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1041740

registered interest
date	15/01/2019
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the increase in the work allowance of universal credit is worth per household.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	208848
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2019 answer text <p>Work allowance rates will be increased by £1000 from April 2019 and uprated in line with inflation thereafter. This measure provides additional support in a package worth £1.7 billion in 2023/24 to some of the most vulnerable low paid working households.</p><p> </p><p>It will increase the amount that these households can earn before the Universal Credit taper rate is applied, providing 2.4 million working households with around an extra £630 a year.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 23/01/2019 17:07:37 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1041741

registered interest
date	15/01/2019
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: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the exceptional circumstances are which will allow full support under universal credit for third and subsequent children born after April 2017.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	208849
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2019 answer text <p>Since 6 April 2017, families with third and subsequent children born on or after this date are able to claim additional support through Child Tax Credit or Universal Credit for their first two children.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that some claimants are not able to make the same choices about the number of children in their family. That is why exceptions have been put in place to protect certain groups.</p><p> </p><p>Exceptions apply to third and subsequent children who are:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Additional children in a multiple birth: an extra amount is payable for all children in a multiple birth other than the first child; or</li><li>Likely to have been born as a result of non-consensual conception, which for this purpose includes non-consensual sex where the claimant was in a controlling or coercive relationship with the child’s other biological parent at the time of conception.</li></ul><p> </p><p>An exception also applies to any children in a household who are:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Adopted when they would otherwise be in Local Authority care; or</li><li>Living long term with friends or family and would otherwise be at risk of entering the care system, or where a child (under 16) living with their parents or carers has a child of their own (until they make a separate claim upon turning 16).</li></ul> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 23/01/2019 16:36:02 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1038525

registered interest
date	09/01/2019
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	Plastic Surgery
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a requirement for practitioners of cosmetic interventions to receive proper training and an assessment before undertaking procedures.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	206813
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/01/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to improving the safety of cosmetic procedures through better training for practitioners, and better information so that people can make informed decisions about their care.</p><p> </p><p>Cosmetic surgery, where the surgical procedure involves the use of instruments or equipment which are inserted into the body, is a regulated activity and can only be performed by surgeons who are registered with the General Medical Council. Providers are required to register with the Care Quality Commission and meet the fundamental standards of safety and quality.</p><p> </p><p>The Joint Council of Cosmetic Practitioners was established in 2018 to accredit and assess practitioners and education and training providers within the non-surgical sector with the overarching aim of ensuring patient safety.</p><p> </p><p>We urge anyone seeking a cosmetic procedure to take the time to find a reputable, safe, and qualified practitioner who is subject to statutory regulation, or on a voluntary register accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.</p> answering member constituency Thurrock answering member printed Jackie Doyle-Price question first answered 17/01/2019 17:23:14 answering member 4065 label Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1038529

registered interest
date	09/01/2019
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	Plastic Surgery
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an ombudsman to oversee the regulation of cosmetic procedures.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	206814
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/01/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to improving the safety of cosmetic procedures through better training for practitioners, and better information so that people can make informed decisions about their care.</p><p> </p><p>In January 2012, Sir Bruce Keogh was asked by the then Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Rt. hon. Jeremy Hunt MP) to carry out a review of the regulation of cosmetic interventions following the Poly Implant Prothèse breast implants scandal. Recommendation 34 covered potentially expanding the remit of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to cover the whole private healthcare sector, including cosmetic procedures.</p><p> </p><p>The Government’s Cosmetic Interventions Working Group subsequently evaluated the feasibility of including private health services in the remit of the Ombudsman. This process identified a number of issues that would need to be resolved before such a change could be made.</p><p> </p><p>Consumers opting for cosmetic procedures are protected by the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and other forms of legal redress including the Independent Healthcare Advisory Services and the Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service.</p> answering member constituency Thurrock answering member printed Jackie Doyle-Price question first answered 17/01/2019 17:22:19 answering member 4065 label Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1038558

registered interest
date	09/01/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Syria: Internally Displaced People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment her Department has made of the humanitarian situation in the Rukban camp in Syria.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	206820
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2019 answer text <p>The UK is extremely concerned about the dire humanitarian situation of the 40,000 – 50,000 displaced Syrians currently stranded at Rukban camp. Whilst we were encouraged by the recent aid convoy that took place in November 2018, it is crucial that this is not viewed as a one-off event. A recent UN assessment highlighted in particular the major health and protection concerns caused by the lack of sustained access provided to humanitarian actors.</p><p> </p><p>The UK urges the Assad regime and its backers, in the strongest possible terms, to facilitate full humanitarian access to enable a second convoy with winter supplies to take place followed by regular and unrestricted aid deliveries thereafter.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 16/01/2019 17:12:46 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1038559

registered interest
date	09/01/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Developing Countries: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which objectives her Department is seeking to achieve by investing in girls’ education in developing countries.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	206821
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2019 answer text <p>In the three years from 2015 to 2018 DFID supported at least 5.6 million girls to gain a decent education. The objective of our investment is to support girls to attend school, learn whilst they are there, and help ensure the critical transition from primary to secondary education. Through this work we are supporting girls to achieve basic literacy and numeracy and are helping to equip them with the skills they need to succeed in jobs of the future.</p><p>Evidence for the benefits of investment in girls’ education includes:</p><ul><li>An extra year of primary schooling for girls can increase their wages by 10-20%, most of which is likely to be reinvested in her family and community.</li><li>A World Bank study found that every year of secondary school education is correlated with an 18% increase in a girls’ future earning power.</li><li>Education helps to prevent early marriage and early pregnancy - girls with no education are 3 times as likely to marry by 18 as those with a secondary or higher education.</li><li>If all girls completed primary school in sub-Saharan Africa and South and West Asia, the number of girls getting married by age 15 would fall by 14%; with secondary education, 64% fewer girls would get married.</li><li>A UNICEF study from Bangladesh attributes the halving of the Maternal Mortality Rates from 1990 to 2008 to the increased enrolment of girls in secondary education.</li></ul><p> </p><p>We believe that investing in educating girls is both the right and the smart thing to do, both socially and economically. Our work is guided by DFID’s 2018 Education Policy – Get Children Learning. This sets out how educating girls can: support better health choices, boost earnings, build social cohesion and help institutions and public services work better.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 16/01/2019 16:30:44 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1038563

registered interest
date	09/01/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Developing Countries: Slavery
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what programmes her Department (a) promotes and (b) funds to tackle child slavery in developing countries.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	206822
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2019 answer text <p>DFID is at the forefront of the UK’s international efforts to end violence against, and abuse and exploitation of children – including the worst forms of child labour. We are promoting action to end modern slavery in all its forms in line with Sustainable Development Goals 16.2, 8.7 and 5.2 and as well as leading efforts to increase support for, and implementation of, the Prime Minister’s “Call to Action to end Forced Labour, Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking” launched in 2017. The Call to Action has now endorsed by over 80 countries and we continue to work with governments, civil society and the private sector to push for action at all levels.</p><p>In 2017 the Government committed to doubling aid spending to tackle modern slavery to £150 million. We have exceeded this goal with UK aid committed now amounting to just over £200 million. DFID funded programmes make up the bulk of this aid and includes work to reduce vulnerability to exploitation and address the permissive environments which allow child exploitation to exist and thrive.</p><p>Full details of this work can be found at <a href="https://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/</a>. Examples include: a £26 million Regional Programme to tackle the worst forms of child labour in Asia (e.g. Bangladesh and Nepal); a £10 million Children on the Move Programme (in partnership with UNICEF) to protect up to 400,000 children at risk of violence and slavery in the Horn of Africa and along dangerous migratory routes in Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia; and a new £12 million UK Aid Connect Programme to address child labour in fragile and conflict affected states in Africa (such as the DRC).</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 16/01/2019 16:32:44 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1024690

registered interest
date	13/12/2018
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	Animals: Exports
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 effect on levels of safety of certifying non-qualified personnel to sign-off health certificates for animal exports which are currently drafted by veterinary surgeons.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	202057
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2018 answer text <p>There are no plans to certify non-qualified personnel to sign-off export health certificates.</p><p> </p><p>The quality of assurance of our exports is a high priority for the government and important for our trading partners. The use of Certification Support Officers will have no impact on this. As now Export Health Certificates will continue to be signed by an Official Veterinarian (OV) when that is required by the importing country. Certification Support Officers (CSOs) will be trained and authorised by the Animal and Plant Health Agency so they will have a suitable qualification. They must work under the direction of an OV and may carry out preparatory and administrative tasks, such as checking documents, identifying products or sealing containers. Ultimately, the official vet must be satisfied that the required conditions have been met before signing the certificate. CSOs are not authorised to assist with the certification of live animals.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 18/12/2018 12:36:44 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1024010

registered interest
date	12/12/2018
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	Veterinary Medicine
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 estimate his Department has made of the number of qualified veterinary surgeons that would be required to sign off export health certificates for the export of animals and animal products in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	201659
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2018 answer text <p>We have analysed expected demand for export health certificates (EHCs) if we leave the EU without a deal.</p><p> </p><p>We have looked at the capacity within the current veterinary market, and taken into consideration a number of factors that will impact on the amount of time required by official vets to sign EHCs for EU-bound products.</p><p> </p><p>We are also making it possible for the providers of certification services to employ new support officers to carry out certain administrative aspects of the EHC process, freeing up the time and capacity of official vets to provide the final assurances for the EHC.</p><p> </p><p>We expect demand for EHCs will be at the lower end of estimates and expect efficiencies to be made by the larger exporters.</p><p> </p><p>Therefore, we estimate the market will need increased capacity equivalent to about 50 full-time official vets and providers of certification services are confident they can meet the demand.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 20/12/2018 16:57:08 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1024011

registered interest
date	12/12/2018
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	Veterinary Medicine
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 steps his Department plans to take to ensure the geographical distribution of veterinary surgeons required to monitor animal exports in the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	201660
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2018 answer text <p>Official vets are located across the country to meet the demands from the market. Major providers of certification services are working to have a national-level provision for service users and they have provided assurances that they can meet anticipated levels of demand.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 20/12/2018 10:45:36 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord