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1007758

registered interest
date	15/11/2018
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	Children: Maintenance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to reduce waiting times for reassessment of child maintenance following a change in circumstances.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	191985
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <p>The processing of changes of circumstance remains a key priority for the Child Maintenance Service. The numbers of people working within the Child Maintenance Service is reviewed regularly to ensure we have sufficient resources to answer customer calls and progress cases.</p><p>So far in 2018, we have recruited 835 people into the Child Maintenance Service, with these people joining us between February 2018 and October 2018, and we have plans in place for a further 40 people to join the Child Maintenance Service between November 2018 and January 2019.</p><p>The performance and timeliness of progressing changes to circumstances is under regular review and forms part of our external publication offering. We continue to explore opportunities to introduce improvements and efficiencies within the Child Maintenance Service and we are currently in the process of implementing Real Time Information from HMRC which will ensure that we have access to the latest income information to make efficient changes to assessments.“</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 20/11/2018 16:33:51 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

1007819

registered interest
date	15/11/2018
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Childbirth
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the article in the Guardian of 13 November 2018 entitled Female prisoners in England left to give birth without midwife, what steps he is taking to ensure midwifery care is provided to perinatal women in custody.
tabling member constituency	Stretford and Urmston
tabling member printed	Kate Green
uin	191915
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <p>All pregnant women in custody have an individual care and management plan that is communicated to all staff and all pregnant women are seen by a mid-wife at least fortnightly or as required. Healthcare in prisons is provided by trained medics and nurses, but we have also made training on dealing with pregnant women available to all prison officers and new guidance will make clear that pregnant women should have access to 24-hour midwifery advice.</p><p> </p><p>We know it is extremely rare for a woman to give birth in prison - because every step is taken to get them to hospital - but those unique cases are invariably down to the unpredictability of labour.</p><p> </p><p>Our new Female Offenders Strategy made clear that we want fewer women serving short sentences in custody and more remaining in the community, making use of women’s centres to address needs such as substance misuse and mental health problems.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 20/11/2018 13:05:42 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4120 label Biography information for Kate Green

1007833

registered interest
date	15/11/2018
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Forensic Science: Misconduct
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 November 2017 on Toxicology, HCWS265, how many C650 applications to vary or set aside a court order in relation to children have been filed in relation to the manipulation of test results by Trimega and Randox Testing Services.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
uin	191958
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>191955</strong><strong>: </strong>Greater Manchester Police are undertaking an ongoing, expansive criminal investigation into alleged manipulation of toxicology results now by three individuals who were employed at Trimega, and later Randox Testing Services (RTS) after Trimega’s liquidation in 2014, and this matter is being treated with the utmost seriousness. <strong> </strong> As the police are now treating all results obtained by Trimega between 2010 and 2014 as unreliable, and because Trimega provided toxicology testing for civil and family court cases, it is possible that some civil cases may have been affected by manipulation, though this remains undetermined as the investigation is ongoing.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong>191958: </strong>As of 16 November 2018, four C650 applications to vary or set aside a court order in relation to children (drug and/or alcohol toxicology test after 2010) have been filed with HM Courts &amp; Tribunals Service. Of these, one was dismissed on application because it did not relate to testing undertaken by Trimega. Of the other three, one was withdrawn and another dismissed by the judge hearing the case. In one instance, a previous order was discharged.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer grouped question UIN 191955 question first answered 20/11/2018 17:47:02 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

1006870

registered interest
date	14/11/2018
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	Fireworks: Regulation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to amend the regulations on the sale or use of fireworks to (a) further restrict the sale of fireworks and (b) restrict the use of fireworks to certain specified occasions.
tabling member constituency	Stroud
tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
uin	191262
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2018 answer text <p>Government takes firework safety very seriously and the Office for Product Safety and Standards is working with industry, retailers, charities and others, including the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. Promoting the safe and responsible use of fireworks, whilst taking robust action against those that break the rules, is the best way to reduce risk. We have reached more than a million people through social media, GP surgeries and post offices in our recent campaign on firework safety.</p><p> </p><p>Strict legislation is in place to regulate the supply and use of fireworks, including restricting their availability to the public via a licensing scheme for retailers which only allows for their sale without a license during the traditional firework periods of November 5th, New Year’s Eve, Diwali and the Chinese New Year.</p><p> </p><p>We have no plans to amend legislation to further restrict their sale or use.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 19/11/2018 15:35:38 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1006898

registered interest
date	14/11/2018
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	Social Security Benefits: Fraud
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to tackle benefit fraud.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	191358
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is committed to reducing benefit fraud across all benefits administered by or on behalf DWP.</p><p> </p><p>DWP’s key focus is on preventing potential benefit fraud before it occurs. Internal and external data matches are increasingly helping inform benefit payments and alerting staff to check for any undeclared changes in people’s circumstances.</p><p>The Department’s Risk and Intelligence Service uses data and analytics to identify fraud and uses that information to direct investigations. The Department is investing significantly in this area, which will enhance its future risk assessment capability.</p><p>DWP takes effective action against people who commit benefit fraud. This includes the use of tough financial penalties referred to as administrative penalties and where appropriate prosecution. DWP convicted nearly 5,000 people of benefit fraud last year alone, as well as issuing over 5,500 Administrative Penalties.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 20/11/2018 13:58:37 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

1006901

registered interest
date	14/11/2018
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Police Service of Northern Ireland: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with the Police Service of Northern Ireland on its financial situation.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	191361
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <p>Policing is a devolved matter and the PSNI’s main budget is allocated by the Department of Justice from the Northern Ireland block grant, through the Policing Board. Operational policing matters are a matter for the Chief Constable, with whom I maintain regular contact.</p><p> </p><p>The UK Government has provided the Police Service of Northern Ireland with additional security funding in order that they can tackle the SEVERE and enduring threat from Northern Ireland related terrorism.</p><p> </p><p>The PSNI has submitted a case for additional Brexit-related resources to Treasury. That bid is currently under consideration.</p><p> </p><p>This Government remains unstinting in its admiration and support for the brave men and women of the PSNI and their efforts to keep people in Northern Ireland safe and secure.</p><p><br> <br></p> answering member constituency Staffordshire Moorlands answering member printed Karen Bradley question first answered 20/11/2018 11:17:14 answering member 4110 label Biography information for Dame Karen Bradley
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

1006924

registered interest
date	14/11/2018
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	Carbon Monoxide: Alarms
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 takes to prevent the sale of faulty and substandard carbon monoxide alarms that do not meet the EN 50291-1 safety standard; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
uin	191292
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2018 answer text <p>Carbon monoxide alarms are regulated under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 which require that products must be safe before they can be placed on the market.</p><p> </p><p>Local Authority Trading Standards have powers to take action to remove or recall products which do not comply with the regulations and the Office for Product Safety and Standards will work with them to monitor the safety of these products.</p><p> </p><p>Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 traders must ensure that goods are as described and of a satisfactory quality and be fit for a particular purpose if that purpose was made known to the consumer.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 19/11/2018 15:36:22 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1006949

registered interest
date	14/11/2018
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	WH Smith: Post Offices
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 assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on (a) employment patterns and (b) levels of customer service of the planned franchising of 74 Crown post offices to WHSmith.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	191303
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2018 answer text <p>While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. Staff employment patterns and customer service are both operational matters of commercial judgement for Post Office management team. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Group Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the Rt hon Member on this matter. A copy of her reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 19/11/2018 15:35:57 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1006974

registered interest
date	14/11/2018
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	Pensions: Advisory Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to encourage uptake of the Pension Wise guidance service.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	191267
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <p>Take up of the Pension Wise guidance service is growing with more and more people having appointments. Between 2015/16 and 2017/18, take up of appointments more than doubled and continues to increase.</p><p> </p><p>Pension schemes and providers are required to signpost people to Pension Wise at key contact points. Pension providers are consistently cited by around half of the people who contact Pension Wise as the place they first heard of the service. The FCA have consulted on changes to these requirements with a view to increasing the take up of Pension Wise guidance.</p><p> </p><p>The Pension Wise marketing strategy across TV, Radio, web, Press and Video on Demand, as well as search engine optimisation, aims to get maximum reach amongst the target audience. This has proven to an effective way of both raising awareness of the service and driving take-up of appointments.</p><p> </p><p>Pension Wise is also working with employers nationally and locally to engage with their employees at their place of work. Pension Wise delivery partners also undertake local promotional activities, raising awareness of the service at local events.</p><p> </p><p>The Financial Guidance and Claims Act 2018 establishes a new Single Financial Guidance Body which will bring together the services currently provided by the Money Advice Service, The Pensions Advisory Service and Pension Wise. The new body will make it easier for people to access information and guidance to help them make effective financial decisions. This Act also set a framework for implementing a stronger final nudge towards Pension Wise at the point people seek to access their pension and we are engaging with providers to find the most effective approach.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 20/11/2018 14:56:11 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1007143

registered interest
date	14/11/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Immigration: EU Nationals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Government's suitability criterion for settled status that the applicant must not be subject to a removal decision under the EEA Regulations on the grounds of their non-exercise or misuse of rights under Directive 2004/38/EC, what steps he is taking to ensure that workers with (a) zero-hours and (b) part-time contracts are not refused settled status as a result of their employment status.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	191403
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2018 answer text <p>The draft Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union published on 14 November 2018 protects the rights of EU citizens resident in the UK by the end of the planned implementation period on 31 December 2020 and their family members. Article 20 sets out the circumstances in which it may be appropriate to restrict the right of entry or residence to such an EU citizen or their family member.</p><p> </p><p>The draft Withdrawal Agreement does not protect those who are not exercising or are misusing free movement rights, and it means that, while free movement rules continue to operate to the end of the planned implementation period, there will remain scope, consistent with the relevant case law, for a person to be removed from the UK on those grounds. It is logical that this is reflected in the Immigration Rules and published caseworker guidance for the EU Settlement Scheme, as it is in the provisions of and published caseworker guidance for the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2016 which provide for the operation in the UK of the Free Movement Directive (2004/83/EC). The guidance on the Regulations sets out how misuse of free movement rights is assessed and was reviewed following the Gureckis, Cielecki and Perlinski judgments in 2017.</p><p> </p><p>However, the Statement of Intent on the EU Settlement Scheme published on 21 June 2018 made clear that the UK has decided, as a matter of domestic policy, to be more generous than the draft Withdrawal Agreement in certain respects. In particular, those applying under the scheme will not be required to show that they meet all the requirements of current free movement rules, such as any requirement to have held comprehensive sickness insurance or generally to detail the exercise of specific rights under EU law, such as the right to work. This means that an applicant will not be refused status under the scheme because for example they are not economically active, their employment is not full-time or they do not hold comprehensive sickness insurance.</p><p> </p><p>An applicant refused status under the EU Settlement Scheme on eligibility or suitability grounds will be covered by the procedural guarantees provided for in Article 18(3) of the draft Withdrawal Agreement. Subject to Parliamentary approval of the primary legislation required to establish a right of appeal for the scheme, we intend that, consistent with Articles 18(3) and 21 of the draft Withdrawal Agreement, those applying under the scheme from 30 March 2019 will be given a statutory right of appeal if their application is refused.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes grouped question UIN 191400 191401 191402 191404 191405 question first answered 19/11/2018 18:00:13 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield