Daily Report Friday, 8 December 2017 CONTENTS

Daily Report Friday, 8 December 2017

This report shows written answers and statements provided on 8 December 2017 and the

information is correct at the time of publication (03:39 P.M., 08 December 2017). For the latest

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

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

CONTENTS

ANSWERS 3

BUSINESS, ENERGY AND

INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 3

Nuclear Power: Prices 3

Packaging: Recycling 3

TREASURY 3

Cryptocurrencies: Regulation 3

Employee Ownership 4

Employee Ownership and

Save As You Earn 4

Employee Ownership:

Taxation 5

Treasury: Brexit 5

DEFENCE 6

Army: Reserve Forces 6

Defence: Finance 7

Ministry of Defence: Brexit 8

Ministry of Defence: Cost

Effectiveness 9

National Security 9

Navy: Engineers 9

Ukraine: Military Aid 11

Yemen: Military Intervention 12

EDUCATION 12

Faith Schools: Admissions 12

Schools: Standards 13

Supply Teachers 13

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND

RURAL AFFAIRS 14

Agriculture 14

Animal Welfare: Codes of

Practice 15

Cats: Tagging 15

Circuses: Animal Welfare 15

Department for Environment,

Food and Rural Affairs: Brexit 15

Dogs: Animal Breeding 16

Food: USA 16

Pigmeat: UK Trade with EU 16

Pigs: Antibiotics 17

Primates: Animal Welfare 17

Primates: Sales 17

EXITING THE EUROPEAN

UNION 18

Brexit: Impact Assessments 18

Trade Agreements 19

FOREIGN AND

COMMONWEALTH OFFICE 19

Bahrain: Trials 19

Kurds: Foreign Relations 19

HEALTH 20

Ambulance Services 20

http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers

Department of Health: Brexit 20

Department of Health: ICT 21

Health Services: Dementia 21

Health Services: Pharmacy 22

Mental Health Services:

Nurses 22

NHS Trusts 22

NHS: Migrant Workers 23

Oxford University Hospitals

NHS Foundation Trust 24

HOME OFFICE 24

Animal Experiments: Primates 24

Knives: Crime 25

Organised Crime 25

INTERNATIONAL

DEVELOPMENT 26

Developing Countries: HIV

Infection 26

Fairtrade Initiative 26

International AIDS Conference 27

Robert Carr Civil Society

Networks Fund 27

JUSTICE 27

Prison Sentences: Wales 27

SCOTLAND 29

Scotland Office: Brexit 29

TRANSPORT 29

Aviation 29

Biofuels 30

Cycling: Safety 31

Department for Transport:

Brexit 31

Driving Tests 31

Public Transport: Disability 31

Railway Stations: Golborne 32

Railways: Greater Manchester 32

Shipping: Ownership 32

Tonnage Tax 33

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES 34

Disability: Bullying 34

Employment: HIV Infection 34

WORK AND PENSIONS 35

Personal Independence

Payment 35

Personal Independence

Payment: Complaints 36

MINISTERIAL CORRECTIONS 37

HEALTH 37

Thyroid Gland: Diseases 37

Notes:

Questions marked thus [R] indicate that a relevant interest has been declared.

Questions with identification numbers of 900000 or greater indicate that the question was originally tabled as an

oral question and has since been unstarred.

ANSWERS

BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

Nuclear Power: Prices

Dr Alan Whitehead: [116834]

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

proposals for Contracts for Difference for new nuclear power stations other than Hinkley

Point C will count as new levies under the Control for New Carbon Levies.

Richard Harrington:

The Control’s current forecast period is set to 2025. Potential new nuclear projects,

after Hinkley Point C, are expected to become fully operational beyond 2025 and are

therefore not affected by the commitment to no new levies up until this date.

The Government will keep both the forecast period and Control under regular review.

This will include considering how the Control could work after 2025.

Packaging: Recycling

Emma Hardy: [116686]

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

discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural

Affairs and (b) representatives of the retail sector on to encourage supermarkets to make

more of their packaging recyclable; and if he will make a statement.

Margot James:

My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Climate Change and Industry has met with

the Food and Drink Federation at a joint-Ministerial roundtable where the issue of

waste was discussed.

My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the 2017 Autumn

Budget that there will be a call for evidence on single-use plastics that will begin in

the New Year that will also take into account the findings of the consultation on drinks

containers. We fully expect the retail sector to respond to this.

TREASURY

Cryptocurrencies: Regulation

Sir Greg Knight: [116779]

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of international

efforts to regulate crypto-currencies; and whether his Department has any plans to

regulate crypto-currencies in the UK.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2017-11-30/116834



Stephen Barclay:

The Government has not made a formal assessment of the regulation of

cryptocurrencies in other countries, though it is aware that industry has done so (for

example https://bravenewcoin.com/news/icos-and-cryptocurrencies-a-rough-guide-to-

global-regulation/) and, as with all policy, continues to monitor developments.

The Government is currently negotiating amendments to the 4th Anti-Money

Laundering Directive that we expect to bring virtual currency exchange platforms and

custodian wallet providers into the scope of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-

Terrorist Financing regulation. This will require such firms to conduct due diligence

upon their customers, with their activities being overseen by national competent

authorities for these areas. The government supports the intention behind these

amendments. We expect these negotiations to conclude at EU level in late 2017/early

2018.

Employee Ownership

James Duddridge: [116726]

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will review the operation of employee share

ownership plans to identify measures to improve and simplify the administration of such

schemes.

Stephen Barclay:

An Employee Share Ownership Plan provides a company's workforce with an

ownership interest in the company. The Government has no immediate plans to

change the schemes but continues to keep employee share schemes policy under

review.

Employee Ownership and Save As You Earn

James Duddridge: [116725]

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential

merits of increasing the contribution limits for (a) Share Incentive Plans and (b) Save As

You Earn in line with inflation.

Mr Kenneth Clarke: [117599]

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of

the potential merits of annually indexing the contribution limits for Share Incentive Plans

and Save As You Earn plans; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Barclay:

In 2014 the government doubled the contribution limits for the Share Incentive Plans

and Save As You Earn schemes from £250 to £500 per month. There are no current

plans to change these limits. The government keeps all areas of the tax system under

review.




Employee Ownership: Taxation

Angus Brendan MacNeil: [116818]

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to bring forward proposals for a

de minimis tax exemption on residual cash balances held in the Share Incentive Plans of

employees who terminate participation in such schemes.

Stephen Barclay:

Share Incentive Plans provide companies with flexibility to meet their business needs

regarding employee ownership. The Government continues to keep employee share

schemes policy under review.

Treasury: Brexit

Tom Brake: [116699]

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much time his Department spent in

compiling impact assessments and other material for the sectoral analyses it provided to

the Department for Exiting the European Union; how many FTE staff hours were

dedicated to that compilation; and on what date his Department started and concluded its

work on that compilation.

Stephen Barclay:

As the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union has said, the sectoral

analysis was produced in response to the humble Address, drawing on existing

analysis undertaken since the EU referendum.

With regards to how many FTE staff hours were dedicated to the compilation, the

Department does not hold this information in the form requested.

Matthew Pennycook: [116809]

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the

additional funding required by (a) his Department and (b) HM Revenue and Customs)

over the next two years to prepare effectively for the UK leaving the EU.

Elizabeth Truss:

As announced at Autumn Budget 2017, HMT is making £3 billion of additional funding

available over the next two years - £1.5 billion in both 18/19 and 19/20 – so that

departments and the Devolved Administrations can continue to prepare effectively for

Brexit. HMT is working to understand what each department needs to prepare

effectively, and what additional funding should be supplied – HM Treasury will aim to

agree 2018/19 allocations in early 2018. Departments’ funding requirements for 19/20

will be affected by progress in negotiations with the EU and will therefore be decided

at a later date. Additional funding received from the Reserve will be set out at

Supplementary Estimates in the usual way.




DEFENCE

Army: Reserve Forces

Mr Kevan Jones: [116908]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Army Reserve total (a) inflow, (b)

outflow and (c) netflow was for the (i) Infantry, (ii) Royal Artillery, (iii) Royal Corps of

Signals, (iv) Army Medical Services, (v) Adjutant General's Corps, (vi) Royal Armoured

Corps, (vii) Army Air Corps, (viii) Royal Engineers, (ix) Royal Logistics Corps, (x) Royal

Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and (xi) Intelligence Corps in each month in the last

two years.

Mark Lancaster:

The Army Reserve total inflow, outflow and netflow for the requested Capbadges is

shown in the attached tables:

Attachments:

1. 116908 - Army Reserve Inflow and Outflow [Copy of 20171201-

PQ_Reserve_Inflow_Outflow_Net_Final (3).xlsx]


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Army Reserve total intake was for

each month in the last two years.

Mark Lancaster:

Intake into the Army reserve for each month over the last two years is show below:

MONTH ARMY FR20 INFLOW

October 2015 630

November 2015 550

December 2015 270

January 2016 550

February 2016 490

March 2016 360

April 2016 400

May 2016 440

June 2016 520

July 2016 500

August 2016 390

September 2016 470



MONTH ARMY FR20 INFLOW

October 2016 450

November 2016 420

December 2016 270

January 2017 400

February 2017 400

March 2017 430

April 2017 350

May 2017 420

June 2017 420

July 2017 360

August 2017 390

September 2017 480

Notes:

The Army FR20 population consists of Group A Army Reserves, some Sponsored

Reserves and those personnel serving on Full Time Reserve Service contracts who

were previously Army Reservists.

The figures include untrained & trained personnel.

Figures include soldier, officer and JPA officer cadets.

Inflow includes people joining from outside the UK Armed Forces and those

transferring from other parts of the UK Armed Forces.

Inflow includes people joining from outside the UK Armed Forces and those

transferring from other parts of the UK Armed Forces.

Figures have been rounded to 10 for presentational purposes; numbers ending in "5"

have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

Defence: Finance


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much of the budget within (a) Navy

Command, (b) Army Command, (c) Air Command, (d) Joint Forces Command, (e) DG

Nuclear, (f) Defence Infrastructure Organisation, (g) Head Office and (h) Corporate

Services have been subject to virement in the last financial year; and what the value was

of those transferred budgets.


Gavin Williamson:

[Holding answer 7 December 2017]: The entities referred in the hon. Member's

question are not sections or sub-heads in the Ministry of Defence's Estimates and are

not therefore subject to the virement process.

Ministry of Defence: Brexit

Tom Brake: [116701]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much time his Department spent in





Mark Lancaster:

The Government has provided over 800 pages of analysis to the committee. This

analysis has been contained in a range of documents, developed at different times.

Given how closely woven EU exit work and routine Departmental business are, it is

not possible to calculate how much time was spent in compiling this material.

Seema Malhotra: [116721]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the (a) number

of officials to be employed by his Department and (b) his Department's payroll in (i) 2018,

(ii) 2019, (iii) 2020, (iv) 2021 and (v) 2022 as a result of the UK leaving EU.

Mr Tobias Ellwood:

The Ministry of Defence has a small team who have been appointed to deal with

Defence issues relating to the UK's decision to leave the EU. This team draws on a

wide range of colleagues from across the Ministry of Defence (MOD) who support EU

exit related work, in addition to their normal duties.

Given the interactions between EU exit work and the MOD's other priorities, it would

not be possible to give an accurate future estimate.


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of the

additional funding required by his Department over the next two years to prepare

effectively for the UK leaving the EU.

Mark Lancaster:

As announced at the Autumn Budget 2017, HM Treasury is making £3 billion of

additional funding available over the next two years - £1.5 billion in both 2018-19 and

2019-20 - so that Departments and the Devolved Administrations can continue to

prepare effectively for Brexit.

We are currently working with HM Treasury and the Department for Exiting the EU to

establish what we need to prepare effectively, and what additional funding should be

supplied - HM Treasury will aim to agree 2018-19 allocations in early 2018. Funding




requirements for 2019-20 will be affected by progress in negotiations with the EU and

will therefore be decided at a later date.

Additional funding received from the Reserve will be set out at Supplementary

Estimates in the usual way.

Ministry of Defence: Cost Effectiveness


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the value is of efficiency savings

identified to date by his Department.

Mark Lancaster:

We have delivered over £5 billion of efficiency savings between 2010-16, and remain

on track to deliver 90% of our £7.4 billion Spending Review 2015 efficiency target

between 2016 and 2021.

National Security

Johnny Mercer: [116869]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timetable is for his receipt of final

proposals from the three services on which to base his decision as to what is included

within the ambit of the National Security Capability Review.

Gavin Williamson:

The Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force have provided inputs into the Ministry of

Defence throughout the National Security Capability Review, and will continue to do

so.

Navy: Engineers


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many fully trained (a) Marine Engineers

and (b) Weapons Engineers served in the Royal Navy in each of the last five years.

Mr Tobias Ellwood:

The trained regular strength of Royal Navy Weapon Engineers and Marine

Engineers, as at 1 April each year from 2012 to 2017 is given below:

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Weapon Engineer

Officer 669 649 613 601 568 562

Rating 2,643 2,430 2,303 2,246 2,979 3,132

Marine Engineer

Officer 557 544 521 507 480 483

Rating 3,979 3,724 3,410 3,219 3,166 3,289




Notes:

1. Communication and Information Specialists (CIS) were not counted in Engineer

branches until August 2015. They are therefore included in the Weapon

Engineering figures for April 2016 and April 2017 but not for earlier years.

2. The Weapon Engineer figures for April 2016 and April 2017 include 1,005 and

1,227 CIS personnel respectively.


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) outflow (b) inflow and (c) netflow

of fully trained Royal Navy (i) Marine Engineers and (ii) Weapons Engineers has been in

each of the last five years.

Mr Tobias Ellwood:

The intake and outflow for trained regular, Royal Navy Marine and Weapons

Engineer officers and ratings by Financial Year (FY) from 2012-13 to 2016-17 is

given in the attached table.

Attachments:

1. 116899 - Intake and outflow of RN Personnel [116899 - Kevan Jones.docx]


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many former fully trained Royal Navy (a)

Marine Engineers and (b) Weapons Engineers have rejoined the (i) regular naval service

(ii) reserve naval service in the last two years.

Mr Tobias Ellwood:

The intake to trained regulars and trained Royal Naval Reserve between 1 April 2015

and 31 March 2017 for personnel who were previously trained Weapon Engineers or

Marine Engineers is given below:

INTAKE TO TRAINED REGULARS

INTAKE TO TRAINED ROYAL NAVAL

RESERVE

Weapon Engineer 15 15

Marine Engineer 10 10

Notes:

1. Intake to the Royal Naval Reserve includes seamless transfers between the

Regulars and the Reserves.

1. Data only includes personnel who have outflowed from the Regular Trained

Strength since 1 September 2006.

1. Data have been rounded to the nearest 5.




To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average age of Royal Navy (a)

Marine Engineers and (b) Weapons Engineers has been in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Tobias Ellwood:

The average age of trained regular Royal Navy Weapon Engineers and Marine

Engineers, as at 1 April each year from 2008 to 2017 is given below:

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

201

7

Weapon

Engineer

Officer 39 39 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40

Rating 32 31 31 31 32 32 32 31 32 32

Marine

Engineer

Officer 39 39 40 40 40 39 39 39 39 39

Rating 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 32

1. AVERAGE AGE PROVIDED IS MEAN AGE AT LAST BIRTHDAY. 2. IN 2008 ONE RATING WITH AN

UNKNOWN SPECIALISATION HAS BEEN EXCLUDED.

3. Communication and Information Specialists were not counted in Engineering branches until

August 2015. They are therefore included in the Weapon Engineering figures for April 2016

and April 2017 but not for earlier years.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Martin Docherty-Hughes: [116179]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what consideration his Department has given

to supplying the Government of Ukraine with non-lethal military equipment, which is no

longer in operational use but good working order.

Gavin Williamson:

[Holding answer 6 December 2017]: In 2016 surplus equipment was supplied to the

Ukrainian Armed Forces in addition to other, purchased items.

More recently, when President Poroshenko visited the UK in April 2017, he presented

the Prime Minister with a list of Ukrainian equipment requirements, seeking UK

assistance where possible. In light of this request, the head of the Defence

Equipment Sales Authority, visited Ukraine to clarify Ukrainian requirements and

establish the most appropriate UK surplus assets.



A Ukrainian delegation visited the UK from 28 November to 1 December and

reviewed a range of land and maritime equipment. The Ukrainians are now

considering their options.


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

non-lethal equipment supplied by the Government to Ukrainian armed forces in the last

two years.

Gavin Williamson:

[Holding answer 7 December 2017]: Over the last two years, the total cost of

equipment supplied by Her Majesty's Government to the Ukrainian Armed Forces

(UAF) was £2.2 million.

This has been a mix of purchased items and surplus equipment; the intention to gift

the latter was laid before the House in 2015 and 2016. These items reflected the

urgent and life saving nature of our support at the time and were in direct response to

requests made by the Ukrainian authorities.

We remain committed to our support for Ukraine, including British Army training

aimed at improving defensive capabilities as the UAF continue to meet the

challenges of ongoing aggression from Russian-backed separatist forces.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Tom Brake: [116293]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether has had discussions with the US

Defence Secretary on allegations of civilian deaths during US raids in the Yemeni villages

of Yakla and Al Jubah in January and May 2017.

Gavin Williamson:

[Holding answer 7 December 2017]: The UK is not involved in counter-terror

operations in Yemen. US counter-terror activities are a matter for US authorities.

EDUCATION

Faith Schools: Admissions

Sir Michael Fallon: [116926]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will remove the 50 per cent faith

admissions cap.

Anne Milton:

The proposal to remove the 50% cap on faith admissions in faith free schools is set

out in the ‘Schools that work for everyone’ consultation document. The department

plans to respond on this in due course.




Schools: Standards

Alan Mak: [116902]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children in England (a) are in

schools rated good or outstanding and (b) were in such schools in 2010.

Alan Mak: [116904]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of children in England (a)

are in schools rated good or outstanding and (b) were in such schools in 2010.

Nick Gibb:

On 30 November 2017, Ofsted released their latest inspection data as at 31 August

2017, reporting there were 6,768,836 children in England in Good or Outstanding

schools. The proportion of children in England in Good or Outstanding schools as at

31 August 2017, is 87%. The latest Ofsted First Release publication can be found

here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/maintained-schools-and-academies-

inspections-and-outcomes-as-at-31-august-2017.

Official statistics released by Ofsted showed there were 4,855,336 children in

England in Good or Outstanding schools as at 31 August, 2010. The proportion of

children in England in Good or Outstanding schools as at 31 August 2010, was 66%.

See Ofsted’s Dataview site for details.

https://public.tableau.com/profile/ofsted#!/vizhome/Dataview/Viewregionalperformanc

eovertime.

Alan Mak: [116905]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of schools in England (a) are

rated good or outstanding and (b) were so rated in 2010.

Nick Gibb:

This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked

her to write to you and a copy of her reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.

Supply Teachers

Grahame Morris: [116837]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the

potential merits of reintroducing the Local Educational Authority supply pool for schools in

England.

Nick Gibb:

The Department is committed to ensuring schools are able to employ good quality

supply teachers at value for money when needed. Local Authority supply pools are

one of many approaches to providing supply teachers.



https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/maintained-schools-and-academies-inspections-and-outcomes-as-at-31-august-2017

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/maintained-schools-and-academies-inspections-and-outcomes-as-at-31-august-2017

https://public.tableau.com/profile/ofsted#!/vizhome/Dataview/Viewregionalperformanceovertime

https://public.tableau.com/profile/ofsted#!/vizhome/Dataview/Viewregionalperformanceovertime




To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will bring forward legislation to ban

finders fees being imposed by teaching supply agencies where a school seeks to appoint

on a permanent basis a supply teacher originally provided by those agencies.

Nick Gibb:

The Department is aware of concerns raised regarding the level of fees charged by

some agencies when offering a supply teacher permanent employment. Whilst there

are no immediate plans to legislate in this area, the Department is working with

Crown Commercial Service to develop a new commercial framework for schools

aimed at bringing consistency and transparency of cost to this area.

The new arrangement will address inconsistent practices of some agencies and the

levels of mark-up charged as well as the issue of finders’ fees. It is anticipated that

the new commercial deal will be available for use by schools from September 2018.


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will bring forward proposals regulate

teaching supply agencies and cap costs charged for the provision of supply teachers.

Nick Gibb:

The Department is aware of concerns raised regarding the behaviour of some

agencies when dealing with schools as well as the level of costs charged. Whilst

there are no immediate plans to legislate in this area, the Department is working with

Crown Commercial Service to develop a new commercial framework for schools

aimed at bringing consistency and transparency of cost to this area.

The new arrangement will address inconsistent practices of some agencies and the

levels of mark-up charged as well as the level of fees charged. It is anticipated that

the new commercial deal will be available for use by schools from September 2018.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture

Dr David Drew: [117129]

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

to protect the economic viability of smaller farms.

George Eustice:

Leaving the EU gives us an opportunity to set new policies which specifically benefit

British agriculture and the environment. The Government is committed to supporting

our farmers to produce high quality food and providing the best possible value for

money to the British taxpayer.

We will continue to commit the same cash total in funds for farm support until the end

of the parliament, and we intend to continue supporting farms of all sizes for many

more years to come where the benefits of that spending are clear.




Animal Welfare: Codes of Practice

Kerry McCarthy: [117246]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the

Answer of 1 December 2017 to Question 115879, on what basis his Department decides

which of its statutory welfare codes should be prioritised for updating.

George Eustice:

The prioritisation of future updates to statutory welfare codes which are not currently

under consideration will be guided by their need for improvement. This will include

considering legislative changes and husbandry advances that have taken place since

those codes were last updated.

Cats: Tagging


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

compulsory microchipping of domestic cats.

George Eustice:

Whilst we recommend that cat owners have their cats microchipped, there are no

plans to make this compulsory. Microchipping was made compulsory for dogs not just

to help reunite stray dogs with their owners, but also because stray dogs can

generate public safety and environmental issues.

Circuses: Animal Welfare


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

to introduce legislative proposals to ban the use of animals in travelling circuses in the

current session of Parliament.

George Eustice:

The Government’s policy is to introduce a ban on the use of wild animals in travelling

circuses as soon as Parliamentary time allows. In the interim, the welfare of any wild

animals still being used by travelling circuses in England is protected by the Welfare

of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Brexit


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

estimate he has made of the additional funding required by his Department over the next

two years to prepare effectively for the UK leaving the EU.

George Eustice:

Like all departments, Defra is planning for a number of scenarios to make sure we

are ready to leave the EU. Over £250m of additional funding has already been

approved across a number of departments in 2017/18 to prepare for Brexit. Defra has





received additional funding this year, and has reprioritised to meet new pressures

arising from Brexit preparations. The additional funding received from the Reserve for

2017/18 will be set out at Supplementary Estimates. The costs of preparing to leave

the EU in 2018-19 and 2019-20 financial years will be affected by negotiations over

the coming months and will be agreed with HM Treasury in early 2018.

Dogs: Animal Breeding

Michelle Donelan: [117243]

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

taking to modernise the licensing scheme for dog breeding and selling to improve the

welfare of dogs.

George Eustice:

In February, Defra published its proposals to update the laws that regulate the

breeding and selling of dogs to improve their welfare. The proposals are currently

being finalised and a Statutory Instrument should be laid before Parliament next year.

Food: USA


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

he has made of the potential effect on (a) food standards and (b) salmonella rates in eggs

of a free trade agreement with the United States.

George Eustice:

No specific assessment of these issues has been made. It is too early to say exactly

what would be covered in a future deal with the United States. Leaving the EU is a

golden opportunity for us to secure bold and ambitious trade agreements that work

for consumers, farmers, and businesses in the UK. We will not water down our

standards as part of any future trade deals.

Pigmeat: UK Trade with EU

Jim Shannon: [117024]

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

his Department has had with the Secretary of State for International Trade on assessing

current EU non-tariff barriers on pig products.

George Eustice:

Ministers and officials meet their counterparts in the Department for International

Trade on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues in trade policy. Leaving the EU

is a golden opportunity to secure bold and ambitious trade agreements that work for

consumers, farmers and businesses in the UK. We will not water down our standards

as part of any future trade deals.




Pigs: Antibiotics

Jim Shannon: [117025]

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

his Department has had with the Veterinary Medicines Directorate on retaining the use of

antibiotics in medicated feed for the prevention of disease in the pig sector.

George Eustice:

Defra, through its Executive Agency, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), is

working with the livestock industry and the animal feed sector to ensure good

stewardship of antibiotics, regardless of the administration route, notably through the

Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA). In the pig sector, the

VMD is a member of the Pig Health and Welfare Council’s antimicrobial usage

subgroup and provides the secretariat.

In October, RUMA published sector specific antibiotic use reduction targets. The

targets for the pig sector noted that the need for targeted prophylaxis will remain to

protect the health and welfare of pigs but that habitual or routine prophylaxis (a “just

in case” approach) should be rapidly phased out. The Government endorses these

antibiotic use reduction targets.

Primates: Animal Welfare


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

Code of Practice for the welfare of privately kept non-human primates has been

reviewed; and if he will include that code in his Department’s review of other statutory

animal welfare codes.

George Eustice:

There is no date set for the review of the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Privately

Kept Non-human Primates (the primate code) as the code is current and does not

need updating. The welfare codes for cats, dogs and horses are currently being

reviewed because they are in greater need of being updated. The primate code is

available for local authorities to use in any situations where they have concerns about

the welfare of such animals.

Primates: Sales


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

Department provides to local authorities on licensing for business selling pets on the sale

of primates.

George Eustice:

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is already against the law to keep primates in

the same sort of environment you would keep a domesticated pet animal. In addition,

the statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Privately Kept Non-human Primates




provides keepers with advice on how to meet the welfare needs of their animals, as

required under the 2006 Act.

My department is working closely with the Pet Advertising Advisory Group to apply

minimum standards to online pet advertising on five of the main websites. The

standards include a requirement to remove any adverts for primates. We are also

updating the licensing regime for certain activities involving animals including pet

shops and other pet sellers. Under the new plans businesses selling pets, including

those selling online, will be required to give buyers written information about the

animals they buy with details of how to meet the five welfare needs of their pets

under the 2006 Act.

In the meantime, if anyone has any concerns about the welfare of a particular primate

they should report it to the relevant local authority who have powers to investigate

such matters, or to the RSPCA who can also investigate.

EXITING THE EUROPEAN UNION

Brexit: Impact Assessments

Tom Brake: [116332]

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what guidance his

Department provided to other Government departments on what information they should

retain or redact in the impact assessments they were providing on the UK leaving the EU;

and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robin Walker:

Our analysis is not, nor has it ever been, a series of sectoral impact assessments

examining the quantitative impact of Brexit.

In order to meet the motion of 1st November, we have taken time to bring together

the sectoral analyses in a way that is accessible and informative to the Committee.

We have provided a vast amount of factual information to help the Committees in

their scrutiny whilst respecting our overriding duty to the national interest.

Ministers have a specific responsibility, which Parliament has endorsed in a motion in

December 2016, not to release information that would undermine our negotiating

position. As such, the sectoral reports do not contain material that we judge would

undermine the UK’s hand in the negotiations, or material that is commercially or

market sensitive.

Tom Brake: [116337]

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, who made the

determination that it was not in the public interest to retain in the sectoral analyses the

information that has been redacted from them; and if he will make a statement.



Mr Robin Walker:

In order to meet the motion of 1st November, we have taken time to bring together

the sectoral analyses in a way that is accessible and informative to the Committee.

We have provided a vast amount of factual information to help the Committees in

their scrutiny whilst respecting our overriding duty to the national interest.

Ministers have a specific responsibility, which Parliament has endorsed, not to

release information that would undermine our negotiating position. As such, the

sectoral reports do not contain material that we judge would undermine the UK’s

hand in the negotiations, or material that is commercially or market sensitive.

Trade Agreements

Bill Esterson: [116309]

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

20 November 2017 to Question 112323, on trade agreements, how many of the

organisations listed in that Answer have made representations to him on the priority given

by the Government to a trade deal with the EU.

Mr Robin Walker:

Negotiating a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU, greater in scope

than any such agreement before, is a priority for the Government as we leave the EU.

Stakeholder engagement is a central element of our plan to build a national

consensus around our negotiating position.

We continue to engage with businesses and industry bodies from all sectors of the

economy, in order to inform our negotiations with the EU. The Government is

committed to the best possible deal for the United Kingdom - a deal that works for the

entirety of the UK economy.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

Bahrain: Trials

Tom Brake: [116688]

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

representations he has made to his counterparts in the Bahraini Government on fairness

of the first trial of civilians in secret military courts in Bahrain in October 2017 .

Alistair Burt:

We have raised this issue with the Bahraini authorities. We continue to encourage

Bahrain to live up to its international and domestic human rights obligations.

Kurds: Foreign Relations

Jack Lopresti: [116922]

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

are for changing the name of the British Consulate General in the Kurdistan region to the




British Consulate General Erbil on his Department's Facebook page; and what his policy

is on UK relations with the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Alistair Burt:

The British Consulate General in Erbil has not changed its name. Its Facebook page

was recently changed from a monolingual (English) to a bilingual (English and

Kurdish) version. Subsequently, the Kurdish name on the site was shortened as the

previous title exceeded the maximum allowed characters in Kurdish. The British

Consulate General in Erbil has informed local media and officials of the change. The

British Government continues to support the security, stability and prosperity of the

Kurdistan Region within a unified Iraq.

HEALTH

Ambulance Services


To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many fatalities have occurred when

patients were (a) waiting for an ambulance to arrive and (b) in transit to a health facility,

broken down by Ambulance Trust, for each of the last five years for which figures are

available.

Mr Philip Dunne:

The data is not held centrally.

Department of Health: Brexit


To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent estimate he has made of the



Mr Philip Dunne:

As announced at Autumn Budget 2017, HM Treasury is making £3 billion of

additional funding available over the next two years - £1.5 billion in both 2018/19 and

2019/20 – so that departments and the devolved administrations can continue to

prepare effectively for Brexit. We are currently working with HM Treasury and

Department for Exiting the European Union to establish what we need to prepare

effectively, and what additional funding should be supplied – HM Treasury will aim to

agree 2018/19 allocations in early 2018. Funding requirements for 2019/20 will be

affected by progress in negotiations with the EU and will therefore be decided at a

later date. Additional funding received from the Reserve will be set out at




Department of Health: ICT

Justin Madders: [117357]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether electronic communications from hon.

Members to Ministers of his Department are passed through any third parties before they

reach their recipient.

Mr Philip Dunne:

Electronic communications from hon. Members to Ministers of the Department are

not passed through any external third parties. Emails from hon. Members are

managed by the Department’s ministerial correspondence unit.

Health Services: Dementia

Dr Lisa Cameron: [R] [116707]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure there are

adequate numbers of NHS staff to care for people with dementia and what estimate he

has made of the number of staff that will be required in each of the next 5 years

Jackie Doyle-Price:

Given the range of professions which might support a person with dementia, which

includes therapists, general practitioners, consultants, psychiatrists, and social care

staff, we have not made any central estimates of the number of staff that will be

required to care for people with dementia in the next five years. At a national level,

we have published a Dementia Core Skills Education and Training Framework,

launched in October 2015, to help ensure staff have the right skills. The Framework

was commissioned and funded by the Department and developed by Skills for Health

and Health Education England (HEE) in partnership with Skills for Care. Development

of the framework was guided by an Expert Group including a wide range of health

and social care organisations, relevant Royal Colleges and education providers.

The Framework sets out the core skills and knowledge which would be transferable

and applicable across different types of service provision for people with dementia. It

includes expected learning outcomes for training delivery, key policy and legal

references and is aligned to related national occupational standards. The Framework

is intended to ensure the quality and consistency of dementia training, and to help

prevent unnecessary duplication of training.

Under the Government’s mandate to HEE, HEE will ensure that Tier 1 (awareness

raising) dementia training opportunities and tools are available to all National Health

Service staff by the end of 2018. Within the Government’s Dementia 2020 Challenge

we are considering how to extend tier 2 training to all staff across health and care

settings who are involved in care for people with dementia.



Health Services: Pharmacy

Michael Tomlinson: [116804]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of (a)

GP appointments and (b) A&E admissions that could have been treated by a pharmacy in

2016.

Steve Brine:

The Department does not hold an estimate of this for this timeframe.

Mental Health Services: Nurses

Dr Lisa Cameron: [R] [117114]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to increase take-up

of mental health specialty nursing training.

Mr Philip Dunne:

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22 November 2017 to Question

112851.

NHS Trusts

Royston Smith: [117038]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps is he taking to ensure that NHS

Trusts provide value for money.

Mr Philip Dunne:

One of the seven key principles in the NHS Constitution is the commitment to

providing the most effective, fair and sustainable use of finite resources. NHS

Improvement’s Single Oversight Framework (SOF) sets out how NHS Improvement

oversee National Health Service trusts and NHS foundation trusts. The framework

helps determine where providers may benefit from, or require, improvement support if

they are to meet the standards expected of them in a safe and sustainable way.

Under the SOF, NHS Improvement oversee and support providers in improving

financial sustainability, efficiency and value for money. NHS Improvement also

consider how efficiently a provider uses its resources more broadly, and how

financially sustainable it is over the longer term.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to ensure that NHS

Trusts are not over-charged by private sector contractors and suppliers.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether NHS Trusts are required to review their

procurement contracts with independent providers at periodic intervals.

Mr Philip Dunne:

The Department has taken a number of steps to ensure National Health Service

trusts are not over-charged by private sector contractors and suppliers. The






Department maintains standard NHS Terms and Conditions for NHS trusts to use

when procuring goods and services. They are published on the GOV.UK website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-standard-terms-and-conditions-of-

contract-for-the-purchase-of-goods-and-supply-of-services

In addition, the Department has developed a full suite of tools and templates,

including Invitation to Tender (ITT) documentation for NHS trusts to use when

entering into contracts with suppliers. The Commercial Schedule within the ITT

documentation includes a pricing model and connected questions, which enable NHS

trusts to understand supplier pricing.

The tools and templates are underpinned by an NHS Guide to Procurement. This

provides guidance on drafting an effective specification, setting evaluation criteria in

line with the principle of ‘most economical advantageous tender’, and devising a

robust pricing model (for use when the template provided is not appropriate for the

procurement).

By using the standard NHS Terms and Conditions, the NHS Guide to Procurement

and the suite of tools and templates, NHS trusts can ensure suppliers submit

competitive tenders. Additionally, NHS trusts are also encouraged to use frameworks,

such as those procured on behalf of Government by the Crown Commercial Service,

enabling them to benefit from consolidated buying arrangements.

The NHS Terms and Conditions guidance document accompanies the NHS Terms

and Conditions. Through this guidance document, the Department advises NHS

trusts to include in the specification, general requirements as well as key areas such

as key performance indicators and conducting periodic contract review meetings to

review contractor performance.

NHS: Migrant Workers

Gill Furniss: [116898]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential

effect of the recent fall in EU immigration on trends in NHS recruitment during Winter

2017.

Mr Philip Dunne:

The latest data available from NHS Digital shows as at June 2017 there was an

increase of over 5% in the number of EU27 nationals employed in NHS trusts and

clinical commissioning groups compared with June 2016.

Ensuring appropriate staffing over winter is essential. NHS England and NHS

Improvement have worked with the National Health Service to ensure that plans are

in place to meet the demands put on the service. This includes necessary staffing

levels.

As announced in the Autumn Budget, an extra £335 million, on top of the previously

announced £100 million will be provided to relieve pressure on accident and

emergency departments. An additional £1 billion of funding will be spent on meeting

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-standard-terms-and-conditions-of-contract-for-the-purchase-of-goods-and-supply-of-services

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-standard-terms-and-conditions-of-contract-for-the-purchase-of-goods-and-supply-of-services


adult social care needs, supporting the social care market and reducing pressure on

the NHS this year.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Anneliese Dodds: [116882]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Emergency Care Improvement

Programme team is taking to improve patient flow and urgent care services at Oxford

University Hospital's NHS Foundation in winter 2017.

Mr Philip Dunne:

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was included in the Emergency

Care Improvement Programme (ECIP) in October 2017. Since then, ECIP have

undertaken a range of actions with the Trust including:

- A gap analysis to improve patient flow with a written report including

recommendations;

- Identification of five key areas for improvement, supported by ECIP;

- A specific mental health review, as identified through the initial gap analysis; and

- The support of an ECIP improvement manager for two days each week.

Support in these areas is expected to be provided throughout winter 2017-18.

HOME OFFICE

Animal Experiments: Primates

Nic Dakin: [117107]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14

November 2017 to Question 112016 on Animal Experiments: Primates, what steps she

has taken to ensure that the harm benefit test in section 5B(3)(d) of the Animals

(Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and the re-use provisions in section 14, can identify

effectively a non-human primate that has previously undergone procedures.

Mr Ben Wallace:

All non-human primates used under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act (1986)

(ASPA), which have previously undergone procedures, can be effectively identified

through their individual history files. A file must be kept for each non-human primate

as required by Standard Condition 9 of establishment licences held under ASPA.

Such files will include a record of the programmes of work involving their use in

regulated procedures.

Section 14.1 of ASPA requires that a protected animal which has been subjected to

one or more regulated procedures under the Act, must not be used for a further

regulated procedure unless the Secretary of State has consented to such further use

and specified conditions are met.



Knives: Crime

Mr David Lammy: [116909]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to

reduce knife crime

Victoria Atkins:

Our work to tackle knife crime is centred on four key strands: working with the police

on operations and enforcement; work on the legislative framework; to work with

retailers on responsible sales of knives; and early intervention and prevention.

We are encouraging police forces to undertake a series of coordinated national

weeks of action to tackle knife crime under Operation Sceptre. It includes targeted

stop and searches, weapon sweeps, test purchases of knives from retailers, the use

of surrender bins, and educational activities. A record thirty-two police forces took

part in the week of action in July.

We have agreed a set of commitments with major retailers to prevent the underage

sales of knives in their stores and online. The agreement also covers staff training

and displays and packaging.

We are keeping the legislative framework under review and we have taken action to

ban zombie knives in August 2016. In addition on 14 October we launched a

consultation on new legislation on offensive weapons. The proposals include placing

restrictions on the online sale of knives, creating a new offence of possession of an

offensive or dangerous weapon in a private place, and updating existing legislation.

We have launched a community fund to support local communities to tackle knife

crime.

We are also supporting youth violence intervention and prevention work in hospital

emergency departments including supporting the voluntary sector organisation,

Redthread, undertake work in London hospitals and pilots its approach shortly in

Nottingham and Birmingham.

Organised Crime

Mr David Lammy: [116911]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to

tackle the (a) organised crime, (b) gang activity and (c) drug dealing across county

operating across county boundaries.

Victoria Atkins:

The Home Office is leading a cross-Government programme of work to tackle the

issue of county lines working with partners including the police and the National

Crime Agency.

We are taking a range of actions including: raising awareness in key sectors of the

threat of county lines; legislating to enable police to shut down the mobile phone lines

used to facilitate drug deals (the Drug Dealing Telecommunication Restriction

Orders); supporting local and strategic reviews to strengthen resilience in areas at



risk of county lines; and working with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to

take full advantage of powers in the Modern Slavery Act when making charging

decisions against county line gang members.

The Home Office provides support to tackle county lines in various ways; including

Publication of guidance for frontline professionals on how to identify potential victims

of county lines and appropriate referral routes; match funding reviews for local areas

facing new gang related threats including county lines; funding a pilot support service

for exploited young victims caught up in county lines drugs running between London

and Kent; funding through the EGVE Local Projects Fund delivering legislation to

provide police and the NCA with the power to go to court to seek closure of phone

numbers involved in county lines drug dealing.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Catherine West: [116745]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will publish her

Department's policy on HIV/Aids.

Alistair Burt:

The UK is a global leader in tackling HIV and proud to be the second largest

international investor in the response.

Through our investments we will continue to concentrate on reducing new infections

while addressing the barriers that limit access to prevention, treatment, care and

support. These include strengthening health systems and tackling the broader drivers

of the epidemic such as stigma, discrimination and gender inequality. DFID have no

immediate plans for publishing a stand-alone policy.

Fairtrade Initiative


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans she has to

increase awareness of the Fairtrade Mark.

Rory Stewart:

The UK Government is a long-term partner of the Fairtrade movement, which plays a

crucial role in helping producers around the world improve their lives. DFID is

currently supporting the pilot of Fairtrace, a supply chain mapping programme run

with Fairtrade’s supply chain assurance partner. This work will help Fairtrade

continue to ensure that farmers receive fair prices for their products, that workers

receive better wages, and that agricultural practices are more sustainable.



International AIDS Conference


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to attend

the International AIDS Conference in July 2018.

Alistair Burt:

The UK Government will be represented at the International AIDS Conference in

Amsterdam in July 2018. Precise attendance has still to be finalised.

Robert Carr Civil Society Networks Fund


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to

increase the UK contribution to the Robert Carr Network Fund for civil society.

Alistair Burt:

The UK is proud to be a founding supporter of the Robert Carr Civil Society Networks

Fund and has pledged up to £9million to support the grassroots response for

inadequately served groups affected by HIV. We will look at future funding once this

current commitment comes to an end.

JUSTICE

Prison Sentences: Wales

Carolyn Harris: [116829]

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Welsh women have been sentenced

to prison in the last 12 months.

Carolyn Harris: [116832]

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of Welsh women

sentenced to prison per month is.

Dr Phillip Lee:

The Ministry of Justice does not collect information on which country within the United

Kingdom British citizens identify with. However, the number of female offenders

sentenced to custody at all courts in Wales, in 2016, by month, can be viewed in the

table below. Due to this, we cannot separately identify which of these women identify

as Welsh.





FEMALE OFFENDERS SENTENCED TO IMMEDIATE CUSTODY AT ALL COURTS, WALES, 2016, BY

MONTH (1)(2)

Sentenced Of which immediate custody

January 2,167 47

February 2,344 47

March 2,522 52

April 2,344 53

May 2,295 48

June 2,574 50

July 1,983 63

August 2,577 53

September 2,377 65

October 1,996 53

November 2,289 51

December 1,753 41

Total 27,201 623

(1) The sentence shown is the most severe sentence given for the principal offence

(i.e. the principal sentence), secondary sentences given for the principal offence and

sentences for non-principal offences are not counted in the tables.

(2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and

complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from

large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a

consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their

inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

We are committed to doing all we can to address the issues around female offending

so we can better protect the public and deliver more effective rehabilitation. We also

are developing a strategy for female offenders, in England and Wales, to improve

outcomes for women in the community and custody.

SCOTLAND

Scotland Office: Brexit

Tom Brake: [116703]

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much time his Department spent in





David Mundell:

The Government has collated over 800 pages of analysis for the committees.

As we have said before, the “58 impact assessments” requested in the motion do not

exist in the form Parliament requested. We have taken time to bring together

information in a way that meets Parliament’s specific ask.

With regards to how many FTE staff hours were dedicated to the compilation, the

Department does not hold this information in the form requested.

The Department for Exiting the European Union has satisfied the motion passed in

the House of Commons by bringing together information for these reports. The

Committee on Exiting the EU voted on Wednesday 6 December that the

Government’s response to the resolution of the House of 1 November has complied

with the terms of that resolution.

TRANSPORT

Aviation

Christine Jardine: [116917]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria control the number of night

flights arriving at and departing from airports, and, with reference to the Civil Aviation

Authority's recent assessment of Edinburgh Airport's proposed new flight path, whether

that Airport has reached capacity for night flights.

Mr John Hayes:

Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports are designated for the purpose of noise

regulation under the Civil Aviation Act 1982. The Government sets night flight

restrictions at these airports through a noise quota and a movement limit.

For all other UK airports, operating restrictions such as on night flights are agreed at

the local level, usually through the planning process.

With regard to the assessment of Edinburgh Airport’s proposed new flight paths by

the Civil Aviation Authority, this assessment related to airspace changes and not the

capacity of the airport at night.



Biofuels


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's

consultation on Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, published in September 2017, for

what reasons the cap on bio-fuels will be reduced from 4 per cent to 2 per cent.



consultation on Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, published in September 2017,

what comparative assessment he has made of the competitiveness of 2 per cent crop

cap in the UK with a 7 per cent crop cap in EU countries.


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Renewable Transport

Fuels Obligation, what processes are in place to allow for the amending of the crop cap

after its planned promulgation.



consultation on Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, published in September 2017, if he

will make an assessment of the efficacy of the crop cap two years after the changes to

that cap are implemented.

Jesse Norman:

The Government consulted on a range of options for limiting the contribution from

crop based biofuels towards the renewable fuel target for transport, from zero to the

maximum seven per cent allowed under EU Directive 2015/1513. The consultation

and the Government response are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/renewable-transport-fuel-obligations-

order-government-response and include analysis of the costs and benefits of the

proposals, including the impacts on the competitiveness of UK industry through an

estimate of the gross value added to the UK economy by the biofuels industry under

the proposed amendments.

We intend to cap the contribution from crop-based biofuels at four per cent in 2018,

reducing to three per cent in 2026 and two per cent in 2032. Reducing the

contribution from crop-based biofuels in this way will signal that we want to see future

investment focus on the most sustainable fuels made from wastes and residues,

while ensuring a continuing market for the UK’s existing bioethanol producers.

According to research published by the European Commission in 2015, titled “The

land use change impact of biofuels consumed in the EU, Quantification of area and

greenhouse gas impacts”, crop biofuel usage at 7% of transport energy could result

in a net increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

Subject to Parliamentary approval, the legislation providing for these changes to the

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) will provide for a review to ensure the





policy aims are being met. If required after the review further amendments could then

be proposed.

Cycling: Safety

Heidi Alexander: [116932]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to commence the second

phase of the review of cycle safety announced on 21 September, into wider road safety

issues.

Jesse Norman:

The Department expects to publish a Call for Evidence early in 2018. Preliminary

discussions regarding Phase Two have already started.

Department for Transport: Brexit


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the



Mr John Hayes:

As announced at Autumn Budget 2017, HMT is making £3 billion of additional funding

available over the next two years - £1.5 billion in both 18/19 and 19/20 – so that

departments and the Devolved Administrations can continue to prepare effectively for

Brexit. We are currently working with HMT and DExEU to establish what we need to

prepare effectively, and what additional funding should be supplied – HM Treasury

will aim to agree 2018/19 allocations in early 2018. Funding requirements for 19/20

will be affected by progress in negotiations with the EU and will therefore be decided

at a later date. Additional funding received from the Reserve will be set out at


Driving Tests


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the new Approved Driving Instructor

Part 3 Test will be introduced.

Jesse Norman:

The regulations were laid before Parliament on 1 December 2017. The Approved

Driving Instructor Part 3 test will be implemented from 23 December 2017.

Public Transport: Disability

Sir Edward Davey: [116723]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the response to his

Department’s consultation on the draft transport accessibility action plan.





Paul Maynard:

We plan to publish the Government response in early 2018, following careful analysis

of the responses received to the consultation which closed on Wednesday 22

November.

Railway Stations: Golborne

Jo Platt: [116989]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made

of the (a) feasibility, (b) cost and (c) social and economic benefit of reopening Golborne

railway station.

Paul Maynard:

The Department has made no such assessment at the current time regarding re-

opening Golborne railway station.

However, the Government is working with local authorities and other partners to

identify the best new rail projects that can unlock new housing and economic growth,

ease overcrowding, meet future demand and offer good value for money.

Railways: Greater Manchester

Jo Platt: [116706]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November

2017 to Question 114759, on railways: Greater Manchester, how Leigh will benefit from

improved rail connectivity in the Greater Manchester area.

Paul Maynard:

Leigh will benefit from the improvements to be delivered to services at its nearest rail

stations including Atherton, which will see an increase in the level of weekday train

service to four trains per hour using newly refurbished trains.

Shipping: Ownership



2017 to Question 113639, on shipping: ownership, how many of the vessels on each of

the three routes in the table are registered on (a) the UK Ship Register, (b) a Red Ensign

Group register, (c) EEA register or (d) non-EEA register.

Mr John Hayes:

Figures for the number of vessels operating on each route in 2016 by registration are

shown in the table.




REGISTER

UK Ship Register Another Red

Ensign Group

(REG) register

Another EEA

country register

A non-EEA

country and non-

REG register

Vessels which

carried cargo

between a UK

port and a UK

offshore oil and

gas terminal or

platform in 2016

60 30 110 100

Vessels which

carried cargo on

domestic routes to

or from UK ports

in 2016 (excluding

between UK ports

and UK offshore

oil and gas

terminals covered

in 1. above)

80 60 390 360

Vessels operating

on domestic or

international short

sea passenger

services to or from

UK ports in 2016

20 10 80 10

Source: Based on DfT port freight and sea passenger statistics, and IHS Global fleet

data.

Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 vessels. A single vessel may operate on

any combination of the routes shown. Registration was unavailable for a small

number of vessels. Figures shown here for the Red Ensign Group do not include the

UK Ship Register, which is shown separately in the table.

Tonnage Tax



2017 to Question 113639, on shipping: ownership, how many of the vessels on each of


the three routes in the table are in company groups which qualify for the Tonnage Tax

scheme.

Mr John Hayes:

It is not possible to identify which companies qualify for the Tonnage Tax scheme

from the information held by the department.

For example, information on whether a company operates ships which are

strategically and commercially managed in the UK, which is a requirement to be a

qualifying company for the Tonnage Tax scheme, is not held for companies not

currently part of the scheme.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Disability: Bullying

Chris Elmore: [116314]

To ask the Women & Equalities Minister, what discussions she has had with Cabinet

colleagues about the scale of bullying of disabled people.

Nick Gibb:

Government responsibility for disability matters resides with the Office of Disability

Issues within the Department for Work and Pensions. My Rt hon. Friend, the Minister

for Women and Equalities, has not had specific discussions with cabinet colleagues

on the scale of bullying of disabled people.

The Government does not tolerate bullying in any form and any sector of our society.

Under the Equality Act 2010, ‘unwanted or prohibited conduct’ related to a protected

characteristic (including disability) that violates an individual’s dignity or creates an

intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them, is

unlawful. Bullying behaviour may also, in some circumstances, be proscribed by the

victimisation provisions of the Act.

The Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) record the number of calls they

receive about harassment and victimisation of disabled people. They reported that

between 1 October 2016, when the current EASS contract started, and 31 October

2017 there were 590 contacts from disabled people about harassment or

victimisation, out of a total of 11,817 disability-related calls.

Employment: HIV Infection

Rosie Duffield: [117352]

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many cases of HIV-related workplace

discrimination have been reported, in each of the last three years.



Nick Gibb:

The Employment Tribunal Service case management system does not collect or hold

the level of detail of information requested, which could only be obtained from the

paper records of each tribunal office.

People with HIV are automatically considered disabled for the purposes of the

Equality Act 2010 and afforded all the relevant protections under its provisions, which

make it unlawful to discriminate against people because of a disability in matters of

employment, education and the provision of goods and services.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Personal Independence Payment

Toby Perkins: [116936]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who previously

qualified for disability living allowance have not been awarded personal independence

payments following assessments by Capita.


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of

any difference between the proportion of personal independence payment claims that are

unsuccessful following assessment by Atos and Capita.

Sarah Newton:

DWP case managers make decisions on all claims based on the PIP2 questionnaire

completed by the claimant, any additional evidence they have submitted, the report

from the assessment provider and any additional information the assessment

provider has requested, for example information from the claimant’s GP.

The table below shows the number of claimants who have undergone a Disability

Living Allowance (DLA) to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) reassessment with

our assessment providers, IAS and Capita. We previously answered this question for

IAS under PQ 109416.

Table 1: Outcomes of DLA to PIP reassessments after assessment by Assessment

Provider to 31st July 2017

DISALLOWED AFTER ASSESSMENT AWARDED TOTAL DISALLOWANCE RATE

IAS (Atos) 125,680 523,800 649,480 19%

Capita 64,280 198,220 262,500 24%

Total 189,960 722,020 911,980 21%



The figures are the outcome of the first DWP decision on each DLA to PIP

reassessment claim assessed under Normal Rules only, prior to any reconsideration,

appeal action and award review, after the claimant underwent an assessment by IAS

or Capita. Figures include decisions made between 8th April 2013 and 31st July 2017

as recorded on Department systems. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10

and are for Great Britain only.

The Department is committed to ensuring PIP claimants receive a high quality

functional assessment. We continue to work closely to ensure a consistent approach

is being taken across the country.

We closely monitor assessment providers to make sure that the quality of the service,

that the nurses, physiotherapists and other health professionals who carry out the

assessments provide, is as high as it should be. We are continually working with the

assessment providers to further improve the quality of assessments, including clinical

coaching, feedback and support available to each assessor. The Department has put

in place an independent audit of assessments to ensure that the advice provided to

the Department's decision makers is of suitable quality, fully explained and justified.

In addition, there are other safeguards in place to ensure correct decisions are made,

such as DWP decision makers being able to ask the provider for clarification or

advice or returning the report to the provider if they believe that it does not provide

sufficient information for them to make a decision.

Personal Independence Payment: Complaints


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints have been

made to his Department about Capita assessments for personal independence payments

in each of the last five years.

Sarah Newton:

When the Department receives a complaint regarding a Personal Independence

Payment (PIP) assessment these are passed directly to Capita to provide a

response. DWP do not collect data on these cases. Capita advise that they have

received the following complaints regarding PIP: 2013 - 16.5% of caseload; 2014 -

3.8% caseload; 2015 – 1.1% caseload; 2016 – 1.5% caseload and 2017 (to October)

- 1.6% caseload. These are inclusive of those cases received by DWP and forwarded

on to Capita.


MINISTERIAL CORRECTIONS

HEALTH

Thyroid Gland: Diseases


To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what medicines NHS England has approved for

patients with thyroid conditions

An error has been identified in the written answer given on 7 December 2017. The

correct answer should have been:

Steve Brine:

For unbranded generics the Government relies on completion to keep prices down

which generally works well and has led to low prices of these medicines. We alert the

Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) when we believe that competition does not

work. In the case of liothyronine, the CMA is currently investigating Concordia’s

potential abuse of its dominant position to overcharge the National Health Service for

liothyronine.

In primary care community pharmacies are incentivised to source products at the

lowest possible cost by allowing them to retain the medicines margin (the difference

between what the NHS reimburses a pharmacy for a product and how much the

pharmacy purchases it for) up to £800 million in England. In secondary care,

competitive tenders ensure value-for-money to the NHS.

NHS England is not responsible for approving medicines. The Medicines and

Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring

that medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably safe. The National

Institute for Health and Care Excellence makes recommendations for the

National Health Service on whether medicines and other treatments represent a

clinically and cost effective use of NHS resources.A list of medicines licensed

by the MHRA for the treatment of thyroid conditions is attached. The list is split

into two sections because thyroid conditions can be split into either those

associated with an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), or an underactive

thyroid (hypothyroidism). The list contains only those medicines licensed for

overactive and underactive thyroid. It should be noted that not all of the

medicines listed will be available on the market at any one time.

Attachments:

1. 2017 12 06 Thyroid medicines formatted.xls


Documents

Daily Report Friday, 8 December 2017 CONTENTS