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1311740

registered interest
date	23/04/2021
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	Mental Health Services: Children and Young People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has spent to date on the delivery of the proposals in the Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health green paper.
tabling member constituency	Tooting
tabling member printed	Dr Rosena Allin-Khan
uin	186194
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2021 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before prorogation.</p> answering member constituency Mid Bedfordshire answering member printed Ms Nadine Dorries question first answered 29/04/2021 11:21:28 answering member 1481 label Biography information for Ms Nadine Dorries
tabling member	4573 label Biography information for Dr Rosena Allin-Khan

1311741

registered interest
date	23/04/2021
answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Urban Areas: Shopping
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on consumer confidence in high street shopping; and what steps the Government is taking to encourage local shopping.
tabling member constituency	Ashfield
tabling member printed	Lee Anderson
uin	186255
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2021 answer text <p>Government recognises that this is a challenging time for everyone in the country and COVID-19 is having a significant impact on our communities, businesses and town centres.</p><p>The Government is investing in our high streets and town centres, to help local communities to create high streets and town centres where people want to spend their time and money in. On 20 March we announced a new £56 million Welcome Back Fund (WBF), building on the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund (RHSSF) announced in 2020 to support a safe and successful reopening of our high streets and seaside resorts, giving people the reassurance that they can shop and socialise in a COVID-secure way. We were encouraged to see the rise in footfall following the opening of non-essential retail in April and continue to work with the retail sector on continuing to build consumer confidence.</p><p>This builds on our longer-term investment in high streets. On 26 December 2020, the Communities Secretary announced that up to £830 million has been allocated from the Future High Streets Fund. 15 areas have been awarded £255 million, with a further 57 areas to receive provisional funding of £576 million. This is a major boost for local high streets. The investment will support areas to recover from the pandemic and help transform underused town centres into vibrant places to live, work and shop.</p><p>The Government is also providing support to local leadership with a High Streets Task Force, giving high streets and town centres expert advice to adapt and thrive. On 20 March, MHCLG announced the next 70 local authorities, including Ashfield, that will receive targeted, in-person support from high street experts. This support will include a one-day diagnostic visit by a Task Force expert and, depending on the result of this diagnostic, may then include further support through expert advice on a specific issue, such as planning or design, workshops to develop a high street’s vision, and mentoring or training.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Luke Hall question first answered 29/04/2021 10:49:49 answering member 4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall
tabling member	4743 label Biography information for Lee Anderson

1311743

registered interest
date	23/04/2021
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 the Government is taking to tackle benefit fraud.
tabling member constituency	Ashfield
tabling member printed	Lee Anderson
uin	186257
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2021 answer text <p>Where fraud is committed, the Department takes its responsibility to investigate it very seriously, and takes appropriate action. There are currently nearly 7,000 staff working in DWP’s Counter Fraud &amp; Compliance Department, and many of these are involved in Investigations and Compliance work.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently undertaking an ambitious recruitment programme which will significantly increase staffing levels by the end of 2021/22, further expanding our counter-fraud capacity.</p><p> </p><p>Where fraud occurs, our Investigators are committed to the use of appropriate penalties and to recovering monies from the perpetrators. To facilitate this, we continue to work with other Government departments and law enforcement agencies nationally and across borders to ensure appropriate intelligence and resources are shared, enabling the totality of any criminality to be identified and investigated.</p><p> </p><p>It is at the same time important that the Department actively prevents fraud from happening, and the Department has optimised its digital capability and organisational design to enable this.</p><p> </p><p>The Chancellor announced £45m at the Spring Budget for the development of this prevent approach. This funding will enable us to expand our Integrated Risk and Intelligence Service (IRIS), develop pre-payment ‘risking’ techniques (Transaction Risking) and maintain our new Enhanced Checking Service, a team which intervenes on high risk claims before they get in to payment.</p><p> </p><p>IRIS has developed a series of rules to help flag up potential risky claims, which allows DWP to undertake additional checks ahead of any payment and thereby prevent people from making fraudulent claims.</p><p> </p><p>Where people seek to use monitor social media platforms to promote ways to bypass normal benefit processes, we work with those platforms to ensure such posts are taken down.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 29/04/2021 12:07:01 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4743 label Biography information for Lee Anderson

1311745

registered interest
date	23/04/2021
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	Nurses: Recruitment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress the Government has made on recruiting additional nurses.
tabling member constituency	Ashfield
tabling member printed	Lee Anderson
uin	186259
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2021 answer text <p>We are on target to deliver 50,000 more nurses by the end of this Parliament. The latest published NHS Digital statistics show the number of nurses has increased by almost 10,900 between January 2020 and January 2021, excluding health visitors and midwives.</p> answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Helen Whately question first answered 28/04/2021 15:13:08 answering member 4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately
tabling member	4743 label Biography information for Lee Anderson

1311747

registered interest
date	23/04/2021
answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Recreation Spaces: Property Development
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to protect green spaces from unsuitable development in (a) Ashfield constituency and (b) England.
tabling member constituency	Ashfield
tabling member printed	Lee Anderson
uin	186261
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2021 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has a quasi-judicial role in the planning system, and a duty of impartiality is in place. This means that I cannot comment on local policies or decisions regarding the protection of green spaces in Ashfield. It is for each local authority to plan for its area in consultation with local people, and apply policies in its development plan and national planning policy to local places and circumstances.</p><p>The National Planning Policy Framework recognises that access to a network of high-quality open spaces is important for the health and well-being of communities. Local authorities should assess the need for open space, and opportunities for new provision, and accommodate these in their plans. The Framework also states that such open space should not be built on unless an assessment shows that the land is surplus to requirements, the loss resulting from the proposed development would be replaced by equivalent or better provision in a sustainable location, or the development is for alternative sport and recreational provision, the benefits of which clearly outweigh the loss.</p><p>In response to the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission’s recommendations, we are giving every local authority the ability to create, in consultation with local people, its own design code to help secure more beautiful development, including the provision of green space and other green infrastructure. Local authorities are already empowered to designate Local Green Space, to protect land of importance to local people from inappropriate development.</p><p>There are also strong protections for Green Belt land in the Framework. The Government is committed to protecting and enhancing the Green Belt, and to making the most of brownfield land for development. Local authorities are expected to seek opportunities to enhance beneficial uses of Green Belt, including better access and opportunities for outdoor sport and recreation.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Tamworth answering member printed Christopher Pincher question first answered 29/04/2021 08:22:51 answering member 4075 label Biography information for Christopher Pincher
tabling member	4743 label Biography information for Lee Anderson

1311748

registered interest
date	23/04/2021
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Railways: North of England
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2021 to Question 176005, what plans he has to electrify the route between Leeds and Church Fenton via Cross Gates, Garforth, East Garforth and Micklefield.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	186224
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2021 answer text <p>In July 2020, government released £589m of funding for the Transpennine Route Upgrade Programme. This has enabled further development of electrification design for the section between Church Fenton and York. We are actively reviewing the case for TRU to deliver full electrification on the route, including Cross Gates, Garforth, East Garforth and Micklefield. Construction decisions are to be taken once TRU’s full business case is approved.</p><p> </p><p>Further electrification of the network will play an important role in our plans to decarbonise the railway between now and 2050. As we decarbonise the railway, we will develop individual schemes carefully to deliver both decarbonisation and other benefits in a way that delivers value for money and ensures affordability.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Daventry answering member printed Chris Heaton-Harris question first answered 28/04/2021 15:48:43 answering member 3977 label Biography information for Chris Heaton-Harris
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1311749

registered interest
date	23/04/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Tax Avoidance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the number of individuals affected by the Loan Charge.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	186225
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2021 answer text <p>HMRC’s latest estimates of those affected by the Loan Charge are included in their GOV.UK publication titled Independent Loan Charge review: HMRC report on implementation.</p><p> </p><p>As set out in this report, in January 2020, HMRC wrote to more than 55,000 individuals and employers who were identified as potentially affected by the Loan Charge. HMRC estimate the changes to the Loan Charge enacted in Finance Act 2020 took 11,000 people out of paying the charge altogether.</p><p> </p><p>The report goes on to state that 5,600 employers and individuals settled their use of disguised remuneration schemes in the period to 30 September 2020.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 29/04/2021 09:07:44 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1311750

registered interest
date	23/04/2021
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	Coronavirus: Disinformation
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 has taken to tackle online misinformation on covid-19.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	186226
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2021 answer text <p>The Government takes the issue of disinformation very seriously and DCMS is leading work across Government to tackle it. In response to the harmful disinformation and misinformation relating to Covid-19 we stood up the Cross-Whitehall Counter Disinformation Unit on 5 March 2020, which brings together cross-Government monitoring and analysis capabilities.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>We are working with social media platforms to support the introduction of systems and processes that promote authoritative sources of information, and to help them identify and take action to remove incorrect claims about the virus, in line with their terms and conditions. We have also launched a toolkit with content designed to be shared via Whatsapp and Facebook community groups, as well as Twitter, Youtube and Instagram, to tackle false information spread through private channels. The campaign is fronted by trusted local community figures such as imams, pastors and clinicians in short, shareable videos which include simple tips on how to spot misinformation and what to do to stop its spread. This toolkit is based on the core principles of the SHARE checklist, which aims to increase audience resilience by educating and empowering those who see, inadvertently share and are affected by false and misleading information.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Online Safety Bill will be ready this year. As set out in the full government response, the Online Safety Bill will introduce a duty of care requiring companies to address harms on their online platforms, such as misinformation and disinformation. The new laws will have robust and proportionate measures to deal with misinformation and disinformation that could cause significant physical or psychological harm to an individual, such as anti-vaccination content and falsehoods about COVID-19. However, we are clear that companies should not wait for legislation to be in place to take action against online harms.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 27/04/2021 14:15:06 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1311751

registered interest
date	23/04/2021
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	South Western Railway: Rolling Stock
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 April 2021 to Question 181387 on South Western Railway: Rolling Stock, what was discussed in those meetings; and whether those discussions confirmed a date for the new class 701 Arterio units to be introduced to the network.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	186227
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2021 answer text <p>The meetings with South Western Railway and officials discuss general progress with delivery of major projects and other franchise performance matters and form a routine part of the contract management dialogue. My recent meeting discussions did not confirm a date for the new Arterio trains to be introduced, although the Department continues to apply pressure to the manufacturer and the operator to begin introducing these trains to the network as soon as possible. The recent end to the dispute between South Western Railway and the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers about how these trains will be operated when introduced has removed a significant barrier to this.</p> answering member constituency Daventry answering member printed Chris Heaton-Harris question first answered 28/04/2021 10:26:22 answering member 3977 label Biography information for Chris Heaton-Harris
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1311752

registered interest
date	23/04/2021
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	South Western Railway: Rolling Stock
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with South Western Railway on increasing the number of carriages on their suburban routes to enable social distancing.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	186228
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2021 answer text <p>The Department continues to work closely with all operators and Network Rail to ensure that services are appropriate to passenger demand whilst responding to the challenges of COVID-19 and delivering value for the taxpayer. From 12 April, operators have increased provision to around 75 per cent of pre-pandemic service levels and targeted areas of potentially high demand. South Western Railway will increase its peak capacity to approximately 85 per cent of pre-pandemic service levels at the next timetable change on 16 May.</p><p> </p><p>The Department believes that operators know their routes and passengers best. South Western Railway is therefore best placed to deploy its available train fleet to provide sufficient socially distanced capacity on each individual service and to make adjustments in response to any observed increase to passenger numbers using its services.</p> answering member constituency Daventry answering member printed Chris Heaton-Harris question first answered 28/04/2021 10:28:04 answering member 3977 label Biography information for Chris Heaton-Harris
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi