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1239033

registered interest
date	30/09/2020
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Buses: Northern Ireland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on increasing support for the hydrogen-powered bus sector in Northern Ireland.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	906640
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/10/2020 answer text <p>Northern Ireland has proven expertise with hydrogen-electric power in the bus sector and we have seen the introduction of the world’s first hydrogen-electric double-decker bus by Wrightbus this year.</p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland visited Wrightbus in August and recently discussed the opportunities for Northern Ireland with the Transport Secretary. I and my officials are engaging with DfT and BEIS on the UK bus and hydrogen strategies and aim to capitalise on our joint ambitions for these areas. It was good to see Wrightbus recently securing orders for hydrogen-electric buses through its H2Bus consortium and we look forward to forthcoming announcements on the UK’s Hydrogen and National Bus Strategies.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 01/10/2020 13:02:54 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker previous answer version 50976 answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1239196

registered interest
date	30/09/2020
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Remembrance Day: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if his Department will urgently co-ordinate advice on the management of services and parades on Remembrance Sunday to assist local councils, the police, the Royal British Legion and other service and uniformed organisations in organising covid-safe events.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	97452
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2020 answer text <p>Published guidance for local authority preparations for Remembrance Sunday can be found at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-preparations-for-remembrance-sunday/local-authority-preparations-for-remembrance-sunday" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-preparations-for-remembrance-sunday/local-authority-preparations-for-remembrance-sunday</a></p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 22/10/2020 16:57:26 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1237977

registered interest
date	25/09/2020
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	Zhenhua Data: Data Protection
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 implications for his policies of the collection of data on UK individuals and others by Chinese firm Zhenhua Data.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	95592
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/10/2020 answer text <p>The Information Commissioner's Office is aware of the reports regarding Zhenhua Data Technology and is making enquiries with the company. Organisations must comply with our legal system and regulatory frameworks. The GDPR and UK’s Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA18) impose strict obligations on organisations to ensure that UK citizens’ data is processed safely and securely. Organisations which fail to comply may be investigated by the Information Commissioner’s Office and where appropriate subject to enforcement action, including fines. If relevant the ICO may contact international partners through their cooperation mechanism.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Mr John Whittingdale question first answered 07/10/2020 13:44:27 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1237507

registered interest
date	24/09/2020
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	Coronavirus: Laboratories
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 laboratory capacity his Department and it's Agencies have provided to NHS Test and Trace.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	94999
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/09/2020 answer text <p>Defra’s agencies have significant laboratory capacity and expertise that have been repurposed and provided to NHS Test and Trace.</p><p> </p><p>Defra’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) temporarily supplied staff and equipment to the Lighthouse laboratories and has a contract with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to test up to 2000 samples per day. APHA also has a contractually based involvement in a research project called <em>Safe &amp; Certain</em> (DHSC-funded project), coordinated by University of Southampton, which involves direct testing on saliva samples. APHA participated in Phase 1 of the project (July/August 2020) and is now embarking on Phase 2 involving testing of up to 60,000 samples over the next month.</p><p> </p><p>The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Science (Cefas) provided four key pieces of Polymerase Chain Reaction testing equipment to the UK’s mass diagnostics facility in Northern Ireland, and personal protective equipment to NHS facilities in the Dorset region. Cefas has registered details of its remaining capacity through DHSC’s online portal.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Agency has been working with core Defra and the Joint Biosecurity Centre to trial the use of waste water testing for Covid-19 RNA, to help identify increases in Covid-19 prevalence at population level and help target testing capacity.</p><p>Fera Science Ltd provided critical testing equipment to the Lighthouse laboratory in Glasgow.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 29/09/2020 11:23:53 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1235998

registered interest
date	22/09/2020
answering body	House of Commons Commission
answering dept id	18
answering dept short name	House of Commons Commission
answering dept sort name	House of Commons Commission
hansard heading	House of Commons: Shops
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, when is it proposed to reintroduce cash payment at outlets in the House of Commons.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	92625
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/09/2020 answer text <p>The reintroduction of cash payments in catering outlets will be reviewed by the Catering Service Management team in accordance with any changes to industry guidance provided by the Government. The current guidance encourages contactless payments, where possible, which the House is adopting as part of its measures to manage the risk of COVID transmission on the Parliamentary Estate.</p> answering member constituency Perth and North Perthshire answering member printed Pete Wishart question first answered 24/09/2020 17:19:17 answering member 1440 label Biography information for Pete Wishart
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1235999

registered interest
date	22/09/2020
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	Coronavirus: Screening
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many cases of acute respiratory infections which resulted in at least one positive test for covid-19 there were in the most recent week for which figures are available; and what proportion of those cases occurred in (a) care homes, (b) the workplace, (c) education settings and (d) pubs and food outlets.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	92626
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2020 answer text <p>Public Health England publishes the number of acute respiratory infections reported each week in the national COVID-19 surveillance reports.</p><p>729 new incidents of acute respiratory infection were reported in week 37 (Week commencing 7 August 2020).</p><p>Of these, 313 incidents were from care homes where 228 had at least one linked case that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2; 110 incidents were from workplace settings where 92 had at least one linked case that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2; 193 incidents were from educational settings where 110 had at least one linked case that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2; 34 incidents were from food outlet/restaurant settings where 25 had at least one linked case that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2; four incidents were from prisons where three had at least one linked case that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2; 18 incidents were from hospitals where 13 had at least one linked case that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2; and 57 incidents were from other settings where 39 had at least one linked case that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.</p><p>The most recent weekly COVID-19 surveillance report can be found at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-covid-19-surveillance-reports" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-covid-19-surveillance-reports</a></p> answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Helen Whately question first answered 12/10/2020 11:06:38 answering member 4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately previous answer version 50058 answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Helen Whately answering member 4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1236009

registered interest
date	22/09/2020
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	Coronavirus: Screening
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of supplies of reagents for covid-19 testing; and what steps he is taking to secure supplies of those reagents.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	92627
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2020 answer text <p>Thanks to our world-leading scientists and clinicians, we have now been able to fast-track a new biological reagent to help the United Kingdom and countries across the globe carry out even more tests and develop ever more accurate ways of diagnosing the virus.</p> answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Helen Whately question first answered 26/11/2020 10:56:33 answering member 4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1236010

registered interest
date	22/09/2020
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	Coronavirus: Vaccination
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 is he taking to ensure adequate refrigeration capacity for a vaccination programme to tackle covid-19.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	92628
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2020 answer text <p>National preparations for storage of COVID-19 vaccines at the required temperatures are being made by Public Health England to support a national COVID-19 vaccination programme. This includes both the central storage of vaccines and distribution capability across the United Kingdom to the National Health Service.</p><p>NHS England and NHS Improvement are working to ensure that appropriate freezer and refrigeration capacity is in place to maintain the required cold-chain for COVID-19 vaccination deployment across England. NHS England and NHS Improvement are using the latest available COVID-19 vaccination characteristic and supply information to model the required capacity and working with suppliers to secure additional freezer and fridge as needed. NHS England and NHS Improvement have taken early steps, and are continuing to work to secure these resources, recognising the likely global competing demand for items.</p> answering member constituency Bury St Edmunds answering member printed Jo Churchill question first answered 22/10/2020 15:15:24 answering member 4380 label Biography information for Jo Churchill
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1236012

registered interest
date	22/09/2020
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	Remote Working: Minimum Wage
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 ensure that remote digital workers are being paid the National Minimum Wage.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	92629
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/09/2020 answer text <p>Anyone who is deemed to be a “worker” is entitled to be paid at least the relevant National Minimum or Living Wage rate. This applies to all workers, including remote digital workers, who work, or ordinarily work, in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>We are clear that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum or Living Wage should receive it and we will take action where employers have been found to be in breach of the law.</p><p> </p><p>This Government continues to invest heavily in minimum wage compliance and enforcement, more than doubling the budget to £27.5 million for 2020/21, up from £13.2 million in 2015/16.</p><p> </p><p>Any worker who feels that they have been underpaid can contact the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) helpline for confidential, impartial and free advice on 0300 123 1100 or at <a href="http://www.acas.org.uk/" target="_blank">www.acas.org.uk</a>. HM Revenue and Customs, which is responsible for enforcing minimum wage legislation, will consider every complaint it receives.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 30/09/2020 15:26:33 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1236013

registered interest
date	22/09/2020
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Diesel: Renewable Fuels
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's policy is on the use of (a) food and (b) animal feed crops for the production of renewable diesel.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	92630
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/09/2020 answer text <p>The Government recognises that some crop derived biofuels can lead to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions due to indirect land use change factors, and concerns regarding the potential for increases in food prices as land and crops are diverted to fuel rather than food production.</p><p> </p><p>Given these concerns the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), a certificate trading scheme which promotes a market for sustainable renewable fuels, limits the contribution crop based biofuels can make towards a suppliers obligation (both bioethanol and biodiesel). This sliding cap on crop based biofuels decreases from 4% in 2020 to 2% in 2032. The RTFO provides additional support for low carbon fuels that do not compete with food and save significant greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels. Biofuels made from wastes and residues receive twice number of tradeable certificates than would be rewarded for the supply of biofuels made from crops.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Redditch answering member printed Rachel Maclean question first answered 25/09/2020 12:14:40 answering member 4668 label Biography information for Rachel Maclean
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar