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1109535

registered interest
date	04/04/2019
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	London Capital & Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Financial Conduct Authority took in response to the letter dated 29 November 2015 from financial advisor Neil Liversidge on London Capital and Finance's promotional activities.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
uin	240658
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>On 1 April, the Economic Secretary announced that he will use powers under the Financial Services Act 2012 to direct the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to launch an investigation into the events at London Capital &amp; Finance and the circumstances surrounding them. This followed a request from the FCA Chair, Charles Randell, to the Economic Secretary to launch such an investigation.</p><p> </p><p>The investigation will be led by an independent person appointed by the FCA, with the approval of HM Treasury. Further details of the independent investigation, including its terms, will be communicated in due course.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen grouped question UIN 240486 240487 240488 question first answered 10/04/2019 15:37:34 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

1109702

registered interest
date	04/04/2019
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	GPT Special Project Management
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has received a request from the (a) Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and (b) Attorney General's Office for documents as part of the SFO's investigation into GPT Special Project Management.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
uin	240943
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>It would not be appropriate for me to comment on a live criminal investigation.</p> answering member constituency South Staffordshire answering member printed Gavin Williamson question first answered 10/04/2019 14:17:37 answering member 4108 label Biography information for Sir Gavin Williamson
tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

1109703

registered interest
date	04/04/2019
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	GPT Special Project Management
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, when did Department received a request from the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to give consent to a prosecution in relation to the SFO's investigation into GPT Special Project Management and aspects of the conduct of that organisation's business in Saudi Arabia; and what his Department's response was to the SFO's request.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
uin	240944
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>I am not able to provide any specific information about an on-going investigation by the Serious Fraud Office. I can confirm that I am aware of this case and I receive regular case updates in relation to it.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Torridge and West Devon answering member printed Mr Geoffrey Cox question first answered 10/04/2019 11:41:42 answering member 1508 label Biography information for Sir Geoffrey Cox
tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

1109724

registered interest
date	04/04/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	STEM Subjects: Degrees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps he has taken to encourage more students to study STEM degrees.
tabling member constituency	Harrow East
tabling member printed	Bob Blackman
uin	241025
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>Overall numbers of students studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are rising. The share of students studying science subjects at English Higher Education providers has increased from 41% in 2010/11 to 45% in 2016/17.</p><p>Despite rising STEM student numbers, we are far from complacent and we know that employer groups continue to point to an unmet demand for higher level STEM skills. This issue seems to be particularly acute in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, engineering, science and technology. We are therefore implementing a number of initiatives across government to increase the numbers of STEM graduates. For example:</p><ul><li>The Department for Education (DfE) is piloting a conversion course scheme to enable graduates to retrain in engineering and computer science.</li><li>The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy are leading a £90 million investment in 1,000 new PhD places, of which around 85% will be in STEM areas, and 40% will aim to boost collaboration between industry and academia.</li><li>The government is providing funding for the new Institute of Coding, which aims to improve digital skills provision at levels 6 and 7. It will target a skills gap in digital skills and involves collaboration between education providers and industry.</li><li>The DfE is also supporting (with £15 million over 3 years) the New Model in Technology &amp; Engineering, a STEM-focused institution due to take its first full cohort of students in 2020.</li><li>Institutes of Technology are being established to help meet STEM skills needs at levels 4 – 6, working closely with local employers and Local Enterprise Partnerships.</li></ul><p>Effective careers guidance and advice is also key to supporting young people to undertake learning in areas that will give them the skills employers are looking for. The government’s careers strategy sets out a long-term plan to build a world class careers system to achieve this ambition. We are increasing the information available to students to ensure they can make informed choices about what and where to study.</p><p>As set out in the Industrial Strategy White Paper, the Skills Advisory Panels (SAPs) programme aims to ensure that the local provision of skills, and the delivery of skills policy in local areas, meets and responds to changing employer needs. SAPs analysis will inform Local Industrial Strategies and local post-16 skills provision, so that skills provision better meets labour market needs.</p><p>Degree apprenticeships also allow universities to build partnerships with businesses and employers and to work together to create a skilled workforce. Employers are working in partnership with universities and professional bodies to meet the high-level technical skills that employers and our economy need to prosper.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 10/04/2019 16:39:45 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
tabling member	4005 label Biography information for Bob Blackman

1109725

registered interest
date	04/04/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Overseas Students: Universities
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on ensuring that the UK continues to attract international students to British universities after the UK leaves the EU.
tabling member constituency	Harrow East
tabling member printed	Bob Blackman
uin	241026
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>Ministers within the Department for Education have regular discussions with the Home Office on ways to ensure the UK remains an attractive study destination, and the UK already has a strong offer for overseas students who graduate in the UK. International graduates can remain in the UK to work following their studies by switching to several existing visa routes, including Tier 2 (skilled worker) visas.</p><p>As you will be aware, the Immigration White Paper, published in December 2018, proposes increasing the post-study leave period for international students following completion of studies to 12 months for those completing a PhD, and to 6 months for all full-time postgraduate and undergraduate students at institutions with degree awarding powers. These proposals go beyond recommendations set out in the Migration Advisory Committee’s report and will benefit tens of thousands of international students. During the Home Office’s 12-month engagement programme on the Immigration White Paper, business and stakeholders from a wide range of sectors, including the Higher Education sector, will be able to feed in their views on white paper proposals.</p><p>In addition, the International Education Strategy, published on 16 March 2019, sets out actions to continue to provide a welcoming environment for international students, and includes our ambition to increase the number of international students we host to 600,000 by 2030. One of the actions within the strategy includes considering where processes could be improved to improve the visa experience for international students.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 10/04/2019 16:47:37 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
tabling member	4005 label Biography information for Bob Blackman

1109727

registered interest
date	04/04/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Universities: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the level of (a) female and (b) BAME representation in top university positions.
tabling member constituency	Harrow East
tabling member printed	Bob Blackman
uin	241027
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>Diversity and equality in higher education is a priority for this government. Higher education institutions are independent bodies and responsible for decisions about who they employ. Like every employer they must ensure they meet their obligations under the Equality Act 2010.</p><p>Important progress has been made on the number of women in leadership roles in higher education, particularly in the increase in the proportion of female Chairs of Governing Bodies and female Vice-Chancellors. Sector-led gender initiatives, such as the Athena SWAN Charter and the Aurora development scheme, demonstrate the importance the sector attaches to tackling the barriers that hinder women’s progression in higher education careers.</p><p>On 1 February, the government announced measures to tackle ethnic disparities in higher education including encouraging higher education providers to make use of tools such as the Race at Work Charter and the Race Equality Charter to drive forward a step-change in the recruitment and progression of ethnic minority employees.</p><p>The government has also consulted on ethnicity pay reporting in order to inform future government policy.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 10/04/2019 16:06:43 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
tabling member	4005 label Biography information for Bob Blackman

1109749

registered interest
date	04/04/2019
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will reopen the compensation scheme for Equitable Life victims.
tabling member constituency	Warrington South
tabling member printed	Faisal Rashid
uin	241093
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>Since 2010, we have taken more action than any previous government to resolve this issue by allocating up to £1.5bn, tax free, for payment to affected policyholders. There are no plans to allocate any further funds to the Equitable Life Payment Scheme, or reopen it.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 10/04/2019 15:29:08 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	4670 label Biography information for Faisal Rashid

1109751

registered interest
date	04/04/2019
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	Maternity 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 steps his Department is taking to support maternity services.
tabling member constituency	Copeland
tabling member printed	Trudy Harrison
uin	241079
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>Our programme of transformation in maternity services will make the National Health Service one of the best places in the world to give birth by supporting maternity services to deliver safer more personalised care for mothers and babies.</p><p> </p><p>The NHS Long Term Plan built on the progress to implement the findings of the national maternity review set out in ‘Better Births’ in 2016, and commits us to continue to work with midwives, mothers and their families to implement the ‘continuity of carer’ recommendation. This will mean that, by March 2021, most women will receive continuity of the person caring for them during pregnancy, during birth and postnatally. Within this, 75% of women from black and minority ethnic groups and disadvantaged communities will have continuity of carer by the end of 2023-24, as the evidence suggests that it particularly improves outcomes for this group.</p><p> </p><p>We also aim to improve safety by rolling out the Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle to every maternity unit in England in 2019. The Bundle supports services in reducing still births, with a new focus on preventing pre-term birth. Every trust in England with a maternity and neonatal service is now part of the National Maternal and Neonatal Health Safety Collaborative, which is supporting practical improvements to make care safer in all maternity units. Through this, we are supporting a culture of multidisciplinary team working and learning, vital for safe, high-quality maternity care. By 2022-23 pre-term birth clinics, Fetal Medicine Services and Maternal Medicine Networks will be rolled out nationally to provide access to more specialist expertise to women, babies and the clinicians caring for them.</p><p> </p><p>To underpin the improvements to care, the NHS Long Term Plan committed to the digitisation of maternity information so that by 2023-24 all women will be able to access their maternity notes and information through their smart phones or other devices.</p><p> </p><p>In March 2018, the Department announced plans to train more than 3,000 extra midwives over four years. The Government is providing extra funding for clinical placement costs for 650 students in 2019-20 with planned increases of 1,000 in the subsequent years. The Maternity Workforce Strategy was published in March 2019 by Health Education England to outline how the requirements of Better Births and the ambition to halve stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths by 50% by 2025, would be met. This will be achieved through retaining experienced and skilled maternity staff, as well as supporting employers to upskill and develop their workforces through new roles and new ways of working. This includes rolling out the ‘Maternity Support Worker’ role with a national competency, education and career framework; and new routes to becoming a registered midwife, including via apprenticeships.</p> answering member constituency Thurrock answering member printed Jackie Doyle-Price question first answered 10/04/2019 15:36:17 answering member 4065 label Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price
tabling member	4593 label Biography information for Trudy Harrison

1109772

registered interest
date	04/04/2019
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	Fuel Poverty
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to reduce fuel poverty (a) in Coventry and (b) the UK.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	240945
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>Improving energy efficiency is the best long term solution to tackle fuel poverty. That’s exactly what we are doing through the new Energy Company Obligation scheme which is now entirely focused on low income and vulnerable households.</p><p> </p><p>Since ECO launched it has delivered energy efficiency measured to nearly 2 million homes. In Coventry ECO has improved 14,565 homes, representing 10.4% of homes in the city, well above the average delivery rate of 7.2%.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, from 1 April 2019 strengthened energy efficiency regulations came into force for the domestic private rented sector in England and Wales. These regulations require landlords of privately rented homes with an energy efficiency rating of EPC F or G to improve them to a minimum of EPC E before letting the property on a new tenancy, or by 1 April 2020, whichever comes soonest. Approximately 42% of households in privately rented F and G rated accommodation are in fuel poverty. Improving these homes from F or G to E will save households an average of £180 per year on their energy bills.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to energy efficiency there is a strong package of financial support. The Warm Home Discount provides a rebate of £140 off the winter energy bill for over 2 million low income and vulnerable households. All pensioner households receive a payment between £100 and £300 each winter through the Winter Fuel Payments. Additional payments of £25 are available for cold periods through the Cold Weather Payment. Also, the energy price cap protects 11 million households from poor value tariffs, saving them a total of £1billion, in addition to the 5 million households already protected.</p> answering member constituency Devizes answering member printed Claire Perry question first answered 10/04/2019 14:09:45 answering member 3974 label Biography information for Claire Perry
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1109782

registered interest
date	04/04/2019
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	Working Links
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2019 on Working Links, if he will commission a public inquiry into the financial risk to sub-contractors undertaking work for her Department following the (a) collapse of Working Links and (b) difficulties Community and Voluntary Organisations are experiencing obtaining contractual payments
tabling member constituency	Easington
tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
uin	241020
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>The DWP will not be undertaking a public enquiry into the failure of Working Links or the issues that this has caused to their supply chain partners. Ultimately, the failure of Working Links was caused by its subsidiary companies and their Community Rehabilitation Contracts. The DWP’s commercial Employment Category will seek to learn lessons and consider them when developing future commercial strategies.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 10/04/2019 11:46:42 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris