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1128446

registered interest
date	23/05/2019
answering body	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
answering dept id	90
answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
hansard heading	Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority: Buildings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2019 to Question 253493 on Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority: Location, how many staff are located in the new premises at 85 Strand; how much floor space those staff occupy; at what rate per square metre; which locations were considered outside London for new premises; and what the comparable cost would have been in locating those staff outside London.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	257645
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/06/2019 answer text <p>I have asked IPSA to reply.</p><p>IPSA currently has 69 members of staff. It included in its office requirements space for up to 76 staff in order to provide flexibility for periods where there is a higher volume of work and therefore a need for additional temporary staff, such as General Election periods.</p><p>To disclose the size of the office or rate paid per square metre would be prejudicial to commercial interests. IPSA’s annual accounts are laid in Parliament and published each year, and will provide information about operational costs.</p><p>Before choosing its offices at 85 Strand, IPSA considered potential premises in Croydon and Milton Keynes, as well as Stratford and Canary Wharf in London, but determined that the selected location provided the prospect of better support to MPs and better value for money for the taxpayer.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Mr Charles Walker question first answered 05/06/2019 09:35:36 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1128433

registered interest
date	22/05/2019
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Biometrics: Applications
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her Answer of 15 January 2019 to Question 205821 on Biometrics: Applications, whether Sopra Steria are meeting her Department's service standards.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	257442
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2019 answer text <p>Sopra Steria Limited (SSL) run the UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service (UK VCAS) centres on behalf of UK Visas &amp; Immigration (UKVI). The UKVCAS service points bring together identity checks, evidence digitisation and biometric enrolment but SSL and we regularly monitor SSL’s performance against a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)</p><p>However SSL’s performance against these KPIs are commercially sensitive and therefore we are unable to disclose this information.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 04/06/2019 11:44:26 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1126071

registered interest
date	13/05/2019
answering body	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
answering dept id	90
answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
hansard heading	Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority: ICT
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2019 to Question 249206 on Members: Allowances, what the (a) forecast and (b) final cost was of the new IPSA IT system; and what assessment was made of additional costs that would be incurred by MPs' staff to work on the new system.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	253492
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>I have asked IPSA to reply.</p><p>The original April 2016 business case for IPSA’s new IT system, IPSA Online, estimated a cost of £4.641 million. At that time, IPSA expected the programme to be completed in 2017-18. The full costs of the system are now forecast to be £8.253 million.</p><p>The increase in cost was due in part to the unexpected General Election of June 2017 which diverted all IPSA work for up to nine months to supporting MPs who left or joined parliament, and increased supplier costs. Costs also increased following our change of suppliers in September 2018 to improve the quality of IPSA’s IT support. IPSA also spent longer than anticipated on testing the new system so that IPSA could have confidence that it would be fully secure and free of technical problems. The increases in cost have been partly mitigated by savings elsewhere in IPSA’s budget.</p><p>The new system administers MPs’ pay and business costs more efficiently and effectively, providing improved support to MPs and their staff while saving taxpayers’ money. MPs and their staff will benefit from these improvements by being able to access information and make changes to their staffing budget or office leases without needing to contact IPSA staff. They can now also access IPSA’s system directly through their secure parliamentary digital account without an additional logon. MPs and staff no longer need to send IPSA paper receipts and invoices through the post, but can scan and photograph them and upload them to IPSA digitally. The new system can also reimburse MPs’ staff directly rather than via the MP. On the basis of the experience so far, IPSA estimate that MPs will need to spend around 30 per cent less time overall on the new system than they did on the old one.</p><p>However, IPSA recognise that many MPs and their staff still need to get used to the new system. IPSA are therefore conducting group and one-to-one training in Parliament and have staff available on the phone to answer queries. IPSA are putting on more such training sessions in response to demand, with a regular presence in Portcullis House.</p><p>IPSA will shortly conduct a survey to gather more feedback about the new system, with plans for further improvements in due course. IPSA will report to the Speaker’s Committee for the IPSA later in the year on the overall costs and benefits of IPSA Online.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Mr Charles Walker question first answered 20/05/2019 12:41:32 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1126072

registered interest
date	13/05/2019
answering body	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
answering dept id	90
answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
hansard heading	Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority: Buildings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the cost has been of the move by IPSA to new premises in central London; and what assessment was made of the potential merits of moving the organisation to a cheaper location outside London.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	253493
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>I have asked IPSA to reply.</p><p>IPSA moved into new office premises at 85 Strand in March 2019. The forecasted cost of this move is £732,900. This budget was approved by the Speaker’s Committee for the IPSA in January 2018. IPSA’s Annual Accounts for the 2018-19 financial year are being finalised and will be laid in Parliament in November. The Speaker’s Committee will have an opportunity to scrutinise this and other expenditure.</p><p>After reviewing properties on the market, the offices selected met IPSA’s criteria and offered the best value for money to the taxpayer over the long term, with competitive running cost over the life of the lease after completing initial fit-out work. Locations outside of London were considered. IPSA concluded that basing IPSA’s office in London and within reasonable distance of Parliament would ensure that IPSA can provide a better support to MPs and their staff, including regular meetings between them and their IPSA account managers.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Mr Charles Walker question first answered 20/05/2019 12:40:18 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1126073

registered interest
date	13/05/2019
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	Turks and Caicos Islands: Trials
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the cost to the public purse has been of the case Turks and Caicos islands against Mr Michael Misick and others.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	253494
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>​The trial of Mr Misick and its related costs are the responsibility of the Turks and Caicos islands Government.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 20/05/2019 13:01:53 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1126074

registered interest
date	13/05/2019
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	Cataracts: Surgery
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 whether local Clinical Commissioning Groups are implementing NICE guidelines on cataract removal.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	253495
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>The Department has made no such assessment. Local clinical commissioning groups are responsible for the commissioning of cataract surgery, and are required to carefully consider the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines in making commissioning decisions.</p> answering member constituency South Ribble answering member printed Seema Kennedy question first answered 21/05/2019 10:47:32 answering member 4455 label Biography information for Seema Kennedy
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1124987

registered interest
date	07/05/2019
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	Afghanistan: Sikhs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the level of threat to the Sikh community in Afghanistan.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	251206
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2019 answer text <p>​Security remains an ongoing challenge in Afghanistan. The Afghan National Defence and Security Forces are committed to tackling this threat. As part of NATO's Resolute Support Mission, the UK supports the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces in its efforts to improve security for all communities.</p><p>Ethnic and religious minorities in Afghanistan, including the Christian, Sikh and Hindu communities, continue to face challenges. We regularly raise human rights issues with the Government of Afghanistan, including the need to protect the rights of all ethnic and religious groups in line with the constitution. The UK condemns in the strongest possible terms the targeting of innocent people based on their beliefs. Last year, I publicly condemned the 1 July attack on a group of Sikhs and Hindus in Jalalabad as &quot;a despicable attack on Afghanistan's historic Sikh and Hindu community&quot;.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 13/05/2019 14:52:08 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1124988

registered interest
date	07/05/2019
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	Afghanistan: Religious Freedom
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the level of threat to the (a) Hindu and (b) Christian communities in Afghanistan.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	251207
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2019 answer text <p>Security Forces are committed to tackling this threat. As part of NATO's Resolute Support Mission, the UK supports the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces in its efforts to improve security for all communities.</p><p>Ethnic and religious minorities in Afghanistan, such as the Christian, Sikh and Hindu communities, continue to face challenges. We regularly raise human rights issues with the Government of Afghanistan, including the need to protect the rights of all ethnic and religious groups in line with the constitution. The UK condemns in the strongest possible terms the targeting of innocent people based on their beliefs. Last year, I publicly condemned the 1 July attack on a group of Sikhs and Hindus in Jalalabad as &quot;a despicable attack on Afghanistan's historic Sikh and Hindu community&quot;.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 15/05/2019 06:23:46 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1124156

registered interest
date	01/05/2019
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	Four Seasons Health Care: Insolvency
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what contingency plans his Department has made for the maintenance of the provision of services as a result of Four Seasons Care Homes going into administration.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	249829
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2019 answer text <p>The Department and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have been and will continue to monitor the administration and sales process of Four Seasons Health Care Group closely over the coming weeks and months. There will be no immediate impact on people receiving care from Four Seasons Healthcare Group, nor the company’s 22,000 employees.</p><p>The CQC’s Market Oversight regulatory responsibility is to advise local authorities if they believe that there will be likely service cessation as a result of business failure. They have been monitoring the company’s position and will continue to do so until the sale is completed. They are clear that there is no risk to continuity of care at this time.</p><p>The Care Act 2014 places duties on local authorities to intervene to protect individuals where their care provider is no longer able to carry on because of business failure. There should never be a gap in the care that an individual receives.</p><p>Departmental officials are working closely with the CQC, the Local Government Association, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, NHS England and Four Seasons Healthcare Group to ensure that individuals’ care and support needs continue to be met.</p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 08/05/2019 15:00:10 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1123862

registered interest
date	30/04/2019
answering body	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
answering dept id	90
answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
hansard heading	Members: Allowances
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what involvement did the Speaker's committee had in the formulation of the new claims system for hon. Members' allowances.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	249206
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2019 answer text <p>As part of its role to approve IPSA’s Estimate, in March 2016, the Speaker’s Committee approved funds for a wide-ranging improvement programme, including plans for a new IT system, IPSA Online. This took into account longstanding feedback from MPs and their staff about the need to modernise and improve IPSA’s systems and processes. In subsequent years, the Speaker’s Committee has scrutinised progress on this programme via the annual Estimate approval process, as well as other formal and informal updates.</p><p>The Speaker’s Committee had no direct input into the design of IPSA Online, but has received regular updates on the key features of the system and IPSA’s plans for engagement and training activities.</p><p>More generally, IPSA engaged with MPs and staff members throughout the development of IPSA Online through activities including surveys, meetings, usability testing and training sessions, in order to take account of their needs and preferences. IPSA is committed to ongoing liaison with MPs and their staff to gain further feedback on the new system now that it has been launched.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Mr Charles Walker question first answered 07/05/2019 13:23:15 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar