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1126962

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	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	Construction: Trading Standards
	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 assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Trading Standards in protecting consumers from rogue and incompetent builders in the construction industry.
	tabling member constituency	Morecambe and Lunesdale
	tabling member printed	David Morris
	uin	254821
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>No such assessment has been made, but the Government is considering options to ensure that our system of consumer protection provides a robust response to both local and national threats for the Consumer White Paper.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has endorsed the TrustMark scheme to reduce the number of rogue and incompetent builders; and to identify local traders who have undergone independent checks for both trade competence and good trading practice. This scheme gives consumers increased confidence and ability to choose registered businesses including builders who adhere to and maintain high standards.</p><p> </p><p>TrustMark is actively involved with Trading Standards to provide further protection to consumers affected by rogue builders.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 22/05/2019 16:20:22 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst previous answer version 119032 answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4135 label Biography information for David Morris

1126963

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	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	Construction: Trading Standards
	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 estimate he has made of the number of (a) rogue and (b) incompetent builders in the construction industry; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce that number.
	tabling member constituency	Morecambe and Lunesdale
	tabling member printed	David Morris
	uin	254822
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>The Department has not made an estimate of the number of rogue and incompetent builders in the construction sector. However, the Government has endorsed the TrustMark scheme to reduce the number of rogue and incompetent builders; and to identify local traders who have undergone independent checks for both trade competence and good trading practice. This scheme gives consumers increased confidence and ability to choose registered businesses including builders who adhere to and maintain high standards.</p><p> </p><p>TrustMark is actively involved with Trading Standards to provide further protection to consumers affected by rogue builders. Where a company has committed a criminal breach of consumer law, Trading Standards can prosecute in the criminal court and the court can impose a fine or imprisonment for a serious offence.</p> answering member constituency Pendle answering member printed Andrew Stephenson question first answered 21/05/2019 16:48:00 answering member 4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson previous answer version 119033 answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4135 label Biography information for David Morris

1126831

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Dstl: Animal Experiments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many marmosets at DSTL Porton Down were culled on the grounds they were deemed to be (a) surplus animals and (b) unsuccessful breeding animals in each of the last 3 years.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	254793
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) at Porton Down, Wiltshire, is licensed by the Home Office to conduct the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) in-house research involving the use of animals.</p><p>There are occasions when it is necessary to euthanise an animal for its own welfare or for the welfare of the remaining breeding population. Veterinary surgeons provide extensive advice on the welfare of the animals and on the overall health of the breeding colony.</p><p>For 2016, 2017 and 2018, no surplus marmosets were euthanised. Due to unsuccessful breeding, no marmosets were euthanised in 2016; for 2017, one breeding marmoset was euthanised, and for 2018, three breeding marmosets were euthanised on veterinary advice that it would not be good for the animal's welfare and/or may risk the animal's health to carry on breeding.</p><p>Dstl always considers what will be in the best interests for every animal's welfare and follows the Home Office's Animal in Science Regulation Unit's advice on rehoming and setting free, which is available to view on gov.uk.</p> answering member constituency Pudsey answering member printed Stuart Andrew question first answered 22/05/2019 15:06:07 answering member 4032 label Biography information for Stuart Andrew
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1126874

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	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	Cybersecurity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Cyber Essentials programme.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	254783
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>An independent academic evaluation of the effectiveness of Cyber Essentials found that its security controls work well to mitigate the vast majority of Internet-based threats. These security controls are kept under continual review. The primary objective for Cyber Essentials is to help all organisations mitigate cyber security risks, especially small and medium-sized organisations. The Government continues to work to ensure Cyber Essentials has the greatest impact for the majority of the target audience and is currently developing the scheme to ensure a) the journey to certification is as simple as possible, and b) the technical controls remain fit for purpose in the ever-changing cyber threat landscape.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James grouped question UIN 255315 question first answered 23/05/2019 15:57:24 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

1126875

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	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	Cybersecurity: Business
	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 businesses have been certified under (a) Cyber Essentials and (b) Cyber Essentials Plus.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	254784
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>At the end of April 2019 the total number of Cyber Essentials certificates awarded to organisations was 26,712. Of these, (a) 21,948 were awarded at Cyber Essentials level and (b) 4,764 were awarded at Cyber Essentials Plus level.</p> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James question first answered 23/05/2019 15:58:26 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

1126925

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	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	Social Media: Young People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the (a) addiction to and (b) anxiety caused by social media among young people.
	tabling member constituency	Romford
	tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
	uin	254757
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>The DCMS and Home Office joint Online Harms White Paper outlines our plans to establish in law a new duty of care on companies towards their users, overseen by an independent regulator. This regulator will set clear safety standards, backed up by mandatory reporting requirements and effective enforcement powers. The government shares concerns around designed addiction and is determined to ensure that we have sufficient evidence on this risk, and the right expectations of companies to design their products in safe ways. We expect the regulator will continue to support research in this area to inform future action and, if necessary, set clear expectations for companies to prevent harm to their users.</p><p> </p><p>In February 2019, the UK Chief Medical Officers published their review on the impact of social media use on children and young people’s mental health, followed by advice on how to have a healthy balance with screen time. They concluded that the published scientific research is currently insufficient to support evidence-based guidelines on screen time, but there is enough basis to warrant a precautionary approach and action by schools, government and technology companies.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James question first answered 23/05/2019 16:01:02 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
	tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1126802

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children's Centres
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to (a) reverse the closure of children's centres and (b) publish a strategy for the long-term expansion of the provision of children's centres.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	254727
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>As set out in the government response to recommendation 13 of the Education Select Committee report on tackling disadvantage in the early years, published on 4 April 2019, we are clear that children’s centres have an important role to play in achieving my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s social mobility ambition, but it is right for local authorities to decide how to use them as part of the wider system of local services. The government response can be accessed here: <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/Education/Correspondence/Government-response-to-committee-9th-report-tackling-disadvantage-in-the-early-years-CP-68.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/Education/Correspondence/Government-response-to-committee-9th-report-tackling-disadvantage-in-the-early-years-CP-68.pdf</a>, the select committee report can be accessed here: <a href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmeduc/1006/1006.pdf" target="_blank">https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmeduc/1006/1006.pdf</a>.</p><p>The government’s role is to engage with the sector, find out what works and support local areas to make the right decisions for their communities, which is why we have commissioned the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) to examine research and practice evidence with the aim of developing tools to help local authorities make informed choices about their children’s centre provision. The EIF project is part of the Department for Education’s £8.5 million local government programme, which will inform the next steps, including considering any future consultation, on children’s centres. Funding for the local government programme runs until March 2020, with evidence and learning emerging by its conclusion.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 22/05/2019 13:11:22 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1126847

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Social Services
	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 long-term benefit to the economy of early intervention and prevention work provided by local authority children’s services departments.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	254818
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The government has funded the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) since 2013, including almost £2 million in 2018-20, to assess, evaluate and disseminate evidence of what works. The EIF has assessed the benefits of a wide range of specific early intervention programmes and suggested that whilst producing robust estimates is challenging, there is a compelling argument that the costs of intervening early are likely to pay off to society in economic terms. In particular, they highlight that the long-term economic benefits are considerable where early intervention leads to labour market gains, such as improvements in employment and earnings. However, they are clear that it is not a quick fix and is unlikely to reduce pressure on the social care system in the short term.</p><p>The value of early intervention is reflected in statutory guidance ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ (2018), which is clear that providing early help is more effective in promoting children’s welfare than reacting later – playing an important part in supporting children and young people to achieve better outcomes. The guidance is clear that local areas should have a comprehensive range of effective, evidence-based services in place to address assessed needs early. It is right that local authorities are free to decide how to use their children’s social care budget to manage local priorities and deliver the best services for children.</p><p>The government has also committed £920 million to the Troubled Families Programme, an early intervention approach which aims to achieve significant and sustained improvement for families with multiple, high-cost problems.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 22/05/2019 11:27:27 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi previous answer version 118999 answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1126881

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Social Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, by how much local authorities overspent on the provision of children’s social care in the year ending 31 March 2018; and what assessment he has made of the future financial sustainability of local government children’s services departments based on current levels of overspend.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol East
	tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
	uin	254773
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>Local authorities are required under Section 251 of the ‘Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009’ to submit education and children’s social care budget and expenditure statements. This data is published in statistical releases annually. The most recent release shows local authorities had a difference of approximately £1 billion in 2017-18 when their planned spend is compared to their actual spend.</p><p>Funding for children’s services is made available through the Local Government Finance Settlement. We are in the final year of a multi-year settlement deal and have made £46.4 billion available this year for local services including those for children’s services. The government has also made £410 million available to local authorities this year specifically for adult and children social care.</p><p>My department is working with the sector, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and with HM Treasury, as part of our preparation for the next Spending Review, to understand the level of funding local government needs to meet demand and deliver statutory duties.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 22/05/2019 11:29:48 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi previous answer version 118964 answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1126911

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Social Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the financial sustainability of local government children’s services.
	tabling member constituency	Knowsley
	tabling member printed	Mr George Howarth
	uin	254748
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>Funding for children’s services is made available through the Local Government Finance Settlement. We are in the final year of a multi-year settlement deal and have made £46.4 billion available this year for local services including those for children’s services. The government has also made £410 million available to local authorities this year specifically for adult and children social care.</p><p>My department is working with the sector, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and with HM Treasury, as part of our preparation for the next Spending Review, to understand the level of funding local government needs to meet demand and deliver statutory duties.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 23/05/2019 09:57:46 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	481 label Biography information for Sir George Howarth