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1055791

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Overseas Trade
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether he is taking steps to support a global initiative of Governments and businesses to ensure that workers in (a) cocoa and (b) other supply chains receive a living income; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
uin	217632
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>One of the keys to driving poverty reduction is enabling workers in global supply chains to be paid a living wage. The UK works with Governments, businesses and other actors to advance this agenda. For example, the Department for International Development (DFID) supports the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), which works with companies such as the Body Shop, Co-op and Tesco, as well as trade unions. The UK also supports initiatives such as the UN Global Compact (UNGC), the world’s largest business sustainability initiative, which focuses partly on labour rights and has over 12,000 signatories from over 160 countries.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 14/02/2019 16:12:42 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1055833

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
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	Alternative Arrangements Working Group
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, under which section of the Civil Service Code is civil service support to the Alternative Arrangements Working Group permissible.
tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
uin	217471
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>Ministers, including myself, have been meeting a wide range of MPs in various groups and other stakeholders to discuss the Government’s approach to EU Exit. This has included discussion of alternative arrangements to the backstop, following Parliament’s indication of support for such a position.</p><p>The Civil Service supports the Government in developing and implementing its policies. In this context, it is proper for civil servants to support Ministers in conducting these meetings. No support has been extended to backbench MPs, or other individuals or groups outwith Government.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Stephen Barclay question first answered 14/02/2019 13:11:22 answering member 4095 label Biography information for Steve Barclay
tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1058635

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
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	Whether her Department has plans to redesign the reassessment process for benefit recipients with severe mental or physical disabilities.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	909127
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2019 answer text <p>We are committed to assessing people with health conditions and disabilities fairly and accurately, and helping people to access the right support. We made a clear commitment in <em>Improving Lives</em>: <em>The Future of Work, Health and Disability</em> to reform the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) and recognise the importance of getting this right. We are therefore testing new approaches to build the evidence base for what works, and working with external stakeholders to inform future changes to the WCA.</p><p> </p><p>Over the last year we have introduced new guidance into Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit (UC), as well as updated guidance for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to improve the service we provide for those with the most severe/lifelong conditions. For ESA/UC since September 2017 we have switched off routine reassessments for those who meet the Severe Conditions criteria, and since August 2018, those receiving the highest level of support in PIP, whose needs are unlikely to change or may get worse, will now receive an ongoing award with a light touch review at the ten year point.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 11/02/2019 17:02:14 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1058636

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
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: Medical Examinations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What recent assessment her Department has made of the (a) accuracy and (b) efficiency of contracted-out health assessments for (i) employment and support allowance and (ii) personal independence payment.
tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
tabling member printed	Justin Madders
uin	909128
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2019 answer text <p>We are committed to ensuring claimants receive high quality assessments. Providers are closely monitored against a range of measures including through independent audit to improve accuracy and decision making. We are seeing continuous improvement in PIP assessment quality and recent data shows both PIP providers meeting quality expectations. We continually look to improve the efficiency of the assessment process by working closely with health assessment providers and the disabled people the Department supports.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 11/02/2019 16:37:48 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

1058637

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
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	Pensioners: Poverty
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of pensioner poverty; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	909129
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2019 answer text <p>This Government has seen the absolute poverty rate for pensioners fall to record lows, with over 200,000 fewer pensioners in absolute poverty before housing costs. Rates of material deprivation for pensioners are also at record lows.</p><p>We have reduced pensioner poverty close to historically low levels, lifting the incomes of millions of older people. Since 2009/10, material deprivation for pensioners has fallen from 10 per cent to 7 per cent in 2016/17 and since 2010 there are 200,000 fewer pensioners in absolute poverty, a record low.</p><p>The Government is committed to action that helps to alleviate levels of pensioner poverty. In 2018/19 we will spend £121.5 billion on benefits for pensioners, including £97 billion on the State Pension for this year.</p><p>The Government has also committed to up-rating the basic State Pension by the highest of the growth in earnings, prices or 2.5 per cent - the 'triple lock' guarantee. This will mean that the full basic State Pension will be around £1450 per year higher in 2018/19 than in 2010. The Government has committed to the triple lock for the remainder of this Parliament.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 11/02/2019 17:58:24 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

1058695

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
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	Poultry
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 information his Department holds on the numbers of geese that migrated to the UK in 2018.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	219442
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>The UK’s Goose and Swan and Monitoring Programme assesses the number of geese which migrate here every year. The programme is jointly run by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Scottish Natural Heritage.</p><p> </p><p>Data for the winter season 2017-2018 is available on the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust website: <a href="https://monitoring.wwt.org.uk/our-work/goose-swan-monitoring-programme/" target="_blank">https://monitoring.wwt.org.uk/our-work/goose-swan-monitoring-programme/</a>. As the 2018/19 winter season has yet to finish, data for this season will not be available until late summer 2019.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 14/02/2019 16:24:07 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1058701

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
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	Livestock: Animal Welfare
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 recent steps his Department has taking to improve animal conditions on farms.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	219447
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>The Government is making good on our commitment to make the UK a world leader in the care and protection of animals as we leave the EU. We are planning to increase maximum penalties for animal cruelty from six months’ to five years’ imprisonment. We are updating our statutory welfare codes, starting with the publication of new meat chicken and laying hen codes last year. These codes strengthen guidance for keepers and owners of livestock on how to meet the needs of their animals and enhance their welfare.</p><p> </p><p>We are considering what more can be done to improve our already high animal welfare standards in the context of our future agricultural policy. In England, we intend to develop publicly-funded schemes for farmers to deliver animal welfare enhancements beyond our high regulatory baseline that are not sufficiently rewarded by the market.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 14/02/2019 15:56:25 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1058713

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
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: Armed Conflict
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of files held by his Department in relation to Sri Lanka dating from the 1970s and 1980s that (a) have been and (b) are planned to be destroyed.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	219553
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>​The FCO is unable to collate these estimates of file destruction within the timescale provided without incurring disproportionate cost.</p><p>The FCO, as with all government departments, reviews all its files in line with the requirements of the Public Records Act before making a decision on permanent preservation. This applies to all files from the 1970s and 1980s relating to Sri Lanka which the FCO has already reviewed under the Act.</p><p>Selection of such records for permanent preservation took place under the guidance and supervision of The National Archives.</p><p>The Public Records Act does not require departments to preserve files if they are of no long-term historical value. For instance, the FCO may destroy a file if it only contains administrative or ephemeral content or because it only contains information which is already in the public domain.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 14/02/2019 16:36:27 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1058729

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern Rail Franchise
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what decisions his Department has taken on the next Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Lloyd Russell-Moyle
uin	219532
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>The Department has started considering the future of the Thameslink, Southern, and Great Northern franchise (TSGN). We are working closely with the Williams Rail Review, which is examining the most appropriate organisational and commercial models for the future of the rail industry. As a result, a decision will not be made regarding the future of TSGN before the Review findings are published in Autumn 2019.</p> answering member constituency Harrogate and Knaresborough answering member printed Andrew Jones question first answered 14/02/2019 14:54:14 answering member 3996 label Biography information for Andrew Jones
tabling member	4615 label Biography information for Lloyd Russell-Moyle

1058730

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Home Office: Official Engagements
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list his engagements for Monday 4 February 2019.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	219277
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>It is not Home Office policy to release detailed accounts of the Home Secretary’s diary. We do however release quarterly transparency data that details their external meetings, which can be found here:<br><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/home-office-ministers-hospitality-data" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/home-office-ministers-hospitality-data</a></p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 14/02/2019 17:25:06 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar