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1126853

registered interest
date	16/05/2019
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	Weedkillers: Cancer
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 his Department has made of whether the weedkiller RoundUp is a potential cause of cancer.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	254714
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>Like all pesticides, Roundup (a range of weedkillers containing glyphosate) is subject to strict regulation to ensure that its use will not harm people or have unacceptable effects on the environment.</p><p> </p><p>The European Commission decided in December 2017 to approve glyphosate for continuing use until December 2022. The decision followed a scientific risk assessment by the European Food Safety Authority, which included a very close scrutiny of the evidence on whether glyphosate causes cancer. UK experts participated in that assessment and supported its conclusions.</p><p> </p><p>All pesticide products, including Roundup, are tightly regulated by the Health and Safety Executive. They are only authorised for use if scientific data demonstrates that they will not harm people or have unacceptable effects on the environment.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to keep an active watch on the scientific evidence on glyphosate.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 20/05/2019 16:17:51 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126849

registered interest
date	15/05/2019
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Migrants: Detainees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is his Department’s policy not to release the location of the immigration removal centre where a person has been detained to the direct family of the detainee.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	254712
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>The Home Office has no specific policy precluding the release of information relating to an individual’s location within the immigration detention estate. Data protection legislation however may prevent the release of such personal information should there be no legal basis to share it.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 20/05/2019 16:11:22 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126901

registered interest
date	15/05/2019
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	Assistance Animals
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 people travelling with assistance dogs to the EU will face disruption at EU borders at (a) train stations, (b) ports and (c) airports in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	254715
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>The Government understands that assistance dog users, who have become familiar with the benefits of using the EU Pet Travel Scheme to travel to EU Member States, are concerned about the changes that could take place when the UK leaves the EU.</p><p> </p><p>In any exit scenario owners of assistance dogs from the UK will still be able to travel to the EU with their animals. After exit we want owners of assistance dogs to be able to take their animals to the EU with the minimum of disruption.</p><p> </p><p>If the UK leaves the EU without a deal and becomes an unlisted third country under the EU Pet Travel Scheme, assistance dogs would need to be microchipped and vaccinated against rabies, as now, but would also need to undergo a blood titre test to demonstrate that their rabies vaccination has been effective.</p><p> </p><p>On 25 March 2019 Defra issued updated guidance on pet travel to Europe after Brexit, which can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pet-travel-to-europe-after-brexit" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pet-travel-to-europe-after-brexit</a>. This advises of the contingency planning owners should consider to make sure their animals can travel to the EU in the scenario that the UK is not granted listed third country status under EU Pet Travel Scheme rules. The guidance advises owners to contact their vet at least four months before travelling to get the latest advice.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has submitted an application for the UK to become a listed country under the EU pet travel regulations. Should the UK become a Part 1 listed country, there would be little change to the current arrangements, with only minor changes needed for documentation and, in most cases, no change for owners from what they currently need to do in terms of their animal’s health preparation. It is now for the EU Commission to consider our application for listed status.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to work with assistance dog organisations to share the latest advice and guidance (in accessible formats) with their members. We will also work with carriers to ensure that assistance dog owners have the correct health preparation and documentation to enable them to enter the EU. When further information becomes available it will be published on GOV.UK. Email alerts on pet travel can be subscribed to at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications</a>. We will also ensure that vets who issue pet travel documents have the most up to date information.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 21/05/2019 14:19:39 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126560

registered interest
date	14/05/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Department for International Development: Sick Leave
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department; and what the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	254069
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>106 DFID employees were absent due to stress, anxiety and/or depression during the period 1 May 2018 to 30 April 2019. This represented 3.6% of DFID’s workforce and 21% of the overall sickness absence for the department during this period. The estimated cost to DFID due to sickness absence during the period 1 May 2018 to 30 April 2019 was £217,350.</p><p> </p><p>DFID is committed to the health and wellbeing of all our staff, including helping them to manage stress in the workplace. DFID offers a range of guidance and services in place to support staff, including our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), which offers telephone and face to face counselling for all staff. This service also provides a wide range of online information and advice on work/life issues. DFID’s HR teams and Occupational Health Services provide support and advice for staff and managers to ensure a successful return to work after a period of mental ill health. DFID also has a Listening Network, an informal peer staff network, to complement the help already available.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 21/05/2019 14:55:41 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126563

registered interest
date	14/05/2019
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	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Sick Leave
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department; and what the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	254072
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>A total of 26 employees in the department were absent due to stress-related reasons in the period 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 and this represented less than 1 per cent of the total workforce. The proportion of sickness absence owing to stress related reasons was 6 per cent of all sickness absence for the department for the same period.</p><p>The estimated cost to the department between 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 for employees taking sickness absence, is estimated at a total of £1.1 million.</p><p>The department is committed to the health and wellbeing of all our staff, including helping them to manage stress in the workplace. It has a range of guidance and services in place to support staff including a contracted Employee Assistance Programme (Help), an Occupational Health referral service to support staff throughout their absence and return to work, and a listening and support service through a Mental Health Ambassador Network.</p><p>The department offers a proactive model of Health and wellbeing support to staff, including those engaged in emotionally challenging work, ensuring that they are provided with interventions that are tailored to both specific groups and individuals.</p> answering member constituency Rossendale and Darwen answering member printed Jake Berry question first answered 21/05/2019 13:08:07 answering member 4060 label Biography information for Sir Jake Berry
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126565

registered interest
date	14/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Department for Education: Sick Leave
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department; and what the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	254074
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>The number of employees in the department who were absent for stress-related reasons from 1 May 2018 to 30 April 2019 was 119, which represented 1.84% of the total workforce and 11.26% of the overall sickness absence.</p><p>The estimated cost of this sickness absence is £3,456,595 (based on a calculation of total working days lost multiplied by the daily rate of the department’s median salary).</p><p> </p><p>The department is committed to the health and wellbeing of all our employees, including helping them to manage stress in the workplace. There is a range of guidance and services in place to support the department’s employees such as Mental Health First Aiders, Employee Assistance Programmes and Fair Treatment Ambassadors.</p><p> </p><p>Sickness absence data for the Civil Service from 1999 to the first quarter of 2018 is published on GOV.UK and available at the following link: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-sickness-absence" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-sickness-absence</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 21/05/2019 16:06:04 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126568

registered interest
date	14/05/2019
answering body	Wales Office
answering dept id	28
answering dept short name	Wales
answering dept sort name	Wales
hansard heading	Wales Office: Sick Leave
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department; and what the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	254077
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/05/2019 answer text <p>The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales is unable to disclose the number or proportion of officials in the Department citing stress as a reason for sick absence in the last twelve months as the data relates to fewer than five staff, and releasing the data would risk the identification of individuals.</p><p>Sick leave for reasons relating to stress amounted to 33% of total sick leave days in the Department in the 12 months to 31 March. The cost of officials taking sick leave was £14,117.</p><p>The physical and mental wellbeing of our staff is crucially important to the department and staff have access to all employee services that help to sustain physical and mental wellbeing, including Occupational Health and a 24-hour employee assistance helpline.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 17/05/2019 09:24:23 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126570

registered interest
date	14/05/2019
answering body	Scotland Office
answering dept id	2
answering dept short name	Scotland
answering dept sort name	Scotland
hansard heading	Scotland Office: Sick Leave
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department; and what the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	254079
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland does not employ staff directly. All staff that join do so on an assignment, loan or secondment from other government departments, who remain the employers. These Departments have their own absence management policies and recording processes that apply to those of their staff working in the office. Detailed reasons for absence attributable to stress and other sickness absence is not retained by the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland.</p><p>The office takes sickness absence and the general wellbeing of staff very seriously and works alongside the employing departments to ensure that anyone who is experiencing issues receives support and assistance.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale answering member printed David Mundell question first answered 21/05/2019 11:52:21 answering member 1512 label Biography information for David Mundell
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126572

registered interest
date	14/05/2019
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Ministry of Defence: Sick Leave
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of officials in her Department office took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in her Department; and what the cost was to her Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	254081
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>The Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Civilian Sickness Absence data has been published on the GOV.UK website since January 2016 and the latest available edition can be found at the following link:</p><p> </p><p>https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-civilian-sickness-absence-financial-year-201718.</p><p> </p><p>Data relating to the 12 month period to 31 March 2019 is due to be published on 13 June 2019.</p><p> </p><p>The MOD takes the health and wellbeing of its personnel very seriously. The Department’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy for all MOD employees, military and civilian, is designed to provide guidance to the chain of command and civilian line managers on how to manage the health needs, both mental and physical, of their people. The aim is to maximise the number of people fit to work, managing people back to work after a period of sickness, so that they are fit and able to meet the requirements of Defence outputs, including operational effectiveness. In 2017, the Department also launched its Defence People Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2017–2022 with a four-step plan of implementation; promotion, prevention, detection and treatment.</p><p> </p><p>All civilian staff can access the Department’s Employee Wellbeing Service which offers emotional support and advice on life events as well as counselling services. In addition, the Speak Safe helpline provides a safe space to discuss issues relating to bullying, harassment and discrimination. The Department also has over 2,000 civilian and military Mental Health First Aiders, each of whom has completed a two-day course delivered in accordance with the requirements of Mental Health First Aid England (or equivalent).</p><p> </p><p>The MOD offers a range of flexibilities to enable a better work-life balance for civilian employees. The department recognises that by enabling employees to create a good work-life balance it benefits by attracting and retaining high calibre staff.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 20/05/2019 13:09:22 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126007

registered interest
date	13/05/2019
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	Brexit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the UK is able to leave the EU without a deal before 31 October 2019.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	253451
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/05/2019 answer text <p>The earliest that the UK can leave without a deal is 31 October 2019. Our priority remains delivering the deal to ensure a smooth and orderly exit before this date. While we do not want to leave with no deal and Parliament has also voted against this outcome three times, it remains the legal default at the end of the extension period in the event a Withdrawal Agreement cannot be agreed. As a responsible government we’ve been preparing to minimise any disruption in the event of no deal for over two years and will continue to prepare for all Brexit scenarios.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 16/05/2019 13:58:58 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake