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1170095

	registered interest
	date	13/01/2020
	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	Social Services: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	What discussions he has had with local authority leaders on future funding of children’s social care.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	900120
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/01/2020 answer text <p>I have regular engagement with local authority leaders in my role as Local Government Minister on a wide range of issues, including children’s social care.</p><p>Next year’s Settlement provides councils with £1 billion of additional funding for social care, recognising their vital role in supporting the most vulnerable.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Luke Hall question first answered 13/01/2020 16:43:52 answering member 4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1167103

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2019
	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 recent assessment he has made of the effect of trends in the level of central Government funding for local authorities on the adequacy of children's services provided by local authorities.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	7043
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2019 answer text <p>The number of inadequate local authorities has fallen by a third from 30 in April 2017 to 17 at the end of October 2019, as a result of our reforms.</p><p>Local authorities have been given access to over £200 billion in the 5 years since Spending Review 2015. The Spending Round 2019 also confirmed an additional £1 billion grant for adult and children’s social care services in 2020-21 in addition to the continuation of existing social care grants.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 04/11/2019 17:16:12 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1167104

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Protection
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support his Department is providing to improve local authority support for vulnerable children.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	7044
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2019 answer text <p>All children should have access to the support they need to keep them safe, provide them with a stable and nurturing home, and overcome challenges to achieve their potential. That is why, at the Spending Round 2019, the government confirmed an additional £1 billion grant for adult and children’s social care in 2020-21 in addition to the continuation of all existing social care grants.</p><p>Local authorities core spending power is expected to rise from £46.2 billion to £49.1 billion in 2020/21, an estimated 4.3% real terms increase.</p><p>We also provide targeted help and support to drive improvement in local authorities. We are investing £20 million in regional sector-led improvement to get ahead of failure. Our strong ‘Partner in Practice’ authorities have already helped over 70 local authorities, getting upstream of the risk of failure, with work underway to broker support for many more. Additionally, we are investing £2 million in improving leadership in children's services with support being delivered through the local government authority. In addition to the £84 million targeted fund, the Autumn Budget made £410 million available to local authorities for adults and children’s social care in 2019/20.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 04/11/2019 17:12:34 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1135823

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Offenders: Unemployment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent estimate he has made of the unemployment rate among former male inmates compared with the rate among the general male population.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	271362
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2019 answer text <p>In May last year, we published our plans for reforming prison education and improving employment outcomes for ex-offenders in the Education and Employment Strategy. The strategy created a system in which each prisoner was set on a path to employment, with prison education and work geared towards employment on release from the outset.</p><p> </p><p>In line with this, we introduced new performance measures to record the rates of employment for prison leavers at six weeks post-release. The Department is scheduled to publish the statistical data for this on 25 July in an annex to Community Performance Statistics on Gov.uk, at the following link:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/prison-and-probation-trusts-performance-statistics" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/prison-and-probation-trusts-performance-statistics</a></p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 09/07/2019 16:14:15 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1147757

	registered interest
	date	02/10/2019
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Electric Vehicles: Batteries
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on electric vehicle battery range of (a) low or high temperatures and (b) the use of in-car heating or air conditioning.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	293451
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2019 answer text <p>Really low and really high temperatures can impact an electric vehicle’s battery range. Currently, the operating temperatures for electric vehicle battery cells are -20°C to +60°C. Vehicle manufacturers compensate for this at pack level through pre-conditioning as well as heating and cooling systems, the drawback being that these draw energy. Applications in aerospace and defence have even more challenging operating temperatures. The Government has committed £274m to the Industrial Strategy’s Faraday Battery Challenge which includes understanding the effects of temperature further. The Challenge is supporting battery R&amp;D from the Faraday Institution’s academic research through Innovate UK’s programme of collaborative R&amp;D and to scale-up in the cutting-edge UK Battery Industrialisation Centre. One of the aims of the Faraday programme is to improve the operating range of battery cells, including to -40°C to +80°C by 2035 therefore enabling better performance and efficiency at higher and lower ambient temperatures.</p><p> </p><p>Thermal loads from heating, ventilation and air-conditioning affect the battery range of electrical vehicles and is most critical for vehicles like refrigerated trucks. The Office for Low Emission Vehicle’s Integrated Delivery Programme is funding R&amp;D projects aiming to maximise the efficiency of the electric powertrain and significantly extend an electric vehicle’s range further.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Mid Norfolk answering member printed George Freeman question first answered 08/10/2019 10:11:12 answering member 4020 label Biography information for George Freeman
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1139651

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	Yemen: Humanitarian Aid
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	What recent discussions he has had with his (a) European and (b) other international counterparts on the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	911993
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2019 answer text <p>The UK regularly discusses the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela in international fora.</p><p>This includes with our European counterparts, as well as during the visits to the UK by the Colombian President Duque and US Secretary of State Pompeo.</p><p>Together with our international partners, we continue to call for unimpeded access for humanitarian aid in to Venezuela.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 17/07/2019 15:33:38 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1145757

	registered interest
	date	25/09/2019
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	Pakistan: Earthquakes
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance the Government is offering to the Government of Pakistan following the aftermath of the recent earthquake in Azad Kashmir.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	290644
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/10/2019 answer text <p>DFID has been liaising closely with the Government of Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) since the earthquake struck on 24 September 2019.</p><p> </p><p>Key humanitarian partners, including UN agencies, met with the NDMA to discuss the response to the earthquake on Friday 27 September. The NDMA confirmed that the Government of Pakistan will not launch any formal appeal or request for National or International Assistance, but donors and agencies can provide assistance on a voluntary basis.</p><p> </p><p>DFID stands ready to respond and provide funding and the National Disaster Consortium partners have pre-positioned supplies which can be deployed at short notice.</p> answering member constituency Richmond Park answering member printed Zac Goldsmith question first answered 03/10/2019 16:18:19 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1151613

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2019
	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: Renewable Energy
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support his Department provides to developing countries to support off-grid electricity generation from renewable sources.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	3539
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2019 answer text <p>Off-grid renewable energy is often the best way for millions of people to have access to electricity, especially in rural areas. DFID’s support to off-grid electricity generation is delivered through a range of programmes.</p><p>We provide funding for the installation of off-grid solar power, such as through mini-grid projects in Kenya and Rwanda. We provide technical assistance and are helping to establish markets in a number of African countries for household solar power. For example, a programme using results-based financing is delivering clean energy electricity access to millions, while the Africa Clean Energy programme is supporting a market-based approach for private sector delivery of solar home system products and services.</p><p>We also support private sector off-grid projects through the Green Climate Fund. For example, one project is helping 50 poor, rural communities in Mali to switch from fossil fuel-powered diesel generators and kerosene lamps to green energy by installing solar mini-grids. We also support development finance interventions such as the Private Infrastructure Development Group, the Multilateral Development Banks, and CDC – which has, for example, invested substantial equity in M-KOPA, a pay-as-you-go solar energy company.</p><p>Since 2011, the UK has provided 26 million people with improved access to clean energy and installed 1,600 MW in clean energy capacity.</p><p>The Prime Minister announced at the UN Climate Action Summit funding of up to £1 billion for research, development and deployment of new energy technologies and business models to unlock opportunities in developing countries for cleaner growth and better access to clean energy.</p> answering member constituency Richmond Park answering member printed Zac Goldsmith question first answered 28/10/2019 16:07:22 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1168808

	registered interest
	date	20/12/2019
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	Middle East and North Africa: Locusts
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support his Department is providing to countries in the Middle East and North Africa to (a) counter plagues of locusts and to (b) support populations affected by them.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	262
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/01/2020 answer text <p>DFID provides approximately £17 million per annum in core funding to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), a strategic objective of which is to “increase the resilience of livelihoods to threats and crises” such as locusts. In 2018, UK core funding to the FAO supported the Desert Locust Information System, which provides an early warning information system for countries including in the Middle East and North Africa.</p><p>DFID also funds a range of programmes that work to improve the monitoring of and response to pests more generally. These include the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux International (CABI) Plantwise and Action on Invasives programmes, the development and testing of biopesticides by the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, and new work under development with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to strengthen pest and disease surveillance, forecasting and the coordination and capacity of plant health organisations.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 07/01/2020 11:24:57 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1139417

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2019
	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	Hezbollah and Islamic Resistance Support Organization
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the relationship between Hezbollah and the Islamic Resistance Support Organisation.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	277639
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>We do not comment on intelligence matters.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 23/07/2019 15:15:47 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar