The Government\u2019s response to Women and Equalities Select Committee Inquiry into pregnancy and maternity discrimination earlier this year said that we \u201cwill consider further and bring forward proposals to ensure that the protections in place for those who are pregnant or returning from maternity leave are sufficient\u201d. We are reviewing whether we need stronger protection against redundancy for pregnant women and women returning from maternity leave and will consult on options in due course.<\/p>
The Government has no plans to address the use of confidentiality agreements. Employees and employers need the freedom to reach a mutually acceptable negotiated settlement, so the Government does not want to impose further constraints on the provisions of settlement agreements.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/127", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Prior of Brampton"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Prior of Brampton"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-10-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-10-17T15:30:25.307Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-10-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pregnancy: Discrimination"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what if any proposals they have to provide new and expectant mothers with further protections from redundancy; and whether they have any plans to address the use of confidentiality agreements in out of court settlements which prevent women from speaking publicly about their treatment.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/259", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Marquess of Lothian"} ], "uin" : "HL1848"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/767938", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/767938/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Payment Practices Reporting online service has been launched on the GOV.UK website, and is now available to all businesses in scope of the requirements without the need for an invitation. The Department is now working to raise awareness of the existence of the service, including by contacting business representative bodies. Before the service was launched, 350 invitations were issued. The Department does not hold information on how many of these invitations were issued to businesses in scope of the requirement.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/127", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Prior of Brampton"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Prior of Brampton"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-10-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-10-17T15:29:44.233Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-10-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Business: Billing"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 29 June (HL53), stating that the Payment Practices Reporting online service will be available for users to begin reporting their payment practices from October, whether that online service has yet been launched and advertised; and out of the estimated 15,200 businesses in scope to comply with the payment practices and performance reporting requirements, how many have so far been issued an invitation to use the service.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4286", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Mendelsohn"} ], "uin" : "HL1857"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/768151", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/768151/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Statistics relating to the processing of entry clearance visas (out of country) and in-country casework, against service standards are published as part of the Home Office\u2019s Migration Transparency data.<\/p>
The latest editions of which are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-operations-transparency-data-august-2017<\/a> and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/in-country-migration-data-august-2017<\/a><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4009", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Great Yarmouth"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Brandon Lewis"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-10-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-10-17T15:32:33.663Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-10-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Skilled Workers"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of priority applications for Tier 2 visas were not processed before the 60 day limit in each of the last three years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3938", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Anna Soubry"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Broxtowe"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Anna Soubry"}
], "uin" : "107045"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/767326", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/767326/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The total amount of food waste generated by BEIS offices for each of the last five years is shown in the attached table. Entries shaded in grey are estimates.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/127", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Prior of Brampton"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Prior of Brampton"}
, "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/767326/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "HL1744-table.docx"}
, "title" : "BEIS food waste statistics"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-10-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-10-17T15:30:58.803Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-10-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Food"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total amount of food waste generated by BEIS offices for each of the last five years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3792", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Jones of Whitchurch"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Jones of Whitchurch"}
], "uin" : "HL1744"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/767451", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/767451/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Staff within the DCMS EU Team lead on providing advice to Ministers on EU Exit and related issues. Members of staff across the Department also provide advice and analyses on EU Exit issues as required. Given the interactions between EU exit work and the Department's other priorities, it would not be possible to give an accurate figure.<\/p> <\/strong><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4070", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Matt Hancock"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "West Suffolk"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Matt Hancock"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-10-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-10-17T15:28:50.967Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-10-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Brexit"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of the Civil Service workforce in her Department dedicated to planning for (a) the UK leaving the EU and (b) projects relating to the UK leaving the EU.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/206", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr David Lammy"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Tottenham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr David Lammy"}
], "uin" : "106570"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/767453", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/767453/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " We do not hold information on superfast broadband take-up percentage by constituency.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4070", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Matt Hancock"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "West Suffolk"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Matt Hancock"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-10-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-10-17T15:32:34.043Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-10-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Broadband"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many premises in each parliamentary constituency in the UK have taken up a superfast broadband connection.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1463", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Watson of Wyre Forest"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "West Bromwich East"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Tom Watson"}
], "uin" : "106515"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/767509", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/767509/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " There is an urgent need to address the troubling situation in Gaza. I visited Gaza on 21 August and saw the extent of this firsthand. Ultimately, Hamas' decision to embrace violence and reject the Quartet Principles lies at the heart of the Gazan tragedy. We need a durable agreement that addresses the underlying causes of the conflict and transforms the situation in Gaza.<\/p> We welcome the steps that Israel has taken to ease some restrictions. However, we want to see Israel go much further and we are continuing to call on Israel to do so. We continue to stress to the Israeli authorities the damage that their restrictions are doing to the living standards of ordinary Palestinians in Gaza and that supporting legal trade for Gazans is firmly in Israel's long-term interests.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1201", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alistair Burt"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North East Bedfordshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alistair Burt"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-10-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-10-17T15:31:02.313Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-10-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Gaza"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to end the blockade of the Gaza strip by Israel.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4405", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Julie Cooper"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Burnley"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Julie Cooper"}
], "uin" : "106731"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/767510", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/767510/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and I raised a number of bilateral issues, including all our dual-national consular cases, with our Iranian counterparts in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in September. Iran\u2019s position on dual nationality makes progress on our consular cases difficult; nonetheless we continue to raise these cases with the Iranian authorities at the highest levels and at every available opportunity. We assess that the approach we currently take is the one that is the most likely to be in the best interests of each of our dual-national prisoners in Iran.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1201", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alistair Burt"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North East Bedfordshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alistair Burt"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-10-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-10-17T15:29:01.997Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-10-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Iran: British Nationals Abroad"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he had with his Iranian counterparts at the recent UN General Assembly in New York (a) in general and (b) on detained British-Iranian dual nationals.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4518", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tulip Siddiq"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hampstead and Kilburn"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Tulip Siddiq"}
], "uin" : "106695"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/767672", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/767672/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The upgrade to the Midland Main Line, which includes electrification to Kettering and Corby, will enable increased passenger capacity and reduced journey times, as well as introducing a brand new fleet of bi-mode intercity trains from 2022. This will deliver improved journeys sooner and is part of delivering the biggest upgrade of the Midland Main Line since it opened in 1870. We will only electrify lines where it delivers a genuine benefit to passengers.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3926", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Paul Maynard"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Blackpool North and Cleveleys"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Paul Maynard"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-10-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-10-17T15:32:41.023Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-10-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Midland Main Line: Electrification"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to review the decision to cancel the electrification of the entire Midland Main Line.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4598", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mohammad Yasin"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bedford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mohammad Yasin"}
], "uin" : "106744"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/767680", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/767680/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " There are no published statistics on the annual number of passengers travelling on East Midlands train services from Bedford over the past 10 years.<\/p> <\/p> Passenger rail usage statistics for train operators are available on the Office of Rail and Road data portal at the following link: http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/browsereports/12<\/a>.<\/p> <\/p> Estimates of Station Usage gives annual totals for all passengers entering and exiting each station on Great Britain\u2019s rail network, and is available on the Office of Rail and Road data portal at the following link:<\/p>