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1007892

registered interest
date	15/11/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Domestic Abuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department plans to take to help SMEs tackle domestic abuse in the workplace.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	191922
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2018 answer text <p>The Government are committed to transforming their approach to domestic abuse, and that includes improving the response of employers to this devastating crime.</p><p>We have therefore awarded £1 million to the charity Hestia for its “Tools for the Job” pilot project, which will help employers to improve their HR policies on domestic abuse and will fund specialist employment domestic violence advocates.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 21/11/2018 17:14:42 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1007894

registered interest
date	15/11/2018
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	New Businesses: Females
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to support graduate women to start their own businesses.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	191923
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2018 answer text <p>The Government is committed to a cohesive society, where everyone – no matter what their background – has the opportunity to enter into and progress at work and achieve on merit. We know that companies with diverse workforces perform better and are more profitable. An inclusive economic policy is vital to the success of our Industrial Strategy.</p><p> </p><p>Supporting female graduates is captured in our Government support offer which is available to all, regardless of gender, age or ethnicity. There are now 1.1 million female-led small and medium-sized businesses in the UK. This accounts for 19% of SMEs in the UK, 5% higher than in 2010. The Government is also pleased that the female employment rate is 71% and a higher percentage of women are on FTSE 350 company boards than ever before.</p><p> </p><p>The Government-owned British Business Bank provides Start-Up Loans for individuals wishing to start a business and women account for 39% of recipients. The Bank is also conducting a review into the specific barriers female-led businesses face in accessing Venture Capital.</p><p> </p><p>On 21 September 2018, HM Treasury also launched a review into the barriers women face getting into business. Businesswoman Alison Rose, Chief Executive of RBS Commercial and Private Banking, will lead the government review to identify the extent of these barriers and explore what can be done to overcome them. This review will bolster our work to make it easier for them to access the support they need to get their ideas off the ground and grow their businesses.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 21/11/2018 16:51:29 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1007896

registered interest
date	15/11/2018
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to close the gender pay gap.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	191925
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2018 answer text <p>Under new government legislation over 10,000 employers reported their gender pay gaps this year. These regulations increase transparency, driving board level discussions and pushing employers to take real action to close the gap.</p><p>We are now working with employers to help them understand their gender pay gaps, and support them to put plans in place to tackle gaps.</p><p>Mandatory gender pay gap reporting is just one of the steps government has taken to tackle the drivers of the gap including:</p><ul><li>introducing Shared Parental Leave and Pay and running a £1.5 million campaign to promote the scheme to eligible parents.</li><li>extending the right to request flexible working and establishing a taskforce working with business to make flexible working a reality for all employees.</li><li>creating a £5 million fund to support women and men who have been out of the labour market for a long period to return to work.</li><li>spending around £6 billion on childcare support by 2019-20, around £3.5 billion of which is planned to be spent on free early education entitlements.</li></ul> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 22/11/2018 16:05:08 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1005987

registered interest
date	13/11/2018
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	Prescription Drugs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government has provided guidance to manufacturers on communicating the potential health benefits of their products to consumers.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	190883
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2018 answer text <p>The Government has not provided guidance to manufacturers on communicating the potential health benefits of their products provided through the NHS Supply Chain to consumers.</p> answering member constituency Wimbledon answering member printed Stephen Hammond question first answered 21/11/2018 16:47:41 answering member 1585 label Biography information for Stephen Hammond
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1005996

registered interest
date	13/11/2018
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Home Shopping: Taxation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of using revenue from the online sales tax to support high streets.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	190887
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2018 answer text <p>The Budget 2018 announced Our Plan for the High Street, a support package worth £1.5 billion that aims to help high streets and town centres in England to evolve and adapt to changing consumer demands.</p><p> </p><p>This support includes a two-year business rates cut of one third to the bills of small retailers, a £675m Future High Streets Fund to support high streets to evolve, and planning reforms.</p><p> </p><p>The measures apply to England. The UK Government is providing Barnett consequential funding to the Devolved Administrations so that they may offer similar support if they wish.</p>At the Budget, the government announced a Digital Services Tax. This is not a tax on online sales but a tax on the revenues of certain digital business activities which derive value from UK users. answering member constituency Central Devon answering member printed Mel Stride question first answered 21/11/2018 15:17:24 answering member 3935 label Biography information for Mel Stride
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1005997

registered interest
date	13/11/2018
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	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations she has received about the effect on vulnerable people and those with mental health conditions of joint claims for Universal Credit which are paid to one person in the family.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	190888
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2018 answer text <p>We recognise that the move to a single monthly household payment is a significant change and therefore for a minority of claimants, alternative payment arrangements can be provided to help them manage that change. These include: managed payment of the Universal Credit housing cost to landlords; making payments more frequently than monthly (e.g. twice monthly); and splitting the payment between partners within the household.</p><p> </p><p>Splitting payments between partners is normally considered to prevent hardship to a claimant and their family, for example if the Universal Credit claimant is not managing their financial affairs and cannot or will not budget for their own or their family’s basic day to day needs.</p><p> </p><p>We take seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants. Universal Credit provides enhanced personalised support for people by simplifying the benefits system. All claimants, including vulnerable claimants and those with mental health conditions, receive continuous tailored support managed through personal work coaches, who know each person’s case.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally we can offer Personal Budgeting Support which aims to prepare claimants for the financial changes Universal Credit brings. It provides transitional support to help them manage their monthly payments and prioritise essential bills, such as rent and utilities.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 21/11/2018 16:23:24 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1005998

registered interest
date	13/11/2018
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Small Businesses: Tax Allowances
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he will consider further tax breaks for micro businesses and small business to enable those businesses to take on more employees.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	190889
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2018 answer text <p>This government recognises the UK’s 5.7 million small and medium businesses play a vital role in the economy, employing 16.1 million people.</p><p> </p><p>Since April 2014, businesses and charities have been entitled to the Employment Allowance (EA) to reduce their employer NICs bill every year to enable them to grow and hire new staff. The EA was increased in 2015 to £3,000 per employer and from April 2020 will be targeted at the smallest businesses, who need it most.</p> answering member constituency Central Devon answering member printed Mel Stride question first answered 21/11/2018 15:39:38 answering member 3935 label Biography information for Mel Stride
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1006177

registered interest
date	13/11/2018
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prison Officers: Labour Turnover
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to encourage more prison officers to stay in post.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	190890
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <p>Retaining and recruiting engaged and motivated staff is critical to delivering the solutions to drive improvement across the service. We know that retention of staff will take more than a ‘one size fits all’ approach, and specific action is being taken where attrition is most acute.</p><p> </p><p>We launched a Retention Framework and Action Plan, designed to support prisons in identifying drivers of attrition and local interventions. Governors are proactively using the Framework to implement the actions required to tackle attrition at their prisons. A Retention Board has also been established to review Band 3-5 Prison Officer resignation rates, providing support and targeted interventions to prisons with acute issues or increasing resignation rates.</p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 20/11/2018 17:17:49 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1006178

registered interest
date	13/11/2018
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Unmanned Air Vehicles
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department plans to take against (a) drone operators and (b) prisoners involved in receiving messages or contraband.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	190891
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <p>We are taking decisive steps to tackle the use of drones as a supply route for organised criminals to bring drugs and mobile phones into prisons. These drone operators can be prosecuted for offences related to conveyance of items into prison under the Prison Act 1952. Last year we launched Operation Trenton, a specialist team of police and Prison Service investigators, to work together to intercept drones and track down the criminals behind them.</p><p> </p><p>On 26 October, following the largest investigation of its kind, an organised criminal gang of 15 were collectively sentenced to nearly 40 years in prison for using drones to drop drugs into several prisons. One member of the gang received a sentence of 10 years’ custody, the highest single sentence for drone-related activity to date.</p><p> </p><p>Prisoners who break the law in prison should expect to be sanctioned according to the severity of the crime, with serious crimes being referred to the police for investigation. The maximum sentence that a court may impose will depend on the facts of the case and the offence the prisoner has been found guilty of committing. In respect of controlled drugs, for example, prisoners involved in their delivery may receive a sentence of up to 10 years’ custody and an unlimited fine.</p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 20/11/2018 17:16:31 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1005664

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
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	Electronic Cigarettes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential effectiveness of encouraging people who smoke to switch to vaping to help them stop smoking.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	190458
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <p>The Government has consistently highlighted that quitting smoking and nicotine use is the best way to improve health. E-cigarettes are not risk free. However, the evidence is increasingly clear that vaping is significantly less harmful to health than smoking tobacco and can be particularly useful in supporting smokers to quit, especially when combined with stop smoking services.</p><p> </p><p>In the Tobacco Control Plan for England, published in July 2017, the Government committed Public Health England (PHE) to annually updating their evidence report on e-cigarettes and other novel nicotine delivery systems until the end of Parliament in 2022. PHE’s latest report was published on the 6 February 2018 and is available at the following link:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/684963/Evidence_review_of_e-cigarettes_and_heated_tobacco_products_2018.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/684963/Evidence_review_of_e-cigarettes_and_heated_tobacco_products_2018.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>PHE’s most recent evidence review argues that e-cigarette use, alone or in combination with licensed medication and behavioural support from a stop smoking service, appears to be helpful in the short term, and that e-cigarettes have contributed to tens of thousands of additional quitters in England.</p><p> </p><p>The PHE evidence review concluded that “to date there have been no identified health risks of passive vaping to by-standers”. PHE have produced guidance for organisations on developing appropriate vaping policies for public places and workplaces, which should be evidence based and support smokers to quit whilst managing any identified risks.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to reducing public health harms caused by smoking. PHE retain responsibility for the provision of information regarding vaping, e-cigarettes and other nicotine delivery systems to protect public health; and have committed to include messages about the relative safety of e-cigarettes within quit smoking campaigns such as the annual Stoptober campaign.</p><p> </p><p>PHE continue to provide advice on quitting smoking, highlighting the potential role of e-cigarettes in doing so. PHE’s latest Health Matters blog, Stop Smoking: What works? Provides advice to smokers on different quitting options, including e-cigarettes as well as nicotine replacement therapy and prescription medicines. This is available at the following link:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/category/health-matters/" target="_blank">https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/category/health-matters/</a></p> answering member constituency Winchester answering member printed Steve Brine grouped question UIN 190459 190460 190462 190463 question first answered 20/11/2018 15:19:05 answering member 4067 label Biography information for Steve Brine
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon