: Training 39
Defence: Manufacturing
Industries 39
International Military Services:
Expenditure 40
International Military Services:
Finance 40
Ministry of Defence: Crispin
Odey 40
Yemen: Military Intervention 41
DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND
SPORT 41
5G 41
Anniversaries: Northern
Ireland 41
Business: Data Protection 42
Charitable Trusts 42
Charities: Pay 42
Charities: Taxation 42
China Global Television
Network 43
Databases: Finance 43
Democracy: Innovation 43
Department for Digital,
Culture, Media and Sport:
Chief Scientific Advisers 43
Department for Digital,
Culture, Media and Sport:
Crispin Odey 44
Department for Digital,
Culture, Media and Sport:
Jainism 44
Department for Digital,
Culture, Media and Sport:
Official Hospitality 44
Department for Digital,
Culture, Media and Sport:
Travel 44
Digital Technology:
Procurement 45
Disinformation 45
Eating Disorders 45
Electronic Government: Proof
of Identity 46
Football: Disability 46
Football: Finance 46
Gambling: Video Games 46
Internet: Abuse 47
Internet: Advertising 47
Internet: Children and Young
People 48
Local Broadcasting: Radio 48
Mass Media: Regulation 48
Motor Sports 49
Political Parties: Advertising 49
Service Industries: Non-
domestic Rates 49
Social Media 50
Social Media: Abuse and
Intimidation 50
Social Media: Codes of
Practice 51
Social Media: Harassment 51
Sports: Plastics 51
Technology: Conferences 52
Third Sector 52
Tourism: Gardens 52
Tourism: North West 53
Twitter: Disinformation 53
Visual Impairment: Electronic
Publishing 53
Voluntary Work: Young People 53
Youth Services 54
EDUCATION 54
Arts: GCSE 54
Business: Education 55
Children: Communication
Skills and Literacy 56
Children: Day Care 56
Climate Change: Curriculum 58
Crimes of Violence: Education 58
Department for Education:
Chief Scientific Advisers 59
Department for Education:
Crispin Odey 59
Department for Education:
Jainism 59
Education: Finance 60
Equality: Education 60
Free School Meals: Surrey 61
Free School Meals: Wallasey 61
Further Education 62
Ofsted: Finance 62
Out-of-school Education:
Radicalism 62
Schools 63
Schools: Admissions 64
Schools: Finance 65
Schools: Governing Bodies 66
Sixth Form Colleges: Finance 67
Special Educational Needs 67
Special Educational Needs:
Per Capita Costs 67
Teachers: Recruitment 69
Wigan University Technical
College: Finance 70
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND
RURAL AFFAIRS 70
Agricultural Products: UK
Trade With EU 70
Agriculture 70
Agriculture: Expenditure 71
Agriculture: Scotland 72
Agriculture: Subsidies 72
Angling 74
Animal Products: Imports 74
Animal Welfare (Sentencing)
Bill 75
Animals: Conservation 76
Animals: Imports 76
Ash Dieback Disease: Disease
Control 76
Beverage Containers:
Recycling 76
Birds: Pest Control 77
Clean Bus Technology Fund:
Wirral Council 77
Climate Change 78
Climate Change: Curriculum 78
Crayfish: Pest Control 78
Crops 79
Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs: Chief
Scientific Advisers 80
Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs: Crispin
Odey 80
Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs:
Jainism 80
Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs:
Statutory Instruments 80
Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs: Travel 81
Electronic Training Aids 81
Environment Protection: British
Overseas Territories 81
Environmental Protection:
Expenditure 82
European Environment
Agency 82
Fish: Supermarkets 83
Fisheries 83
Fisheries: Brexit 84
Food Supply 84
Food Supply: Climate Change 85
Food: Exports 86
Food: Imports 86
Food: Shortages 86
Food: Waste Disposal 86
Forests 87
Game: Birds 88
Import Controls: EU Law 88
Imports 89
Incinerators 89
Japanese Knotweed: North
East 89
Litter 90
Litter: Fines 90
Marine Protected Areas 90
Packaging: Biodegradability 90
Packaging: Recycling 91
Packaging: Waste Disposal 91
Pets: Disease Control 91
Plastic Bags: Biodegradability 91
Plastics 92
Plastics: Compost 93
Plastics: Packaging 93
Plastics: Seas and Oceans 93
Plastics: Waste 94
Ports: Import Controls 94
Rain Forests: Amazonia 94
Rural Development
Programme 95
Seas and Oceans:
Environment Protection 95
Seed Potatoes: Exports 96
Sewage: Waste Disposal 96
Sharks: Animal Products 96
Squirrels 97
Tree Planting 98
Trees: Urban Areas 98
Waste Disposal: Finance 98
Waste: Exports 98
Wheat: Allergies 99
Wildlife: Conservation 99
EXITING THE EUROPEAN
UNION 99
Brexit 99
Brexit: Cost Benefit Analysis 100
Brexit: Negotiations 100
Brexit: Scotland 100
Brexit: Statutory Instruments 101
Business: Northern Ireland 101
Department for Exiting the
European Union: Brexit 102
Department for Exiting the
European Union: Chief
Scientific Advisers 102
Department for Exiting the
European Union: Crispin Odey 102
Department for Exiting the
European Union: Jainism 102
Department for Exiting the
European Union: Temporary
Employment 103
Department for Exiting the
European Union: Termination
of Employment 103
Department for Exiting the
European Union: Travel 103
Food 103
Industry: Northern Ireland 104
Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing
Industries 104
NHS: Drugs 105
Ports 105
Social Security Benefits 105
FOREIGN AND
COMMONWEALTH OFFICE 106
Animal Products: Imports 106
Bahamas: Hurricanes and
Tornadoes 106
Burma: Arms Trade 106
Burma: Religious Freedom 107
China: Uighurs 107
Christianity: Oppression 108
Diplomatic Service 108
Egypt: Diplomatic Relations 109
Nuclear Weapons:
Proliferation 109
Palestinians: Health Services 110
Prosperity Fund: Brazil 110
Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade 111
Seas and Oceans: Nature
Conservation 111
Slavery 112
South East Asia: Diplomatic
Service 112
Sri Lanka: Human Rights 113
Syria: Armed Conflict 113
Syria: Yazidis 114
Tibet: Climate Change 114
Ukraine: NATO 114
Wildlife: Smuggling 115
Yemen: Armed Conflict 115
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE 115
Asbestos: Diseases 115
Asthma: Prescriptions 115
Bedford Hospital NHS Trust:
Medical Equipment 116
Bedford Hospital: Finance 116
Bedford Hospital: Luton and
Dunstable Hospital 116
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals
NHS Foundation Trust: East
Lancashire Hospitals NHS
Trust 117
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals
NHS Foundation Trust: Public
Appointments 118
Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease
Control 118
Bowel Cancer: Health
Education 118
Bowel Cancer: Screening 119
Brain: Injuries 119
Breast Cancer: Screening 120
Cancer: Children 120
Cancer: Electricity and Mobile
Phones 121
Cancer: Mortality Rates 121
Cancer: Screening 121
Care Homes: Abuse 122
Carers: York 122
Catheters: Plastics 123
Cervical Cancer: Screening 123
Cervical Incompetence 123
Cervical Incompetence:
Childbirth 124
Children: Mental Health 124
Children: Social Media 125
Climate Change: Epidemiology 125
Cochlear Implants 126
Coeliac Disease: Prescriptions 126
Degarelix 126
Department of Health and
Social Care: Brexit 127
Department of Health and
Social Care: Carbon
Emissions 127
Department of Health and
Social Care: Chief Scientific
Advisers 128
Department of Health and
Social Care: Crispin Odey 128
Department of Health and
Social Care: Jainism 128
Department of Health and
Social Care: Written Questions 129
Diabetes: Medical Equipment 129
Doctors: Surrey 129
Domestic Accidents: York 129
Dornase Alfa 130
Drugs: Misuse 130
Emigration: Children 131
European Reference Networks 131
Eyesight: Testing 131
Fertility: Medical Treatments 131
General Practitioners:
Postnatal Care 132
General Practitioners:
Recruitment 132
General Practitioners: Rural
Areas 133
General Practitioners:
Standards 133
General Practitioners: Surrey 135
General Practitioners: Training 135
General Practitioners: Working
Hours 135
Glaucoma: Medical
Treatments 135
GP Surgeries: Southampton 136
Gynaecology: Surveys 136
Headaches: Medical
Treatments 136
Health Professions: Pay 137
Health Services: British
Nationals Abroad 137
Health Services: Foreign
Nationals 139
Health Services: Reciprocal
Arrangements 139
Health Services: York 140
Healthy Start Scheme 141
Heart Diseases: Females 141
Heart Diseases: Health
Services 141
Hepatitis: Health Services 141
Hepatitis: Screening 142
HIV Infection 142
Hormone Replacement
Therapy 142
Hormone Replacement
Therapy: Gender Recognition 143
Hospital Wards: Children and
Young People 143
Hospitals: Admissions 144
Hospitals: Construction 144
Hospitals: Waiting Lists 147
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis 148
Incontinence: Medical
Equipment 148
Infectious Diseases: Climate
Change 149
Infectious Diseases: Research 149
Large Loop Excision of the
Transformation Zone 150
Lewisham and Greenwich
NHS Trust: Experian 150
Lyme Disease 151
Malnutrition 151
Medical Equipment 151
Medical Equipment:
Prescriptions 152
Medical Records: Data
Protection 152
Mental Health Services:
Children and Young People 152
Mental Health Services:
Veterans 153
Mental Health: Children 153
Mental Illness 154
MMR Vaccine 155
MMR Vaccine: Greater
London 155
Montelukast: Side Effects 156
Mosquitoes: Disease Control 156
NHS Property and Estates
Review 157
NHS Trusts: Mergers 157
NHS Trusts: Subsidiary
Companies 157
NHS: Amazon 159
NHS: Disclosure of Information 159
NHS: Drugs 160
NHS: Procurement 162
Niraparib 162
Out of Area Treatment: Wales 163
Parkinson's Disease: Drugs 163
Patients: Transport 163
Rare Cancers: Children 163
Royal Liverpool Hospital:
Genito-urinary Medicine 164
Sepsis: Babies 165
Sevoflurane 166
Speech and Language
Therapy: Children 166
Spina Bifida 166
Stargardt's Disease 168
Vaccination: Children 168
Vaccination: North East 168
Vasa Praevia 168
Vasa Praevia: Screening 169
West Hertfordshire Hospitals
NHS Trust: Capital Investment 169
WiFi: Health Hazards 169
York Hospital: Accident and
Emergency Departments 170
HOME OFFICE 170
[Subject Heading to be
Assigned] 170
A34 171
Action Fraud 171
Action Fraud: Telephone
Services 172
Agriculture: Recruitment 173
Agriculture: Seasonal Workers 173
Antisocial Behaviour 173
Asylum 174
Asylum, Migration and
Integration Fund 174
Asylum: Finance 174
Asylum: Travel 175
British National (Overseas) 175
Burglary Task Force 175
Care Homes: Children 175
Children in Care: Crime 176
City of London Police: Action
Fraud 176
Civil Disorder 176
Crime Prevention: Publicity 177
Crime: York 178
Crimes of Violence: Young
People 178
Disclosure and Barring Service 178
Domestic Abuse 179
Domestic Abuse:
Discrimination 179
Domestic Abuse: Older People 179
Electronic Government: Data
Protection 180
European Criminal Records
Information System 180
European Institute of Human
Sciences: Proscribed
Organisations 180
Fire and Rescue Services:
Training 181
Fire Prevention 181
Fraud: Internet 181
Fraud: Older People 182
Home Office: Energy Supply 183
Home Office: Ethnic Groups 183
Human Trafficking:
Immigration 183
Human Trafficking: Victim
Support Schemes 183
Immigration Controls: EU
Nationals 184
Immigration Controls: Sudan 184
Immigration: EEA Nationals 185
Immigration: EU Nationals 185
Immigration: Migrant Workers 186
Jon Wedger 187
Knives: Crime 187
Law Enforcement Data
Service 188
Leicestershire Police:
Recruitment 188
Metropolitan Police:
Recruitment 189
National Policing Board 189
North Yorkshire Police
Authority: Finance 189
Offences against Children 189
Offensive Weapons Act 2019 193
Orgreave 193
Personation 193
Police 193
Police Federation of England
and Wales 194
Police: Consultants 194
Police: Human Rights 194
Police: Recruitment 195
Police: Recuitment 197
Police: Retirement 197
Police: Road Traffic Control 198
Police: Scotland 198
Police: Wales 198
Proceeds of Crime 198
Retail Trade: Crimes of
Violence 199
Schools: Fire Prevention 199
Social Media: Violence 200
South Wales Police:
Recruitment 200
HOUSE OF COMMONS
COMMISSION 201
House of Commons: Security 201
Parliament: Sign Language 201
HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENT 202
Affordable Housing and Social
Rented Housing: North West 202
Affordable Housing: Finance 202
Affordable Housing: South
Gloucestershire 203
Buildings: Fire Prevention 203
Buildings: Insulation 203
Community Housing Fund 205
Derelict Land 206
Empty Property: West
Midlands 206
Help to Buy Scheme: Costs 207
Help to Buy Scheme: North
West 207
High Rise Flats: Fire
Prevention 207
High Rise Flats: Insulation 208
Households: Rents 208
Housing Associations 209
Housing Ombudsman Service:
Complaints 209
Housing: Access 209
Housing: Carbon Emissions 210
Housing: Construction 211
Housing: Domestic Abuse 211
Housing: Empty Property 211
Housing: Insulation 212
Housing: Ombudsman Service 212
Leasehold 212
Mass Media: Muslims 213
Members: Correspondence 213
Ministry of Housing,
Communities and Local
Government: Chief Scientific
Advisers 213
Ministry of Housing,
Communities and Local
Government: Crispin Odey 214
Ministry of Housing,
Communities and Local
Government: Jainism 214
Ministry of Housing,
Communities and Local
Government: Public
Consultation 214
Ministry of Housing,
Communities and Local
Government: Travel 215
National Holocaust Memorial
Centre and Learning Service 215
Owner Occupation 218
Parking: Codes of Practice 219
Planning Permission: Fees
and Charges 219
Private Rented Housing:
Electrical Safety 219
Private Rented Housing:
Pensioners 219
Regulator of Social Housing 220
Religious Hatred: Islam 220
Social Rented Housing 221
Social Rented Housing:
Electrical Safety 221
Social Services: Finance 222
Welfare Assistance Schemes 222
INTERNATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT 222
Africa: Human Trafficking 222
Armed Conflict: Children 223
Bahamas: Hurricanes and
Tornadoes 223
Burma: Overseas Aid 224
Department for International
Development: Brexit 224
Department for International
Development: Chief Scientific
Advisers 225
Department for International
Development: Jainism 225
Developing Countries:
Agriculture 226
Developing Countries: Climate
Change 226
Developing Countries: Forests 226
Developing Countries: Health
Services 227
Developing Countries: Poverty 227
Developing Countries:
Taxation 228
Developing Countries:
Women's Rights 228
Kenya: Parasitic Diseases 228
Poliomyelitis: Vaccination 229
Syria: Overseas Aid 229
West Africa: Fisheries 230
Yemen: Overseas Aid 230
INTERNATIONAL TRADE 231
Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia 231
Department for International
Trade: Chief Scientific
Advisers 232
Department for International
Trade: Jainism 232
European Free Trade
Association: Trade
Agreements 232
Export Guarantees Advisory
Council 233
Foreign Investment in UK 233
Overseas Investment: Brazil 234
Overseas Trade: India 234
Overseas Trade: Israel 235
JUSTICE 235
[Subject Heading to be
Assigned] 235
Hare Coursing: Prosecutions 238
HM Courts and Tribunals
Service: Modernisation 238
Knives: Prosecutions 239
Ministry of Justice: Data
Protection 239
Offenders: Employment 239
Prison Accommodation 240
Prison Sentences 240
Prisoners: Childbirth 241
Prisoners: Self-harm 242
Prisons 242
Prisons: Crime 242
Prisons: Discipline 243
Prisons: Ethnic Groups 243
Prisons: Fires 244
Probation 245
Probation: Reform 246
Reoffenders 246
Reoffenders: Sentencing 247
LEADER OF THE HOUSE 248
Carry Over Motions 248
Legal Aid, Sentencing and
Punishment of Offenders Act
2012 (Legal Aid for Separated
Children) (Miscellaneous
Amendments) Order 2019 248
Social Media: Harassment 248
NORTHERN IRELAND 249
Belfast Agreement: Brexit 249
PRIME MINISTER 249
Prime Minister: Chief Scientific
Advisers 249
SCOTLAND 249
Cash Dispensing: Scotland 249
Occupational Pensions:
Scotland 250
Public Sector: Scotland 250
TRANSPORT 251
A34: Accidents 251
Air Travel Trust Fund:
Insurance 251
Aviation: Egypt 252
Cycling and Walking: Surrey 252
Department for Transport:
Chief Scientific Advisers 253
Department for Transport:
Jainism 253
Egypt: Aviation 253
Electric Scooters 253
Electric Vehicles: Batteries 254
Large Goods Vehicles:
Exhaust Emissions 254
Motor Vehicles: Exhaust
Emissions 255
Northern 255
Parking: Pedestrian Areas 255
Railways: Huddersfield 256
Roads: Mansfield 256
Roads: Rural Areas 257
Roads: Surrey 257
Shared Spaces: Visual
Impairment 258
South Western Railway:
Standards 258
Taxis: Disability 258
Thomas Cook: Insolvency 259
Train Operating Companies:
Safety 259
Vehicle Number Plates: Flags 260
West Coast Partnership Rail
Franchise: Catering 260
TREASURY 260
Borders: Northern Ireland 260
Employment: Taxation 261
Equitable Life Assurance
Society: Compensation 261
Fossil Fuels: VAT 261
Fuels: Excise Duties 261
Income Tax: Tax Rates and
Bands 262
Inflation and Pay 262
Insolvency 263
Non-domestic Rates: Appeals 263
Private Rented Housing:
Taxation 264
Productivity 264
Service Industries: Non-
domestic Rates 265
Solar Power: VAT 265
Spirits: Excise Duties 265
Tax Avoidance 266
Tax Avoidance 266
Taxation: USA 267
Treasury: Jainism 267
Valuation Office Agency:
Finance 267
WOMEN AND EQUALITIES 268
Government Equalities Office:
Females 268
Sanitary Protection:
Disadvantaged 268
WORK AND PENSIONS 268
Access to Work Programme 268
Child Maintenance Service 270
Children: Day Care 270
Children: Disadvantaged 270
Department for Work and
Pensions: Chief Scientific
Advisers 271
Department for Work and
Pensions: Crispin Odey 271
Department for Work and
Pensions: Jainism 271
Employment and Support
Allowance and Jobseeker's
Allowance 271
Employment: Autism 272
Independent Case Examiner 272
Job Centres: Closures 273
Members: Correspondence 273
Occupational Pensions:
Carshalton and Wallington 273
Occupational Pensions:
Dunfermline and West Fife 274
Occupational Pensions: Erith
and Thamesmead 275
Occupational Pensions:
Newport West 276
Occupational Pensions:
Northampton South 277
Occupational Pensions:
Shipley 277
Pension Credit 278
Personal Independence
Payment 279
Personal Independence
Payment: Appeals 279
Personal Independence
Payment: Epilepsy 279
Plumbing and Mechanical
Services (UK) Industry
Pension Scheme 280
Social Security Benefits:
Advisory Services 281
Social Security Benefits:
Medical Examinations 281
State Retirement Pensions 282
Thomas Cook: Insolvency 283
Universal Credit 285
Universal Credit: Fraud 288
Universal Credit: Scotland 288
Welfare Assistance Schemes 289
Welfare Assistance Schemes:
Families and Young People 289
MINISTERIAL CORRECTIONS 291
BUSINESS, ENERGY AND
INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 291
Business 291
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND
RURAL AFFAIRS 291
Fishing Gear 291
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE 292
Accident and Emergency
Departments: Standards 292
Health Services: Per Capita
Costs 292
HOME OFFICE 293
City of London Police: Action
Fraud 293
Knives: Crime 294
Leicestershire Police:
Recruitment 294
HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENT 295
Smallholdings 295
JUSTICE 295
Fines: Surcharges 295
NORTHERN IRELAND 297
Brexit: Northern Ireland 297
International Cooperation:
Republic of Ireland 298
Police Service of Northern
Ireland 298
TRANSPORT 299
Roads: Suffolk 299
WRITTEN STATEMENTS 300
BUSINESS, ENERGY AND
INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 300
Energy Council, September
2019 300
Energy Planning Project 300
Post- Council Statement:
Competitiveness Council 26th
-27th September 2019 300
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND
RURAL AFFAIRS 301
October Agriculture and
Fisheries Council 301
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE 302
Update on continuity of
medical supplies 302
HOME OFFICE 304
Terrorism Prevention and
Investigation Measures (1
June 2019 to 31 August 2019) 304
INTERNATIONAL TRADE 305
Trade Update 305
TREASURY 306
Economy Update 306
Notes:
Questions marked thus [R] indicate that a relevant interest has been declared.
Questions with identification numbers of 900000 or greater indicate that the question was originally tabled as an
oral question and has since been unstarred.
ANSWERS
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Attorney General: Crispin Odey
David Linden: [292362]
To ask the Attorney General, if he will publish (a) the outcome of all meetings and (b) all
call logs between Ministers of his Department and Mr Crispin Odey.
Michael Ellis:
Details of Ministers’ meetings are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
There have been no Ministerial meetings or calls between Mr Crispin Odey and
Ministers at the Attorney General’s Office.
Attorney General: Jainism
Gareth Thomas: [292808]
To ask the Attorney General, if he will invite representatives of the Jain community to
national events organised by his Department; and if he will make a statement.
Michael Ellis:
Britain’s Jain community makes a positive contribution to life in this country. This
Government values its contribution immensely.
The Government is always keen to work with the Jain community on matters that are
important to them, and we will continue to do so.
Attorney General: Official Hospitality
Ruth Jones: [292429]
To ask the Attorney General, how much his Department spent on refreshments in (a)
2017 and (b) 2018.
Michael Ellis:
The following table shows how much the Attorney General’s Office spent on
refreshments in 2017 and 2018 respectively:
2017 2018
Refreshments spending (£) 0.00 603.44
Attorney General: Travel
Ruth Jones: [292405]
To ask the Attorney General, how much his Department spent on ministerial travel by (a)
first class, (b) second class and (c) in total in 2017.
Ruth Jones: [292415]
To ask the Attorney General, how much his Department spent on ministerial travel by (a)
first class, (b) second class and (c) in total in 2018.
Michael Ellis:
The Government publishes data on ministerial overseas travel on a quarterly basis in
arrears on GOV.UK. Information on costs on overseas travel from July to September
2019 is expected to be published in December 2019.
It is not possible to calculate the amount spent on domestic Ministerial travel without
incurring disproportionate cost.
Slavery: Prosecutions
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294705]
To ask the Attorney General, what steps the Government is taking to increase the
number of prosecutions for modern slavery.
Michael Ellis:
The CPS has had considerable success in increasing prosecutions of modern slavery
cases involving the exploitation of vulnerable people. The number of modern slavery
prosecutions increased from 284 in 2017-18 to 322 in 2018-19, an increase of 13.4%.
These cases are handled by specialist units with prosecutors who have the training,
expertise and experience to deal with this difficult casework.
The CPS prosecutes offenders following an investigation by law enforcement, and
referral to the CPS for advice and prosecution. Early engagement between the
prosecutors and investigators is therefore central to a successful prosecution in all
these complex cases. Prosecutors work closely with law enforcement to build robust
cases, and provide early investigative advice, with the aim of lessening or removing
the need to rely solely upon the evidence of vulnerable victims.
The CPS works with international partners to disrupt modern slavery crimes, and to
strengthen the prosecution response overseas. The CPS maintains an overseas
network of Criminal Justice Advisors to improve mutual legal assistance and
extradition co-operation and work with authorities in those countries to improve their
local capability to counter serious crime affecting the UK.
Trials
Yasmin Qureshi: [294695]
To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 4 October 2019 to Question
290946, what the average time taken was from referral to finalisation in each year from
2008-09 to 2018-19 where the CPS made a decision to charge and where a trial outcome
was recorded in England for cases (a) relating to sexual violence or rape, (b) focusing on
actual bodily harm charges, (c) focusing on grievous bodily harm charges and (d)
focusing on burglary.
Michael Ellis:
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the average time
to charge and the average time to prosecute in days by Principal Offence Category
and for cases flagged as rape.
The tables below show the total average time, in days, from referral to finalisation for
each year from 2008/10 to 2018/19 where the CPS made a decision to charge and
where a trial outcome was recorded in England.
(A)(I) SEXUAL OFFENCES EXCLUDING RAPE FLAGGED
Total average time (days) from referral to finalisation
2008-2009 294.50
2009-2010 299.69
2010-2011 300.12
2011-2012 304.01
2012-2013 306.78
2013-2014 285.63
2014-2015 320.44
2015-2016 343.78
2016-2017 347.83
2017-2018 363.74
2018-2019 390.79
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System
(a)(ii) Rape Flagged
Total average time (days) from referral to finalisation
2008-2009 321.52
2009-2010 336.94
2010-2011 346.95
2011-2012 344.40
2012-2013 351.50
2013-2014 338.36
2014-2015 383.54
(A)(I) SEXUAL OFFENCES EXCLUDING RAPE FLAGGED
381.20
2016-2017 412.84
2017-2018 460.59
2018-2019 495.24
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System
(b) & (c) Offences against the Person
Total average time (days) from referral to finalisation
2008-2009 192.73
2009-2010 191.06
2010-2011 192.09
2011-2012 194.67
2012-2013 193.29
2013-2014 183.23
2014-2015 194.20
2015-2016 198.22
2016-2017 192.32
2017-2018 191.95
2018-2019 209.96
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System
(d) Burglary
Total average time (days) from referral to finalisation
2008-2009 200.99
2009-2010 213.21
2010-2011 195.38
2011-2012 190.24
2012-2013 206.28
(A)(I) SEXUAL OFFENCES EXCLUDING RAPE FLAGGED
2013-2014 202.05
2014-2015 226.71
2015-2016 246.06
2016-2017 231.99
2017-2018 246.76
2018-2019 244.81
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System
The data provided above is for the more serious cases in which the CPS has been
required to authorise charge and in which there has been a trial. MoJ data for all
cases in 2018 report figures of between 185 days and 193 days for offence to
completion
The time taken from referral to finalisation has increased for all crime types. This is
due to greater complexity and the increase in electronic material for the police, CPS
and courts to consider. In addition the Police are now encouraged to seek early
investigative advice more often and in particular in serious, sensitive or complex
cases. Early investigative advice helps to ensure that cases are thoroughly
investigated and the evidence to be brought before the court is strong. With the
increase in early investigative advice, CPS is more often involved at an earlier stage
in proceedings.
There has also been an increase in the time taken for a case to pass through the
courts which has also impacted on overall timeliness.
Yasmin Qureshi: [294696]
To ask the Attorney General, what the average time taken was from referral to finalisation
in each year from 2009-10 to 2011-12 where the CPS made a decision to charge and
where a trial outcome was recorded in England.
Michael Ellis:
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the average time
to charge and the average time to prosecute in days.
The table below shows the total average time, in days, from referral to finalisation for
each year from 2009/10 to 2011/12 where the CPS made a decision to charge and
where a trial outcome was recorded in England.
TOTAL AVERAGE TIME (DAYS) FROM REFERRAL TO FINALISATION
2009-2010 216.26
TOTAL AVERAGE TIME (DAYS) FROM REFERRAL TO FINALISATION
2010-2011 217.99
2011-2012 225.27
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System
BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Animal Experiments: Dogs
Sir David Amess: [291517]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference
to the report entitled, Attitudes to Animal Research 2018 published in May 2019, what her
policy is on the use of dogs in medical research.
Nadhim Zahawi:
The Public Attitudes to Animal Research report is published every two years and
presents the findings of a survey on public awareness of, and attitudes towards, the
use of animals in scientific research. The report is commissioned by the Department
for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and supports policy development and
public engagement across government and the life science sector on this area.
The Government understands the concerns that many people have about the use of
animals such as dogs for research purposes. For this reason, dogs are given special
protection under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 that regulates their use
in scientific procedures.
Advances in biomedical science and technologies – including stem cell research, in
vitro systems that mimic the function of human organs, imaging and new computer
modelling techniques – are all providing new opportunities to reduce reliance on the
use of animals in research, including dogs. The Government supports these
developments through funding for the National Centre for the Replacement,
Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs).
Business
Angela Smith: [294688]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what impact
assessment has been prepared by her Department (a) from 1 January 2018 to 23 July
2019 and (b) since 23 July 2019 after discussions at EU XTP and EU XTPO committees
on business supply chains as part of preparations for Operation Kingfisher; and if she will
place a copy of that assessment in the Library.
Nadhim Zahawi:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Business: Garston and Halewood
Maria Eagle: [290688]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what
assessment she has made of the effect of leaving the EU without a deal on the
availability of jobs in a) the automotive industry, b) the pharmaceutical industry and c) the
retail industry in Garston and Halewood constituency.
Kelly Tolhurst:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Ceramics: Staffordshire
Paul Farrelly: [287543]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent
steps she has taken to ensure that ceramics companies in North Staffordshire are able to
avoid delays in getting raw materials to factories and avoid incurring additional costs
when exporting goods in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Nadhim Zahawi:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Chief Scientific Advisers
Norman Lamb: [292859]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many
meetings she had with her Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 June 2019 to 31
August 2019.
Chris Skidmore:
Since taking office, the Secretary of State had meetings with the Chief Scientific
Adviser (CSA) in her department twice in this period.
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Crispin Odey
David Linden: [292345]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if she will
publish (a) the outcome of all meetings and (b) all call logs between Ministers of her
Department and Mr Crispin Odey.
Kelly Tolhurst:
Details of ministerial meetings with external bodies are published on the Gov.uk
website here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-
hospitality-travel-and-meetings.
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Jainism
Gareth Thomas: [292810]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if she will
invite representatives of the Jain community to national events organised by her
Department; and if she will make a statement.
Nadhim Zahawi:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Secondment
Darren Jones: [287941]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many
staff in her Department are on secondment from private sector companies in the
petroleum industry; and if she will publish the number of secondments by company.
Nadhim Zahawi:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Electric Vehicles: Charging Points
Darren Jones: [293699]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps
she is taking (a) to improve the time taken to allocate grants under the Electric Vehicle
Homecharge Scheme (EHVS) and (b) make the grant allocation process under the EHVS
easier for installers.
Nadhim Zahawi:
The Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EHVS) has been available since October
2016, providing a grant of up to £500 towards the cost of a home chargepoint for
purchasers of new or second hand eligible electric vehicles. Demand has increased
significantly which has led to the Office of Low Emission Vehicles processing a higher
than usual number of applications. As the market for electric vehicles continues to
grow the Government will keep the scheme under review and implement operational
improvements where appropriate. While reviewing the scheme we will take into
consideration the views and needs of motorists and chargepoint installers.
Electricity Generation
Chris Ruane: [290707]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference
to Operation Yellowhammer: HMG Reasonable Worst Case Planning Assumptions
paragraph 5, what steps her Department is taking to safeguard electricity supply in the
event of participants exiting the energy market in the event that the UK leaves the EU
without a deal.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Nic Dakin: [292215]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how the
Government plans to meet the projected shortfall in electricity supply by 2050 while
achieving net zero-emissions targets; what changes to Government policy will be
required; what energy mix will provide the best value for money for the taxpayer to meet
that shortfall; and how much of that growth in electricity output will come from onshore
wind power.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Electricity: Storage
Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [294227]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when she
plans to respond to her Department's consultation on proposals regarding the planning
system for electricity storage.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Energy Performance Certificates
Dr David Drew: [287892]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans
she has to undertake a review of Energy Performance Certificates to ensure that they
include the potential energy saving of heat pumps.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Energy: Meters
Catherine West: [291596]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps
she is taking to help ensure households who (a) don't want and (b) are unable to have a
smart meter installed can access the cheapest available energy deals.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Fiddler's Ferry Power Station
Alan Brown: [290735]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the (a)
generation capacity and (b) estimated decommissioning date for Fiddler’s Ferry GT
Power Station is.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1st October 2019 to Question
290419.
Fuel Poverty
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294165]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many
households were in fuel poverty in the UK in 2018.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
Fuel poverty is a devolved issue, with each nation in the UK having its own fuel
poverty definition. Due to both definitional and methodological differences, fuel
poverty is not published for the UK level.
Latest data for each of the four nations is available at the following links:
England: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-fuel-poverty-statistics-
report-2019
Scotland: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-house-condition-survey-2017-
key-findings/
Wales: https://gov.wales/fuel-poverty-estimates-wales
Northern Ireland: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/estimates-of-fuel-poverty-
in-northern-ireland-in-2017-and-2018
Manufacturing Industries: Northern Ireland
Tom Brake: [294089]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what
discussions her Department has had with Manufacturing Northern Ireland on preparations
for (a) the UK leaving the EU without a deal and (b) the UK leaving the EU under the
Prime Minister’s proposals announced on 3 October 2019.
Nadhim Zahawi:
Ministers and officials from BEIS have engaged extensively with manufacturing
businesses. We have stepped up efforts to ensure businesses across the UK,
including in Northern Ireland, are prepared to leave the EU on 31 October, through
enhanced national communication and engagement campaigns. Get Ready
Roadshow events took place in Derry/Londonderry on 7 October and in Belfast on 8
October. Through the Business Readiness Fund, funding has been allocated for
actions specifically delivered and targeted in Northern Ireland – in addition to UK wide
applications covering Northern Ireland.
Mineworkers' Pension Scheme
Paul Farrelly: [293487]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent
assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the share of the miners'
pension scheme’s surplus that goes to former miners.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries
Bridget Phillipson: [287905]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent
discussions she has had with representatives from the UK automotive sector on the
potential effect on car production levels of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Nadhim Zahawi:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Natural Gas: Safety
Paul Blomfield: [287910]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans
she has to amend the Gas Safety (Management) Regulations 1996 to enable more than
0.1 per cent hydrogen in the gas network.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Paul Blomfield: [287911]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if she will
make an assessment of the potential merits of replacing the Gas Safety (Management)
Regulations 1996 with the industry standard developed by the Institution of Gas
Engineers and Managers.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Post Offices: Burglary
Marion Fellows: [294192]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many (a)
break-ins and (b) robberies at Post Offices there have been in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c)
Northern Ireland, and (d) each region of England in each month in each of the last three
years.
Marion Fellows: [294193]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support
(a) the UK Government, and (b) Post Office Ltd is providing to sub-Postmasters to (i)
prevent break-ins and robberies and (b) mitigate the financial and emotional effect of
break-ins and robberies.
Kelly Tolhurst:
The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and
for small businesses across the UK. The overall number of post offices across the UK
remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant
Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010. This funding allows branches to
be modernised to meet consumer’s evolving needs, whilst ensuring the safety and
security within branches.
I have asked Nick Read, the Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write on this
matter. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Ratcliffe Power Station
Alan Brown: [290742]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the (a)
generation capacity and (b) estimated decommissioning date for Ratcliffe GT Power
Station is.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1st October 2019 to Question
290420.
Renewable Energy: Carbon Emissions
Alan Brown: [292949]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many
tonnes of carbon dioxide were displaced by renewable (a) electricity and (b) heat
generation in (i) the UK, (ii) England, (iii) Scotland and (iv) Wales in (A) 2016, (B) 2017
and (C) 2018.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
[Holding answer 7 October 2019]: The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial
Strategy (BEIS) has not estimated how many tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions for
electricity and heat generation have been displaced using renewable sources, as
without renewable sources the mix of other sources would have differed.
Statistics on UK greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are published annually by BEIS.
The statistics are broken down by source sector.
Final statistics covering GHG emissions up to 2017 broken down by source sector
can be found in table 3 of the publication: Final UK greenhouse gas emissions
national statistics 1990-2017.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/final-uk-greenhouse-gas-emissions-
national-statistics-1990-2017
Equivalent statistics for England, Scotland and Wales up to 2017 are available on the
National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI) website.
https://naei.beis.gov.uk/reports/reports?report_id=991
Provisional statistics covering carbon dioxide emissions up to 2018 broken down by
source sector can be found in table 1 of the publication: Provisional UK greenhouse
gas emissions national statistics 2018.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/provisional-uk-greenhouse-gas-emissions-
national-statistics-2018
Retail Trade
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294167]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent
steps her Department has taken to support high street retailers.
Kelly Tolhurst:
Government wants all types of retail to thrive, and we are supporting the sector as it
responds to change. This is why we established the industry led Retail Sector Council
to bring Government and industry together to help the sector address key sector
issues and define its future strategy.
The Council is prioritising its work to address the key challenges facing the sector
and is focussing on; costs to business, skills and lifelong learning, employment
protection, consumer protection, the circular economy and the Industrial Strategy.
The priority areas were selected by the industry and each workstream is being led by
a senior industry figure.
In July 2019, the Prime Minister set out this Government’s plan to unite and level up
cities, towns, coastal and rural areas across our country. He announced a £3.6 billion
Towns Fund to set out his vision to re-energise local economies so that everyone can
share in a new era of prosperity. This included £1 billion for the Future High Streets
Fund, which will support local areas in England to renew and reshape town centres
and high streets in a way that improves experience, drives growth and ensures future
sustainability.
Finally, we are supporting local leadership with a High Streets Task Force , giving
high streets and town centres expert advice to adapt and thrive. This will provide
hands-on support to local areas to develop data-driven innovative strategies and
connect local areas to relevant experts.
Sanitary Products: Plastics
Paul Farrelly: [293481]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent
discussions she has had with feminine hygiene manufactures on the removal of plastics
from all women’s sanitary products.
Nadhim Zahawi:
[Holding answer 7 October 2019]: On 16 April this year, the Government announced
it will fully fund a scheme to provide access to free period products in schools and
colleges in England. We are developing this scheme in conjunction with schools and
16-19 education providers to ensure it best meets the needs of all learners. We are
committed to encouraging the use of sustainable products where possible and will
work with stakeholders to explore whether this can be integrated into the scheme. In
addition, in light of the period poverty initiative, NHS Supply Chain plans to widen the
scope of the sanitary products available to the NHS. This will include focusing on
providing more sustainable, non-plastic products such as menstrual cups and
washable sanitary towels.
The Resources and Waste Strategy sets out the Government’s plans to reduce
plastic pollution and to move towards a more circular economy. The strategy outlines
the actions we will take to encourage producers to take more responsibility for the
lifespan of their products and make sure these are more carefully designed with
resource efficiency and waste prevention in mind. Our ambition is to eliminate all
avoidable plastic waste throughout the lifetime of the 25 Year Environment Plan, and
for the most problematic plastics we are going faster. We have already made good
progress and will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and
materials to take a systematic approach to reducing the use of unnecessary single-
use plastic products.
Solar Power: Statistics
Catherine West: [293680]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his
Department is taking to ensure that Ofgem is able to collate accurate data on the
installation of solar power units.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
[Holding answer 7 October 2019]: The Solar photovoltaics deployment report,
published on the gov.uk website, provides information on solar photovoltaic capacity
in the United Kingdom. It currently includes solar installations reported in BEIS' major
power producers survey, the Renewable Energy Planning Database, the
Microgeneration Certification Scheme database, and those subsidised by the
Renewables Obligation, Feed-in Tariff, and Contracts for Difference. It does not
currently include unsubsidised solar installations below 1MW capacity that are not
registered on the Microgeneration Certification Scheme database, although we are
reviewing data sources to improve coverage.
Wind Power: Seas and Oceans
Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [294224]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if she will list
the offshore wind farm constraint payments made by the National Grid Electricity
Systems Operator in each month since April 2019.
Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [294225]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the
average value of constraint payments made by National Grid Electricity Systems
Operator (NGESO) was to (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind energy companies in each
month since NGESO was created.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
National Grid Electricity System Operator (NGESO) publishes details of constraint
payments by generation type in its ‘Monthly Balancing Services Summary’, which is
available at: https://www.nationalgrideso.com/balancing-data/system-balancing-
reports The addition published on 30 September 2019 contains the latest data on
constraint payments made since NGESO was created on 1st April 2019, and the
sections on ‘Constraint actions by fuel type’ and ‘Wind generation’ are most relevant.
Detailed information on constraint payments to individual generation projects is
published by Elexon, and is available at:
https://www.bmreports.com/bmrs/?q=balancing/
Wind Power: Subsidies
Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [294226]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the
average subsidy payment per megawatt hour of energy produced was to (a) onshore and
(b) offshore wind companies in each month since January 2017.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
The average subsidy payment (1)(2)(3) to onshore and offshore wind companies per
megawatt hour of electricity produced each month was:
ONSHORE WIND(£/MWH) OFFSHORE WIND (£/MWH)
Jan 2017 52.04 84.87
Feb 2017 51.76 84.93
Mar 2017 51.31 84.67
Apr 2017 52.26 87.71
May 2017 52.30 88.28
Jun 2017 52.26 88.63
Jul 2017 51.81 88.75
Aug 2017 52.07 89.72
Sep 2017 52.21 89.16
Oct 2017 51.92 89.93
Nov 2017 52.21 89.67
Dec 2017 51.64 88.87
Jan 2018 51.50 89.84
Feb 2018 51.47 89.43
Mar 2018 51.59 88.45
Apr 2018 52.79 93.45
May 2018 52.64 93.35
Jun 2018 53.79 93.37
Jul 2018 53.27 93.36
Aug 2018 52.51 92.97
Sep 2018 52.98 91.85
Oct 2018 52.56 92.10
Nov 2018 52.38 92.41
Dec 2018 52.38 92.11
Jan 2019 52.06 92.68
Feb 2019 51.93 95.10
ONSHORE WIND(£/MWH) OFFSHORE WIND (£/MWH)
Mar 2019 52.83 95.88
(1) Subsidies are the Renewables Obligation, Contracts for Difference (CfD), and
Feed-in Tariff (FIT). The bulk of the above support is from the Renewables
Obligation. Going forward, we expect the average subsidy payment figures to fall as
more projects are supported under the competitive Contracts for Difference scheme*.
(2) Includes payments to domestic and community FIT schemes for onshore wind.
(3) Spend is in real terms.
For the Renewables Obligation, the full value of support is made up of a main
payment and a much smaller subsidiary payment. As the value of the subsidiary
payment is not yet known for any of the years, the above figures include only the
main payment.
Data for April 2019 onwards are not yet available.
*The results of the third Contracts for Difference auction were announced on 20
September 2019. 12 new renewable electricity projects were awarded CfDs (6
offshore wind, 4 Remote Island Wind and two Advanced Conversion Technology
projects), adding around 6GW of new clean electricity to the grid from 2023. The
costs of offshore wind have come down by around two thirds since the first allocation
round in 2015, with projects now being delivered for as little as £39.65/MWh. This is
the first time that renewables are expected to come online below market prices.
CABINET OFFICE
Brexit
Antoinette Sandbach: [291057]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he
will publish (a) the most up-to-date version of the 1 August 2019 Operation
Yellowhammer document and (b) the dates on which each version of that document was
circulated; what the distribution list is for that document; and for what reasons the
assumptions in each version changed.
Michael Gove:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Stephen Doughty: [293594]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how
many times an end to end assessment and proposed actions has been prepared since 1
January 2018 in response to the effect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal, and if he
will place in the House of Commons library the most recent document.
Kevin Foster:
Today (08/10/2019) The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster laid the No Deal
Readiness Report in the Houses of Parliament. This document outlines how the
Government is preparing for an outcome in which we leave without a deal.
Brexit: Publicity
Layla Moran: [292985]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office,
pursuant to the Answer of 01 October 2019 to Question 291474 on Get Ready for Brexit
Advertising, when the Government plans to publish regular spending figures for the Get
Ready for Brexit advertising campaign.
Kevin Foster:
The Cabinet Office has undertaken to publish information relating to ongoing
expenditure on the public information campaign as part of the department’s monthly
data transparency releases. The published information will be available on a regular
basis on GOV.UK here: (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-
spend-data)
Mary Creagh: [293503]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office,
pursuant to the Answer of 1 October 2019 to Question 291346 on the Get ready for Brexit
campaign, if he will publish (a) the details of all contracts over £10,000 awarded by
Manning Gottlieb OMD on behalf of the Government and (b) a list of where and when all
Get ready for Brexit campaign events have been held.
Kevin Foster:
The Cabinet Office has undertaken to publish information relating to ongoing
expenditure as part of the department’s monthly data transparency releases. The
published information will be available on a regular basis on GOV.UK here:
(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-spend-data)
“Get Ready for Brexit” is a public information campaign that provides the facts
citizens and businesses need to know about the preparations they need to take to be
ready for when the UK leaves the EU. The campaign has many direct and local
elements including business roundtables, public meetings, ministerial visits and local
authority events. A full list of the events that have taken place since the campaign
launched on 1 September can be found at Annex A.
Attachments:
1. ANNEX A [Annex A - Campaign Events .xlsx]
Cabinet Office: Brexit
Norman Lamb: [293498]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how
many meetings (a) members of the Cabinet and (b) their predecessors have had with EU
officials in each of the last twelve months.
Kevin Foster:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Cabinet Office: Chief Scientific Advisers
Norman Lamb: [292155]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how
many meetings he had with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 June to 31
August 2019.
Kevin Foster:
I refer the Right Honourable Member to the answer given to Question 198752 on 7
January 2019.
Cabinet Office: Ministerial Duties
Ian C. Lucas: [294104]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he
will publish the (a) meetings and (b) subject matter of each such meeting he has attended
on matters relating to his ministerial responsibilities since his appointment.
Kevin Foster:
Details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations are published quarterly in
arrears on GOV.UK.
Civil Service: Pay
Angela Crawley: [294201]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and Minister for the Cabinet Office, for
what reasons the civil service pay increase, announced in June 2019 is not in line with
inflation.
Angela Crawley: [294202]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and Minister for the Cabinet Office, for
what reasons hon. Members received a pay rise of 2.7 per cent which was backdated to
April 2019 and civil servants received a pay increase of 1.84 per cent which was
backdated to June 2019.
Angela Crawley: [294203]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he
will take steps to align the pay of civil servants in England, Scotland and Wales to the
level of pay of civil servants employed in Scotland.
Simon Hart:
Civil service pay, excluding the Senior Civil Service, is delegated to departments and
to the Devolved Administrations.
For 2019/20, government departments have flexibility to make average pay
settlements of up to 2%, depending on their workforce requirements and affordability.
Any department wishing to pay an award above 2% is able to submit a business case
to HM Treasury and Cabinet Office for ministerial approval. Departments are also
able to meet the costs of increases to the National Living Wage outside of the 2%.
MPs’ pay is set by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, which is
independent from government.
Databases
Ian C. Lucas: [294101]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what
discussions he has had with the Prime Minister and his advisers concerning centralisation
of data collection in Government.
Simon Hart:
The details of meetings between Ministers and their advisers are confidential.
Having a comprehensive anonymised view of how people interact with government
services online is an important part of developing services which provide information
in a way users understand.
Election Offences
Jo Stevens: [294184]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office,
whether the Government plans to review the maximum fine that can be levied for
breaching electoral law.
Kevin Foster:
The Electoral Commission is the independent regulatory body responsible for
ensuring that elections and referendums are run effectively and in accordance with
the law.
The Commission has civil sanctioning powers that apply to referendums and
elections. More serious criminal matters can and are referred to the police, and then
considered by a court of law.
The Electoral Commission has recommended that its sanctioning powers be
increased and the Government is considering this.
Government Chief Data Officer
Jo Platt: [293725]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office,
pursuant to the Answer of 3 September to Question 286366 and with reference to page
10 of the Government Transformation Strategy, which Minister made the decision to
extend the objective of appointing a Chief Data Officer from by 2020 to in 2020; and on
what date that decision was made.
Simon Hart:
No decision has been made regarding an extension of the objective of appointing a
Chief Data Officer It remains our intention to appoint the Chief Data Officer in the
timescales set out in the Government Transformation Strategy.
Government Departments: Disability
Rosie Cooper: [294117]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what
estimate he has made of the number of disabled people in each Government Department
that left work as a result of a (a) disability and (b) long-term health condition in (i) 2016,
(ii) 2017 and (iii) 2018.
Simon Hart:
Information on the number of people in each government department who left work
as a result of a disability or a long-term health condition is not held centrally by
Cabinet Office.
The Civil Service is committed to becoming the UK’s most inclusive employer by
2020; which means attracting and retaining the best talent from all diverse
backgrounds, including those with a disability.
To achieve this, Sir Philip Rutnam, CS Disability Champion, has set out a clear vision
for a disability confident and disability inclusive Civil Service; with a specific priority to
develop and retain disabled talent. These include; ensuring our disabled staff have
access to effective and timely workplace adjustments and access to mainstream
talent development programmes and positive action schemes to enable disabled staff
to thrive and realise their full potential. https://civilservice.blog.gov.uk/2016/03/22/my-
priorities-as-civil-service-disability-champion/
The Civil Service publishes annual statistics on the number of disabled employees.
These show that the proportion of civil servants who are declared disabled has
increased every year since 2010, from 7.6% in 2010 to 11.7% in 2019.
Government Departments: Photographers and Videographers
Stephen Doughty: [291491]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how
many (a) contracted and (b) employed photographers and videographers were employed
by each government department in the last 12 months.
Stephen Doughty: [291492]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how
many times (a) photographs and (b) videos produced for HMG official purposes were
provided to the Conservative Party in the last 12 months; and what the cost of
compensating HMG was for those rights.
Kevin Foster:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Johnny Mercer: Crucial Academy
Jon Trickett: [292099]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office,
when his Department first received a communication from the hon. Member for Plymouth
Moor View on the (a) continuation and (b) termination of his role at Crucial Academy Ltd.
Jon Trickett: [292100]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office,
when his Department first received a communication from the hon. Member for Plymouth
Moor View on the (a) continuation and (b) termination of his role at Crucial Academy Ltd.
Kevin Foster:
The Ministerial Code sets out the process by which Ministers should declare and
manage potential conflicts of interest, working with their Permanent Secretary and the
independent adviser on Ministers’ interests.
As part of this process the Minister declared his directorship in Crucial Academy
following his appointment and has resigned from this role. Whilst this process has
been underway, the Ministry of Defence put in place measures to avoid any potential
conflict. Sir Alex Allan, the independent adviser, has not raised any concerns about
the conduct and there has been no breach of the Ministerial Code.
Members: Correspondence
Mary Creagh: [290956]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office,
when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Wakefield of 3
September 2019 to the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Mark Sedwill, on the Get ready for Brexit
campaign.
Kevin Foster:
I apologise for the delay in replying to the letter from the hon. Member and can
assure her she will receive a response as soon as possible.
Ministerial Policy Advisers: Complaints
Stephen Doughty: [292245]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how
many complaints in relation to the conduct of Special Advisers in each government
department were submitted to the (a) Ethics and Propriety team and (b) the Cabinet
Secretary since the formation of the Government in 2017.
Kevin Foster:
The responsibility for the management and conduct of Special Advisers, including
discipline, rests with the Minister who made the appointment, as per paragraph 3.3 of
the Ministerial Code.
Ministerial Policy Advisers: Conduct
Tulip Siddiq: [292307]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office,
whether his Department has any plans to update the special advisers' code of conduct.
Kevin Foster:
The last update to the Special Adviser’s Code of Conduct was in December 2016.
This document is kept under regular review.
In December 2018, the Minister for the Constitution announced work to review how
Special Adviser’s terms can be made clearer and consistent (19 December 2018 Vol.
651, [HCWS1216]). This work is ongoing.
Office for Tackling Injustices
Stephanie Peacock: [293689]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what
progress he has made on the establishment of the Office for Tackling Injustices; and if he
will make a statement.
Oliver Dowden:
We are considering how best to take forward this work in the light of the new
Government’s domestic priorities and will provide an update in due course.
Reform
Ian C. Lucas: [294102]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what
recent discussions he has had with Ministers in his Department on (a) reform of electoral
law and (b) data protection.
Ian C. Lucas: [294103]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what
recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and
Sport on (a) data protection and (b) electoral reform.
Kevin Foster:
The Cabinet Office is taking a cross-Government approach to the safeguarding of our
electoral processes through the Defending Democracy programme and we continue
to work closely with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
This work is led within the Cabinet Office by the Minister for the Constitution, under
the oversight of the Minister for the Cabinet Office.
The Government remains committed to ensuring our electoral law is fit for purpose,
now and into the future. In May this year, the Government announced we would be
launching a consultation on electoral integrity. As part of that, we are considering
measures to strengthen the regulatory framework around elections and ensure they
are fully up to date for a modern electoral system. We are also awaiting the
publication of the final report from the Law Commission on their review of electoral
law, which we understand will be published early next year, and will look at their
recommendations and comments with interest.
DCMS is responsible for data protection policy and sponsors the independent
regulator of the Data Protection Act 2018, the Information Commissioner's Office
(ICO). The ICO are consulting on a draft framework code of practice for the use of
personal data in political campaigning, which concluded on 04 October.
DEFENCE
Armed Forces: Recruitment
Mr Jonathan Lord: [293561]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to recruit
and retain service personnel.
Mark Lancaster:
The Government is committed to maintaining the overall size of the Armed Forces.
The Armed Forces continue to meet all their current commitments, keeping the
country and its interests safe. They are fully funded to meet their target strength and
we continue to increase funding to Defence year on year.
The Armed Forces have active and targeted recruitment campaigns which are
proving effective; intake to the UK Regular Armed Forces was 13,520 in the 12
months to 1 July 2019, an increase of 13.4% compared with the same period in 2018.
Outflow from the Regular Armed Forces was 14,880 in the 12 months to July 2019,
remaining constant with the same period last year. However, we are not complacent;
we closely monitor the impact of Service life on individuals, particularly in areas
where there are shortages. Each Service has developed plans to manage this and
the proportion of personnel who breach their Service harmony guidelines has
reduced across all Services and ranks for the last five years, reflecting the innovative
approaches and pro-active management of this issue.
Armed Forces: Sick Leave
Jim Shannon: [294243]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of level of
sickness absence among women in the armed forces in the latest period for which figures
are available.
Johnny Mercer:
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes the health and wellbeing of its personnel very
seriously. A Health and Wellbeing Strategy for all MOD employees, military and
civilian, was published in mid-2015 (updated in August 2016) and is designed to
provide guidance to the Chain of Command and civilian line managers on how to
manage the health needs, both mental and physical, of their people. The aim is to
maximise the number of people fit to work, managing people back to work after a
period of sickness, so that they are fit and able to meet the requirements of Defence
outputs, including operational effectiveness.
Whilst the MOD records the medical employability and deployability of Service
personnel, more specific information about the level of sickness absence among
women - or men - in the Armed Forces is not held centrally. As at 1 May 2019,
medical employability for the trained UK Armed Forces was 98 per cent, with a
male:female split of 98:97% respectively.
Armed Forces: Training
Jim Shannon: [294169]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure the safety of
recruits undertaking physical training courses.
Johnny Mercer:
We take our duty of care to our personnel very seriously, but risk is inherent in many
activities carried out by the Armed Forces. This risk is rendered as low as reasonably
practicable during training by ensuring that its design and delivery are subject to strict
safety procedures and rigorous risk analysis. Training programmes are also subject
to internal or external assurance and audit inspections including by OFSTED.
On 1 April 2015, we established the Defence Safety Authority which brings together
the Defence Safety Regulators and the Accident Investigation Branch, providing
independent assurance to the Secretary of State in accordance with his health, safety
and environmental policy statement.
Defence: Manufacturing Industries
Mr Jonathan Lord: [293562]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to
maintain the capabilities of UK defence manufacturing.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan:
On 14 March 2019 (HCWS1411), we provided an update to Parliament on our
ambitious Defence Prosperity Programme which includes work to sustain an
internationally competitive and productive UK Defence sector. Since the 2015
Strategic Defence and Security Review introduced a new National Security Objective
to Promote UK Prosperity we have published strategies for Shipbuilding and Combat
Air and refreshed our Defence Industrial Policy with a new emphasis on supporting
growth and competitiveness.
International Military Services: Expenditure
Tulip Siddiq: [292967]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons IMS Ltd paid a dividend of £5
million in 2010 to the Secretary of State for Defence; and for what purposes that money
was used.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan:
Any dividends from investments are allocated in line with our normal financial and
capability planning processes.
International Military Services: Finance
Tulip Siddiq: [292966]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons IMS Ltd changed its auditors
in 2016 after 30 years alongside the implementation date of the Joint Comprehensive
Plan of Action.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan:
The appointment of auditors is a matter for IMS Ltd as a private company.
Ministry of Defence: Crispin Odey
David Linden: [292358]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish (a) the outcome of all
meetings and (b) all call logs between Ministers of his Department and Mr Crispin Odey.
Johnny Mercer:
There are no records of meetings between Ministry of Defence (MOD) Ministers and
Mr Crispin Odey. However, the MOD publishes in arrears details of Ministers'
meetings on a quarterly basis at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-
meetings-with-external-organisations-in-the-ministry-of-defence
The following details can be found in the returns:
• The date the Minister attended the meeting
• The name of the organisation or individuals who attended the meeting
• The purpose of the meeting
Please note that phone calls are not covered in these disclosures.
Yemen: Military Intervention
Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [294223]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department was informed that the
Saudi Arabian land forces had been deployed to Yemen.
Mark Lancaster:
The Saudi Arabian authorities do not routinely inform us of their military deployments.
DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
5G
Dr Sarah Wollaston: [291573]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is
taking to introduce safety tests on the proposed 5G pilot projects.
Matt Warman:
Safety must always be paramount in technological developments and there is no
credible evidence 5G is harmful to human health. All proposed 5G Testbeds and
Trials (5GTT) projects have to comply with the guidelines published by the
International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. ICNIRP is formally
recognised by the World Health Organization. Public Health England’s Centre for
Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards takes the lead on public health
matters associated with radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, or radio waves.
The 5GTT has strict expectations that all grant funded projects will adhere to ICNIRP
guidelines. A considerable amount of research has been carried out on radio waves
and per PHE’s advice we anticipate no negative effects on public health.
Anniversaries: Northern Ireland
Sir Jeffrey M. Donaldson: [287496]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to
support events in Great Britain to mark the centenary of Northern Ireland in 2021.
Nicky Morgan:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Business: Data Protection
Daniel Zeichner: [290718]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate her
Department has made of the number of data flow contractual clauses which will need to
be arranged by businesses in the UK with business in the EU in the event of the UK
leaving the EU (a) with and (b) without a deal.
Nigel Adams:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Charitable Trusts
Vicky Foxcroft: [294737]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her
Department is taking to encourage more (a) female, (b) BAME and (c) working class
people to become charity trustees.
Nicky Morgan:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Vicky Foxcroft: [294738]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what information her
Department holds on the number and proportion of (a) female, (b) BAME and (c) working
class charity trustees.
Nicky Morgan:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Charities: Pay
Eddie Hughes: [293706]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her
Department has made of trends in the level of remuneration for chief executives in the
charity sector in the last five years.
Nicky Morgan:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Charities: Taxation
Gareth Thomas: [280909]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to
appoint a Principal Regulator for Exempt Charities using the community benefit society
legal form; and if she will make a statement.
Nicky Morgan:
An appropriate body could not be found that was willing and able to take on the role
of Principal Regulator for charitable community benefit societies. Therefore, there are
currently no plans to appoint a Principal Regulator for these charities. However we
will keep this position under review. The Charities Act 2006 does not require the
appointment of a principal regulator and exempt charities are still bound by the
general principles of charity law.
China Global Television Network
Louise Haigh: [292954]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when Ofcom is
expected to report on its investigation of whether CGTN's coverage of Hong Kong
protests broke broadcasting rules.
Nigel Adams:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Databases: Finance
Jo Platt: [293727]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding her
Department has allocated to the (a) creation and (b) implementation of the Government
Data Strategy.
Nigel Adams:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Democracy: Innovation
Alex Norris: [292305]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to
respond to the invitation of 17 June 2019 from the all-party Parliamentary group on
deliberative democracy to meet them to discuss progress on the innovation in democracy
project; and if she will make a statement.
Matt Warman:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Chief Scientific Advisers
Norman Lamb: [292150]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many meetings
she had with her Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 June to 31 August 2019.
Nigel Adams:
The Chief Scientific Adviser attended one meeting with the Secretary of State and
other senior officials.
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Crispin Odey
David Linden: [292344]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish (a)
the outcome of all meetings and (b) all call logs between Ministers of her Department and
Mr Crispin Odey.
Nigel Adams:
Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the Gov.uk website.
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Jainism
Gareth Thomas: [292811]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will invite
representatives of the Jain community to national events organised by her Department;
and if she will make a statement.
Helen Whately:
Britain’s Jain community makes a positive contribution to life in this country. This
Government values its contribution immensely.
The Government is always keen to work with the Jain community on matters that are
important to them, and we will continue to do so.
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Official Hospitality
Ruth Jones: [292431]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much her
Department spent on refreshments in (a) 2017 and (b) 2018.
Nigel Adams:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Travel
Ruth Jones: [292412]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much her
Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) first class, (b) second class and (c) in total in
2017.
Nigel Adams:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Ruth Jones: [292422]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much his
Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) first class, (b) second class and (c) in total in
2018.
Nigel Adams:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Digital Technology: Procurement
Chi Onwurah: [291017]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she
has made of the potential merits of creating a standardised procurement code for
privately developed algorithms used in the public sector which includes mandatory
human rights, data protection and equality impact assessments.
Nigel Adams:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Disinformation
Ian Austin: [294108]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her
Department is taking to tackle the circulation of fake content online.
Matt Warman:
The Online Harms White Paper set out the Government's plans for world-leading
legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online. We intend to
establish a new statutory duty of care on companies towards their users, overseen by
an independent regulator, to ensure companies have appropriate processes in place
to deal with harmful content on their service, and keep their users safe.
Disinformation is one of the harms proposed to be in scope of the regulator.
The White Paper also set out a commitment for Government to develop a new online
Media Literacy Strategy. The strategy will help citizens to think critically about the
content that they are consuming, and to better identify disinformation online.
Eating Disorders
Chris Ruane: [287477]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent
assessment his Department has made of the effect on levels of (a) bulimia and (b)
anorexia nervosa of the portrayal of models in the fashion and beauty industry.
Nigel Adams:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Electronic Government: Proof of Identity
Jo Platt: [291084]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what
recent communications he has received from each Gov.UK Verify provider on their
continued participation in the scheme.
Matt Warman:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Football: Disability
Ben Bradley: [292990]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding her
Department has allocated to Powerchair Football in each of the last five years.
Nigel Adams:
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone is able to access sport and
physical activity, including those with a disability.
Sport England have contributed £70,425 of National Lottery investment in Wheelchair
football activities the last 5 years (from 2015/16). Further detail on Sport England
funding breakdowns can be found here: https://www.sportengland.org/funding/what-
have-we-funded/
Football: Finance
Dr David Drew: [290609]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to
continue to provide funding for the Football Association Parklife project.
Nigel Adams:
The Government recognises the benefits of the Football Association Parklife project.
Further investment in Parklife will continue to be considered at future fiscal events.
Gambling: Video Games
Yasmin Qureshi: [292186]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is
taking to support research into the effects of gambling-like mechanics in video games on
(a) young and (b) vulnerable players of those games.
Nigel Adams:
The DCMS Select Committee’s report on Immersive and Addictive Technology was
published on 12th September. It is critical of the games sector and makes a dozen
recommendations for Government action.
Most of the media coverage of the report focussed on the Select Committee’s
recommendation that DCMS should change the Gambling Act to bring into scope the
loot box mechanics that some games contain. The report also recommended that
DCMS should work with researchers to identify key questions needed to develop
research into the long term effects of (video) gaming and that DCMS should establish
a scientific working group to collate the latest evidence on the effects of “gambling-
like” mechanics in games.
DCMS is leading on the Government response which has been requested by 11
November and officials are currently developing advice for ministers.
The UK’s video games sector - and particularly a number of the large inward
investors here - are alarmed at the tone of the Select Committee’s report and looking
to Government to show it will take an evidence-based and proportionate approach in
its response.
Loot boxes do not fall under gambling law where the in-game items acquired are
confined for use within the game and cannot be cashed out. However, the Gambling
Commission is aware of possible areas of convergence between video games and
gambling, and will continue to monitor this closely.
Internet: Abuse
Ian Austin: [294110]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her
Department is taking to tackle anonymous abuse and threats on online platforms such as
Twitter.
Matt Warman:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Internet: Advertising
Caroline Lucas: [294124]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the
oral statement of her predecessor of 12 February 2019, Official Report, column 773, for
what reasons the terms of reference of the review of how online advertising is regulated
have not yet been published; when she plans to publish details of that review; whether
that review will include consideration of the effect of online advertising on young people’s
wellbeing and the planet’s natural resources; and if she will make a statement.
Nigel Adams:
Since the previous Secretary of State announced the DCMS review into how online
advertising is regulated in the UK, my department has established a team to take this
work forward, including further evidence gathering and stakeholder engagement.
This review will identify and address the systemic social and economic challenges
that arise from online advertising. It will consider a range of options to ensure the
UK's approach to regulating online advertising is fit for purpose, including measures
to ensure users are sufficiently protected from harm.
The review will complement and build on other relevant work underway across
government and in external organisations, which are due to report in the winter. This
includes the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study into online platforms
and digital advertising, the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation report on online
targeting and the Information Commissioner’s Office’s work on adtech.
Further details will be set out in due course.
Internet: Children and Young People
Ian Blackford: [292261]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the
Government is taking to (a) ensure that young people are only able to access age
appropriate internet and social media sites and (b) hold sites to account when they
expose children to inappropriate content.
Matt Warman:
In April we published the Online Harms White Paper, which set out our plans for
world-leading legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online.
We intend to establish in law a new duty of care on companies towards their users,
overseen by an independent regulator. Alongside the White Paper, Government
published the Social Media Code of Practice. This voluntary guidance sets out
actions that the Government believes social media platforms should take to prevent
bullying, insulting, intimidating and humiliating behaviours on their sites. The Code is
also relevant to other sites hosting user-generated content and comments. We are
aware that many social media companies meet the standards set out in the Code of
Practice, although Government does not actively monitor this.
Local Broadcasting: Radio
Douglas Chapman: [287573]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she
has made of the potential merits of allowing Ofcom to protect local radio news services
from reductions by multimedia companies.
Nigel Adams:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Mass Media: Regulation
Mrs Madeleine Moon: [293499]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will introduce
independent regulation of the media to protect people from invasive and unethical
journalism.
Nigel Adams:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Paul Farrelly: [294099]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will include
regulation of news publishers in her legislative proposals on online harms.
Matt Warman:
The Online Harms White Paper sets out our plans for world-leading legislation to
make the UK the safest place in the world to be online, and to better protect the rights
and wellbeing of users online. It will make companies more responsible for their
users' safety online, especially children and other vulnerable groups.
A vibrant, independent, pluralistic and free press is essential to our democracy. As
set out in the former Secretary of State's letter to the Society of Editors, the White
Paper's proposals do not impact journalistic and editorial content and will not interfere
with the current approach to press regulation.
Motor Sports
Sir Jeffrey M. Donaldson: [287497]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to
increase support for motor sports in the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Helen Whately:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Political Parties: Advertising
Paul Farrelly: [293488]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to
create a regulator for online political advertising.
Nigel Adams:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Service Industries: Non-domestic Rates
Steve Double: [294198]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent
discussions she has had with representatives from the hospitality sector on the effect of
business rates on that sector.
Helen Whately:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Social Media
Ian Austin: [294111]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to
prevent people from establishing anonymous platforms on social media.
Matt Warman:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Ian Austin: [294113]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her
Department is taking to tackle (a) racism, (b) abuse and (c) threats on social media
platforms.
Matt Warman:
The Online Harms White Paper sets out our plans for world-leading legislation to
make the UK the safest place in the world to be online. We intend to establish in law
a new duty of care on companies towards their users, overseen by an independent
regulator. The duty of care will ensure companies have appropriate systems and
processes in place to deal with harmful content on their services to keep their users
safe. Compliance with this duty of care will be overseen by an independent regulator,
which will have a range of enforcement powers.
Alongside the White Paper, the government published the Social Media Code of
Practice. This voluntary guidance sets out actions that the Government believes
social media platforms should take to prevent bullying, insulting, intimidating and
humiliating behaviours on their sites.
Government has also asked the Law Commission to conduct a second phase of its
review of the legal framework around abusive and offensive communications online.
This will make specific recommendations for legal reform and is due to report in early
2021.
Social Media: Abuse and Intimidation
Ian Austin: [294112]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she
has had with representatives from social media platforms on anonymous abuse and
threats on those platforms.
Matt Warman:
Ministers and officials have regular meetings and discussions with social media
platforms on a range of issues, including online abuse and threats. Details of
Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the Gov.uk website.
Ian Austin: [294114]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her
Department has made of the effectiveness of online social media platforms in dealing
with abuse and threats made on those platforms.
Matt Warman:
We expect companies to do substantially more to keep their users safe and counter
online abuse, particularly where this abuse is illegal. The Online Harms White Paper
sets out our plans for world-leading legislation to make the UK the safest place in the
world to be online. We intend to establish in law a new duty of care on companies
towards their users, to ensure companies have appropriate systems and processes in
place to deal with harmful content on their services to keep their users safe.
Compliance with this duty of care will be overseen by an independent regulator,
which will have a range of enforcement powers.
Social Media: Codes of Practice
Louise Haigh: [292961]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which social media
companies have signed up to the Government code of conduct for social media
platforms.
Matt Warman:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Social Media: Harassment
Ian Austin: [294682]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent
discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on anonymous abuse and threats on
(a) Twitter and (b) other online platforms.
Matt Warman:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Sports: Plastics
John Mann: [284358]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her
Department has made of the role of major sporting and cultural events in the elimination
of single use plastics.
Nigel Adams:
Government strongly encourages all organisations with responsibility for sporting and
cultural events, to find sustainable and environmentally-friendly ways of operating.
The EventIMPACTS website, supported by DCMS, provides advice and support for
event organisers to help them implement ISO 20121- which is the international
standard on sustainable events.
Arts Council England (ACE) support a number of organisations and projects which
focus on the environment and sustainability.
Technology: Conferences
Chi Onwurah: [291009]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the
Prime Minister's speech at the United Nations on 24 September 2019, what (a) plans she
has made and (b) public consultation she plans to conduct in relation to the London
summit on tech; and what steps she is taking to ensure that the public opinion will be
represented.
Matt Warman:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Third Sector
Mr Jim Cunningham: [294095]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her
Department is taking to support volunteers in the third sector.
Nicky Morgan:
The Government is committed to enabling people of all backgrounds to contribute
their time and talents to their communities through volunteering and social action.
The Government supports a number of programmes which enable volunteering
opportunities. Examples include:
• Through the #iwill fund £20m of government investment has been matched with
more than £90m of investment from 28 partner funders. So far, this has created
500,000 high quality opportunities for young people to make change in their
communities.
• The Centre for Social Action which has invested over £9m in programmes that
encourage adult volunteering initiatives that bring people together and support
social outcomes.
Tourism: Gardens
Andrew Bridgen: [294179]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to
respond to the recommendations made by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Committee in its Fourteenth Report of Session 2017-19 entitled Garden design and
tourism, HC 2002.
Helen Whately:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Tourism: North West
Ms Angela Eagle: [292116]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her
Department is taking to increase tourism in the North West.
Helen Whately:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Twitter: Disinformation
Ian Austin: [294109]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her
Department is having with Twitter on tackling fake Twitter accounts.
Matt Warman:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Visual Impairment: Electronic Publishing
Ian Murray: [284833]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she
has made of the benefits of e-readers and other digital reading materials to partially
sighted or blind people; and what steps her Department takes to promote access to these
materials.
Matt Warman:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Voluntary Work: Young People
Mr Jonathan Lord: [293557]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many people
have participated in the National Citizen Service in each local authority area in Surrey in
each of the last three years.
Nicky Morgan:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Youth Services
Cat Smith: [285331]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the
Answer of 10 June 2019 to Question 260670 on Youth Services and with reference to her
Department's announcement on 10 July 2019 that a public consultation would be held for
8 weeks from late July 2019, when the consultation will begin; and how the process will
be taken forward.
Nicky Morgan:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
EDUCATION
Arts: GCSE
Ben Bradley: [292989]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many GCSE entries for arts subjects
there were from students in Mansfield constituency in each of the last five years.
Nick Gibb:
The number and proportion of entries by pupils at the end of key stage 4 into
GCSE[1] Arts subjects[2] in Mansfield[3] from 2013-14 to 2017-18[4] are provided in
the table below, alongside the number of entries by pupils at the end of key stage 4
into all GCSE subjects in Mansfield.
MANSFIELD 2013/14[5] 2014/15[6] 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18[7]
Number entries
into GCSE Arts
688 874 650 607 390
Number of
entries into all
GCSE subjects
9,122 9,390 9,716 9,358 8,180
% of pupils
entered into
any Arts
subject
7.5% 9.3% 6.7% 6.5% 4.8%
Source: Revised key stage 4 attainment data
[1] Includes GCSE and equivalents.
[2] For the purposes of these figures arts subjects include Applied Art and Design, Art
and Design, Drama, Media/Film/TV, Music, Dance and Performing Arts. As per table
1c of the national tables here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/key-stage-4-
and-multi-academy-trust-performance-2018-revised.
[3] Defined as pupils at the end of key stage 4 attending a school within the Mansfield
parliamentary constituency.
[4] For pupils at the end of key stage 4 with results that count in key stage 4
performance tables
[5] In 2013/14, two major reforms were implemented which affect the calculation of
key stage 4 performance measures data: 1) Professor Alison Wolf’s Review of
Vocational Education recommendations which: restrict the qualifications counted;
prevent any qualification from counting as larger than one GCSE; and cap the
number of non-GCSEs included in performance measures at two per pupil, and 2) an
early entry policy to only count a pupil’s first attempt at a qualification, in subjects
counted in the English Baccalaureate. Consequently, the numbers supplied prior to
2013/14 are not directly comparable with those from 2013/14 onwards.
[6] In 2014/15, early entry policy, under which only a pupil’s first attempt at a
qualification is counted in performance measures, was extended to all subjects.
[7] New reformed 9-1 GCSEs in Arts subject counted in key stage 4 performance
tables for the first time in 2017/18. Once a reformed subject is included in
performance tables, their unreformed counterparts no longer count, even if this was
an early entry.
Business: Education
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294160]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to increase
entrepreneurship and business education in schools.
Nick Gibb:
There are a number of opportunities for pupils to develop entrepreneurial skills. The
new Business GCSE, which was first taught from 2017, is intended to enable
students to develop as commercially minded and enterprising individuals. In 2014, for
the first time, financial literacy was made statutory within the national curriculum as it
is now taught as part of the citizenship curriculum for 11 to 16 year olds. Schools are
free to cover enterprise and entrepreneurship teaching within their personal, social,
health and economic education.
Personal characteristics like resilience, problem-solving and good character are
crucial for setting up a business. Good schools will offer a wide range of opportunities
for their pupils to develop these characteristics through activities such as debating,
sport and volunteering, or through programmes such as the National Citizen Service
or the Cadets.
Published in December 2017, the Government’s careers strategy aims to give young
people from all backgrounds the opportunity to learn from employers about work and
the skills that are valued in the workplace. The strategy introduces a new expectation
that every school should offer every young person at least seven encounters with
employers, including those who are self-employed, during their education as part of a
high-quality careers programme.
The Careers & Enterprise Company’s network of Enterprise Advisers will support the
delivery of this ambition. Enterprise Advisers are senior business volunteers who help
schools and colleges to work with local businesses. At the end of June 2019, over
2,200 schools and colleges had been matched with an Enterprise Adviser. The
Department will give all schools and colleges access to an Enterprise Adviser by the
end of 2020.
Children: Communication Skills and Literacy
Geraint Davies: [293417]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to tackle the word gap
among pupils in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools.
Nick Gibb:
28% of children finish their reception year still without the early communication,
language and literacy skills they need to thrive. The Department has set out an
ambition to halve this figure by 2028. This is why the Department has launched
‘Hungry Little Minds’, a new three-year campaign to help parents support their child’s
early language development. This builds on our wider early-years social mobility
programme, where the Department is investing over £100 million.
The Department is committed to continuing this support once children reach primary
school, which is why one of the three aims of the £26.3 million English Hubs
Programme is early language development. 34 primary schools have been appointed
as English hubs to support nearly 3000 schools across England to improve
educational outcomes for the most disadvantaged children in reception and Key
Stage 1.
The Department introduced a new curriculum for primary and secondary schools from
2014. The new curriculum for English increases the level of demand from an early
age and aims to ensure that all pupils acquire a wide vocabulary, a good
understanding of grammar, and proper knowledge of linguistic conventions for
reading, writing and written language.
Children: Day Care
Angela Rayner: [292257]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.10 of
Spending Round 2019, how the £66 million will be distributed between (a) state
maintained nurseries and (b) private, voluntary, and independent childcare settings.
Nick Gibb:
The Government continues to support families with their childcare costs. My right
hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced £66 million for early
years in 2020-21 to increase hourly rates paid to childcare providers through the
Government’s early education entitlements in England. Further information and
details of how this will be distributed will follow in due course.
The Department recognises that maintained nursery schools are an important part of
the early years sector and provide valuable services to disadvantaged children. In
February 2019, we announced further supplementary funding for maintained nursery
schools of £24 million to ensure that the 2019-20 academic year is fully funded.
Angela Rayner: [292258]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.10 of
Spending Round 2019 published on 4 September 2019, what the average hourly funding
rate for delivering the Government's free hours offers (a) was in 2018-19 and (b) will be in
2019-20.
Nick Gibb:
The average hourly funding rate for 3- and 4-year-olds was £4.75 in both 2018-19
and 2019-20 (provisional). The average rate can be calculated from dedicated school
grant tables which can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2018-to-
2019.
and here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2019-to-
2020.
The average rate can vary year on year as a result of the number of children taking
up the funded hours. The average rate for 3- and 4-year-olds comprises the universal
15-hour entitlement and the additional 15-hour entitlement. It does not include the
budget for early years pupil premium, disability access fund or supplementary
funding.
Steve McCabe: [293438]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 30 September to
Question 290628 on Children: Day Care, what the criteria was for allocating that funding;
and how much funding was allocated to each local authority.
Nick Gibb:
The funding the Department allocated to the recipients of funding for the Holiday
Activities and Food programme for 2019 can be found in the table attached.
The 11 organisations we worked with in 2019 were allocated the full amount of
funding requested in their bid. I have attached to this answer our invitation to tender
document, which includes the assessment criteria for this programme.
Attachments:
1. 293438_doc
[293438_Grants_to_fund_local_coordination_of_free_holiday_activities_and_healthy_food.d
oc]
2. 293438_xls
[293438_Funding_allocated_to_the_Holiday_Activities_and_Food_programme_for_2019.xls
]
Climate Change: Curriculum
Alison McGovern: [294701]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he has taken to ensure the
national curriculum includes (a) up to date scientific understanding of climate change and
(b) the role of human behaviour in affecting the global climate.
Nick Gibb:
It is important that young people are taught about climate change and the impact of
human actions on the environment. Topics related to this are included in both the
science and geography curricula and qualifications. These were developed with
subject experts and reflect the latest scientific and academic understanding so that
children fully appreciate the causes of climate change and what needs to be done to
tackle it.
For example, in primary school science, pupils are taught about how weather
changes across the four seasons and how human actions affect environments. In
secondary school science, pupils are taught about the production of carbon dioxide
by human activity and the effect this has on the climate. This is expanded on in
GCSE science where pupils consider the evidence for additional anthropogenic
causes of climate change. As part of GCSE geography, pupils look at the causes,
consequences of, and responses to, extreme weather conditions and natural weather
hazards. This includes understanding the interactions between people and
environments.
Crimes of Violence: Education
Andrea Jenkyns: [294733]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made
of the potential merits of educating children about violent crime in order to reduce levels
of violent crime among young people.
Nick Gibb:
The Department know that education is a strong protective factor against children’s
and young people’s risk of involvement in serious violence. It is important that
schools enable children to achieve, to belong and to be equipped with the skills they
need to be safe and to succeed in life.
The Department is making relationships and health education compulsory in all
primary and secondary schools, and relationships and sex education compulsory in
all secondary schools from September 2020. The aim is to put in place the building
blocks needed for positive and safe relationships of all kinds, including how to
properly handle conflict and to recognise coercive relationships.
Key decisions on which subjects to include in the new curriculum were informed by a
stakeholder engagement process, where the Department was contacted by over
63,000 individuals and organisations and a consultation which received over 11,000
responses. Pupils will be taught about building healthy relationships and about their
mental health and wellbeing. This will enable them to make informed decisions and
seek support if issues arise.
Schools will have the freedom to ensure the curriculum meets the needs of their
pupils. This flexibility will allow schools to respond to local public health and
community issues such as serious violence. Schools can build on the core content
and discuss topics, such as healthy and unhealthy relationships, in relation to gang
and criminal activity.
The Department also intends to publish the new school and college security guidance
shortly. The guidance makes it clear that the curriculum offers opportunities to help
schools and colleges inform young people about the dangers they may face, both in
and around school and beyond, and provide pupils and students with the means to
help keep themselves safe.
Department for Education: Chief Scientific Advisers
Norman Lamb: [292149]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many meetings he had with his
Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 June to 31 August 2019.
Michelle Donelan:
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not had any meetings
with the Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) between 1 June to 31 August 2019. The
CSA’s staff regularly attend meetings as required. The CSA regularly provides written
advice to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education.
Department for Education: Crispin Odey
David Linden: [292363]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish (a) the outcome of all
meetings and (b) all call logs between Ministers of his Department and Mr Crispin Odey.
Michelle Donelan:
Details of Ministers’ meetings are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
Department for Education: Jainism
Gareth Thomas: [292813]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will invite representatives of the Jain
community to national events organised by his Department; and if he will make a
statement.
Michelle Donelan:
Britain's Jain community makes a positive contribution to life in this country. This
Government values its contribution immensely.
The Government is always keen to work with the Jain community on matters that are
important to them, and we will continue to do so.
Education: Finance
Angela Rayner: [292256]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his oral contribution of 3
September 2019, Official Report, column 65, on education funding, which courses will be
eligible for funding from the £120 million for high-cost subjects; and how that funding will
be distributed.
Nick Gibb:
The Government recognises the need to support and encourage courses that are
more expensive to deliver and courses which are of particular value to the economy.
Therefore, the Department is making this significant investment of £120 million, which
will be allocated to qualifying courses at all provider types. Details about how this
funding will be distributed, including which courses will be eligible for this additional
funding, will be announced later in the Autumn in accordance with our usual timetable
for confirming funding arrangements for 2020-2021.
Equality: Education
Paul Farrelly: [293491]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to
ensure that all schools teach every part of the Equality Act 2010.
Nick Gibb:
We know that many schools choose to teach pupils about the Equality Act and the
protected characteristics under that Act in the context of duties on schools, such as
the requirements to promote both fundamental British values and the spiritual, moral,
social and cultural development of their pupils. Schools are entitled to teach about the
Equality Act in this context, and the Department thinks it is right that pupils leave
school with a proper understanding of the importance of equality and respecting
difference.
From September 2020 Relationships Education will be compulsory for all primary
pupils and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) will be compulsory for all
secondary pupils. These subjects will give pupils the knowledge they need to stay
safe and develop respectful, caring relationships of all kinds. The guidance on these
subjects can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-
and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.
Free School Meals: Surrey
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294719]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children
were eligible for free school meals in (a) Woking and (b) Surrey in the past year.
Michelle Donelan:
The number and proportion of children in schools in Woking constituency and Surrey
local authority who were eligible for and claiming free school meals (FSM) is given in
the table below.
NUMBER OF PUPILS ELIGIBLE
AND CLAIMING FSM
PERCENTAGE OF PUPILS
ELIGIBLE AND CLAIMING FSM
Surrey 13,281 8%
Woking constituency 1,285 9%
Source: School census, as at January 2019
Figures include pupils in state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special
schools and pupil referral units (including free schools and academy alternative
provision).
This data is published at national, regional, local authority and school level in annual
‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ statistical release. The 2019 publication is
available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-
characteristics-january-2019.
Free School Meals: Wallasey
Ms Angela Eagle: [290697]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children in
secondary schools in Wallasey eligible for free school meals went on to higher education
in each year since 2010.
Michelle Donelan:
[Holding answer 30 September 2019]: The information requested by constituency
level is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The Department does publish the proportion of students who entered higher
education by age 19 who were eligible for free school meals at age 15 in state-funded
and special schools at a local authority level. This information is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/widening-participation-in-higher-education-
2018.
Further Education
Angela Rayner: [293603]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of his Department’s capital
departmental expenditure limit was spent on (a) creating new places in further education
and (b) investing in the existing further education estate in each financial year since
2010-11.
Michelle Donelan:
[Holding answer 7 October 2019]: The information is not readily available and could
only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Ofsted: Finance
Angela Rayner: [292255]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will allocate additional funding to Ofsted
to carry out additional inspections when schools previously rated Outstanding are no
longer exempt from routine inspection.
Nick Gibb:
The Department has announced its intention to remove the exemption from routine
inspection for schools previously rated Outstanding by Ofsted, subject to public
consultation and Parliamentary approval. The aim is for routine inspection of
Outstanding schools and colleges to recommence from September 2020 onwards.
The Department will provide additional funding for this purpose for 2020-21. Funding
for these inspections in subsequent years will be determined through the forthcoming
Spending Review.
Out-of-school Education: Radicalism
Andrew Rosindell: [292861]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to protect students at
Islamic education centres in the UK from being exposed to potentially radicalising
ideology; and if he will make a statement.
Michelle Donelan:
All schools and colleges, including independent schools, are subject to the Prevent
Duty, which requires them to protect people from the harm of radicalisation and from
being drawn into terrorism.
They are also required to actively promote the values that underpin and unite our
society – democracy, rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance
of those with different faiths and beliefs. The department has worked closely with
Ofsted to strengthen Ofsted’s inspection frameworks, so that inspectors are required
to assess how well schools and colleges are meeting these requirements.
We work closely with the sector to support it in implementing these requirements and
to ensure our children and young people are resilient to extremist ideology and
prepared for life in modern Britain. We fund, with the Home Office, networks of
experts who provide frontline support to educational institutions, and we provide a
range of free resources for practitioners on our Educate Against Hate and Education
and Training Foundation websites for schools and colleges.
The department is also taking forward a package of activity aimed at enhancing the
safeguarding of children in out-of-school settings, where we know some children
have their mainstream education supplemented through the provision of after school
clubs or activities, which can include religious settings offering tuition in their own
faith.
This includes the provision of £3 million to boost local capacity to identify and
intervene in out-of-school settings of concern, and inform best practice on how
existing legal powers – held across local authorities and relevant agencies – can best
be used to address safeguarding and welfare concerns in these settings. This work
started last summer and is due to conclude in March 2020.
Alongside this, we have been developing a voluntary code of practice for out-of-
school setting providers and guidance for parents. These will support providers to
understand what is needed to run a safe setting. This will help parents and carers
make informed choices when considering out-of-school settings for their children, as
well as understand the steps they can take where they have concerns. The
department consulted on these documents in late February 2019 and will respond to
the consultation in due course. The consultation can be found here:
https://consult.education.gov.uk/regulatory-framework-unit/out-of-school-settings-
voluntary-safeguarding-code/.
Schools
Angela Rayner: [293602]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of his Department’s capital
departmental expenditure limit was spent on improving the existing school estate in each
financial year since 2010-11.
Nick Gibb:
[Holding answer 7 October 2019]: The Department for Education has allocated over
£13 billion in condition funding from 2011-12 to 2019-20, an average of £1.4 billion a
year. On top of that, the £4.4 billion Priority School Building Programme is rebuilding
or refurbishing school buildings in the worst condition across England, covering over
500 schools. Data on capital funding allocated prior to 2011-12 is not readily
available.
In addition to this, the Department provides Basic Need funding to local authorities for
new school places and, as of 1 October 2019, the Department has opened 507 free
schools which when full will educate 280,000 pupils.
Published data on annual capital allocations is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capital-funding.
Schools: Admissions
Angela Rayner: [293601]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of his Department’s capital
departmental expenditure limit was spent on creating new school places in each financial
year since 2010-11.
Nick Gibb:
[Holding answer 7 October 2019]: Local authorities are under a statutory duty to
ensure that there is a school place available for every child. The Department provides
basic need funding for every place that is needed, based on local authorities’ own
data on pupil forecasts. Local authorities can use this funding to provide places in
new schools or through expansions of existing schools, and can work with any school
in their local area, including academies and free schools.
Basic need allocations to local authorities to provide new school places from 2011-
2021 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/basic-need-
allocations. Data for allocations prior to 2011-12 is not readily available.
The Department has also invested a total of £365 million through the Special
Provision Capital Fund from 2018-19 to 2020-21. This funding will help local
authorities to create new places and improve facilities for pupils with special
educational needs and disabilities.
Special Provision Capital Fund allocations to local authorities can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-provision-capital-funding-for-
pupils-with-ehc-plans.
In addition, the Department has funded thousands of good new school places and
opened schools across the country through the free schools programme. The
Department’s total capital costs of establishing free schools are listed below. These
annual costs include all aspects of site acquisition, design, and construction
expended in that year.
FINANCIAL YEAR TOTAL CAPITAL COSTS (MILLION)
2010-11 £1m
2011-12 £50m
2012-13 £275m
2013-14 £704m
2014-15 £761m
2015-16 £931m
2016-17 £965m
2017-18 £872m
FINANCIAL YEAR TOTAL CAPITAL COSTS (MILLION)
2018-19 £1,004m
2019-20 To be confirmed [1]
Total £5,563m
There are also some much smaller additional capital programmes which have also
created places, however this is not their primary objective. In total, the Department is
on track to create one million places this decade (2010 to 2020), the largest increase
in school capacity in at least two generations. This follows a decrease of 100,000
places between 2004 and 2010.
[1] This figure will be available once the Department lays its annual accounts before
Parliament in 2020.
Schools: Finance
Angela Rayner: [292254]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to implement a schools level
national funding formula; and if he will make a statement.
Nick Gibb:
[Holding answer 3 October 2019]: It is the Department’s intention to move to a ‘hard’
national funding formula (NFF) as soon as possible. This is where schools’ actual
budgets are set and allocated on the basis of a single, national formula.
The Department recognises that this will represent a significant change and the
Department will work closely with local authorities, schools and others to make this
transition as smooth as possible.
In 2020-21, local authorities will continue to have some flexibility on how school
funding is distributed locally and in consultation with schools. This will allow for a
smooth transition toward the NFF.
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294703]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to equalise the level
of schools funding for local authorities.
Nick Gibb:
In August, the Department announced a school funding settlement, providing for an
increase of over £14 billion for primary and secondary schools, in total, over the next
three years. The £14 billion means the Department can ‘level up’ school funding by
raising the minimum per pupil funding for secondary schools to £5,000 next year, and
the minimum per pupil funding for primary schools to £3,750 in 2020-21 and £4,000
in 2021-22.
Average school funding is increasing by 5% next year – a significant increase - and
the Department is allocating the biggest increases for the lowest-funded schools. In
addition, every school in England can see an increase in per pupil funding at least in
line with inflation, with most schools attracting real terms increases.
This settlement comprises cash increases of £2.6 billion for 2020-21, £4.8 billion for
2021-22 and £7.1 billion for 2022-23 compared with 2019-20. As part of this, the high
needs budget will rise by over £700 million in 2020-21 compared to this year, which is
equivalent to an increase of over 11%.
In delivering this settlement, this Government is giving all young people the best
opportunities to succeed - regardless of where they grow up or go to school.
Schools: Governing Bodies
Vicky Foxcroft: [294734]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data his Department holds on the (a)
ethnicity, (b) class and (c) gender of school governors.
Michelle Donelan:
The department does not hold data on the ethnicity, class and gender of school
governors and academy trustees.
Vicky Foxcroft: [294735]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the
effectiveness of the (a) Inspiring Governance and (b) Everyone on board programmes in
increasing diversity on school governing boards.
Vicky Foxcroft: [294736]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to
encourage more young people to become school governors.
Michelle Donelan:
Inspiring Governance is a service run by the charity, Education and Employers, that
supports recruitment in school governance by matching those who wish to be
governors to school vacancies. The department requires Education and Employers to
meet targets to increase diversity on school governing boards. They are on track to
register over 16% of people from Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds this
financial year. As at the 2011 census, 15% of the England population identified as
being from a BAME background.
‘Everyone on Board’ is a campaign run jointly between Inspiring Governance and the
National Governance Association and is not a government programme. The objective
of this campaign is to increase the number of BAME and young people involved in
governance.
Inspiring Governance report that over 19% of people registering and being placed
into governance roles are from a BAME background, and people aged under 35
make up over 37% of registrations and over 46% of appointments.
Sixth Form Colleges: Finance
Mr Jonathan Lord: [293564]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to review the
funding of sixth form colleges.
Michelle Donelan:
My right hon. Friend, The Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced on 31 August
2019 that the government will invest an extra £400 million in 16-19 education in 2020-
21. This represents an increase of 7% in overall 16 to 19 funding. This is the biggest
injection of new money in a single year since 2010, with funding increasing faster for
16-19 than in 5-16 schooling. As part of this, the base rate of funding for all types of
providers, including sixth form colleges, will be increased by 4.7% in academic year
2020-21, from £4,000 to £4,188.
As in 2019-20, the Department will meet the full cost of additional pensions’
payments for further education in 2020-21 and this is additional funding on top of the
£400 million announcement.
Funding for 2021-22 onwards will be considered in the full Spending Review next
year.
Special Educational Needs
Steve McCabe: [290627]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 21 June 2019 to
Question 263684, what assessment his Department has made of the compliance of
schools with (a) equalities legislation and (b) the schools admission code in their
admittance and treatment of children with SEND.
Nick Gibb:
[Holding answer 4 October 2019]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon.
Friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, the member for Saffron Walden
(Mrs Kemi Badonoch) gave on 5 September 2019 to Question 281573.
Special Educational Needs: Per Capita Costs
Ms Angela Eagle: [292837]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the mean funding is per pupil for SEND
provision in (a) Wallasey constituency, (b) Merseyside and (c) the North West in each of
the last 10 years.
Michelle Donelan:
[Holding answer 7 October 2019]: Funding for pupils with special educational needs
and disabilities (SEND) is drawn from the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG).
Local authorities are required to provide sufficient funds, from the schools block of the
DSG, to enable mainstream schools to meet the cost of additional support for pupils
with SEND, up to the value of £6,000.
When the costs of additional support required for a pupil with SEND exceed £6,000,
the local authority should also allocate additional top-up funding to cover the excess
costs. This top-up funding, and funding for special schools comes from the local
authority’s high needs block on the DSG.
In 2013, the schools and high needs blocks within the DSG were created. As the
DSG includes other budgets such as the early years budget, the department is
unable to provide comparable figures before the creation of the blocks within the
DSG in 2013-14.
Schools and high needs funding allocations for 2013-14 to 2019-20 are as follows.
The department does not hold funding information for SEND support at a
constituency level, or for Merseyside. We do not use the level of children and young
people with SEND to determine the rate of funding for an area. As funding for
children and young people with SEND is drawn from both the schools and high needs
blocks, and there is not a ringfenced amount within the schools block for children and
young people with SEND, we are unable to give an average figure.
In Wirral:
YEAR SCHOOLS FUNDING AMOUNT HIGH NEEDS FUNDING AMOUNT
2013-14 £188.0 million £32.3 million
2014-15 £187.5 million £33.6 million
2015-16 £191.3 million £34.0 million
2016-17 £192.7 million £33.7 million
2017-18 £195.9 million £35.1 million
2018-19 £198.7 million £35.8 million*
2019-20 £202.9 million £36.9 million*
In the North West:
YEAR SCHOOLS FUNDING AMOUNT HIGH NEEDS FUNDING AMOUNT
2013-14 £4,174.5 million £674.2 million
2014-15 £4,190.6 million £709.1 million
2015-16 £4,339.6 million £719.2 million
2016-17 £4,398.7 million £726.1 million
2017-18 £4,513.8 million £751.5 million
YEAR SCHOOLS FUNDING AMOUNT HIGH NEEDS FUNDING AMOUNT
2018-19 £4,590.1 million £787.1 million*
2019-20 £4,703.5 million £810.3 million*
* In December 2018, the department allocated an additional £250 million of high
needs funding across 2018-19 and 2019-20, in recognition of funding pressures. This
additional funding is included within the final totals displayed.
In 2020-21, we will provide more than £700 million in additional high needs funding,
bringing the national high needs funding total to over £7 billion. Every local authority
will receive a minimum increase of 8% per head of their population aged 2-18 years
old. We will provide provisional allocations to local authorities in October.
Teachers: Recruitment
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294704]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to improve rates of
teacher (a) recruitment and (b) retention.
Nick Gibb:
In January the Department launched the Government’s first ever integrated strategy
to recruit and retain more teachers in schools, developed alongside teachers,
education unions and leading professional bodies.
This landmark strategy includes the biggest teaching reform in a generation, the Early
Career Framework (ECF), providing the solid foundations for a successful career in
teaching, backed by at least £130 million a year in extra funding when fully rolled out.
As part of the ECF’s package of support, the Department has committed to funding
and guaranteeing 5% off-timetable in the second year of teaching for all early career
teachers; early career teachers will continue to have a 10% timetable reduction in
their first year of induction. The Department will also fully fund mentor training and
fund time for mentors to support early career teachers.
The Department recognises it needs to take significant action on starting salaries and
early career pay over the medium-term to address our pressing recruitment and
retention challenges. This is why the Department has set out plans to significantly
raise starting pay to £30,000 by September 2022.
The Department has also put in place a range of measures, including bursaries worth
up to £26,000 for priority subjects, to encourage graduates to teach key subjects
such as languages and physics.
The Department is also offering retention incentives in priority subjects to ensure we
are keeping those teachers in the classroom. These include early-career payments
for new chemistry, languages, maths and physics teachers and a student loan
reimbursement scheme for languages, science and computing teachers.
Wigan University Technical College: Finance
Lisa Nandy: [294699]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what payments were made to his
Department by Wigan University Technical College as a result of the overestimation of
student numbers.
Michelle Donelan:
As part of the established pupil number adjustment process where an academy
trust’s funding agreement allows for the basis of funding to be initially calculated
using estimated pupil numbers, the funding is subsequently aligned with the actual
pupil numbers returned in the school census through these adjustments and
recoveries or additional payments are applied as appropriate.
For Wigan University Technical College, £609,038 of advanced funding remains
outstanding.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Agricultural Products: UK Trade With EU
Deidre Brock: [290376]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the
Answer of 19 December 2017 to Question 118358, what progress her Department has
made on developing the UK’s system for the management of agri-food imports and
exports with EU countries.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Deidre Brock: [290378]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the
Answer of 13 December 2017 to Question 118331, what progress has been made on
getting the best possible deal that allows the UK to continue to have tariff-free and
frictionless access for goods and services into the European market.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Agriculture
Kerry McCarthy: [291299]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent
assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of whole farm
agroecological systems.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Kerry McCarthy: [291300]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her
Department supports the transition to agroecological farming by 2030 as recommended
by the Royal Society of Arts Food, Farming and Countryside Commission report
published on 16 July 2019.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Jim Shannon: [293579]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent
advice her Department has issued to the farming sector in the event that the UK leaves
the EU (a) with a deal and (b) without a deal.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Agriculture: Expenditure
Sue Hayman: [293609]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the
Answers of 6 and 9 September to Questions 282507, 282510, 282514, 282515, 282516,
282517, 282518, 282519, 282520, 282521, 282522, 282523, 282524, 282525, 282527,
282528 and 282529, what (a) programmes and (b) deliverables were included in the
Food, sustainable and competitive farming programme under the heading Food and
Farming; and if she will publish the (i) Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit, (ii)
Capital Departmental Expenditure Limit and (iii) Annually Managed Expenditure funding
allocated to each of those programmes for 2019-20.
Sue Hayman: [293610]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the
Answers of 6 and 9 September to Questions 282507, 282510, 282514, 282515, 282516,
282517, 282518, 282519, 282520, 282521, 282522, 282523, 282524, 282525, 282527,
282528 and 282529, what specific programmes and deliverables to tackle waste and
promote recycling are included under which headings; and if she will publish the (a)
Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit, (b) Capital Departmental Expenditure Limit
and (c) Annually Managed Expenditure funding allocated to each of those programmes
for 2019-20.
Sue Hayman: [293611]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the
Answers of 6 and 9 September to Questions 282507, 282510, 282514, 282515, 282516,
282517, 282518, 282519, 282520, 282521, 282522, 282523, 282524, 282525, 282527,
282528 and 282529, what specific funding for National Parks is included under which
headings; and if she will publish the (a) Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit, (b)
Capital Departmental Expenditure Limit and (c) Annually Managed Expenditure funding
allocated to National Parks for 2019-20.
Sue Hayman: [293612]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the
Answers of 6 and 9 September to Questions 282507, 282510, 282514, 282515, 282516,
282517, 282518, 282519, 282520, 282521, 282522, 282523, 282524, 282525, 282527,
282528 and 282529, what air quality programmes and deliverables are included under
which headings; and if she will publish the (a) resource departmental expenditure limit,
(b) capital departmental expenditure limit and (c) annually managed expenditure funding
allocated to air quality programmes and deliverables for 2019-20.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Agriculture: Scotland
Alan Brown: [292311]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the
Prime Minister's oral contribution of 25 July 2019, Official Report, column 1497, on
priorities for Government, what the timescale is for the allocation of the £160 million to the
Scottish Government.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Agriculture: Subsidies
Dr David Drew: [290612]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the
Answer of 5 August 2019 to Question 280135 on Agriculture: Subsidies, if she will publish
a list of the 46 pilots which have been signed up to the Environmental Land Management
Scheme; and whether those pilots are receiving financial compensation for taking part in
that scheme.
George Eustice:
To support the development of Environmental Land Management Schemes, we are
undertaking a number of tests and trials working with farmers and land managers to
co-design elements of the new scheme. The work is being facilitated by a range of
stakeholders, including farmer groups, representative bodies and non-governmental
organisations, and covers a range of geographies and sectors. 46 proposals are
currently being taken forward in phase 1 and we anticipate that a number of these will
begin soon with Defra reimbursing agreed costs incurred in their delivery. We have
received a further 200 proposals for phase 2. We will prioritise those proposals from
phase 2 that fill gaps identified from the coverage of phase 1 proposals. We will
communicate the results of our analysis of the phase 2 proposals to stakeholders
later this month.
Attachments:
1. Phase 1 proposals table [Phase 1 proposals.xlsx]
Kerry McCarthy: [291297]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her
Department has to ensure that (a) silvo-arable and (b) silvo-pastoral systems are
included in Environmental Land Management Scheme trials.
George Eustice:
Tests and trials will not assess if new practices or interventions achieve
environmental outcomes. This is because testing environmental outcomes would
require a much longer timeframe and our initial priority is testing those elements
necessary to ensure the successful commencement of the National Pilot in 2021.
However, following the submission of phase 1 proposals, the Tests and Trials team
have identified gaps within the existing tests and trials and made these areas a
priority for phase 2. These gaps include certain sectors of the industry which were
under-represented.
Kerry McCarthy: [291302]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her
Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating a community
supported agriculture start-up fund.
Kerry McCarthy: [291303]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her
Department has made on creating financial incentives for local authorities to invest
county farms estates.
George Eustice:
I value the role of county farm smallholdings, and particularly the opportunities they
offer for new entrant farmers. We are considering whether we can use funds to
refresh the county farm model by supporting local authorities to reinvest in their
farms, helping with facilitation funding so that the farms are more of a hub for new
entrants, and working with them to make it easier to move tenants out so that we
have a constant pipe stream of new opportunities for new entrants.
Alongside that, we are considering whether that can be broadened beyond the
traditional county farm, which has existed for many decades since the war, to include
some of the peri-urban farms, which often have links to the agro-ecology movement
and are often smaller community-based groups. Where local authorities have land
that they can make available, we might be able to support the fostering of those
schemes, which can be popular.
Jo Stevens: [293618]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her
Department has budgeted for (a) payments to farmers, (b) administration apparatus for
payments and (c) civil service hours to process claims and payments to replace Common
Agricultural Policy payments after the UK leaves the EU.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Angling
Scott Mann: [294216]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish
the results of the survey conducted in 2016 by her Department and the Centre for
Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science on the effect on the economy of
recreational angling.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Animal Products: Imports
Mrs Pauline Latham: [294133]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which animals will
be covered by the ban on trophy hunting imports to the UK.
Zac Goldsmith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Mrs Pauline Latham: [294134]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the
timeframe is for the ban on trophy hunting imports to come into force.
Zac Goldsmith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Mrs Pauline Latham: [294135]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which countries
will be banned from importing hunting trophies into the UK.
Zac Goldsmith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Mrs Pauline Latham: [294137]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether animal
(a) bones, (b) hands, (c) tails and (d) other parts are included in the ban on hunting
trophy imports to the UK.
Zac Goldsmith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Mrs Pauline Latham: [294138]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an
assessment of the extent to which trophy hunting imports arrive in the UK via other
countries to those from which the trophies originated.
Zac Goldsmith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Mrs Pauline Latham: [294139]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will impose
an immediate moratorium on trophy hunting imports.
Zac Goldsmith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Mrs Pauline Latham: [294140]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is
taking to prevent trophy hunting imports.
Zac Goldsmith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill
Luke Pollard: [291130]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the
legislative timetable is for the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill.
Zac Goldsmith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Animals: Conservation
Mr Jim Cunningham: [294673]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and
what proportion of UK (a) mammals and (b) birds at risk of extinction.
Zac Goldsmith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Animals: Imports
Mark Field: [291555]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether live
animal consignments designated under the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES) or non-CITES will be permitted to enter the UK using (a)
the Port of Dover (b) Eurotunnel, (c) Harwich and (d) Portsmouth.
Zac Goldsmith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Ash Dieback Disease: Disease Control
Ian Lavery: [292238]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps
the Government has taken to tackle ash dieback.
George Eustice:
Extensive action has been taken on ash dieback since it was first officially found in
2012. We have restricted the movement of ash and invested more than £6m in ash
dieback research. We have conducted the world’s largest screening trials and in June
2019 we published the ash research strategy – this set out priority areas for future
research, including the UK led work to identify tolerant trees.
We will be planting the first UK archive of tolerant trees in 2020. We are continuing to
support landowners to manage ash dieback on the ground by providing guidance,
including a toolkit for local authorities and large land mangers which was launched
earlier this year and has been downloaded over 16,500 times.
Beverage Containers: Recycling
Sandy Martin: [293728]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment
she had made of the implications for her policies of the findings of the Impact
Assessment, Introducing a Deposit Return Scheme on beverage containers, published on
15 February 2019.
Rebecca Pow:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Sandy Martin: [293729]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment
she has made of the potential (a) costs and (b) benefits to local government finances of
the introduction of a deposit return scheme.
Rebecca Pow:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Sandy Martin: [293731]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the
Impact Assessment entitled, Introducing a deposit return scheme on beverage containers
included an assessment of the changes proposed to the waste regime that were included
in the strategy entitled, Our waste, our resources.
Rebecca Pow:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Birds: Pest Control
Jim Shannon: [294170]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment
she has made of the effectiveness of the general licences for bird control that were
introduced in April 2019.
Zac Goldsmith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Clean Bus Technology Fund: Wirral Council
Ms Angela Eagle: [293472]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding
from the Clean Bus Technology Fund her Department has allocated to Wirral Council.
Rebecca Pow:
We have not awarded any Clean Bus Technology Fund funding to Wirral Council,
however we have allocated funding to Liverpool City Region Combined Authority of
which the Wirral is a constituent part. In total, through four different rounds of the
Clean Bus Technology Fund, we have allocated £6,833,026 to the Combined
Authority.
Climate Change
Caroline Lucas: [293517]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to
Reducing UK emissions - 2019 Progress Report to Parliament, published by the
Committee on Climate Change on 10 July 2010, for what reasons 21 of the 56 risks and
opportunities identified in the UK’s Climate Change Risk Assessment have no formal
actions in the National Adaptation Programme.
Rebecca Pow:
The Government welcomes the Committee on Climate Change’s progress report to
Parliament. As required, we will respond formally by the deadline of 15 October.
Climate Change: Curriculum
Alison McGovern: [294702]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions
she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the role of schools in promoting
knowledge of the effect of human behaviour on climate change.
Rebecca Pow:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Crayfish: Pest Control
Ian Lavery: [292239]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps
her Department has taken to tackle invasive crayfish species in UK rivers.
Rebecca Pow:
Policy on non-native crayfish is devolved; the following information is relevant to
England and Wales.
We are in the process of eradicating the only known population of white river crayfish
in England and Wales, using a natural pyrethrum based biocide. The trapping of
crayfish is tightly regulated to prevent deliberate or accidental spread of crayfish. The
Environment Agency has been active in instigating research into methods for
managing non-native crayfish populations and mitigating their impact on the
environment.
On 8 March the Government laid the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and
Permitting) Order (“the Order”) which applies across England and Wales. The Order
is a key part of meeting the requirements of EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation
(1143/2014), a core purpose of which is to take concerted action to tackle the threat
that invasive species pose to our biodiversity and ecosystems. The Order will
introduce an enforcement regime that will include the following non-native invasive
crayfish species: signal crayfish, marbled crayfish, virile crayfish, spiny cheeked
crayfish, and red swamped crayfish. The Order will introduce both civil and criminal
sanctions including both fixed and variable monetary penalties and custodial
sentences for the most serious infringements of the EU Regulation.
On 18 July the Government launched a consultation on management measures for
widely spread invasive alien species, including the signal crayfish, which closes on 12
September. Under the Invasive Alien Species Regulation, management measures
must be put in place for widespread invasive alien species. The consultation asks for
views on ways to manage populations of species of concern including for specified
invasive crayfish species.
The consultation can be found at
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/invasive-alien-species-management-
measures-for-widely-spread-species-in-england-and-wales
We continue to work with water companies to improve biosecurity measures,
including through the Clean, Check, Dry campaign.
Crops
Deidre Brock: [290384]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her
Department has to support the import of (a) fertilisers and (b) other crop treatments in the
event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
George Eustice:
In preparations for no deal, the Government has taken steps to secure additional
freight capacity, guaranteeing the supply of critical goods.
In the event of no deal and with regard to crop treatments, the same pesticide
products will continue to be authorised for use in the UK immediately after
withdrawal. After withdrawal, businesses who trade with the EU will broadly be
subject to customs controls in the same way as businesses who are trading with the
rest of the world. HMRC has announced that a number of temporary easements are
in place to help businesses make this transition, including measures to simplify tariffs
and customs declarations.
Existing EU regulations for marketing fertilisers will be converted into UK law in the
event of a no deal departure. Products sold as EC fertilisers can be sold in the UK
with the same packaging for two years as long as they continue to comply with the
EU regulations. This system has been developed to ensure continuity of supply of
fertiliser imports from the EU to the UK farming industry. The information has been
published in a guidance document available on gov.uk:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/manufacturing-and-marketing-fertilisers-if-there-is-no-
brexit-deal
The UK is a net importer of fertilisers and is consequently a valuable market for
exports from other countries. We are expecting the supply of fertilisers to remain
consistent, and to continue to use existing trade routes which do not include the Port
of Dover.
We will continue to look at all likely EU withdrawal scenarios with a view to limiting
consequential impacts on the supply chain and trade.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Chief Scientific Advisers
Norman Lamb: [292146]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many
meetings she had with her Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 June to 31
August 2019.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Crispin Odey
David Linden: [292343]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish
(a) the outcome of all meetings and (b) all call logs between Ministers of her Department
and Mr Crispin Odey.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Jainism
Gareth Thomas: [292812]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will invite
representatives of the Jain community to national events organised by her Department;
and if she will make a statement.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Statutory Instruments
Dr David Drew: [292078]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many
statutory instruments her Department needs Parliament to pass before the UK leaves the
EU on 31 October 2019.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Travel
Ruth Jones: [292409]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her
Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) first class, (b) second class and (c) in total in
2018.
Ruth Jones: [292419]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his
Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) first class, (b) second class and (c) in total in
2017.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Electronic Training Aids
Nic Dakin: [292895]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the
Answer of 22 May 2019 to Question 254811 on Electronic Training Aids, when the
Government plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ban the use of electronic
shock collars.
Zac Goldsmith:
Defra continues to work up the necessary legislation needed to prohibit the use of
remote controlled hand-held electronic training collars for dogs which will be laid
before Parliament in due course.
Environment Protection: British Overseas Territories
Stephen Gethins: [292275]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many
submissions were received in response to the call for evidence on environmental funding
for the British Overseas Territories; and when her Department plans to publish its
response to that consultation.
Stephen Gethins: [292276]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her
Department’s response to the call for evidence on environmental funding for the British
Overseas Territories will include plans to replace the EU environmental funds of BEST
and LIFE.
Zac Goldsmith:
A total of 49 responses were submitted to the Call for Evidence on biodiversity and
conservation funding in the Overseas Territories, and a summary of those responses
will be published in due course. Decisions on future funding arrangements for the
Overseas Territories, including any domestic replacements for EU funding, will be
considered as part of the next full spending review.
Environmental Protection: Expenditure
Sue Hayman: [292921]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the
Answers of 6 and 9 September to Questions 282507, 282510, 282514, 282515, 282516,
282517, 282518, 282519, 282520, 282521, 282522, 282523, 282524, 282525, 282527,
282528 and 282529, what programmes were included in the Natural environment and
atmosphere improvement programmes under the heading Improve the Environment; and
if she will publish the (a) the Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit, (b) Capital
Departmental Expenditure Limit and (c) Annually Managed Expenditure funding allocated
to each of those programmes for 2019-20.
Sue Hayman: [292922]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the
Answers of 6 and 9 September to Questions 282507, 282510, 282514, 282515, 282516,
282517, 282518, 282519, 282520, 282521, 282522, 282523, 282524, 282525, 282527,
282528 and 282529, what programmes were included in the Wildlife, international,
climate and forestry programme under the heading Improve the Environment; and if she
will publish the (a) Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit, (b) Capital Departmental
Expenditure Limit and (c) Annually Managed Expenditure funding allocated to each of
those programmes for 2019-20.
George Eustice:
Please see the table attached that sets out 2019-20 planned funding for specific
programmes. Negative figures show overall planned savings or income.
Attachments:
1. 2019-20 Planned Funding Table [2019-20 Planned funding for specific
programmes.docx]
European Environment Agency
Caroline Lucas: [293518]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the UK
Government plans to seek membership of or co-operator country status with the
European Environment Agency in the event that the UK leaves the EU.
Rebecca Pow:
Our future relationship with the EU is still to be determined and is the subject of
negotiations. As part of Exit negotiations the Government will discuss with the EU
and Member States our future status and arrangements with regard to EU bodies and
their environmental functions.
Caroline Lucas: [293519]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent
representations the UK Government has received on the UK’s relationship with the
European Environment Agency from (a) the Scottish Government, (b) the Welsh
Government and (c) the Northern Ireland Executive.
Rebecca Pow:
We are committed to working closely with the Devolved Administrations as the UK
exits the EU.
Defra Ministers and officials speak regularly with counterparts from the Devolved
Administrations on issues relating to EU exit, including at a regular Inter-Ministerial
Group. This includes discussions on the environment and future relationship with EU
bodies.
Caroline Lucas: [293520]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment
the Government has made of the effect on the monitoring, measuring and reporting of
environmental outcomes in the event that the UK ends its membership of the European
Environment Agency.
Rebecca Pow:
The Government is committed to high environmental standards and to increasing, not
weakening, environmental protections as we leave the EU. To support this, current
EU legislative requirements concerning monitoring, measuring and reporting have
been reflected in EU exit Statutory Instruments, and will continue to be implemented
after the UK leaves the EU. Our preparations for leaving the EU reflect this, including
replacing functions previously carried out by the European Environment Agency.
Fish: Supermarkets
Chris Ruane: [293476]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent
discussions his Department has had with representatives of supermarkets on the sale of
endangered fish species.
George Eustice:
The Government regularly engages with UK retailers on a wide variety of policy
areas, including on the sustainability of fish stocks in UK waters and beyond.
Fisheries
Chris Ruane: [291264]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to
Operation Yellowhammer HMG Reasonable worst case planning assumptions paragraph
19, what additional funding his Department has allocated for the purpose of enforcement
of territorial fishing waters and increasing response capability in the event of the UK
leaving the EU without a deal.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Fisheries: Brexit
Luke Pollard: [291135]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she
has to ensure the enforcement of UK fishing waters in the event that the UK leaves the
EU without a deal.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Food Supply
Mrs Sharon Hodgson: [290291]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment
she has made of the potential effect on food supplies in the event that the UK leaves the
EU without a deal.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Tom Brake: [291523]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment
her Department has made of the effect on food supplies of the UK leaving the EU without
a deal; and what plans her Department has to maintain food supplies in that event.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Nic Dakin: [292214]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the biggest
risk is to the UK's food security in the (a) short, (b) medium and (c) long-term.
Zac Goldsmith:
Food is one of the 13 Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) Sectors in the UK. Defra
and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) have joint responsibility for food as CNI. Defra
is responsible for security of supply, and the FSA for food safety and food crime.
Food supply is a devolved issue. Defra produces a Sector Security and Resilience
Plan (SSRP) which is updated annually and a summary is publicly available.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm
ent_data/file/786206/20190215_PublicSummaryOfSectorSecurityAndResiliencePlans
2018.pdf
This document sets out the risk landscape through identifying the main risks to the
sector as described in the National Security Risk Assessment (NSRA). and how
these are managed. The UK food sector has a highly effective and resilient food
supply chain, owing to the size, geographic diversity and competitive nature of the
industry. While there are no individually critical food assets, the main risks arise from
recognised dependencies on other critical services such as fuel, energy, transport
and data communications.
Emily Thornberry: [292877]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will
publish her Department's latest assessment of the effect on the supply of food to the UK
of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Zac Goldsmith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Food Supply: Climate Change
Nic Dakin: [292213]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her
Department is taking to (a) understand and (b) mitigate the risks to the food security of
the UK population due to global climate change.
Zac Goldsmith:
The second Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) published in 2017 identifies
risks to domestic and international food production and trade as one of the UK’s top
six risks from climate change. The second National Adaptation Programme (NAP)
published in 2018, sets out a plan of actions across Government to address these
risks (amongst others identified in the CCRA) over the following 5 years. Specifically
the NAP includes actions to ensure a food supply chain which is resilient to the
effects of a changing climate.
As part of the action referenced above, we are reviewing the UK Food Security
Assessment, a comprehensive analysis of UK food security in a global context. It was
last published as a whole document in 2010 although the underpinning statistics are
updated and monitored on a regular basis. The Assessment has six themes: Global
Food Security; Global Resource Sustainability; UK Availability and Access; UK
Supply Chain Resilience; Household Food Security; Consumer Safety and
Confidence.
The Government has also commissioned an independent review to develop
recommendations to help shape a national food strategy. The National Food Strategy
will carry out an integrated analysis of our food system, looking across the issues of
food security, climate change and health to develop a series of recommendations for
Government.
Food: Exports
Deidre Brock: [290387]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent
assessment she has made of the potential effect on UK food exports of the UK leaving
the EU without a deal on 31 October 2019.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Food: Imports
Sue Hayman: [290865]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her
Department is taking to protect farmers from imported food that is produced to lower
environmental and animal welfare standards in the event that the UK leaves the EU
without a deal.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Food: Shortages
Chris Ruane: [290963]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to
paragraph 7 of Operation Yellowhammer, HMG Reasonable Worst Case Planning
Assumptions, what assessment he has made of the (a) availability of fresh food in each
nation and region in the UK and (b) foodstuffs at greatest risk of scarcity in the event that
the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Food: Waste Disposal
Faisal Rashid: [292993]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will (a)
bring forward legislative proposals to require local authorities to provide food waste bins
and (b) allocate funding to local authorities to provide those waste bins.
Rebecca Pow:
The Government set out its commitment to working towards zero food waste to
landfill by 2030 in the Resources and Waste Strategy which we published in 2018.
Our recent ‘consultation on consistency in household and business recycling
collections in England’ sought views on the collection of food waste from households.
The majority of respondents were in favour of this measure. Government has
therefore said that it will bring in legislation so that all English local authorities have a
duty to collect food waste separately from other waste every week so that this food
waste can be recycled or composted.
The Government has committed to funding any new additional burdens arising from
this new statutory duty to local authorities including provision of equipment such as
food waste bins.
Douglas Chapman: [294180]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of
local authorities provide food waste collections as part of their refuse collection service.
Rebecca Pow:
In 2018/19 167 local authorities out of 327 (51%) offered food waste collection
services for residents.
One of the commitments in the Resource and Waste Strategy was to work towards
zero food waste to landfill by 2030. Our ‘consultation on consistency in household
and business recycling collections England’ sought views on food waste being
collected separately from dry recycling materials and other types of waste from
households and businesses. Given the support for this proposal, the Government will
legislate to ensure that every local authority in England provides a separate food
waste collections from 2023.
Andrea Jenkyns: [294207]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her
Department is taking to increase the provision of separate food waste collections.
Rebecca Pow:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Forests
Kerry McCarthy: [291294]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many
Environmental Land Management scheme test and trials projects will (a) incorporate an
objective to increase tree cover through woodland creation, agroforestry or increased
hedgerows and (b) undertake to investigate carbon storage and mitigation.
George Eustice:
The cornerstone of our new agricultural policy is the development of a new
Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMs), which will be underpinned by the
payment of public money for the provision of public goods. In determining what ELMs
will pay for, we are mapping the environmental public goods for ELMs, the
interventions that may contribute to their delivery and the evidence base that
supports this. We recognise that woodland creation may contribute to several of the
environmental public goods that ELMs will pay for, including mitigation of and
adaptation to climate change, thriving plants and wildlife, and clean air. Activities that
therefore may be paid for include tree planting, woodland creation and woodland
management, including through natural regeneration. An evidence framework has
been put in place to ensure that all land management interventions which ELMs will
incentivise will be based on up to date scientific evidence.
We set up tests and trials as a means to support the development of the ELMs. The
work is being facilitated by a range of stakeholders, including farmer groups,
representative bodies and non-governmental organisations and will cover a range of
geographies and sectors. Tests and trials provide us with a mechanism to co-design
and test the new scheme with farmers and land managers and understand how it
works in a real life environment. We will not use tests and trials to validate if specific
delivery methods achieve particular environmental outcomes, such as woodland
creation or carbon storage, but will focus instead on the building blocks of the new
scheme.
Game: Birds
Jo Stevens: [294183]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government
will review the law on the caging of game birds.
Zac Goldsmith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Import Controls: EU Law
Mark Field: [291554]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the
Government has plans to implement EU Official Control Regulation 2017/625 on the
application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and
plant protection products.
George Eustice:
The new Official Controls Regulation (EU) 2017/625 will apply in EU member states
from 14 December 2019.
How and when the UK implements this Regulation will depend on our departure from
the EU. If we leave the EU with a deal, there is likely to be an implementation period
until at least 31 December 2020. During this period, EU law will apply including the
Official Controls Regulation. The UK will therefore need to implement this new
Regulation at the same time as EU member states on 14 December 2019.
In a no-deal situation, the UK will be able to choose whether and when to apply these
measures as the Regulation will not apply automatically to the UK. However, UK
exporters to the EU will have to meet the import requirements that apply to imports
from third countries.
Imports
Mark Field: [291548]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what
assessment the Government has made of the preparedness of the Import of Products,
Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS) to replace the EU’s Trade Control and Expert
System; and what discussions the Government has had with representatives of port
health authorities on contingency planning for IPAFFS after the UK has left the EU.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Incinerators
Stephen Doughty: [292246]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many waste
incineration plants burning (a) residential, (b) commercial and (c) industrial waste were
licensed in each of the last five years.
Rebecca Pow:
The Environment Agency is responsible for issuing environmental permits for waste
incineration plants in England. The following numbers of new permits have been
issued for relevant plants over the last five years:
2014 : Three plants each permitted to burn residential, commercial and industrial
waste and one plant permitted to burn hazardous industrial wastes
2015 : Two plants each permitted to burn residential, commercial and industrial waste
2016 : Two plants each permitted to burn residential, commercial and industrial waste
2017 : Two plants each permitted to burn residential, commercial and industrial waste
2018 : One plant permitted to burn residential, commercial and industrial waste
2019 to date : Two plants each permitted to burn residential, commercial and
industrial waste
Japanese Knotweed: North East
Ian Lavery: [292241]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment
her Department has made of the effectiveness of the strategy to deal with invasive
Japanese knotweed in (a) Wansbeck constituency, (b) Northumberland and (c) the North
East.
George Eustice:
There has been no formal assessment of this nature. Japanese knotweed is listed on
Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), which makes it
an offence to allow the plant to escape, or cause it to grow in the wild. Local councils
and police have the power to issue Community Protection Notices against individuals
or businesses who persistently or continually act in a way that has a detrimental
effect on the quality of life of those in the locality.
A number of authorities are taking action to control Japanese Knotweed. This
includes the Tees River Trust which is involved in managing release sites for the
biocontrol of Japanese knotweed.
Litter
Andrew Percy: [294128]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is
taking to tackle littering.
Rebecca Pow:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Litter: Fines
Andrew Percy: [294129]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an
assessment of the potential merits of increasing the maximum fine for littering.
Rebecca Pow:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Marine Protected Areas
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294712]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps
she has taken to expand the size of the Blue Belt.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Packaging: Biodegradability
Andrea Jenkyns: [294212]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring
forward legislative proposals to require takeaway containers and similar items to be
compostable.
Rebecca Pow:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Packaging: Recycling
Paul Farrelly: [293494]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment
she has made of the potential merits of obligating all retailers to ensure that the
packaging of products sold can be recycled locally before stocking those products.
Rebecca Pow:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Packaging: Waste Disposal
Andrea Jenkyns: [294209]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her
Department is taking to raise awareness of how to dispose of compostable packaging.
Rebecca Pow:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Pets: Disease Control
Andrea Jenkyns: [294214]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an
assessment of the potential merits of reintroducing compulsory tick treatment for pets at
UK borders.
Zac Goldsmith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Plastic Bags: Biodegradability
Douglas Chapman: [294181]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she
has to bring forward legislative proposals to make all plastic bags sold compostable.
Rebecca Pow:
The introduction of the 5p Carrier Bag Charge has been highly effective at reducing
consumption of single-use carrier bags. Composting standard EN 13432 defines the
requirements for biodegradability of products required to meet the standard. This
requires the use of an industrial composter. Compostable bags can be disposed of in
foodwaste collections but only if the householder’s local authority uses an industrial
composting process to treat the waste (some use anaerobic digestion). The
Government would need to ensure that there was the right infrastructure in place and
that the environmental benefits outweighed using conventional plastics before
legislating to mandate that all plastic bags were compostable. That evidence is not
yet available.
Andrea Jenkyns: [294211]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her
Department is taking to encourage businesses to use compostable carrier bags.
Rebecca Pow:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Plastics
Catherine West: [293681]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what further steps
the Government is taking to reduce the use of single-use plastics; and what recent
assessment she has made of the potential merits of levies to further reduce the use of
plastics.
Rebecca Pow:
Last year the Government published the Resources and Waste Strategy, setting out
our plans to reduce, reuse and recycle more plastic than we do now. Our target is to
eliminate all avoidable plastic waste throughout the life of the 25 Year Environment
Plan, but for the most problematic plastics we are going faster - that is why we
commit to work towards all plastic packaging placed on the UK market being
recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.
We have made good progress, the Government’s plastic bag charge has led to a
90% reduction in the use of plastic carrier bags in the main retailers and raised in last
year alone over £51 million for environmental causes. The Government also recently
consulted on plans to extend the charge to all retailers and on increasing the
minimum charge to at least 10p.
We have recently consulted on a suite of measures to help overhaul the waste
system. Collectively our proposals are aimed at boosting recycled content in plastic
packaging, through a proposed tax on plastic packaging which does not meet a
minimum threshold of at least 30% recycled content. This will make producers foot
the bill for handling the packaging they place on the market when it becomes waste,
and ending the confusion over household recycling by introducing more consistency
in collection services. In addition, earlier this year the Government announced that a
ban on the supply of plastic straws, stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds to the
end user will come into force from April 2020.
Industry is also taking action, in April last year, the Waste and Resources Action
Programme (WRAP) and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation launched their world-
leading UK Plastics Pact, with support from the Government, accounting for over
85% of plastic packaging used in UK supermarkets. The Pact brings organisations
from across the supply chain together, from plastic manufacturers through to waste
management companies, with four key targets for 2025 that aim to reduce the
amount of plastic waste generated, including one to take actions to eliminate
problematic or unnecessary single-use packaging items.
Plastics: Compost
Andrea Jenkyns: [294208]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her
Department is taking to encourage local authorities to compost bioplastics.
Rebecca Pow:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Plastics: Packaging
Paul Farrelly: [293493]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take
steps to ban the (a) production and (b) use of polystyrene plastic packaging in the UK.
Rebecca Pow:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Andrea Jenkyns: [294213]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an
assessment of the potential merits of introducing an Extended Producer Responsibility
scheme for plastic packaging manufacturers and importers.
Rebecca Pow:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Plastics: Seas and Oceans
Jo Platt: [292370]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her
Department is taking to reduce plastic waste in oceans.
Rebecca Pow:
The UK is committed to tackling the scourge of marine litter and we are making
significant progress towards addressing this issue. Our approach so far has been to
reduce needless plastic waste entering the marine environment in the first instance.
Our ban on microbeads in cosmetic and personal care products, one of the strongest
in the world, came into force in June 2018. Our plastic bag charge has led to a 90%
reduction in the use of plastic carrier bags in the main retailers and last year alone
raised over £51 million for environmental causes. We have consulted on plans to
extend the charge to all retailers and on increasing the minimum 5p charge to at least
10p. In May 2019, we announced that a ban on the supply of plastic straws, stirrers,
and plastic-stemmed cotton buds to the end user will come into force from April 2020.
These policies are helping to deliver our Resources and Waste Strategy for England,
our framework for eliminating all avoidable plastic waste. It builds on commitments in
our 25 Year Environment Plan and sets out plans to maximise the value we get from
resources, minimise waste, promote a circular economy, and better protect the
environment.
Marine litter is a transboundary problem which requires international cooperation; that
is why we are leading action on the global threat of marine litter. We continue to
actively engage internationally through OSPAR, the G7 and the G20, and the UN. In
April 2018, the Prime Minister announced the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance,
a ground-breaking initiative working with our Commonwealth partners to reduce
marine plastic pollution. To help deliver this, we committed an ambitious package of
up to £70 million of funding to drive research and innovation.
Plastics: Waste
Laura Smith: [294742]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is
taking to reduce plastic waste in fast food outlets.
Rebecca Pow:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Ports: Import Controls
Mark Field: [292132]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether UK ports
will be required to undertake sanitary and phytosanitary controls on high risk food and
feed from the EU in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement;
and how long such controls are expected to be in place.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Rain Forests: Amazonia
Emily Thornberry: [291318]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is
taking to increase public awareness of the effect of the beef and leather industry on
deforestation in the Amazon.
Zac Goldsmith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Paul Farrelly: [294098]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his
Department is taking to ensure that no products linked to Amazon deforestation are sold
in the UK.
Zac Goldsmith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Rural Development Programme
Jo Stevens: [292936]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how her
Department plans to support new programmes that would have been eligible for Rural
Development Programme funding after 31 October 2019.
George Eustice:
The Government has guaranteed that any Rural Development Programme projects
where funding has been agreed before the end of 2020 will be funded for their full
lifetime. It will ensure continued funding for these projects until they finish and means
that we can continue to sign new projects during 2019 and 2020, after the UK leaves
the EU.
Furthermore the Government will maintain the commitment to provide the same cash
total in funds for farm support until the end of the Parliament. The Government will
confirm the exact funding available in due course.
Seas and Oceans: Environment Protection
Douglas Chapman: [290828]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her
Department is taking to improve the UK’s Ocean Health Index score.
Zac Goldsmith:
The UK Marine Strategy puts in place the framework for achieving good
environmental status in UK waters. A recent consultation on the progress made
towards GES showed that whilst progress was being made further work was needed.
The updated UK Marine Strategy Part I assesses an array of ocean health factors as
well as economic and social analyses of the way we use our marine environment and
the benefits it provides us. The updated assessments will be published later this year,
giving improved information to the scientists working on the UK’s Ocean Assessment
Score.
The UK is already a global leader in protecting seas, the ocean and marine life. Our
work includes the creation of 355 Marine Protected Areas protecting 25% of UK
waters, including the recent designation of 41 Marine Conservation Zones. On 8 June
we announced a review into Highly Protected Marine Areas in England, which is due
to report by early 2020.
Seed Potatoes: Exports
Deidre Brock: [290386]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her
Department has to support seed potato exporters in the event that the UK leaves the EU
without a deal.
George Eustice:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Sewage: Waste Disposal
Laura Smith: [294751]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment
she has made of the potential financial effect of changes to septic tank regulations due to
come into force on 1 January 2020 on property owners.
Rebecca Pow:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Laura Smith: [294752]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the
Government plans to compensate property owners with septic tanks for the expense of
(a) upgrading and (b) replacing existing tanks in order to make those tanks compliant by
1 January 2020.
Rebecca Pow:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Sharks: Animal Products
Luke Pollard: [291134]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is
taking to prevent the export of shark fins from the UK.
Luke Pollard: [291137]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many tons of
shark fins were exported from the UK in each of the last five years.
George Eustice:
In 2014, 2015 and 2016 there were no exports of shark fin products. In 2017 there
were 50 tonnes exported and in 2018 there were 35 tonnes exported.
The UK has banned shark finning through the EU Council resolution 605/2013 that
states that all sharks must be landed with their fins naturally attached to the carcass
to reduce the risk of finning occurring. We continue to champion this provision being
adopted globally.
There are no legal constraints on exporting shark fins from the UK per se. However,
we have domestic legislation (e.g. the Wildlife and Countryside Act and the Tope
Order) which places emphasis on conservation of threatened or endangered species,
establishing a legal framework for the protection of such species as well as
jurisdiction over fisheries.
In addition to domestic legislation, there is regional protection through rules in the
Common Fisheries Policy – either through prohibitions, catch limits and/or gear
restrictions (e.g. deep sea net restrictions), and through Regional Fisheries
Management Organisations (RFMOs).
We also have international protection through a number of agreements such as the
Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the
Convention of Migratory Species (CMS) and the Sharks MoU.
The UK continues to press for stronger regional and international controls. The UK
played a leading role in successfully championing the listing of an additional 18 shark
species to appendix II of CITES at the Conference on Parties in August this year. A
CITES listing provides significant conservation benefit by ensuring trade is monitored
and can only take place in a sustainable manner.
Squirrels
Ian Lavery: [292240]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her
Department is taking to (a) protect red squirrels in Northumberland and (b) tackle the
damaging effect of the invasive grey squirrel species.
Rebecca Pow:
This is a devolved matter. The information below only relates to England.
The Government is committed to protecting and expanding red squirrel populations
and tackling the threats that grey squirrels pose to them. The Forestry Commission
and Natural England are members of Red Squirrels Northern England, a red squirrel
conservation partnership project managed by Northumberland Wildlife Trust, which
works in seven northern counties, including Northumberland. The Forestry
Commission has also partnered with the Mammals Trust UK and Newcastle
University on the Northumberland Kielder Forest Project, which considers the role
that forest management can have in conservation of the species.
The Forestry Commission undertakes actions to protect red squirrels from the impact
of grey squirrels more widely as outlined in the Grey Squirrel Action Plan for England.
This includes providing woodland management advice on maintaining red squirrel
habitat and managing grey squirrels, including advising land-owners that receive
funding through the Countryside Stewardship scheme who choose to control grey
squirrels.
Defra, Natural England and the Forestry Commission are signatories to the United
Kingdom Squirrel Accord, working with over 30 other signatories, including Red
Squirrels Northern England, to secure and expand red squirrel populations. Defra, in
partnership with the Accord, has provided funding for work by the Animal and Plant
Health Agency for the development of a fertility control method for grey squirrels. This
research continues to show promise as one potentially effective and humane method
to control grey squirrel numbers in the longer term.
Tree Planting
Andrew Percy: [294125]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the
Government is taking to increase the rate of tree planting.
Zac Goldsmith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Trees: Urban Areas
Ian Austin: [294686]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has
plans to develop a national plan for inner city trees.
Zac Goldsmith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Waste Disposal: Finance
Sandy Martin: [293730]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her
Department is taking to inform local authorities of changes to financing waste collection
as a result of the policies contained in the document entitled, Our Waste, our resources: a
strategy for England.
Rebecca Pow:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Waste: Exports
Paul Farrelly: [293492]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he
has made of the number of people prosecuted for illegal waste exports in each of the last
12 months.
Rebecca Pow:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Wheat: Allergies
Andrea Jenkyns: [294210]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her
Department is taking to raise awareness of the allergenic materials in compostable
straws made of wheat.
Rebecca Pow:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Wildlife: Conservation
Mr Jim Cunningham: [294674]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is
taking to protect UK wildlife from extinction.
Zac Goldsmith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
EXITING THE EUROPEAN UNION
Brexit
Ruth Jones: [284761]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether his Department
plans to publish civil service advice on the effect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
James Duddridge:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Gloria De Piero: [292185]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the oral
contribution of 25 September 2019 from the Prime Minister, Official Report column 791,
when he plans to publish the details of the cross-party talks on the UK's exit from the EU.
James Duddridge:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Emily Thornberry: [292876]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if his Department will
publish their most recent impact assessment of the effects on the UK of the UK leaving
the EU without a deal.
James Duddridge:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Brexit: Cost Benefit Analysis
Tulip Siddiq: [292327]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will publish his
Department's cost-benefit analysis of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
James Duddridge:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Brexit: Negotiations
Justine Greening: [292176]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will set out the details
of the UK’s negotiation request to the EU on the terms of the UK's departure from the EU;
and if he will make a statement.
James Duddridge:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Justine Greening: [292178]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what plans he has for a
White Paper setting out what the Government is seeking to achieve in negotiation of the
UK's (a) exit from and (b) new partnership with the EU.
James Duddridge:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Brexit: Scotland
Kirsty Blackman: [290913]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, for what reasons the UK
Government rejected the Scottish Government's proposals for the UK to remain in the
Single Market and Customs Union, as set out in its 2016 paper, Scotland's place in
Europe.
James Duddridge:
The Prime Minister has been clear that we will be leaving the EU on 31 October
whatever the circumstances. The people gave their instructions to Parliament in the
referendum in 2016, and now we must deliver on that pledge.
The UK Government’s ambition is for an ambitious FTA, as sovereign equals, without
obligation to vast alignment or harmonisation commitments. This will involve leaving
the Customs Union and Single Market, in order to have full regulatory control so that
we can be free to set our own laws and to strike trade deals.
The details of this partnership will be a matter for negotiation with the EU after we
leave the European Union. We are preparing for that negotiation, and will work with a
wide range of partners, including the devolved administrations, to ensure a
successful outcome that delivers in the interests of all parts of the UK.
Brexit: Statutory Instruments
Caroline Lucas: [287553]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the oral
contribution of 27 June 2019, Official Report, column 795, how many Statutory
Instruments will not have been enacted in the event that the UK exits the EU on 31
October; and if he will make a statement.
James Duddridge:
The Government is confident that all the necessary legislation will be in force to
ensure a functioning UK statute book on the 31 October.
To date, the Government has laid over 600 Brexit statutory instruments (SIs) to
prepare the UK for leaving the EU in any scenario.
All Brexit-related SIs laid before the House can be found on legislation.gov.uk and
GOV.UK. The SIs and their accompanying documents will indicate their procedure.
Debates for affirmative SIs will be scheduled in the normal way and time will be found
for debates once the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments and the Secondary
Legislation Scrutiny Committee have had time to consider the SIs.
Business: Northern Ireland
Tom Brake: [294087]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment his
Department has made of the economic effect of the Prime Minister’s proposed EU exit
deal on businesses in Northern Ireland with regard to the imposition of checks on both
the North-South and the East-West border.
James Duddridge:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Tom Brake: [294088]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment his
Department has made of the potential effect on Northern Irish businesses of the
Government's proposals of 2 October 2019 on the UK's exit from the EU.
James Duddridge:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Department for Exiting the European Union: Brexit
Norman Lamb: [294100]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many meetings
officials in his Departmental have had with EU officials in each of the last twelve months.
James Duddridge:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Department for Exiting the European Union: Chief Scientific Advisers
Norman Lamb: [292153]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many meetings he had
with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 June to 31 August 2019.
James Duddridge:
Between 1 June 2019 and 31 August 2019, the Secretary of State met with Eoin
Parker, Chief Scientific Adviser at DExEU, on 8 occasions. It should be noted that
this is a dual role for Eoin Parker, and is combined with his position as the co-Director
of Market Access and Budget.
Department for Exiting the European Union: Crispin Odey
David Linden: [292349]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will publish (a) the
outcome of all meetings and (b) all call logs between Ministers of his Department and Mr
Crispin Odey.
James Duddridge:
Details of Ministers’ meetings are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
Department for Exiting the European Union: Jainism
Gareth Thomas: [292814]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will invite
representatives of the Jain community to national events organised by his Department;
and if he will make a statement.
James Duddridge:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Department for Exiting the European Union: Temporary Employment
Dr Rupa Huq: [287669]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what proportion of his
Department's staff are on short-term contracts.
James Duddridge:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Department for Exiting the European Union: Termination of Employment
Dr Rupa Huq: [287668]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the average length of
service was for staff that have left his Department since its formation.
James Duddridge:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Department for Exiting the European Union: Travel
Ruth Jones: [284280]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how much his Department
spent on ministerial travel by (a) first class, (b) second class and (c) in total in 2017.
James Duddridge:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Ruth Jones: [285137]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how much his Department
spent on ministerial travel by (a) first class, (b) second class and (c) in total in 2018.
James Duddridge:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Food
Tom Brake: [294672]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, at which forthcoming EU
meetings on food and drink will UK officials not be present.
James Duddridge:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Industry: Northern Ireland
Tom Brake: [294086]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has
had with representatives of Northern Irish industry on the effect of the Prime Minister’s
proposed EU exit deal and the imposition of a North-South and an East-West border.
James Duddridge:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries
Mrs Sharon Hodgson: [292169]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has
made of the Government's level of preparedness within the automotive industry in
September 2019 compared to March 2019; and what plans the Government has put in
place to protect the automotive industry's just-in-time supply chain.
James Duddridge:
The UK automotive industry remains one of our great success stories, and we are
determined to ensure that the UK continues to be one of the most competitive
locations in the world for automotive after we leave the European Union. The
Government is in regular dialogue with businesses in the automotive sector, including
those in the supply chain.
We recognise that adapting to new regulatory requirements takes time, so the
Government will provide continuity in goods regulation for a temporary period after
exit day. If UK manufacturers, distributors and importers continue to meet EU
requirements, their goods can still be placed on the EU market.
Since March 2019 the Government has updated technical notices on placing
manufactured goods on the UK : https://www.gov.uk/guidance/placing-manufactured-
goods-on-the-uk-market-if-theres-no-brexit-deal#non-harmonised-goods and EU :
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/placing-manufactured-goods-on-the-eu-internal-market-
if-theres-no-deal markets after Brexit. There also exists dedicated, tailored advice
available for the automotive sector. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-automotive-
sector-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
In the event of a no deal exit, tariffs will not apply to car parts. Furthermore, the
Government will continue to apply zero tariffs to steel imports, ensuring the
continuation of supply of a key material for UK automotive production.
Mrs Sharon Hodgson: [292865]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the
findings of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Motor Industry Facts 2019
report that in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal 52.6 per cent of UK
produced cars are exported to the EU, what steps the Government plans to take to
support the automotive industry in the event that the UK leave the EU without a deal and
exports of those cars are subject to a 10 per cent tariff in line with WTO rules.
James Duddridge:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
NHS: Drugs
Emily Thornberry: [292875]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if she will publish her
Department's latest assessment of the effect on the supply of medicines to the UK of the
UK leaving the EU without a deal.
James Duddridge:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Ports
Douglas Chapman: [287581]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether he plans to
undertake test exercises at UK ports to ensure the preparedness of those ports in the
event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
James Duddridge:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Social Security Benefits
Afzal Khan: [292997]
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps are being taken
to ensure (a) asylum support payments and (b) other welfare payments will (i) be
available to and (ii) provide adequate support to those most vulnerable to (A) rising food
prices and (B) food supply disruption in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a
deal.
James Duddridge:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Animal Products: Imports
Mrs Pauline Latham: [294136]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic
steps he is taking to end trophy hunting imports throughout the world.
Mrs Heather Wheeler:
There are differing views on trophy hunting imports, which is why the British
Government recently announced plans to launch a consultation on further restricting
the import and export of hunting trophies to and from the UK. In addition, the UK
continues to work hard within international forums, such as the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to
ensure that wildlife is used in a sustainable and well managed way.
Bahamas: Hurricanes and Tornadoes
Jim Shannon: [294177]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his
Department has provided to people affected by storm Dorian in the Bahamas.
Christopher Pincher:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Burma: Arms Trade
Lyn Brown: [294693]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make it his
policy (a) to impose sanctions on companies linked to the military of Myanmar and (b) to
take diplomatic steps to encourage other countries to impose such sanctions.
Mrs Heather Wheeler:
We agree that the interests of the Myanmar military and companies linked to it are
deeply entrenched across Myanmar's economy. But targeted sanctions on specific
commercial entities are difficult, as those entities are not always wholly controlled by
the military. Any decision to impose sanctions on such entities would have to be
carefully considered. Targeting companies or whole sectors could disrupt Myanmar’s
financial system, harm economic development across Myanmar and inadvertently
harm vulnerable people. We continue to discuss with international partners whether
we can add further targeted sanctions against those responsible for human rights
violations in a way that minimises the impact on the people of Myanmar.
Burma: Religious Freedom
Emily Thornberry: [292866]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make it his
policy to submit a resolution to the UN Security Council requiring members of the
Myanmar military responsible for the persecution of Christians and Muslims to be
investigated by the International Criminal Court.
Dominic Raab:
We are clear that there should be accountability for the atrocities set out in the
reports of the UN Fact Finding Mission on human rights abuses in Myanmar. We
assess, however, that there is insufficient support amongst Security Council
members for a referral to the International Criminal Court at this time. The UK has
nonetheless taken steps to maintain the international spotlight on the atrocities
committed. In October 2018 the UK organised for the UN Fact Finding Mission to
brief the UN Security Council on its findings. The UK was also instrumental in
securing a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council to set up an independent UN
mechanism to collect and preserve evidence on the atrocities. This will help to ensure
future prosecutions are possible through domestic or international mechanisms.
Emily Thornberry: [292867]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent
representations he has made to his Myanmar counterpart on the repression of Kachin
Christians in that country.
Dominic Raab:
The UK regularly voices its concerns about democratic and religious freedoms for
minorities in Myanmar. In July, the Ambassador met the Minister for Religious and
Cultural Affairs to discuss religious freedom and Christians in Myanmar.
Our ambassador also called Reverend Samson, President of the Kachin Baptist
Church, in July. The Ambassador voiced his support after the military brought false
legal charges against Reverend Samson. The charges have since been dropped.
The UK also works with a number of civil society organisations to improve religious
freedom.
China: Uighurs
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294161]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment
he has made of the adequacy of (a) governance and (b) humanitarian situation in (i)
Uighur and (b) Xinjiang province, China.
Mrs Heather Wheeler:
“It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available
before Prorogation.”
Christianity: Oppression
Laura Smith: [294747]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will have
discussions with his counterparts in (a) the G20 and (b) the G7 on tackling persecution of
Christians overseas.
Mrs Heather Wheeler:
Over recent months, the UK has raised Freedom of Religion or Belief concerns,
including the worldwide persecution of Christians, bilaterally and through multilateral
institutions such as the UN, EU and OSCE. At the G7 Foreign Ministers' meeting in
April, we discussed our concerns on the resurgent forms of racism, and
discrimination that includes the targeting of Christian minorities. We reaffirmed our
dedication to uphold the rights of all to hold and manifest their religion or belief, both
privately and in public. We will consider whether to raise our concerns in subsequent
G7 and G20 Foreign Ministers' meetings.
Diplomatic Service
Rachael Maskell: [293642]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many and
what proportion of the members of Her Majesty’s Diplomatic Service are (a) serving
overseas and (b) have served overseas in each year since 2010.
Mrs Heather Wheeler:
The table below provides the number and proportion of Her Majesty's Diplomatic
Service serving overseas each year since 2013:-
MAR-13 MAR-14 MAR-15 MAR-16 MAR-17 MAR-18 MAR-19 AUG-19
Number
of
Diplomatic
Service
members
posted
overseas
1600-
1699
1400-
1499
1400-
1499
1400-
1499
1400-
1499
1500-
1599
1700-
1799
1600-
1699
Proportion
of
Diplomatic
Service
members
posted
overseas
48% 47% 47% 45% 45% 48% 52% 51%
The statistics above exclude FCO Home Civil Servants who are working in an
overseas post. Up until 1st April 2015, Department of Trade staff (former UKTI) were
included in FCO staff headcount.
We are unable to provide headcount information prior to 2013. As reported in the
2012/13 FCO Annual Report and Accounts at page 29, in February 2013 the FCO
realigned previous staffing figures, adopting a new methodology in line with Office for
National Statistics guidelines.
Numbers have been released in bands rather than absolute values in line with current
publication policies for FCO headcount.
Egypt: Diplomatic Relations
Mr Jonathan Lord: [293554]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent
assessment he has made of the strength of the UK's diplomatic relations with Egypt.
Dr Andrew Murrison:
The UK wants Egypt to succeed as a stable, prosperous and democratic country. The
UK-Egypt relationship is important and spans a wide range of fields, from foreign
policy, to trade and investment, economic reform, education, and healthcare. British
companies continue to be one of the largest sources of foreign direct investment into
Egypt. The Government works closely with the Egyptian authorities to counter shared
threats from terrorism, to promote the safety and security of over 450,000 British
citizens who visit Egypt each year, and to support longer-term reform. A close
relationship enables us to register concerns where we have them, for example on
human rights. British Ministers regularly meet their Egyptian counterparts. I visited
Cairo last month for discussions on a wide range of bilateral issues.
Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation
Nic Dakin: [292219]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affiars, what assessment
he has made of the level of compliance of signatories with Article VI of the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons; and what recent discussions he has had with his
counterparts in states with nuclear weapons on reducing their stockpile of nuclear
weapons.
Dr Andrew Murrison:
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) has been a success.
Over the last 50 years it has minimised the proliferation of nuclear weapons; provided
the framework for significant levels of nuclear disarmament – the UK has reduced its
warhead numbers by over half since their Cold War peak – and provided the
framework to develop secure and safe peaceful uses of nuclear energy globally.
The UK continues to work with its allies to encourage all possessor states to
recognise their responsibilities and remain committed to the gradual multilateral
disarmament negotiated within the framework of the NPT, as the security situation
allows. For example, the UK is chairing the P5 process, a forum for the UK, US,
France, China and Russia to discuss disarmament and non-proliferation issues. It
builds trust and confidence, and contributes to improving the current security
environment. The UK also plays a leading role on nuclear disarmament verification,
which will ensure technologies and procedures are in place to provide confidence that
nuclear weapons have been eliminated.
Palestinians: Health Services
Laura Smith: [294741]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reasons
the Government did not support the UN Commission of Inquiry's report into potential
violations of international law and the protection of healthcare in Palestine.
Dr Andrew Murrison:
The UK abstained on the UN Human Rights Council resolution calling for a
Commission of Inquiry on the basis that the substance of a resolution must be
impartial and balanced. We could not support an international investigation that
refused to explicitly call for an investigation into the action of non-state actors such as
Hamas. It is clear that Hamas hold significant responsibility for encouraging violent
protest in Gaza, which is totally unacceptable. However, our vote does not mean that
we will hold back from voicing or raising concern about Israel’s actions when
warranted. The UN and its member states have every right to address these grave
matters in a measured, balanced and proportionate way. In future, the UK will
continue to support scrutiny of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in the
Human Rights Council, so long as this scrutiny is justified and proportionate. We
have repeatedly made clear to Israel our longstanding concerns about the manner in
which the Israel Defense Forces police non-violent protests and the border areas,
including the use of live ammunition. We call on Israel to adhere to the principles of
necessity and proportionality when defending its legitimate security interest.
Prosperity Fund: Brazil
Emily Thornberry: [292870]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish the
Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Brazilian Governments on the £20
million of investment allocated from the Prosperity Fund.
Dominic Raab:
Minister Burns signed a Memorandum of Understanding covering use of the £20
million we are investing in the Energy Programme using monies from the Prosperity
Fund. We plan to publish it in due course.
Emily Thornberry: [292871]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of
the Government’s investment in Brazil out of the Prosperity Fund has been allocated to
programmes that strengthen environmental protections in that country.
Dominic Raab:
Several Prosperity Fund programmes contribute to environmental issues in Brazil.
The Green Finance programme supports work to improve the availability of private
sector finance for high quality, sustainable infrastructure investment. The Energy
programme will support Brazil's low-carbon transition by improving access to
affordable, reliable and sustainable energy. The Future Cities programme will help to
make more efficient use of resources and reduce transport pollution. The
Government has, respectively, committed £5 million, £25 million, and £20 million to
these programmes.
Emily Thornberry: [292872]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of
the Government’s investment in Brazil out of the Prosperity Fund has been allocated from
Official Development Assistance.
Dominic Raab:
Almost all of the Government's investment in Brazil through the Prosperity Fund has
been allocated from Official Development Assistance. There is a small non-ODA
budget allocated by the Treasury to the Prosperity Fund to support Secondary
Benefits work.
Emily Thornberry: [292873]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish the
amount of money the Government plans to invest in Brazil out of the Prosperity Fund for
each of the next four years; and to which programmes that investment will be allocated.
Dominic Raab:
The Government plans to invest £51.7million in Brazil through the Prosperity Fund
over the next four years: £14.4 million in 2019/20, £17.2 million in 2020/21, £15.2
million in 2021/22 and £4.9 million in 2022/2023. This funding will be allocated to our
Future Cities, Energy Trade Facilitation, and Green Finance programmes.
Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade
Laura Smith: [294746]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the
Government plans to stop the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen and call for
a nationwide ceasefire.
Dr Andrew Murrison:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Seas and Oceans: Nature Conservation
Mr Jonathan Lord: [293555]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is
on the UK's role in global ocean conservation.
Mrs Heather Wheeler:
The UK's vision is to achieve a clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically
diverse ocean. As set out in the Government's 25 Year Environment Plan, we will
work domestically and internationally to deliver this vision and our commitments
under UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 – Life Below Water, the objective of
which is to conserve and sustainably use the ocean, seas and marine resources for
sustainable development. At the UN General Assembly in September, the Prime
Minister called for urgent action to halt the loss of biodiversity as part of global efforts
to tackle the drivers and impact of climate change. Action on climate change is linked
to ocean conservation – tackling acidification, deoxygenation, temperature and sea
level rise. The UK's nomination, in partnership with Italy, to host COP26 in 2020 in
Glasgow is expected to be formally confirmed at COP25 (the "Blue COP") in
Santiago in December. We will seek to build on the outcomes from COP25 and
ensure that the ocean remains high on the climate agenda.
Slavery
Alex Norris: [294234]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to
the announcement by the former Prime Minister the Rt Hon. Theresa May at the
centenary conference of the International Labour Organisation on 11 June 2019 of the
creation of an International Modern Slavery and Migration Envoy, by what date that post
will be appointed, what the remit of that post is; and for what reasons that post is
responsible for both modern slavery and migration.
Mrs Heather Wheeler:
One of the recommendations of the Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act
was the establishment of an international modern slavery envoy, to represent the UK
in international discussions on modern slavery and to advance the government's
objectives on this vital agenda.
HMG expects to announce the name of the successful candidate shortly.
The FCO have agreed with other relevant Government Departments that this role will
be most effective if it is combined with the existing migration envoy role. In
international settings, trafficking and migration are often covered in the same
dialogues, and we believe that similar skills would be required for both components of
the role. This also reflects the joint roles of some of our interlocutors in key capitals.
However it is important that trafficking should not be seen through a purely migration
prism, and vice versa.
South East Asia: Diplomatic Service
Rachael Maskell: [293644]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his
Department has budgeted for the (a) establishment and (b) operation of a permanent
British diplomatic mission to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Mrs Heather Wheeler:
The UK has close connections with the ten countries that make up the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and we are rightly looking to strengthen our links
with this important region of the world after we exit the EU.
The new UK Ambassador to ASEAN is expected to take up the role in Jakarta this
autumn, with the Mission fully established and operational by the end of the current
Financial Year. The Mission is co-located with the British Embassy in Jakarta. The
estimated budget for establishing it is £700,000; the full costs will be known once the
necessary works have been completed. It is estimated that the annual budget for
operating the Mission, once fully established, will be approximately £750,000.
Sri Lanka: Human Rights
Wes Streeting: [294221]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent
assessment he has made of the progress made by the Government of Sri Lanka on the
implementation of UN Human Rights Council resolutions on that country.
Mrs Heather Wheeler:
We continually assess the progress made by the Government of Sri Lanka on the
implementation of UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolutions 30/1, 34/1 and
40/1. In March when the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
issued its latest Annual Report, we agreed that progress had been made. We
welcomed the restoration of important democratic checks and balances,
improvements in freedom of expression and assembly, the return of some military-
held civilian land, the establishment of an Office of Missing Persons and the
ratification of the Convention on Enforced Disappearances.
However, we want to see further and faster progress. We continue to urge the
Government to establish the full range of transitional justice mechanisms envisaged
in the UNHRC resolutions, to deliver meaningful devolution through constitutional
reform, replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act with human rights compliant
legislation, and return all remaining military-held private land. During his recent visit to
Sri Lanka on 2-3 October, Lord Ahmad encouraged the Government of Sri Lanka to
deliver fully on its commitments made to the UNHRC and to develop a
comprehensive and time-bound implementation strategy.
Syria: Armed Conflict
Steve McCabe: [293436]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent
discussions he has had with his (a) Chinese and (b) Russian counterparts on violence
against civilians in Idlib, Syria.
Dr Andrew Murrison:
The UK frequently discusses the violence against civilians in Idlib with Russia and
China in meetings of the UN Security Council, most recently on 30 September. The
UK was recently involved in textual negotiations with Russia and China and other
Security Council members on a draft resolution on Idlib which was, to our great
disappointment, vetoed by Russia and China on 19 September. The previous Prime
Minister raised the situation in Idlib with President Putin at the G20 Summit on 28-29
June.
Syria: Yazidis
Mr Jim Cunningham: [294675]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his
Department is taking to help protect Yazidi women from sexual assault in north-eastern
Syria.
Dr Andrew Murrison:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Tibet: Climate Change
Jim Shannon: [294242]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions
he has had with his Chinese counterpart on the effect of climate change on Tibet.
Mrs Heather Wheeler:
“It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available
before Prorogation.”
Ukraine: NATO
Emily Thornberry: [292868]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent
discussions he has had with his Ukrainian counterpart on that country's prospective
membership of NATO.
Dominic Raab:
The United Kingdom continues to support NATO's Open Door policy under which all
European democracies are entitled to pursue NATO membership. The decision over
whether to seek NATO membership is a matter for the people and government of
Ukraine. Last month the Minister for Europe and the Americas met with Foreign
Minister Vadym Prystaiko and Vice Prime Minister for European Integration Dmytro
Kuleba, and discussed Ukraine's long-term aspiration to membership of NATO. We
continue to support Ukraine's path to Euro-Atlantic integration.
Wildlife: Smuggling
Mr Ranil Jayawardena: [293658]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his
Department is taking to tackle the illegal wildlife trade.
Mrs Heather Wheeler:
“It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available
before Prorogation.”
Yemen: Armed Conflict
Emily Thornberry: [292869]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department has
authorised the sale of telecommunications equipment to (a) Saudi Arabia and (b) the
UAE for use by the armed forces of those countries to direct operations of their front-line
troops in conflict in Yemen.
Dominic Raab:
The Government has a transparent export licensing system and publishes quarterly
and annual statistics, including details of export licences granted, refused and
revoked. We will not issue any export licences that are inconsistent with the
Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
Asbestos: Diseases
Jim Shannon: [294178]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to
ensure that the most effective drugs for treating asbestos-related disease are available
on the NHS.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Asthma: Prescriptions
Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: [293683]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has
to add asthma to the list of long-term medical conditions that are exempt from
prescription charges.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Bedford Hospital NHS Trust: Medical Equipment
Mohammad Yasin: [293688]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much has been spent on
diagnostic equipment for cancer including MRI and CT scanners at Bedford Hospital NHS
Trust in each year since 2010; and what the average spend on diagnostic equipment for
cancer was per capita year in each of those years.
Jo Churchill:
The organisation-specific per capita information requested is not held centrally.
On 27 September the Government announced a £200 million programme of spending
to replace MRI machines, CT scanners and breast screening equipment across the
country. The equipment will improve the quality of screening and speed of diagnosis
and is part of the Government’s commitment to ensure 55,000 more people survive
cancer each year. Recipients of this funding will be confirmed in due course.
Bedford Hospital: Finance
Mohammad Yasin: [293686]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the funding
announced for the merger of Bedford Hospital Trust and Luton and Dunstable University
Hospital Trust will be allocated to improving infrastructure and facilities at Bedford
Hospital.
Edward Argar:
The Bedford Hospital Trust and Luton and Dunstable University Hospital Trust were
awarded £99.5 million in sustainability and transformation partnerships funding, as
one of the 20 hospital upgrades announced in August 2019, for their Merger Enabling
scheme.
The proportion of funding to be allocated to improving infrastructure and facilities at
Bedford Hospital will be determined as part of the next business case.
Bedford Hospital: Luton and Dunstable Hospital
Mohammad Yasin: [294339]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the planned
merger of Bedford Hospital and Luton and Dunstable Hospital, if he will maintain the
current level of services at Bedford Hospital.
Edward Argar:
Powers under Section 56A and 56AA of the NHS Act 2006 enables a National Health
Service foundation trust to merge with another foundation trust or NHS trust. The
trusts are required to make a joint application to NHS Improvement for any merger to
go ahead. Where a merger involves an NHS trust, this must also be supported by the
Secretary of State.
It will be for NHS Improvement as the independent regulator to be assured that the
integration of services within the planned merger of Bedford Hospital and Luton and
Dunstable Hospital ensures the delivery of high-quality NHS services.
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: East Lancashire Hospitals
NHS Trust
Gordon Marsden: [293466]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in what capacity NHS
Improvement gave advice to the Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
between June 2019 and September 2019 on the appropriateness of the Trust (a)
discussing the possibility of merging services and provision between the Trust and the
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and (b) the potential for the East Lancashire Trust's
Chief Executive, Kevin McGee, to operate as the permanent Chief Executive of both
trusts.
Gordon Marsden: [293468]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consultation NHS
Improvement had with hon. Members whose constituencies fall within the area served by
the Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on their discussions and advice
to the Trust between June 2019 and September 2019 on (a) the possibility of merging
services and provisions and (b) on allowing the East Lancashire Trust's Chief Executive
Kevin McGee to operate as the permanent Chief Executive of both trusts.
Edward Argar:
The Chair at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Chair at
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust sought the views of NHS England and NHS
Improvement on the possibility of merging services and provision between the two
Trusts.
Both Trusts were able to provide assurances that their proposals would bring
benefits, to both organisations, and improve the care of patient populations in
Blackpool and East Lancashire. On this basis NHS England and NHS Improvement
were able to respond that they had no objections to the proposal. Final approvals will
be needed from within their own organisations.
NHS England and NHS Improvement has had no direct engagement with hon.
Members whose constituencies fall within the area served by the Blackpool Teaching
Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, on their discussions and advice to the Trust
between June 2019 and September 2019.
The appointment of a Chief Executive in an NHS foundation trust is the responsibility
of the trust’s non-executive directors, including the chair, with approval from the
Trust’s council of governors.
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Public Appointments
Gordon Marsden: [293467]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what cognisance NHS
Improvement took of the oral contribution of the Minister for Health of 27 June 2018,
Official Report, column 1002, on irregularities of process that had taken place including at
NHS Improvement in respect of the appointment process for the Chair of the Blackpool
Trust, Pearse Butler, when advising the Chair of the Trust between June 2019 and
September 2019 on those matters.
Edward Argar:
There were a number of issues raised around the appointment process for the Chair
of the Blackpool Trust on 27 June 2018. NHS foundation trusts operate within a clear
accountability framework. It is for the governors of a Foundation Trust to appoint the
chair. NHS Improvement is not involved in the recruitment of chairs of foundation
trusts unless there is a breach of the licence. In the appointment of the Chair of
Blackpool Trust the Chief Executive voluntarily stood down from all of the interview
process prior to the appointment.
The recommendations arising from the Kirkup Review and subsequent Kark Review
provide a mandate for reviewing and strengthening NHS Improvement’s role in
providing oversight and support relating to board-level appointments in both NHS
trusts and foundation trusts.
The improvements being developed are informed by an appreciation that no single
intervention in board appointments will result in provider organisations being better
led. But, a more coherent, structured approach is needed - one that works across the
whole life cycle of an individual board member and which is aligned to other
leadership improvement initiatives.
Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control
Dr David Drew: [292082]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent research she has
commissioned on the safety of (a) milk and (b) meat that enters the human food chain of
cattle slaughtered as a result of bovine TB incidence.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Bowel Cancer: Health Education
Ben Bradley: [292992]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken
to increase public awareness of the symptoms of bowel cancer.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Bowel Cancer: Screening
Jim Shannon: [294175]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken
to improve diagnostic rates of the NHS bowel cancer test.
Jo Churchill:
The Government committed in the NHS Long Term Plan published in January to
modernise the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP) to detect more cancers
earlier. The plan will modernise the BCSP to detect more cancers earlier by lowering
the starting age for bowel screening from 60 to 50.
Further, the Faecal Immunochemical Test was rolled out in England in June 2019
following a UK National Screening Committee recommendation to replace the
previously used Faecal Occult Blood test. This test is both more accurate and more
acceptable so will contribute to saving many more lives from bowel cancer and, as an
easier test for patients to use, is expected to improve take up rates by 7%, including
among groups with low participation rates such as men, people from ethnic minority
backgrounds and people in more deprived areas.
In addition, we expect the Professor Sir Mike Richards’ Review of Screening, due to
be published soon, to identify additional opportunities to improve the uptake of bowel
cancer screening.
Brain: Injuries
Lyn Brown: [293507]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of
the number of cases where children who have experienced potentially irreversible brain
injury have been able to receive ventilation at home after a tracheostomy in each of the
last five years.
Caroline Dinenage:
Information regarding the number of children with potentially irreversible brain injury
who have been able to receive ventilation at home after a tracheostomy is not
available. Decisions regarding the clinical appropriateness of home ventilation are a
local matter and are made by clinicians in discussion with patients, their families
and/or carers on a case by case basis.
Lyn Brown: [293508]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment
of the regional consistency of treatment where children who have experienced potentially
irreversible brain injury are able to receive ventilation at home after a tracheotomy.
Lyn Brown: [293509]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether financial
considerations are involved when decisions are made by NHS trusts on the possibility of
brain injured children receiving ventilation at home following a tracheostomy.
Caroline Dinenage:
There are no current plans to make such an assessment.
NHS England directly commissions services for the care of long-term ventilated
children, up to 90 days post the fit for discharge date. This includes children who are
ventilated through tracheostomy. Clinical commissioning groups are generally
responsible for commissioning home ventilation services for children and decide, on
an individual basis, what particular package of care should be put in place for the
child in question, in conjunction with local services, education and housing as
appropriate. A decision as to whether ventilation at home after a tracheotomy is
appropriate for children who have experienced irreversible brain injury will be made
on the basis of each individual case and is likely to involve difficult decision making
around the efficacy of ongoing care and whether continuing treatment is in the child’s
best interests.
Breast Cancer: Screening
Emma Reynolds: [294698]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has
made of the potential merits of extending provision of genetic testing to all people
diagnosed with breast cancer.
Jo Churchill:
The NHS Long Term Plan sets out the ambition to extend the use of molecular
diagnostics and, over the next 10 years, to routinely offer genomic testing to all
people with cancer for whom it would be of clinical benefit.
Cancer: Children
Rebecca Long Bailey: [292923]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to
ensure that medicines to treat cancer in children are available in the event that the UK
leaves the EU without a deal.
Edward Argar:
The Department is doing everything appropriate to prepare for leaving the European
Union. We want to reassure patients that our plans should ensure the uninterrupted
supply of medicines and medical products, including those to treat cancer in children,
once we have left the EU.
The Department, as part of our EU exit preparations, is implementing a multi-layered
approach to mitigate potential disruption to supply, which consists of stockpiling
where possible, securing freight capacity, changing or clarifying regulatory
requirements, procuring additional warehousing, working closely with industry to
improve trader readiness and putting in place the National Supply Disruption
Response to manage potential shortages. Further details can be found at the
following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/medicines-and-medical-products-supply-
government-updates-no-deal-brexit-plans
Cancer: Electricity and Mobile Phones
Dr Matthew Offord: [292890]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of
the number of people with cancer that live within a mile of (a) an electricity pylon and (b)
a mobile telecommunications mast.
Jo Churchill:
No assessment has been made of the number of people who have cancer living
either within a mile of an electricity pylon or mobile telecommunications mast.
Cancer: Mortality Rates
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294166]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the mortality rate was for
people under 75 years of age with cancer in each of the last three years.
Jo Churchill:
The directly age-standardised cancer mortality rates per 100,000 population in
England under 75 years of age for each of the three most recently published years
are shown in the following table:
YEAR MORTALITY RATE
2015 136.4
2016 135.6
2017 131.8
Cancer: Screening
Jonathan Ashworth: [294725]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made
of the effect on testing timeframes of changes being made to the provision of molecular
pathology testing in cancer care and treatment.
Jo Churchill:
NHS England is mobilising the Genomic Medicine Service which brings together
existing clinical genetics services and the new genomic laboratory infrastructure. By
consolidating genomic testing services into seven Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs),
the National Health Service is able to operate more efficiently using cutting-edge high
throughput technology and supporting make equitable access. The new service will
enable additional genomic information to inform treatment and enable turnaround
times to be kept to a minimum.
The turnaround times which are set out in the GLH service specification fall within the
existing 62 day standard for receiving first treatment for cancer.
Care Homes: Abuse
Steve McCabe: [293437]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the 67,500
allegations of mistreatment in care homes received by the Care Quality Commission in
2018, what steps the Government will take to increase prosecution rates.
Caroline Dinenage:
The Department expects those providing the service, local authorities and the Care
Quality Commission (CQC) to take swift action where anyone alleges poor care,
neglect or abuse.
Since 2015, the CQC has had prosecution powers pursuant to the Health and Social
Care Act 2008. These include the criminal offence in respect of Regulation 12 (safe
care and treatment) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities)
Regulations 2014 in cases involving avoidable harm or a significant risk of avoidable
harm to service users.
Although there were 67,500 allegations of mistreatment in care homes in 2018, the
number of qualified allegations will be less than this figure. Within those qualified
allegations, not all of them will be of as significant concern as to begin legal
proceedings in the form of criminal prosecution. As such, numbers of prosecutions
will be expected to be far lower than any number of allegations.
Carers: York
Rachael Maskell: [293637]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many family members
looking after a relative at home were registered as carers with the local authority in (a)
York Central constituency and (b) City of York local authority area in each year since
2010.
Caroline Dinenage:
The number of family members looking after a relative at home who are registered as
carers with their local authority is not held centrally.
Catheters: Plastics
Rosie Cooper: [292878]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to
ensure that NHS England's reduction of single-use plastics in healthcare do not prevent
best practice in approaches to catheterisation.
Ms Nadine Dorries:
Any reduction in single-use plastics in healthcare would need to be supported by
research and have the backing of clinical and technical experts.
NHS England and NHS Improvement is currently focusing on reducing the use of
avoidable single use plastics in catering services. Products targeted include single-
use plastic stirrers and straws, except where a person has a specific need, in line
with the Government consultation on single-use plastic cutlery, plates or single-use
cups made of expanded polystyrene or oxo-degradable plastics.
We are committed to the National Health Service “being the safest healthcare system
in the world”. The NHS Patient Safety Strategy was published in July 2019.
Cervical Cancer: Screening
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294162]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to
reduce waiting times for cervical screening test results.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Cervical Incompetence
Kate Osamor: [293674]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department
has made of the number of women with incompetent cervix condition.
Ms Nadine Dorries:
Information is not collected in a way that would enable an assessment of the number
of women that underwent loop electrosurgical excision procedures. Information is not
collected centrally on the number of premature births linked to incompetent cervix
conditions. A count of finished admission episodes (FAEs) with primary diagnosis of
incompetent cervix, for female patients from 2016-17 to 2018-19 can be found in the
following table.
Incompetent cervix in pregnancy
2016-17 95 3,207
2017-18 99 3,387
2018-19 121 3,484
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS Digital
Cervical Incompetence: Childbirth
Kate Osamor: [293675]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many premature births
linked to incompetent cervix condition were recorded in 2018.
Ms Nadine Dorries:
Information is not collected in a way that would enable an assessment of the number
of women that underwent loop electrosurgical excision procedures. Information is not
collected centrally on the number of premature births linked to incompetent cervix
conditions. A count of finished admission episodes (FAEs) with primary diagnosis of
incompetent cervix, for female patients from 2016-17 to 2018-19 can be found in the
following table.
Incompetent cervix Incompetent cervix in pregnancy
2016-17 95 3,207
2017-18 99 3,387
2018-19 121 3,484
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS Digital
Children: Mental Health
Mr Ranil Jayawardena: [294220]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his
Department has made of trends in the number of children being given (a) therapy and (b)
psychiatric medication for eco-anxiety; and what steps the Government is taking to
reduce those levels.
Ms Nadine Dorries:
No such assessment has been made.
Children: Social Media
Ian Austin: [294115]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made
of the effect on children’s mental health of anonymous abuse and threats made on social
media platforms.
Ian Austin: [294116]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made
of the effect on mental health of anonymous abuse or threats on online platforms such as
Twitter.
Ms Nadine Dorries:
We have not made such a specific assessment. However, in February the Chief
Medical Officers published their independent systematic map of evidence on screen
and social media use in children and young people, and recommended next steps
and advice for parents and carers. They concluded that the published scientific
research is currently insufficient to support evidence-based guidelines on screen
time, but there is enough basis to warrant a precautionary approach and action by
schools, government and technology companies.
For children and young people, we know that there can be a link between very high
levels of social media use and poorer mental health. Data from the Understanding
Society survey indicates that children who spent more than three hours using social
networking websites on a school day were twice as likely to report high or very high
scores for mental ill-health than those who spent less than three hours on social
media. However, it is unclear whether increased use causes poorer mental health or
whether poorer mental health increases social media use.
Climate Change: Epidemiology
Nic Dakin: [292210]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his
Department has made of the effect of climate change on the adequacy of the level of
national surveillance of disease-spreading vectors in the UK.
Jo Churchill:
Climate change has been identified as one of the factors for changes in the
distribution of arthropod disease vectors in Europe.
Specific research on climate and environmental change has been conducted through
academic collaborations under the Health Protection Research Units. Summaries of
the risks and ongoing work has been published in peer-reviewed journals. This
research can be viewed at the following link:
http://www.hpruezi.nihr.ac.uk/
Public Health England (PHE) has established surveillance and research, working with
United Kingdom academics and international partners, to prepare for current and
future vector-related risks in response to climate and environmental change. PHE’s
assessment of the public health threats posed by Vector-Borne Disease in the United
Kingdom because of climate change can be found at the following links:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(15)70091-5/fulltext
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/10/2145
Cochlear Implants
Jim Shannon: [293581]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the new cochlear implant
for deafness be available on the NHS.
Caroline Dinenage:
NHS England commissions cochlear implants for patients who fulfil the criteria as
described in the recently published he National Institute for Health and Care
Excellence report ‘Cochlear implants for children and adults with severe to profound
deafness: Technology appraisal guidance’ published on 7 March 2019 at the
following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta566
There are a number of cochlear implant devices currently available. Specific advice
about which of the devices currently available meet an individual patients
requirements would be provided by a patient’s local specialist cochlear implant
centre.
Coeliac Disease: Prescriptions
Thelma Walker: [292301]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his
Department has made of the potential merits of establishing a national gluten-free
prescribing scheme for England to avoid variation in prescribing policies across different
Clinical Commissioning Groups.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Degarelix
Jonathan Ashworth: [293590]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to
ensure the continued supply of Degaralix for the treatment of patients with advanced
prostate cancer.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Department of Health and Social Care: Brexit
Dr Sarah Wollaston: [294145]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the
Government's worst case contingency plans related to his remit on the UK's withdrawal
from the EU.
Edward Argar:
Operation Yellowhammer is a cross-Government programme of work to ensure that
the United Kingdom is prepared to deal with the potential reasonable worst-case
scenario impacts of leaving the European Union without a deal.
On 11 September, the Government published planning assumptions for exiting the
European Union without a deal at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-humble-
address-motion
An updated version will be published in due course.
These include the Department’s planning assumptions relating to the continuity of
medicines and medicine supplies, the provision of healthcare to UK nationals within
EU Member States, and the provision of adult social care after we have left the EU.
The Department maintains robust operational plans to ensure the continuity of
services from the National Health Service and wider health and social care system,
regardless of circumstances, and will continue to do so.
Department of Health and Social Care: Carbon Emissions
Nic Dakin: [292896]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 24
September 2019 to Question 290332 on Department of Health and Social Care: Energy
Supply, what initiatives are included in the on-going programme to reduce emissions; and
what the timeframe is for the implementation of each of those initiatives.
Caroline Dinenage:
The Department undertakes a rolling programme of initiatives to reduce emissions.
This includes works to lighting, heating and ventilation systems and building energy
systems. We do not have a timeframe for each individual initiative. A sample of some
initiatives are listed in the following table:
HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING
BOILER OPTIMISATION, HEATING ADDITIVE TO
IMPROVE EFFICIENCY, SMARTCOOL (COOLING
OPTIMISATION)
Lighting Lighting upgrades including photo cell and
passive infrared sensors, replacement LED
lighting
Building Energy Monthly energy consumption dashboard
Department of Health and Social Care: Chief Scientific Advisers
Norman Lamb: [292148]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many meetings he had
with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 June to 31 August 2019.
Caroline Dinenage:
For the period 1 June 2019 to 31 August 2019 my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of
State for Health and Social Care met with the Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser
(CSA) three times, the CSA met with other Health Ministers on seven occasions.
Department of Health and Social Care: Crispin Odey
David Linden: [292360]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish (a) the
outcome of all meetings and (b) all call logs between Ministers of his Department and Mr
Crispin Odey.
Caroline Dinenage:
We do not have a record of any meetings or calls taking place between Departmental
Ministers and Mr Crispin Odey.
Department of Health and Social Care: Jainism
Gareth Thomas: [292803]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will invite representatives
of the Jain community to national events organised by his Department; and if he will
make a statement.
Caroline Dinenage:
Britain’s Jain community makes a positive contribution to life in this country. This
Government values its contribution immensely.
The Government is always keen to work with the Jain community on matters that are
important to them, and we will continue to do so.
Department of Health and Social Care: Written Questions
Christian Matheson: [292268]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to answer
Question 287926 tabled on 6 September 2019 by the hon. Member for the City of
Chester.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Diabetes: Medical Equipment
Keith Vaz: [R] [292093]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many flash glucose
monitors and sensors were prescribed from 1 April 2019 to 30 September 2019 in each
CCG area.
Jo Churchill:
The information is not available in the format requested.
Doctors: Surrey
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294706]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many doctors there were
in hospitals in Surrey in the latest period for which figures are available.
Edward Argar:
NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics
for England. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning
groups (CCGs), but not staff working in primary care, local authorities or other
providers.
Data is held by organisation not place of work. Individuals may work on more than
one site within a trust.
As at June 2019, the latest available data, there were over 1,200 full time equivalent
doctors at Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Surrey
County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS
Trust, full time equivalent.
Domestic Accidents: York
Rachael Maskell: [293636]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many falls (a) at home and
(b) in total were recorded by health and social care providers in (i) York Central
constituency and (ii) City of York local authority area in each year since 2010.
Caroline Dinenage:
Patient safety remains a key priority for the Department and we are committed to the
National Health Service being the safest healthcare system in the world.
Non-NHS health and social care providers must notify the Care Quality Commission
when a person has been seriously injured while a regulated activity was being
provided. NHS providers are required to report falls and other serious incidents to the
National Reporting and Learning System which is managed by NHS England and
NHS Improvement.
However, the data compiled by the Care Quality Commission and by NHS England
and NHS Improvement in these cases is not held in the format requested.
Dornase Alfa
Sir Michael Fallon: [292069]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has
included the drug Dornase Alfa in the priority stockpiling list in the event that the UK
leaves the EU without a deal.
Edward Argar:
The Department is doing everything appropriate to prepare for leaving the European
Union. We want to reassure patients that our plans should ensure the uninterrupted
supply of medicines and medical products, including dornase alfa, once we have left
the EU.
The Department, as part of our EU exit preparations, is implementing a multi-layered
approach to mitigate potential disruption to supply, which consists of stockpiling
where possible, securing freight capacity, changing or clarifying regulatory
requirements, procuring additional warehousing, working closely with industry to
improve trader readiness and putting in place the National Supply Disruption
Response to manage potential shortages. Further details can be found at the
following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/medicines-and-medical-products-supply-
government-updates-no-deal-brexit-plans
All prescription only medicines and pharmacy medicines imported from or via the
EU/European Economic Area are within scope of the continuity of supply programme.
All suppliers of these medicines, including suppliers of dornase alfa, have been asked
to stockpile medicines and make other preparations as set out in our communications
to suppliers.
Drugs: Misuse
Rachael Maskell: [293641]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is
taking to tackle substance abuse in (a) the City of York local authority, (b) Yorkshire and
the Humber and (c) the UK.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Emigration: Children
Lisa Nandy: [294700]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has
to continue funding the Family Restoration Fund for former child migrants following the
end of the current scheme.
Caroline Dinenage:
The future arrangements for the family restoration fund will be considered as part of
Departmental business planning.
European Reference Networks
Rebecca Long Bailey: [292925]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has
for maintaining access to (a) the European Reference Network on paediatric haemato-
oncology and (b) other European reference networks in the event that the UK leaves the
EU without a deal.
Caroline Dinenage:
The Government would prefer to leave the European Union with a deal and will work
in an energetic and determined way to get a better deal. However, if we were to leave
the EU without a deal, it is expected that the United Kingdom would lose membership
of European Reference Networks. UK patients will continue to benefit from the world-
leading clinical expertise available here in the UK and patients will have the same
access to UK expertise as they do now.
Eyesight: Testing
Dr David Drew: [292821]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to
reduce waiting times for eye care appointments.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Fertility: Medical Treatments
Mr Ranil Jayawardena: [294217]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS Clinical
Commissioning Groups offer IVF and other fertility treatments to single women; and how
much was spent on such treatment in the last three years.
Caroline Dinenage:
NHS England do not collect data on the number of clinical commissioning groups
(CCGs) that offer in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or their expenditure on this specific
treatment, although it is estimated that the National Health Services spends
approximately £100 million a year on IVF.
The level of provision of fertility treatment is decided by CCGs, taking into account
the needs of their local population. CCGs have a legal duty to have regard to National
Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines and NHS England and NHS
Improvement expects all those involved in commissioning fertility treatment services
to be fully aware of their importance. In taking clinical decisions about fertility
treatment and taking account of their public sector equality duty, CCGs should make
assessments based on clinical infertility and not on relationship status
General Practitioners: Postnatal Care
Catherine West: [292971]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to
implement the recommendation in the National Childbirth Trust's Hidden Half campaign to
add a maternal six week postnatal check to the GP contract.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
General Practitioners: Recruitment
Mr Jonathan Lord: [293549]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is
taking to (a) recruit and (b) retain GPs.
Jo Churchill:
In January 2019 we announced in the NHS Long Term Plan that we are investing an
extra £4.5 billion in primary and community care by 2024. This was followed by the
five-year general practitioner (GP) contract, which will provide greater financial
security and certainty for practices to plan ahead and will see billions of extra
investment for improved access, expanded services at local practices, the
development of primary care networks and longer appointments for patients who
need them.
NHS England and Health Education England (HEE) are working together with the
profession to increase the GP workforce. This includes measures to boost
recruitment, address the reasons why GPs are leaving the profession and encourage
GPs to return to practice.
In 2018, a record 3,473 doctors accepted a place on GP specialty training.
Additionally, NHS England’s International GP Recruitment programme is bringing
suitably qualified doctors from overseas to work in English general practice.
We have a broad offer to support GPs to remain in the National Health Service
including the GP Retention Scheme, the GP Retention Fund, the GP Health Service
and the Releasing Time for Care Programme.
It is encouraging to see as of June 2019, over 250 more doctors, and over 800 more
nurses and other staff with direct patient care responsibilities working in general
practice compared to June 2018.
To address workload pressures and building on the success in expanding the wider
workforce, the new five-year contract for general practice will see funding towards up
to 20,000 extra staff working in GP practices, such as physiotherapists and
pharmacists. This will help free up doctors to spend more time with the patients who
need them.
The interim People Plan published in June 2019 set out the actions the NHS will take
now to secure the right staff, leadership and culture it needs to deliver the Long Term
Plan and high quality, safe care. The final People Plan will set out a broader strategy
for a sustainable general practice workforce, through both recruitment and retention
programmes.
General Practitioners: Rural Areas
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294707]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department
has made on recruiting additional GPs in rural locations.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
General Practitioners: Standards
Wes Streeting: [293663]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time
was for a GP appointment in (a) the London Borough of Redbridge, (b) Greater London
and (c) England in each of the last 12 months.
Jo Churchill:
The most recent data on the time between booking an appointment with a general
practice and having the appointment (in days) for Redbridge Clinical Commissioning
Group (CCG), London and England are presented in the following table as the
average over the 12 months from September 2018 to August 2019.
The data is taken from the NHS Digital publication ‘Appointments in General
Practice’. This is a new experimental data collection which is still being refined and
improved.
It should be noted that the ‘time from booking to appointment’ refers only to the time
elapsed between the successful booking of an appointment and the appointment
actually taking place. The data does not take into consideration that many patients
will be appropriately booking ahead as part of the continuity of care they receive for
long-term conditions.
REDBRIDGE CCG
LONDON REGIONAL
LOCAL OFFICE ENGLAND
Distribution of average time elapsed between booking an appointment
and the appointment taking place, September 2018 to August 2019.
(Numbers may not add to 100% due to rounding.)
Same Day 45% 43% 42%
1 Day 7% 8% 7%
2 to 7 Days 22% 22% 20%
8 to 14 Days 15% 15% 14%
15 to 21 Days 6% 7% 8%
22 to 28 Days 3% 4% 5%
More than 28 Days 2% 2% 5%
Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Notes:
- There are several factors that drive the time from a booking to an appointment. This
includes appointment availability at the practice, patient availability, the urgency of
the appointment and general practitioner (GP) advice.
- The data does not differentiate between emergency and routine appointments in
general practice.
- The data does not include any information about the patients or clinical information
- The data in the response includes appointments with all healthcare professional
types, including GPs and other practice staff.
- Not all practices in England are included in the appointments in general practice
publication, meaning the total number of appointments is not known.
- Same day and next day bookings are of particular interest so are presented here
separately. Further bookings are presented grouped by weeks.
- The number of appointments that have already happened is provided as recorded in
participating practices in England. The data presented only contains information
which was captured on the GP practice systems. This limits the activity reported on
and does not represent all work happening within a primary care setting.
General Practitioners: Surrey
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294709]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to
maintain the level of out-of-hours GP cover in Surrey.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
General Practitioners: Training
Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: [292981]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has
made of the trends in the level of GP trainees.
Jo Churchill:
The Department’s assessment is that the number of general practitioner (GP)
trainees in England has been increasing over the last 10 years. Data on the number
of doctors in general practice speciality training is available for the past eight years,
including 2019, and is provided in the attached table. Data on the number of doctors
accepting a GP training place for each of the previous 10 years is also provided in the
attached table.
Attachments:
1. PQ292981 GP Trainees Tables .docx [PQ292981 GP Trainees Tables .docx]
General Practitioners: Working Hours
Royston Smith: [292364]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what procedures are in place to
record the number of patients offered (a) evening and (b) weekend appointments at GP
surgeries.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Glaucoma: Medical Treatments
Jim Shannon: [294174]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to make the
biodegradable implant that replaces eye drops for glaucoma available on the NHS.
Jo Churchill:
Decisions about treatment should always be based on patients’ clinical needs.
Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are required to commission healthcare
services that meet the needs of their local population. To achieve this, they must
assess local need, determining priorities and strategies, and commission services on
behalf of their local population; overseeing those contracts to ensure high-quality care
is provided.
National Health Service commissioners are legally required to fund treatments
recommended in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence technology
appraisal and highly specialised technologies guidance.
The future routine availability of any new or novel treatments would be subject to
large scale clinical trials demonstrating the safety and efficacy of the treatment
approach and subsequent assessments of its cost effectiveness for routine use.
GP Surgeries: Southampton
Royston Smith: [292962]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to
ensure local surgeries in Southampton are not understaffed.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Gynaecology: Surveys
Lyn Brown: [294122]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment
of the methodological adequacy of the October 2019 Outpatient Hysteroscopy Survey
being conducted by the British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy.
Caroline Dinenage:
The Department currently has no plans to make an assessment of the
methodological adequacy of the October 2019 Outpatient Hysteroscopy Survey.
Lyn Brown: [294123]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, (a) which patient groups were
consulted and (b) what other patient involvement there was during the design of the
October 2019 Outpatient Hysteroscopy Survey being conducted by the British Society for
Gynaecological Endoscopy.
Caroline Dinenage:
The Outpatient Hysteroscopy survey was organised by the British Society for
Gynaecological Endoscopy.
Neither the Department nor NHS England were involved in designing this survey.
Headaches: Medical Treatments
Peter Kyle: [292964]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to make new
migraine treatments available through the NHS.
Jo Churchill:
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body
that makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether selected
new medicines, including for the treatment of migraine, represent an effective use of
NHS resources. NHS commissioners are legally required to fund treatments
recommended by NICE to ensure that they can be made routinely available to NHS
patients. Wherever possible, NICE aims to publish recommendations on new
medicines within a few months of licensing.
NICE published technology appraisal guidance that recommends botulinum toxin
type A for the prevention of headaches in adults with chronic migraine in 2012. NICE
is also currently appraising the medicines erenumab and fremanezumab for the
treatment of migraine and has not yet published final guidance. NICE expects to
publish final guidance on erenumab later this month and final guidance on
fremanezumab in January 2020.
Health Professions: Pay
Jonathan Ashworth: [294722]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) nurses, (b)
doctors and (c) allied healthcare professions in the NHS receive an annual salary of less
than £30,000.
Edward Argar:
The Department does not hold the data in the format requested and due to time
constraints was unable to obtain data.
Health Services: British Nationals Abroad
Tom Brake: [293409]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to
ensure that UK citizens living in the EU receive healthcare in the event that the UK leaves
the EU without a deal.
Edward Argar:
The Government’s priority is to maintain reciprocal healthcare arrangements with
Member States (MS) when we leave the European Union. That is why the United
Kingdom Government has proposed consistently to all MS that existing reciprocal
healthcare arrangements (under Regulation 883) continue until 31 December 2020 in
a ‘no deal’ scenario.
I laid a Written Ministerial Statement ( HCWS1832 ) on 26 September 2019, which
sets out the current status of arrangements with Member States and outlines in detail
the support which the UK Government will provide should the UK leave the EU
without a deal.
Tom Brake: [293410]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the letter to
UK citizens residing in the EU from NHS Business Services Authority dated 23
September 2019, what estimate he has made of the time it will take for his Department to
settle payments for the treatment specified in that letter; and if he will publish that letter.
Edward Argar:
The United Kingdom Government has announced it will fund the healthcare of
existing UK-insured individuals living or working in the European Union, on the same
basis as now, for a further six months after exit day if we leave without a deal. The
mechanisms and the time taken to make these payments will depend on the Member
State.
The UK is, in the first instance, seeking to use established processes and continue
making payments at country-to-country level as we do now. If Member States do not
agree to this, the UK Government will offer to pay healthcare providers in the EU
directly. The timing of the payment will depend on when providers or individuals
provide the necessary information to NHS Business Services Authority. Payments will
be made within five days after a request for reimbursement has been validated.
A copy of the letter sent to UK pensioners and benefit holders living in the EU from
NHS Business Services Authority is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-takes-steps-to-protect-healthcare-
access-for-uk-nationals-living-in-the-eu-after-31-october
Jonathan Ashworth: [294724]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his department
has issued to British citizens living in the EU on how to access heathcare after the UK
leaves the EU.
Edward Argar:
Everyone living in the European Union is strongly encouraged to think about their
own healthcare needs and circumstances and consider the steps they need to take to
be assured of continuing healthcare coverage.
I laid a Written Ministerial Statement ( HCWS1832 ) on 26 September 2019, which
sets out the current status of arrangements with Member States and outlines in detail
the support which the UK Government will provide should the United Kingdom leave
the EU without a deal.
The Government has produced detailed advice for each country which can be
accessed at the following link:
www.gov.uk/uk-nationals-living-eu
We will provide more information as the situation develops so people are clear on
what they will need in each country. People can also sign up to email alerts to check
these country guides regularly as the situation may change as the UK gets closer to
leaving the EU.
The NHS Business Services Authority has sent a letter to S1 holders living in EU and
European Free Trade Association Member States, encouraging individuals to
consider their circumstances and options and to take the necessary steps to ensure
they have appropriate coverage in place. A copy of the letter is available at the
following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-takes-steps-to-protect-healthcare-
access-for-uk-nationals-living-in-the-eu-after-31-october
Health Services: Foreign Nationals
Jim Shannon: [293582]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle
health tourism.
Edward Argar:
The Department is committed to recovering National Health Service charges from
overseas visitors and continues to support the NHS in achieving a higher rate of cost
recovery from chargeable overseas visitors and migrants and reduce health tourism
rates. This has raised over £1.3 billion since 2015, with the total amount identified
continuing to rise each year from £89 million in 2012/13 to £464 million in 2018/19.
The Government recently announced an investment of £1 million to expand a team of
NHS experts whose role is to assist and support NHS organisations to understand
the cost recovery rules and ensure they are applied fairly and consistently.
In January 2019, the Government increased the rates of the immigration health
surcharge to £400 per year, or £300 for students, to better reflect the actual costs to
the NHS of treating those who pay the surcharge. This now generates over £400
million per year for the NHS whilst reducing the administrative burden on the NHS
associated with identifying and charging eligible patients.
Since 2017, chargeable patients seeking to access treatment that is not urgent or
immediately necessary are required to pay upfront and in full before they receive the
treatment.
Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements
Andrew Percy: [294697]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the EHIC system will
be continued or replaced after the UK leaves the EU.
Edward Argar:
The United Kingdom Government has proposed to all Member States that we should
maintain existing reciprocal healthcare arrangements, including the European
Healthcare Insurance Card scheme, until 31 December 2020 if the UK leaves the
European Union without a deal. I laid a Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS1832) on
26 September 2019, setting out the Department’s position on ‘no deal’ reciprocal
healthcare arrangements, and updated information has been published on GOV.UK
and NHS.UK on the situation for each Member State, including what arrangements
have been put in place. These pages will be kept updated as further assurances from
Member States are received.
The UK will consider the long-term arrangements for reciprocal healthcare once we
have left the EU.
Health Services: York
Rachael Maskell: [293634]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the median waiting time
for (a) inpatient and (b) outpatient treatment was for patients in York in (i) May 2015 and
(ii) May of each subsequent year.
Edward Argar:
Median elective waiting times, in days, for inpatient admissions and first outpatient
attendances in York for May of each year from 2015 to 2019 is shown in the following
table. This is a count of admissions/attendances, not people, as the same person
may have been admitted or attended hospital on more than one occasion within any
given time period.
INPATIENT ADMISSIONS*
OUTPATIENT
FIRST
ATTENDANCES*
Number of
records with
a valid
waiting time
Median waiting time (days) Number
of
records
with a
valid
waiting
time
Median
waiting
time
(days)
May 2015 1,585 41 3,235 32
May 2016 1,705 42 5,100 35
May 2017 1,760 48 4,830 36
May 2018 1,660 42 4,620 30
May 2019 1,570 51 4,275 33
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), NHS Digital
Note: Admitted patient care data for May 2019 and outpatient activity for May 2018
and 2019 is provisional and subject to change.
Healthy Start Scheme
Steve McCabe: [293444]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is
taking to increase the uptake of Healthy Start vouchers.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Heart Diseases: Females
Mr Jim Cunningham: [292091]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle
the misconception that heart attacks do not happen to women among (a) doctors and (b)
the public.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Heart Diseases: Health Services
Mr Jim Cunningham: [292090]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to
ensure that women receive the same standard of care as men during diagnosis,
treatment and aftercare of heart disease or a heart attack.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Hepatitis: Health Services
Jeff Smith: [292278]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were treated
for hepatitis C in England in the financial year 2018-19.
Jo Churchill:
Public Health England publishes information on the numbers of individual’s accessing
hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment in their annual hepatitis C reports.
Latest available data for 2017/18 financial year show that 11,557 people were
reported to have accessed HCV treatment in England. This can be viewed at the
following link:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm
ent_data/file/798270/HCV_in-England_2019.pdf
Data for the 2018/19 financial year for England will be published in 2020.
Hepatitis: Screening
Jeff Smith: [292279]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is
taking to ensure people who are in contact with drug treatment services are tested for
hepatitis C.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294163]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to
improve the detection of hepatitis B and C.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
HIV Infection
Jonathan Ashworth: [292914]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 26
July 2019 to Question 280282, on HIV infection, if he will place in the Library the number
of finished consultant episodes in relation to (a) primary and (b) secondary diagnoses of
HIV infection in (i) England and (ii) each English region in each year since 1989; and if he
will provide that information in the format used in the Answer of 19 March 2015 to
Question 227661.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Jonathan Ashworth: [292433]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has
made of the number of women that did not receive Hormone Replacement Therapy as a
result of shortages of those therapies; and if he will make a statement.
Jonathan Ashworth: [292912]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle
delays in the supply of HRT medications.
Jonathan Ashworth: [292913]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to
ensure the provision of Hormone Replacement Therapy.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Hormone Replacement Therapy: Gender Recognition
Jonathan Ashworth: [292915]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made
of the effect on transgender people of the shortage of Hormone Replacement Therapy
medication.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Hospital Wards: Children and Young People
Jonathan Ashworth: [294723]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has
made of NHS trusts' compliance with NHS Improvement guidance on safe staffing levels
for children and young people’s wards.
Ms Nadine Dorries:
We are committed to ensuring that every trust has the support it requires, including
the guidance and tools, to determine the right level and skill mix of staff at the right
time.
There has been no specific assessment of National Health Service trusts' compliance
with NHS Improvement guidance on safe staffing levels for children and young
people’s wards.
However, systematic reviews of all relevant children’s services consider a broad
range of aspects of care and include National Quality Board guidance on safe
staffing. Any matters pertaining to workforce as a result of these reviews would be
referred to the NHS England and NHS Improvement nursing clinical workforce team,
who would then provide targeted support.
In addition, NHS trusts are required to specify the degree of their compliance with
Developing Workforce Safeguards, which explains the principles behind safe staffing.
Developing Workforce Safeguards can be accessed via the following link:
https://improvement.nhs.uk/resources/developing-workforce-safeguards/
In addition, appropriate staffing levels are a core element of the Care Quality
Commission’s registration regime, which is underpinned by legislation. CQC
inspectors assess against the key lines of enquiry on safe staffing in their framework.
Hospitals: Admissions
Rosie Cooper: [291564]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the most common cause
of unplanned admissions to hospitals in England is; and what steps he is taking to reduce
the need for those admissions.
Edward Argar:
The most common cause of unplanned admissions from the most recent data
available (2018/19) was for those with primary diagnosis of diseases of the digestive
system.
As part of the NHS Long Term Plan there are five workstreams that underpin the
Urgent and Emergency Care reform programme. As part of this programme steps
taken to reduce the need for admissions have included Same Day Emergency Care
which has increased the proportion of people who are not admitted overnight in an
emergency. In addition NHS 111 has been enhanced, so that over 50% of people
calling the service receive a clinical assessment over the phone and can be offered
immediate clinical advice or be referred to the right clinician for a face to face
consultation, thereby reducing the need for hospital admissions.
Hospitals: Construction
Jonathan Ashworth: [293591]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the criteria on
which the choice of the 40 hospitals for renovation as part of his recent capital
announcement was based.
Edward Argar:
On 29 September the Government announced the largest hospital building
programme in a generation as part of a new Health Infrastructure Plan (HIP) that is
backed by a long-term programme of investment. The plan’s new, strategic approach
will ensure the health service will have world-class facilities for patients and staff for
the long term.
The HIP1 and HIP2 schemes were selected through the following process:
NHS England and NHS Improvement conducted a strategic assessment of hospital
estates and came up with a list of priority schemes. These were selected on the basis
of age and/or where a combination of other metrics that indicated a high need for
investment in the estate. This included the consideration of the high value scheme
bids submitted by providers as part of previous sustainability and transformation
partnership (STP) capital rounds, and other relevant previous representations by
trusts and STPs. The other metrics being - Estates and facilities running costs;
backlog costs; Critical Infrastructure Risk (a subset of the highest risk elements of
backlog with a potential for significant impact e.g. fire safety); unused and functionally
unsuitable space; and incidents having an impact on clinical services.
Based on that, a small number of schemes were identified as being suitable to fully
fund now, given their advanced level of readiness to deliver in near future. These are
the six projects for HIP1.
The remaining list of priority schemes was then further filtered based on a
combination of criteria, including the level of Critical Infrastructure Risk in the estate
and an overall check of the regional breakdown (to make sure no regions were over
or under-represented). This gave us the 21 projects identified to receive seed funding
to kick start their schemes, ready for building in HIP2.
Karin Smyth: [293621]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his
Department's News story of 29 September 2019, New hospital building programme, what
discussions his Department had with the NHS Property Board on those 40 hospital
building projects prior to that announcement being made.
Karin Smyth: [293622]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his
Department's News story of 29 September 2019, New hospital building programme, what
discussions his Department had with the appropriate Sustainability and Transformation
Partnerships on those 40 hospital building projects prior to that announcement being
made.
Karin Smyth: [293623]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his
Department's News story of 29 September 2019, New hospital building programme, what
criteria were used to assess the relative merits of those 40 hospital building projects.
Karin Smyth: [293624]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his
Department's News story of 29 September 2019, New hospital building programme,
which NHS bodies were involved in the assessment of the relative merits of those 40
hospital building projects prior to that announcement being made.
Karin Smyth: [293625]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his
Department's News story of 29 September 2019, New hospital building programme, how
many of those 40 hospital building projects have submitted business cases for approval.
Edward Argar:
On 29 September, the Government announced the largest hospital building
programme in a generation as part of a new Health Infrastructure Plan (HIP) that is
backed by a long-term programme of investment. The plan’s new, strategic approach
will ensure the health service will have world-class facilities for patients and staff for
the long term.
The HIP1 and HIP2 schemes were selected through the following process:
NHS England and NHS Improvement conducted a strategic assessment of hospital
estates and came up with a list of priority schemes. These were selected on the basis
of age and/or where a combination of other metrics that indicated a high need for
investment in the estate. This included the consideration of the high value scheme
bids submitted by providers as part of previous sustainability and transformation
partnership (STP) capital rounds, and other relevant previous representations by
trusts and STPs. The other metrics being - Estates and facilities running costs;
backlog costs; Critical Infrastructure Risk (a subset of the highest risk elements of
backlog with a potential for significant impact e.g. fire safety); unused and functionally
unsuitable space; and incidents having an impact on clinical services.
Based on that, a small number of schemes were identified as being suitable to fully
fund now, given their advanced level of readiness to deliver in near future. These are
the six projects for HIP1.
The remaining list of priority schemes was then further filtered based on a
combination of criteria, including the level of Critical Infrastructure Risk in the estate
and an overall check of the regional breakdown (to make sure no regions were over
or under-represented), and engagements through National Health Service regional
teams. This gave us the 21 projects identified to receive seed funding to kick start
their schemes, ready for building in HIP2.
HIP scheme selection was not specifically discussed at the NHS Property Board,
which did not meet during the period when final decisions were made. However, the
underlying principles and issues have been discussed previously by the NHS
Property Board and members were involved in discussions that led to the final
selection of schemes.
Schemes will be required to submit business cases to provide the required standard
assurance on the key features including patient benefits, value for money and
commercial terms etc. A number of the six HIP1 schemes have submitted business
cases to NHS Improvement previously but these will need to be developed further or
revised to align with the current scope of their scheme. The Department is looking to
speed up and streamline the business case process and approvals.
Mohammad Yasin: [294244]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his
Department's News story, New hospital building programme, published on 29 September
2019, what criteria his Department used to determine which NHS trusts were eligible for
funding under that programme to develop new hospitals.
Edward Argar:
On 29 September, the Government announced the largest hospital building
programme in a generation as part of a new Health Infrastructure Plan (HIP) that is
backed by a long-term programme of investment. The plan’s new, strategic approach
will ensure the health service will have world-class facilities for patients and staff for
the long term.
The HIP1 and HIP2 schemes were selected through the following process:
NHS England and NHS Improvement conducted a strategic assessment of hospital
estates and came up with a list of priority schemes. These were selected on the basis
of age and/or where a combination of other metrics that indicated a high need for
investment in the estate. This included the consideration of the high value scheme
bids submitted by providers as part of previous sustainability and transformation
partnership (STP) capital rounds, and other relevant previous representations by
trusts and STPs. The other metrics being - Estates and facilities running costs;
backlog costs; Critical Infrastructure Risk (a subset of the highest risk elements of
backlog with a potential for significant impact e.g. fire safety); unused and functionally
unsuitable space; and incidents having an impact on clinical services.
Based on that, a small number of schemes were identified as being suitable to fully
fund now, given their advanced level of readiness to deliver in near future. These are
the 6 projects for HIP1.
The remaining list of priority schemes was then further filtered based on a
combination of criteria, including the level of Critical Infrastructure Risk in the estate
and an overall check of the regional breakdown (to make sure no regions were over
or under-represented), and engagements through NHS regional teams. This gave us
the 21 projects identified to receive seed funding to kick start their schemes, ready for
building in HIP2.
HIP scheme selection was not specifically discussed at the NHS Property Board,
which did not meet during the period when final decisions were made. However, the
underlying principles and issues have been discussed previously by the NHS
Property Board and members were involved in discussions that led to the final
selection of schemes.
Schemes will be required to submit business cases to provide the required standard
assurance on the key features including patient benefits, value for money and
commercial terms etc. A number of the six HIP1 schemes have submitted business
cases to NHS Improvement previously but these will need to be developed further or
revised to align with the current scope of their scheme. The Department is looking to
speed up and streamline the business case process and approvals.
Hospitals: Waiting Lists
Chris Ruane: [292125]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of
the number of people on NHS waiting lists in England in (a) 2010 and (b) 2019.
Edward Argar:
NHS England publishes performance data on a monthly basis, including the current
waiting lists for consultant-led Referral-to-Treatment (RTT).
The RTT waiting list in March 2010 was 2.42 million, compared to 4.23 million in
March 2019. The most recent data from July 2019 indicates a current RTT waiting list
of 4.37 million.
Published data on RTT waiting times is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Jim Shannon: [293585]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been
diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis by (a) age and (b) gender in each of the last three
years.
Caroline Dinenage:
The information requested on pulmonary fibrosis diagnoses is provided in the
attached document.
Attachments:
1. pq293585 table [PQ293585 response.xlsx]
Incontinence: Medical Equipment
Chris Green: [292926]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the (a) terms of reference
and (b) timeframe is for the National Bowel and Bladder Product trial undertaken by NHS
England; and if he will make a statement.
Caroline Dinenage:
The National Bowel and Bladder Health (NBBH) Project was developed following a
series of workshops held between members of the Excellence in Continence (EICC)
Board and the All Parliamentary Group on continence in 2018, with the aim of
aligning objectives across existing initiatives to support the delivery of the Excellence
in Continence Care Programme. The NBBH Project terms of reference, with oversight
from the EICC Board, are being reviewed and updated by workstream membership
with an expectation that they will be finalised by the next EICC board meeting in
December when timeframes for delivery will also be confirmed.
Chris Green: [292927]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to
ensure that the National Bowel and Bladder product trial undertaken by NHS England
does not result in a restriction of the full range of medical devices available for clinicians
to prescribe through Part IX of the Drug Tariff.
Caroline Dinenage:
The role of the National Bowel and Bladder Health Project is to promote and improve
patient care. Through this work, expert practitioners will be determining what
standards they require from products to meet the needs of their patients. This will be
done through a Stakeholder Council with patient, health and care professionals and
supplier involvement. We will consider carefully the output from this work and the
views of our expert practitioners and may, if necessary, make changes to the range
of products available in the National Health Service to improve patient care if we find
that existing products offer poor quality or value for money.
Infectious Diseases: Climate Change
Nic Dakin: [292209]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his
Department has undertaken of the public health threats posed to the UK by climate
change driven changes to vector-borne disease.
Jo Churchill:
Public Health England continually assesses the risks posed by climate change to the
changing public health threats posed by vector-borne disease. This can be viewed at
the following link:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(15)70091-5/fulltext
Infectious Diseases: Research
Paul Girvan: [292974]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what research funding his
Department has allocated to the research on the treatment of vector borne diseases
prevalent in the UK.
Caroline Dinenage:
The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health
Research (NIHR) and is the largest public funder of health research in the United
Kingdom. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of
human health, including vector borne diseases.
The NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections total
funding of nearly £4.7 million. It has five research themes all of which play a role in
protecting England from emerging infections and zoonoses. One of these themes
focuses specifically on Vector Biology and Climate Modelling, identifying mosquito-
and tick-borne viral threats to the UK and how the climate impacts these threats.
Paul Girvan: [292975]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment
of the effectiveness of funding allocated by his Department to research on the (a)
prevention and (b) cure of vector-borne diseases prevalent in the UK.
Caroline Dinenage:
The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health
Research (NIHR) and is the largest public funder of health research in the United
Kingdom. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of
human health, including vector borne diseases. These applications are subject to
peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of
the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money
and scientific quality.
The NIHR Health Protection Research Unit on Emerging and Zoonotic Infections is
undertaking work on vector borne diseases including tick borne viral threats. The
commissioning of the unit was subject to the same vigour processes as all other
NIHR funded research.
Large Loop Excision of the Transformation Zone
Kate Osamor: [293673]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women underwent a
loop electrosurgical excision procedure in the NHS in 2018.
Ms Nadine Dorries:
Information is not collected in a way that would enable an assessment of the number
of women that underwent loop electrosurgical excision procedures. Information is not
collected centrally on the number of premature births linked to incompetent cervix
conditions. A count of finished admission episodes (FAEs) with primary diagnosis of
incompetent cervix, for female patients from 2016-17 to 2018-19 can be found in the
following table.
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS Digital
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust: Experian
Jonathan Ashworth: [294721]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of
the number of individuals being subject to credit checking by Experian at Greenwich and
Lewisham NHS trust.
Edward Argar:
No individuals have been subject to credit checking by Experian at Greenwich and
Lewisham NHS Trust. Rather the Trust has conducted checks on the residency
status of patients as they are required to do by law.
Credit checking describes accessing someone’s credit history for the purpose of
assessing their suitability for credit. A person’s credit history is the factual record of
credit they have used over the last six years.
The residency check, on the other hand, looks at many sources to see whether
someone has a digital footprint in the United Kingdom as a proxy for whether they are
likely to be resident. A residency check has no impact on credit scores or reports but
simply cross-references the information provided with Experian’s existing records, to
confirm that further enquires may be required by the Trust to establish a person’s
eligibility to NHS funded care.
Lyme Disease
Jim Shannon: [294176]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is
taking to improve the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of Lyme disease caused by tick bite.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Malnutrition
Eleanor Smith: [293691]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion
of patients readmitted to hospital were diagnosed with malnutrition in the last 12 months.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Medical Equipment
Chris Green: [292264]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress has been
made on ensuring the smooth flow of medical devices in the event that the UK leaves the
EU (a) with a deal and (b) without a deal.
Edward Argar:
If the United Kingdom leaves the European Union with a deal, the current regulatory
regimes will continue to apply in relation to product standards, transportation and
customs, duties and tariffs, during the implementation period.
The Department is doing everything appropriate to prepare for leaving the EU without
a deal. We want to reassure patients that our plans should ensure the uninterrupted
supply of medicines and medical products once we have left the EU.
The Department, as part of our EU exit preparations, is implementing a multi-layered
approach to mitigate potential disruption to supply, which consists of stockpiling
where possible, securing freight capacity, changing or clarifying regulatory
requirements, procuring additional warehousing, working closely with industry to
improve trader readiness and putting in place the National Supply Disruption
Response to manage potential shortages. Further details can be found at the
following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/medicines-and-medical-products-supply-
government-updates-no-deal-brexit-plans
Medical Equipment: Prescriptions
Chris Green: [292263]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy for
NHS England to require (a) Clinical Commissioning Groups and (b) NHS trusts that have
formularies which do not list all of the medical devices available on Part IX of the Drug
Tariff to issue guidance to clinicians on their ability to prescribe the most appropriate
medical device available through that tariff and to include a link to that tariff online.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Medical Records: Data Protection
Caroline Lucas: [292187]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he approved the
practice of sharing patients’ identities with credit check firms to find overseas visitors who
can be charged; if he will take steps to put an end to that practice; and if he will make a
statement.
Edward Argar:
This Government is committed to ensuring that the public's data is used lawfully, with
respect and that the right safeguards are in place.
Eligibility for free National Health Service secondary care is based on being ordinarily
resident in the United Kingdom. Providers of this care are required by law to make
and recover charges from patients who are not ordinarily resident in the UK, unless
an exemption from charge category applies.
How they undertake the duty of establishing the residence status of their patients and
if charges apply is a matter for them but in doing so they must ensure they act without
discrimination and comply with the current legal framework.
Mental Health Services: Children and Young People
Rachael Maskell: [293640]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) national and (b)
localised schemes have been devised by his Department to improve Child and
Adolescent Mental Health Services; and which external organisations or associations are
involved in those schemes.
Ms Nadine Dorries:
Local National Health Service children and young people’s mental health services are
the responsibility of local mental health trusts, funded by local clinical commissioning
groups, which all work to improve local provision in each area, through local
transformation plans, with a range of external partners.
In terms of national programmes to improve children and young people’s mental
health services, the NHS Long Term Plan, published in January 2019, commits to
ensuring that by 2023/24, at least an additional 345,000 children and young people
aged 0-25 will be able to access support via NHS-funded mental health services and
school– or college-based mental health support teams. The Plan also commits to
24/7 mental health crisis provision for children and young people that combines crisis
assessment, brief response and intensive home treatment functions and there will be
a comprehensive offer for 0-25 year olds that reaches across mental health services
for children, young people and adults.
Mental Health Services: Veterans
Mr Jonathan Lord: [293560]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is
taking to support the mental health of veterans.
Ms Nadine Dorries:
In England, veterans access mainstream National Health Service provided mental
health services as well as the bespoke veteran specific mental health services that
NHS England and NHS Improvement have put in place.
The Transition, Intervention and Liaison service launched in 2017, supports serving
personnel who need additional mental health support as they are leaving the Armed
Forces and veterans who have mental health issues. There are three elements to the
service:
- in-reach services for those in transition, leading up to, and leaving the Armed
Forces;
- services for veterans with complex presentation; and
- general services for veterans.
Mental Health: Children
Rachael Maskell: [293639]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department
has issued to schools on children’s mental and emotional health.
Ms Nadine Dorries:
Public Health England has published two documents for schools on children’s mental
and emotional health. These can be viewed at the following links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-children-and-young-peoples-
emotional-health-and-wellbeing
https://www.annafreud.org/what-we-do/schools-in-mind/resources-for-
schools/mental-health-toolkit-for-schools/
This guidance complements ‘Mental Health and Behaviour’ guidance issued by the
Department for Education (2018) which is available to view at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools-
-2
Mental Illness
Laura Smith: [294743]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is
taking to support local authorities in managing the increase in mental ill health.
Ms Nadine Dorries:
Public Health England (PHE) provides a variety of resources to support local
authorities in managing the increase in mental ill health.
PHE also provides local government with data on mental health to local authority
level via our National Mental Health Intelligence Service. This can be viewed at the
following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mental-health-data-and-analysis-a-guide-for-health-
professionals
A dedicated profiling tool on our PHE fingertips platform is available at the following
link:
http://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile-group/mental-health/
PHE published a suite of evidence for local areas and local government in August
2017 at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevention-concordat-for-better-mental-
health-consensus-statement
This includes work on Commissioning Cost Effective Interventions at the following
link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-services-cost-effective-
commissioning
These resources give local authorities the evidence they need to take action for
mental health promotion and prevention.
PHE provides support to local areas through its Prevention Concordat for Better
Mental Health and through the work of the nine PHE local centres who support local
authorities in their local areas. To date, over 70 national organisations and 70 local
authorities have signed up to the Prevention Concordat programme. The target is to
achieve full sign up of all local areas by the end of 2020/21. This work helps support
local government in their strategic planning and delivery of mental health work as part
of their overall work on improving the health and wellbeing of their local population.
On 7 October 2019, PHE also launched a new national resource for the public to help
them look after their own mental health and support others, Every Mind Matters. This
can be viewed at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/
We are supporting the recruitment of mental health social workers in local authorities
and the NHS through the Think Ahead initiative. In addition, the New Roles in mental
health social work group, led by Health Education England and Skills for Care, is
working to develop the future social work and social care workforce with local
authorities.
NHS England has developed community mental health services framework which
aims to deliver greater integration with other services that impact on mental health
and wellbeing outcomes - including primary care, general practitioners, social care,
education, housing and third sector services. This can be viewed at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/the-community-mental-health-framework-for-
adults-and-older-adults/
MMR Vaccine
Jim Fitzpatrick: [292817]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has
assessed the potential effect on public health of allowing children who have not received
the MMR vaccine to start primary school in September 2019.
Jim Fitzpatrick: [292818]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans
to prevent children who have not received the MMR vaccine from attending school.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
MMR Vaccine: Greater London
Catherine West: [292313]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what targeted action his
Department is taking to increase the take up of the MMR vaccine in London.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Montelukast: Side Effects
Jim Shannon: [294172]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made
of reports that doctors have been advised to warn asthma patients using the drug
Montelukast of potential hallucinations and suicidal thoughts and other side-effects.
Ms Nadine Dorries:
Montelukast is effective in the treatment of asthma in adults, adolescents and
children aged six months and older who are not adequately controlled on their
usual/routine asthma medication and who need additional therapy. Montelukast also
helps to prevent the narrowing of airways triggered by exercise. The benefits of
montelukast have been shown to outweigh the risks in adults and children.
The very rare risk (up to 1 in 10,000 people) of neuropsychiatric reactions in
association with montelukast treatment has been known for some time and
information about adverse reactions including hallucinations and suicidal thinking and
behaviour (suicidality) are already included in the product information for
montelukast.
In September the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency published
an article in Drug Safety Update to remind prescribers of the very rare risk of
neuropsychiatric reactions with use of montelukast. The article outlines the risks and
advises healthcare professionals to evaluate carefully the risks and benefits of
continuing treatment with montelukast if neuropsychiatric reactions occur. Healthcare
professionals are reminded to report any suspected adverse drug reactions
associated with montelukast to the Yellow Card Scheme.
Mosquitoes: Disease Control
Nic Dakin: [292212]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) the cost would be and
(b) assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of extending the
surveillance of invasive mosquitoes to cover the whole UK.
Jo Churchill:
It is not possible to specifically attribute a cost to the potential merits of extending the
surveillance of invasive mosquitoes to cover the whole United Kingdom.
Surveillance for invasive mosquitoes was initiated by the Health Protection Agency in
2010 at UK air and seaports. This can be viewed at the following links:
https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13071-015-0936-9
https://doi.org/10.1111/mve.12396
NHS Property and Estates Review
Karin Smyth: [293620]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Appendix A:
Government response to review recommendations of the Government response to the
Naylor Review, published in January 2018, what progress has been made on those
recommendations accepted by the Government.
Edward Argar:
Sir Robert Naylor’s Review of NHS Property and Estates, published in March 2017,
outlined recommendations for how the National Health Service can better utilise NHS
property, in the interests of patients, National Health Service staff and taxpayers.
The recommendations were grouped into three themes: improving leadership and
capability; national planning and funding; and incentivising local action. The
Government Response to the Review, published in January 2018, accepted all 17
recommendations, with a small number ‘in part’ or ‘in principle’ and explained the
approach to implementation for each. Subsequently, we have taken a variety of
actions.
NHS Trusts: Mergers
Mohammad Yasin: [294222]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of services are
retained in each hospital following mergers in NHS Trusts in England in each year since
2015.
Edward Argar:
Powers under Section 56A and 56AA of the NHS Act 2006 enables a National Health
Service foundation trust to merge with another foundation trust or NHS trust. NHS
Improvement as the independent regulator does not collate the information
requested.
Every merger is different, but each will integrate the services of trusts to ensure the
delivery of high-quality NHS services. A successful merger enables trusts to join
together to gain the benefits of a larger organisation, such as releasing economies of
scale; improving patient care and manage resources more effectively than either
organisation can achieve alone.
NHS Trusts: Subsidiary Companies
Karin Smyth: [293627]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his
Department has held with HM Treasury on reductions in VAT resulting from the
establishment of wholly-owned subsidiary companies to deliver estates and property
services for the NHS.
Karin Smyth: [293628]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate the Government
has made of the additional income NHS Trusts have received through changes in VAT
treatment following the creation of wholly owned subsidiary companies to deliver estates
and property services.
Edward Argar:
We can confirm that no such discussions have taken place. The Department wrote
out to the finance directors of all National Health Service providers in September
2017 reminding them of their responsibilities around tax and advising that tax
avoidance arrangements should not be entered into under any circumstances. We
would expect all NHS providers to follow this guidance when considering any new
arrangements or different ways of working. Given these safeguards which are in
place around tax avoidance in the NHS, no discussions have taken place between
the Department of Health and Social Care and HM Treasury.
We can confirm that no such estimate has been made. There are a number of
reasons for a Trust to set up a subsidiary company, including:
- Employ staff on more flexible and in some cases more generous terms and
conditions;
- Providing services for other trusts; and
- Being able to attract staff from the local employment market.
Karin Smyth: [293629]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many proposals to form
new NHS wholly owned subsidiary companies have been assessed through the
Addendum to the transactions guidance for NHS Trusts forming or changing a subsidiary
dated November 2018.
Karin Smyth: [293630]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many proposals to form
new NHS wholly owned subsidiary companies have been received under the Addendum
to the transactions guidance for trusts forming or changing a subsidiary dated November
2018.
Karin Smyth: [293631]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment the
Government has made of the effectiveness of the process to review proposals to form
new NHS wholly owned subsidiary companies under the Addendum to the transactions
guidance for trusts forming or changing a subsidiary dated November 2018.
Karin Smyth: [293632]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress the Government
has made on planning for the review of the first year of the addendum to the transactions
guidance for trusts forming or changing a subsidiary dated November 2018.
Edward Argar:
Ministers do not have a role in approving Wholly Owned Subsidiary companies
created by NHS foundation trusts, with this role delegated by powers to NHS England
and NHS Improvement.
At the end of August 2019, NHS England and NHS Improvement had been notified of
16 business cases as part of their Wholly Owned Subsidiary review process. A
number of these are still ‘live’ cases where information is still being received as part
of the review. All cases have been reviewed to consider their relative risks, according
to the requirements of the Addendum to the transactions guidance.
When NHS England and NHS Improvement published their guidance for trusts
forming or changing a subsidiary, in November 2018, it committed to a review of the
proposals for implementing a subsidiary a year later. Work is ongoing to collect
information on the impact of the proposals; it is expected that the outcome of this
work this will be published early in 2020.
NHS: Amazon
Geraint Davies: [293419]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his
Department is having with Amazon to ensure that the health information to be made
available through Alexa, announced on 10 July 2019, will be accessible to people with
speech, language and communication needs.
Ms Nadine Dorries:
In response to questions asked by users, the information that Amazon Alexa provides
is taken directly from the National Health Service website. This NHS-accredited
information is already available for free to anyone with access to the internet,
including those who have speech, language and communication needs. Amazon
Alexa provides an alternative way in which the public are able to access professional
NHS-verified information. This technology enables patients, including the elderly,
blind or those unable to access the internet via traditional means, to receive
professional NHS-verified health information within seconds through simple voice
commands.
NHS: Disclosure of Information
Karin Smyth: [293626]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance applies to
commissioners of NHS services on disclosure of information during any contracting
process.
Edward Argar:
The guidance which applies to commissioners of National Health Service services will
depend upon the specific Regulations they have undertaken their contracting process
through. In all instances we would expect the commissioner to adhere to good
practice in relation to procurement.
If the contracting process was undertaken following the NHS Procurement, Patient
Choice and Competition Regulations 2013 any disclosure of information should be
undertaken in line with the Health and Social Care Act 2012.
If the contracting process was undertaken following the Public Contract Regulations
2015 any disclosure of information should be in line with Clause 21.
Commissioners will also need to comply with the disclosure of information
requirements in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
NHS: Drugs
Jo Stevens: [292935]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will place in the Library
each estimate that has been provided to Government since January 2019 on the potential
reduction in medicine flows from the EU to the UK in the event of the UK leaving the EU
without a Withdrawal Agreement if the Government (a) takes and (b) does not take steps
to mitigate those reductions.
Edward Argar:
The Department is doing everything appropriate to prepare for leaving the European
Union. We want to reassure patients that our plans should ensure the uninterrupted
supply of medicines and medical products once we have left the EU.
The Government has published its reasonable worst-case planning assumptions for a
no-deal EU exit scenario as of 2 August 2019. These assumptions are available at
the following link:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm
ent_data/file/831199/20190802_Latest_Yellowhammer_Planning_assumptions_CDL.
My Department, as part of our EU exit preparations, is implementing a multi-layered
approach to mitigate potential disruption to supply on the Channel short straits routes,
which consists of stockpiling where possible, securing freight capacity, changing or
clarifying regulatory requirements, procuring additional warehousing, working closely
with industry to improve trader readiness and putting in place the National Supply
Disruption Response to manage potential shortages. Further details can be found at
the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/medicines-and-medical-products-supply-
government-updates-no-deal-brexit-plans.
Dr Philippa Whitford: [293608]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who the successful supplier
was in the tender for the Express Freight Service.
Edward Argar:
The Department is in the late stages of finalising the procurement process for the
Express Freight Service. Announcement of contract awards will be published on the
Official Journal of the European Union in line with requirements under the Public
Contracts Regulations.
Tom Brake: [294083]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his
Department has made of the effect of reported customs delays at East Midlands airport
on the delivery of category 1 medicines.
Tom Brake: [294085]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had
with representatives from the British Nuclear Medicine Society on the delivery of medical
radioisotopes.
Edward Argar:
The Department is doing everything appropriate to prepare for leaving the European
Union. We want to reassure patients that our plans should ensure the uninterrupted
supply of medicines and medical products once we have left the EU.
The department, as part of our EU exit preparations, is implementing a multi-layered
approach to mitigate potential disruption to supply, which consists of stockpiling
where possible, securing freight capacity, changing or clarifying regulatory
requirements, procuring additional warehousing, working closely with industry to
improve trader readiness and putting in place the National Supply Disruption
Response to manage potential shortages. Further details can be found at the
following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/medicines-and-medical-products-supply-
government-updates-no-deal-brexit-plans
For any products that require air freight, such as some medical radioisotopes, the
Department is continuing to work with all suppliers to ensure this is in place ahead of
31 October. The Department can confirm that all relevant suppliers now have plans in
place or are already airfreighting into the United Kingdom.
The Department is also undertaking joint operational testing, with key suppliers and
other Government Departments (Border Delivery Group, HM Revenue and Customs,
Border Force) at East Midlands airport to ensure the uninterrupted flow of goods. This
testing includes medical radioisotopes.
The Department is in active communication with the British Nuclear Medicine Society
as well as with the Royal College of Radiologists and the UK Radiopharmacy Group.
Dr Sarah Wollaston: [294144]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has
made of the availability of medicines in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a
deal.
Edward Argar:
The Department is doing everything appropriate to prepare for leaving the European
Union. We want to reassure patients that our plans should ensure the uninterrupted
supply of medicines and medical products once we have left the EU.
The Department, as part of our EU exit preparations, is implementing a multi-layered
approach to mitigate potential disruption to supply, which consists of stockpiling
where possible, securing freight capacity, changing or clarifying regulatory
requirements, procuring additional warehousing, working closely with industry to
improve trader readiness and putting in place the National Supply Disruption
Response to manage potential shortages. Further details can be found at the
following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/medicines-and-medical-products-supply-
government-updates-no-deal-brexit-plans
NHS: Procurement
Tom Brake: [294084]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his
Department has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the cost of procuring
equipment in the NHS.
Edward Argar:
The Department is doing everything appropriate to prepare for leaving the European
Union. We want to reassure patients that our plans should ensure the uninterrupted
supply of medicines and medical products once we have left the EU.
The sustainability of the National Health Service is an absolute priority for the
Government. We recognise that suppliers may incur additional storage costs for
stockpiling medicines or switching to air freight as part of preparations for a potential
‘no deal’ EU exit. We have been working closely with industry to minimise costs and
support medical suppliers taking part in the contingency programme.
We are also clear that in any negotiations on future trade agreements, we could not
agree to any proposals on pricing or access that would put NHS finances at risk or
reduce clinician and patient choice.
Niraparib
Jim Shannon: [293580]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had
with Glaxo on the ovarian cancer drug Zejula.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Out of Area Treatment: Wales
David Hanson: [292117]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the Government’s policy is
for NHS England receiving patients from Wales for healthcare.
Caroline Dinenage:
Detailed arrangements for delivering healthcare between the National Health Service
in England and the NHS in Wales across the England-Wales border are set out in the
new ‘Statement of Values and Principles’ which can be found at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/part-rel/x-border-health/
Parkinson's Disease: Drugs
Jim Shannon: [294171]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his
Department has had with health bodies on the findings of recent clinical trials for
Terazosin and its potential effect of slowing down the progression of Parkinson's disease.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Patients: Transport
Sir Michael Fallon: [292068]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government has
to review the eligibility criteria for NHS patient transport.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Rare Cancers: Children
Rebecca Long Bailey: [292924]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has
made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU (a) with and (b) without a deal on access to
EU clinical trials for children with rare cancers.
Caroline Dinenage:
The United Kingdom and the European Union have a long track record of jointly
tackling global challenges with strong existing links already in place between our
research and innovation communities. We look forward to continuing our relationship
in research and innovation with the EU, regardless of EU exit.
As part of exit negotiations, we are working to ensure that we continue to have the
best possible environment in which to support clinical trials. Our overall aim is to
ensure that patients in the UK, including children with rare cancers, have access to
the best and most innovative medicines.
The Department has and continues to examine the effect on clinical trials of the UK
leaving the EU with and without a deal across a range of areas, including access to,
and mobility of, the research leaders and the technical and research delivery
workforce; access to EU research funding; the regulation of clinical trials, data and
devices; rare diseases research; and clinical trials supplies.
With regards to children with rare cancers, we are fully aware that the scarcity of
patients in any single country means that clinical research into rare diseases strongly
benefits from international collaboration.
It is important to make clear that irrespective of whether we leave the EU with or
without a deal, the UK’s ability to participate in multinational trials, in the EU or the
rest of the world, will not change and UK clinical trial applications will continue to be
authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and ethical
committees as they are now.
Beyond EU Exit, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) cancer research
expenditure has risen from £101 million in 2010/11 to £136 million in 2017/18, which
constitutes the largest investment in a disease area. The NIHR Clinical Research
Network has over 800 cancer trials and studies recruiting or in set-up. Through the
NIHR Clinical Research Network, the proportion of patients entering cancer clinical
trials and studies is more than double that in any other country for which data exists,
including the United States.
The NIHR works with Cancer Research UK to fund the Paediatric Experimental
Cancer Medicine Centre Network which plays a leading role in speeding up the
process of cancer drug development and the search for cancer biomarkers –
molecules present in blood or tissue - that can be used to diagnose cancer, predict
the aggressiveness of the disease, or show whether a drug will be effective in a
specific patient and at what dose.
Royal Liverpool Hospital: Genito-urinary Medicine
David Hanson: [292118]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what representations he has
received on the decision of Liverpool Royal Hospital to reduce treatment for patients
located in Wales for urinary tract care; and what steps the Government has taken to
mitigate the effect of that decision on patients' health.
David Hanson: [292119]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients from (a)
English and (b) Welsh postcode areas have been treated at Liverpool Royal Hospital for
urinary tract care in each of the last five years.
Caroline Dinenage:
Liverpool University Hospital Trust contacted Betsi Cadwaladr University Health
Board in March 2019 to outline its position regarding urology services for residents of
North Wales. This position was twofold:
The Trust and the Health Board agreed that new referrals of bladder cancer patients
for radical cystectomy would cease from 5 April 2019. This was due to reduced
specialist surgical cover following a 12 month period of maternity leave from June
2019. Despite rigorous attempts, the Trust had been unable to provide short term
cover in this area of national staff shortage. Whilst the Trust committed to treating all
patients referred prior to 5 April, the acceptance of new referrals ended after this
date. It was therefore considered that the best course of action for patients was for
the Health Board to make alternative arrangements for new referrals.
The Trust informed the health board that it would be enacting Trust policy ensuring
that specialist urological cancer surgery was prioritised for patients within its
immediate locality.
The attached table contains the number of patients that have been treated from
English and Welsh postcode at Liverpool Royal Hospital for urinary tract care in each
of the last five years.
The Urinary Tract Outpatient number of patients will give the overall number of
patients from Wales receiving treatment or review.
Attachments:
1. PQ292118 Table [Welsh Pats Urinary Tract (002).xlsx]
Sepsis: Babies
Eddie Hughes: [293705]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress (a) his
Department and (b) the NHS has made since February 2017 on preventing and reducing
neonatal sepsis.
Ms Nadine Dorries:
The NHS England and NHS Improvement Maternity and Neonatal Safety
Improvement Programme works with every NHS maternity and neonatal service in
England, to support a culture of continuous learning and better multi-professional
working.
The programme provides structured support for local teams to develop innovative
plans for measurable improvements. This includes improving the early recognition
and management of deterioration with suspected sepsis in mothers and babies,
during or soon after birth.
Sevoflurane
Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: [293684]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many hospitals use
Sevoflurane anaesthetic gas; and what assessment the Government has made of the
potential environmental benefits of hospitals using Sevoflurane gas rather than
Desflurane gas.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Speech and Language Therapy: Children
Geraint Davies: [293420]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report of
the Children's Commissioner entitled We need to talk: Access to speech and language
therapy, published in June 2019, what plans he has to require all local areas to have a
strategic plan in place which assesses the level of speech, language and communication
in their area.
Caroline Dinenage:
The Government recognises that speech, language and communication skills are a
primary indicator of child wellbeing.
The Prevention Green Paper made clear that the Government will continue to
prioritise improving early speech and language outcomes as a preventative measure
with strategic leadership across education, health and social care to narrow
inequalities. The Government will also continue to work with local areas to support
them to put in place joined-up strategies and services at local level that give children
and families the support they need. The Prevention Green Paper is currently out for
consultation regarding how action can be taken forward.
Spina Bifida
Jim Shannon: [293583]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been
diagnosed with spina bifida in each of the last three years.
Jim Shannon: [293587]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of
the number of children in the UK diagnosed with congenital heart disease in each of the
last five years.
Caroline Dinenage:
The following table shows the number of reported cases of spina bifida in England in
the last three years for which data are available. These data include all reported
cases of spina bifida registerable in accordance with European network of population-
based registries for the epidemiological surveillance of congenital anomalies
(EUROCAT) guidance which is available at the following link:
https://eu-rd-platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/eurocat
These data exclude spontaneous miscarriage before 20 weeks gestation and cases
of spina bifida occulta.
Number of reported cases of spina bifida in England, 2015 - 2017
YEAR OF BIRTH
NUMBER OF
REPORTED SPINA
BIFIDA CASES
TOTAL NUMBER OF
BIRTHS
(COVERAGE)
TOTAL NUMBER OF
BIRTHS IN
ENGLAND
ESTIMATED
NUMBER OF CASES
FOR ENGLAND
2015 75 141,474 667,351 354
2016 204 329,301 666,050 413
2017 181 320,013 649,330 367
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ncardrs-congenital-anomaly-
annual-data
The following table shows the estimated number of cases of congenital heart disease
in England in the last three years for which data are available. These data include all
reported cases of CHD registerable in accordance with European network of
population-based registries for the epidemiological surveillance of congenital
anomalies (EUROCAT) guidance which can be viewed at the following link
https://eu-rd-platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/eurocat
This is likely to be an under-estimate of the actual number of cases as milder forms of
congenital heart disease are often diagnosed later.
The estimated number of reported cases of congenital heart disease in England,
2015 - 2017
YEAR OF BIRTH
NUMBER OF
REPORTED CHD
CASES
TOTAL NUMBER OF
BIRTHS
(COVERAGE)
ENGLAND TOTAL
NUMBER OF BIRTHS
IN ENGLAND
ESTIMATED
NUMBER OF CASES
FOR ENGLAND
2015 706 141,474 667,351 3,330
2016 2,169 329,301 666,050 4,387
2017 2,188 320,013 649,330 4,440
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ncardrs-congenital-anomaly-
annual-data
Stargardt's Disease
Jim Shannon: [294173]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were
diagnosed with Stargardt Disease in the last five years.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Vaccination: Children
Jim Fitzpatrick: [292816]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his
Department has had with (a) representatives of clinical commissioning groups and (b)
families on increasing the uptake of childhood immunisation.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Mark Field: [292848]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is
taking to tackle (a) falling rates of childhood vaccination and (b) anti-vaccine
misinformation.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Vaccination: North East
Chi Onwurah: [293567]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what lessons can be learnt from
the higher rates of immunisation in the North East.
Jo Churchill:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Vasa Praevia
Laura Smith: [294749]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of
the number of cases of Vasa Praevia in expectant mothers in the last year for which
figures are available; and if he will make a statement.
Ms Nadine Dorries:
A count of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) with a primary diagnosis or all
diagnoses of labour and delivery complicated by vasa praevia, for 2018/19 - activity
in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity
in the independent sector can be found in the following table.
. FCES
Primary diagnosis 109
All Diagnoses 194
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), NHS Digital
Vasa Praevia: Screening
Laura Smith: [294750]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to introduce
routine screening in pregnancy for Vasa Praevia.
Caroline Dinenage:
The United Kingdom National Screening Committee in 2017 considered an evidence
review of screening for Vasa Praevia (VP). The review did not find sufficient evidence
to support a change in the overall recommendation for VP screening. The 2017
review can be seen at the following link:
https://legacyscreening.phe.org.uk/vasapraevia
West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust: Capital Investment
Sir Mike Penning: [292170]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much West Hertfordshire
Hospitals NHS Trust has requested from his Department for capital building projects.
Edward Argar:
The Department does not hold information centrally on all submitted capital bids.
WiFi: Health Hazards
Sir Greg Knight: [292847]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has
made of the level of risk to human health by multiple wi-fi systems in flats and houses of
multiple occupation; and if he will make a statement.
Jo Churchill:
Public Health England advises that exposure to radio waves, including those from Wi-
Fi equipment wherever it is used, should comply with the guidelines on limiting
exposures from the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection
(ICNIRP). These guidelines underpin health protection policies at United Kingdom
and European levels. These guidelines can be viewed at the following link:
https://www.icnirp.org/cms/upload/publications/ICNIRPLFgdl.pdf
Exposures from Wi-Fi equipment are well within the ICNIRP levels as explained at
the following link. This would include when multiple systems are installed within a
building which van be viewed at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wireless-networks-wi-fi-radio-waves-
and-health/wi-fi-radio-waves-and-health
PHE continues to monitor the health-related evidence and reviews emerging around
the world and is committed to updating its advice as required.
York Hospital: Accident and Emergency Departments
Rachael Maskell: [293635]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time
was for treatment in the A&E department at York Hospital in each year since 2015.
Edward Argar:
The average waiting times for treatment at York Hospital by year from 2014/15-
2018/19 are set out in the following table:
A count of unplanned accident and emergency attendances with mean and median
durations (minutes) to initial treatment at York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation
Trust, 2014-15 to 2018-19
TREATMENT
Year Mean Median
2014-15 75 58
2015-16 90 69
2016-17 95 73
2017-18 93 73
2018-19 95 76
HOME OFFICE
[Subject Heading to be Assigned]
Caroline Nokes: [292202]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish research
undertaken to identify target audiences prior to launching the #knifefree campaign on fast
food containers.
Kit Malthouse:
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
A34
Layla Moran: [292988]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made
of the effects of Operation Snow Bunting planning on the A34 in (a) Oxfordshire and (b)
other counties.
Kit Malthouse:
Ministers and officials have been working closely with the National Police Chiefs
Council (NPCC) and the National Police Coordination Centre (NPoCC) alongside the
Department for Transport and Highways England to determine the role of the police
in supporting the delivery of traffic management plans in the event of a No Deal.
Highways England are responsible for the strategic road network and have been
engaging with Local Resilience Fora to put in place local plans
Action Fraud
Sir Vince Cable: [291218]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria must reports
submitted to Action Fraud meet in order to be investigated.
Sir Vince Cable: [291223]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to
support fraud victims whose cases do not meet Action Fraud's criteria for investigation.
Brandon Lewis:
291218: All reports submitted to Action Fraud are subject to risk assessments, which
take into account the following:
• Vulnerability of the victim(s)
• Priority crime types i.e. those assessed as the highest harm across multiple
categories
• Financial harm of individual or linked cases
• Lines of inquiry for investigations on suspect information or identifiers, i.e. account
information, email addresses, telephone numbers, websites
• Crime or not under Home Office Counting Rules
• Other risk indicators through an assessment of key words which vary over time
• Links with other reports of similar offences
291223: Action Fraud is working in conjunction with Victim Support in London to
identify vulnerable victims and provide them with additional advice and support to
stop them becoming repeat victims.
• All forces receive details of victims in their area each week, which enables them to
deliver victim support and provide advice and guidance on crime prevention
• Particularly high risk reports with victim care needs are prioritised and sent to
forces for further action
• The National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU) pilot delivers victim care
for victims whose cases have not been referred to a local police force for
investigation, covering specific force areas: City of London Police, Metropolitan
Police, Nottinghamshire, West Midlands, Kent and Greater Manchester.
• NFIB Protect Alerts are issued to the public and local neighbourhood policing
teams based on reporting trends and intelligence
• NFIB disrupts websites, emails and telephone numbers reportedly engaged in
fraud to prevent further offending
NFIB’s Project Recall alerts banks when reports of recent fraudulent transactions are
made, which often results in payments being stopped or returned to the victim.
Action Fraud is the national reporting point for fraud and cyber crime. Since April
2013, it has taken reports of these crimes on behalf of all police forces in England
and Wales. Once Action Fraud has received a crime report, that information is
considered by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB). Where there is enough
evidence available and a viable lead, actionable intelligence packages are created
and sent to the appropriate police force to consider whether enforcement activity
should take place. Neither Action Fraud nor the NFIB are investigatory agencies. It is
still for local forces to consider enforcement activity. Both Action Fraud and the NFIB
are run by the City of London Police, which is the national lead force for fraud.
Action Fraud: Telephone Services
Sir Vince Cable: [291217]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of
the average time it takes for Action Fraud call centre operators to answer calls from the
public; and what is Action Fraud's target time is for answering such calls.
Sir Vince Cable: [291219]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of
the number of people employed by Action Fraud as (a) call centre operators, (b)
investigators and (c) other staff.
Sir Vince Cable: [291220]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of
the average time taken to investigate cases at Action Fraud; and what steps she is taking
to ensure Action Fraud has the resources necessary to investigate such cases.
Sir Vince Cable: [291221]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has
made of the adequacy of Action Fraud's performance.
Brandon Lewis:
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Agriculture: Recruitment
Bill Esterson: [292222]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is
taking to ensure the poultry meat sector has access to the labour it needs in any future
scenario.
Brandon Lewis:
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Agriculture: Seasonal Workers
Kirsty Blackman: [290922]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will not impose any
restrictions on the number of seasonal agricultural workers coming to Scotland.
Brandon Lewis:
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Antisocial Behaviour
Karin Smyth: [294194]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 10
October 2019 to Question 257770 on Antisocial Behaviour, what recent assessment she
has made of the level of compliance by local authorities with the requirement under the
Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to publish data on their use of
Community Triggers.
Karin Smyth: [294195]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made
of the effectiveness of (a) Criminal Behaviour Orders, (b) Civil Injunctions and (c)
Community Protection Notices introduced by the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and
Policing Act 2014.
Victoria Atkins:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Asylum
Afzal Khan: [294238]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking with her
counterparts in EU Member States to help ensure that take charge requests are
submitted to the UK before its departure from the EU.
Brandon Lewis:
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund
Kate Green: [R] [292230]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many organisations receive
funding from his Department through the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.
Victoria Atkins:
There are currently 22 organisations receiving funding under the Asylum Migration
and Integration Fund. The Home Office is one of these organisations, the rest are
third party recipients.
Asylum: Finance
Marion Fellows: [290395]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department paid
to Sodexo to provide the Aspen card service in each year for which data is available; and
what estimate her Department has made of the future costs of that service.
Victoria Atkins:
The Home Office does not publish data on the costs of the Sodexo contract as it is
considered commercially sensitive.
As we are in the process of retendering for the payment card we are unable to
provide any information on future costs.
Ruth Smeeth: [292322]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is
taking to ensure that people who are in receipt of Section 4 support are able to pay (a)
travel fares which can only be purchased with cash and (b) other upfront travel costs in
order to report at Home Office reporting centres.
Victoria Atkins:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Asylum: Travel
Ruth Smeeth: [292323]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has
taken to ensure reporting frequencies are not excessively (a) burdensome and (b)
expensive for people who live in places where the journey to a Home Office reporting
centre is significant.
Seema Kennedy:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
British National (Overseas)
Mr Nigel Evans: [290665]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many British National
(Overseas) passports issued to people from Hong Kong remain valid.
Seema Kennedy:
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Burglary Task Force
Louise Haigh: [292958]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Burglary Taskforce
has met since its first meeting on 29 April 2019.
Louise Haigh: [292959]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which outcomes from the
meeting of the Burglary Taskforce on 29 April 2019 have been implemented.
Kit Malthouse:
Members of the Burglary Taskforce met on 28 June to review progress on the actions
agreed at the meeting on 29 April. A further meeting of the Taskforce is planned to
take place before the end of the year.
On 1 October the Home Secretary announced a £25 million Safer Streets Fund
aimed at preventing acquisitive crime, including residential burglary, in areas
disproportionately affected by these crimes.
Care Homes: Children
Mr Steve Reed: [290859]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department
holds on the number of times police forces in England have been called to children's
homes.
Kit Malthouse:
The information requested is not held centrally by the Home Office.
Children in Care: Crime
Mr Steve Reed: [293599]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the (a) Howard
League for Penal Reform's publication of 8 July 2018, Know your numbers: using data to
monitor and address criminalisation and (b) work of Durham Police who are using data as
part of a programme of work with children's homes, if she will make an assessment of the
potential merits of using data to help reduce criminalisation and safeguard children living
in children's homes.
Victoria Atkins:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
City of London Police: Action Fraud
John Spellar: [290643]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made
of the effectiveness of the management of Action Fraud by the City of London Police.
Brandon Lewis:
The Government’s Joint Fraud Taskforce (a coalition between government, industry,
law enforcement and the third sector) continues to lead an ambitious programme of
work to design out and prevent fraud that occurs both online and offline. This includes
theTake Five fraud awareness campaign, designed to urge the public and businesses
to take time to consider whether a situation they find themselves in is genuine.
Online personal scams are increasingly perpetrated via cyber-enabled methods. To
protect victims, the Government set up the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in
October 2016. The NCSC is the UK’s technical authority on cyber security and
provides a single, central body for cyber security at a national level. The NCSC works
very closely with law enforcement agencies and the intelligence community to help
prevent, disrupt and investigate cyber-crime and other online cyber related threats. In
2018 the NCSC took down 22,133 phishing campaigns, including 14,124 UK
government-related phishing sites, and the total number of takedowns of fraudulent
websites was 192,256, across 2018, with 64% of them down in 24 hours.
Civil Disorder
Chris Ruane: [292126]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 30
September 2019 to Question 290705 on Civil Disorder, on what dates Ministers of her
Department have met with the (a) National Police Chiefs Council and (b) the National
Police Coordination Centre since July 2019; and what were the outcomes of those
meetings.
Chris Ruane: [292127]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 30
September 2019 to Question 290704 which states that there is no intelligence to suggest
widespread public disorder, what the evidential basis was for the statement in paragraph
13 of the Yellowhammer document suggesting there may be a rise in public disorder and
community tensions.
Chris Ruane: [292128]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has
contingency plans to second police officers to alternative territorial police forces in the
event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Kit Malthouse:
Ministers and officials engage regularly with the National Police Chiefs Council
(NPCC) and the National Police Coordination (NPoCC) to determine the impact of EU
Exit on policing and to plan accordingly. There is no intelligence to suggest that there
will be widespread disorder, however the planning assumptions contained within the
Yellowhammer document were formed through professional judgements to inform the
reasonable worst case scenario for No Deal EU Exit.
How the contingency plans are delivered is an operational matter for the police. They
have tried and tested mobilisation plans for responding to a wide range of scenarios.
We are working with the National Police Chiefs Council and National Police
Coordination Centre to ensure the plans are appropriate for a No Deal EU Exit
including any requirements for the provision of mutual aid.
Crime Prevention: Publicity
Deidre Brock: [285308]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how the effectiveness of the
knife free campaign messaging on chicken boxes will be measured.
Kit Malthouse:
The #knifefree campaign is based on independent qualitative and quantitative insight
and evaluation after extensive testing with the target audience.
An independent quantitative survey will be undertaken with a robust sample of the
target audience to measure the effectiveness of #knifefree summer campaign activity,
including the fast food boxes. This evaluation captures where interviewees recall
seeing #knifefree campaign communications, as well as attitudinal measures relating
to knife crime and knife carrying.
All City Media Solutions, will also undertake a post-campaign analysis including
measuring awareness and creative effectiveness of the campaign.
Crime: York
Rachael Maskell: [293650]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many offences of (a) crime
related to vehicles, (b) burglary of a dwelling, (c) other burglary, (d) criminal damage, (e)
theft, (f) violence and (g) other crimes were committed in York in each financial year since
2010-11.
Kit Malthouse:
The Home Office collects data on crimes recorded by the police in England and
Wales. These data are published quarterly and available back to the 2002/03
financial year at the level of Community Service Partnership (CSP) here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables
The CSP “City of York” covers recorded crimes within York by financial year.
Crimes of Violence: Young People
Catherine West: [284220]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the
recommendations from the Home Affairs Select Committee in its report entitled Serious
violence, HC 1016, published 31 July 2019, whether she plans to allocate dedicated
police officers for schools located in areas with higher risk of youth violence.
Kit Malthouse:
The Government is committed to tackling serious violence and we are supporting the
police to tackle these crimes. Police funding will increase by £1 billion this year,
including council tax and the new £100 million Serious Violence Fund, which will
support action in the most affected areas. The Prime Minister and Home Secretary
also announced plans to recruit an additional 20,000 officers over the next three
years.
Decisions on the deployment of individual officers are an operational matter for Chief
Constables. In the Serious Violence Strategy, we recognise the benefits of building
positive relationships between schools and police across a range of crime issues.
Disclosure and Barring Service
Mary Glindon: [264398]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 1 of the
letter from the Cabinet Secretary of 10 April 2019 to the Public Accounts Committee
inquiry on Disclosure and Barring Service: progress review, if he will place in the Library,
copies of the independence assurance reviews of the programme conducted in February
2014 and June 2014.
Mary Glindon: [264399]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 1 of the
letter from the Cabinet Secretary of 10 April 2019 to the Public Accounts Committee
inquiry on Disclosure and Barring Service: progress review, if he will place in the Library,
copies of the analysis provided by his Department's officials.
Mary Glindon: [264401]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 2 of the
letter from the Cabinet Secretary of 10 April 2019 to the Public Accounts Committee
inquiry on Disclosure and Barring Service: progress review, what estimate he has made
of the increased cost to deliver modernisation as a result of the revision of the Full
Business Case.
Victoria Atkins:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Domestic Abuse
Neil Coyle: [291027]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has plans to bring
forward legislative proposals on Domestic Abuse in autumn 2019.
Victoria Atkins:
The landmark Domestic Abuse Bill was introduced in the Commons on 16 July 2019.
The Bill sits alongside a package of non-legislative measures targeted at tackling this
abhorrent crime.
The Government is committed to progressing this Bill and Second Reading took take
place on 2 October. The Bill will be carried carried over into the next session of
Parliament.
Domestic Abuse: Discrimination
Paul Farrelly: [292138]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to
ensure equal protection for all domestic abuse survivors by upholding the non-
discrimination principle in accordance with Article 4(3) of the Istanbul Convention.
Victoria Atkins:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Domestic Abuse: Older People
Mr Jim Cunningham: [293448]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help
people over the age of 60 experiencing domestic abuse.
Victoria Atkins:
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Electronic Government: Data Protection
Mary Creagh: [292181]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish the
Memorandum of Understanding sent by the Cabinet Office to his Department on the
sharing of GOV.UK user data with the Government Digital Service.
Victoria Atkins:
The Home Office does not currently routinely publish its memorandum of
understanding with other government departments and will therefore not be
publishing this agreement.
European Criminal Records Information System
Janet Daby: [291031]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she will take to
mitigate the effect of the loss of access to the European criminal databases in the event
of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Brandon Lewis:
My Department continues to work closely with operational partners and engage with
EU Member States to prepare for our departure from the EU in October.
If necessary, we will be ready to transition our cooperation with EU Member States to
alternative, non-EU arrangements where available.
Broadly speaking, this would mean making more use of Interpol, Council of Europe
instruments and other forms of co-operation with European partners, such as bilateral
channels.
Whilst these alternative arrangements are not like-for-like replacements, they are
largely tried and tested mechanisms that we already use for cooperating with many
non-EU countries.
The UK will continue to be one of the safest countries in the world in the event of no
deal.
European Institute of Human Sciences: Proscribed Organisations
Andrew Rosindell: [292860]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has
assessed potential links between the European Institute for Human Sciences and
proscribed organisations.
Brandon Lewis:
Whilst we keep the list of proscribed groups under review, we do not routinely
comment on whether an organisation is or is not being investigated for its potential
links with groups on this list.
Fire and Rescue Services: Training
Andrea Jenkyns: [294215]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is
taking to provide suppression and prevention training on wildfires for the Fire and Rescue
Service.
Kit Malthouse:
The National Fire Chiefs Council are responsible for driving work to further improve
the fire sector’s approach to wildfire preparedness. They are increasing the number
of specialist wildfire tactical advisors across the country and are developing a
wildfires asset register to more easily source specialist equipment when required.
In addition, the Home Office supports services by providing over £27m for specialist
capabilities, such as high-volume pumps, which are well used to combat major
wildfires. This funding covers the training required for the pumps, which is overseen
by the National Resilience Assurance Team in Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service.
Fire Prevention
Nic Dakin: [292217]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is
taking to increase wildfire resilience in the UK.
Kit Malthouse:
Fire and rescue authorities in England are required to produce an Integrated Risk
Management Plan that assesses all foreseeable fire and rescue related risks
(including wildfire) that could affect their area.
The National Fire Chiefs Council are increasing the number of specialist wildfire
tactical advisors across the country and are developing a wildfires asset register to
more easily source specialist equipment when required.
In addition, the Home Office supports services by providing over £27m for specialist
capabilities, such as high-volume pumps, which are well used to combat major
wildfires.
Fraud: Internet
Nigel Dodds: [291274]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to
tackle the threat of online personal scams to vulnerable people.
Brandon Lewis:
The Government’s Joint Fraud Taskforce (a coalition between government, industry,
law enforcement and the third sector) continues to lead an ambitious programme of
work to design out and prevent fraud that occurs both online and offline. This includes
theTake Five fraud awareness campaign, designed to urge the public and businesses
to take time to consider whether a situation they find themselves in is genuine.
Online personal scams are increasingly perpetrated via cyber-enabled methods. To
protect victims, the Government set up the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in
October 2016. The NCSC is the UK’s technical authority on cyber security and
provides a single, central body for cyber security at a national level. The NCSC works
very closely with law enforcement agencies and the intelligence community to help
prevent, disrupt and investigate cyber-crime and other online cyber related threats. In
2018 the NCSC took down 22,133 phishing campaigns, including 14,124 UK
government-related phishing sites, and the total number of takedowns of fraudulent
websites was 192,256, across 2018, with 64% of them down in 24 hours.
Fraud: Older People
Andrew Percy: [294130]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to raise
awareness of telephone scams that target elderly people.
Brandon Lewis:
Since September 2016, the Government has been running the Take Five fraud
awareness campaign designed to urge the public and businesses to take time to
consider whether a situation they find themselves in is genuine. The campaign equips
the public to more confidently challenge fraudulent approaches – be they face-to-
face, on the telephone or online. Specific advice on phone scams and vishing can be
found at www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk.
The Take Five campaign has been jointly led by HMG and UK Finance and involved
influential public, private and third sector partners, including Age UK, National
Trading Standards (Friends Against Scams initiative), Neighbourhood Watch, banks
and law enforcement to deliver protective messages to people who are most
vulnerable to fraud, including the elderly. The campaign has been run nationally
across digital and social media, radio and video on demand platforms, and included
media partnerships with publications such as Women’s Weekly, Ideal Home and
Take a Break and presenter-led spots on radio stations like LBC and Heart, seeking
to embed behavioural change amongst the target audience.
In addition to this campaign activity, the Government continues to work on practical
solutions to address nuisance and scam calls. DCMS secured over £600k in the
Autumn Budget to provide vulnerable people with call blocking devices. This was in
addition to £500K secured for the same purpose in the previous spending review
period. This funding has helped to protect some of the most vulnerable in society
from nuisance calls and scams, including those originating from overseas. The
Government has also taken action to ban pensions cold calling, recognising that it is
the most common method used to initiate pension fraud, which can leave people
facing retirement with a greatly reduced income
Home Office: Energy Supply
Nic Dakin: [290337]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which provider supplies energy
to his Department; how much CO2 was emitted through his Department’s energy
consumption in the latest period for which figures are available; whether the criteria his
Department uses to selecting an energy supplier includes how environmentally friendly
the supplier is; and what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce CO2
emissions from its energy use.
Victoria Atkins:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Home Office: Ethnic Groups
Chris Stephens: [292941]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion
of staff who applied for promotion within her Department from 1 September 2018 to 1
September 2019 and who identified as (a) BAME and (b) White were successful by each
grade in her Department.
Victoria Atkins:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Human Trafficking: Immigration
Vernon Coaker: [R] [292096]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will introduce a new
immigration status of survivor of modern slavery for people who have received a positive
conclusive grounds decision through the National Referral Mechanism.
Victoria Atkins:
If a confirmed victim of modern slavery does not qualify for asylum, humanitarian
protection or other forms of leave to remain under the Immigration Rules, then they
are considered for a grant of discretionary leave to remain on a case-by-case basis,
taking into account the particular circumstances of each case. There are no plans to
change this policy.
Human Trafficking: Victim Support Schemes
Vernon Coaker: [R] [292095]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to announce her
Department's policy on support for survivors of modern trafficking who have received a
positive conclusive grounds decision.
Victoria Atkins:
The Government is committed to ending modern slavery and providing victims with
the support they need to rebuild their lives.
Support and assistance for adult victims of modern slavery is provided via the
government-funded Victim Care Contract, in England and Wales. This support
enables victims leaving situations of exploitation to access specialist care, to begin to
rebuild their lives. This includes accommodation, financial support, access to mental
and physical health services, and signposting to legal sup-port. Confirmed victims
receive a minimum of 90 days Victim Care Contract support; however, many are
supported for longer than this.
Our new Recovery Needs Assessment process will improve support for confirmed
victims by ensuring their ongoing recovery needs, arising from their modern slavery
experiences, are identified and supported through the Victim Care Contract or other
services. The Recovery Needs Assessment will inform an individual move-on plan
with the aim of establishing longer-term stability by helping victims transition out of
Victim Care Contract support and into a community where they can start to rebuild
their lives. Where this is not yet possible, Victim Care Contract services will continue
to meet the confirmed victim’s recovery needs.
The Recovery Needs Assessment guidance was published on Friday 27 September
and assessments will start during the week commencing 30 September. We will keep
the Recovery Needs Assessment process and guidance under review throughout its
gradually phased implementation over the coming months.
Immigration Controls: EU Nationals
Patrick Grady: [290389]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, wnat documentation officials at
the border have been instructed to accept as proof of (a) settled status and (b) pre-settled
status for EU nationals arriving in the UK after 31 October 2019.
Brandon Lewis:
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Immigration Controls: Sudan
Dr David Drew: [290616]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he has taken since
14 August 2019 to ensure that human rights violators from Sudan do not enter the UK.
Seema Kennedy:
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Immigration: EEA Nationals
Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: [290438]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has
taken for EEA nationals’ settlement status to be verified by border officials after the UK
exits the EU in the event that the secure online service is inaccessible due to (a)
temporary system failure, (b) planned system maintenance and (c) cyber-attack.
Brandon Lewis:
Immediately after exit, EU citizens can continue to cross the border using their
passport or national identity card. They will be able to use e-Gates if they are
travelling on a biometric passport.
EU citizens will not be routinely asked to prove that they have been granted status
under the EU Settlement Scheme after EU Exit in order to re-enter the UK but
systems will be in place to allow border officials to make such checks where
necessary. There are established contingency processes and procedures in the
event of any interruption to systems at the border which border officials are familiar
with.
Once the new points based immigration system is fully introduced, Border Force will
be able to identify those individuals granted status digitally without the need for the
individual to provide evidence.
Immigration: EU Nationals
Jo Stevens: [292271]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans
to apply restrictions on access to (a) social security and (b) health services to non-UK EU
citizens (i) without evidence of settled status and (ii) with other legal immigration status
after 31 October 2019.
Brandon Lewis:
Eligibility rules governing access to social security benefits and NHS services by EU
citizens living in the UK will not change on 31 October 2019. We have made clear
that all EU citizens will require status under UK immigration legislation to continue
living in the UK after the end of 2020, when the new points-based immigration system
is introduced. We will set out the rules for the new system and associated
entitlements in due course.
Caroline Nokes: [293540]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many full-time equivalent
staff are employed to work on the EU Settled Status Scheme.
Brandon Lewis:
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Immigration: Migrant Workers
James Frith: [291421]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is
taking to ensure that visa-free travel is maintained between the UK and the EU for short
visits to work in the UK after the UK leaves the EU.
James Frith: [291422]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a new immigration
system will be in place from 1 November 2019 for people working in the UK and not
under visiting or settled status.
James Frith: [291423]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there will be a transition
immigration system in place from 1 November 2019 for people working in the UK and not
under visiting or settled status.
Brandon Lewis:
Whether the UK leaves the EU on 31 October 2019 with or without a deal, the
Government has announced that EEA and Swiss citizens will be able to continue to
travel to the UK until the end of 2020 without needing a visa.
From January 2021 we will introduce a new points-based immigration system. This
will prioritise the skills and contributions people can make to the UK, rather than
where they come from.
In a no deal scenario, there will be a transitional period before the new immigration
system commences in 2021. The Government announced the details of these
temporary immigration arrangements on 4 September 2019 and they are available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/no-deal-immigration-arrangements-for-
eu-citizens-moving-to-the-uk-after-brexit.
Law-abiding EEA and Swiss citizens moving to the UK after a no deal Brexit will still
be able to live and work in the UK for a temporary period, but we will make it harder
for serious criminals to enter the UK. Those new arrivals who wish to stay beyond the
end of 2020 will need to apply for a UK immigration status. The Home Office will open
a new immigration scheme – the European Temporary Leave to Remain Scheme – to
provide a route to apply for this status. The online application process will be simple
and free of charge. Subject to identity, security and criminality checks, successful
applicants will be granted 36 months’ leave to remain in the UK. This will provide
them with a bridge into the new immigration system.
EEA and Swiss citizens who are resident in the UK by exit on 31 October 2019 will
remain eligible to apply for UK immigration status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
They will have until at least 31 December 2020 to do so.
Jon Wedger
Melanie Onn: [292945]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has
taken to investigate allegations made by whistleblower Jon Wedger against the
Metropolitan Police.
Kit Malthouse:
The investigation of allegations made against police forces is a matter for the force
and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to consider as appropriate.
The decision-making processes of both organisations are independent of the
Government and the Home Office itself.
Knives: Crime
Janet Daby: [291477]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department
holds in relation to perpetrators of crimes using sharp objects and (a) time spent in Pupil
Referral Units, (b) housing status and (c) employment status.
Kit Malthouse:
As set out in the Government’s Serious Violence Strategy, there are a number of risk
and protective factors for involvement in serious violence, some of which relate to
background or personal circumstances. The Home Office does not, however,
routinely collect information about whether those who are charged with, or convicted
of, offences involving sharp objects have spent time in a Pupil Referral Unit or about
their housing and employment status.
Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: [292978]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made
of trends in the level of knife crime in (a) Slough constituency and (b) the UK.
Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: [292979]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is
taking to reduce incidences of knife crime in (a) Slough constituency and (b) the UK.
Kit Malthouse:
There were 1,514 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument recorded by Thames
Valley Police in 2018/19, a 13 per cent increase compared with the previous year,
and a 30 per cent increase since 2010/11. Across England and Wales, there has
been an 8 per cent increase in 2018/19, and a 42 per cent increase since 2010/11.
These increases are thought to be partly a genuine increase and partly due to
improvements in the police recording of these offences.
We are taking determined action to tackle knife crime and other serious violence.
This includes giving the police the resources and tools they need to keep families,
communities and our country safe. We have recently launched a national campaign
to begin to recruit 20,000 new police officers over the next three years, and we are
making it easier for the police to use stop and search powers.
Police funding is increasing by more than £1 billion this year, including council tax
and additional funding through the £100 million Serious Violence Fund. This Fund
includes £63.4 million for surge operational activity, £35 million to support Violence
Reduction Units, and £1.6 million to help improve the quality of data on serious
violence. Thames Valley Police are receiving £1.94 million from the Fund for surge
activity and a further £1.16 million for their Violence Reduction Unit.
In addition, through the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, we are providing the police
with more powers, and making it more difficult for young people to get hold of knives
in the first place. The Act includes Knife Crime Prevention Orders which will give the
police an important new tool to help them to work with people to steer them away
from serious violence and knife crime.
We continue to encourage all police forces to undertake a series of coordinated
national weeks of action to tackle knife crime under Operation Sceptre. The operation
includes targeted stop and searches, weapon sweeps, surrender of knives, including
through amnesty bins, test purchases of knives from retailers, and educational
events. The latest phase of the operation took place from 17 to 22 September.
We are also addressing the root causes of crime by investing over £220 million in
early intervention projects and in July this year, the Government announced a new
legal duty on public bodies to prevent and tackle serious violence. This will ensure
that all relevant services work together to share data and knowledge, and to allow
them to target their interventions to prevent violence altogether.
Law Enforcement Data Service
Chris Ruane: [290967]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Operation
Yellowhammer HMG Reasonable Worst Case Planning Assumptions paragraph 10, what
steps her Department is taking to mitigate the disruption of law enforcement data and
information sharing between the UK and the EU in the event that the UK leaves the EU
without no deal.
Brandon Lewis:
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Leicestershire Police: Recruitment
Keith Vaz: [284695]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Prime
Minister's statement of 24 July 2019, if her Department will estimate the number of new
police officer posts that will be established by Leicestershire Police by 2022.
Kit Malthouse:
The Government has committed to increasing the number of police officers by 20,000
over the next three years. We are committed to giving police the resources, tools and
powers they need to tackle the scourge of crime.
The Home Office does not hold figures for the number of police officer vacancies
advertised prior to 23 July 2019.
Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) had previously announced plans to recruit
3000 additional officers in 2019/20. The recruitment of 20,000 officers announced by
the Government is in addition to these numbers already announced by PCCs.
Metropolitan Police: Recruitment
Neil Coyle: [287595]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the additional
police officers will be recruited (a) to the Metropolitan Police and (b) to work in
Southwark.
Kit Malthouse:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
National Policing Board
Louise Haigh: [292957]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how times the National Policing
Board has met in the last year.
Kit Malthouse:
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
North Yorkshire Police Authority: Finance
Rachael Maskell: [293649]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department
allocated to North Yorkshire Police Authority in each financial year since 2010-11.
Kit Malthouse:
Police Grant allocations are published by the Home Office every year. Historical grant
allocation figures can be found on https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-
finance
Offences against Children
Sarah Champion: [284550]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has (a)
geographically mapped the prevalence of different methodologies for perpetrating child
sexual abuse in the UK as set out in the National Crime Agency’s National Strategic
Assessment of Serious and Organised Crime 2018 and (b) discrete plans for tackling
each such methodology of perpetration.
Sarah Champion: [284691]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of money
allocated from the public purse for the prevention of child sexual abuse and exploitation
was spent on disrupting perpetrators in the most recent period for which such information
is available.
Sarah Champion: [284692]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will estimate the number of
people posing a sexual threat to children (a) online and (b) offline in the UK.
Victoria Atkins:
There are over 58,000 Registered Sex Offenders in the UK. A conservative estimate
of the National Crime Agency (NCA) is that around 80,000 people in the UK present
some kind of sexual threat to children online, while the Centre of Expertise on Child
Sexual Abuse estimates that 15% of girls and 5% of boys experience some form of
sexual abuse before the age of 16.
In February 2017, the Government published its Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation:
Progress Report and announced a £40m package of measures to protect children
and young people from sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking, and to crack down
on offenders. In September 2018, the Government announced an additional £21.5m
investment in law enforcement to reduce the volume of offending and pursue the
most hardened and dangerous abusers.
The Government has made significant progress in tackling child sexual exploitation.
We have prioritised child sexual abuse as a national threat to empower law
enforcement to tackle these crimes, developed world-leading technology such as the
child abuse image database (CAID) to tackle online child sexual abuse, and built the
capabilities of our law enforcement and intelligence partners to bring the highest-
harm offenders to justice.
The Government continue to engage closely with a range of partners including law
enforcement, charities and academics to build our understanding of the evolving
threat in order to do all we can to protect children and stop offenders.
In 2017 the government established the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse
with £7.5 million of funding. Headed by Barnardo’s, the centre works to improve our
understanding of the scale and nature of pathways into child sexual offending and
what works to prevent and tackle it, including developing a typology of child sexual
offending which will support a more targeted response by the police and other
agencies.
We will publish a national strategy setting out how we will galvanise local, national
and international efforts to prevent, tackle and respond to all forms of Child Sexual
Abuse, which will be supported by the announcement on 4 September 2019 of an
additional £30 million to safeguard children from child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Increasing funding for cutting-edge technology and the best intelligence and law
enforcement capabilities will enable police officers to continue to target the worst and
most sophisticated offenders.
Sarah Champion: [284687]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to publish an
update to the Tackling child sexual exploitation: progress report published on 16 February
2017.
Victoria Atkins:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Sarah Champion: [290802]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will estimate the number of
people posing a sexual threat to children (a) online and (b) offline in the UK.
Sarah Champion: [290804]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of money
allocated from the public purse for the prevention of child sexual abuse and exploitation
was spent on disrupting perpetrators in the most recent period for which such information
is available.
Sarah Champion: [290807]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has (a)
geographically mapped the prevalence of different methodologies for perpetrating child
sexual abuse in the UK as set out in the National Crime Agency’s National Strategic
Assessment of Serious and Organised Crime 2018 and (b) discrete plans for tackling
each such methodology of perpetration.
Victoria Atkins:
There are over 58,000 Registered Sex Offenders in the UK. A conservative estimate
of the National Crime Agency (NCA) is that around 80,000 people in the UK present
some kind of sexual threat to children online, while the Centre of Expertise on Child
Sexual Abuse estimates that 15% of girls and 5% of boys experience some form of
sexual abuse before the age of 16.
In February 2017, the Government published its Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation:
Progress Report and announced a £40m package of measures to protect children
and young people from sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking, and to crack down
on offenders. In September 2018, the Government announced an additional £21.5m
investment in law enforcement to reduce the volume of offending and pursue the
most hardened and dangerous abusers.
The Government has made significant progress in tackling child sexual exploitation.
We have prioritised child sexual abuse as a national threat to empower law
enforcement to tackle these crimes, developed world-leading technology such as the
child abuse image database (CAID) to tackle online child sexual abuse, and built the
capabilities of our law enforcement and intelligence partners to bring the highest-
harm offenders to justice.
The Government continue to engage closely with a range of partners including law
enforcement, charities and academics to build our understanding of the evolving
threat in order to do all we can to protect children and stop offenders.
In 2017 the government established the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse
with £7.5 million of funding. Headed by Barnardo’s, the centre works to improve our
understanding of the scale and nature of pathways into child sexual offending and
what works to prevent and tackle it, including developing a typology of child sexual
offending which will support a more targeted response by the police and other
agencies.
We will publish a national strategy setting out how we will galvanise local, national
and international efforts to prevent, tackle and respond to all forms of Child Sexual
Abuse, which will be supported by the announcement on 4 September 2019 of an
additional £30 million to safeguard children from child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Increasing funding for cutting-edge technology and the best intelligence and law
enforcement capabilities will enable police officers to continue to target the worst and
most sophisticated offenders.
Sarah Champion: [290805]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has
taken to help further understand the specific characteristics and motivations of child
sexual abuse offenders whose methodology is defined as group-based grooming as set
out in the National Crime Agency’s National Strategic Assessment of Serious and
Organised Crime 2018.
Victoria Atkins:
The Government attaches the highest priority to tackling all forms of child sexual
abuse.
We have been pursuing work on several fronts to improve our understanding of
group-based child sexual exploitation (CSE), considering the broadest evidence base
and applying due scrutiny to quantitative and qualitative research and analysis. This
work includes efforts to improve data collection by law enforcement, qualitative
research into police operations and reviews of existing literature on group-based
offending.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse announced its investigation of child
sexual exploitation by organised networks and set out the scope of its investigation at
a preliminary hearing in May this year. While independent of Government, we
welcome the Inquiry’s work in this area and as always, the Government will
cooperate fully and we will give careful consideration to its findings in due course.
On 4 September the Government announced an additional £30 million to safeguard
children from child sexual exploitation and abuse. Increasing funding for cutting-edge
technology and the best intelligence and law enforcement capabilities will enable
police officers to continue to target the worst and most sophisticated offenders.
Offensive Weapons Act 2019
Preet Kaur Gill: [291085]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9
September 2019 to Question 285406 on Offensive Weapons Act 2019, what additional
resources he plans to provide to the police to ensure that they are able to enforce that
legislation.
Kit Malthouse:
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Orgreave
Paul Farrelly: [284434]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to hold a
public inquiry into the police operation at Orgreave on 18 June 1984.
Kit Malthouse:
There are no plans to review the Government’s decision of 31 October 2016 not to
establish a public inquiry into the policing of the events at the Orgreave coking plant
on 18 June 1984.
Personation
Mr Clive Betts: [290288]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of
the number of reports of identity theft and fraud made to Action Fraud which were not
recorded as crimes in each year from 2015 to 2019.
Mr Clive Betts: [290289]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many reports of identity
theft and fraud made to Action Fraud were referred to trading standards departments for
investigation in each year from 2015 to 2019.
Brandon Lewis:
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Police
Peter Kyle: [285386]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers there
were in England and Wales in July (a) 2018 and (b) 2016.
Kit Malthouse:
The Home Office publishes information on the number of police officers in England
and Wales as at 31 March and 30 September each year, which are available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales
Stephen Doughty: [293596]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have
been put on standby for redeployment for mutual aid from (a) South Wales Police, (b)
Greater Manchester Police, (c) Thames Valley Police, (d) Northumbria Police, (e) West
Midlands Police and (f) British Transport Police for the period identified by Operation
Snow Bunting.
Kit Malthouse:
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Police Federation of England and Wales
Keith Vaz: [284730]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she next plans to meet
with the Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales.
Kit Malthouse:
The Home Secretary has regular meetings with the National Chair of the Police
Federation of England and Wales to discuss a range of issues of relevance to the
Federation and its members. The last such meeting took place in August 2019. In the
interests of Government transparency and accountability details of Ministerial
meetings are published on a quarterly basis on GOV.UK.
Police: Consultants
Keith Vaz: [284556]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many retired police officers
have been engaged by police services in a consulting role in each year since 2016.
Kit Malthouse:
The Home Office does not centrally hold the information requested
Decisions on the size and composition of the police workforce are operational matters
for Chief Officers working with their Police and Crime Commissioners and taking into
account local priorities.
Police: Human Rights
Nigel Dodds: [291276]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many human rights
advisors are employed by police forces in England and Wales.
Kit Malthouse:
The Home Office does not hold this information.
Police: Recruitment
Keith Vaz: [284698]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Prime
Minister's statement of 24 July 2019, how many of the vacancies for additional police
officers to be recruited by 2022 had been advertised before 23 July 2019.
Kit Malthouse:
The Government has committed to increasing the number of police officers by 20,000
over the next three years. We are committed to giving police the re-sources, tools
and powers they need to tackle the scourge of crime.
The Home Office does not hold figures for the number of police officer vacancies
advertised prior to 23 July 2019.
Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) had previously announced plans to recruit
3000 additional officers in 2019/20. The recruitment of 20,000 offic-ers announced by
the Government is in addition to these numbers already announced by PCCs.
Mary Creagh: [290973]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much the Government
plans to spend on the Be a Force for All campaign via (a) websites, (b) newspapers, (c)
television, (d) search engine optimisation, (e) social media by platform, (f) billboards (g)
and any other medium in (i) total and (ii) each month of the campaign.
Kit Malthouse:
The first phase of the police recruitment campaign is running from Thursday 5th
September to Friday 18th October 2019.
The department is currently expecting to spend approximately £1.4m on this phase of
campaign activity including website development and advertising.
The next phase of the campaign is due to run from January 2020. The department is
currently in planning for this campaign and is yet to finalise budgets across the
programme.
Government policies and programmes affect the lives of millions of people and in
order for them to work, they must be communicated effectively to engage the public
and bring about positive behaviour change. However, this has to be done with cost
efficiency in mind and there are strict rules to ensure value for money on Government
advertising.
Mary Creagh: [291026]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which companies have been
awarded contracts to run the websites for the Be a Force for All police recruitment
campaign; how much was disbursed from the public purse to those companies under
those contracts; which advertising channels have been used by those companies for that
campaign; and how much each of those companies spent on each of those advertising
channels.
Kit Malthouse:
The Home Office is responsible for delivery of the national police recruitment
campaign.
No tender was sent out specifically for the police recruitment campaign website. The
national police recruitment campaign, including the campaign website, is delivered
through existing government contracts with government-procured agencies who work
across a number of Home Office priority issues. These contracts are awarded
through open competition and spend is capped to ensure value for money for the
taxpayer – contractual information is available to the public through Contracts Finder.
The Home Office has worked with its contracted digital agency , Story UK.
No advertising channels have been used by Story UK in relation to the website and
no money spent.
Mary Creagh: [291029]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason the websites (a)
www.joiningthepolice.co.uk and (b) www.policenow.org.uk do not use gov.uk.
Kit Malthouse:
The Home Office is responsible for the www.joiningthepolice.co.uk website. The
Home Office applied for, and was granted, an exemption from gov.uk in line with
normal procedures on the basis that the gov.uk campaigns platform offers limited
functionality. Specifically, it would not have supported the required interactive map
providing live information on the forces currently recruiting in specific entry routes.
Police Now is an independent national charitable social enterprise. The Home Office
is not responsible for its website arrangements.
Mary Creagh: [291338]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to
ensure that the Be a Force for All campaign complies with the General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR); and whether a data protection impact assessment has been
produced in accordance with Article 35 and 36 of the GDPR.
Kit Malthouse:
We take the protection and privacy of personal data very seriously. The Government
Communication Service, as the professional body for communications in government,
upholds the highest professional standards in undertaking its duties and in particular,
complying with data protection legislation.
The campaign microsite, www.joiningthepolice.co.uk, directs potential applicants to
local police force websites, which are not managed by the Home Office, to begin their
application process. The microsite collects IP addresses and generates cookies to
inform improvement of the site and to make campaign marketing more engaging and
relevant. However, this information is not used to identify users personally and is
handled in accordance with the current data protection legislation.
For further information on the campaign microsite’s use of data and cookies please
visit:
https://www.joiningthepolice.co.uk/privacy.html
https://www.joiningthepolice.co.uk/cookies.html
Louise Haigh: [292955]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when forces will be told of the
allocation of funding in order to recruit 6,000 additional officers.
Kit Malthouse:
The Government has committed to increasing the number of police officers by an
additional 20,000 over the next three years.
Up to 6,000 additional officers will be recruited in the first wave by the end of 2020/21
and will be shared among the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales.
The allocation of officers across England and Wales is yet to be confirmed.
Police: Recuitment
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294155]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the
Government's plans to recruit 20,000 new police officers, how many new officers will be
will be deployed in (a) Surrey and (b) the South East.
Kit Malthouse:
The allocation of new officers between forces is yet to be confirmed.
The Government’s commitment to recruiting 20,000 additional officers over three
years will provide every force in England and Wales with an uplift in resource to
address the demand pressures they face.
The Chancellor has announced that the Home Office will receive £750 million for
investment in policing in 2020/21, this funding will support recruitment of the first
wave of up to 6,000 additional officers across the 43 territorial police forces in
England and Wales.
Police: Retirement
Jo Stevens: [294185]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of
the number of police officers expected to retire in the next three years.
Kit Malthouse:
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Police: Road Traffic Control
Tom Brake: [292790]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what preparations her
Department for policing operations in relation to traffic management in the event that the
UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Kit Malthouse:
Ministers and officials have been working closely with the National Police Chiefs
Council (NPCC) and the National Police Coordination Centre (NPoCC) alongside the
Department for Transport and Highways England to determine the role of the police
in supporting the delivery of traffic management plans in the event of a No Deal.
Highways England are responsible for the strategic road network.
Police: Scotland
John Lamont: [284352]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what effect funding 20,000
additional police officers will have on the Scottish Government's block grant.
Kit Malthouse:
Any increase in funding to the police forces of England and Wales would generate a
‘Barnett consequential’ uplift to the Block Grants to the Scottish Government. It would
be a matter for the Scottish Government to determine how the additional resources
would be allocated.
Police: Wales
Ruth Jones: [284230]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of
the number of additional police officers required in (a) Newport West and (b) Wales to
reduce the level of crime and keep communities safe.
Kit Malthouse:
The Prime Minister and Home Secretary have announced the recruitment of 20,000
extra officers over the next three years. This demonstrates our commitment to
supporting the police and giving them extra resource to protect the public and keep
us all safe.
The allocation of officers across England and Wales is yet to be confirmed. We are
working closely with police leaders to put in place the plans and systems to deliver on
this commitment. Police budgets and force level funding will be set out in the usual
way at the provisional police settlement.
Proceeds of Crime
Caroline Nokes: [292203]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what type of costs are incurred
by the public purse when dealing with assets seized by the NCA.
Caroline Nokes: [292204]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what financial controls are in
place to ensure the effective use of public funds when properties are seized by the
National Crime Agency.
Brandon Lewis:
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Retail Trade: Crimes of Violence
Royston Smith: [292365]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps is he taking to
strengthen protections for shop workers that face (a) abusive, (b) threatening and (c)
violent behaviour.
Kit Malthouse:
The Government recognises the damaging impact that violence and abuse toward
shop staff can have.
That is why the National Retail Crime Steering Group brings together Government,
the police, retailers and others to help ensure the response to these crimes, and
wider related issues, is as robust as it can be. This includes guidance on reporting
incidents to the police and the use of Impact Statements for Business which provide
victims with a voice in the criminal justice process. The Home Office also provided
£60,000 for a targeted communications campaign led by the Association of
Convenience Stores to raise awareness.
In addition, we launched a call for evidence on violence and abuse toward shop staff
to help strengthen our understanding of the scale and extent of the issue. The call for
evidence has now closed and we are currently analysing responses. We intend to
publish the Government’s response in due course.
Schools: Fire Prevention
Dr David Drew: [290606]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to make the
Fire and Rescue Services and other approved fire inspectors aware of their duties to
ensure that school notice boards are fire compliant; and if she will make a statement.
Kit Malthouse:
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person
(usually the owner, employer or managing agent) is required to undertake and review
regularly a fire risk assessment of the premises and ensure adequate fire protection
measures are in place and maintained appropriately in order to mitigate the risk to life
from fire. To help responsible persons identify and mitigate fire risk and comply with
the provisions of the Order, Government has made available guidance, including a
specific guide for education premises, which is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-risk-assessment-educational-
premises
The Fire and Rescue National Framework for England requires fire and rescue
authorities to have a management strategy and risk-based inspection programme in
place to ensure compliance with the Fire Safety Order within their respective areas.
Fire and rescue authorities visit premises to audit compliance. They check the fire
risk assessment and that the fire precautions in place are adequate and effective in
keeping the risk to life as low as reasonably practicable. If the audit shows a
premises to be unsatisfactory, fire and rescue authorities can issue an informal notice
suggesting safety measures or, in more serious cases, a formal notice.
Social Media: Violence
Louise Haigh: [292960]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police staff and
officers are working on the Government funded social media hub to tackle violent content
online; and what the volume is of gang-related content that has been (a) disrupted and
(b) removed from social media platforms.
Kit Malthouse:
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
South Wales Police: Recruitment
Ruth Jones: [284219]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Prime
Minister's statement of 24 July 2019, how many of the 20,000 new police officers will be
recruited by South Wales Police.
Ruth Jones: [284222]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Prime
Minister's statement of 24 July 2019, how many of the 20,000 new police officers will be
recruited by North Wales Police.
Ruth Jones: [284224]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Prime
Minister's statement of 24 July 2019, how many of the 20,000 new police officers will be
recruited by Dyfed-Powys Police.
Ruth Jones: [284227]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Prime
Minister's statement of 24 July 2019, how many of the 20,000 new police officers will be
recruited by Gwent Police.
Kit Malthouse:
The Prime Minister and Home Secretary have announced the recruitment of 20,000
extra officers over the next three years. This demonstrates our commitment to
supporting the police and giving them extra resource to protect the public and keep
us all safe.
The allocation of officers across England and Wales is yet to be confirmed. We are
working closely with police leader to put in place the plans and systems to deliver on
this commitment. Police budgets and force level funding are set out in the usual way
at the provisional police settlement.
HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION
House of Commons: Security
Stephen Doughty: [293592]
To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of
Commons Commission, whether a (a) temporary or (b) permanent House of Commons
security pass has ever been refused on the grounds that the applicant had been found to
be in contempt of Parliament.
Tom Brake:
In the past 10 years, there have been no cases where a temporary or permanent
House of Commons security pass has been refused on the grounds that the applicant
had been found to be in contempt of Parliament.
Parliament decides on matters of contempt, including sanctions, on a case-by-case
basis, on the advice of the Committee of Privileges.
Parliament: Sign Language
Rachael Maskell: [291024]
To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of
Commons Commission, whether the Commission plans to provide British Sign Language
interpreters for all Parliamentary debates.
Tom Brake:
British Sign Language (BSL) has been provided for a number of debates in
Westminster Hall over the past two years, with signing successfully integrated into
the video output on parliamentlive.tv. A studio area has now been established in 7
Millbank where filming of BSL interpreters can take place.
I am pleased to inform the hon. Member that funding has been approved for BSL
interpretation of Prime Minister’s Questions for the period November 2019 to March
2020 and funding for BSL interpretation beyond this period is being considered. This
service will be reviewed by February 2020 and further consideration given to wider
use of BSL for other Parliamentary proceedings.
A proposal for live subtitling of all proceedings in the House of Commons Chamber to
be shown on parliamentlive.tv is also currently being considered.
HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Affordable Housing and Social Rented Housing: North West
Ms Angela Eagle: [292113]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
plans his Department has to increase the provision of (a) affordable and (b) social
housing in (i) the North West, (ii) Merseyside and (iii) Wallasey.
Esther McVey:
[Holding answer 3 October 2019]: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon.
Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Affordable Housing: Finance
Caroline Lucas: [292188]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will
re-establish dedicated funding programmes for local authorities and housing providers to
create affordable housing from long-term empty homes throughout England.
Caroline Lucas: [292189]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will
undertake a review of how the legal powers available to local authorities to tackle empty
homes and poor standards of management in the private rented sector could be
improved.
Caroline Lucas: [292190]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will
provide support for empty home prevention schemes by offering financial support to
owners for sustainability measures and home improvements such as insulation measures
designed to increase the longevity and environmental efficiency of existing homes.
Caroline Lucas: [292192]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will
open funding programmes to tackle empty homes to community-led organisations who
are not registered providers; and if he will make a statement.
Esther McVey:
The Department has no current plans to establish funding programmes specifically
targeted at renovating or preventing empty homes, nor to carry out a formal review of
local authorities' powers in this respect. Local authorities are already equipped with a
range of powers and strong incentives to tackle empty homes. Through the New
Homes Bonus, they earn the same financial reward for bringing an empty home back
into use as for building a new one. Since 1 April 2019, via the Rating (Property in
Common Occupation) and Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Act 2018, local authorities
have the discretion to increase the maximum level of premium charged on properties
that have been empty for more than two years from 50 per cent to 100 per cent extra
council tax. In certain circumstances, local authorities can apply for an Empty
Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) to temporarily take over the management of a
property that has been empty for more than two years and bring it back into use.
The number of long-term empty homes remains substantially lower than when
records began. In October 2010, 299,999 homes in England had been standing
empty for longer than 6 months; as of October 2018, there were 216,186 long-term
empty properties. We do not have plans to make a further statement to the House on
the issue at present.
Affordable Housing: South Gloucestershire
Jack Lopresti: [292887]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
steps he is taking to ensure that the revised Joint Spatial Plan for South Gloucestershire
will not effect the building of affordable homes in the Filton and Bradley Stoke area.
Esther McVey:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Buildings: Fire Prevention
Mr Steve Reed: [292249]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if his
Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a national
buildings register of all high-risk buildings over 11m in height in England to store
information such as construction materials used fire safety certification.
Esther McVey:
[Holding answer 3 October 2019]: The government published its Building a Safer
Future Consultation on proposals for reform of the building safety regulatory system
on 6 June. The consultation included proposals on establishing a register for
buildings within scope of the new regime and proposals on construction products.
The consultation included an analytical overview of the proposals. The government is
considering the responses to the consultation and will respond in due course.
Buildings: Insulation
Mr Steve Reed: [290808]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with
reference to the fires at Samuel Garside House in Barking Riverside, Beechmere
retirement complex in Crewe and Sherbrooke Way in Worcester Park, if his Department
will make an assessment of the potential merits of banning the use of timber cladding in
residential buildings.
Esther McVey:
[Holding answer 30 September 2019]: It has not proved possible to respond to the
hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Mr Steve Reed: [290847]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what
reason all leaseholders of buildings with Aluminium Composite Cladding must sign a
State Aid Declaration for the building to be eligible to apply to his Department's private
sector ACM cladding remediation fund.
Esther McVey:
[Holding answer 30 September 2019]: State Aid declarations are needed because
they assist the government in ensuring the fund complies with the requirements of EU
state aid rules; this is the basis on which government is able to provide funding to the
private sector. Fund applicants can begin the application process before all State Aid
declarations have been received, and are strongly encouraged to do so.
Mr Steve Reed: [290851]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether
his Department plans to conduct further large-scale fire safety tests on High Pressure
Laminate Cladding.
Mr Steve Reed: [290856]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether
his Department plans to commission a large scale fire safety test on systems
incorporating timber cladding.
Esther McVey:
Acting on advice from the Expert Panel, the government has commissioned research
from the Building Research Establishment (BRE) to support further understanding of
the fire performance of Non-Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) external wall
systems. The Department has commissioned the BRE to undertake bespoke medium
scale tests on timber cladding panels as part of the ongoing Non-ACM research.
This programme began in April 2019 and the preliminary testing concluded in the
Summer. This is now in an analysis phase and the research findings will be published
in Autumn. Subject to the research findings, a decision will be made as to the testing
of further materials used on external wall systems, including timber cladding.
We currently have no plan to commission a large-scale fire safety test on system
incorporating timber cladding or further High Pressure Laminates tests
Mr Steve Reed: [291582]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with
reference to his Department's data release entitled, Building Safety Programme: Monthly
Data Release for August 2019, published on 12 September 2019, how many of the 1,494
non-ACM cladding samples held at the Building Research Establishment contain
combustible materials.
Esther McVey:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Mr Steve Reed: [291583]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with
reference to his Department's data release entitled, Building Safety Programme: Monthly
Data Release for August 2019, published on 12 September 2019, how many of the 1,494
non-ACM cladding samples held at the Building Research Establishment are timber
cladding.
Esther McVey:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Mr Steve Reed: [291584]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with
reference to his Department's data release entitled, Building Safety Programme: Monthly
Data Release for August 2019, published on 12 September 2019, if his Department will
publish a full analysis of the 1,494 non-ACM cladding samples held at the Building
Research Establishment.
Esther McVey:
The screening programme set up after the Grenfell fire tragedy was focused on
identifying the types of Aluminium Composite Materials (ACM) received. The samples
held by the Building Research Establishment were submitted as part of this ACM
screening program, to determine which category of ACM had been used in high-rise
buildings. A detailed explanation of the screening tests is set out in this note
published in June 2017: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/explanatory-
note-on-safety-checks-and-testing.
To build a more complete picture of high-rise residential buildings and the variety of
external wall systems in use, the Department started in July 2019 a data collection
exercise to gather information on the external wall systems of high-rise residential
buildings that are 18 metres or above.
Community Housing Fund
Caroline Lucas: [292193]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will
extend the Community Housing Fund to beyond March 2020; and if he will make a
statement.
Esther McVey:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Derelict Land
Mr Jonathan Lord: [293552]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
recent discussions he has had with developers to encourage them to build on brownfield
sites.
Esther McVey:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Empty Property: West Midlands
Emma Reynolds: [290795]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
recent estimate he has made of the number of empty homes in (a) the West Midlands
region, (b) City of Wolverhampton local authority area and (c) Wolverhampton North East
constituency in each year since 2010; and what steps he is taking the reduce the number
of empty homes.
Esther McVey:
[Holding answer 30 September 2019]: The most recent estimate of the number of
long-term empty homes shows that at October 2018 there were 10,084 homes that
had been empty for more than six months in the West Midlands Metropolitan County,
and 1,401 that had been empty for more than six months in the City of
Wolverhampton. Statistics on vacant dwellings in England and in each local authority
district, from which regional totals may be calculated, are published in the
Department's live table 615 which is available at the link below. This table shows the
annual total numbers of empty homes, those vacant for longer than six months and
also vacant properties in the local authority, housing association and other public
sector tenures. Statistics on vacant dwellings at parliamentary constituency level are
not centrally collected
Local authorities are equipped with powers and have strong incentives to tackle
empty homes. Since 1 April 2019, via the Rating (Property in Common Occupation)
and Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Act 2018, local authorities have the discretion to
increase the maximum level of premium charged on properties that have been empty
for more than two years from 50 per cent to 100 per cent extra council tax. Through
the New Homes Bonus, local authorities earn the same financial reward for bringing
an empty home back into use as building a new one. In certain circumstances, local
authorities can apply for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) to
temporarily take over the management of a property that has been empty for more
than two years in order to bring it back into use.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-
including-vacants
Help to Buy Scheme: Costs
Mr Clive Betts: [290287]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will
publish the (a) projected annual net costs of Help to Buy from its inception until 2021-22
as set out in the original business case, (b) actual annual net costs from inception until
2018-2019, and (c) current projected net costs until 2021-22.
Esther McVey:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Help to Buy Scheme: North West
Ms Angela Eagle: [292115]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how
many homes have been purchased through the Help to Buy scheme in (a) the North
West, (b) Merseyside and (c) Wallasey in each of the last six years.
Esther McVey:
[Holding answer 3 October 2019]: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon.
Member in the time available before Prorogation.
High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention
Mr Steve Reed: [290848]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant
to the of Answer 23 July 2019 to Question 279062 on Buildings: Insulation, whether any
burning had begun in large scale test in June 2019 that was aborted due to procedural
issues.
Esther McVey:
[Holding answer 30 September 2019]: Yes. The BS 8414 test involves a 9 metre
high demonstration wall with a complete cladding system – including panels and
insulation – fixed to it, being subjected to a fire that replicates a severe fire in a flat
breaking out of a window. The tests look at whether the system resists fire spread up
the wall. The test is started when a large wood crib is ignited, burns and flames affect
the wall build up directly above. The large scale test in June 2019 was started before
being aborted due to procedural issues.
The general behaviour of observed before the procedural issue was similar to that
observed and recorded during the test carried out in July 2019 the report of this test
is available at the following :
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-test-report-mhclg-bs-8414-hpl
Mr Steve Reed: [292248]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, who
should bear the cost of remedial fire safety work such as fireproofing in a block of flats
owned by a Housing Association with half social tenants and half leasehold tenants.
Esther McVey:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
High Rise Flats: Insulation
Mr Steve Reed: [290345]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what
reasons his Department has not issued a call for samples of building materials used in (a)
external wall materials and (b) insulation of high rise buildings as part of the recent data
collection exercise on external wall systems in high-rise residential buildings.
Esther McVey:
[Holding answer 30 September 2019]: The Department’s data collection exercise is
aimed at enabling the government to build a picture of external wall systems in use
on high rise residential buildings. This exercise will collect data on residential
buildings 18 metres and over covering private and social buildings, student
accommodation and hotels. There are currently no plans to call for samples of
building material or insulation as part of the data gathering exercise.
However, as part of the Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) screening program
funded by the government, the Building Research Establishment has been requested
to catalogue samples which are identified as non-ACM materials as detailed in the
response to Question UIN 234718 on 27 March 2019.
Households: Rents
Hugh Gaffney: [291399]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
recent assessment his Department has made of rent levels on household income.
Esther McVey:
The English Housing Survey provides data on the proportion of income that is spent
on rent in both the Private Rented Sector and the Social Rented Sector. This
information is available online:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm
ent_data/file/817630/EHS_2017-18_PRS_Report.pdf and
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm
ent_data/file/829741/EHS_SRS_report_revised_Sept_19.pdf'.
Housing Associations
Paul Farrelly: [291556]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing councils with the power to
manage properties currently owned by housing associations.
Esther McVey:
[Holding answer 2 October 2019]: No such assessment has been made. The
government believes that both local authorities and housing associations have an
important role to play in building and managing the affordable homes this country
needs. Making housing associations subject to local authority control would result in
them being reclassified to the public sector, thereby adding their debt (currently £77
billion) to the Public Sector Net Debt.
Housing Ombudsman Service: Complaints
Jim Fitzpatrick: [291215]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the
average length of time was for the Housing Ombudsman Service to determine case
complaints in the first three months of 2019-20; and how many complaints were dealt with
within the six month target during that period.
Esther McVey:
In order to ensure that residents receive a fair and impartial service, the Housing
Ombudsman carefully reviews all available evidence when investigating and
determining cases within their formal remit.
Between April and June 2019-20, the Housing Ombudsman Service determined 502
cases with an average determination time of 6.8 months. The Housing Ombudsman
Service does not have a specific target for the proportion of cases determined within
six months. The target is an average to be achieved across the financial year
reflecting that the Housing Ombudsman Service is a demand-led and the average
case time will vary each month depending on the number of cases received, and the
complexity of the peculiar case.
Housing: Access
Darren Jones: [291469]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will
(a) implement the recommendation of housing association Habinteg and make accessible
and adaptable (M4(2) Category 2) the mandatory baseline for all new housing and (b)
issue detailed guidance to local planning authorities on how they should reflect the
housing needs of older and disabled people in their plans as required by the
Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017.
Esther McVey:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Housing: Carbon Emissions
Gillian Keegan: [291109]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
steps the Department is taking to promote the building of (a) passive houses and (b) eco-
homes.
Esther McVey:
The Department is committed to increasing the energy efficiency of new homes.
The main way the Department seeks to do this is through Building Regulations.
These set minimum requirements for the energy efficiency of new buildings and for
work on existing buildings.
In the government’s Clean Growth Strategy we committed to reviewing these
standards, including consulting on improving energy efficiency requirements in new
and existing homes where the evidence suggests it is cost effective, affordable,
practical and safe to do so.
To that end, the government has announced that this consultation is now open. This
includes the proposed introduction of a Future Homes Standard by 2025 for new
build homes to be future-proofed with low carbon heating and world-leading levels of
energy efficiency. We propose that new homes built to this standard should have 75-
80 per cent fewer CO2 emissions than ones built to current building regulations
standards.
The National Planning Policy Framework also expects local planning authorities to
take account of how new development will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
such as through its location, orientation and design. Planning practice guidance
provides advice for local authorities and applicants on implementing these policies.
The Department does recognise and support innovation and excellence in design.
For example, the Minister of State for Housing recently visited the Goldsmith Street
development in Norwich, which is built to the PassivHaus standard. At the Housing
Design Awards, Goldsmith Street was the chosen Supreme Winner and winner of the
Good Neighbour Award, a new category sponsored by MHCLG and agreed by the
previous Housing Minister
The government also launched a consultation on stronger building regulations that
will pave the way for the Future Homes Standard. These 2020 changes aim to
improve the environment by cutting carbon emissions in new homes by almost a
third, while keeping household bills low. The Future Homes Standard consultation
can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/the-future-homes-
standard-changes-to-part-l-and-part-f-of-the-building-regulations-for-new-dwellings.
Mr Mark Prisk: [292133]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
steps the Government has taken to reduce carbon emissions in the housing sector.
Esther McVey:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Mr Mark Prisk: [292134]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
plans the Government has to reduce carbon emissions in the housing sector.
Esther McVey:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Housing: Construction
Mr Jim Cunningham: [294676]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
steps the Government is taking to increase the rate of housebuilding.
Esther McVey:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Housing: Domestic Abuse
Sarah Champion: [294726]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with
reference to his Department's consultation on Domestic abuse services: future delivery of
support to victims and their children in accommodation-based domestic abuse services,
which closed on 2 August 2019, when the response to that consultation will be published.
Luke Hall:
My Department will be publishing the government response to the consultation
‘Future delivery of support to victims and their children in accommodation-based
domestic abuse services’ shortly.
Housing: Empty Property
Caroline Lucas: [292191]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how his
Department identifies long-term empty homes; and how many long-term empty homes
there were in England in each of the last three years.
Esther McVey:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Housing: Insulation
Mr Steve Reed: [292251]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
estimate he has made of the number of homes in England that have been valued at £0
because surveyors could not be sure that the cladding and insulation on the buildings
were not flammable.
Esther McVey:
[Holding answer 3 October 2019]: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon.
Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Housing: Ombudsman Service
Rachael Maskell: [292953]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when
the new homes ombudsman will be appointed.
Esther McVey:
The government’s intention is to introduce legislation to ensure developers of new
build homes belong to a New Homes Ombudsman. We have recently consulted on
the design and delivery of a New Homes Ombudsman. The consultation closed in
August and we are analysing the responses and will respond in due course. We will
continue to work with industry and consumer groups to strengthen consumer
protection for new build homeowners before legislation is put in place.
Leasehold
Laura Smith: [294745]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
plans he has to provide assistance to leaseholders who were misled on property
purchases.
Esther McVey:
The previous Secretary of State wrote to the Competitions and Markets Authority
(CMA) on 26 November 2018 and 1 April 2019 to encourage them to undertake work
into mis-selling in the leasehold housing market.
The government welcomed the CMA announcement on 11 June to open an
investigation in this area. The CMA is concerned about potential leasehold mis-
selling, and whether leasehold contract terms are onerous and unfair in relation to
ground rent, permission and other charges. If the CMA thinks that a company’s
practices are misleading – or that its contracts contain unfair clauses – it could take
enforcement action to require the company to change how they operate. We look
forward to hearing progress on the CMA’s work later this year.
The government has also worked with National Trading Standards who have
published guidance to help clarify the rights and responsibilities around owning a
leasehold property, and practical steps for individuals to take in the event things go
wrong.
Mass Media: Muslims
Yasmin Qureshi: [293516]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with
reference to the Integrated Communities Action Plan published in February 2019,
whether his Department has facilitated meetings between the Anti-Muslim Hatred
Working Group and Independent Press Standards Organisation to help them to develop
guidance for editors and journalists to tackle unnecessary negative portrayals of Muslims
in the media.
Luke Hall:
[Holding answer 7 October 2019]: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon.
Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Members: Correspondence
Mr Steve Reed: [292250]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what
reason Ministers of his Department are unable to comment on specific buildings with
cladding issues raised in correspondence dated 25 September 2019 with the hon.
Member for Croydon North.
Esther McVey:
[Holding answer 3 October 2019]: The Department provides general advice on
building safety but does not offer advice on the safety of individual buildings. It is for
building owners to ensure that their buildings are safe – and to seek appropriate
professional advice as required. Advice Note 14 helps building owners take the most
appropriate course of action should there be any concerns about their building’s
external wall system. Local authorities and Fire and Rescue Services may take action
on individual buildings where safety issues have been identified.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Chief Scientific Advisers
Norman Lamb: [292151]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how
many meetings he had with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 June to 31
August 2019.
Jake Berry:
Following a recent recruitment exercise, Professor Alan Penn took up post as the
Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser on 5 September 2019. The Secretary of State
will meet him shortly.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Crispin Odey
David Linden: [292357]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will
publish (a) the outcome of all meetings and (b) all call logs between Ministers of his
Department and Mr Crispin Odey.
Jake Berry:
Details of Ministers’ meetings are published quarterly on GOV.UK.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Jainism
Gareth Thomas: [292807]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will
invite representatives of the Jain community to national events organised by his
Department; and if he will make a statement.
Luke Hall:
Britain’s Jain community makes a positive contribution to life in this country. This
government values its contribution immensely.
The government is always keen to work with the Jain community on matters that are
important to them, and we will continue to do so.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Public Consultation
Mr Clive Betts: [287464]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which of
his Department's consultations have not been (a) completed and (b) analysed and
responded to; and on what date those consultations (a) commenced, (b) closed and (c)
are expected to report.
Jake Berry:
As set out on Gov.uk, MHCLG currently has 33 live consultations. Of these, 25
consultations have closed and the Department intends to respond in due course. 8
consultations are open. They are:
Homelessness Reduction Act 2017: call for evidence
A new deal for renting: resetting the balance of rights and responsibilities between
landlords and tenants
The Future Homes Standard: Changes to Part L and Part F of the Buildings
Regulations for new dwellings
Review of local authority financial reporting and external audit: call for views
Local Government Finance Settlement 2020 to 2021: technical consultation
Rogue landlord database reform
Sprinklers and other fire safety measures in new high-rise blocks of flats
Proposed reforms to permitted development rights to support the deployment of 5G
and extend mobile coverage
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Travel
Ruth Jones: [292407]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how
much his Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) first class, (b) second class and (c)
in total in 2017.
Jake Berry:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Ruth Jones: [292417]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how
much his Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) first class, (b) second class and (c)
in total in 2018.
Jake Berry:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service
Sir Edward Leigh: [293452]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant
to the Answer of 9 September to Question 286103 on Holocaust Memorial and Learning
Centre, if he will name the organisations outside Government providing (a) public
relations or engagement, (b) public affairs and (c) planning services in respect of the
proposed Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre; and how much is being paid from the
public purse to each organisation.
Jake Berry:
The organisations and amounts paid are set out below:
ORGANISATION SERVICE
SPEND TO DATE FROM PUBLIC
PURSE INCLUDING VAT
Big Ideas Community Interest
Company
Community engagement £69,296
Dp9 Planning services £0
Four Communications Communications £70,748
Newgate Communications Communications £0
Sir Edward Leigh: [293453]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant
to the Answer of 31 July to Question 280921 on National Holocaust Memorial Centre and
Learning Service, which individuals were members of the property sub-committee of the
UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation from November 2015 to January 2016.
Jake Berry:
UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation members Mr Peter Freeman and Mr Gerald
Ronson CBE were members of the property sub-committee.
Sir Edward Leigh: [293454]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant
to the Answer of 31 July to Question 280917 on National Holocaust Memorial Centre and
Learning Service, for what reason sites identified by means other than the CBRE were
not brought to the CBRE’s attention to enable it to compare all potential sites.
Jake Berry:
I refer my Rt Hon Friend to the answer to Question UIN 270267 of 27 June 2019, and
remind the Rt Hon Gentleman that CBRE was only one element in the search for
potential sites.
Sir Edward Leigh: [293455]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the
terms of reference were for the CBRE’s search for potential sites for the Holocaust
Memorial and Learning Centre.
Jake Berry:
To carry out an extensive search for potential sites for the Holocaust Memorial and
Learning Centre in line with the criteria set by the UK Holocaust Memorial
Foundation.
Sir Edward Leigh: [293456]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant
to the Answer of 31 July to Question 280917 on National Holocaust Memorial Centre and
Learning Service, how many potential sites not among sites identified by the CBRE were
identified by (a) Royal Parks, (b) Holocaust commemorative and educational
organisations, (c) property owners and developers, (e) property agents, (f) London
Borough authorities, (g) universities (h) museums and (i) cultural centres; and on what
dates those potential sites were reported to the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation.
Jake Berry:
As set out in the answer to Question UIN 229625 on 14 March 2019, almost 50 sites
were identified by a wide range stakeholders and considered by the UK Holocaust
Memorial Foundation during the latter part of 2015.
Sir Edward Leigh: [293457]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant
to the Answer of 4 July to Question 270267 on National Holocaust Memorial Centre and
Learning Service, for what reason paragraphs 4.20 to 4.23 of the Planning Statement
submitted by his Department to Westminster Council do not refer to the elements in the
property search other than that by the CBRE.
Jake Berry:
The approach prior to appointment of CBRE is described in paragraphs 4.1.1-4.1.4 of
the environmental statement.
Sir Edward Leigh: [293458]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant
to the Answer of 31 July to Question 280917 on National Holocaust Memorial Centre and
Learning Service, how many sites in addition to the 24 identified by the CBRE were
considered by the board of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation for the first time on 13
January 2016.
Jake Berry:
At its meeting on 13 January 2016 the Foundation reviewed the progress of the site
search and concluded that there could be no better site than Victoria Tower Gardens
to place the Holocaust Memorial.
Sir Edward Leigh: [293459]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant
to the Answer of 31 July 2019 to Question 280920 on National Holocaust Memorial
Centre and Learning Service, for what reason that Answer did not provide the information
requested on communications with Royal Parks.
Jake Berry:
Question UIN 280920 tabled by the Rt Hon Member for Gainsborough on 23 July
2019 was capable of inadvertently misrepresenting the government’s January 2016
statement. The answer sought to remove any ambiguity.
Sir Edward Leigh: [293460]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant
to the Answer of 31 July to Question 280914 on National Holocaust Memorial Centre and
Learning Service, if he will publish the operating models the United Kingdom Holocaust
Memorial Foundation is considering to cover the running costs of the Holocaust Memorial
and Learning Centre.
Jake Berry:
The Foundation has yet to complete its consideration of options.
Sir Edward Leigh: [293461]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant
to the Answers of 15 and 31 July 2019 to Questions 274442 and 280922 on National
Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service, on what date in November 2015 the
property sub-committee of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation was asked to
undertake a search of Government sites.
Jake Berry:
The search for possible sites began in July 2015.
Sir Edward Leigh: [293462]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will
make an estimate of the proportion of lawn area in Victoria Tower Gardens which will be
taken for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.
Jake Berry:
It has not proved possible to respond to the Rt hon. Member in the time available
before Prorogation.
Sir Edward Leigh: [293463]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will
make it his policy not to introduce security checks for visitors to Victoria Tower Gardens
other than people visiting the Memorial and Learning Centre after that centre has opened.
Jake Berry:
In common with other public places in Westminster there will be no security checks
for visitors to Victoria Tower Gardens.
Sir Edward Leigh: [293464]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will
publish the criteria used by his Department to determine that up to 75.5 per cent of the
cost of construction of the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre should be funded
directly by the Government.
Jake Berry:
It has not proved possible to respond to the rt hon. Member in the time available
before Prorogation.
Owner Occupation
Mr Jonathan Lord: [293553]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the
proportion of home ownership was in (a) England, (b) Surrey and (c) Woking constituency
in each of the last three years.
Esther McVey:
The English Housing Survey collects data on home ownership in England, broken
down by region. This information is detailed in Annex Table 1.2 of the most recent
headline report. Figures for the whole of England are detailed in Annex Table 1.1.
You can access both tables using this link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-housing-survey-2017-to-2018-
headline-report
In summary, for the most recent three years of data, the proportion of households in
England that were home owners was between 63-64 per cent. The proportion of
home owners in the South East for the same period was 68 per cent
We do not hold data on home ownership rates by constituency.
Parking: Codes of Practice
Karin Smyth: [294196]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he
plans to publish the new Code of Practice for parking in England, Wales, and Scotland.
Luke Hall:
The government is committed to developing and implementing the Code of Practice
as soon as possible. We are currently considering the options for the delivery of the
Code and the design of the levy on industry, as well as the format for stakeholder
engagement. We will make an announcement in due course. We are also committed
to carrying out a public consultation on the draft Code of Practice, allowing all
interested parties to directly respond to the proposals.
Planning Permission: Fees and Charges
John Healey: [294678]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
assessment he has made of the effect of TerraQuest Ltd's partnership with his
Department to run the planning portal on fees charged on that portal.
Esther McVey:
It has not proved possible to respond to the Rt Hon Member in the time available
before Prorogation.
Private Rented Housing: Electrical Safety
Jim Fitzpatrick: [292075]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he
plans to bring forward secondary legislation to implement mandatory electrical safety
checks for the private rented sector.
Esther McVey:
In July 2018, government committed to introducing mandatory five-yearly electrical
safety inspections for electrical installations in privately rented properties. This will be
achieved through secondary legislation, subject to parliamentary time. In the
meantime, it remains best practice for landlords to ensure that the electrics in their
properties are safe.
Private Rented Housing: Pensioners
Steve McCabe: [292824]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
estimate he has made of the number of pensioners who rented a home from a private
landlord in each year since 2010; and how many and what proportion of pensioners
renting from private landlords were in rent arrears in that time period.
Esther McVey:
[Holding answer 7 October 2019]: The English Housing Survey (EHS) collects and
publishes data on the economic status of household reference person by tenure in
Live Table FA1301. You can access this table from this page:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/tenure-trends-and-cross-tenure-
analysis . This table shows the proportion of retirees in the private rented sector was
between 7 per cent and 9 per cent throughout 2008-18. The EHS does not publish
data on the proportion of retirees in arrears.
Regulator of Social Housing
Jim Fitzpatrick: [291213]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant
to the Answer of 9 May 2019 to Question 249189 on Regulator of Social Housing, how
many respondents to the consultation on the Social Housing Green Paper in 2018 (a)
supported and (b) rejected the proposal to consider removing the serious detriment test
used to determine compliance with the Home Standard if it is a bar to a more proactive
approach by the Regulator of Social Housing.
Esther McVey:
We met over 500 residents and received over 1,000 responses to the Social Housing
Green Paper consultation. We are currently considering the responses to the
consultation and will publish the government's response in due course.
Religious Hatred: Islam
Mr Jim Cunningham: [294093]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
steps the Government is taking to tackle Islamophobia.
Luke Hall:
The government does not tolerate hatred of any kind and is taking a number of steps
to tackle Islamophobia. We have some of the strongest legislation in the world to
tackle hate crime and where groups incite racial hatred or are engaged in racially or
religiously motivated criminal activity, we would expect them to be prosecuted.
To support security training for places of worship, we have committed £1.6 million
through the places of worship security grant this year. and a further £5 million over
three years. We have also supported Tell MAMA with over £2.5 million between 2016
and 2020 to monitor and combat anti-Muslim hatred, and committed £1.5 million in
new funding for hate crime projects including those tackling anti-Muslim hatred and
racism in schools.
The government will also be appointing independent advisers to provide expert
advice to government on a definition of Islamophobia. The first of these advisers,
Imam Qari Asim MBE, was appointed on the 23 July 2019. Their work will draw on a
wide range of opinions and they will work in close collaboration with the cross-
government Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group.
Social Rented Housing
Paul Farrelly: [287538]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether
he plans to set a delivery target and an investment plan to support that target for social
rent homes.
Esther McVey:
The government is committed to increasing the supply of social housing and has
made £9 billion available through the Affordable Homes Programme to March 2022 to
deliver approximately 250,000 new affordable homes for a wide range of tenures.
This includes at least 12,500 homes for social rent to meet the needs of struggling
families and those most at risk of homelessness in areas of the country where
affordability is most pressured. This is the minimum number of social rent homes we
expect to be delivered – the programme is flexible and the precise number will
depend on the bids that are received for the funding.
We previously announced an additional £2 billion of long-term funding certainty for
housing associations. This extra funding will deliver more affordable homes and
stimulate the sector’s wider building ambitions, through strategic partnerships. On 27
June 2019, bidding was opened on £1 billion of this funding through Homes England.
We are working closely with the Greater London Authority to open bidding on £1
billion for London as soon as possible. Our ten-year funding commitment through
strategic partnerships marks the first time any government has invested such long-
term funding in new homes through housing associations.
We have also removed the Housing Revenue Account borrowing caps for local
authorities and have set out a long-term rent deal for councils and housing
associations in England from 2020. Housing associations and local authorities now
need to accelerate delivery and build more affordable homes.
Since 2010 there has been an increase in the number of homes for social rent by
79,000, in contrast to the decline between 1997 and 2010, whilst the Right to Buy for
council tenants has been preserved.
Investment in social rent homes beyond the current programme will be decided as
part of the forthcoming spending review.
Social Rented Housing: Electrical Safety
Jim Fitzpatrick: [292076]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
assessment he has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals
to introduce mandatory electrical safety checks in the social rented sector in England.
Esther McVey:
Government is committed to ensuring that everyone is safe, and feels safe, in their
home.
We published our Green Paper, "A new deal for social housing", in August last year.
It asked whether new safety measures in the private rented sector should apply to
social housing, including the proposed mandatory requirement on private landlords to
ensure electrical installations in their property are inspected every five years. We are
currently considering the responses to the consultation and will publish our action
plan for implementing social housing reform in due course.
Social Services: Finance
Angela Rayner: [287923]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with
reference to paragraph 2.11 of Spending Round 2019, how the £1 billion in funding for
social care will be distributed between (a) adult and (b) children's social care.
Angela Rayner: [287924]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with
reference to paragraph 2.11 of Spending Round 2019, how much additional funding will
be allocated to each local authority in England for children's social care.
Luke Hall:
Proposals for distribution of the Social Care Grant in 2020-21 have now been put to
the sector in a technical consultation, published on 3 October
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-government-finance-settlement-
2020-to-2021-technical-consultation.
Welfare Assistance Schemes
Paul Blomfield: [293546]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether
his Department is responsible for allocating funding for local welfare assistance schemes.
Luke Hall:
[Holding answer 7 October 2019]: Responsibility for funding for local welfare
provision was passed over from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to the
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) from April 2013.
The MHCLG would lead on any changes in allocation with input from the DWP.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Africa: Human Trafficking
Mr Jim Cunningham: [294677]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government
is taking to support victims of human trafficking in Africa.
Dr Andrew Murrison:
DFID supports victims of human trafficking in Africa through several programmes, as
part of the UK Government’s commitment to realising Sustainable Development Goal
8.7, the eradication of all forms of modern slavery, forced labour and human
trafficking by 2030. Current support totals over £30 million.
In Nigeria, for example, we are providing rehabilitation and reintegration support to
almost 1,000 victims of human trafficking and vulnerable migrants returned from
Libya.
In Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia we are providing protection and rehabilitation
services to more than 200,000 vulnerable children on the move, reducing their risk of
exposure to trafficking.
And we are working to end the worst forms of child labour in Central African Republic,
Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia. This includes children forcibly recruited
during armed conflicts, sexually abused, or exploited through other forms of forced
labour or hazardous work. Over 24,000 of the most vulnerable children will benefit
directly and over 400,000 people are expected to benefit indirectly through increased
awareness and improvements in legal systems.
Armed Conflict: Children
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294710]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department
is taking to support children in conflict zones throughout the world.
Dr Andrew Murrison:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Bahamas: Hurricanes and Tornadoes
Mr Jim Cunningham: [287894]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department
is taking to support humanitarian relief efforts in the Bahamas responding to the effects of
Hurricane Dorian.
Dr Andrew Murrison:
DFID responded immediately to help those affected by hurricane Dorian through the
deployment of a team of humanitarian experts to The Bahamas. Working alongside
the Bahamas Government’s National Emergency Management Association, the
Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and international partners, they
helped assess the scale of needs, coordinate the emergency response and ensure
aid quickly reached those affected.
Through the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Mounts Bay the UK were able to rapidly
distribute emergency supplies, assist communities who were cut off, and clear debris
to enable additional support to arrive. Mounts Bay has been in the Caribbean, loaded
with relief supplies, since June to prepare for and provide life-saving emergency
assistance in emergencies like Dorian.
The UK committed up to £1.5 million towards the immediate humanitarian response.
Working closely with the Bahamian Government, this funding has enabled the
delivery of critical aid supplies and helped coordinate the international response.
Burma: Overseas Aid
Lyn Brown: [294694]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will include conditions
in UK aid grants and loans to ensure that recipients do not use the grants to purchase
goods and services from companies linked to the military of Myanmar.
Zac Goldsmith:
In order to prevent DFID Myanmar funds going to military owned companies we
already have enhanced private sector due diligence in place. We are constantly
working to strengthen this process. DFID Myanmar has recently written to its partners
asking them to review their supply chains to check UK money is not being used to
purchase goods and services from companies identified as military owned by the
recent UN Fact Finding Mission report on Myanmar.
Department for International Development: Brexit
Preet Kaur Gill: [287933]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 5
September 2019 to Question 285408 on Department for International Development:
Brexit, how many staff from her Department have been placed in each Government
Department to work on preparations for the UK leaving the EU.
Andrew Stephenson:
As at 1st October, the Department for International Development has deployed 114
employees on short term loan to other government departments to support projects
related to the UK leaving the EU. DFID employees have been deployed to the
following departments:
GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT NUMBER OF DFID STAFF DEPLOYED
Department for Exiting the European Union 56
Department for International Trade 25
Cabinet Office Fewer than 5
Department for Health and Social Care Fewer than 5
Borders Delivery Group (HMRC) 16
Border’s Supply Chain Impact Group (HMRC) 9
Preet Kaur Gill: [287935]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate he has made
of the cost to the public purse of his Department's preparations for the UK leaving the EU
(a) with and (b) without a deal.
Andrew Stephenson:
The majority of Brexit planning has been managed through existing resource within
DFID.
No additional costs have been accrued in preparing for a deal. In preparing for no
deal, the Government has committed to ensuring UK organisations are able to
continue delivering vital programmes should the EU cut funding.
DFID has allocated £416,345 to a fund manager to prepare and deliver the financial
assurance to be provided to UK organisations should their EU funding be cut, and for
research into the impact of Brexit on the Civil Society sector.
In addition, up to £150,000 has been allocated to DFID’s Get Ready communications
campaign by the Cabinet Office.
Department for International Development: Chief Scientific Advisers
Norman Lamb: [292157]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many meetings he had
with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 June to 31 August 2019.
Andrew Stephenson:
The DFID Chief Scientific Adviser met with the current and previous Secretary of
State once each during this period.
The Chief Scientific Adviser continues to provide all Ministers with regular written
submissions and briefings on DFID science and research activities.
Department for International Development: Jainism
Gareth Thomas: [292815]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will invite
representatives of the Jain community to national events organised by his Department;
and if he will make a statement.
Zac Goldsmith:
Britain’s Jain community makes a positive contribution to life in this country. This
Government values its contribution immensely.
The Government is always keen to work with the Jain community on matters that are
important to them, and we will continue to do so.
Developing Countries: Agriculture
Andrew Percy: [294126]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government
is taking to support developing countries to make their agricultural practices more
environmentally friendly.
Zac Goldsmith:
At the UN Climate Action Summit, the UK announced support to the ‘Just Rural
Transition’ initiative under which governments, businesses and civic organisations
are uniting to drive a shift to sustainable land-use. This initiative includes a policy
coalition that will help developing countries put policies in place for more
environmentally friendly and sustainable agriculture, and an investment partnership to
leverage private sector investment for sustainable land use and improved livelihoods
for poor farmers.
DFID is supporting smallholder farmers in nearly 50 countries to improve sustainable
agriculture. At the Summit, we announced an additional £61 million for climate
adapted agriculture and innovation to help small-scale farmers increase productivity
without degrading the environment.
DFID support to tackle deforestation in developing countries has brought 2.6 million
hectares of land under sustainable management and mobilised £260 million of private
investment in sustainable production of commodities like palm oil, cocoa and soya.
Developing Countries: Climate Change
Geraint Davies: [294090]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much and what
proportion of the UK’s international climate finance is paid through the (a) European
Commission budget and (b) European Development Fund.
Zac Goldsmith:
None of the UK’s £5.8 billion international climate finance is provided through the
European Commission budget or European Development Fund.
Developing Countries: Forests
Andrew Percy: [294127]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government
is taking to support countries around the world to tackle deforestation and illegal logging.
Zac Goldsmith:
DFID leads work internationally and across Government to drive efforts to tackle
deforestation and combat illegal logging. It does so directly through bilateral
programmes aimed at supporting countries and businesses to lock out illegal
activities, promote sector reforms, and foster public-private partnerships which
catalyse investment into sustainable land use, including environmental and forest
protection. DFID also works through multilateral instruments that have broader
geographic coverage, particularly through the World Bank’s Forest Investment
Programme and the Global Environment Fund.
DFID, together with the international teams in BEIS and Defra, are actively engaged
in international policy processes to galvanise the action of other governments and
business to stop illegal logging, deforestation and promote sustainable land use.
Most recently, the UK led efforts at the UN Climate Action Summit, to agree actions
to build natural resilience to climate change.
Developing Countries: Health Services
Bambos Charalambous: [292312]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department
will take to ensure the implementation of the political declaration of the UN High-Level
Meeting on Universal Health Coverage across its investments in health and human
development.
Dr Andrew Murrison:
Strengthening health systems to deliver Universal Health Coverage is a priority for
the UK. Our support for implementation of the political declaration includes funding to
the World Health Organisation to assist countries to develop Universal Health
Coverage country plans and the health financing strategies needed to meet the
commitment to increase public spending on health, with an emphasis on primary
health care. Our announcement at the UN General Assembly of £600m to buy family
planning supplies will provide access to family planning for 20 million women and
girls each year up to 2025. This programme will support countries to meet the
commitment to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Developing Countries: Poverty
Mr Jim Cunningham: [294096]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress his
Department has made on meeting the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 10 on
reducing inequality.
Zac Goldsmith:
The Government is firmly committed to delivering the Sustainable Development
Goals, including Goal 10, reducing Global Inequalities. This commitment is at the
heart of DFID’s approach to tackling extreme poverty. DFID works to reduce
inequality globally by ensuring that people have access to opportunities and services,
prioritising the most vulnerable, those caught in crises, and those most at risk of
violence and discrimination. Over 50% of UK aid goes to the most fragile and conflict-
affected states.
DFID is tackling inequality across the board through our policy and programming. For
example, DFID’s work on decent jobs focuses on working in some of the most
challenging environments to help the poorest and most marginalised to gain jobs,
increase their incomes and work their way out of poverty. Between 2015/16 and
2018/19, the UK enabled 3.9 million people to raise their incomes or maintain/gain a
better job or livelihood. For example, the PrOpCom Mai-Karfi programme has helped
over 850,000 beneficiaries increase their income by a total of over £48 million in
some of the poorest parts of northern Nigeria.
DFID is a global leader on Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion and published
ambitious new strategies on both last year with far reaching commitments. The UK
also hosted the Global Summit on Disability Inclusion last year, galvanising global
momentum on this neglected area.
Developing Countries: Taxation
Jim Shannon: [293578]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department
is taking to help strengthen the tax systems of developing countries in order to increase
funding for services to support the poorest people.
Andrew Stephenson:
The UK is committed to supporting countries to achieve the Global Goals, including
working actively with countries to help raise and manage public revenues, and
thereby to invest in their public services and infrastructure.
In February 2019 we announced a new £47 million package of support to assist
developing countries in strengthening their tax systems. This package will provide
technical assistance and capacity building support through a number of partners. It
will also help contribute to economic growth by helping to tackle tax avoidance and
evasion, and by creating a more level playing field for businesses. In addition to this
new package of support, the UK has a number of other initiatives underway to help
strengthen tax systems; in August 2018 DFID Ethiopia launched a £35 million
programme to support the Ethiopian government in transforming the country’s tax
system, and HMRC’s Capacity Building Unit provides peer-to-peer expertise to raise
the standards of tax systems of developing countries.
Developing Countries: Women's Rights
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294711]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department
is taking to increase women’s rights in developing countries.
Zac Goldsmith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Kenya: Parasitic Diseases
Dan Carden: [294235]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support his
Department is providing to people affected by the jigger flea, tunga penetrans, in Kenya.
Andrew Stephenson:
DFID is not providing any direct funding to help people affected by the jigger flea in
Kenya. However, DFID provides central core funding to the World Health
Organisation, who help tackle Neglected Tropical Diseases globally.
Development of Kenya’s health sector is a priority for DFID. We are working closely
with the Kenyan Ministry of Health to support their plans on Universal Health
Coverage.
Poliomyelitis: Vaccination
Steve McCabe: [292825]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department
is taking to work alongside the One Last Push campaign to ensure that (a) funding and
(b) other support is available for polio vaccination programmes in countries at risk from
that disease.
Dr Andrew Murrison:
The UK is a leading supporter of efforts to eradicate polio, having invested £1.3 billion
since 1995. We work closely with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative through
engagement at regular governance meetings as well as working with a wide range of
other stakeholders including in encouraging others to provide financial support.
We engage closely with parliamentarians through the International Development
Committee and All-Party Parliamentary Group on Immunisations to raise awareness
and support for continued financing and support to countries at high risk of polio
outbreaks. Parliamentarians have an important role to play in advocating for
international financial support.
Syria: Overseas Aid
Laura Smith: [294748]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans the Government
has to increase humanitarian aid to Idlib, Syria.
Dr Andrew Murrison:
The humanitarian situation in Idlib is extremely serious. DFID continues to closely
monitor the situation in Northwest Syria, and we are concerned about the impact of
recent escalations of violence on civilians. So far this financial year we have allocated
£40 million in support for the region, and are keeping this under active review as the
situation on the ground develops.
Our support in this region continues to provide Syrians with shelter, clean water and
sanitation, mental health services, as well as aiding health workers and facilities that
have been affected by escalating violence. DFID partners are working tirelessly to
meet the growing needs among displaced people.
In 2018 alone, DFID support in Idlib provided approximately 836,000 people with
access to clean drinking water, 873,000 medical consultations, 69,000 food rations
and access to formal education for 110,000 children.
West Africa: Fisheries
Paul Farrelly: [293485]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support his
Department is giving to West African countries that are victims of illegal fishing.
Andrew Stephenson:
DFID works closely with partner Governments to promote sustainable fishing
practices, helping to reduce the impacts of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
in West Africa and across the world.
As part of our commitment to protecting the global environment, the Government has
provided £250 million in funding to the Global Environment Facility’s 7 th
replenishment (2018-2022), which helps strengthen the management of fisheries and
marine-protected areas.
DFID provides a core contribution to the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organisation, which supports countries in sustainable fisheries management.
Progress is set out in their flagship report ‘State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture’.
DFID is also supporting sustainable small-scale aquaculture through the Consultative
Group for International Agricultural Research, and our support has contributed to
improving the fish-based livelihoods of 51,235 households and 72,264 people.
Yemen: Overseas Aid
Neil Coyle: [287922]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 5
September 2019 to Question 282383 on Yemen: Overseas Aid, which UK funded assets
were damaged and which parties were identified as responsible for that damage; and
how much UK Aid funding has been spent on those facilities.
Dr Andrew Murrison:
Since the Yemen conflict started in 2015, our partners have reported two UK funded
assets have been damaged by alleged airstrikes. These are a Norwegian Refugee
Council warehouse in the Harradh area of Hajjah governorate on 21 June 2015 and a
UNICEF water and sanitary health facility in Sahar district on 22 July 2018.
We closely monitor such incidents, but we are not able to conduct investigations
which would allow us to conclude which parties were responsible.
Losses to DFID following the Norwegian Refugee Council warehouse incident were
£3,127, while DFID suffered no direct losses as a result of damages to the UNICEF
facility.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia
Catherine McKinnell: [290760]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to her letter dated 16
September 2019 to the Chair of the Committees on Arms Export Controls, how the
breaches of the undertaking given to the Court by the Secretary of State in the Order of
the Court dated 20 June 2019 took place; and what steps she is taking to ensure no
further breaches take place.
Graham Stuart:
As my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade said in her
statement to Parliament on 26th September, as soon as the issue was brought to her
attention on the 12th September, she took immediate action:
• Taking immediate steps to inform the Court and Parliament;
• Putting in place immediate, interim procedures to make sure the error could not
happen again;
• Instigating a complete and full internal review of all licences granted for Saudi
Arabia and its Coalition partners since 20 June;
• The Permanent Secretary commissioned, on her behalf, a full independent
investigation.
This investigation will: (i) establish the precise circumstances in which these licences
were granted; (ii) establish whether any other licences have been granted in breach
of the Undertaking to the Court or the commitment to Parliament; and (iii) confirm that
procedures are in place to ensure that no further such breaches can occur. The
Director General Policy Group at the Department for Work and Pensions has been
appointed to lead this investigation.
During the course of this investigation, licence applications for Saudi Arabia and its
Coalition partners will be referred to a new weekly meeting of senior officials from the
Department for International Trade, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Ministry
of Defence. (Some will have been refused by this point, for example where they fail to
meet one or more of the Consolidated Criteria.) This meeting will reach a
recommendation for Ministers as to whether applications are within the scope of the
Undertaking and the Parliamentary Statement, applying a further checklist of
questions which are designed to ensure that: (i) current and full information is
available to enable an assessment of whether the items in question are for possible
use in the conflict in Yemen; and (ii) if there has been any change in circumstances in
the conflict in Yemen, this is properly included in the assessment. All
recommendations to grant licences for the export of items to Saudi Arabia and its
Coalition partners will now be referred to Ministers for decision.
Department for International Trade: Chief Scientific Advisers
Norman Lamb: [292156]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many meetings she had with
her Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 June to 31 August 2019.
Conor Burns:
My Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade did not meet the
Chief Scientific Adviser between 1 June and 31 August 2019.
However, the Chief Scientific Adviser is closely involved in policy development and
meets regularly with the Permanent Secretary, members of the Department for
International Trade’s (DIT) Executive Committee and many other senior officials more
broadly both within DIT and across Government.
Department for International Trade: Jainism
Gareth Thomas: [292800]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will invite representatives of
the Jain community to national events organised by her Department; and if she will make
a statement.
Conor Burns:
The Department for International Trade hosts a number of national events throughout
the year in order to support business to grow internationally, ensure the UK remains
the leading destination for international investment, and to promote open markets and
a free and fair trade policy. The Department invites attendees on the basis of their
relevance to these objectives, and focuses primarily on business, diplomatic, and
policy representatives as well as organisations that represent civil society, particularly
those that reflect interests across consumer, trade union, academia, regional and
devolved areas.
European Free Trade Association: Trade Agreements
Tom Brake: [294671]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans he has to issue
guidance to businesses on the extent of the continuity of EU Free Trade Agreements with
EFTA countries after the UK leaves the EU.
Conor Burns:
The Government is committed to ensuring that businesses are prepared for the UK to
leave the EU on 31 October. This includes accurate, up-to-date information on how
the trading environment will change and guidance on actions they need to take.
Guidance for business on the trade continuity agreements signed with EFTA states is
available on GOV.UK. This includes the text of the agreement, a summary document
and a Parliamentary Reports, which explains any significant changes from existing
terms.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-trade-agreements-with-non-eu-countries-in-a-no-
deal-brexit#trade-agreements-that-have-been-signed
Furthermore, No Deal export guides in a No Deal scenario are also available for
Switzerland, Norway and Iceland:
• Exporting to Switzerland: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/exporting-to-switzerland-
after-eu-exit
• Exporting to Norway: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/exporting-to-norway-after-eu-
exit
• Exporting to Iceland: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/exporting-to-iceland-after-eu-
exit
A summary of the UK-Switzerland-Liechtenstein Trade Agreement can be found
here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/summary-of-the-uk-switzerland-liechtenstein-
trade-agreement
This guidance is regularly reviewed to ensure that it is up-to-date and provides
businesses with relevant advice.
Export Guarantees Advisory Council
Mary Creagh: [294692]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many meetings the Export
Guarantees Advisory Council has had since December 2017; and when she plans to
publish the minutes of those meetings.
Conor Burns:
The Export Guarantees Advisory Council has formally met 6 times since December
2017. Minutes of the meetings held in 2018 have been published on its website
(https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/export-guarantees-advisory-
council/about/our-governance#minutes). Minutes of meetings held in 2019 will be
published in the next calendar year.
UK Export Finance’s (UKEF) Annual Report and Accounts includes a report from the
Council which lists the number of meetings it has held and a summary of the issues
that the Council considered. These Annual Report and Accounts are presented to
Parliament and published on UKEF’s website (
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-export-finance-annual-reports-and-
accounts ).
Foreign Investment in UK
Jim Shannon: [294168]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what guidance his Department
issues to foreign companies planning to invest in the UK.
Graham Stuart:
The Department for International Trade (DIT) plays a critical role in promoting the UK
as the natural choice for overseas investment. The Department provides support to
inward investors who wish to set up in the UK.
These services range from providing information, guidance and support on the UK
business environment, to access to finance, talent and skills, visas and migration,
research and innovation, and sector experts.
DIT also provides an end-to-end service for investors, through initiatives such as the
Strategic Relationship Management Programme, both in the UK and overseas,
working with colleagues across government, in London, UK regions and Devolved
Administrations. This suite of services helps investors prosper and succeed, which in
turn leads them to reinvest further in the UK. The UK has the highest stock of FDI of
any nation in Europe.
Overseas Investment: Brazil
Emily Thornberry: [292874]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she plans to bring forward
legislative proposals to ensure that UK companies investing in Brazil do not contribute to
deforestation in the Amazon.
Conor Burns:
As we prepare for our independent trade policy, the UK Government is committed to
upholding the UK’s high environmental standards. The Government is exploring all
options in the design of future trade and investment agreements, including possible
environment provisions.
The UK remains committed to protecting the world’s rainforests and will continue to
do so in Brazil through International Climate Finance programmes. We believe the
key to reducing deforestation is to work in partnership with Brazil and through HMG
programmes the UK Government has committed £131 million to support REDD Early
Movers, Rural Sustentavel and Partnerships for Forests. The UK government
recently committed a further £10 million in support.
Overseas Trade: India
Gareth Thomas: [294091]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to increase
trade with the Indian state of Gujarat; and if she will make a statement.
Gareth Thomas: [294092]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to increase
trade with India; and if she will she make a statement.
Conor Burns:
The UK enjoys a strong trade relationship with India. Total trade in goods and
services between the UK and India reached over £20bn in the period July 2018 to
March 2019. The Department for International Trade promotes UK trade interests
through our overseas network. This includes Gujarat State where we have a team
based at the Deputy High Commission in Ahmedabad. My Rt Hon. Friend the
Secretary of State for International Trade also leads a Joint Economic & Trade
Committee in which ministers discuss the removal of market access barriers and
means to increasing bilateral trade.
Overseas Trade: Israel
Ian Austin: [294687]
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent assessment has she
made of the level of potential opportunities for (a) export and (b) trade with Israel.
Graham Stuart:
Israel remains a strategic priority for UK trade with total trade in goods and services
between the UK and Israel totalling £4.2bn in 2019.
Total UK exports to Israel amounted to £2.4bn in 2019 and our Embassy team in Tel
Aviv, supported by the Department for International Trade (DIT) team in London and
across the UK, continues to support and engage with business on a daily basis both
to assess and realise potential opportunities for UK business in line with the Export
Strategy, the government’s plan to increase UK total exports as a proportion of GDP
to 35% and make Britain a 21st century exporting superpower. The strategy, which
focuses on all global markets, including Israel, will encourage and inspire more
businesses to export; inform businesses by providing practical assistance on
exporting; connect UK businesses to overseas buyers and opportunities; and help
provide finance through UK Export Finance to enhance the HMG offer to UK
exporters. Through this strategy we will also continue to promote the UK as a bilateral
trading partner, reassuring Israeli businesses that the UK remains open for business
and remains an advocate for free trade and open markets.
On trade more broadly, the Trade Continuity Agreement signed between the UK and
Israel last February reflects the importance both countries attribute to the respective
trading relationship and the potential opportunities that exist. I am delighted that the
Hon. Member will be supporting the important and exciting work that builds on the
agreement as our recently appointed Trade Envoy for Israel.
JUSTICE
[Subject Heading to be Assigned]
Stephen McPartland: [912609]
What plans he has to help reduce reoffending.
Lucy Frazer:
This Government is committed to reducing reoffending by ensuring that all offenders
have the tools they need to turn their backs on crime.
That is why we are focusing our efforts on supporting offenders to address any health
and wellbeing issues; raise their levels of educations attainment and skills; get a job;
and rebuild or reinforce their relationships.
We also know that a concerted cross-government effort is required to address
reoffending. For example we recently entered into a National Partnership Agreement
with the Department for Work and Pensions, to set out how departments will work
together to improve offenders’ chances of securing work and integrate into the
community on release from prison.
We know that in 39% of violent incidents victims believed alcohol was a factor. We
are introducing an Alcohol Abstinence and Monitoring Requirement, giving courts the
power to impose a ban on drinking alcohol as part of a community order where
alcohol was a factor in the offending.
Jeff Smith: [912610]
What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of sentences of less
than six months in reducing reoffending.
Chris Philp:
Sentencing must match the severity of the crime. Whilst there is evidence that short
sentences do not help some offenders turn their backs on crime, protecting the public
will always be our priority.
As part of our recent review, we have considered changes to sentencing for prolific
offenders which could help break the cycle of reoffending.
We know that these offenders generally have multiple and complex needs which are
linked to their offending behaviour, in particular drugs, alcohol and mental health
needs. Solutions will often lie in effective community sentences.
We intend to bring forward a comprehensive package of reforms, including to
community penalties to ensure they both punish and tackle the underlying drivers of
offending.
Mr Gavin Shuker: [912613]
What recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on the rule of law.
Chris Philp:
The Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor meet regularly and discuss a range of
matters. The Lord Chancellor has sworn an oath to respect the rule of law and to
defend the judiciary. It is an oath he takes very seriously. The government will always
abide by the law.
Paula Sherriff: [912614]
What recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of drugs being smuggled into
prisons.
Lucy Frazer:
One of the first things the Lord Chancellor did was to visit HMP Leeds with the Prime
Minister where they set out our focus on tackling crime, investing up to £2.5 billion
transforming the prison estate and providing 10,000 additional prison places.
At HMP Leeds there is an X-ray body scanner installed there to identify items
internally concealed on prisoners. HMP Wakefield also has an X-ray body scanner.
At HMP New Hall in our women’s estate, the drug threat is different and staff there
have worked hard to respond to the inspection report published in April. They have
put in place an updated local drug strategy, do more suspicion-led drug testing and
store medications in line with clinical guidelines.
We have previously invested £70 million to improve safety, security and decency in
prisons. We use body, property, cell and area searches across the estate, aided by
dedicated search teams and drug detection dogs.
As announced in August, we will be spending a further £100 million on prison
security. Airport-style security, including X-ray scanners, will be put into prisons
across the estate to help stop contraband such as drugs from getting in.
John Lamont: [912615]
What steps his Department is taking to increase prison capacity.
Lucy Frazer:
The Prime Minister has made clear his focus on tackling crime and announced in
August an investment of up to £2.5 billion to transform the prison estate and provide
10,000 additional prison places.
Our recent Spending Round settlement provides the funding for MoJ to begin
delivering this commitment and outline planning permission has been approved for a
new prison at Full Sutton.
The 10,000 places are additional to the 3,500 places, which we have begun at
Wellingborough; that we will start building at Glen Parva next year, and; that we have
already built at HMP Stocken.
Bill Wiggin: [912617]
What plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that hon. Members are
not prevented from participating in business in the House due to jury service
responsibilities.
Chris Philp:
Trial by jury is fundamental to our world leading justice system and serving as a juror
is one of the most important civic duties that anyone can be asked to perform.
The Jury Manual identifies that MPs who seek excusal on the grounds of
parliamentary duties should be deferred in the first instance. This allows them to
identify a more convenient time and strikes a sensible balance, ensuring that MPs are
able to carry out their crucial role in this place.
If an MP feels that it is inappropriate to serve in his own constituency, he or she
should be allowed to serve elsewhere.
Any individual requests for jury service to be deferred would be a matter for our
independent judiciary
Hare Coursing: Prosecutions
Sue Hayman: [290868]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many successful prosecutions there have
been for hare coursing in each of the last 10 years.
Chris Philp:
The Ministry of Justice has published data on the number of prosecutions and
convictions for hare coursing offences in England and Wales for the years 2013 to
2018. This data is available in the Principal offence proceedings and outcomes by
Home Office offence code data tool available here:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm
ent_data/file/804510/HO-code-tool-principal-offence-2018.xlsx
Related offences include:
• Participating in a hare coursing event
• Attending a hare coursing event
• Knowingly facilitating a hare coursing event
• Permitting land to be used for the purpose of a hare coursing event
• Permitting etc a dog to participate in a hare coursing event
Search for ‘hare coursing’ in the Detailed offence filter and select the offences of
interest.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Modernisation
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294154]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to modernise the courts
and tribunal system.
Chris Philp:
Our £1bn modernisation programme has already started improving the experience of
those who use and need our courts and tribunals.
More than 150,000 people used our new online justice services in 2018, taking the
total number to just under 300,000 in the past four years.
The public can now apply for uncontested divorce online, apply for probate online,
make pleas online for low-level offences (such as traffic offences or evading bus
fare), respond to jury summonses, track social security appeals online, and issue and
respond to civil money claims. Feedback from those who use our new services has
been extremely positive.
Knives: Prosecutions
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294152]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking with the Attorney
General to ensure that people who carry knives are prosecuted.
Chris Philp:
We work closely with the Attorney General and Home Office Ministers to ensure the
Criminal Justice System commands public confidence and tackles crime effectively.
To address this and other serious crimes we’re recruiting 20,000 new police officers,
investing £85 million in the CPS and building 10,000 additional prison places,
together with the work of PCCs setting up Violence Reduction Units.
Ministry of Justice: Data Protection
Mary Creagh: [292182]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the Memorandum of
Understanding sent by the Cabinet Office to his Department on the sharing of GOV.UK
user data with the Government Digital Service.
Chris Philp:
The Government Digital Service (GDS) is implementing end-to-end performance
monitoring so that GOV.UK can be designed to ensure that people can access the
information and services they need as easily as possible. Departments are enabling
GDS to centrally collect data on site usage across the GOV.UK estate, to provide an
end to end, anonymised view of how people interact with government online. In
developing this project, both GDS and departments have taken into account both the
data protection regime and other guidance like the Government’s Data Ethics
Framework.
Clear and robust Memorandums of Understanding set out the terms of the project.
The MOUs outline the responsibilities of both the GDS and departments in a number
of areas, including handling the relevant data to ensure there is no unauthorised
access, loss, misuse, modification or disclosure.
The MoUs will be regularly updated in line with the government’s commitment to
continuous improvement in digital services and best practice in data and privacy
standards. It is a long standing government policy to operate in the spirit of full
transparency, and GDS plan to publish the document in due course.
Offenders: Employment
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294714]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government is taking to ensure
that offenders find employment on release.
Lucy Frazer:
Since we launched our Education and Employment Strategy in May 2018, we have
overhauled the prison education system, allowing governors to commission skills-
based training and education that meets the needs of the local labour market.
We have also introduced the New Futures Network, a specialist part of the Prison
Service which brokers partnerships between prisons and employers in England and
Wales. New Futures Network is now operating in 14 out of 15 geographical prison
group areas and more than 360 businesses have registered an interest in working
with prisons to provide work and training opportunities.
Additionally, we established new rules to allow governors to get offenders our to work
earlier on temporary licence. This will increase the opportunities available for
prisoners to secure jobs on release and reduce their chances of reoffending.
Prison Accommodation
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294150]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to increase
prison capacity.
Lucy Frazer:
The Prime Minister has made clear his focus on tackling crime and recently
announced an investment of up to £2.5 billion to transform the prison estate and
provide 10,000 additional prison places.
The 10,000 places are additional to the 3,500 places already announced, with
construction already underway at Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, a new
houseblock at HMP Stocken in Rutland, which was opened in June, and works at
Glen Parva in Leicestershire, due to commence next year.
Our recent Spending Review settlement provides the funding for the Ministry of
Justice to begin delivering the 10,000 additional places, with outline planning
permission approved in September for a new prison at Full Sutton in East Riding of
Yorkshire.
Prison Sentences
Chris Ruane: [292120]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential
merits of phasing out six month custodial sentences in England and Wales.
Chris Philp:
Protecting the public will always be our priority. One of the first acts by this Prime
Minister was to order an urgent review of sentencing. The focus of the review has
been on the sentencing for the most serious violent and sexual offenders and the
rules governing when and how those offenders are released. The review has also
looked at changes to sentencing for the most prolific offenders which could help
break the cycle of reoffending.
Based on the findings of the review, we will be bringing forward proposals shortly for
a comprehensive package of legislative reform. This will include amending the
automatic release point for the most serious sexual and violent offenders (where the
offence carries a maximum life sentence) from the half-way point to two thirds of the
sentence.
As part of this package of reform, we also plan to bring forward proposals for
community penalties that offer an appropriate level of punishment, while tackling the
underlying drivers of offending. We know that prolific offenders generally have
multiple and complex needs which are linked to their offending behaviour, in
particular drugs, alcohol and mental health needs. If we are to break the cycle of
reoffending, solutions will often lie in community sentences, including those which
address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and alcohol or drug misuse
needs, or provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community.
Prisoners: Childbirth
Catherine West: [294739]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many children were born in prisons in the
last year.
Catherine West: [294740]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what support his Department provides to
pregnant female prisoners.
Lucy Frazer:
Information relating to births and pregnancy is recorded locally, and is not collected
centrally. Work is currently underway to look at what information related to pregnancy
and birth can be collected centrally.
Births in prison are extremely rare. Every effort is made to ensure women are in the
appropriate hospital setting in order to give birth, however this is not always possible
due to the unpredictability of labour.
All pregnant women in custody have an individual care and management plan that is
communicated to all staff and all pregnant women are seen by a mid-wife at least
fortnightly or as required. Women can expect to have access to the same range of
services as they would in the community. Healthcare in prisons is provided by trained
medics and nurses, but we have also made training on dealing with pregnant women
available to all prison officers.
A Prison Service Instruction sets out the current policy on Mother and Baby Units
(MBUs), and the Policy Guidance adjoining the Women’s Policy Framework 2018
contains comprehensive operational guidance on perinatal support to women in
custody. A review of the MBU policy is currently underway.
Prisoners: Self-harm
Mrs Madeleine Moon: [294107]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the statistics collected by his
Department from across the prison estate can be broken down into (a) individual
episodes of self-harm and (b) episodes of self-harm by an individual in (i) HMP Parc and
(ii) HMP Cardiff prisons; and if he will make a statement.
Lucy Frazer:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Prisons
Mr Ranil Jayawardena: [294218]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce costs across
the prison estate.
Lucy Frazer:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Prisons: Crime
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294151]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to reduce
levels of crime in prisons.
Lucy Frazer:
We are taking decisive action to reduce the level of crime in prisons which has a
devastating impact on prison safety and undermines our ability to protect the public
and rehabilitate offenders.
We are investing £100 million in prison security as part of a crackdown on crime
behind bars. We are targeting those who bring contraband, such as drugs and mobile
phones, into prisons through enhanced gate security for staff and visitors and x-ray
body scanners for prisoners. We are also stepping up our counter corruption
capability and strengthening (in scale and reach) intelligence-led operations and
investigations with law enforcement partners against those that present the greatest
threat of harm to prison security and the community.
In May, we published the new Crime in Prison Referral Agreement between Her
Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, the police and the Crown Prosecution
Service. This sets out how crimes committed within prison, such as serious assaults,
will be referred to law enforcement, investigated and prosecuted. It provides a more
consistent approach to dealing with these matters.
Prisons: Discipline
Mrs Madeleine Moon: [294105]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will detail the definitions of (a) concerted
indiscipline and (b) violent incident required to be used at (i) HMP Parc and (ii) HMP
Cardiff; and if he will make a statement.
Lucy Frazer:
The definitions of concerted indiscipline and assaults are:
Concerted indiscipline: the number of incidents in which two or more prisoners act
together in defiance of a lawful instruction or against the requirements of the regime
of the establishment. The act of indiscipline can be active or passive (i.e. involving
aggression and violence or not) and the protagonists do not necessarily need to be
acting in a common cause.
Assaults: refer to unwanted physical contact between two or more individuals,
excluding lawful use of force by staff (but including where staff are assaulted during
use of force) or anything of a purely verbal or threatening nature.
Assaults in prison custody cover a wide range of violent incidents including fights
between prisoners.
Serious assaults are those which involve one or more of the following: a sexual
assault, results in detention in outside hospital as an in-patient, requires medical
treatment for concussion or internal injuries. It also includes incurring any of the
following injuries: a fracture, scald or burn, stabbing, crushing, extensive or multiple
bruising, black eye, broken nose, lost or broken tooth, cuts requiring suturing, bites,
temporary or permanent blindness.
We do not tolerate violence or disruptive behaviour in our prisons. We’ve recruited
4,366 additional officers and are spending an extra £100m, introducing tough airport-
style security, x-ray scanners and phone-blocking technology. We are also committed
to ensuring our prison officers have the tools they need to do the job safely with body
worn cameras, ‘police-style’ handcuffs and restraints, and PAVA incapacitant spray.
Prisons: Ethnic Groups
Mrs Madeleine Moon: [294106]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many BAME prisoners were held at (a)
HMP Parc and (b) HMP Cardiff prison under (i) remand and (ii) sentence following
decisions by courts outside of Wales in each year since 2015; and if he will make a
statement.
Lucy Frazer:
The below table indicates non white (includes prisoners with ‘not stated’ and ‘not
recorded’ ethnicities) prisoners in HMPs Cardiff and Parc with an associated court
outside of Wales (includes prisoners with ‘Court not recorded’).
30/06/2015 30/06/2016 30/06/2017 30/06/2018 30/06/2019
Total 75 60 105 71 87
Of which:
Remand 11 7 15 5 7
Sentenced 62 46 85 60 74
Non-Criminal 2 7 5 6 6
Prisons: Fires
Mary Glindon: [293575]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the cost to the
public purse of fire events in prisons in each of the last five years.
Lucy Frazer:
The cost of fires in public sector prisons from 2016 - 2019 is shown below.
Information for previous years is unavailable due to a change in reporting system.
YEAR COST
2016 £89,853
2017 £593,646
2018 £450,936
2019 £489,639
These figures comprise the total cost of Respiratory Protective Equipment used in
such scenarios, refurbishments, as well as any other miscellaneous costs relating to
fire fines.
The costs have been collated from the central HM Prison and Probation Service
(HMPPS) fire and investigation reporting tool and are only available for the public
sector prison estate. Costings for privately managed prison (PMP) are not collected
by HMPPS..
We will never compromise on the safety of those in our care, and staff are trained to
respond to emergency situations in a timely, appropriate manner. This Government is
taking unprecedented action to improve safety in custody. This includes recruiting an
additional 4,366 (full time equivalent) prison officers between October 2016 and June
2019, surpassing our original target of 2,500. We are also investing an extra £70
million to improve safety, security and decency.
Mary Glindon: [293576]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) staff and (b) prisoner (i) injuries,
(ii) hospitalisations and (iii) fatalities involved fire events in prisons in each of the last five
years; and if he will make a statement.
Lucy Frazer:
The information requested is shown in the table below. Information for 2015 is not
available due to system changes and identifying criteria.
PRISONER
INJURIES
PRISONER
FATALITIES
PRISONER
HOSPITALISATION
STAFF
INJURIES
STAFF
FATALITIES
STAFF
HOSPITALISATION
2016 22 0 5 21 0 4
2017 64 0 30 52 0 33
2018 51 2 27 24 0 3
2019 29 1 27 18 0 3
We will never compromise on the safety of those in our care, and staff are trained to
respond to emergency situations in a timely and appropriate manner. The
Government is taking unprecedented action to improve safety in custody. This
includes recruiting an additional 4,366 prison officers between October 2016 and
June 2019 and we are investing £100 million, on top of the £70 million we have
already invested, to make our prisons safer.
Independent investigations of fatalities are undertaken by the Prison and Probation
Ombudsman. HM Prison and Probation Service is absolutely committed to controlling
any form of ignition sources and combustible materials in prisons.
Mary Glindon: [293577]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of CPS referrals
for prosecution involved fire events in prisons in each of the last five years.
Lucy Frazer:
We do not hold the number of prisoners charged and prosecuted for arson centrally
and this information could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.
Probation
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294156]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve probation
services.
Lucy Frazer:
In May, we announced plans to strengthen probation by ending Community
Rehabilitation Company contracts early and streamlining responsibilities for public,
private and voluntary sector partners.
This means the National Probation Service taking on supervision of all offenders, the
private sector continuing to drive innovation in interventions, and greater voluntary
sector involvement in rehabilitation.
In July we published a Draft Operating Blueprint setting out further detail on our
plans. We are continuing to test and refine the design for the future model with
partners and stakeholders as plans for the transition take shape. In Wales we are
proceeding with plans to move the responsibility for supervision of all offenders into
the NPS by the end of 2019. Our experience there will help inform the approach to
transition in England.
We continue to drive improvements in service delivery under existing arrangements,
including investing £22m per year to support an additional 500 CRC staff in prisons
delivering sustained support for offenders to find accommodation and employment on
release.
Probation: Reform
Mr Jim Cunningham: [294094]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent progress he has made on plans for
probation reform.
Lucy Frazer:
In May, we announced plans to strengthen probation by ending Community
Rehabilitation Company contracts early and streamlining responsibilities for public,
private and voluntary sector partners.
This means the National Probation Service taking on supervision of all offenders, the
private sector continuing to drive innovation in interventions, and greater voluntary
sector involvement in rehabilitation.
In July we published a Draft Operating Blueprint setting out further detail on our
plans. We are continuing to test and refine the design for the future model with
partners and stakeholders as plans for the transition take shape. In Wales we are
proceeding with plans to move the responsibility for supervision of all offenders into
the NPS by the end of 2019. Our experience there will help inform the approach to
transition in England.
We continue to drive improvements in service delivery under existing arrangements,
including investing £22m per year to support an additional 500 CRC staff in prisons
delivering sustained support for offenders to find accommodation and employment on
release.
Reoffenders
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294153]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to help reduce rates of
prisoner reoffending.
Lucy Frazer:
This Government is committed to keeping the public safe and reducing reoffending by
ensuring that all offenders have the tools they need to turn their backs on crime.
We know that offenders can have a range of needs, which often drive offending
behaviour. Therefore, prisons and probation must provide the opportunity for
rehabilitation. That is why we are focusing our efforts on supporting offenders to
address any health and wellbeing issues; raise their levels of educational attainment
and skills; get a job; and rebuild or reinforce their relationships.
A concerted cross-government effort is required to address reoffending. We recently
announced a National Partnership Agreement with the DWP, which sets out how the
departments will jointly drive rehabilitation and reduce reoffending. We also continue
to work closely with our health and justice partners, and are collaborating with
MHCLG and local authorities on our offender accommodation pilots.
In addition, we are making positive progress in implementing the recommendations
set out by Lord Farmer in his report on strengthening prisoners’ family ties.
Reoffenders: Sentencing
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294149]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to review
sentencing policy for prolific offenders.
Chris Philp:
Protecting the public will always be our priority. One of the first acts by this Prime
Minister was to order an urgent review of sentencing. The focus of the review has
been on the sentencing for the most serious violent and sexual offenders and the
rules governing when and how those offenders are released. As part of the review,
we have also considered changes to sentencing for prolific offenders which could
help break the cycle of reoffending.
Based on the findings of the review, we will be bringing forward proposals shortly for
a comprehensive package of legislative reform. This will include amending the
automatic release point for the most serious sexual and violent offenders (where the
offence carries a maximum life sentence) from the half-way point to two thirds of the
sentence.
As part of this package of reform, we also plan to bring forward proposals for
community penalties that offer an appropriate level of punishment, while tackling the
underlying drivers of offending. We know that prolific offenders generally have
multiple and complex needs which are linked to their offending behaviour, in
particular drugs, alcohol and mental health needs. If we are to break the cycle of
reoffending, solutions will often lie in community sentences, including those which
address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and alcohol or drug misuse
needs, or provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community. On 1 October we
announced that we would be introducing Alcohol Abstinence and Monitoring
Requirements (AAMR) across England and Wales, starting in 2020.
LEADER OF THE HOUSE
Carry Over Motions
Sandy Martin: [294241]
To ask the Leader of the House, which of the 48 remaining orders and notices listed on
the Order Paper for Monday 30 September 2019 will be carried over into a subsequent
session of Parliament following any prorogation of the current session.
Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg:
I refer the Hon member to paragraph 8.6 of Erskine May, which sets out the effect of
prorogation on business. Erskine May is now available online and paragraph 8.6 can
be viewed at https://erskinemay.parliament.uk/section/6499/effect-of-prorogation/.
Any primary legislation that has been subject to a carry-over motion agreed by the
House will be carried over into the second session.
Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Legal Aid for
Separated Children) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2019
Afzal Khan: [292994]
To ask the Leader of the House, with reference to the debate on EU Settlement Scheme:
Looked-after Children and Care Leavers on 3 September 2019, whether he has plans to
bring forward the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Legal
Aid for Separated Children) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2019 for debate.
Afzal Khan: [292995]
To ask the Leader of the House, with reference to the debate on EU Settlement Scheme:
Looked-after Children and Care Leavers on 3 September 2019, what discussions he has
had with the Secretary of State for Justice on the provision of time for a debate on the
Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Legal Aid for Separated
Children) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2019.
Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg:
I have regular discussions with other members of the Cabinet on parliamentary
business and legislation. The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders
Act 2012 (Legal Aid for Separated Children) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order
2019 has now been considered by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments and
is scheduled for debate in the Twenty-First Delegated Legislation Committee on
Tuesday 8 October at 0855.
Social Media: Harassment
Ian Austin: [294685]
To ask the Leader of the House, what assessment he has made of the effect on political
debate and discussion of anonymous abuse and threats on social media.
Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg:
Democracy is a cornerstone of British values and key to a healthy democracy is
having respectful, vibrant and open debate. However, this freedom cannot be an
excuse to cause harm or spread hatred and a line is crossed when disagreement
mutates into intimidation, violence or abuse. The Government recognises that rising
levels of intimidation in public life can stop talented people, particularly women and
those from minority backgrounds, from standing for public office. In April this year, the
Government published the Online Harms White Paper, which sets out our plans for
world-leading legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Belfast Agreement: Brexit
Conor McGinn: [294247]
To ask Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment the Government has
made of the compatibility of the provisions of the Good Friday Agreement with (a) the UK
leaving the EU without a deal and (b) the Irish backstop.
Julian Smith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
PRIME MINISTER
Prime Minister: Chief Scientific Advisers
Norman Lamb: [292159]
To ask the Prime Minister, how many meetings he had with his Department’s Chief
Scientific Adviser from 1 June to 31 August 2019.
Boris Johnson:
I have regular meetings with ministerial colleagues, officials and others.
SCOTLAND
Cash Dispensing: Scotland
Hugh Gaffney: [293693]
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with the
Chancellor of the Exchequer on ensuring that people are able to access free-to-use cash
machines throughout Scotland.
Mr Alister Jack:
I have regular discussions on important Scottish economic matters with my Cabinet
colleagues, including the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Technology has transformed banking for millions of people, but we know that many
still rely on cash. That is why we are co-ordinating work across government,
regulators and industry so we can protect access for everyone who needs it.
LINK, the scheme that runs the UK’s ATM network, has publicly committed to
maintain the broad geographic spread of ATMs and has put in place specific
arrangements to protect remote free-to-use ATMs one kilometre or further from the
next nearest free-to-use ATM. More recently, LINK has committed to protecting free
access to cash on high streets – where there is a cluster of five or more retailers –
that do not have a free-to-use ATM or a Post Office counter within 1 kilometre.
Occupational Pensions: Scotland
Alan Brown: [294205]
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the
Secretary of State for Department for Work and Pensions on the effect of section 75 of
the Pensions Act 1995 on (a) plumbing pensions and (b) multi-employer pension
schemes; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Alister Jack:
My Department works closely with the Department for Work and Pensions on a range
of issues that are relevant to Scotland.
The Government believes that the existing arrangements provide sufficient flexibility
for employers to manage their section 75 debts and that maintaining the current
calculation method is the most viable way of ensuring that members receive their
pension benefits over the longer term.
Public Sector: Scotland
Hugh Gaffney: [293696]
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent assessment his Department has
made of public satisfaction with public services in Scotland.
Mr Alister Jack:
In a recent Scottish Government Household survey, we see that public satisfaction in
health, schools, education and public transport in Scotland has dropped to 51.7%, its
lowest level since 2007, which is extremely disappointing. These policy areas are
devolved to the Scottish Government and they must do more to improve public
services for the people of Scotland.
TRANSPORT
A34: Accidents
Layla Moran: [294236]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 October 2019 to
Question 292331, what estimate he has made of the total number of (i) deaths and (ii)
fatalities on the A34 in 2018.
George Freeman:
There were 495 reported road casualties, including 10 fatalities, on the whole of the
A34 in 2018.
Air Travel Trust Fund: Insurance
Luke Pollard: [293738]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the Air Travel Trust
Fund’s insurance policies.
Paul Maynard:
The Air Travel Trust Fund (ATT) is the primary source of funding when an ATOL
holder fails. The ATT has in place insurance policies that provide the Trust with
access to funds in the event of ATOL holder failure(s), where costs arising from
refunds and repatriation exceed either £150 million, £70 million or £10 million in a
policy year, depending on the size of the failed ATOL holder(s).
The specific terms of the policies are confidential between the ATT and its insurers.
Luke Pollard: [293739]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost of insurance premiums on
insurance and reinsurance policies for the Air Travel Trust Fund was in the last 12
months.
Paul Maynard:
The most recent information is published in the Air Travel Trust’s 2018 Annual Report
and Accounts. Insurance premiums for the year to 31 March 2018 were £11,990,000
Luke Pollard: [293741]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the value is of the (a) insurance and (b)
reinsurance that the Air Travel Trust Fund has that covered the collapse of Thomas
Cook; and which insurance companies underwrite that insurance.
Paul Maynard:
The Air Travel Trust Fund (ATT) is the primary source of funding when an ATOL
holder fails. The ATT has in place insurance policies that provide the Trust with
access to funds in the event of ATOL holder failure(s), where costs arising from
refunds and repatriation exceed either £150 million, £70 million or £10 million in a
policy year, depending on the size of the failed ATOL holder(s).
Cover is provided by a panel of insurers and the annual limit is £400 million. The
specific terms of the policies are confidential between the ATT and its insurers.
Aviation: Egypt
Mr Jonathan Lord: [293558]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the Government will make an assessment
of the potential merits of lifting the ban on direct flights from the UK to Sharm El Sheikh
airport in Egypt.
Paul Maynard:
The Department for Transport undertakes aviation security assessments at overseas
airports. UK aviation security experts are working closely with their Egyptian
counterparts on the ground. It is long standing government policy not to comment on
security matters, however I can confirm that we continue to work in partnership with
the Egyptian authorities, sharing aviation security expertise, and are grateful for their
close engagement and support.
We look forward to achieving the return of flights to Sharm el-Sheikh when the
situation allows.
Cycling and Walking: Surrey
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294718]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has allocated to
(a) Woking and (b) Surrey for projects relating to his Department's cycling and walking
investment strategy in the last three years.
Chris Heaton-Harris:
The Department has provided £0.784 million for Bikeability training in schools in
Surrey. Surrey County Council is one of the 46 local authorities benefiting from a total
of £1.5 million investment to support the development of Local Cycling and Walking
Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs). The Department has also allocated around £64 million
to Surrey from non-ringfenced funding streams (including the Integrated Transport
Block and Maintenance Block) of which a certain percentage is spent on measures
which benefit cyclists and pedestrians. Local authorities are also able to use other
local funds for cycling and walking projects.
Surrey County Council is part of the Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership
(LEP), which was allocated almost £125 million through the Local Growth Fund
(LGF). The Department conducted a survey of LEPs about investment of LGF on
cycling and walking projects and this has shown that Enterprise M3 has allocated
£42.3 million for cycling and walking projects in their region, including for projects in
Woking and Guildford.
Department for Transport: Chief Scientific Advisers
Norman Lamb: [292152]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings he had with his
Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 June to 31 August 2019.
George Freeman:
The Secretary of State for Transport had no meetings with his Department’s Chief
Scientific Adviser between 1 June and 31 August 2019.
The Minister for State for the Future of Transport, George Freeman MP, had five
meetings with the Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser in the same timeframe.
Department for Transport: Jainism
Gareth Thomas: [292801]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will invite representatives of the Jain
community to national events organised by his Department; and if he will make a
statement.
Chris Heaton-Harris:
The Department for Transport is an inclusive department and we work with a diverse
range of communities and stakeholders. When planning events we work closely with
local authorities and other organisations to ensure that representatives of
communities that may be interested in attending, including the Jain community,
receive invitations.
Egypt: Aviation
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294246]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the level of
risk of lifting the UK flight ban to Sharm el Sheikh.
Paul Maynard:
The Department for Transport undertakes aviation security assessments at overseas
airports. UK aviation security experts are working closely with their Egyptian
counterparts on the ground. It is long standing government policy not to comment on
security matters, however I can confirm that we continue to work in partnership with
the Egyptian authorities, sharing aviation security expertise, and are grateful for their
close engagement and support.
We look forward to achieving the return of flights to Sharm el-Sheikh when the
situation allows.
Electric Scooters
Dr Sarah Wollaston: [294143]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timeframe is for the publication of
the Future of Mobility regulatory review.
George Freeman:
The Future of Mobility regulatory review is a once in a generation opportunity to
ensure our regulatory framework supports transport innovation.
The first key milestone will be a call for evidence which we plan to launch in autumn
this year. We will use the responses to identify where reform is needed now to
address areas with a pressing need for change. The responses will also help the
Government clarify where further work is necessary ahead of more substantial
changes to legislation over the next few years.
Electric Vehicles: Batteries
John Spellar: [293451]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made
of the effect on electric vehicle battery range of (a) low or high temperatures and (b) the
use of in-car heating or air conditioning.
George Freeman:
Really low and really high temperatures can impact an electric vehicle’s battery
range. Currently, the operating temperatures for electric vehicle battery cells are -
20°C to +60°C. Vehicle manufacturers compensate for this at pack level through pre-
conditioning as well as heating and cooling systems, the drawback being that these
draw energy. Applications in aerospace and defence have even more challenging
operating temperatures. The Government has committed £274m to the Industrial
Strategy’s Faraday Battery Challenge which includes understanding the effects of
temperature further. The Challenge is supporting battery R&D from the Faraday
Institution’s academic research through Innovate UK’s programme of collaborative
R&D and to scale-up in the cutting-edge UK Battery Industrialisation Centre. One of
the aims of the Faraday programme is to improve the operating range of battery cells,
including to -40°C to +80°C by 2035 therefore enabling better performance and
efficiency at higher and lower ambient temperatures.
Thermal loads from heating, ventilation and air-conditioning affect the battery range
of electrical vehicles and is most critical for vehicles like refrigerated trucks. The
Office for Low Emission Vehicle’s Integrated Delivery Programme is funding R&D
projects aiming to maximise the efficiency of the electric powertrain and significantly
extend an electric vehicle’s range further.
Large Goods Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions
Layla Moran: [292283]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to develop a
strategy for the introduction of low-carbon heavy goods vehicles.
George Freeman:
The Government recognises the need to increase ambition and step up the pace of
progress to ensure that all transport sector modes, including freight, play their part in
delivering net zero emissions by 2050. We are investing nearly £1.5bn between April
2015 and March 2021 to support the uptake of ultra low emission vehicles, including
HGVs. The funding includes the Plug-in Van Grant that provides £20,000 off the price
of the first 200 large vans (3.5t+) or trucks, our £22m Future Fuels for Flight and
Freight Competition, our ten-year trial of longer semi-trailers, the £11m Low Carbon
Truck and Refuelling Infrastructure Trial and the £20m Low Emission Freight Trial.
We have agreed an industry-wide voluntary target for reducing HGV greenhouse gas
emissions by 15% by 2025, from 2015 levels and are collaborating with and support
industry in achieving this goal.
Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions
Mr Damian Hinds: [293526]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance his Department has issued to
enforcement officers in relation to idling engines; and whether he plans to update that
guidance.
George Freeman:
Guidance for Local Authorities on idling enforcement was last issued in 2002. This is
when the relevant regulations, the Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty)
(England) Regulations 2002), were enacted. This guidance is currently being revised
by the Department and will be reissued to Local Authorities in the coming months.
Northern
Grahame Morris: [293529]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 July 2019 to
Question 279431 on Northern, what allowable Changes have been applied to the Arriva
Rail North franchise subsidy in (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18 and (c) 2018-19.
Chris Heaton-Harris:
For the years 2016/17 through to 2018/19, allowable changes that have been agreed
and applied to their subsidy cover the remapping of services from TPE to Northern
and a change in the fares policy changing the annual regulated fares increase
assumed at bid from RPI+1% to RPI only
Discussions continue with Northern on the impact of other allowable changes that will
be applied to the franchise subsidy. These cover changes to Network Rail’s costs and
changes to scope and timing of planned infrastructure upgrades.
All these changes are in line with the terms of the Franchise Agreement.
Parking: Pedestrian Areas
Emma Hardy: [292982]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has plans to undertake a review
of the legislation on pavement parking.
George Freeman:
Earlier this year, the Department for Transport completed a comprehensive review of
pavement parking in England looking at the extent of the problem, the effectiveness
of the current legislation and options for change. This review concluded shortly before
the announcement of the Transport Select Committee’s inquiry into pavement parking
in April 2019.
The Department for Transport is considering the conclusions of the Transport Select
Committee’s inquiry, alongside the findings of its own review, before deciding upon
any course of action to tackle the problem of pavement parking.
Railways: Huddersfield
Jonathan Reynolds: [293566]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the
adequacy of the latest timetable and scope of improvements being planned to
TransPennine Services on the Huddersfield Rail line; and if he will make a statement.
Chris Heaton-Harris:
Transport for the North, the Department for Transport and the rail industry monitor
timetable changes and agreed actions for the December 2018 timetable which gave
passengers a more resilient service on the Huddersfield line. These measures have
continued into 2019 and the planned introduction of new longer trains and timetable
improvements for this December means further stability, faster services and
increased capacity.
Roads: Mansfield
Ben Bradley: [292991]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding he has allocated to repair roads
in Mansfield constituency in the last year for which information is available.
George Freeman:
Department for Transport funding for local highway maintenance is allocated by
formula to local highway authorities at the upper tier, to county councils or unitary
authorities, so it is not available by Parliamentary constituency.
In 2019/20 the Department is allocating £18.423 million to Nottinghamshire County
Council for local highway maintenance. Of this, £12.006 million is the Highways
Maintenance Block Needs Element, £2.501 million is Highways
Maintenance Block Incentive Element and £3.916 million is Integrated Transport
Block funding. In addition, the Department allocated £0.859 million through the
Pothole Action Fund and Flood Resilience Fund for 2019/20.
Roads: Rural Areas
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294708]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take to improve the
condition of rural roads.
George Freeman:
The Government is providing over £6.6 billion of funding to local highway authorities
for local highways maintenance in England, outside London, between 2015 and 2021
to help them tackle the condition of the local road network. Well-planned
maintenance to prevent potholes and other defects forming on the roads is vital.
Councils that do this well get better value for every pound spent and improve their
customer satisfaction. So, from 2016/17, this Government introduced incentive
funding to help encourage local highway authorities to manage their road networks
better and achieve greater efficiencies.
Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to
maintain the local highway network in their area. The Act does not set out specific
standards of maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to
assess which parts of its network need repair based on its local knowledge and
circumstances. In a rural area there will be many miles of roads so it is for each local
highway authority to decide how to prioritise maintenance of its road network.
Roads: Surrey
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294245]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department has
allocated to road improvement works in (a) Surrey and (b) Woking constituency in each of
the last three years; and what funding he plans to allocate to such works in the 2020-21
financial year.
George Freeman:
Department for Transport funding for local highway maintenance is allocated mainly
by formula to local highway authorities at the upper tier, to county councils or unitary
authorities, so we are unable to provide a break down by Parliamentary constituency.
The formula comprises the Needs Element (£725 million in England outside London
in 2019/20) and the Incentive/Efficiency Element (£150 million 2019/20). Integrated
Transport Block (ITB) is a formula distribution of capital funding to local transport
authorities, which is designed to fund small-scale local transport improvements,
including road safety measures, public transport and public realm improvements.
In each of the last three years the Department’s allocation to Surrey County Council
for local highway maintenance and for ITB was as follows:
2017/18 £21.072 million
2018/19 £21.056 million
2019/20 £21.034 million
The proposed allocation for 2020/21 is £21.034 million.
Following Budget 2018, Surrey County Council received a share, £7.409 million, of
the £420 million additional funding announced for England. This was for local
highways maintenance including the repair of potholes, to keep local bridges and
structures open and safe, and to aid other minor highway works.
Surrey County Council has a Private Finance Initiative for street lighting, for which the
revenue grant payment in each of the last three years was £5.955 million.
In addition, Surrey County Council has received over £3.7 million in total over the last
three years through the Pothole Action Fund.
Shared Spaces: Visual Impairment
Martyn Day: [293651]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Inclusive Transport
Strategy, published on 25 July 2018, when his Department plans to publish updated
guidance for local authorities creating a shared space that is also accessible for visually
impaired people.
Ms Nusrat Ghani:
Following the commitment in the Inclusive Transport Strategy, the Department is
working with Transport Scotland on the research into inclusive street design. This is a
collaborative project between the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland,
which began in August and is scheduled to complete early next year. Following the
conclusion of the research, we will consider the recommendations, and therefore how
best to update our guidance.
South Western Railway: Standards
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294715]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what targets his Department has set to
measure the performance of South Western Railway.
Chris Heaton-Harris:
Targets for performance are set out in Schedule 7.1 of the South Western Franchise
Agreement, a version of which is published on Gov.UK at the following link:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm
ent_data/file/833157/south_western_railways_2017_rail_franchise_agreement.pdf
Taxis: Disability
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294716]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to make
taxis more accessible for disabled people.
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294717]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to
prevent taxi drivers from discriminating against people with disability assistance dogs.
Ms Nusrat Ghani:
In July 2018 the Department published its Inclusive Transport Strategy, with the
intention of supporting a transport network which enables disabled people to travel
easily, confidently and without additional cost. Disabled people make twice as many
journeys by taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) as non-disabled people and it is
essential that operators and authorities play their part in making this a reality.
The Government plans to update guidance to local licensing authorities on the
provision of an inclusive service, including the appropriate treatment of passengers
with assistance dogs.
In the meantime I urge authorities to ensure that drivers receive suitable disability
awareness training and that robust action is taken against those who discriminate
illegally against disabled passengers.
Thomas Cook: Insolvency
Luke Pollard: [293742]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much money he expects to recover from
credit and debit card companies in relation to the costs incurred after the collapse of
Thomas Cook.
Paul Maynard:
This is one of the largest travel company failures we have ever seen. A failure of this
size, and the number of passengers affected, is unprecedented. In these
circumstances, it is right that the government should step in and help affected
passengers return home as smoothly as possible.
We are seeking to minimise the impact on government and taxpayers by recovering
tax payer funds expended in relation to the repatriation operation where appropriate
through the ATOL scheme, credit card companies and travel insurance .
Train Operating Companies: Safety
Dr Matthew Offord: [292894]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how the safety performance of train operating
companies at train stations is reported.
Chris Heaton-Harris:
As health and safety regulator for the rail industry, including at stations, the Office of
Rail and Road (ORR) have responsibility for setting requirements for train operators
in relation to reporting safety performance. In order to operate services, operators are
required to operate and maintain a safety management system and to have this
certified or authorised by the ORR every five years.
Vehicle Number Plates: Flags
Mr Ranil Jayawardena: [294219]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to
introduce a British number plate that incorporates the Union flag and the GB national
identifier so that British cars comply with the UN's Geneva Convention on Road Traffic
1949 and Vienna Convention on Road Traffic 1968 without requiring an oval GB sticker
after the UK leaves the EU.
George Freeman:
The law in the United Kingdom already allows for the use of national identifiers on
number plates for domestic use.
The use of a GB identifier on a number plate is recognised by countries that have
signed up to the Vienna Convention.
Those countries which have not signed up to the Vienna Convention will still require
the use of a GB sticker as the Convention does not include provisions for
distinguishing signs in a number plate.
Therefore, advice to customers to avoid any difficulties when travelling internationally
would be to use a GB sticker on their vehicle.
West Coast Partnership Rail Franchise: Catering
Lisa Nandy: [292227]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether there there are plans to change the
operational models for supplying train catering store supplies on the First Trenitalia West
Coast franchise.
Chris Heaton-Harris:
The operational management of the franchise will be a matter for the operator, First
Trenitalia West Coast, who can be contacted via First Group
(https://www.firstgroupplc.com/).
TREASURY
Borders: Northern Ireland
Angela Smith: [294690]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the detailed planning
assumptions of the Border Delivery Group for each month since January 2019.
Jesse Norman:
The Government recently published its reasonable worst case planning assumptions
on 11 September, setting out the Government’s assessment as of 2 August.Planning
assumptions are held under constant review, to reflect the latest evidence and
analysis of the potential impact of leaving the EU without a deal. The Government’s
updated planning assumptions will be published in due course.
Employment: Taxation
Christian Matheson: [292929]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of
the roll-out of the off-payroll rules on levels of UK contracting roles.
Jesse Norman:
The off-payroll working rules have been in place since 2000. Reforms to how the off-
payroll rules are administered in the public sector have been in place since 6 April
2017. Independent research into the reforms in the public sector showed there was
no clear evidence of a reduction in the number of contractor roles, relative to public
sector bodies’ overall workforce. Most public sector bodies did not experience any
change in their ability to fill vacancies, following the reforms.
Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation
Laura Smith: [294744]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will issue guidance on the recourse
available to people in Crewe and Nantwich constituency who have either not been paid
out for Equitable Life or who have received insufficient compensation.
John Glen:
There are no plans to reopen the Payment Scheme or review the £1.5 billion funding
allocation previously made to it. The Equitable Life Payment Scheme closed to claims
in 2015 and further guidance on the status of the Payment Scheme after closure is
available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equitable-life-payment-scheme#closure-of-
the-scheme.
Fossil Fuels: VAT
Paul Farrelly: [293486]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential
merits of reviewing reduced VAT on heating fuels deriving from fossil fuels.
Mr Simon Clarke:
The Government has no plans to increase the rate of VAT on fuels used for
household energy.
However, all taxes are kept under review and decisions on tax are considered as part
of the normal fiscal policy making process.
Fuels: Excise Duties
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294158]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the
total revenue the public purse has forgone due to the freeze in fuel duty since 2011.
Mr Simon Clarke:
Based on the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) published policy costings, we
estimate the cumulative loss to the Exchequer from the successive fuel duty freezes
from financial year 2011-12 to the current financial year 2018-19 to be around
£46.2bn to the benefit of the UK taxpayer.
The annual impacts on the Exchequer are reported in the table below.
2011-
12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19
Exchequer impact (£m) -2,275 -3,465 -4,645 -5,800 -6,375 -6,815 -7,875 -8,070
The OBR’s policy costings are available at the following link:
https://obr.uk/download/policy-measures-database/
Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands
Mr Jim Cunningham: [294097]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of
the effect of rises in income tax thresholds on income distribution in the last 10 years.
Jesse Norman:
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 30th September (written question
number 290638).
Inflation and Pay
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294713]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what comparative assessment he has made of
rates of wage growth and inflation.
John Glen:
The fundamentals of the British economy are strong – wages are growing at the
fastest rate in over a decade, employment is at a joint record high and the
unemployment rate is at its lowest in over 40 years. Inflation has been at or around
target since the start of 2019, and as a result wages have now outpaced inflation on a
CPI basis for over a year.
On 1 April 2019, we increased the National Living Wage by 4.9% to £8.21 - an above
inflation increase which meant that a full-time worker on the National Living Wage
would be earning £690 more over the coming year. Supported by the National Living
Wage, the lowest earners have seen their wages grow by 8% above inflation
between April 2015 and April 2018.
Insolvency
Mr Adrian Bailey: [292832]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his officials had with the
Insolvency Service on the draft Finance Bill 2019-20 prior to its publication on 11 July
2019; and whether views were sought on the policy to make HMRC a secondary
preferential creditor in insolvencies.
Mr Adrian Bailey: [292833]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of
establishing HMRC as a secondary preferential creditor in insolvencies on the
sustainability of the Pension Protection Fund.
Mr Adrian Bailey: [292834]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential
effect of the policy to make HMRC a secondary preferential creditor in insolvencies on the
number of corporate insolvencies from Q1 2020 onwards.
Mr Adrian Bailey: [292835]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of
establishing HMRC as a secondary preferential creditor in insolvencies on the ability of
SMEs to access finance.
Jesse Norman:
The Government carefully considered the case for reform prior to announcing this
change last year, and it is the Government’s view that taxpayers can reasonably
expect that when they have successfully paid their taxes, these go to fund public
services as intended.
This measure represents a proportionate approach that balances the interests of
taxpayers, the Exchequer, and other creditors.
The Government expects the impact on the sustainability of Pension Protection Fund
(PPF) to be marginal. This reform will not lead to a significant change in recoveries to
the PPF compared to current returns.
The Government does not expect this reform to affect significantly SMEs’ access to
finance or corporate insolvencies, and in line with the Government’s commitment to
open and consultative policymaking is engaging with a wide variety of stakeholders to
ensure policy changes are well informed and based upon the best available
evidence.
Non-domestic Rates: Appeals
Steve Double: [294199]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the
effectiveness of the business rates appeal system Check, Challenge, Appeal.
Jesse Norman:
Official statistics published by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) on 22 August show
that the system is operating as intended with issues being resolved at the appropriate
stage. At 30 June 2019, 100,740 Checks and 17,010 Challenges had been
registered, of which 89,440 Checks and 6,300 Challenges had been resolved. Most
Checks are currently being resolved in 3 months and most Challenges within 12
months.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government intends to carry out a
review of the effectiveness of the Check, Challenge, Appeal system. The VOA is also
conducting a customer evaluation of the delivery of the new system.
Private Rented Housing: Taxation
John Healey: [294679]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the gap
between tax owed and tax paid by private landlords.
Jesse Norman:
The information requested is not available as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) do
not make a separate estimate of the proportion of the total tax gap attributable to
private landlords.
However, HMRC do estimate the tax gap arising from individuals in employment who
have not declared and therefore not paid tax on lettings income. The latest estimate
of this tax gap was £560 million for the tax year 2017-18.
Productivity
Mr Jonathan Lord: [294159]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of productivity growth can be
attributed to financial technology in the last five years.
Mr Simon Clarke:
The government has not made an assessment of the proportion of productivity
growth in the last five years that is attributable to financial technology.
However, the Government has taken significant steps to increase competition in
financial services, including creating an environment in which Fintech firms can grow
and compete with incumbents. The Competition and Market Authority has led the
Open Banking initiative, bringing more competition and innovation to financial
services. The FCA has also established the Innovation Hub and Regulatory Sandbox
to support Fintech, both of which are held up as global examples of best practice.
Further information on the Government’s efforts to promote Fintech can be found in
the Fintech Sector Strategy, published in March 2018.
Service Industries: Non-domestic Rates
Steve Double: [294197]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the
effect of the application of state aid rules to business rates on the hospitality sector.
Jesse Norman:
While the UK is an EU member state the UK continues to be bound by State aid
rules.
The Government has taken repeated action to reduce the burden of business rates
for all ratepayers, including those in the hospitality sector.
Solar Power: VAT
Alex Norris: [294233]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answers of 3 October 2019 to
Questions 292302 and 292304, what the evidential basis is for the conclusion that VAT
changes to materials used for solar installations will have a negligible environmental
impact.
Jesse Norman:
The changes to the VAT rules for energy-saving materials are expected to affect a
relatively small number of installations. It is therefore anticipated that there will be a
negligible impact on the environment.
Around 1,500 future installations of solar panels, energy-saving boilers and wind
turbines are expected to be affected annually, plus some other smaller scale items.
This represents less than 5% of the value of all installations currently eligible for the
reduced rate. The changes are expected to have a negligible impact on the
Exchequer.
A Tax Information and Impact Note was published by HMRC on GOV.UK on 10 July
2019.
Spirits: Excise Duties
Graham P Jones: [294132]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to reduce the rate of duty on
spirits distilled by smaller distilleries in the UK.
Mr Simon Clarke:
The government has no current plans to introduce a small spirits relief. However, all
taxes are kept under review and the impact of such a change is considered at each
fiscal event; including its effect on the industry and wider economy.
Tax Avoidance
Graham P Jones: [294131]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to revise the current duty
collection arrangements on post duty point dilution tax avoidance.
Mr Simon Clarke:
At Budget 2018, the government announced its plans to prohibit the practice of post
duty point dilution (PDPD) from April 2020. From that date, wine and made-wine
producers will not be able to use PDPD to reduce the excise duty they must pay.
Legislation to be included within Finance Bill 2019-20 will give HM Revenue &
Customs new sanctions that may be applied to any producer that continues to use
PDPD after that date.
There are no plans to revise the existing arrangements for duty collection.
Tax Avoidance
Mr Jim Cunningham: [292092]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure the impartiality
of the leader of the inquiry into loan charge schemes.
Jesse Norman:
The Chancellor has commissioned Sir Amyas Morse, former CEO of the National
Audit Office, to lead an independent Review to consider the impact of the Loan
Charge, focusing on individuals who entered directly into disguised remuneration
schemes.
Sir Amyas is widely respected, as was emphasised by colleagues across the House
in a debate of 6 March 2019.
Sir Amyas has full control over how the Review is run and the outcome. For more
information, the Review’s terms of reference can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disguised-remuneration-independent-
loan-charge-review
Sandy Martin: [294240]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of
taxpayers working for a single employer under a Loan Charge scheme who would not
have had the choice of being employed directly by that employer.
Jesse Norman:
Disguised remuneration (DR) schemes are contrived arrangements that use loan
payments in place of ordinary remuneration, usually through an offshore trust, with
the purpose of avoiding income tax and National Insurance contributions. The loans
are provided on terms that mean they are not repaid in practice. HM Revenue and
Customs’ (HMRC) position is that they are no different to income, and that they are
and have always been taxable.
The Government has heard claims that some individuals were compelled to use DR
schemes, but HMRC have not seen cases that support this claim.
Taxation: USA
Martyn Day: [292963]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent representations he has made to his
counterpart in the US Administration on the creation of accidental Americans through the
US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.
Jesse Norman:
It is a matter for the US government to determine how US tax obligations are
calculated. This includes how these obligations apply to people born in the US. The
US has a long-standing policy of taxing on the basis of citizenship rather than
residence. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act is a reporting mechanism that
obliges financial institutions to report the details of US citizens to the US. UK
Government officials continue to actively and regularly engage with their US
counterparts regarding US citizens who are resident in the UK.
Treasury: Jainism
Gareth Thomas: [292804]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will invite representatives of the Jain
community to national events organised by his Department; and if he will make a
statement.
Mr Simon Clarke:
Britain’s Jain community makes a positive contribution to life in this country. This
Government values its contribution immensely and is always keen to work with the
Jain community on matters that are important to them, and we will continue to do so.
Valuation Office Agency: Finance
Steve Double: [294200]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the
adequacy of the level of funding for the Valuation Office Agency in order to ensure that it
is able to effectively process business rates appeals.
Jesse Norman:
The Treasury has provided the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) with the resources it
needs to deliver the valuations and property advice required to support the smooth
running of the taxation and benefits system.
At Spending Review 2019, HMRC (the VOA’s sponsor department) received a
resource budget increase in line with inflation from 2019/20 to 2020/21.
The Treasury continues to work closely with the VOA and HMRC to understand the
VOA’s resource requirements to deliver its functions and is committed to ensure that
the VOA is appropriately funded.
WOMEN AND EQUALITIES
Government Equalities Office: Females
Dawn Butler: [263099]
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what progress has been made on the
Government Equalities Office review of its engagement with women and women's
organisations; and when she plans to publish the findings of that review.
Victoria Atkins:
The former Minister for Women and Equalities, my Rt Hon. Friend for Portsmouth
North, told the Women and Equalities Select Committee in December 2018 she had
commissioned a programme to enable the Equalities Office to better engage with
women’s organisations. [This was a programme of work and not a formal review of
engagement]. The programme is reaching organisations across the country and
includes a City Listening project in Bristol, Leicester and Leeds where forums are
being held for women to make their voices better heard by policy makers.
Sanitary Protection: Disadvantaged
Catherine McKinnell: [290759]
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the
potential benefits of providing free sanitary products to women on low incomes beyond
compulsory school age.
Victoria Atkins:
No one should be held back from reaching their potential because of their gender.
This is why the former Minister for Women and Equalities, my Rt Hon. Friend for
Portsmouth North, announced a cross-sectoral Taskforce that looks beyond those in
schools to other vulnerable groups in society. The Taskforce includes an ‘Access for
all’ workstream which, as part of its remit, will review existing initiatives designed to
provide period products to vulnerable groups, identify gaps and highlight the groups
on which potential new interventions should focus. The Taskforce will report on this in
due course.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Access to Work Programme
Mrs Sharon Hodgson: [292168]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training on the Access to
Work scheme is provided to work coaches or advisors who support disabled young
people receiving employment and support allowance.
Justin Tomlinson:
Work Coaches are supported by Disability Employment Advisers (DEA’s) who
provide coaching and mentoring to Work Coaches on disability issues. Technical
learning for DEA’s includes a workshop on Provision and Support for claimants with a
disability, this learning covers the Access to Work Scheme.
The topic of the Access to Work scheme is covered in a number of learning products
for Access to Work advisors who support applicants, some of whom may be in receipt
of ESA, through the Access to Work process. This learning includes an Access to
Work Workshop. There is also an Access to Work Disability Awareness Workbook
which details how Access to Work can help a disabled person.
In addition, each member of staff in the DWP, including work coaches, has regular
performance conversations with their line manager. These conversations include
identifying any learning needs particular to their role, including Access to Work if
appropriate.
Rosie Cooper: [294118]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Access to Work
applications were (a) made and (b) successful in (i) England, (ii) Wales and (iii) Scotland
in (A) 2016-17, (B) 2017-18 and (B) 2018-19.
Rosie Cooper: [294119]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average length of time
was for support to provided to successful applications for Access to Work in (a) England,
(b) Wales and (c) Scotland in (i) 2016-17, (ii) 2017-18 and (iii) 2018-19.
Rosie Cooper: [294120]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the longest time period was
for a successful applicant for Access to Work support waited for before that support was
put in place in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland in 2018-19.
Justin Tomlinson:
The information requested about number of applications and length of time between
application and receiving support is not readily available and to provide it would incur
disproportionate cost.
However, in regard to number of successful applications, the published Access to
Work statistics include how many applications resulted in provision being approved
broken down by financial year and various customer characteristics including region.
Please see Table 3 of the Access to Work statistics.
The latest Access to Work statistics can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/access-to-work-statistics-april-2007-to-
march-2019
Child Maintenance Service
Lyn Brown: [293506]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Child Maintenance
Service holds data on the number of active cases managed by that service by
Parliamentary constituency.
Mims Davies:
Figures on number of active cases managed by the Child Maintenance Service
broken down by Parliamentary constituency are intended for future publication.
The Department currently publishes figures which show geographical breakdowns to
Local Authority level of the main figures from the Child Maintenance Service statistics
to June 2019.
These can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-maintenance-service-statistics-data-
to-june-2019-experimental
Children: Day Care
Alison McGovern: [294146]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Scottish Government
has requested that her Department administer the new Scottish child payment and; and
what estimate she has made of the cost of administering that payment.
Mims Davies:
The Scottish Child Payment will be administered by Social Security Scotland. The
Department will assist the Scottish Government where this is feasible. The cost of
administration will fall to the Scottish Government.
Children: Disadvantaged
Lyn Brown: [291347]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of
the potential merits of ensuring that data held by her Department that would qualify a
person's child for free school meals also captures (a) how many children that person is
the main carer of and b) the school year of each qualifying child.
Will Quince:
The Department provides colleagues at the Department for Education (DfE)
projections of the Universal Credit caseload, split by the earnings of the household
and number of children in each household by age. This enables DfE to estimate how
many households will be eligible for Free School Meals in the future.
Department for Work and Pensions: Chief Scientific Advisers
Norman Lamb: [292142]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many meetings she had with
her Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 June to 31 August 2019.
Mims Davies:
There were no meetings between the Secretary of State and her Departments Chief
Scientific Officer from 1 June to 31 August 2019.
Department for Work and Pensions: Crispin Odey
David Linden: [292346]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish (a) the outcome
of all meetings and (b) all call logs between Ministers of her Department and Mr Crispin
Odey.
Mims Davies:
Details of Ministers’ meetings are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
There are no recorded departmental meetings or call logs between Mr Crispin Odey
and Ministers in the Department for Work and Pensions.
Department for Work and Pensions: Jainism
Gareth Thomas: [292802]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will invite representatives of
the Jain community to national events organised by her Department; and if she will make
a statement.
Mims Davies:
Britain’s Jain community makes a positive contribution to life in this country. This
Government values its contribution immensely.
The Jain Community are currently not members of the Department for Work and
Pensions’ Operational Stakeholder Engagement Forum. The forum meets quarterly
and enables stakeholders and representatives to shape operational delivery, build
positive relationships and communicate key messages, such as national
departmental events.
The Government is always keen to work with the Jain community on matters that are
important to them, and we will continue to do so. The Jain Community would be very
welcome to join the departmental forum.
Employment and Support Allowance and Jobseeker's Allowance
Mark Tami: [294680]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Jobcentre staff receive
training to identify when a new claimant would be entitled to new-style employment and
support allowance or new-style jobseeker's allowance.
Justin Tomlinson:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Employment: Autism
Julie Cooper: [294727]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the oral
contribution of the Minister for Disabled People of 2 July 2019, Official Report column
1180, what the outcome is of his discussions with the Office for National Statistics on
including the numbers of autistic people in work as part of the labour force survey.
Justin Tomlinson:
The Office for National Statistics is currently testing the addition of a measure of
autism to the Labour Force Survey. Should the testing be successful, it is anticipated
that it will be added to the survey in early 2020. This will give us a better
understanding of the employment status for many autistic people of working age.
Independent Case Examiner
Ms Karen Buck: [292819]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will set out the performance
targets for the determination of complaints to the Independent Case Examiner’s Office in
2019-20.
Mims Davies:
When the Independent Case Examiner’s Office accepts a complaint for examination;
they will initially try to resolve it in discussion with the complainant and the relevant
business area. If it’s not possible to resolve the complaint, the evidence will be
requested and the case will await allocation to an Investigation Case Manager (ICM).
Cases are dealt with by dedicated teams and are usually brought into investigation in
strict date order. Following an examination of the evidence, it may be possible to
settle the complaint, if agreement can be reached on actions that satisfy the
complainant. If the complaint can’t be settled, the Independent Case Examiner will
issue a report detailing findings and any recommendations for redress.
The Independent Case Examiner’s service standards for 2019-20 for the
determination of complaints are as follows:
• To resolve complaints within 8 weeks of accepting them for examination
• To settle complaints within 15 weeks of the start of the investigation.
• To complete investigation reports within 20 weeks of the start of the investigation.
Ms Karen Buck: [292820]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what Independent Case
Examiner’s Office budget is for 2019-20.
Mims Davies:
The Independent Case Examiner’s Office’s budget for 2019-20 is £3,525,303.
Job Centres: Closures
Yvette Cooper: [292104]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many job centres have closed
in each constituency in each year between 2010 and the most recent year for which
figures are available.
Mims Davies:
Staff and service delivery have, where possible, been relocated to alternative DWP
buildings or partner organisation’s buildings in order to maintain delivery of services
to customers. Since 1st February 2010 through to 3rd October 2019, 219 buildings
through which Jobcentre Plus services were delivered have been closed. On
occasions jobcentres were closed to merge with other, bigger jobcentres or to
accommodate co-location needs.
Our DWP estate announcement on 5 July 2017 confirmed that some smaller
jobcentres would merge with larger ones, and others would be co-located in local
government premises. Merging our staff and services from some smaller or
underutilised jobcentres, into larger jobcentres nearby, makes better use of space
and reduces costs to the taxpayer while still maintaining the same excellent level of
customer service.
This has enabled the Department to offer a more efficient service, while delivering
good value for the taxpayer.
We are committed to retaining a Jobcentre Plus network and continuing to serve
throughout GB to make sure they can continue to access the Jobcentre Plus services
they need.
Members: Correspondence
Alison Thewliss: [294191]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when her Department plans to
respond to the letter of 2 September 2019 from the hon. member for Glasgow Central
addressed to the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work on the issue of work at
height.
Justin Tomlinson:
The Minister for Work and Pensions (Lords) responded to the hon. member on
Tuesday 8 October 2019.
Occupational Pensions: Carshalton and Wallington
Tom Brake: [294082]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of
people have (a) opted out after being auto-enrolled into a workplace pension and (b)
saved more than the auto-enrolment minimum contribution in Carshalton and Wallington
constituency in the most recent period for which figures are available.
Guy Opperman:
Automatic enrolment has achieved a quiet revolution through getting employees into
the habit of pension saving, and reversing the decline in workplace pension
participation in the decade prior to these reforms. Since automatic enrolment started
in 2012 participation rates have been transformed with 87% of eligible employees
saving into a workplace pension in 2018, up from 55% in 2012.
The Department does not hold data for individual constituencies in relation to opt outs
or the number of individuals who have saved above the automatic enrolment
minimum contribution level. However, we do know that overall around 9% of
automatically enrolled workers have chosen to opt out which is significantly below
original estimates; and our latest evaluation report shows that, in April 2017,
approximately 5.9 million eligible employees were already meeting the April 2019
minimum contribution rates.
I am providing the following information about the impact of automatic enrolment in
your constituency, as of August 2019:
In the Carshalton and Wallington constituency, since 2012, approximately 11,000
eligible jobholders have been automatically enrolled and 1,530 employers have met
their duties.
Automatic Enrolment Evaluation Report 2018, available via the following weblink:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm
ent_data/file/764964/Automatic_Enrolment_Evaluation_Report_2018.pdf.
The Pensions Regulator’s data on Automatic enrolment declaration of compliance by
constituency, available via the following weblink:
https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-
analysis/data-requests
Occupational Pensions: Dunfermline and West Fife
Douglas Chapman: [294182]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of
people have (a) opted out after being auto-enrolled into a workplace pension and (b)
saved more than the auto-enrolment minimum contribution in the Dunfermline and West
Fife constituency in the most recent period for which figures are available.
Guy Opperman:
Automatic enrolment has achieved a quiet revolution through getting employees into
the habit of pension saving, and reversing the decline in workplace pension
participation in the decade prior to these reforms. Since automatic enrolment started
in 2012 participation rates have been transformed with 87% of eligible employees
saving into a workplace pension in 2018, up from 55% in 2012.
The Department does not hold data for individual constituencies in relation to opt outs
or the number of individuals who have saved above the automatic enrolment
minimum contribution level. However, we do know that overall around 9% of
automatically enrolled workers have chosen to opt out which is significantly below
original estimates; and our latest evaluation report shows that, in April 2017,
approximately 5.9 million eligible employees were already meeting the April 2019
minimum contribution rates.
I am providing the following information about the impact of automatic enrolment in
your constituency, as of August 2019:
In the Dunfermline and West Fife constituency, since 2012, approximately 7,000
eligible jobholders have been automatically enrolled and 1,310 employers have met
their duties.
Automatic Enrolment Evaluation Report 2018, available via the following weblink:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm
ent_data/file/764964/Automatic_Enrolment_Evaluation_Report_2018.pdf.
The Pensions Regulator’s data on Automatic enrolment declaration of compliance by
constituency, available via the following weblink:
https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-
analysis/data-requests
Occupational Pensions: Erith and Thamesmead
Teresa Pearce: [293532]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of
people in Erith and Thamesmead constituency have (a) opted out after being auto-
enrolled into a workplace pension and (b) saved more than the auto-enrolment minimum
contribution.
Guy Opperman:
Automatic enrolment has achieved a quiet revolution through getting employees into
the habit of pension saving, and reversing the decline in workplace pension
participation in the decade prior to these reforms. Since automatic enrolment started
in 2012 participation rates have been transformed with 87% of eligible employees
saving into a workplace pension in 2018, up from 55% in 2012.
The Department does not hold data for individual constituencies in relation to opt outs
or the number of individuals who have saved above the automatic enrolment
minimum contribution level. However, we do know that overall around 9% of
automatically enrolled workers have chosen to opt out which is significantly below
original estimates; and our latest evaluation report shows that, in April 2017,
approximately 5.9 million eligible employees were already meeting the April 2019
minimum contribution rates.
I am providing the following information about the impact of automatic enrolment in
your constituency, as of August 2019:
In the Erith and Thamesmead constituency, since 2012, approximately 5,000 eligible
jobholders have been automatically enrolled and 1,180 employers have met their
duties.
Automatic Enrolment Evaluation Report 2018, available via the following weblink:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm
ent_data/file/764964/Automatic_Enrolment_Evaluation_Report_2018.pdf.
The Pensions Regulator’s data on Automatic enrolment declaration of compliance by
constituency, available via the following weblink:
https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-
analysis/data-requests
Occupational Pensions: Newport West
Ruth Jones: [294753]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of
people have (a) opted out after being auto-enrolled into a workplace pension and (b)
saved more than the auto-enrolment minimum contribution in Newport West constituency
in the latest period for which figures are available.
Guy Opperman:
Automatic enrolment has achieved a quiet revolution through getting employees into
the habit of pension saving, and reversing the decline in workplace pension
participation in the decade prior to these reforms. Since automatic enrolment started
in 2012 participation rates have been transformed with 87% of eligible employees
saving into a workplace pension in 2018, up from 55% in 2012.
The Department does not hold data for individual constituencies in relation to opt outs
or the number of individuals who have saved above the automatic enrolment
minimum contribution level. However, we do know that overall around 9% of
automatically enrolled workers have chosen to opt out which is significantly below
original estimates; and our latest evaluation report shows that, in April 2017,
approximately 5.9 million eligible employees were already meeting the April 2019
minimum contribution rates.
I am providing the following information about the impact of automatic enrolment in
your constituency, as of August 2019:
In the Newport West constituency, since 2012, approximately 11,000 eligible
jobholders have been automatically enrolled and 1,400 employers have met their
duties.
Automatic Enrolment Evaluation Report 2018, available via the following weblink:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm
ent_data/file/764964/Automatic_Enrolment_Evaluation_Report_2018.pdf.
The Pensions Regulator’s data on Automatic enrolment declaration of compliance by
constituency, available via the following weblink:
https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-
analysis/data-requests.
Occupational Pensions: Northampton South
Andrew Lewer: [293715]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of
people in Northampton South constituency have (a) opted out after being auto-enrolled
into a workplace pension and (b) saved more than the auto-enrolment minimum
contribution.
Guy Opperman:
Automatic enrolment has achieved a quiet revolution through getting employees into
the habit of pension saving, and reversing the decline in workplace pension
participation in the decade prior to these reforms. Since automatic enrolment started
in 2012 participation rates have been transformed with 87% of eligible employees
saving into a workplace pension in 2018, up from 55% in 2012.
The Department does not hold data for individual constituencies in relation to opt outs
or the number of individuals who have saved above the automatic enrolment
minimum contribution level. However, we do know that overall around 9% of
automatically enrolled workers have chosen to opt out which is significantly below
original estimates; and our latest evaluation report shows that, in April 2017,
approximately 5.9 million eligible employees were already meeting the April 2019
minimum contribution rates.
I am providing the following information about the impact of automatic enrolment in
your constituency, as of August 2019:
In the Northampton South constituency, since 2012, approximately 39,000 eligible
jobholders have been automatically enrolled and 2,300 employers have met their
duties.
Automatic Enrolment Evaluation Report 2018, available via the following weblink:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm
ent_data/file/764964/Automatic_Enrolment_Evaluation_Report_2018.pdf.
The Pensions Regulator’s data on Automatic enrolment declaration of compliance by
constituency, available via the following weblink:
https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-
analysis/data-requests
Occupational Pensions: Shipley
Philip Davies: [293501]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of
people in Shipley constituency have (a) opted out after being auto-enrolled into a
workplace pension and (b) saved more than the auto-enrolment minimum contribution.
Guy Opperman:
Automatic enrolment has achieved a quiet revolution through getting employees into
the habit of pension saving, and reversing the decline in workplace pension
participation in the decade prior to these reforms. Since automatic enrolment started
in 2012 participation rates have been transformed with 87% of eligible employees
saving into a workplace pension in 2018, up from 55% in 2012.
The Department does not hold data for individual constituencies in relation to opt outs
or the number of individuals who have saved above the automatic enrolment
minimum contribution level. However, we do know that overall around 9% of
automatically enrolled workers have chosen to opt out which is significantly below
original estimates; and our latest evaluation report shows that, in April 2017,
approximately 5.9 million eligible employees were already meeting the April 2019
minimum contribution rates.
I am providing the following information about the impact of automatic enrolment in
your constituency, as of August 2019:
In the Shipley constituency, since 2012, approximately 9,000 eligible jobholders have
been automatically enrolled and 1,590 employers have met their duties.
Automatic Enrolment Evaluation Report 2018, available via the following weblink:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm
ent_data/file/764964/Automatic_Enrolment_Evaluation_Report_2018.pdf.
https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-
analysis/data-requests
The Pensions Regulator’s data on Automatic enrolment declaration of compliance by
constituency, available via the following weblink:
https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-
analysis/data-requests.
Pension Credit
Hugh Gaffney: [293694]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is
taking to ensure that information relating to Pension Credit eligibility is accessible to
people who are classed as being digitally excluded.
Guy Opperman:
There are over 1.6 million people already claiming £5.4 billion in Pension Credit but
the Government wants to ensure that all pensioners eligible can claim the Pension
Credit to which they are rightly entitled.
The DWP uses a wide range of channels, in addition to www.gov.uk, to communicate
information about benefits to potential claimants. We target activity on engaging with
people who may be eligible to benefits at pivotal stages, such as when they claim
State Pension, Attendance Allowance or when they report a change in their
circumstances which could result in them becoming eligible for Pension Credit. Staff
in Pension Centres and Jobcentres as well as DWP visiting officers are able to
provide help and advice about entitlement to benefits including Pension Credit either
to individuals or community groups. Staff in Local Authorities who administer Housing
Benefit also provide information about Pension Credit
For general enquiries about Pension Credit, potential customers can telephone the
freephone Pension Service helpline on 08007310469 and the easiest way to make a
claim is via the freephone claim line 0800991234. Anyone wishing to make a claim by
post can request a paper application form.
The Government wants to make sure that all older people receive the support they
are entitled to and we therefore also welcome and encourage initiatives to promote
take up of Pension Credit by national and local organisations who may often be the
first place people turn to for information and help.
Personal Independence Payment
Paula Sherriff: [294728]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people receiving
personal independence payments are in receipt of both the mobility and daily living
components.
Justin Tomlinson:
The latest available data on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims in
payment which can be split by the Daily Living and Mobility components a claimant is
receiving can be found at https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/.
Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://stat-
xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html.
Personal Independence Payment: Appeals
Martyn Day: [293653]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost was to her
Department of personal independence payment appeals which over-turned the decision
of her Department over the last 12 months.
Justin Tomlinson:
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur
disproportionate cost.
Personal Independence Payment: Epilepsy
Paula Sherriff: [294186]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with a primary
condition of epilepsy who receive personal independence payments that are in receipt of
the mobility component.
Paula Sherriff: [294187]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with a primary
condition of epilepsy receiving personal independence payments (PIP) are in receipt of
the PIP daily living component.
Paula Sherriff: [294188]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with a primary
condition of epilepsy receiving personal independence payments (PIP) are in receipt of
both the mobility and daily living components of PIP.
Paula Sherriff: [294189]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people receiving
personal independence payments are in receipt of the PIP mobility component.
Paula Sherriff: [294190]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people receiving
personal independence payments are in receipt of the PIP daily living component.
Justin Tomlinson:
The latest available data on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims in
payment which can be split by the Daily Living and Mobility component a claimant is
receiving and by their main disabling condition can be found at https://stat-
xplore.dwp.gov.uk/.
Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://stat-
xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html.
Plumbing and Mechanical Services (UK) Industry Pension Scheme
Alan Brown: [294206]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of
the effect of Section 75 debt notification letters issued from the Plumbing and Mechanical
Services (UK) Industry Pension multi-employer pension scheme on (a) the financial
viability of that scheme, (b) people in that scheme and (c) the value of the debt requests;
and if she will make a statement.
Guy Opperman:
The issue of Section 75 debt notices and estimates are a private matter between the
scheme trustee and employers. It is the role of the scheme trustee to ensure that the
pension scheme is run properly and that members’ benefits are secure.
DWP’s 2017 Green Paper “security-and-sustainability-in-defined-benefit-pension-
schemes” assessed changing the way employer debts are calculated and the impact
this would have on members’ benefit security and remaining employers. This
assessment showed any changes would weaken members’ benefit security, whilst
placing significant additional costs on employers who would remain in the scheme. It
also showed that excluding orphan liabilities from employer debt calculations would
not necessarily resolve the issues some employers face with complying with their
employer debt obligations.
Social Security Benefits: Advisory Services
Stephen Timms: [292794]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to permit
implied consent for benefit advisers, as well as Members of Parliament, as recommended
by the Social Security Advisory Committee.
Will Quince:
Universal Credit operates in a fundamentally different way to any other benefit, The
Universal Credit system is structured around an online personal account which
contains all the information relevant to the claim. This includes their bank account
details, savings, capital, medical history, family relationships and the address and
other information about their landlord and employer. We need to ensure a high level
of security and protection to combat those unscrupulous individuals and
organisations who try to access the information we hold and seek to impersonate
genuine advisers. We need to take all reasonable steps to protect the position of
claimants and their data.
The Department is continuing to work with SSAC and third party organisations to
understand how Universal Credit can support organisations who help our claimants.
This activity will include working with claimants and their representatives to ensure
the process works effectively for vulnerable claimants to access the service.
Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations
Martyn Day: [293652]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of
the potential merits of coordinating assessments for claimants applying for universal
credit and personal independence payments.
Justin Tomlinson:
In responses to the 2016 Improving Lives: Work, Health and Disability Green Paper
consultation and through several other forums, stakeholders have raised concerns
about the feeling of duplication across the current assessment processes. We have
therefore been exploring options to reduce this, and make improvements to the
customer experience. By testing the feasibility of a single assessment for
Employment and Support Allowance/Universal Credit and Personal Independence
Payment we can seek to understand if it will improve the assessment process for our
customers, and ensure that it delivers high quality and accurate outcomes. The study
is being informed by existing evidence and we have been gathering views and insight
from key stakeholders to understand the issues around implementing this.
I do consider there are merits and we announced in March 2019 that we have
launched the Health Transformation Programme to deliver a new integrated
assessment service across all health and disability benefits. This will make the
assessment process simpler, quicker, more user-friendly and more joined-up
whichever benefit people are claiming. This integrated service will still be taking
applications to individual benefits on a separate basis.
State Retirement Pensions
Ben Lake: [294230]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of
the effect of the 2016 changes to the state pension system on the household income of
people who have been recently bereaved.
Ben Lake: [294231]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has
made of the savings accrued to the public purse by the 2016 changes to the state
pension system, specifically in relation to the inheritance of spouses’ state pension.
Guy Opperman:
The Government published an impact assessment ‘New State pension: impact on an
individual's pension entitlement longer term effects’ in January 2016. This included
impacts on derived entitlement to the State Pension. The estimates show around 2
per cent of men and 6 per cent of women reaching State Pension age between 2016-
2020 were expected to receive less State Pension due to the withdrawal of derived
entitlement. The proportion affected falls over the first two decades of the new State
Pension. Further information on the impact of new State Pension reform on derived
entitlement is available here:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm
ent_data/file/491845/impact-of-new-state-pension-longer-term-reserach.pdf.
Information on the overall costs of the new State Pension (formerly the Single Tier) is
available here:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm
ent_data/file/311316/pensions-act-ia-annex-a-single-tier-state-pension.pdf
The cost estimates of the new State Pension do not provide a specific breakdown of
savings from the inheritance of spouses’ State Pension.
The new State Pension was introduced for people reaching State Pension age from 6
April 2016 onwards to provide a clearer, simpler and sustainable system for the future
and is based on an individual’s own National Insurance record. This both reflects
changes in society where individuals are able to build a State Pension in their own
right and a wider crediting regime that rewards periods of caring when people are
away from the labour market. There is transitional protection of the old derived basic
State Pension for women whose own contribution history was affected by taking the
option to pay reduced-rate National Insurance contributions. Transitional
arrangements also enable widowed people in certain circumstances to inherit all, or
part, of the additional State Pension or Graduated Retirement Benefit they could have
inherited under the old State Pension system.
A step-by-step guide to the changes to the rules on deriving and inheriting State
Pension is available on the Government website at www.gov.uk using the search
term 'state pension through partner'.
The transitional arrangements for the new State Pension have been designed to be
to fair to the greatest number of people possible and to ensure that the vast majority
of people have at least the full amount of new State Pension as quickly possible.
The new State Pension will benefit many women, carers and self-employed people,
who historically often did less well under previous systems. For example, over three
million women stand to receive an average of £550 more per year by 2030 as a result
of the recent reforms.
In addition, we are committed to the triple lock for the duration of this Parliament. In
April 2019, full amounts of the basic and new State Pensions increased by 2.6%, in
line with average earnings growth. The full yearly rate of the basic State Pension is
worth over £1,600 more in cash terms 2019/20 than it was in 2010.
Furthermore, Pension Credit provides a top up means-tested benefit for pensioners
to protect those who are most in need.
Thomas Cook: Insolvency
Mike Amesbury: [293716]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what dedicated emergency support
her Department has put in place to help and advise Thomas Cook members of staff who
have lost their jobs.
Mike Amesbury: [293717]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employees of Thomas
Cook who have lost their jobs following the company's collapse have been offered
alternative employment opportunities as of 2 October 2019.
Mims Davies:
DWP stands ready to support anyone affected by the closure of Thomas Cook, with
our Rapid Response Service (RRS) offer. This is a redundancy service designed to
give support and advice to employers and their employees when faced with
redundancy. It is coordinated nationally by the National Employer and Partnership
Team (NEPT) and is managed by Jobcentre Plus.
The RRS has been mobilised to help people find a new job as soon as possible by
offering tailored support. Each Jobcentre Plus district deploy resources according to
the situation and the requirements of the workforce. The RRS is delivered in
partnership with a range of national and local partners, including National Careers
Service and local service providers.
NEPT have contacted several large employers and trade bodies to identify a range of
opportunities for Thomas Cook members of staff who have lost their jobs and the
Department is working closely with over 100 employers to offer support and
opportunities. We are delivering over 65 Job Fairs nationally, where ex-employees
can meet local employers with vacancies.
The full range of support available from Jobcentre Plus and partners includes:
• Information advice and guidance.
• Connecting people to jobs in the labour market.
• Help with job search including CV writing, interview skills, where to find jobs and
how to apply for them.
• Help to identify transferable skills and skills gaps (linked to the local labour market).
• Training to update skills, learn new ones and gain industry recognised certification
that will improve employability.
• Help to overcome barriers to attending training or securing a job or self-
employment such as child care costs, necessary tools, work clothes, travel costs
etc.
• On-site presentations to those affected.
• Job Fairs and Job Clubs where appropriate.
Our local teams are monitoring all new claims to benefits to identify where the
claimant is an ex-employee of Thomas Cook so that they quickly receive the right
level of support.
The information requested on the number of ex-employees who have been offered
alternative employment opportunities is not available and could only be obtained at
disproportionate cost.
Mike Amesbury: [293718]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to provide
pension protection for Thomas Cook staff.
Guy Opperman:
Thomas Cook schemes provide both Defined Contribution and Defined Benefit
pensions.
Defined Contribution pensions are operated independently of Thomas Cook, with
funds held separately. Pension pots will not be affected and will continue to be
invested on behalf of the members. If there are unpaid pension contributions the
Insolvency Service can make payments out of the National Insurance Fund within
specified limits.
The Thomas Cook Defined Benefit pension schemes are protected by the Pension
Protection Fund. These schemes are well funded and are able to continue to paying
out pensions to their members. The Pension Protection Fund will assess whether it
will need to take responsibility for payments in the future. Payments cannot be lower
than the level of Pension Protection Fund compensation – which is 100% of pension
for those currently above the scheme retirement age, and 90% subject to a cap for
those who are younger, but this may be higher.
The trustees of the Defined Benefit pension schemes are in touch with members. The
Pension Protection Fund has provided contact details if members have questions.
Universal Credit
Stephen Timms: [293422]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate she has
made of the number of (a) delays and (b) errors in universal credit awards as a result of
(ii) inaccurate in Real Time Information and (iii) differences in the operating systems used
by (A) her Department and (B) HMRC; and if she will make a statement.
Will Quince:
The Department has been working closely with HMRC since Universal Credit went
live in 2013 to support and inform employers who report earnings to emphasise the
importance of timely reporting via the Real Time Information (RTI) system.
HMRC have updated their guidance to reiterate to employers the importance of
reporting accurate dates and the impact on payment cycles; the Financial Secretary
to the Treasury is also working closely with HMRC and employers to do this.
Frank Field: [293470]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 30
September to Question 290673 on Universal Credit, whether a reduction in the monthly
repayments of a court fine from 40 per cent to a lower amount will return to the 40 per
cent rate in the following month if a person has no other deductions attached to a
universal credit claim.
Will Quince:
Our deductions policy strikes a fair balance between a claimant’s need to meet their
obligations and a claimant’s ability to ensure they can meet their day-to-day needs.
From October 2019, deductions will be capped at 30% of a claimant’s standard
allowance down from 40% to better achieve this balance.
In the scenario outlined, if a person has no other deductions, the most that would be
deducted for a court fine in the following assessment period is £108.35. This is
because the maximum deduction for court fines is based on a fixed figure in
regulations rather than a percentage. If the £108.35 figure were more than 30% of the
claimant’s standard allowance, the deduction would be reduced to 5% of the standard
allowance, ensuring the 30% cap was not exceeded. The policy was designed to
deduct either the minimum or maximum set out in regulations and avoid
inconsistencies that may arise if discretion was to be exercised for each claimant’s
deduction.
Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: [293707]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions her Department
has had with social landlords on rent arrears caused by the time between a claimant’s
universal credit being paid and the housing costs being sent to the landlord via APA on
the next bulk payment run.
Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: [293708]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to
introduce any-day payment of housing costs via APA to avoid delays between the
tenant’s universal credit payment date and the next bulk payment of housing costs to
landlords.
Will Quince:
Initial analytical work we have carried out with a single housing provider suggests that
many tenants are arriving on Universal Credit with pre-existing rent arrears,
supporting research carried out by the National Federation of ALMOs which shows
over three quarters of their tenants come onto Universal Credit with pre-existing rent
arrears. It also shows that arrears tend to increase prior to making a claim for
Universal Credit, and that Universal Credit actually appears to be helping to clear
arrears over time. We are currently extending this analysis to include a number of
housing providers. It will be published when completed.
The Department encourages all Universal Credit claimants to actively consider how
best to manage their personal budget which includes making their own rent payments
to landlords, with additional advice and support available from work coaches and
case managers where needed. We regularly engage with a range of stakeholders,
including landlords, to ensure we understand concerns which helps us to design
improvements to Universal Credit.
Alternative Payment Arrangements (APAs), such as a managed payment to landlord
(MPTL), are available to enable the housing costs element to be paid directly to the
landlord if the tenant is likely to have difficulty in managing their rent payments or is in
rent arrears. APAs will only be considered where a lack of financial capability poses a
risk to the claimant, or their family, and the decision to implement one is assessed on
a case by case basis.
The Department issues a schedule of payments to Social Rented Sector (SRS)
landlords, and our Third Party Creditor system - currently used to pay SRS landlords
- uses a 28-day payment cycle. We are currently working with a range of landlords to
design, develop and test a better services with the intention of having a solution in
place by the end of this year.
Alison McGovern: [294147]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the
cost of increasing the child element of the universal credit payment by (a) £10 a week
and (b) 70 per cent; and how many children would be taken out of poverty as a result of
each.
Will Quince:
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur
disproportionate cost.
Alison McGovern: [294148]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the most recent annual
estimate is of the cost of ending the two child limit for universal credit between now and
2033/34.
Will Quince:
No assessment has been made up to 2033/34, however we estimate that the cost of
ending this policy to be around £5bn up to 23/24.
The Government’s view is that providing support for a maximum of two children or
qualifying young persons in Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit ensures fairness
between claimants on the one hand and, on the other, those taxpayers who support
themselves solely through work. Where they are able to, Individuals should consider
whether they are financially prepared to support a new child without relying on
benefits.
We recognise that some claimants are not able to make the same choices about the
number of children in their family, which is why exceptions have been put in place to
protect certain groups. On migration to Universal Credit families’ existing entitlement
will be protected, so long as they remain responsible for the same children and
entitled to benefit.
Mark Tami: [294681]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether universal credit claimants
who are eligible for (a) new style employment and support allowance and (b) new style
jobseeker's allowance who would receive more money from one of those benefits than
from universal credit are able to have their award backdated to when they made their
claim.
Justin Tomlinson:
Universal Credit replaces six benefits with one, to simplify the system and make work
pay. As a result, people claiming Universal Credit move into work faster, stay in work
longer and spend more time looking to increase their earnings. Universal Credit also
provides more help with childcare costs, a dedicated Work Coach and scraps the 16,
24 and 30 hour ‘cliff edges’.
Under the legacy system £2.4 billion of welfare benefits did not get paid at all
because claimants could not navigate the complexity of the system. Universal Credit
is putting this right, ensuring this money goes to 700,000 claimants who need it.
Claims may be backdated, by up to one calendar month, in limited circumstances for
vulnerable claimants who may be delayed in claiming Universal Credit through no
fault of their own. Claims may also be backdated in specific circumstances when a
couple separates to ensure that there is no gap in entitlement between the couple
claim and the new claim made by a single claimant.
For new style Employment and Support Allowance, a claimant has three months
following the qualifying date to claim.
The Department provides benefit eligibility information to help people make decisions
surrounding benefits to which they may be entitled, along with details about how to
claim them. This is available through Jobcentre Plus offices and via the GOV.UK
website.
Universal Credit: Fraud
Ruth George: [290461]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the legal basis is for her
Department to ask claimants who are victims of third-party universal credit fraud to attend
an interview under caution at a Jobcentre rather than provide a witness statement.
Guy Opperman:
[Holding answer 30 September 2019]: The new process for advances and
identification introduced on the 18 September 2019 mean that the level of UC
advances fraud will be mitigated. Where an individual is a victim of fraud and
received no money personally, no claim will be made against them. However, it is
often not possible to ascertain the facts without an Interview Under Caution. The
powers for an Interview Under Caution are under the Social Security Administration
Act 1992, Part VI, governs this process and has been followed by successive
governments of different political persuasions.
DWP will ask, and allow the individual to have the opportunity to respond to any
evidence in a voluntary Interview Under Caution.
DWP follows the guidance laid down in the Criminal Procedures and Investigations
Act 1996 and the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (Code C 2014) to afford the
claimant all appropriate protection in law.
Universal Credit: Scotland
Hugh Gaffney: [293692]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has
made of the effect of the time taken for universal credit payments to be made to claimants
on trends in the level of food bank use in Scotland.
Will Quince:
The Department does not keep official statistics on food bank use, so no such
assessment has been completed. Some food aid providers produce statistics on the
number of food parcels distributed, but the Government has no plans to require
individual food banks to keep records as this would place a significant burden on
charitable and voluntary organisations.
We have listened to feedback on how we can improve Universal Credit to support our
claimants and acted quickly, making improvements such as extending advances,
removing waiting days, and introducing housing benefit run on. These changes are
giving support to vulnerable people who need it most, whilst at the same time helping
people get into work faster.
Furthermore, in Scotland, the Department delivers Universal Credit Scottish choices
on behalf of the Scottish Government, providing the option of Universal Credit being
paid twice a month rather than monthly, and having Universal Credit housing element
being paid directly to landlords.
Welfare Assistance Schemes
Steve McCabe: [293440]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department
has made of the effect of the decision to abolish the Discretionary Social Fund and
replace it with local welfare assistance schemes has had on the ability of people
experiencing a financial crisis to access monetary support.
Paul Blomfield: [293545]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has
departmental responsibility for local welfare assistance schemes.
Will Quince:
Local welfare assistance is an umbrella term used describe local authority provision
for people who are in need of urgent help. Local authorities’ abilities to act in this area
are provided under various powers, for example, section 2 of the Local Government
Act 2000 enables local authorities to provide financial assistance to any individual.
Since the reforms to the Social Fund in 2013 which abolished Crisis Loans and
Community Care Grants, the Local Government Financial Settlement has included a
notional amount relating to local welfare provision in each upper-tier and unitary
authority’s general grant. The settlement for 2015-16 set this amount at £129.6
million for England in each year until 2019/20.
The Department for Work and Pension's (DWP) 2014 review found that local
authorities delivered support more effectively than the previous provision and that
councils are best placed to decide how to target flexible help to support local welfare
needs. The Government has no further plans to review provision.
Welfare Assistance Schemes: Families and Young People
Scott Mann: [293657]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department
provides to local authorities to ensure the provision of (a) local welfare assistance and (b)
other services to (i) families and (ii) young people in crisis.
Will Quince:
The Welfare Reform Act 2012 abolished Social Fund Crisis Loans and Community
Grants from April 2013. The funding was passed over to local authorities in England
and devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales on a non-ringfenced basis, and
with no statutory duties attached.
DWP provides a network of around 300 specialised work coaches for the cross
government Troubled Families Programme. These Troubled Families Employment
Advisers (TFEAs) support families across all local authority areas in England,
providing tailored, one to one employment and welfare support. TFEAs also upskill
local authorities and partners on employment matters.
DWP is working with all top tier local authorities in England to help them to address
parental conflict, which can harm children’s outcomes. 98% of local authorities have
taken up our offer of training for frontline practitioners and support for strategic
leaders, to increase local capability in addressing parental conflict.
MINISTERIAL CORRECTIONS
BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Business
Maria Eagle: [290689]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent
meetings (a) Ministers and (b) Officials in her Department have had with businesses in
the (i) automotive (ii) pharmaceutical (iii) retail and food sector businesses about the
impact of leaving the EU without a deal on their businesses; and if she will make a
statement.
An error has been identified in the written answer given on 4 October 2019. The correct
answer should have been:
Kelly Tolhurst:
Ministers and officials have regular engagement with a large number of businesses
across all sectors, including from the automotive, pharmaceutical and retail and food
sectors, to ensure they are prepared for the UK leaving the EU on the 31st October.
Ministers have hosted a regular series of roundtables both in Westminster and
around the UK in recent months, where they have had the chance to speak to and
hear directly from a wide range of businesses both large and small.
In order to help business prepare for exiting the EU on 31 October, the Government
have come together to deliver a new series of 'One HMG' events, starting from
Monday 16 September to 18 October. These roadshows will bring together expertise
from across departments including BEIS, the Home Office, HMRC, DIT, DEFRA and
DCMS, and combine interactive support and in-depth advice sessions to help
business from all sectors and of all sizes get ready for Brexit. In addition to this, on 11 th September, officials held an EU Exit Readiness forum with over 250 companies
participating many of which were retailers.
A £10m £15m Business Readiness Fund for business organisations and trade
associations will support businesses in preparing for a ‘No Deal’ Brexit ahead of 31
October 2019.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Fishing Gear
Luke Pollard: [291136]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she
has made of the amount of abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear from UK and
foreign fishing fleets around the UK coastline.
An error has been identified in the written answer given on 4 October 2019. The correct
answer should have been:
Rebecca Pow:
Abandoned, lost and otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is estimated to
comprise 40 – 70% of man-made waste in the ocean measured by weight.
Ascertaining the extent of the ALDFG that ends up in UK waters faces a number of
challenges, including the movement of ALDFG with ocean currents. One of the best
indicators is the Marine Conservation Society’s beach clean data, which indicate that
fishing-related litter is amongst the ten most prevalent items recorded on UK
beaches.
Defra recognises addressing ALDFG as a key priority. We are an active member of
the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI): a pioneering and cross-cutting initiative that
engages with communities around the world to collaboratively address the problem.
The UK Government has provided funding to the GGGI to conduct bespoke
workshops with stakeholders to raise awareness and train fishers in sustainable best
practice.
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
Accident and Emergency Departments: Standards
Chris Ruane: [292123]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of
the number of patients that waited longer than four hours in A&E in (a) 2009-10 and (b)
2018-19.
An error has been identified in the written answer given on 3 October 2019. The correct
answer should have been:
Edward Argar:
In 2009-10 there were 20,511,908 attendances of which 353,617 patients waited
longer than four hours in accident and emergency.
In 2018-19 there were 24,826,981 attendances of which 2,976,112 people waited
more than four hours but in the face of rising demand, over 4,315,000 1,692,578
more patients were seen within four hours compared to 2009-10.
Health Services: Per Capita Costs
Rachael Maskell: [290952]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what allocation per capita was
made by his Department in respect of clinical commissioning group (CCG) services in (a)
each CCG in York and North Yorkshire, (b) each region of England and (c) England in
each year since 2015 (i) in cash terms and (ii) at constant prices.
An error has been identified in the written answer given on 4 October 2019. The correct
answer should have been:
Edward Argar:
In respect of clinical commissioning group (CCG) services, per capita Yorkshire and
the Humber CCGs’ allocations for 2015/16 onwards are shown in the attached table.
CCG allocation announcements for 2015 onwards, including the breakdown by region
of England and total for England in real terms can be found at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/allocations/
Attachments:
1. 20190930 PQ290952 - Yorkshire and the Humber per Capita Allocations Table - V2.xlsx
HOME OFFICE
City of London Police: Action Fraud
John Spellar: [290643]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made
of the effectiveness of the management of Action Fraud by the City of London Police.
An error has been identified in the written answer given on 8 October 2019. The correct
answer should have been:
Brandon Lewis:
The Government’s Joint Fraud Taskforce (a coalition between government, industry,
law enforcement and the third sector) continues to lead an ambitious programme of
work to design out and prevent fraud that occurs both online and offline. This includes
theTake Five fraud awareness campaign, designed to urge the public and businesses
to take time to consider whether a situation they find themselves in is genuine.
Online personal scams are increasingly perpetrated via cyber-enabled methods. To
protect victims, the Government set up the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in
October 2016. The NCSC is the UK’s technical authority on cyber security and
provides a single, central body for cyber security at a national level. The NCSC works
very closely with law enforcement agencies and the intelligence community to help
prevent, disrupt and investigate cyber-crime and other online cyber related threats. In
2018 the NCSC took down 22,133 phishing campaigns, including 14,124 UK
government-related phishing sites, and the total number of takedowns of fraudulent
websites was 192,256, across 2018, with 64% of them down in 24 hours.
The City of London Police undertake a national lead force role for the investigation of
serious and complex fraud cases. The Home Office remains committed to improving
the law enforcement response to fraud. That is why we requested that Her Majesty’s
Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) conduct a
thematic inspection on fraud, including Action Fraud, and set out measures for
improving the response to fraud in our Economic Crime Plan, which was published in
July. The City of London Police (as the National Lead Force for fraud) is currently
implementing recommendations within HMICFRS’ inspection report, which was
published on 2nd April.
The scale and complexity of the threat from serious and organised crime means that
we need to do more to develop our response. The Government therefore recently
announced a formal review to identify the powers, capabilities, governance and
funding needed in response to this threat.
Knives: Crime
Janet Daby: [291477]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department
holds in relation to perpetrators of crimes using sharp objects and (a) time spent in Pupil
Referral Units, (b) housing status and (c) employment status.
An error has been identified in the written answer given on 8 October 2019. The correct
answer should have been:
Kit Malthouse:
As set out in the Government’s Serious Violence Strategy, there are a number of risk
and protective factors for involvement in serious violence, some of which relate to
background or personal circumstances. The Home Office does not, however,
routinely collect information about whether those who are charged with, or convicted
of, offences involving sharp objects have spent time in a Pupil Referral Unit or about
their housing and employment status.
The Home Office does not routinely collect information about whether those who are
charged with, or convicted of, offences involving sharp objects have spent time in a
Pupil Referral Unit or about their housing and employment status.
Leicestershire Police: Recruitment
Keith Vaz: [284695]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Prime
Minister's statement of 24 July 2019, if her Department will estimate the number of new
police officer posts that will be established by Leicestershire Police by 2022.
An error has been identified in the written answer given on 7 October 2019. The correct
answer should have been:
Kit Malthouse:
The Government has committed to increasing the number of police officers by 20,000
over the next three years. We are committed to giving police the resources, tools and
powers they need to tackle the scourge of crime.
The Home Office does not hold figures for the number of police officer vacancies
advertised prior to 23 July 2019.
Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) had previously announced plans to recruit
3000 additional officers in 2019/20. The recruitment of 20,000 officers announced by
the Government is in addition to these numbers already announced by PCCs.
The Prime Minister and Home Secretary have announced the recruitment of 20,000
extra officers over the next three years. This demonstrates our commitment to
support the police and give them extra resource to protect the public and keep us all
safe.
The allocation of officers across England and Wales is yet to be confirmed. We are
working closely with police leaders to put in place the plans and systems to deliver on
our commitment. Police budgets and force level funding will be set out in the usual
way at the provisional police settlement.
On 31 March 2019, Leicester police force had 1,829 police officers, and increase of
2.9% from March 2018.
HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Smallholdings
Dr David Drew: [248573]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how
many local authorities have sold off (a) all and (b) more than 50 per cent of council
smallholdings since 1997.
An error has been identified in the written answer given on 3 May 2019. The correct
answer should have been:
Kit Malthouse:
This information is not held centrally.Records held by the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) show that in 1997 a total area of
119,977 hectares was held for smallholdings purposes by local authorities in
England. Data on land held for smallholdings purposes by individual local authorities
in 1997 is unavailable. A recent report published by Defra records that, at 31 March
2018, the total area of land held by 43 reporting smallholdings authorities in England
was 89,020 hectares (for the whole estate), of which 83,600 hectares were let as
smallholdings (for 40 reporting authorities).
JUSTICE
Fines: Surcharges
Gloria De Piero: [252551]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much money has been raised by the
Victims Surchage in each year since 2010.
An error has been identified in the written answer given on 17 May 2019. The correct
answer should have been:
Robert Buckland Lucy Frazer:
Income from the Victim Surcharge contributes to the Ministry of Justices’ Victim and
Witness Budget (“the Budget”). This budget is used to fund Police and Crime
Commissioners (PCCs) who commission local support services for victims, and
nationally commissioned support services including the National Homicide Service,
Rape Support Centres, and the Court Based Witness Service. Income from the
Victim Surcharge is forecast into the Budget at the beginning of each financial year.
However, actual income raised from the Surcharge will fluctuate each year
(depending on the amount imposed and collection rates). Should revenue raised from
the Surcharge go above the forecast amount, the excess is put towards
compensating victims through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
Overall amounts are set out in the table below:
FINANCIAL YEAR
VICTIM SURCHARGE
(VS) COLLECTED *[1]
VS CONTRIBUTION TO
THE VICTIM AND
WITNESS BUDGET*
OVERALL VICTIM AND
WITNESS BUDGET*
2010/11 £1 1 0 m £1 1 0 m £48m
2011/12 £10m £10m £48m
2012/13 £1 1 0 m £1 1 0 m £50m
2013/14 £ 20 19 m £ 20 19 m £57m
2014/15 £2 5 4 m £2 5 4 m £86m
2015/16 £28m £18m £92m
2016/17 £31m £2 7 6 m £96m
2017/18 £35m £31m £97m
*The amounts listed in the table have been rounded to the nearest £1 0 m.
Gloria De Piero: [252552]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much money from the Victims Surcharge
has been allocated to charities supporting victims in each year since 2010.
An error has been identified in the written answer given on 17 May 2019. The correct
answer should have been:
Robert Buckland Lucy Frazer:
Income from the Victim Surcharge contributes to the Ministry of Justices’ Victim and
Witness Budget (“the Budget”). This budget is used to fund Police and Crime
Commissioners (PCCs) who commission local support services for victims, and
nationally commissioned support services including the National Homicide Service,
Rape Support Centres, and the Court Based Witness Service. Income from the
Victim Surcharge is forecast into the Budget at the beginning of each financial year.
However, actual income raised from the Surcharge will fluctuate each year
(depending on the amount imposed and collection rates). Should revenue raised from
the Surcharge go above the forecast amount, the excess is put towards
compensating victims through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
Overall amounts are set out in the table below:
FINANCIAL YEAR
VICTIM SURCHARGE
(VS) COLLECTED *[1]
VS CONTRIBUTION TO
THE VICTIM AND
WITNESS BUDGET*
OVERALL VICTIM AND
WITNESS BUDGET*
2010/11 £1 1 0 m £1 1 0 m £48m
2011/12 £10m £10m £48m
2012/13 £1 1 0 m £1 1 0 m £50m
2013/14 £ 20 19 m £ 20 19 m £57m
2014/15 £2 5 4 m £2 5 4 m £86m
2015/16 £28m £18m £92m
2016/17 £31m £2 7 6 m £96m
2017/18 £35m £31m £97m
*The amounts listed in the table have been rounded to the nearest £1 0 m.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Brexit: Northern Ireland
Sir Jeffrey M. Donaldson: [287502]
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had
with the Irish Government on alternative arrangements to avoid a hard border on the
island of Ireland when the UK leaves the EU.
An error has been identified in the written answer given on 9 September 2019. The
correct answer should have been:
Julian Smith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
I have regular discussions with the Irish Government concerning the UK's exit from
the EU.
International Cooperation: Republic of Ireland
Sir Jeffrey M. Donaldson: [287503]
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the
Irish Government on enhanced east-west cooperation between the UK and the Irish
Republic when the UK leaves the EU.
An error has been identified in the written answer given on 9 September 2019. The
correct answer should have been:
Julian Smith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
I have regular discussions with the Irish Government concerning the UK's exit from
the EU.
Police Service of Northern Ireland
Lady Hermon: [286149]
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government is taking
as part of its planning for the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal to increase
the number of officers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland in line with the recent
request by its Chief Constable; and if he will make a statement.
An error has been identified in the written answer given on 9 September 2019. The
correct answer should have been:
Julian Smith:
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before
Prorogation.
Policing is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and operational capability is a
matter for the Chief Constable. The PSNI’s main budget is allocated by the
Department of Justice from the Northern Ireland block grant.
The UK Government has provided the PSNI with the additional security funding it
has asked for and needs to ensure that they have the resource (including officers) to
tackle the SEVERE threat from Northern Ireland related terrorism (NIRT). This
additional security funding boosts PSNI’s ability to tackle the terrorist threat while
ensuring day-to-day policing isn’t compromised.
PSNI received £230m additional security funding in the last parliament and £160m in
this one. In addition, the UK Government has provided PSNI with over £16.5m to help
prepare for EU exit. This funding from the UK Government will continue to support
PSNI to address the wider security pressures and contingencies arising from the
NIRT threat and EU exit preparations and will enable PSNI to recruit 206 additional
officers this financial year.
TRANSPORT
Roads: Suffolk
Sandy Martin: [291481]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had
with Suffolk county council on the Ipswich northern route since 1 January 2019.
An error has been identified in the written answer given on 1 October 2019. The correct
answer should have been:
George Freeman:
Since 1 January 2019, the Department has liaised with Suffolk County Council to
support them in developing the evidence required to facilitate a thorough and efficient
assessment of the proposed scheme. This has included analytical support to scheme
promoters, in advance of Transport East submitting the scheme proposal to the
Department on the County Council’s behalf in July 2019, and following this
submission.
Department for Transport officials have had regular discussions with Suffolk County
Council regarding the Ipswich Northern Route since January 1 2019. As well as
regular engagement, the Department has offered analytical support to all scheme
promoters as part of the Major Road Network (MRN) and Large Local Majors (LLM)
programme.
WRITTEN STATEMENTS
BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Energy Council, September 2019
Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth (Kwasi Kwarteng):
[HCWS1854]
The UK did not attend the EU Energy Council in Brussels on 24 September 2019.
The UK Government has decided that from 1 September until exit day, UK Ministers and
officials will only attend EU meetings where the UK has a significant national interest in
the outcome of the discussions.
Energy Planning Project
Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth (Kwasi Kwarteng):
[HCWS1852]
This statement concerns an application made by Orsted Hornsea Project Three (UK)
Limited under the Planning Act 2008 for development consent for the construction and
operation of the proposed Hornsea Three offshore wind farm and associated offshore
and onshore infrastructure in the North Sea and in Norfolk.
Under section 107(1) of the Planning Act 2008, the Secretary of State must make a
decision on an application within three months of receipt of the Examining Authority’s
report unless exercising the power under section 107(3) to set a new deadline. Where a
new deadline is set, the Secretary of State must make a Statement to Parliament to
announce it. The deadline for the decision on the proposed Hornsea Three Offshore
Wind Farm Development Consent Order application was 2 October 2019.
The Secretary of State has set a new deadline for deciding the application of 31 March
2020 to allow further information in respect of offshore environmental effects to be
provided and considered. The decision to set the new deadline for the application is
without prejudice to the Secretary of State’s decision on whether to ultimately grant or
refuse development consent.
Post- Council Statement: Competitiveness Council 26th -27th September 2019
Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation (Chris
Skidmore): [HCWS1853]
My noble friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Minister for Climate Change
(Lord Duncan of Springbank ) has today made the following statement:
The UK did not attend the Competitiveness Council in Brussels on 26th and 27th
September 2019
The UK Government has decided that from 1st September until exit day, UK Ministers
and officials will only attend EU meetings where the UK has a significant national interest
in the outcome of the discussions.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
October Agriculture and Fisheries Council
Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (George Eustice):
[HCWS1851]
Agriculture and Fisheries Council takes place in Luxembourg on 14-15 October.
As the provisional agenda stands, the main item for fisheries will be fixing the fishing
opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2020. Member States will also discuss the Regulation
on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) for which a preliminary agreement
on the proposal, a partial general approach (PGA), is sought in Council. Ministers will
also exchange views on the annual EU-Norway consultation for 2020 and on the 22nd
annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
(ICCAT), which will be held in Palma de Mallorca on 18-25 November 2019.
In the field of agriculture the main focus will be the state of play on the Common
Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform package. Member States will also exchange views on
the EU Forest Strategy post-2020 followed by a presentation by the Commission and an
exchange of views on stepping up EU action to protect and restore the world’s forests.
The Commission will also brief Member States on the market situation.
There are currently five items scheduled under ‘any other business’:
• The Presidency will brief Ministers on the outcome of the European Bioeconomy
Scene 2019, which was held in Helsinki on 8-10 July;
• The Slovenian delegation will brief on the outcome of the Ministerial conference
“Strengthening the Generation and Transfer of Knowledge for the Progress of
Agriculture and the Rural Areas”, which took place in Ptuj, Slovenia on 23 August
2019;
• The Italian delegation will provide information on the serious damages caused by
the Asian stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) to the fruit and vegetables sector;
• The Commission will give a state of play on African Swine fever; and
• The Commission will provide a state of play on the major issues within food
safety.
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
Update on continuity of medical supplies
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Matt Hancock): [HCWS1856]
This Statement provides an update on my Department’s plans to support the continuity of
supply of medicines and medical products into the UK if we leave the EU without a deal
on 31 October.
The multi-layered approach put in place by my Department remains essential to help
ensure the continuation of medicines and medical supplies across the UK if we leave
without a deal. An update on the six components is below.
My Department is today writing to pharmaceutical companies, medical device
manufacturers and the Adult Social Care sector. As part of working closely with the
Devolved Administrations (DAs) and Crown Dependencies, communications will also be
shared with healthcare providers across the scope of the programme.
1. Improving trader readiness for new border arrangements
Companies need to ensure they are “trader ready” for the new customs procedures
involved with importing and exporting goods that will come into place if we leave the EU
without a deal. To support industry in their preparations, I am today announcing that,
following engagement and feedback with trade associations, suppliers and distributors,
the Government is establishing a dedicated trader readiness ‘Support Unit’ to provide
assistance to suppliers of medical goods. These teams of specialists will be able to
provide traders operating in the health and social care sector with up-to-date advice and
practical guidance on the steps they need to take to prepare. Details on how to access
the Support Unit are being communicated to industry today.
1. Building up buffer stocks
My Department’s approach to buffer stocks remains unchanged from 26 June and
involves a range of national measures and asks of industry that are designed to provide
contingent measures for medicines, medical devices and clinical consumables, blood and
transplants, vaccines and countermeasures, supplies for clinical trials and non-clinical
goods and services.
1. Procuring extra warehousing space for stockpiled medicines
To help ensure sufficient space to store stockpiled medicines ahead of Brexit on 31
October if we were to leave without a deal, my Department previously agreed contracts
for additional warehouse space, including ambient, refrigerated and controlled drug
storage. We will continue to provide warehousing capacity.
1. Securing freight capacity
The Department for Transport-led cross-government procurement for securing freight
capacity by 31 October is progressing as planned. On 20 September, as announced by
the Secretary of State for Transport, eight companies were successfully appointed to the
freight procurement framework. These include ferry operators Brittany Ferries, DFDS A/S,
Irish Ferries, P&O Ferries, Seatruck and Stena, as well as operators from the aviation
and rail industries, Air Charter Services and Eurotunnel.
Also, on 20 September, DfT launched two call-off mini-competitions, which set out the
Government’s freight requirements in preparation for leaving the EU. These provided
freight operators on the framework the opportunity to bid for contracts to transport
medicines and medical products – and other category 1 goods – into the UK in a no-deal
scenario. The deadline for framework suppliers to submit bids was 1 October. Subject to
evaluation, contracts with successful freight operators to provide capacity on specific
routes will be agreed shortly. Once known, Government will inform industry of the details
as soon as possible. In advance of this, the Department is today inviting suppliers of
medicines and medical goods to register to access this freight capacity.
My Department is also leading a procurement for an ‘express freight service’ to provide
access to an end-to-end solution for medical products to deliver small parcel
consignments and pallets. This is designed to be used only if suppliers’ own contingency
measures encounter difficulties or there is an emergency need for specific medical
products. The bid response window for this procurement has now closed and we are
currently reviewing the bids. Again, my Department is looking to award the contract(s) as
soon as possible.
1. Changing or clarifying regulatory requirements
So that companies can continue to sell their products in the UK even if we leave without a
deal, the Government has made changes to, or clarifications of, certain regulatory
requirements. Statutory instruments, covering the regulation of human medicines,
medical devices and clinical trials were considered and approved by Parliament.
1. Strengthening the processes and resources used to deal with shortages
In addition to the normal shortage management routes, my Department has also put in
place legislation to enable Ministers to issue serious shortage protocols that, where
appropriate, enables community pharmacies to supply against a protocol, for example, to
issue a substitute medication instead of the prescribed medication without going back to
the prescriber first.
My Department will again be standing up a National Supply Disruption Response
(NSDR). The NSDR processes will monitor the supply situation and co-ordinate actions to
address supply disruption incidents that occur after Brexit where normal procedures are
unable to provide a resolution.
Message to NHS and the public
Our message to the NHS, the adult social care sector, patients and the wider public
remains unchanged.
My Department, working with partners across government, industry, the health and social
care system, Devolved Administrations and Crown Dependencies, is putting in place
these arrangements to protect medical supplies from any potential disruption if we leave
without a deal for the whole of the UK and its Crown Dependencies, so that service
providers, patients and members of the public do not have to take action themselves.
Local or personal stockpiling remains unnecessary and could cause shortages in other
areas, which could put patient care at risk. It is important that patients keep taking their
medicines and order their repeat prescriptions as normal.
As the NAO’s recent report recognised, the scale of the challenge has been
unprecedented and the Department, working with pharmaceutical companies and
medical device manufacturers, has already achieved a great deal in preparing for leaving
the EU, whatever the circumstances. I am confident that the Department is doing
everything appropriate to prepare for leaving without a deal on the 31 October.
HOME OFFICE
Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (1 June 2019 to 31 August 2019)
The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Priti Patel): [HCWS1855]
Section 19(1) of the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011 (the Act)
requires the Secretary of State to report to Parliament as soon as reasonably practicable
after the end of every relevant three-month period on the exercise of her TPIM powers
under the Act during that period.
The level of information provided will always be subject to slight variations based on
operational advice.
TPIM NOTICES IN FORCE (AS OF 31 AUGUST
2019) 3
TPIM notices in respect of British citizens (as
of 31 August 2019)
3
TPIM notices extended (during the reporting
period)
1
TPIM notices revoked (during the reporting
period)
0
TPIM notices revived (during the reporting
period)
0
Variations made to measures specified in
TPIM notices (during the reporting period)
4
Applications to vary measures specified in
TPIM notices refused (during the reporting
period)
0
The number of current subjects relocated
under TPIM legislation (as of 31 August 2019)
1
The TPIM Review Group (TRG) keeps every TPIM notice under regular and formal
review. Third quarter TRG meetings took place on 4 and 18 September 2019 and 1
October 2019.
The Section 9 TPIM Act 2011 judicial review of the TPIM against QT was heard at the
High Court between 24 and 27 June 2019. The judgment in this review is yet to be
handed down by the Court.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Trade Update
Secretary of State for International Trade (Elizabeth Truss): [HCWS1850]
Today I am informing the House about updates to the Temporary Tariff Regime
announced in March. This regime would come into effect if the UK leaves the EU without
a deal on 31 October 2019.
The temporary tariff would apply equally to all countries where the UK does not have a
trade agreement or other preferential agreement in place - this would include the EU.
The policy announced in March, and updated today, is designed with
consumers and producers in mind. The majority of imports will be tariff free, with
tariffs only applying on a small percentage of UK imports. The Government has
listened to the concerns and needs of businesses and consumers since the Temporary
Tariff Regime was first announced and has made three specific amendments to the tariff
rates published in March.
• Lower tariffs on HGVs entering the UK market, striking a better balance between
the needs of British producers and the SMEs that make up the UK haulage
industry, ensuring that crucial fleet replacement programmes that help to lower
carbon emissions can continue.
• Adjusted tariffs on bioethanol to retain support for UK producers, as the supply of
this fuel is important to critical national infrastructure.
• Applied tariffs to additional clothing products to ensure the preferential access to
the UK market currently available to developing countries (compared to other
countries) is maintained.
These three specific amendments will enable UK supply chains to continue to operate
smoothly, keep prices down for consumers and ensure that we are fully prepared to leave
the EU on 31 October whatever the circumstances.
In considering adjustments to the temporary tariff, the Government has continued to give
regard to the five principles set out in the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018:
• the interests of consumers in the UK;
• the interests of producers in the UK;
• the desire to maintain and promote external trade of the UK;
• the desire to maintain and promote productivity in the UK;
• the extent to which goods are subject to competition.
Throughout the temporary period, the Government will also consider exceptional changes
where clear evidence is provided by stakeholders against the criteria set out in the
Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018 and would provide a mechanism to hear
business and consumer feedback.
The Government aims, where possible, to minimise any new costs to business and
mitigate any price impacts on consumers. For that reason, tariffs will only apply to 12% of
total UK imports but there will need to be tariffs on some imports to make sure certain
industries get the support they need.
This remains a temporary policy that would apply for a period of up to 12 months in the
event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal on 31 October.
Information on specific tariff rates that would apply under the temporary tariff have been
made available through the Government website.
TREASURY
Economy Update
The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Sajid Javid): [HCWS1857]
A meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) will be held in
Luxembourg on 10 October 2019. The Council will discuss the following:
Budgetary Instrument for Convergence and Competitiveness for the Euro Area The
European Commission will present the governance framework on the budgetary
instrument for convergence and competitiveness for the euro area.
Current Financial Services Legislative Proposals The Finnish Presidency will provide
an update on current legislative proposals in the field of financial services.
European Court of Auditors’ Annual Report The President of the Court of Auditors will
present the Auditors’ report on the implementation of the budget of the European Union
for the 2018 financial year.
The European Financial Architecture for Development The chair of the high-level
group of wise persons on the European financial architecture for development will present
the main findings of their report to the Council. This will be followed by an exchange of
views.
Implementation of the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Action Plan The Council will
hold an exchange of views on the progress made in implementing the AML Action Plan
and consider the future strategic priorities in this area.
Anti-Money Laundering Directive: Policy towards "high-risk third countries" The
Council will hold an exchange of views on the policy towards AML-related "high-risk third
countries".
European Semester 2019 – Lessons Learnt The Council will hold an exchange of
views on lessons learnt from the European Semester 2019.
Preparation of the G20 Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors
and of the IMF Annual Meetings The Council will be invited to approve the EU’s G20
Terms of Reference and International Monetary and Financial Committee Statement,
ahead of the Annual Meetings in Washington DC.
Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action The Finnish will present the state of
play of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action.
Appointment of a Member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank
The Council will be invited to adopt a recommendation to the European Council on the
appointment of a new member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank.
Capital Markets Union The Commission will inform the Council on its plans on the
Capital Markets Union and the Presidency will outline next steps.
Status of the Implementation of Financial Services Legislation The Council will take
stock of the status of the implementation of financial services legislation.