daily report friday, 12 april 2019 contents · 2019-04-12 · daily report friday, 12 april 2019...
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Daily Report Friday, 12 April 2019
This report shows written answers and statements provided on 12 April 2019 and the
information is correct at the time of publication (04:01 P.M., 12 April 2019). For the latest
information on written questions and answers, ministerial corrections, and written statements,
please visit: http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/
CONTENTS
ANSWERS 3
CABINET OFFICE 3
Conflict, Stability and Security
Fund 3
Cybercrime 3
DEFENCE 4
Nuclear Submarines 4
DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND
SPORT 4
Arts: East Midlands 4
Film 5
Football: Racial Discrimination 5
Gambling: Internet 5
Music 6
EDUCATION 6
Schools: Finance 6
Teachers: Training 7
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND
RURAL AFFAIRS 8
Birds: Conservation 8
Horses: Imports 8
National Parks 9
FOREIGN AND
COMMONWEALTH OFFICE 9
Burundi: BBC 9
Najah Ahmed Yousif 9
Rakhine State Advisory
Commission 10
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE 10
Arthritis: Children 10
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:
North East 11
Croydon Health Services NHS
Trust 11
Dermatology: Training 12
Dermatology: Waiting Lists 12
Food: Labelling 13
HIV Infection: Drugs 13
Human Papillomavirus:
Screening 14
NHS: Drugs 14
NHS: Property 15
NHS: Staff 16
Pancreatic Cancer: Mental
Health Services 16
Pregnancy 16
Tuberculosis 17
Vaccination: Children 17
HOME OFFICE 17
Deportation: West Africa 17
Migrant Workers: Health
Professions 18
HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENT 19
Housing Ombudsman Service 19
Planning Permission:
Biodiversity 19
Private Rented Housing 20
JUSTICE 20
Courts: Reform 20
Electoral Register:
Prosecutions 21
Family Courts 21
Legal Aid Scheme: Refugees 22
Probation 23
TRANSPORT 23
Railways: Birmingham 23
TREASURY 24
NHS: Linlithgow and East
Falkirk 24
Regional Assistance 24
Research and Development
Tax Credit 25
Revenue and Customs: Fines 26
Soft Drinks: Taxation 26
Tobacco: EU Law 26
Tobacco: Smuggling 27
WORK AND PENSIONS 28
Employment: Autism 28
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
CABINET OFFICE
Conflict, Stability and Security Fund
Dan Jarvis: [R] [242140]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress he is making on improving the
transparency of the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund.
Mr David Lidington:
The CSSF has now published two Annual Reports, 83 programme summaries for
2018/19 (in addition to the 62 programme summaries published for 2017/18) and 64
Annual Review summaries for 2017/18 (in addition to the 49 published for 2016/17.
The CSSF is working towards meeting a “good” International Aid Transparency
Initiative (IATI) rating by 2020 in line with the government’s commitment. There is a
presumption to publish programme information for all CSSF programmes, and for
2018/19 83 out of our 90 programmes, had programme summaries published. The
two key reasons why we may not be able to make programme documentation public
are to protect national security and to protect the safety and security of beneficiaries,
partners and partner governments.
The latest Annual Report and programme summaries took on many of the
suggestions received from stakeholders in the development sector. The Annual
Report included a chapter on spend with break downs by ODA and non-ODA,
department, region, theme and discretionary and non-discretionary budgets. In
addition, Programme summaries broke down project spend by ODA/non-ODA splits.
We are also working to publish more Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend
information on Devtracker. We have published data for all FCO and DFID CSSF
programmes for the last six quarters and are currently working on the next quarter.
Cybercrime
Henry Smith: [242107]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent steps his Department has taken to
help improve the cyber security of (a) public and (b) private sector organisations.
Mr David Lidington:
Our world leading National Cyber Security Strategy, supported by £1.9 billion of
transformational investment, sets out measures to defend our people, businesses,
and assets; deter our adversaries; and develop the skills and capabilities we need
Our experts in the National Cyber Security Centre continually provide simple advice
and guidance to help public and private sector organisations be more resilient to
cyber attacks. This advice can be found on the newly redesigned NCSC website
(www.ncsc.gov.uk) which makes finding guidance easier for a range of visitors.
DEFENCE
Nuclear Submarines
Mrs Madeleine Moon: [240534]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost has been of re-painting a (a)
nuclear submarine in-service, (b) decommissioned nuclear submarine, (c) ballistic missile
submarine in-service and (d) decommissioned ballistic missile submarine in the most
recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.
Stuart Andrew:
This information is not held in the format requested. The cost of repainting In-Service
submarines is dependent on the Class and will vary with the individual platform
material state. These costs form part of wider submarine maintenance contracts and
are not easily identifiable separately.
In a similar manner, for decommissioned submarines, the cost forms part of the
Survey and Docking Periods, which are conducted every 12 to 15 years; these costs
also vary dependent on the Class of Submarine and individual material state.
DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Arts: East Midlands
Ben Bradley: [242255]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his
Department is taking to support the creative industries in the East Midlands.
Margot James:
Government recognises the role played by creative businesses, including media, right
across the UK in local economic growth. Government supports this growth via tax
credits, regional development programmes, relocation of Arms Length Bodies
associated with the sector, rebasing of public sector broadcasters and putting ‘place’
at the heart of the Industrial Strategy. The department does not collect data on
creative industries investment on a region-by-region basis.
DCMS funds Arms Length Bodies, which invest in arts and culture on a regional
basis. These interventions support future skills and talent that go on to work in the
Creative Industries. According to Arts Council England and British Film Institute data,
the East Midlands have received grant-in-aid and lottery support of more than £127m
since 2016. The East Midlands have also benefited from UK-wide programmes
operated by these bodies.
Employing over 100,000 people, the East Midlands Creative Industries contributed
£2.5bn to the UK economy in 2017. This was an increase of 9% since the previous
year and represented faster growth than the wider national economy.
As part of the Audience of the Future immersive programme, a sector deal
commitment, £4m was awarded to WEAVR – a virtual reality consortium which will
work with leading academics and innovators across immersive technologies. This
consortium is led by Leicester-based Turtle Entertainment UK.
Film
Andrew Rosindell: [242065]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he
has made of the contribution of the film industry to the UK economy.
Margot James:
The UK film industry is a great success story which contributed over £6 billion to the
economy in 2016. It supported nearly 90,000 full time jobs, attracted inward
investment worth £1.5 billion, and generated £1.7 billion in exports.
Football: Racial Discrimination
Alberto Costa: [242177]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the
Government is taking with county football associations to tackle racism in grassroots
football.
Mims Davies:
I refer the Hon member to my statement to the House on 11th April.
Gambling: Internet
Richard Graham: [241420]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent
assessment has he made of effect of online gambling on vulnerable gamblers.
Mims Davies:
All operators providing gambling facilities to consumers in Great Britain must be
licensed by the Gambling Commission and comply with licence conditions, which
include the protection of vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by
gambling. Operators are required to prevent underage gambling, to intervene when a
customer shows signs of being at risk of harm and to offer the facility to self-exclude.
Online operators must also offer a ‘time out’ facility and can make other tools
available to help players manage their gambling, such as setting time or spend limits.
In May last year the Government published its response to the Consultation on
proposals for changes to Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures,
which set out a comprehensive package to strengthen protections across all forms of
gambling, including online. Next month, the Gambling Commission will bring in new
rules requiring operators to complete age and identity verification before consumers
can deposit money and gamble, or play free-to-play demo games.
The Gambling Commission is also currently consulting on proposals to strengthen the
requirement for operators to interact with consumers who may be experiencing
gambling related harm. They are also reviewing whether gambling online with credit
cards should be restricted, and will explore the potential consequences of doing so.
Music
Andrew Rosindell: [242064]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent
assessment he has made of the contribution of the music industry to the UK economy.
Margot James:
DCMS does not specifically record the contribution of the music industry to the UK
economy. The Department does however, produce annual estimates of the
contributions of all of its sectors (including the Creative Industries, and within that the
‘music, performing and visual arts’ sub-sector) to the UK economy, measuring GVA,
imports and exports of goods and services, employment, and number of enterprises.
These statistics are available online at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/dcms-
sectors-economic-estimates.
The ‘music, performing and visual arts’ sector contributed over £9.5bn to the UK
economy in 2017. This contribution has increased by 69% since 2010 and has grown
at more than twice the rate of the wider UK economy.
EDUCATION
Schools: Finance
Stephanie Peacock: [241080]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the total amount of funding provided to
schools from the Condition Improvement Fund was in each of the last five years for which
data is available.
Stephanie Peacock: [241081]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the total amount of funding provided to
schools in (a) Barnsley, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) Yorkshire and the Humber was from
the Condition Improvement Fund in each of the last five years for which data is available.
Stephanie Peacock: [241082]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in (a) Barnsley and (b)
South Yorkshire received grants from the Condition Improvement Fund in each of the last
five years for which data is available.
Stephanie Peacock: [241083]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications for Condition
Improvement Fund grants were received from schools in (a) Barnsley, (b) South
Yorkshire, and (c) the UK in each of the last five years for which data is available.
Stephanie Peacock: [241084]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, (a) how many and (b) what percentage of
applications for Condition Improvement Fund grants received from schools in (a)
Barnsley, (b) South Yorkshire, and (c) the UK were successful in each of the last five
years for which data is available.
Nick Gibb:
The Department has provided the information requested in the attached table,
showing a regional breakdown of Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) for the last five
years. However, please note that the information for CIF 2016-17 onwards does not
include the funding amounts.
Whilst the Department intends to publish funding information for transparency,
accurate amounts for grants funded are not known until the work is complete and
therefore the Department is unable to disclose the total funding amount for a CIF
round until all the projects in that round are complete.
To release the funding amounts applicants bid to CIF for, while procurement or
construction works are ongoing, would hamper the ability of schools and sixth-form
colleges to obtain value for money for the public purse from their contractors. It is the
Department’s intention to release the individual project funding amounts for all CIF
rounds and, to date, the Department has published the funding from 2015-16.
Attachments:
1. 241080-84_CIF_regional_breakdown_ [241080-84_CIF_regional_breakdown_.xls]
Teachers: Training
Paul Farrelly: [240969]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the
adequacy of grammar instruction provided on teacher training courses.
Nick Gibb:
To complete teacher training courses and become a qualified teacher, trainees must
meet the standards set out in the ‘teachers’ standards’ published in 2011, available
here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teachers-standards.
This requires trainees to demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge,
including taking responsibility for promoting high standards of literacy and the correct
use of standard English, whatever the teacher’s specialist subject.
The Department published further guidance, ‘A framework of core content for initial
teacher training’ (ITT), in July 2016. This guidance is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-government-
response-to-carter-review.
The framework sets out ITT providers’ responsibility to audit trainees’ subject
knowledge early in their training, and make provision to ensure that trainees have
sufficient subject knowledge to satisfy the teachers’ standards by the end of their
training.
At their most recent Ofsted inspection, 99% of all ITT providers were rated good or
outstanding.
In the Recruitment and Retention Strategy, published in January 2019, the
Department committed to reviewing ITT core content guidance using the Early Career
Framework as our starting point. Details of this can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-recruitment-and-retention-
strategy.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Birds: Conservation
John Spellar: [240948]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment
he has made of the potential merits of restricting the use of netting across trees and
hedgerows during the bird-nesting season.
Dr Thérèse Coffey:
We all have a responsibility to our local environment and its inhabitants and this
applies to developers too. When associated with development these sorts of
practices should only be used to help protect birds. We expect local planning
authorities to look at these practices closely and take action where necessary.
Guidance is available for local authorities.
The revised National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and
decisions should contribute to, and enhance, the natural and local environment by
minimising the impacts on, and providing net gains for, biodiversity.
Horses: Imports
Angela Smith: [240536]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what checks will
be carried out on the documentation required by equines entering the UK once the UK
has left the EU.
David Rutley:
No new animal health checks at the point of entry will be introduced as a result of the
UK leaving the EU. Equines entering the UK from the EU will be required to pre-notify
APHA (or DAERA in Northern Ireland) if they are travelling using a UK Health
Certificate or from France using a commercial document (UK DOCOM). The UK
Health Certificate is a replacement for the existing Intra Trade Animal Health
Certificate used for EU trade. The UK DOCOM is a replacement for this existing
DOCOM used for the movement of high health status horses from France to the UK.
Equines entering the UK directly from the EU will not be required to do so via a
border inspection post. Risk based checks will continue to be undertaken at the point
of destination on these equines. Equines entering the UK from third countries will
follow the same processes as they do now, with checks undertaken at an approved
UK BIP.
National Parks
Sir John Hayes: [240949]
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department
will make an assessment of the potential benefits of increasing the number of national
parks.
Dr Thérèse Coffey:
Natural England is responsible for appraising suggestions for new or extended
designated areas. This is a statutory process set out in Part IV of the Countryside and
Rights of Way Act 2000.
A review of National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (designated
landscapes) was launched in May. It is being led by Julian Glover and is considering
the case for the extension or creation of new designated areas. We expect the review
to report in autumn 2019.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Burundi: BBC
Jeff Smith: [240589]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the
Government has taken in response to the Burundi Government’s recent decision to
withdraw the BBC’s Operating Licence for that country, and if his Department will make
representations to protest against the decision.
Harriett Baldwin:
Freedom of the media is an essential quality of any functioning democracy. People
must be allowed to discuss and debate issues freely, to challenge their governments,
and to make considered decisions, informed by a strong and robust media. We
therefore condemn the decision made by the Government of Burundi to revoke the
BBC's operating license, particularly in light of the 2020 elections for which a free and
independent media is vital. We strongly support the BBC's mission to bring high
quality and impartial news to global audiences, including where free speech is limited.
The Foreign Secretary has tweeted his disappointment and has urged the
Government to reverse this decision. The UK Ambassador to Burundi and the UK
Special Envoy to the Great Lakes are making representations to senior counterparts.
Najah Ahmed Yousif
Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [240622]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment
he has made of the validity of allegations that the Bahraini Embassy in London forged
evidence against female activist Najah Yusuf by attributing to her tweets which were
posted eight months after her conviction.
Mark Field:
Our Embassy in Bahrain and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office continue to
monitor the case of Najah Ahmed Yusuf and have raised her case at a senior level
with the Government of Bahrain. I would also refer the Honourable Member to the
statement made on 28 March by the Bahraini Government.
Rakhine State Advisory Commission
Stephen Twigg: [240939]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent
assessment he has made of the progress on implementing the Rakhine Advisory
Commission's recommendations; and what steps he is taking to support those
recommendations.
Mark Field:
The British Government welcomed the report of the Rakhine Advisory Commission
and its recommendations. We note that the civilian government in Myanmar has
accepted the recommendations contained within the report and we continue to push
for full implementation. We recognise that the government has started work on
responding to some of the recommendations, but there is still significant progress that
needs to be made. We continue to offer assistance to the Myanmar Government to
address the long term issues in Rakhine and deliver for all communities.
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
Arthritis: Children
Jim Shannon: [242840]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he is taking
to support children with arthritis.
Seema Kennedy:
In the United Kingdom, about 15,000 children and young people are affected by
arthritis, with approximately 1,000 children diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis
(JIA) per year. JIA may continue into adulthood, and about a third or more of children
with the condition still need treatment in adult life.
Support for patients with long term health problems should include provision of a
holistic assessment and the development of a personalised care plan, taking into
account their needs and preference for care. Treatment for JIA can include anti-
inflammatory drugs, steroids and disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs),
such as Methotrexate to suppress the immune response creating the inflammation.
For patients who do not respond to DMARDs, the National Institute for Health and
Care Excellence has approved several biological therapies (anti-tumour necrosis
factor drugs), which work in a similar way to DMARDs, but are more targeted in
addressing the immune response.
As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, published on 7 January 2019, NHS England
is taking action in a range of areas to improve the care and support for children and
young people. From 2019/20 clinical networks will be rolled out to improve the quality
of care for children with long-term conditions. This will be achieved though sharing
best clinical practice, supporting the integration of paediatric skills across services
and bespoke quality improvement projects.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: North East
Mrs Sharon Hodgson: [240991]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding the
Government has allocated to services used by patients with ME in the North East.
Mrs Sharon Hodgson: [240992]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will allocate additional
funding to support charities providing direct services to people with ME in the North East.
Seema Kennedy:
This data is not available. Services for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis are
commissioned by local clinical commissioning groups. It is the responsibility of the
local National Health Service commissioners to ensure NHS services are
commissioned to meet local need and that they address any shortfalls in provision.
Where appropriate, this will include commissioning services provided by voluntary
sector organisations.
Croydon Health Services NHS Trust
Mr Steve Reed: [241436]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Croydon Health
Services NHS Trust has conducted an impact assessment on the UK's departure from
the EU.
Stephen Hammond:
The European Union Exit Operational Readiness Guidance developed by the
Department, NHS England and NHS Improvement, published on 21 December 2018,
lists the actions that providers and commissioners of health and care services in
England should take if the United Kingdom leaves the EU without a deal. This will
ensure organisations are prepared for, and can manage, the risks in a no deal
scenario.
All organisations that received this guidance were advised to undertake local EU Exit
readiness planning, local risk assessments and plan for wider potential impacts. Risk
assessments were to be undertaken by providers and commissioners of NHS
services at a local level.
In October 2018, National Health Service trusts were also asked to carry out a self-
assessment exercise related only to non-clinical goods and services received by NHS
trusts from external suppliers.
Dermatology: Training
Nick Smith: [242084]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment the
Government has made of the quality of (a) undergraduate level and (b) specialist general
practice dermatology training.
Stephen Hammond:
Each individual medical school sets its own undergraduate medical curriculum. These
have to meet the standards set by the General Medical Council (GMC) in ‘Promoting
excellence’, who then monitor and check to make sure that these standards are
maintained. The curricula for postgraduate specialty training is set by individual royal
colleges and faculties, and the GMC approves curricula and assessment systems for
each training programme.
There are no specific medical dermatology undergraduate training pathways, as all
medical students complete a medical degree and foundation training to the point of
GMC registration, and then students can specialise in dermatology as part of a
postgraduate core medical training and higher specialty training programme.
Dermatology is one of 30 specialties within the medicine specialty group. It is a highly
competitive specialty and often oversubscribed.
The number of medical specialty training places in England that are available each
year is set by Health Education England and is based on their assessment of service
gaps and predicted workforce needs. There has been a 100% fill rate in dermatology
training in England for the past six years.
Dermatologist education and training and recruitment in Wales, Northern Ireland and
Scotland is a matter for the devolved administrations.
Dermatology: Waiting Lists
Nick Smith: [241419]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has
for proposals to improve waiting times for dermatology patients.
Stephen Hammond:
Clinical commissioning groups are putting in place initiatives to help better manage
the increasing demand for dermatology services. This has included developing clear
multidisciplinary pathways and care models that address patients’ physical and
psychological needs, better use of teledermatology as well as a clear model for
community dermatology; using nurses, pharmacists and general practitioners with
extended roles to ensure that patients receive the right treatment and care in the
most appropriate setting.
The National Health Service has worked with local sites and published a handbook
that describes what local health and care systems can do to transform dermatology
elective care services at pace, why this is necessary and how the impact of this
transformation can be measured. Practical guidance for implementing and adopting a
range of interventions locally is included to help ensure patients see the right person,
in the right place, first time.
The dermatology handbook can be found on the NHS England website at the
following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/dermatology-elective-care-
handbook-v1.pdf
Food: Labelling
Mrs Sharon Hodgson: [240990]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timeframe is for his
Department to (a) bring forward legislative proposals on calorie labelling on menus and
(b) publish a response to the public consultation on calorie labelling.
Seema Kennedy:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the former Parliamentary Under-
Secretary of State for Public Health and Primary Care (Steve Brine MP) to the hon.
Member for South West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous MP) on 23 January 2019 to
Question 210542.
HIV Infection: Drugs
Mr Ben Bradshaw: [240941]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS
England PrEP Impact Trial Update – April 2019, if he will require trial sites outside of
London to publish when they will release the additional places on the PrEP Impact Trial;
and if he will make a statement.
Seema Kennedy:
Rollout of additional places on the trial is now commencing and the trial website will
be kept up to date to show the recruitment status of each clinic as additional places
start to be released. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.prepimpacttrial.org.uk/
Caroline Lucas: [241012]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to
ensure that the additional places on the PrEP Impact Trial are offered across England;
and if he will make a statement.
Caroline Lucas: [241013]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS
England PrEP Impact Trial Update - April 2019, what assessment he has made of the
reasons for the finding that 37 councils in England have not provided additional places on
the PrEP Impact Trial; and if he will make a statement.
Seema Kennedy:
On 30 January, my Rt, hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
announced that the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) Impact trial would be expanded.
Rollout of additional places on the trial is now commencing. However, participation in
the trial is on a voluntary basis for both clinics and local authorities.
Human Papillomavirus: Screening
Jonathan Ashworth: [240558]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made
of the adequacy of the Cytology/HPV tendering process in England; and if he will make a
statement.
Seema Kennedy:
In November 2015, the UK National Screening Committee recommended that human
papillomavirus (HPV) screening should replace the currently used liquid based
cytology test as the primary screening for cervical disease.
NHS England has since worked with partner organisations to determine the most
viable approach for how this service could be delivered safely, effectively and
sustainably on a national level. A robust options appraisal process and due diligence
process was undertaken by Public Health England and NHS England to determine
the optimum number of laboratories required to provide HPV primary screening. This
process resulted in the procurement of nine laboratories.
The procurement process involved robust assessment of all bids received for these
services and NHS England is in the process of finalising this stage in the
procurement. It is planned that contract awards arising from the procurement process
will be announced this month (April 2019).
The National Health Service will remain the primary provider for cervical cytology
screening in England and cervical screening remains part of the General Medical
Services contract.
NHS: Drugs
Jonathan Ashworth: [241039]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made
of the adequacy of the supply of drugs for (a) epilepsy, (b) bipolar disorder and (c)
neuropathic pain; and if he will make a statement.
Seema Kennedy:
Medicines supply problems can occur for a number of reasons due to manufacturing
difficulties, regulatory problems and problems with the supply of raw materials, or
from issues which are related to the distribution of the product. The manufacture of
medicines is complex and highly regulated, and materials and processes must meet
rigorous safety and quality standards, so difficulties can arise for various reasons.
The Department understand that maintaining access to anti-epileptic drugs, drugs for
bipolar disorder and those used in the management of neuropathic pain is vitally
important to many people in this country. We are aware of some issues with
medicines used in epilepsy, bipolar disorder and neuropathic pain over the past few
months. During this time, we sought specialist advice to allow a clinical management
plan to be developed. Expert clinicians provided input on the clinical management
plan to ensure affected patients can be managed appropriately during the supply
issue. We communicated any information about the supply issue and clinical
management plan to the National Health Service including patient groups.
We continue to work closely with industry and partners in the health system to help
prevent shortages and to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised when supply
issues do arise.
NHS: Property
Justin Madders: [242862]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made
of the current occupancy levels for properties owned by NHS property services.
Justin Madders: [242863]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average occupancy
levels for properties owned by NHS property services were in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17,
(c) 2017-18 and (d) 2018-19.
Stephen Hammond:
NHS Property Services has responsibility for a large mixed estate of approximately
3000 properties, across approximately 3 million square metres, and with
approximately 7000 individual tenancies. Occupiers range from general practitioners,
providers, arm’s length bodies and many other organisations supporting health and
social care services. With such a large and diverse portfolio that is subject to constant
change both as business as usual and in support of transformational change, parts of
the estate do become under-utilised or vacant. In terms of recorded vacant space this
varies as space is re-occupied/disposed, new space becomes vacant or new
buildings come into the portfolio.
The overall average figures for occupancy levels for the years where data is available
is shown in the following table:
2017/18 AVERAGE 2018/19 AVERAGE
88.07% 89.31%
In terms of the ‘average occupancy levels’, NHS Property Services does not hold the
data for 2015/16 and 2016/17 as property information was captured on numerous
different platforms many of which were not able to report on occupancy levels.
NHS: Staff
Jim Shannon: [242841]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to
support NHS staff with (a) stress and (b) depression.
Stephen Hammond:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 April 2019 to Question 239989.
Pancreatic Cancer: Mental Health Services
Paul Farrelly: [240524]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is
taking to ensure that there are established psychological interventions for people with
pancreatic cancer.
Seema Kennedy:
Cancer services are currently commissioned via physical health commissioners
locally and would require each clinical commissioning group to provide information on
their relevant pathways. Adults undergoing cancer treatment can access adult
Improving Access to Psychological Therapies mental health services which provide
evidence based psychological therapies for people with anxiety disorders and
depression, in line with implementing National Institute for Health and Care
Excellence guidelines.
Pregnancy
Cat Smith: [242871]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are taken by the
relevant professional regulators to follow- up and address the non-compliance of the
Pregnancy Prevention Program by Healthcare professionals.
Stephen Hammond:
All United Kingdom registered healthcare professionals are expected to meet the
professional standards set out in guidance by healthcare professional regulators, and
work in line with the principles and values set out in that guidance.
Guidance on consent for healthcare professionals prescribing medication, requires
them to ensure that patients are aware of the potential for harmful side effects
including, where relevant, the role of the Pregnancy Prevention Programme.
Failure to meet or comply with standards set out in healthcare professional regulator
guidance can put a healthcare professionals’ registration at risk.
The Department does not hold the information on what steps are taken by the
relevant professional regulators to follow-up and address the non-compliance of the
Pregnancy Prevention Program.
Tuberculosis
Ellie Reeves: [240626]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle
the incidence of tuberculosis in the UK.
Seema Kennedy:
In 2015, Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England published ‘The 2015-2020
Collaborative Tuberculosis Strategy for England’, which sets out 10 areas for action
to reduce tuberculosis (TB) incidence, reduce health inequalities and eliminate TB as
a public health problem in England.
PHE and NHS England continue to implement these 10 areas for action, which
include improving access to services and ensuring early diagnosis, providing
universal access to high quality diagnostics, improving treatment and care services,
ensuring comprehensive contact tracing, improving BCG vaccination uptake,
reducing drug-resistant TB, tackling TB in under-served populations, implementing
new entrant latent TB screening, strengthening surveillance and ensuring an
appropriate workforce to deliver TB control.
Further information can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/collaborative-tuberculosis-strategy-for-
england
Vaccination: Children
Jonathan Ashworth: [241038]
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many refusals, or opt outs,
for vaccines in children have been registered in each year since 2010.
Seema Kennedy:
Public Health England does not hold data on the number of refusals, or opt outs, for
vaccines in children.
Vaccine uptake data can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake
HOME OFFICE
Deportation: West Africa
Caroline Lucas: [241011]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9
October 2018 to Question 174681 on Deportation: West Africa, how many of the 60
people on board the charter flight bound for Nigeria and Ghana on 28 March 2017 which
was prevented by protesters from leaving Stansted airport have been granted the right to
remain in the UK; how many of those granted leave to remain were referred under the
National Referral Mechanism for the identification of victims of trafficking; how many
people have contacted the Windrush taskforce; and of those granted leave to remain, on
what basis was that immigration status granted.
Caroline Nokes:
Of the 60 people due to be removed on that flight, four have been granted the right to
remain in the UK.
Any individual who believes they are protected under the provisions of the 1971
Immigration Act is able to contact the Windrush Taskforce, which will help to identify
their current status. None of the individuals have contacted the Taskforce.
Of the four people who have been granted the right to remain in the UK, two have
been issued a residence card as a non-EEA national family member confirming a
right to reside in accordance with EEA Treaty rights, one has been granted leave to
remain on Human Rights grounds, and the other has been granted leave to remain
following a conclusive grounds decision under the National Referral Mechanism for
the identification of victims of trafficking.
Migrant Workers: Health Professions
Mr Alistair Carmichael: [242048]
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is
taking to ensure that the immigration system enables the movement of highly-skilled
individuals into the NHS and those working in cancer research after the UK leaves the
EU.
Caroline Nokes:
In December 2018, the Government set out its proposals in “the UK’s future Skills-
based Immigration System” White Paper. The White Paper proposals include a new
route for skilled workers which will be open to anyone at RQF level 3 and above,
irrespective of where they are applying from. This route will not be capped allowing all
of those who meet our requirements to come to the UK.
The White Paper also includes a transitional route for temporary workers which will
be open to anyone from qualifying countries, wishing to fill posi-tions at any skill level,
for up to 12 months. We do not intend to impose a cap on the number of people
wishing to use the route.
The White Paper is the start of a new conversation and we have launched a year-
long engagement programme to take the views of a range of stake-holders across
the UK, including the health and social care sector.
We are determined to ensure that the future immigration system is efficient and able
to respond to users’ needs.
HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Housing Ombudsman Service
Jim Fitzpatrick: [240471]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant
to the Answer of 28 March 2019 to Question 234648 on Housing Ombudsman Service,
what effect the 35 per cent reduction in the subscription fee for the Housing Ombudsman
Service has had on the length of time taken by that service to determine cases entering
its formal remit.
Mrs Heather Wheeler:
The Housing Ombudsman Service is funded by subscription fees from its members
on a per housing unit per year basis. Unit costs were £1.47 in 2013-14, £1.02 in
2014-15 and £0.96 in 2015-16 and 2016-17. In accordance with paragraph 3 of the
Housing Ombudsman Scheme approved by the Secretary of State, the Ombudsman
sets the level of subscriptions by reference to budgeted cash requirements, including
a prudent provision for relevant contingencies.
We are working with the Housing Ombudsman to reduce the time it takes to
determine their cases. From 2017-18, the Department approved a fee increase to
£1.25 for three years that is helping deliver reductions in average complaint
determination times and business improvements. The proposed fee for 2019-20 was
set out in the Housing Ombudsman’s draft Business Plan 2019/20 for consultation.
Together with the Corporate plan 2019-22, it sets out a series of strategic priorities
and measures of success for the coming year and includes its plans for subscription
levels.
Planning Permission: Biodiversity
Layla Moran: [242262]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will
make an assessment of what action his Department has taken to ensure that nationally
significant infrastructure projects meet the same expectations made of local
developments regarding habitats and biodiversity as set out in the National Planning
Policy Framework.
Kit Malthouse:
Applications for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects have to meet the
relevant legal obligations on habitats and biodiversity, and are determined in
accordance with a National Policy Statement where one exists (unless a statutory
exemption applies). Where relevant and appropriate, the designated National Policy
Statements have had regard to prevailing national planning policy when drafted and
have included policies on habitats and biodiversity.
The National Planning Policy Framework can be an important and relevant
consideration in determining applications for Nationally Significant Infrastructure
Projects (irrespective of whether a National Policy Statement applies).
Private Rented Housing
Sir Mark Hendrick: [242023]
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
support the Government provides to tenants in the private rented sector to ensure they
are not priced out of their accommodation.
Mrs Heather Wheeler:
We believe the key to improving affordability for tenants is to build more homes for
rent. Institutional investment in purpose-built privately rented homes is increasing,
with over 29,000 homes delivered since 2012, and around 110,000 in the pipeline.
We supported the Build to Rent sector with a £3.5 billion Private Rented Sector
Guarantee Scheme and changes to the National Planning Policy Framework.
We are also committed to making housing for rent more affordable now. This
includes:
• banning lettings fees paid by tenants and capping tenancy deposits with the Tenant
Fees Bill, which will come into force on 1 June 2019.
• supporting landlords and tenants to agree appropriate rent increases through the
free-to-use model tenancy agreement.
• supporting tenants that have difficulty paying the rent via Targeted Affordability
Funding that will top-up Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates in areas where
affordability pressures are greatest.
• providing an enhanced Discretionary Housing Payment fund for Local Authorities to
protect the most vulnerable claimants impacted by welfare reforms such as the
freeze to LHA rates.
• making £20 million available through the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Access
Fund to enable better access and sustainment of tenancies for people who are, or
at risk of becoming, homeless.
JUSTICE
Courts: Reform
Yasmin Qureshi: [229148]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of
the effect of the revised completion date of the courts reform programme on (a) the cost
of the programme and (b) the predicted date when the cumulative benefits of the
programme are expected to be greater than the cumulative costs.
Lucy Frazer:
[Holding answer 15 March 2019]: Learning from the services that have already been
delivered and the feedback received, we have decided to re-order aspects of the
programme to allow more time to develop some of the shared systems that sit behind
our next set of online services, working to an updated finish date of 2023.
The overall budget will remain unchanged. The cumulative benefits are expected to
be greater than the cumulative costs from 2024/25, a year later than previously
expected.
Electoral Register: Prosecutions
Jo Platt: [241094]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been prosecuted for
failing to register on the electoral register; and what the average level was of the fine
imposed; in each of the last five years.
Rory Stewart:
The Ministry of Justice holds data on the number of people prosecuted and fined for
failing to provide required information to an electoral registration officer, which can be
seen in the table below:
2013 2014
Prosecuted 111 5
Received a fine 45 2
Average fine £242 £600
Figures on criminal prosecutions are not available beyond 2014 because a change in
legislation saw failing to register on the electoral register become a civil (rather than
criminal) matter.
For years following 2013, failing to register on the electoral register was dealt with as
a standard fine, where local councils can send letters requesting the fine rather than
beginning a civil case. Only if the offender refuses to pay, and the council believes it
is worth pursuing, would the case be sent to county court and recorded as a
‘specified money claim’. However, centrally held information does not separately
identify ‘failing to register on the electoral register’.
Family Courts
Gloria De Piero: [241007]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many family courts centres have stopped
operating in the UK in each year since 2010.
Gloria De Piero: [241008]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many family court centres have stopped
operating in each region of the UK in each year since 2010.
Rory Stewart:
Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service is responsible for the administration of the
family courts in England and Wales only.
The structure of the family court was changed by the creation of the Single Family
Court in April 2014 which led to the creation of Designated Family Courts New family
courts, East London and West London Family Courts were established as part of
these reforms and these courts, and the Central Family Courts, absorbed much of the
work which had previously been dealt with at twenty three County and Family
Proceedings Courts. It is not possible to provide details of court closures prior to April
2014.
Details of family court closures from 2014-2019 are set out in the table below:
LOCATION
2014 (FROM
22 APRIL 2014) 2015 2016 2017 2018
2019 (TO
5 APRIL 2019)
London 0 0 0 0 0 0
Midlands 0 0 0 0 0 0
North East 0 0 0 0 0 0
North West 0 0 0 1 0 0
South East 0 0 0 0 0 1
South West 0 0 0 1 0 0
Wales 0 0 0 0 0 0
National 0 0 0 2 0 1
Legal Aid Scheme: Refugees
Robert Neill: [241003]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department made in the
Post-Implementation Review of Part 1 of LASPO of the potential merits of making legal
aid available for refugee family reunion applications including for applications to bring
adult dependent children to the UK.
Robert Neill: [241004]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will reintroduce legal aid for refugee family
reunion cases.
Rory Stewart:
We have committed to lay legislation to bring non-asylum immigration matters into
the scope of legal aid for separated migrant children.
Legal aid for family reunion may be available under the Exceptional Case Funding
(ECF) scheme, where there is a breach or risk of breach of ECHR rights, and subject
to means and merits tests. We recently committed to work with the Legal Aid Agency,
legal practitioners and others to review and simplify the ECF application process and
ensure that funding is provided in as timely a manner as possible.
Probation
Liz Saville Roberts: [241067]
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to review the provision by
community rehabilitation companies and the not for profit sector of probation services.
Rory Stewart:
I am clear that public, private and voluntary sector providers all have an important
role to play in probation. In developing arrangements for the future of probation after
current contracts for Community Rehabilitation Companies expire, we are reflecting
carefully on the balance of public, private and voluntary sector in delivering probation
services. This includes ensuring we harness the dedication and commitment of the
voluntary sector to rehabilitate offenders and reduce reoffending. We will set out
more detailed plans shortly.
TRANSPORT
Railways: Birmingham
Tom Watson: [240984]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the
feasibility of Network Rail's sleeper factory at Doncaster meeting the shortfall in
production capacity in the event of the potential closure of Network Rail’s exiting sleeper
factory at Washwood Heath, Birmingham.
Andrew Jones:
A proposal for a new facility in Bescot is being developed by Network Rail to produce
the sleepers necessary for them to maintain, renew, and enhance our rail network.
The facility is intended to make up the shortfall when an existing facility at Washwood
Heath is closed to become an HS2 depot.
The Network Rail facility at Doncaster is not capable of being extended to increase
capacity. The facility itself is entirely surrounded by adjacent development, railway
lines, railway depots, housing and roads. It is operating at full capacity and only able
to deliver production of 400,000 sleepers each year.
Additionally, Network Rail require a geographically separate, second facility to avoid
the supply chain risk of a single point of failure, should anything prevent production at
a facility.
Tom Watson: [240985]
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date Network Rail will cease
production of railway sleepers at its factory in Washwood Heath, Birmingham; whether
there is capacity to extend production beyond this date; and if he will make a statement.
Andrew Jones:
A proposal for a new facility in Bescot is being developed by Network Rail to produce
the sleepers necessary for them to maintain, renew, and enhance our rail network.
The facility is intended to make up the shortfall when an existing facility at Washwood
Heath is closed to become an HS2 depot.
Network Rail is a customer of Cemex who own and operate the facility at Washwood
Heath. Production is planned to cease at this facility on 14 June 2019. The HS2
programme requires vacant possession of the site in August 2019 to enable
construction works to proceed.
I have no plans to make a statement about the proposed facility.
TREASURY
NHS: Linlithgow and East Falkirk
Martyn Day: [242197]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the number of
NHS employees in Linlithgow and East Falkirk constituency who face increased tax bills
as a result of the changes to the tapering of the annual allowance combined with the
introduction of the 2015 NHS pension scheme.
Elizabeth Truss:
HM Treasury sets the UK-wide tax rules for pensions, and does not set the rules for
individual schemes. The Government keeps all aspects of the tax system under
review through the annual Budget process.
Health is a devolved matter for the Scottish Government. The Scottish Public
Pensions Agency are responsible for the administration of the pensions for
employees of the National Health Service schemes in Scotland. HM Treasury
therefore does not hold relevant data about NHS employees in the Linlithgow and
East Falkirk constituency.
Regional Assistance
Marion Fellows: [241454]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2019 to
Question 238660, how much regional aid spending in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c)
Northern Ireland and (d) England was not subject to the Barnett formula for each year
since 2009.
Elizabeth Truss:
Pursuant to my answer of [10 April 2018] to Question 241453, the Barnett formula is
applied to all changes in the budgets of UK Government departments rather than to
specific areas of spending. It is not therefore possible to say how much funding the
devolved administrations received in relation to departmental spending on regional
aid in England.
In addition, Barnett consequentials do not arise from any spending in Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland where there is no change to UK Government
departmental spending.
EU funding for regional aid expenditure does not attract Barnett consequentials as
there are separate arrangements for allocating these funds between departments and
the devolved administrations.
Research and Development Tax Credit
Chris Green: [242162]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to modernise the research and
development tax credit to include real-world studies and costs relating to health data to
reflect the (a) changing nature of pharmaceutical research and development and (b)
ambitions of the UK to be a leader in those areas.
Chris Green: [242163]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to modernise the research and
development tax credit to include regulatory and other roles integral to pharmaceutical
research and development to reflect the multi-disciplinary nature of this work and provide
an internationally competitive incentive.
Chris Green: [242164]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to change the research and
development tax credit to include (a) data processing, (b) clinical trial management and
(c) other activity that is subcontracted to third party suppliers in order to match the small
medium enterprise research and development tax credit scheme.
Mel Stride:
Research and Development (R&D) tax reliefs are an effective and internationally
competitive element of the government’s support for innovation. In 2015-16 they
provided £3.7 billion worth of relief to innovative businesses and the partial outturn
data for 2016-17 shows that this support is on track to rise further. The government
keeps all tax reliefs under review.
The government prioritised science and innovation spending at the 2015 Spending
Review and since 2016 and has committed an additional £7bn for R&D by 2021-22.
This is the largest increase in support for R&D for 40 years and demonstrates
progress towards the Industrial Strategy target of increasing economy-wide R&D
investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027.
The UK’s Life Sciences sector is an important part of our economy, contributing over
£70 billion a year and 240,000 jobs across the country. The government published
two Life Sciences Sector Deals which are supported by commitments to increase
R&D investment.
Revenue and Customs: Fines
Peter Dowd: [241052]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the HMRC penalties issued in
2018 by size of business.
Mel Stride:
The purpose of penalties is to encourage taxpayers to comply with their obligations,
act as a sanction for those who do not and to reassure those who do comply that they
will not be disadvantaged by those who do not. Penalties are not used as a revenue-
raising mechanism.
Parliament determines the laws relating to tax and to whom they apply. HMRC apply
those laws fairly and do not discriminate between different taxpayers or size of
business.
HMRC can apply a large number of different penalties, but they break down into three
broad areas:
• Automatic penalties for failure to meet a time-bound obligation, such as submitting
returns or making payments by a specified deadline;
• Penalties for failure to meet a regulatory obligation, such as the requirement to keep
certain records; and
• Behaviour-based penalties for inaccurate returns and documents and failure to
notify taxable status.
A penalty is not payable if a person had a reasonable excuse for failing to meet an
obligation or took reasonable care to avoid submitting an inaccurate return.
HMRC does not record data on penalties issued by size of business.
Soft Drinks: Taxation
Paul Farrelly: [242732]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the efficacy of
the Soft Drinks Industry Levy since it was introduced in April 2018.
Robert Jenrick:
Since its inception, the SDIL has been leading the way in sugar reduction
programmes, and over half of sugary drinks have been reformulated, effectively
removing 45 million kilogrammes of sugar every year from diets.
Tobacco: EU Law
Carolyn Harris: [241464]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the level of compensation for the hardware
and software for the recording and transmission of the information for product movement
and transactional events to the data storage systems (Article 15(7) of TPD2014/40/EU)
was calculated.
Robert Jenrick:
As required by Article 15(7) of the Tobacco Products Directive, HM Revenue &
Customs (HMRC) has ensured tobacco manufacturers and importers have
arrangements in place to provide economic operators with the equipment necessary
to record and transmit track and trace transactions.
These arrangements, which include the level of compensation offered, are
contractual matters between tobacco manufacturers and importers, and the
companies in their supply chains. HMRC has not been involved in these contractual
discussions and is unable to comment on how the compensation is calculated.
Tobacco: Smuggling
Carolyn Harris: [241463]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the
cost to wholesalers of the new Track and Trace system on tobacco products; and if he
will make a statement.
Robert Jenrick:
HMRC has not made its own estimate of the cost to wholesalers of the tobacco track
and trace system. The EU commission carried out several consultations during the
development of this policy, and published an Impact Assessment covering the EU
implementing legislation on 15 December 2017. It remains an accurate summary of
the impacts of the new track and trace system on tobacco products.
Carolyn Harris: [241465]
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps HMRC will take to (a) enforce the
regulations within the Tobacco Track and Trace scheme past 20 May 2019 and (b)
ensure that business have adequate time to register for Economic Operator identifier
codes.
Robert Jenrick:
The Tobacco Products (Traceability and Security Features) Regulations 2019 include
sanctions for non-compliance with the track and trace scheme. This includes the
power to seize non-compliant tobacco products and deactivate an Economic
Operator’s ID Code.
From 20 May 2019, businesses will be unable to legally buy or sell tobacco products
without a valid ID Code. These sanctions will help protect legitimate business from
rogue operators selling illicit tobacco products.
HMRC recognises that businesses will need time to become familiar with the new
arrangements. During the 12-month sell through period, HMRC will support
businesses to understand their obligations, and engage with other enforcement
agencies, including Border Force and Trading Standards, to ensure effective and
proportionate enforcement of the regulations.
De La Rue (the UK’s appointed ID issuer) published details of the registration
process and general guidance on 25 March 2019. The registration process will open
on 23 April for manufacturers and large retailers, and on 30 April for all other
businesses. This will help to stagger the registration process and facilitate the
registration of businesses by the deadline of 20 May 2019.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Employment: Autism
Thangam Debbonaire: [240582]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to assess the
effectiveness of the local supported proof of concept initiative in closing the autism
employment gap.
Justin Tomlinson:
Proofs of Concept are not designed to provide evidence of impacts on national
employment trends. Rather, they allow us to test whether a policy idea is deliverable.
The Local Supported Employment Proof of Concept is a relatively small scale
programme exploring how combining central and local budgets enables Local
Authorities to scale up delivery of Supported Employment. The initiative is designed
to support people with a learning disability or autism who are known to adult social
care, or who are in contact with secondary mental health services. By working with
local authorities, there may be an opportunity for DWP to drive a much stronger focus
on job outcomes and on evidence-based commissioning using the Supported
Employment model.
We are currently considering our next steps to build on this Proof of Concept.
Thangam Debbonaire: [240583]
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to tackle the
underemployment of people diagnosed with autism.
Justin Tomlinson:
DWP is committed to helping people with health conditions and disabilities, including
autism move nearer to the labour market and, when ready, into work, by building
more personalised tailored employment and health support.
The majority of DWP’s schemes and programmes are focused on helping people,
including people diagnosed with autism, prepare for and enter work. For example:
• The Work and Health Programme, which rolled out between November 2017 and
March 2018, will support around 275,000 people over five years - the majority
whom (around 220,000) will be disabled people who can volunteer for the
programme at any time.
• The new Intensive Personalised Employment Support programme, which is due to
be rolled out across England and Wales at the end of 2019, will provide highly
personalised packages of employment support for people with both disabilities and
complex barriers to employment who are considered by DWP work coaches to be
more than 12 months from the labour market without intensive support
• The Local Supported Employment proof of concept is currently exploring how we
can combine central and local budgets to scale up delivery of Supported
Employment locally. This initiative is designed to explore how a matched funding
model could support people with a learning disability or autism who are known to
adult social care, or who are in contact with secondary mental health services.
Disabled people who are already working, or who are about to enter work, can apply
for in-work support from Access to Work scheme. The scheme has a Hidden
Impairment Support Team that provides advice and guidance to help employers
support employees with conditions like autism, as well as offering eligible people an
assessment to find out their needs at work and help to develop a support plan.
In addition, DWP is engaging with employers through the Disability Confident scheme
- supporting them to feel more confident about both employing disabled people,
including autistic people, and supporting disabled employees to realise their potential.
Over 11,500 employers have signed up to the scheme so far.