daily report friday, 12 april 2019 contents · 2019-04-12 · daily report friday, 12 april 2019...

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

http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers

http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers

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.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2019-04-08/242140

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/727383/CSSF_Annual_Report_2017_to_2018.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/727383/CSSF_Annual_Report_2017_to_2018.pdf


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.


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.


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.


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.







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.



https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-government-response-to-carter-review



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

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-recruitment-and-retention-strategy





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.


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


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.


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

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/dermatology-elective-care-handbook-v1.pdf









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



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]


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


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


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


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


https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/collaborative-tuberculosis-strategy-for-england







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.


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.


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


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


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.


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.

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