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1140231

registered interest
date	18/07/2019
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	Plastics: Recycling
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to increase support for catalytic chemical recycling and upcycling to realise the ambition of zero plastic waste.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	278919
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>£4.7 million of grant funding was announced on 12 June and made available through the Waste &amp; Resources Action Programme, to support new capital infrastructure projects that will help to recycle difficult plastic packaging and textile materials.</p><p> </p><p>The Government also incentivises business-led technology innovation through Innovate UK and its role to fund business-led innovation through the allocation of competitively awarded grants. This fund has previously supported chemicals recycling projects. Further details on Innovate UK are available at: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/innovate-uk" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/innovate-uk</a>.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 23/07/2019 15:51:05 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1140245

registered interest
date	18/07/2019
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	Food: Allowances
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of giving people a monthly allowance to spend on fresh, healthy and locally sourced food in a bid to (a) tackle obesity and (b) support the farming industry.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	278920
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>There are existing schemes that support the consumption of healthy food. For example, the Healthy Start scheme provides vouchers for lower income families which can be used to buy, or be put towards the cost of, fruit, vegetables, milk and infant formula.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, Defra has commissioned its lead non-executive director, Henry Dimbleby, to lead an independent review to develop a series of recommendations that will help shape a national food strategy. It will cover the entire food chain from field to fork, building on work already underway in the Agriculture Bill, the Environment Bill, the Fisheries Bill and the Childhood Obesity Plan. This will help ensure that our food system delivers healthy and affordable food and is built upon a resilient and sustainable agriculture sector.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 23/07/2019 14:52:41 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1140357

registered interest
date	18/07/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Higher Education: Admissions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring universities in England to use contextual admissions tools to widen participation in higher education.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	278922
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>Widening access and participation in higher education is a priority for this government. This means that everyone with the capability to succeed in higher education should have the opportunity to participate, regardless of their background or where they grew up.</p><p>We have made real progress in ensuring universities are open to all, with record rates of disadvantaged 18 year olds in higher education. However, we are aware that more needs to be done to ensure that background isn’t a barrier to realising potential in higher education.</p><p>Many higher education providers are already using contextual admissions, to support widening access, and the government supports this.</p><p>It’s important that higher education providers use good quality and meaningful data to identify disadvantage and under-representation. We encourage institutions to use a range of measures to identify disadvantage and under-representation, including individual-level indicators, area data (such as POLAR, Index of Multiple Deprivation or ACORN), school data, intersectional data such as the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service's (UCAS) Multiple Equality Measure and participation in outreach activities. The department is continuing to work with the Office for Students, UCAS and sector representatives to further explore how we can support universities to improve and enhance access to data.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 23/07/2019 07:33:37 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1140360

registered interest
date	18/07/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Admissions
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 widen access to the highest performing schools in England and Wales.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	278923
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>86% of schools in England are good or outstanding.</p><p>The Department has committed £7 billion to create new school places between 2015 and 2021, the vast majority of which are being created in the best existing schools or through good new schools. The Department is on track to create 1 million places this decade, the largest increase in school capacity in at least two generations.</p><p>Of the mainstream free schools approved between 2014 and 2017, 86% have been in areas where there was a need for more school places. 84% of free schools with inspection reports published by the end of May are rated good or outstanding.</p><p> </p><p>98% of grammar schools are also good or outstanding and the Department wants more disadvantaged pupils to be able to access a place at them. That is why it has made £100 million available through the Selective Schools Expansion Fund to create additional places, where needed, in selective schools that commit to a plan to improve access for disadvantaged children. In 2018 the Department announced 16 selective schools to be funded to expand, and it launched a second bidding round in 2019.</p><p>Education is a devolved matter and it is for the Welsh national assembly to decide on education in Wales.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 23/07/2019 15:45:06 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1139812

registered interest
date	17/07/2019
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	Private Rented Housing: Energy
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the introduction of a registration scheme for private-rented accommodation to ensure that it meets minimum energy efficiency standards.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	278401
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>Local authorities have enforcement powers to ensure properties meet minimum energy efficiency standards, and the Government is funding a series of studies to understand how they can best use these powers. The Government does not support a registration scheme for private rented sector accommodation as this has the potential to introduce an unnecessary and costly layer of bureaucracy.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 23/07/2019 15:22:56 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse previous answer version 130430 answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1139340

registered interest
date	16/07/2019
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	Radiotherapy: Staffordshire
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 he is taking to ensure that all people entitled to radiotherapy in North Staffordshire are able to access that treatment.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	277673
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>The NHS Long Term Plan reaffirms the Government’s ongoing commitment to modernising radiotherapy. The plan specifically promises faster, smarter and effective radiotherapy, supported by greater networking of specialised expertise. This will mean more patients are offered curative treatment, with fewer side effects and shorter treatment times.</p><p>Part of the Radiotherapy Modernisation Programme includes the commissioning of 11 Radiotherapy Operational Delivery Networks across England including a West Midlands Network which will serve people in North Staffordshire. This programme is aimed at improving access to and reducing variation in the quality of radiotherapy services.</p> answering member constituency South Ribble answering member printed Seema Kennedy question first answered 23/07/2019 16:43:52 answering member 4455 label Biography information for Seema Kennedy
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1139348

registered interest
date	16/07/2019
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	Social Security Benefits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reinstating the employment and support allowance and universal credit work-related activity component.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	277674
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>No such assessment of merits has been made. There are no plans to reinstate the change to the Employment and Support Allowance work-related activity component and the Universal Credit limited capability for work element.</p><p>As part of the Personal Support Package which was announced in the ‘Improving Lives’ Green Paper in October 2016, we committed to a £330m package of support over 4 years for claimants affected by the removal of the Work Related Activity component.</p><p>The Department believes that this change will provide the right incentives and support to help new claimants with limited capability for work.</p><p>In 2019/20 we are spending £55 billion on benefits to support disabled people and people with health conditions. Furthermore, real terms disability benefits spending will be higher every year to 2023 than in 2010.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 23/07/2019 09:43:36 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1139349

registered interest
date	16/07/2019
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	Universal Credit: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a disability element to universal credit to replace disability premiums.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	277675
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>Universal Credit does not replicate the premiums of the legacy benefits system, and this has allowed us to target additional support to a wider group of claimants, while streamlining the system. This was a conscious policy decision from the outset, and by doing this we have increased provision for the most severely disabled.</p><p> </p><p>The Universal Credit rate for the most severely disabled people (the Limited Capability for Work and Work Related Activity addition) is more than double the equivalent rate for the Employment and Support Allowance support group.</p><p> </p><p>The Limited Capability for Work and Work Related Activity addition is £336.20 a month compared to the Employment &amp; Support Allowance Support Group rate of £167.05.</p><p> </p><p>On Universal Credit, more people who are severely disabled will receive higher payments, with around 1 million disabled households gaining on average around £100 more per month on Universal Credit than on legacy benefits.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 23/07/2019 11:18:27 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1139355

registered interest
date	16/07/2019
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	Social Security Benefits: Forms
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps his Department has taken to simplify the forms used to claim benefits.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	277676
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to ensuring its claim forms are as simple and easy to use as possible. We have simplified over 180 forms in the last six months by making changes to the layout, style, wording and accessibility. We carry out usability testing on new and revised forms with claimants.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 23/07/2019 11:10:32 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1139363

registered interest
date	16/07/2019
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	Social Security Benefits: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will meet the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss increasing support for charities and other advice agencies to ensure that they are able to assist people in completing all disability benefit application forms.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	277677
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>It is important that all of our claimants are able to access our services and that they do not face obstacles in applying. The Department can provide support, including help filling in the application form or the questionnaire where accessibility requirements would call for that.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department does not provide any funding support for charities or other advice agencies to support them in the completion of forms for the disability benefits: Attendance Allowance; Disability Living Allowance; and Personal Independence Payment. The Department does however undertake a wide variety of engagement with representatives from various charities and welfare rights organisations in order to share information and updates and to ensure the systems work as effectively as possible to support people with disabilities and long-term health conditions.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 23/07/2019 11:19:36 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly