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1088549

registered interest
date	13/03/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Chris Grayling
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 13 March (HL14243), whether they will list the meetings conducted by the Secretary of State for Transport on 4 March with the times at which each such meeting took place.
tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
uin	HL14509
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2019 answer text <p>I refer to my previous answer of 13 March – the Secretary of State had a range of meetings with officials, Ministers, agencies and MPs on Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 March.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sugg question first answered 22/03/2019 13:30:05 answering member 4584 label Biography information for Baroness Sugg
tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1088550

registered interest
date	13/03/2019
answering body	Department for Exiting the European Union
answering dept id	203
answering dept short name	Exiting the European Union
answering dept sort name	Exiting the European Union
hansard heading	Borders: Northern Ireland
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 Callanan on 13 March (HL13776), how they will ensure that both Houses of Parliament and their relevant select committees are given timely information about the progress and details of the evaluation of "alternative arrangements" and "technologies"; and whether they will publish the joint work stream agreed with the EU.
tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
uin	HL14510
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2019 answer text <p>The UK and EU have agreed to consider a joint work stream to develop alternative arrangements, including the use of technology, to ensure the absence of a hard border, and this work will form an important strand of the next phase of negotiations. Our aim is to ensure that, even if the full future relationship is not in place by the end of the implementation period, the backstop is not needed, because we will have a set of alternative arrangements ready to go. We have secured a legally binding commitment that both sides will aim to replace the backstop with alternative arrangements by December 2020 - and that they do not need to replicate the backstop in any respect.</p><p>The Government is doing everything we sensibly can to provide for ongoing scrutiny through the negotiating process. We will continue to report regularly to select committees in person and by responding fully to inquiries and reports.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 26/03/2019 13:22:36 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1088551

registered interest
date	13/03/2019
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Fire and Rescue Services: Training
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 firefighters are adequately trained to tackle fires in the cladding of buildings.
tabling member printed	Lord Beecham
uin	HL14511
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/03/2019 answer text <p>Fire and rescue authorities are responsible for ensuring that firefighters are adequately trained and equipped.</p><p>The government has established a new, independently chaired Fire Standards Board to oversee the development of professional standards for fire and rescue services in England, which we would expect to include standards of training.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 27/03/2019 16:43:37 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	4181 label Biography information for Lord Beecham

1088553

registered interest
date	13/03/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Social Mobility: Employment
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 Social Mobility Pledge; and what steps they are taking to support its uptake by employers.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL14513
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2019 answer text <p>The Social Mobility Pledge (SMP) initiative represents an excellent opportunity for businesses to become SMP accredited employers, by committing to enhance support for people from disadvantaged backgrounds.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise the importance of the pledge. It fits with the aims of the government’s own strategies for social mobility. We are leading by example - the attached Civil Service Workforce Plan sets out how government provides exemplary leadership on social mobility as an employer and leads the way for other organisations. In addition, the department was ranked 18th out of 106 employers who submitted entries to the 2018 Social Mobility Employer Index. This index ranks Britain’s employers on the actions they are taking to improve access and progression.</p><p> </p><p>We offer similar initiatives to the SMP which supports employers to improve social mobility. For example, the Department for Education’s ‘Skills Partner’ initiative encourages employers to sign a statement of action with the government, demonstrating collective commitment to a strong skills programme that gives every individual the opportunity to succeed.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 25/03/2019 16:58:19 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton attachment 1 file name HL14513_Civil_Service_Workforce_Plan.pdf title HL14513_Civil_Service_Workforce_Plan
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1088555

registered interest
date	13/03/2019
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	State Retirement Pensions: Females
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reinstate the deferred pensions of those women born in the 1950s who were meant to receive their pensions aged 60; and what assessment they have made of whether those women were given sufficient notice of the deferment.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL14515
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2019 answer text <p>Successive governments of different political persuasions have taken the same approach to increased life expectancy and equality between 1995–2019. The Government has no plans to revisit the policy on women’s State Pension age as brought forward by the 1995 pensions Act or the 2011 Pensions Act, and does not intend to make further concessions. The changes in the 2011 Act occurred following a public Call for Evidence and extensive debates in Parliament. A concession limiting the increase in State Pension age under the 2011 Act in any individual case to 18 months, relative to the 1995 Act timetable, has already been made during the passage Act (at the cost of £1.1 billion).</p><p> </p><p>In the years after the 1995 legislation (1995 to 2011) this equalisation was frequently reported in the media and debated at length in parliament. People were notified with leaflets, an extensive advertising campaign was carried out, and later individual letters were posted out.</p><p> </p><p>Evidence submitted to the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee ‘Communication of state pension age changes’ in 2016 noted that there were more than 600 mentions of State Pension age equalisation in the national broadsheet and tabloid press between 1993 and 2006, an average of just under one per week between 1993 and 2006. There were 54 mentions in the press in 1995, the year in which equalisation was legislated for. This was a significant event to change the age at which women received their State Pension that had existed since 1940. This was news worthy, particularly to those that it affected. Further media coverage occurred around the Pension Acts 2007, 2011 and 2014.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 25/03/2019 13:57:39 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1088556

registered interest
date	13/03/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Midland Main Line: Rolling Stock
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether an order for bi-mode trains for the Midland Main Line has been placed.
tabling member printed	Lord Bradshaw
uin	HL14516
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2019 answer text <p>The Department is currently evaluating East Midlands franchise competition bids. The successful bidder is required to undertake procurement of new bi-mode trains to meet the requirements of the Invitation to Tender.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sugg question first answered 19/03/2019 14:05:52 answering member 4584 label Biography information for Baroness Sugg
tabling member	2483 label Biography information for Lord Bradshaw

1088557

registered interest
date	13/03/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Overseas Aid
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures are in place to test the effectiveness of aid spending through the UK Official Development Assistance budget.
tabling member printed	Baroness Brady
uin	HL14517
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2019 answer text <p>UK ODA is scrutinised by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI), which focuses on the delivery of value for money and maximising the impact and effectiveness of UK aid. ICAI reports directly to Parliament through the International Development Committee (IDC) ensuring both independence and accountability of the ODA. The National Audit Office also scrutinises departmental spending including the effectiveness of ODA spending.</p><p> </p><p>As part of DFID’s programme approval process, an accredited Evaluation Advisor reviews the evaluation plan for the ongoing effectiveness of the programme. DFID reviews all programmes annually, providing an assessment of performance, ongoing relevance, value for money, lessons learned, and any remedial action required. Individual government departments are responsible for design, evaluation and governance of their Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) budget. However, DFID makes available some relevant evaluation tools to support other departments.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 25/03/2019 16:12:07 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4339 label Biography information for Baroness Brady

1088558

registered interest
date	13/03/2019
answering body	Women and Equalities
answering dept id	31
answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
hansard heading	Equal Pay: Gender
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the gender pay gap; when they estimate that gap to close; and what steps they are taking to hasten the closure of that gap.
tabling member printed	Baroness Brady
uin	HL14518
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/03/2019 answer text <p>The rate at which the gender pay gap will narrow is dependent on a large number of complex factors but this government is working hard to help employers close the gap as soon as possible. Whilst we are pleased that the gap is at a record low of 17.9%, having dropped by 9.6 percentage points since 1997, there is more to do to ensure this progress continues.</p><p>In 2017 we introduced ground-breaking regulations requiring large employers to publish their gender pay gaps annually. We are now supporting employers to develop action plans and take effective steps to reduce their gaps.</p><p>The government is also:</p><p>- Spending around £6billion in 2019-20 on childcare support and we have already doubled the childcare entitlement for working parents of 3 and 4 year olds.</p><p>- Set up a taskforce to make flexible working a possibility for all employees; and last year ran a £1.5million campaign promoting Shared Parental Leave.</p><p>- Supporting the Hampton-Alexander Review, aiming to get more women into senior leadership positions and improve gender diversity in the executive pipeline.</p><p>Taking steps to break down gender stereotypes, including funding programmes in schools and colleges to encourage more girls to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and maths.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 27/03/2019 17:07:43 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	4339 label Biography information for Baroness Brady

1087513

registered interest
date	12/03/2019
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	NHS: Agency Workers
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how much was spent on NHS agency staff in the last ten years for which records are available.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL14440
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2019 answer text <p>Due to the way that agency expenditure was measured across legacy organisations prior to the creation of NHS Improvement, comparable figures are only available from 2012-13 onwards.</p><p>The following table shows that after a 40% increase in total agency expenditure between 2012-13 and 2015-16, new measures introduced to reduce agency spend across the National Health Service have been successful. Since their introduction, agency spend has fallen from a peak of £3.6 billion in 2015-16 to £2.4 billion in 2017-18 – a £1.2 billion reduction.</p><p>We recognise that there is still more to be done in this area, and we are committed to reducing trusts’ reliance on expensive agency workers, whilst ensuring they can meet their temporary staffing needs. One of the ways we are achieving this is by working with NHS Improvement to support trusts to develop tech-enabled, sustainable and effective in-house staff banks that cover all staff groups and therefore provide a viable alternative to agency.</p><p> </p><p>Year Total Agency Expenditure</p><p>2012-13 £2,113 million</p><p>2013-14 £2,589 million</p><p>2014-15 £3,190 million</p><p>2015-16 £3,635 million</p><p>2016-17 £2,935 million</p><p>2017-18 £2,407 million</p><p>2018-19 (year to date, month 10) £1,999 million</p> answering member printed Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford question first answered 26/03/2019 14:03:38 answering member 4019 label Biography information for Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1087514

registered interest
date	12/03/2019
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	NHS: Staff
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many NHS staff were killed at work in each of the last ten years for which records are available; and what were the reasons for those deaths.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL14441
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2019 answer text <p>Individual trusts are responsible for maintaining such records at a local level.</p><p>The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for maintaining national records of people killed at work. However, these statistics do not separately identify whether individuals are National Health Service staff.</p> answering member printed Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford question first answered 26/03/2019 17:50:48 answering member 4019 label Biography information for Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool