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1126970

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Trials: Ethnic Groups
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of (a) BAME and (b) white defendants who enter guilty pleas.
	tabling member constituency	Bolton South East
	tabling member printed	Yasmin Qureshi
	uin	254792
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The proportion of guilty pleas (where plea was known) has slowly been declining, from 74% in 2014 to 69% for white defendants, and from 61% in 2014 to 57% for BAME defendants in 2018.</p><p>Data is only available for defendants dealt with at Crown Court (not all defendants) for indictable offences.</p><p>The proportion of defendants who entered a guilty plea by ethnicity (2008 – 2018) can be found in the Crown court data tool at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/802313/crown-court-tool-2018.xlsx" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/802313/crown-court-tool-2018.xlsx</a></p><ul><li>Remove the ‘Values’ field from Rows</li><li>Drag the ‘Ethnicity’ field into Rows</li><li>Drag the ‘Total for Trial’ field into Values</li><li>Filter to ’01: Guilty Plea’ in the ‘Plea at Crown Court’ field for the number of defendants that entered a guilty plea</li><li>Filter to ’01: Guilty Plea’ and ’02: Not Guilty plea’ in the ‘Plea at Crown Court’ field number of defendants that entered a plea overall (where plea was known)</li><li>The number of BAME defendants can be defined by combining ’02: Black’, ’03: Asian’, ’04: Mixed’ and ’05: Chinese and other’ rows. The number of white defendants who entered a guilty plea each year can be found in the ‘01: White’ row.</li><li>The proportion of defendants who entered a guilty plea can be found by dividing the number of guilty pleas by the number of overall pleas for the relevant ethnicity rows.</li></ul> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 22/05/2019 16:46:56 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	3924 label Biography information for Yasmin Qureshi

1126623

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Baby Care Units: Mental Health Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of long-term mental health support given to parents of babies discharged from neonatal units.
	tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
	tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
	uin	254232
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>Perinatal mental health services are available to all parents, including parents of babies that have been discharged from neonatal units, when they need it.</p><p>In April 2019, NHS England confirmed that new and expectant mothers across the country are now able to access specialist mental health care in the area where they live. The rollout of specialist community services across the whole of England, means that those suffering from perinatal mental health problems are able to access high quality care much closer to home.</p><p> </p><p>The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health committed to invest £365 million from 2015/16 to 2020/21 in perinatal mental health services to ensure that, by 2020/21, at least 30,000 more women each year are able to access evidence-based specialist mental health care during the perinatal period.</p><p> </p><p>The NHS Long Term Plan includes a commitment for a further 24,000 women to be able to access specialist perinatal mental health care by 2023/24. Specialist care will also be available from preconception to 24 months after birth, which will provide an extra year of support. Support will also be extended to fathers and partners of women accessing specialist perinatal mental health services and maternity outreach clinics.</p> answering member constituency Thurrock answering member printed Jackie Doyle-Price question first answered 22/05/2019 16:41:06 answering member 4065 label Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price
	tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

1127315

	registered interest
	date	17/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	High Speed 2 Line
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential effect of proposals to award five state-run Chinese companies a wholesale package to build High Speed Two on the financial sustainability of UK (a) civil engineering contractors, (b) supplier chains and (c) steel-making companies.
	tabling member constituency	Hampstead and Kilburn
	tabling member printed	Tulip Siddiq
	uin	255691
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The main civil engineering works contracts for Phase One of HS2 were awarded in July 2017 to 4 joint ventures comprising European and British construction firms. The Department has not assessed any proposal to award a wholesale package to build High Speed Two.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wealden answering member printed Ms Nusrat Ghani question first answered 22/05/2019 10:18:37 answering member 4460 label Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani
	tabling member	4518 label Biography information for Tulip Siddiq

1126175

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Ministry of Defence: Brexit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff in her Department who were transferred or seconded to work (a) in other departments or (b) on other departmental briefs on preparations for the UK to leave the EU, have since returned to her Department.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	253469
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>Four Ministry of Defence (MOD) civil servants remain augumenting in Other Government Departments as preparation for the UK to leave the EU. A total of 257 MOD civil servants were augmented to Other Government Departments including those who were augmented in support of Operation Yellowhammer. As at 14 May 2019, 253 had returned to the MOD.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 22/05/2019 15:10:08 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood previous answer version 119453 answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126555

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Sick Leave
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department; and what the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	254064
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The number of employees in the Department for Business, Energy &amp; Industrial Strategy (BEIS) during the calendar year of 2018 who were absent due to mental health reasons, including stress was 59, this represented 1.5% of the total workforce. The proportion of sickness absence related to mental health reasons, including stress, was 23% of the overall sickness absence for the department for the same time period.</p><p> </p><p>The estimated cost to the department over this period for employees taking sickness absence, is estimated at £1,421,738.30.</p><p> </p><p>BEIS is committed to supporting the wellbeing of its staff, including helping them to manage stress in the workplace, and has a Wellbeing Strategy that includes a specific focus on supporting good mental health in its employees. This strategy is based in part on the Civil Service Health and Wellbeing Strategy that also includes the promotion of good mental health for all as one of its five priorities. Through a programme of wellbeing events and speakers, a growing cohort of mental health first aiders, promotion and signposting of the employee assistance programme, and e-learning packages for staff on stress, resilience and wellbeing, the Department has seen continued awareness and engagement on wellbeing and good mental health.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Pendle answering member printed Andrew Stephenson question first answered 22/05/2019 16:20:29 answering member 4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126556

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Exiting the European Union
	answering dept id	203
	answering dept short name	Exiting the European Union
	answering dept sort name	Exiting the European Union
	hansard heading	Department for Exiting the European Union: Sick Leave
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department; and what the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	254065
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>Health and Wellbeing forms part of the Department for Exiting the European Union’s commitment to making the Department a great place to work. The Department has an attendance management policy, and Employee Assistance Programme and a dedicated mental health and wellbeing network who have been leading on a number of wellbeing activities across the Department to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of staff employed in the Department.</p><p>We are not in a position to release this data as individuals may be identifiable due to fewer than 10 individuals being absent in the last 12 months due to stress. The total cost to the Department of all recorded sickness absence in the last financial year was approximately £72k based on the estimated cost of working days lost.</p> answering member constituency Spelthorne answering member printed Kwasi Kwarteng question first answered 22/05/2019 10:06:04 answering member 4134 label Biography information for Kwasi Kwarteng
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126557

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Department of Health and Social Care: Sick Leave
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department; and what the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	254066
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The number of employees in the Department from 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 who were absent due to mental health reasons, including stress was 46, this represented 3% of the total workforce. The proportion of sickness absence related to mental health reasons, including stress, was 22% of the overall sickness absence for the Department for the same time period.</p><p> </p><p>The estimated cost to the Department from 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 for employees taking sickness absence, is estimated at £936,927.</p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 22/05/2019 10:28:23 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126558

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Ministry of Justice: Sick Leave
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department; and what the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	254067
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The total number of staff<strong><em><sup>1</sup></em></strong> working days lost due to sickness<sup>2</sup>, and more specifically stress, between April 2018 and March 2019 is as follows</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Total Number of staff</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Working Days Lost</strong><strong><sup>3</sup></strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total Staff (FTE) - average over 12 months</strong></p></td><td><p>69,783</p></td><td><p>N/A.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>All Sickness (Headcount)</strong></p></td><td><p>38,989</p></td><td><p>600,051</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Of which Stress (Headcount)</strong></p></td><td><p>2,764</p></td><td><p>83,918</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Stress as % of total staff</strong></p></td><td><p>4%</p></td><td><p>N/A.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Stress as % of all sickness</strong></p></td><td><p>7%</p></td><td><p>14%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><em>Notes</em></p><p><strong><em><sup>1 </sup></em></strong><em>This analysis covers MoJ and the Executive Agencies (including HMPPS and HMCTS).</em></p><p><strong><em><sup>2 </sup></em></strong><em>Absences are categorised according to International Classification of Diseases, which is an approach used across the civil service.</em></p><p><strong><em><sup>3</sup></em></strong><em>The cost to the Department is reflected in the total number of working days lost.</em></p><p> </p><p>The MoJ is committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of all its employees, and to reducing sickness absence levels including those which are stress-related. Staff can seek advice and support from our comprehensive occupational health service and employee assistance programme which offers 24/7 help.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 22/05/2019 16:38:48 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126562

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Treasury: Sick Leave
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department; and what the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	254071
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The Treasury’s sickness absence data for ‘mental health and related issues includes stress related conditions. HM Treasury publishes data in the Annual report and Accounts. The data for January to December 2017 can be found in the 2017/18 report and accounts, and data for the period January to December 2018 will be reported in the 2018/19 annual report and accounts which is due to be published in July.</p><p> </p><p>For information I have attached a link below to the 2017/18 report.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-annual-report" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-annual-report</a></p><p> </p><p>We do not currently make an estimate of the cost of sick absence to the department.</p><p> </p><p>HM Treasury has the following support in place for those that are suffering due to stress or poor mental health including:</p><ul><li>Stress and Mental Health Awareness e-learning – which covers learning about stress, what the stressors can be and how to identify and lessen stress</li><li>Stress risk assessment used to identify stressors and implement controls to help reduce/eliminate the stress</li><li>Workplace Adjustments including flexible working</li><li>Stress Management guidance</li><li>Wellbeing Gateway</li><li>Mental Health Tips</li><li>Tips to help reduce stress</li><li>Mental Health First Aiders</li><li>Employee Assistance Programme - provides a number of confidential advisory, counselling and support services. Their helpline is available 24/7</li><li>Occupational Health provision</li><li>Mental Wellbeing Network</li><li>Treasury Supporters who are employees trained to help colleagues work through any concerns, however serious whatever their cause</li><li>Wellness Action Plans</li><li>Time to Talk Workshops</li><li>HR Advisers and Health, Safety &amp; Wellbeing Team</li><li>HSE Stress Talking Toolkit</li></ul> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 22/05/2019 16:38:48 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126564

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Sick Leave
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department; and what the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	254073
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>During the period 01/04/2018 - 31/03/2019, a total of 16 employees (1.0% of the total employees employed in the department for the same period) took sickness absence for reasons relating to stress. This sickness absence accounted for 10.1% of total sickness absence taken in the Department, and cost the Department approximately £70,130.</p><p> </p><p>The department has implemented a number of policies to provide support for staff suffering from stress, including:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Early referral to occupational health experts</li><li>Extensive training for managers and employees - including on disability and mental health awareness, well-being, resilience and stress.</li><li>A Stress Assessment and Reduction Plan toolkit which can be used by line managers to identify and manage stress when required</li></ul><p> </p><p>DCMS has sought to promote an environment where individuals feel comfortable to talk openly about stress and mental health.The Department is a signatory to the ‘Time to Change Pledge’ and raises awareness of mental health and coping strategies through national campaigns such as the ‘Time to Talk’ day and the Mental Health Awareness Week. The department also organises ‘Mindfulness’ sessions for employees.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James question first answered 22/05/2019 11:04:07 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126566

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Sick Leave
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department; and what the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	254075
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>We can confirm we have searched our records and can provide the information below. This information covers the period 1 April 2018 – 31 March 2019. We do not hold data relating specifically to stress as a separate category of sick leave absence. Instead we have provided data relating to all mental health absences. This category includes psychological illnesses such as stress, depression, anxiety and any other mental health condition.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>How many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to mental health in the last 12 months</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>109 members of staff 2.25% of total staff headcount</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>What proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Absences relating to mental health made up 34.9% of all sickness absences</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>What the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total cost of mental health sickness is £427,559.55</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The proportion of officials taking sick leave for reasons relating to mental health has remained constant at around 2% for the last five years.</p><p> </p><p>We have various services and support mechanisms in place to support employee mental health. For example we have an internal employee led mental health ‘buddy’ network, and employees have access to an external provider Employee Assistance Programme, and Occupational Health Service. We also have a process in place for notifying and managing work related stress.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 22/05/2019 14:37:00 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126567

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Attorney General: Sick Leave
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department; and what the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	254076
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has had officials take sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months. However, we are not in a position to release this data, as due to the small size of the office this could lead to individuals becoming identifiable.</p><p>The AGO is highly committed to the health and wellbeing of its staff, and works to help them to manage stress in the workplace. The AGO offers a range of guidance and services in place to support staff, including launching its own wellbeing statement and strategy, and receiving the commitment of the Executive Board to wellbeing. The staff volunteer led wellbeing group has organised numerous events for colleagues to help improve wellbeing and manage stress. The AGO also offers free counselling services for staff members.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 22/05/2019 14:47:16 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126569

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Cabinet Office: Sick Leave
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department; and what the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	254078
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The number of employees in Cabinet Office from 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 who were<br>absent for stress related reasons was 48. This represented 0.64% of the total workforce</p><p>The proportion of sickness absence related to stress related reasons was 11.35% of the<br>overall sickness absence for the department for the same time period</p><p>The estimated cost to the department from 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 for employees<br>taking stress related reasons, is estimated at £199,634</p><p>Cabinet Office sickness absence data is published regularly, and is available up to<br>December 2018 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-absence-<br>data</p><p> </p><p>The Cabinet Office wellbeing action plan enables support for all staff’s health and<br>wellbeing. Key initiatives include: running leadership wellbeing training for all Senior Civil<br>Servants, updating line manager training to ensure wellbeing is included in all<br>conversations, embedding wellbeing into the Senior Civil Service leadership objective and<br>including wellbeing in performance management monthly conversation tools</p><p>There are a number of support services available in Cabinet Office that provide support or<br>advice to all employees. These include the Cabinet Office alumni network, the Cabinet<br>Office listening service and the employee assistance programme.</p> answering member constituency Hertsmere answering member printed Oliver Dowden question first answered 22/05/2019 15:15:46 answering member 4441 label Biography information for Oliver Dowden
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126571

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Department for Transport: Sick Leave
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department; and what the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	254080
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The Department and its Agencies have provided the responses below for the period 1 May 2018 to 30 April 2019.</p><ol><li>The number of staff that took sickness absence due to stress was 553. The Department and its agencies employed a total of 14,956 employees at the end of April 2019.</li><li>Of the total number of staff that took sickness absence, the proportion due to stress was 7.57%. The proportion of working days lost to stress, out of all days lost due to sickness absence, was 14.33%.</li><li>The total cost of working days lost to sickness absence for the period above is estimated at £13,710,056.78.</li></ol><p> </p><p>The Department has a number of sources of support for employees including a free-to-use Employee Assistance Programme, which offers up to six counselling sessions at a convenient location within days of referral, and a Wellbeing Buddy Network run by volunteers. It has also launched a Mental Health First Aid service run by trained volunteers for colleagues in immediate emotional distress.</p><p>The Department recognises the importance of the line manager in mental health, and has a resource available for line managers to provide guidance on managing colleagues with mental health difficulties/issues. It has also launched Wellbeing Action Plans, to guide line managers in conversations about wellbeing, including in relation to mental health.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 22/05/2019 09:33:59 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126573

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Department for Work and Pensions: Sick Leave
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of officials in her Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in her Department; and what the cost was to her Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	254082
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The Department recognises its legal duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of our employees; this includes identifying and reducing workplace stressors. Our approach is a holistic one that utilises the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Management Standards for work related stress and follows key principles to help identify and reduce work place stressors.</p><p> </p><p>2,473 employees took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months which represents 3% of our paid staff. As a percentage, such absences equated to 10.7% of all Working Days Lost due to sickness absence. However, as the Department continues to pay salaries during sickness absence there is no direct financial cost.</p><p> </p><p>Our approach to absence is fair but robust with the emphasis on health promotion and absence prevention. The Department has a range of support from mental health toolkits, stress reduction plans plus tailored support for people who do go off sick or need support through our Employee Assistance Programme which includes counselling.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has 965 Mental Health First Aiders, who provide acute, short-term and structured support to individuals, provide reassurance and signpost colleagues to both DWP and external sources of support as appropriate. Mental Health First Aiders are also provided with continuous professional development and support for their own mental wellbeing.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 22/05/2019 16:17:12 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126574

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Prime Minister: Sick Leave
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of officials in the Prime Minister's office took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in her Department; and what the cost was to her Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	254083
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The number of employees in Cabinet Office from 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 who were<br>absent for stress related reasons was 48. This represented 0.64% of the total workforce</p><p>The proportion of sickness absence related to stress related reasons was 11.35% of the<br>overall sickness absence for the department for the same time period</p><p>The estimated cost to the department from 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 for employees<br>taking stress related reasons, is estimated at £199,634</p><p>Cabinet Office sickness absence data is published regularly, and is available up to<br>December 2018 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-absence-<br>data</p><p> </p><p>The Cabinet Office wellbeing action plan enables support for all staff’s health and<br>wellbeing. Key initiatives include: running leadership wellbeing training for all Senior Civil<br>Servants, updating line manager training to ensure wellbeing is included in all<br>conversations, embedding wellbeing into the Senior Civil Service leadership objective and<br>including wellbeing in performance management monthly conversation tools</p><p>There are a number of support services available in Cabinet Office that provide support or<br>advice to all employees. These include the Cabinet Office alumni network, the Cabinet<br>Office listening service and the employee assistance programme.</p> answering member constituency Hertsmere answering member printed Oliver Dowden question first answered 22/05/2019 15:24:11 answering member 4441 label Biography information for Oliver Dowden
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1127097

	registered interest
	date	16/05/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Police: Pensions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has estimated the cost to the public purse of paying survivor pensions to all police widows and widowers regardless of remarriage or cohabitation; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	255252
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>We have estimated with the Government’s Actuary’s Department, by using historical actuarial data, that the total cost of retaining benefits for all police survivors would increase the police scheme liabilities by around £144m. It is also estimated that retaining benefits for all police survivors, including reinstatement of pensions already surrendered, would increase the police scheme liabilities to around £198m.</p> answering member constituency Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner answering member printed Mr Nick Hurd question first answered 22/05/2019 13:06:36 answering member 1561 label Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1128044

	registered interest
	date	22/05/2019
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	Whether she has plans to extend the provisions of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 to Northern Ireland.
	tabling member constituency	East Worthing and Shoreham
	tabling member printed	Tim Loughton
	uin	910962
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>As I have said on many occasions, I voted in support of same sex marriage in England and Wales and I hope that this can be extended to Northern Ireland in the future.</p><p> </p><p>However, marriage is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and an issue I want a restored Executive to resolve.</p> answering member constituency Staffordshire Moorlands answering member printed Karen Bradley question first answered 22/05/2019 14:10:53 answering member 4110 label Biography information for Dame Karen Bradley
	tabling member	114 label Biography information for Tim Loughton

1126301

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2019
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Sri Lanka: Terrorism
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what humanitarian assistance they have sent, or intend to send, to the communities affected by the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Coventry
	uin	HL15661
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>​Sri Lanka has not requested humanitarian assistance. Following the Easter Sunday attacks, the Sri Lankan Government announced it would provide compensation for victims and fund the repair of the affected churches. The Minister of State for Security and Economic Crime, Ben Wallace, visited Sri Lanka on 2-3 May to demonstrate solidarity and discuss what UK support would be most helpful. Existing UK support in Sri Lanka includes £8.3 million of Conflict Stability and Security Fund funding over three years (2016-2019) to support police reform and training, reconciliation and peacebuilding, resettlement, interfaith dialogue and demining in the north of the country. We are also engaging with the Sri Lankan Government, faith and community leaders to encourage the Government to take all appropriate measures to reassure all of Sri Lanka's citizens that it will protect and uphold their safety and rights, and that its response to the attacks is proportionate and builds trust across all communities in Sri Lanka.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 22/05/2019 13:28:23 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	4266 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Coventry

1125846

	registered interest
	date	09/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Furniture: Fire Resistant Materials
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding of the study Flame retardants in UK furniture increase smoke toxicity more than they reduce fire growth rate, published in the journal Chemosphere in December 2017; and what steps they are taking to ensure that UK furniture is safe.
	tabling member printed	The Countess of Mar
	uin	HL15636
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>As part of the Government’s review of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988, we are taking account of a wide range of scientific evidence from external sources including academic papers and studies.</p><p> </p><p>We are committed to reviewing these regulations to ensure that the highest levels of fire safety are maintained while minimising risks to health and the environment.</p> answering member printed Lord Henley question first answered 22/05/2019 11:56:26 answering member 2616 label Biography information for Lord Henley
	tabling member	1861 label Biography information for The Countess of Mar

1125847

	registered interest
	date	09/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Furniture: Fire Resistant Materials
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Office for Product Safety and Standards has spent on product compliance testing under the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988 since its formation; and what were the results of such testing.
	tabling member printed	The Countess of Mar
	uin	HL15637
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The Office for Product Safety and Standards has made available £500,000 in 2018 and £600,000 in 2019 for Local Authority Trading Standards to carry out product compliance testing at accredited laboratories. This testing includes compliance testing under the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.</p><p> </p><p>Local Authority Trading Standards take appropriate enforcement action as required in light of the results from this testing.</p> answering member printed Lord Henley question first answered 22/05/2019 11:57:10 answering member 2616 label Biography information for Lord Henley
	tabling member	1861 label Biography information for The Countess of Mar

1125849

	registered interest
	date	09/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will respond to their 2016 consultation on updating the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988.
	tabling member printed	The Countess of Mar
	uin	HL15639
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>This is a complex issue and it is absolutely vital that the Government gets this right: we are committed to reviewing these regulations to ensure that the highest levels of fire safety are maintained while minimising risks to health and the environment.</p><p> </p><p>The Department will publish its response to the 2016 consultation in due course.</p> answering member printed Lord Henley question first answered 22/05/2019 13:24:56 answering member 2616 label Biography information for Lord Henley
	tabling member	1861 label Biography information for The Countess of Mar

1126805

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	South Eastern Rail Franchise
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has withheld consent for Govia to vary the (a) pay and (b) conditions of Southeastern staff under schedule 15.2 of the franchise agreement in relation to the last twelve or thirteen months of the franchise.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Teresa Pearce
	uin	254801
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>Southeastern and the trade unions have agreed pay deals in the last 12 months. Specific details of pay are confidential however Southeastern staff have received an increase of around the level of the Retail Price Index which reflects a real terms increase when compared to the Consumer Price Index and cost of living increases. These pay deals were approved by the Department.</p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of State has made clear that the rail industry should be moving towards using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as the inflation measure for pay agreements.</p> answering member constituency Harrogate and Knaresborough answering member printed Andrew Jones question first answered 22/05/2019 10:45:09 answering member 3996 label Biography information for Andrew Jones
	tabling member	4003 label Biography information for Teresa Pearce

1126536

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Buildings: Insulation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2019 to Question 249313 on Buildings: Insulation, when the BS 8414 test of a High Pressure Laminate cladding system will be carried out by the Fire Protection Association.
	tabling member constituency	Croydon North
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
	uin	254199
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The Department is working with the contractor to ensure that the test is carried out as soon as reasonably practicable. The exact timing will depend on factors such as the time needed to source the necessary components for the test and the time needed to build the test rig.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 22/05/2019 12:56:12 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
	tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

1127331

	registered interest
	date	17/05/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Buildings: Insulation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the names of the (a) individuals and (b) organisations that have been invited to witness the large-scale test on High-Pressure Laminate cladding and stonewool that his Department has commissioned the Fire Protection Association to undertake.
	tabling member constituency	Croydon North
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
	uin	255681
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The date of the test remains to be confirmed by our contractor. As such no individual or organisation has been invited to witness the large-scale test yet.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 22/05/2019 12:55:26 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
	tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed