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904059

registered interest
date	14/05/2018
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	Autism: Equality
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 ensure people who have autism are given equal opportunities in employment.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	143720
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2018 answer text <p>We are committed to improving conditions for disabled people and those with related conditions in their private lives, in their communities and in employment.</p><p> </p><p>The Equality Act 2010 provides protection from discrimination for people with particular protected characteristics, such as disability, in relation to work. This covers all aspects of employment including advertising and applying for posts, the interview process, promotion, training and dismissal. This applies to anyone who meets the Act’s definition of disability.</p><p> </p><p>Employers are also required to make reasonable adjustments for employees they know have disabilities to ensure that they are not put at a substantial disadvantage in comparison with persons who are not disabled. Failure to make reasonable adjustments for a disabled person could amount to disability discrimination and a breach of the Act.</p><p> </p><p>Building on these statutory protections, the Government is committed to getting one million more disabled people into work over the next 10 years. Improving Lives: the Future of Work, Health and Disability, published last year, sets out the Government’s strategy for helping people with disabilities or health conditions, including learning difficulties and autism, enter and remain in employment. Other support includes:</p><ul><li>Disability Confident: the campaign to work with employers to challenge attitudes towards disability, including learning difficulties and autism. A Disability Confident Autism Toolkit has been developed to provide comprehensive information on autism and hidden impairments, as well as guidance on employment and local authority services.</li><li>Access to Work: the discretionary grant scheme which offers advice and practical and financial support above the level of reasonable adjustments to disabled people who are in work or about to start work. Access to Work has a Hidden Impairment Specialist Team that gives advice and guidance to help employers support employees with conditions such as autism.</li></ul> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 23/05/2018 14:08:53 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

904060

registered interest
date	14/05/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Physical Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has any plans to increase the time pupils participate in physical education.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	143721
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2018 answer text <p>Physical education (PE) is a compulsory subject at all four key stages in the National Curriculum. All schools in England are expected to teach PE as part of a broad and balanced curriculum. It is up to schools to decide how much time to dedicate to PE and the government does not set central expectations.</p><p> </p><p>The Chief Medical Officers have recommended that primary school pupils should be active for 60 minutes a day. The government’s ‘Childhood Obesity: Plan for Action’ recommends that least 30 minutes should be delivered in school every day, partly through PE but also through active break times, extra-curricular clubs, active lessons, or other sport and physical activity events. The department is supporting this through initiatives such as the Primary PE and Sport premium- doubling the premium to £320 million a year from September 2017 using revenue from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. Schools must use the funding to make additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of PE and sport they offer and make improvements now that will benefit pupils joining the school in future years.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 22/05/2018 15:18:16 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

904061

registered interest
date	14/05/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Assessments: Fraud
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to prevent cheating in examinations.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	143722
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2018 answer text <p>In relation to examinations in England this is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sally Collier, to write directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.</p><p> </p><p>Regulation of qualifications in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 22/05/2018 15:43:15 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

904062

registered interest
date	14/05/2018
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	Animals: Licensing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require all animal owners to hold a licence to own an animal.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	143723
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/05/2018 answer text <p>The Government has taken many steps to improve the welfare of animals, such as introducing legislation that will make it compulsory for all slaughterhouses to have CCTV; compulsory microchipping of all dogs; new laws to improve welfare standards in pet shops, dog breeding establishments, riding establishments, boarding establishments and in the exhibiting of animals; updating codes of practice for the welfare of cats, dogs, horses and meat chickens; and we will also be increasing the maximum penalty for animal cruelty offences tenfold from six months’ imprisonment to five years’ imprisonment. The Government therefore considers that there is no need to introduce a licensing scheme along the lines proposed.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 17/05/2018 15:38:46 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

904063

registered interest
date	14/05/2018
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	Farms: Safety
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance her Department provides on safety measures on farms.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	143724
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/05/2018 answer text <p>The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), who has responsibility for health and safety in the agricultural sector, has published extensive guidance addressing a wide range of health and safety measures on farms. This guidance is available free of charge on HSE’s website and can be accessed at <a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/index.htm" target="_blank">http://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/index.htm</a>.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 16/05/2018 15:04:27 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

904065

registered interest
date	14/05/2018
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Sports: Television
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what his policy is on home nation sports events being televised on free-to-air television.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	143725
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2018 answer text <p>It is important that people are able to watch national sporting events on free to air television. That is why the law ensures that certain national sporting events are shown to the widest possible audience through the listed events regime. The list of protected events contains a range of competitions in which home nations teams feature including the World Cup Finals and the Six Nations. There are no plans to amend the list.</p> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James question first answered 21/05/2018 15:20:05 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

904066

registered interest
date	14/05/2018
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Sports: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to encourage sports clubs to have disability teams.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	143726
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2018 answer text <p>The importance of increasing participation in sport and physical activity by underrepresented groups was highlighted in the government’s sport strategy 'Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation', published in December 2015.</p><p> </p><p>Sport England is investing £1.6m from 2017 - 2020 into the seven National Disability Sports Organisations (NDSOs) who represent specific impairment groups. Part of their work is to promote opportunities to their members, and to provide advice to clubs and coaches to enable more disabled people to participate in sport. Sport England also invests in International Mixed Ability Sports (IMAS), an inclusion model based on disabled and non-disabled people taking part in sport together, and embedding these teams into existing club structures. It has invested approximately £162,000 into IMAS to expand the delivery of their mixed ability model into seven new sports, and reach over 900 disabled and non-disabled players over the 2 years of this investment.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sport England also supports clubs to promote disability sport through its free Club Matters resource. It includes insight about different impairments and health conditions, and practical advice about making clubs accessible and inclusive for disabled people. The Activity Alliance (formerly known as EFDS) are currently working with Sport England to update the resources available to clubs through Club Matters.</p> answering member constituency Chatham and Aylesford answering member printed Tracey Crouch question first answered 22/05/2018 12:56:35 answering member 3950 label Biography information for Dame Tracey Crouch
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

904067

registered interest
date	14/05/2018
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Customs Unions: Northern Ireland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many meetings has she had with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on the customs union since that Department's establishment.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	143727
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2018 answer text <p>I have regular meetings with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union.</p> answering member constituency Staffordshire Moorlands answering member printed Karen Bradley question first answered 23/05/2018 10:21:50 answering member 4110 label Biography information for Dame Karen Bradley
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

904068

registered interest
date	14/05/2018
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Armed Forces: Recruitment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to recruit new soldiers into the armed forces.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	143728
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2018 answer text <p>The Army recruits through a diverse and wide range of methods and is taking steps to improve its recruitment processes. Applications to the Army are received through the Army website.</p><p>In January 2018 we launched the second phase of the 'This is Belonging' marketing campaign. This is a continuation of last year's successful campaign and focuses on reaching out to a broader community of young talent, in addition to those traditionally attracted to an Army career. It is active on television, radio, cinema and a variety of social media outlets. In addition, the Army advertises for specialist staff through online job advertising boards.</p><p>The Army continues to work closely with their recruiting partner, Capita, on an improvement plan which aims to increase the conversion rate of applicants into recruits and shorten the time it takes to join the Army. To support recruitment operations, we also launched the new Defence Recruiting System in November 2017, to replace the former 20 year old IT system. While there have been some transition issues with the new system it will enable a quicker and easier recruitment process for applicants and the Armed Forces.</p><p>This is all supported by extensive Army regional engagement to promote awareness across society of the role of the Army and the career opportunities that it presents. The Army is Britain's biggest provider of apprenticeships, offering not just a job, but a career with ongoing training and qualifications.</p><p>The Army also seek to attract recruits from across the UK, and continues to work hard at recruiting a diverse work force. It has made addressing issues of equality, diversity and inclusivity a priority in order to ensure that it is a modern employer which is capable of recruiting talent from all elements of society. The lifting of the exclusion for women serving in Ground Close Combat roles highlights the commitment to offering maximum opportunity for all.</p> answering member constituency Milton Keynes North answering member printed Mark Lancaster question first answered 22/05/2018 15:03:41 answering member 1544 label Biography information for Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

904069

registered interest
date	14/05/2018
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Territorial Army: Deployment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many officers from the Territorial Army were deployed on a tour of duty in 2017.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	143729
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2018 answer text <p>The number of Army Reserve Officers that deployed on operations between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2017 was 70.</p> answering member constituency Milton Keynes North answering member printed Mark Lancaster question first answered 22/05/2018 15:04:23 answering member 1544 label Biography information for Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson