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1137847

	registered interest
	date	09/07/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the findings of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales Annual Report 2018-19, what steps he is taking to tackle (a) increased violence, (b) mental health problems and (c) drugs problems in prisons.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	275135
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2019 answer text <p>We are taking urgent action to tackle violence in prisons, alongside reforms to overhaul the system to focus on the rehabilitation of offenders. Investment in additional prison officers and the introduction of Keyworkers enables prison officers to mentor, challenge and support a small caseload of prisoners away from violence and reoffending. The Challenge, Support and Intervention Plan (CSIP) has, since November 2018, been mandated for use in all establishments. CSIP provides a case management model to help staff to manage violent prisoners and those identified as posing a raised risk of being violent. Violence against our staff is unacceptable. The Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act came into force on 13 November which has increased the penalty – from 6 to 12 months - for those who assault emergency workers including prison officers.</p><p> </p><p>In order to improve support for prisoners with mental health needs, we have rolled out improved suicide and self-harm prevention training and over 25,000 new and existing prison staff have completed some of this training. We have also awarded the Samaritans a grant of £500,000 each year for the next three years, to continue to support the Listeners’ scheme. For those prisoners requiring transfer to secure hospitals for mental health treatment, we are working collaboratively with Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England (NHSE) to improve the transfer process. On 20<sup>th</sup> June we also announced the development of a Health and Justice Plan which will bring together a coherent, holistic picture of the full offender health journey, from the point of arrest through to release.</p><p> </p><p>Our Drugs Taskforce is working with law enforcement and health partners across government to restrict the supply of drugs, reduce demand and build recovery from substance misuse through the national Prison Drugs Strategy. We have invested £70 million to improve safety, security and decency, allowing us to fund new security scanners, improve searching techniques, and introduce phone-blocking technology. We have made it a criminal offence to possess psychoactive substances in prison and trained more than 300 sniffer dogs to detect these drugs. Additionally, our £9 million joint-funded Ministry of Justice, HMPPS, DHSC and NHSE Drug Recovery Prison pilot at HMP Holme House is testing and evaluating innovative approaches to tackle drugs in prison and help prisoners improve their chances of recovery.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 15/07/2019 16:46:22 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1137466

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2019
	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	Biofuels
	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 support the UK biomass energy industry to be completely sustainable.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	274460
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2019 answer text <p>The UK Government has introduced mandatory sustainability criteria for biomass for heat and power generation. These are some of the most stringent criteria in Europe.</p><p>The sustainability criteria ensure biomass reduces carbon emissions and is sourced sustainably. The criteria include a minimum 60% lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions saving, compared to emissions from an EU fossil fuel comparator for electricity. The calculation requires transport, growing and processing emissions to be included. Generators only receive subsidies for the electricity output which complies with our sustainability criteria.</p><p>We keep the sustainability criteria under review.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 11/07/2019 13:18:33 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1137530

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2019
	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	Recycling
	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 his Department plans to advise local authorities against opting for commingled recycling to avoid the hgh risk of contamination.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	274461
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2019 answer text <p>Regulation 13 of the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 states that every waste collection authority (local authority) must, when making arrangements for the collection of waste paper, metal, plastic or glass, ensure those arrangements are by way of separate collection.</p><p> </p><p>This duty applies unless separate collection is not technically, environmentally or economically practicable (TEEP) or where the separate collection is not necessary to ensure waste is recovered in accordance with Articles 4 and 13 of the Waste Framework Directive. In other words, separate collection is the default unless it is not TEEP.</p><p> </p><p>Our consultation ‘Consistency in household and business recycling collections in England’ sought views on separate collection of recycling materials. We intend to prepare statutory guidance which will set out advice and good practice and help local authorities to meet their duties in relation to the separate collection of recycling materials.</p><p> </p><p>The Government’s response to the consultation will be published shortly.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 11/07/2019 10:28:09 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1137531

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2019
	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	Batteries: Factories
	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 discussions he has had with car manufacturers in the UK on creating a battery gigafactory to make the UK less dependent on essential materials which are currently sourced abroad.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	274462
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government is in regular dialogue with car manufacturers in the UK on a range of opportunities to support the transition to zero emission vehicles and to new supply chains, including batteries.</p><p>The UK is a highly attractive location for battery manufacturing. It is home to Europe’s first volume automotive battery production facility at Sunderland, owned by Envision AESC. In April 2019, the Advanced Propulsion Centre published a report showing the strength of the UK chemicals and materials supply chain for batteries, representing a £4.8bn a year supply chain opportunity by 2030.</p><p>Through our Industrial Strategy and landmark Automotive Sector Deal, we are placing the UK at the forefront of new automotive technology development. The Sector Deal which was developed in partnership with the industry, working through the Automotive Council, includes a joint ambition to establish battery manufacturing a scale, a “gigafactory”, in the UK. Central to this, government has committed £274m to the Faraday Battery Challenge (FBC) to help businesses in the UK lead the world in the design, development and manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles.</p><p>Under the FBC government has invested £108m in the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) which will open in 2020 and provide a state-of-the-art pilot facility to test new cell technology. UKBIC will play a key role in laying the groundwork to secure a battery gigafactory. It will do this by allowing collaborative R&amp;D by UK cell manufacturers, battery pack assemblers and car makers to take place, proving out cell chemistries, formats and manufacturing processes at industrial rates.</p><p>This is an essential step to allow UK companies to quickly develop their capabilities to manufacture batteries, scale up and get them to market.</p> answering member constituency Pendle answering member printed Andrew Stephenson question first answered 11/07/2019 16:50:00 answering member 4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1137532

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2019
	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	Homelessness: Migrants
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent steps his Department has taken to support homeless migrants living in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	274463
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy. This sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period.</p><p>In its first year, our Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI) provided over 1,750 new bed spaces and 500 staff.  This year we have expanded the RSI with investment of £46 million for 246 areas – providing funding for an estimated 2,600 bed spaces and 750 staff.</p><p>As part of our investment, in the Rough Sleeping Strategy we committed to £5 million of funding to help local areas take action to help non-UK nationals who sleep rough off the streets. This funding will complement the projects which we have already funded through the £100 million Controlling Migration Fund (CMF) for local authorities to work with non-UK nationals who sleep rough. Further CMF funding allocations will be announced shortly.”</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 11/07/2019 13:43:36 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1137533

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Sports
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to (a) increase participation in sport in schools and (b) ensure that sport remains on the curriculum.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	274464
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2019 answer text <p>​The government firmly believes in the importance of physical education (PE), sport and extra-curricular activities to teach children the importance of physical activity to improve their physical and mental health as well as their overall wellbeing. Schools are free to organise and deliver a diverse and challenging PE curriculum that suits the needs of all of their pupils. However, PE is the only foundation subject on the national curriculum at all 4 key stages. The national curriculum must be taught by all maintained schools and it provides a frame of reference for academies in deciding what to offer as part of their broad and balanced curriculum offer.</p><p> </p><p>Ofsted’s new inspection framework, which will come into effect from September 2019, has spilt the current judgement for personal development, behaviour and welfare into 2 new separate judgements: ‘behaviour and attitudes’ and ‘personal development’. This will give greater recognition to the work of schools to support the personal development of pupils, such as the opportunities that they have to learn about eating healthily and maintaining an active lifestyle. Inspectors will expect to see schools offering children a broad, balanced education, including opportunities to be active during the school day and through extracurricular activities.</p><p>Since 2013, the government has invested over £1 billion of ringfenced funding through the Primary PE and Sport Premium to improve PE, sport, physical activity and extra-curricular activities for all pupils in England.</p><p> </p><p>We will shortly be publishing our cross-government school sport and activity action plan, under which the Department for Education, working with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Department of Health and Social Care, will consider further ways to ensure that all children have access to high quality, protected PE and sport sessions during the school week and opportunities to be physically active throughout the school day.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 16/07/2019 15:42:27 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1137544

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2019
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	South America: Indigenous Peoples
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to support indigenous groups in the Amazon region whose ecosystems are potentially threatened by oil and gas producers.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	274465
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2019 answer text <p>DFID works with the extractives industries (gas, oil and mining), governments and civil society in DFID priority countries to maximise the benefits from extractive industries, in a way that finances public services, enables sustainable and inclusive growth and reduces poverty.</p><p> </p><p>While DFID does not have bilateral programmes or a direct footprint related to extractives industries in the Amazon Region, our forestry programming does support broader work in the Amazon with indigenous groups. For example, in June the Global Environment Facility (GEF), to which the UK is a major donor, approved $88 million of funding to the Amazon Sustainable Landscapes Programme to protect this ecosystem. GEF programming is guided by its Principles and Guidelines for Engagement with Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous Peoples Advisory Group.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 15/07/2019 15:53:13 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1137548

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Carer's Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the carer's allowance and for it to be paid for each person the carer is responsible for.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	274466
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2019 answer text <p>The primary purpose of Carer’s Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person. It is not, and was never intended to be, a carer’s wage or a payment for the services of caring. It is also not intended to replace lost or forgone earnings in their entirety.</p><p> </p><p>A National Insurance Class 1 credit is generally awarded for each week that Carer’s Allowance is paid to a working age carer. Class 1 credits can help towards the conditions of entitlement to all contributory benefits, as well as the new State Pension. In addition to Carer’s Allowance, carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit.</p><p> </p><p>The Government recognises the invaluable contribution that unpaid and family carers make in all our communities, and is committed to doing more to support them. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) published a Carers Action Plan in June 2018 setting out plans around support for carers, and in addition to this, carers will be a fundamental part of DHSC’s upcoming Green Paper. A sustainable settlement for social care will simply not be possible without focussing on how our society supports carers. The Government has committed to publishing the Green Paper at the earliest opportunity setting out its proposals for reform.</p><p> </p><p>Carers who provide professional caring services to multiple severely disabled people do so as a means of employment and are paid accordingly rather than relying on carers benefits.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 16/07/2019 09:11:56 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1137554

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2019
	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	Drinking Water
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to support local authorities to install drinking water fountains across the UK to reduce the number of single-use plastics being consumed.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	274467
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to reducing the environmental damage caused by single use plastics by widening availability of drinking water facilities in our communities. The Government’s 25 year environment strategy 'A Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment' has committed to supporting water companies, high street retailers, coffee shops and transport hubs to offer new refill points for people to top-up water bottles for free in every major city and town in England.</p><p>The water industry is a key partner in delivering our commitment to create a nationwide network of refill points. Through the Refill campaign a free app is now available to the public which signposts to over 20,000 free refill points and is estimated to save over 100 million single use bottles from entering our waste stream by the end of 2019. The Government will continue to reduce single-use plastic by working with local authorities and encouraging partnerships with water companies and businesses to widen the availability of drinking fountains and refill sites across our communities.</p> answering member constituency Rossendale and Darwen answering member printed Jake Berry question first answered 16/07/2019 10:37:06 answering member 4060 label Biography information for Sir Jake Berry
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1137557

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2019
	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	Neonicotinoids
	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 recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of banning thiacloprid, which is harmful to (a) bees and (b) humans.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	274468
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government’s priority is to protect people and the environment. Pesticides are only authorised if scientific evidence shows that they will not harm human health and do not have unacceptable effects on the environment. All pesticides are subject to regular review to ensure that they meet the latest standards of safety for people and to the environment. Thiacloprid is currently under review and will be withdrawn or restricted if the scientific assessment finds that this is appropriate.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 11/07/2019 13:16:29 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly