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1012552

	registered interest
	date	22/11/2018
	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	Home Care Services: Living Wage
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that (1) home care workers receive the National Living Wage, and (2) travel time between clients for such workers is treated as working time for the purpose of the National Living Wage.
	tabling member printed	Lord Wills
	uin	HL11744
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/12/2018 answer text <p>The 2015 Spending Review settlement factored in the need for local authorities to increase fees paid to providers to cover the additional costs of paying the National Living Wage to their workers. The Government has continued to monitor and listen to the social care sector, and provided an additional £2 billion of new money to social care in March 2017 to manage a number of pressures including the National Living Wage.</p><p>In the guidance to the Care Act 2014 we have set out local government’s responsibility to facilitate local markets that offer a range of high quality services, underpinned by an effective workforce. Local authorities should assure themselves and have evidence that service providers remunerate staff with a view to retain an effective workforce. Remuneration must comply with national minimum wage and national living wage legislation and this includes remuneration for any time spent travelling between appointments.</p> answering member printed Lord O'Shaughnessy question first answered 06/12/2018 15:18:05 answering member 4545 label Biography information for Lord O'Shaughnessy
	tabling member	260 label Biography information for Lord Wills

1022920

	registered interest
	date	10/12/2018
	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	Home Care Services: Living Wage
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O'Shaughnessy on 22 November (HL11744), what assessment they have made of whether local authorities are complying with guidelines to ensure that home care workers are paid the national living wage for travelling between appointments.
	tabling member printed	Lord Wills
	uin	HL12172
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2018 answer text <p>The Department has made no assessment itself. However, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs deals with complaints about underpayment of the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage. It has worked with other agencies and departments to raise awareness of the rules and has undertaken targeted enforcement to ensure that workers are paid what they are legally owed.</p> answering member printed Lord O'Shaughnessy question first answered 20/12/2018 15:44:50 answering member 4545 label Biography information for Lord O'Shaughnessy
	tabling member	260 label Biography information for Lord Wills

1144210

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Asbestos
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what powers they have to make it mandatory for schools to respond to surveys regarding the presence and management of asbestos on their premises; and what plans they have to exercise those powers.
	tabling member printed	Lord Wills
	uin	HL17698
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>The responsibility for managing asbestos in a building rests with the ‘dutyholder’ and there may be multiple dutyholders. Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, a dutyholder includes persons that have maintenance and repair obligations in respect of non-domestic premises, control of any part of the premises, or means of access or egress.</p><p>Education legislation does not contain any express powers to make it mandatory for schools in England to respond to data collection surveys regarding the presence and management of asbestos on their premises. However, all state-funded schools and academies in England, and their respective responsible bodies, were expected to complete the Asbestos Management Assurance Process (AMAP) survey.</p><p>Although the AMAP is a voluntary survey, over 88% of schools have responded. The department is continuing to work with schools that have not yet responded, to encourage them to do so.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 09/09/2019 15:43:11 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	260 label Biography information for Lord Wills

1170225

	registered interest
	date	13/01/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Disasters
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce legislation to establish an independent public advocate.
	tabling member printed	Lord Wills
	uin	HL369
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to supporting bereaved families after public disasters and during public inquests.We have consulted on proposals to establish an independent public advocate and will publish a response in due course.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 16/01/2020 15:56:49 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	260 label Biography information for Lord Wills

1175286

	registered interest
	date	23/01/2020
	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	Cancer: Health Services
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government how the NHS Long Term Plan intends to improve the quality of life for survivors of cancer.
	tabling member printed	Lord Wills
	uin	HL775
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2020 answer text <p>Following cancer treatment, patients will move to a Personalised Stratified Follow-Up pathway that suits their needs and ensures they can get rapid access to clinical support if they are worried that their cancer may have recurred. This stratified follow-up approach is expected to be established in all trusts for breast cancer in 2019, for prostate and colorectal cancers in 2020 and for other cancers where clinically appropriate by 2023.</p> answering member printed Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford question first answered 05/02/2020 16:22:55 answering member 4019 label Biography information for Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
	tabling member	260 label Biography information for Lord Wills

1175525

	registered interest
	date	03/02/2020
	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	Disclosure of Information
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to review the framework of protections offered to whistleblowers.
	tabling member printed	Lord Wills
	uin	HL1297
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2020 answer text <p>The Government recognises how valuable it is that whistleblowers are prepared to shine a light on wrongdoing, and believes that they should be able to do so without fear of recriminations.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has continued to make reforms to the whistleblowing regime to enhance the role of prescribed persons. The most recent reform was a new legislative requirement for most prescribed persons to produce an annual report on whistleblowing disclosures made to them by workers and how they were taken forward. Relevant prescribed persons were required to publish the second of these reports by the end of September 2019. The duty increases confidence in the actions taken by prescribed persons through greater transparency about how disclosures are handled.</p><p> </p><p>Alongside the new duty, the Government published guidance for prescribed persons to help them understand their role and provide advice on complying with legal requirements as well as practices beyond the whistleblowing legislation.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has committed to reviewing the whistleblowing framework once the recent reforms have built the necessary evidence of their impact.</p> answering member printed Lord Duncan of Springbank grouped question UIN HL1298 question first answered 12/02/2020 12:13:28 answering member 4686 label Biography information for Lord Duncan of Springbank
	tabling member	260 label Biography information for Lord Wills

1175526

	registered interest
	date	03/02/2020
	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	Disclosure of Information
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the protections offered to whistleblowers by regulatory authorities.
	tabling member printed	Lord Wills
	uin	HL1298
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2020 answer text <p>The Government recognises how valuable it is that whistleblowers are prepared to shine a light on wrongdoing, and believes that they should be able to do so without fear of recriminations.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has continued to make reforms to the whistleblowing regime to enhance the role of prescribed persons. The most recent reform was a new legislative requirement for most prescribed persons to produce an annual report on whistleblowing disclosures made to them by workers and how they were taken forward. Relevant prescribed persons were required to publish the second of these reports by the end of September 2019. The duty increases confidence in the actions taken by prescribed persons through greater transparency about how disclosures are handled.</p><p> </p><p>Alongside the new duty, the Government published guidance for prescribed persons to help them understand their role and provide advice on complying with legal requirements as well as practices beyond the whistleblowing legislation.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has committed to reviewing the whistleblowing framework once the recent reforms have built the necessary evidence of their impact.</p> answering member printed Lord Duncan of Springbank grouped question UIN HL1297 question first answered 12/02/2020 12:13:28 answering member 4686 label Biography information for Lord Duncan of Springbank
	tabling member	260 label Biography information for Lord Wills

1189938

	registered interest
	date	23/04/2020
	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	NHS: Disclosure of Information
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to remind NHS trusts of their responsibilities to whistle-blowers.
	tabling member printed	Lord Wills
	uin	HL3449
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/05/2020 answer text <p>Speaking up is vital for ensuring patient safety and improving the quality of services and should be a routine part of business in the National Health Service. The NHS should support and welcome all staff to raise concerns wherever they spot them.</p><p>The Government has proactively encouraged NHS staff to raise concerns over recent years and provided support by establishing an independent National Guardian to help drive positive cultural change across the NHS so that speaking up becomes business as usual.</p><p>On 23 April the Care Quality Commission and the National Guardian issued a joint statement to providers of health and social care reminding them of the importance of speaking up. This followed a letter that the National Guardian sent to NHS trust chairs in March, which also highlighted the importance of staff having the freedom to speak up and the need to support Local Freedom to Speak Up Guardians at this time.</p><p>We will continue to encourage and support the rights of staff to raise concerns.</p> answering member printed Lord Bethell question first answered 04/05/2020 16:03:42 answering member 4708 label Biography information for Lord Bethell
	tabling member	260 label Biography information for Lord Wills

1203516

	registered interest
	date	15/06/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: Fraud
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to open a confidential telephone hotline to encourage whistleblowing on furlough fraud.
	tabling member printed	Lord Wills
	uin	HL5737
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2020 answer text <p>The HMRC fraud hotline service has already been updated explicitly to include the facility for the public to report fraud in relation to all relevant coronavirus relief schemes. The service has two main referral routes; the telephony service and the online reporting tool hosted on GOV.UK. HMRC took the decision to close the telephony arm of this service as a result of Government guidelines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; the online reporting service can be used until such time as the telephony service can resume.</p><p> </p><p>The online service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and can be completed with the same level of complete confidentiality as the telephony service. HMRC are currently exploring options to safely reopen the hotline telephony service and will do so as soon as is practicable.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 23/06/2020 13:57:32 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	260 label Biography information for Lord Wills

1203517

	registered interest
	date	15/06/2020
	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	Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: Fraud
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to enshrine protection for furlough fraud whistleblowers in law through the Finance Bill.
	tabling member printed	Lord Wills
	uin	HL5738
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2020 answer text <p>The Employment Rights Act 1996, amended by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, already gives legal protection to those who speak up in the public interest. The legislation is intended to build openness and trust in workplaces by ensuring that workers who hold their employers to account are treated fairly, and to provide means of redress for a worker who suffers detriment at the hands of their employer after ‘blowing the whistle’. In many cases, employers respond appropriately when concerns are raised by their employees. Where they do not, employees can take their case to an Employment Tribunal, who can award compensation.</p><p> </p><p>In order to qualify for the protections, a worker must make their disclosure either to their employer or other responsible person or a ‘prescribed person’ as set out in the Prescribed Persons Order. Prescribed persons are most often organisations with a regulatory responsibility for the sector in which the worker works, or for the type of wrongdoing that is being disclosed. Disclosures can also be made to a legal advisor or an MP.</p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 29/06/2020 15:51:37 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
	tabling member	260 label Biography information for Lord Wills