Asked by: Baroness Sanderson of Welton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many staff work for the independent commission on adult social care, and where that commission is based.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No commissioners have been appointed. Baroness Louise Casey of Blackstock chairs the Independent Commission into adult social care, alongside a dedicated secretariat team.
Baroness Casey and the Commission’s secretariat are based in the Cabinet Office. The secretariat has a total of ten officials, eight are employed by the Department of Health and Social Care, and two by the Cabinet Office. One external individual has been hired as contingent labour to support the work of the Commission’s secretariat. There are a further four officials working in the Commission’s sponsorship function based in the Department of Health and Social Care.
As the Commission is independent, the secretariat may expand as it carries out its work and as Baroness Casey considers what further skills and expertise she needs.
For 2025/26, the Department of Health and Social Care indicatively made available £2.9 million to support the Commission’s work and continue to keep the budget under review. As the Commission is independent, they will be responsible for reporting on their financial expenditure.
The independence of the Commission means the Department of Health and Social Care does not track the number of meetings the Commission has held. Engagement decisions are for Baroness Casey and her team to decide. The Commission has set out that it has met with over 350 people including those drawing on care and supporting, national organisations and delivery or provider organisations.
Details about how to engage with the Commission, including via the portal, are available on its website in an online-only format.
Asked by: Baroness Sanderson of Welton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the budget for the first phase of the independent commission into adult social care.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No commissioners have been appointed. Baroness Louise Casey of Blackstock chairs the Independent Commission into adult social care, alongside a dedicated secretariat team.
Baroness Casey and the Commission’s secretariat are based in the Cabinet Office. The secretariat has a total of ten officials, eight are employed by the Department of Health and Social Care, and two by the Cabinet Office. One external individual has been hired as contingent labour to support the work of the Commission’s secretariat. There are a further four officials working in the Commission’s sponsorship function based in the Department of Health and Social Care.
As the Commission is independent, the secretariat may expand as it carries out its work and as Baroness Casey considers what further skills and expertise she needs.
For 2025/26, the Department of Health and Social Care indicatively made available £2.9 million to support the Commission’s work and continue to keep the budget under review. As the Commission is independent, they will be responsible for reporting on their financial expenditure.
The independence of the Commission means the Department of Health and Social Care does not track the number of meetings the Commission has held. Engagement decisions are for Baroness Casey and her team to decide. The Commission has set out that it has met with over 350 people including those drawing on care and supporting, national organisations and delivery or provider organisations.
Details about how to engage with the Commission, including via the portal, are available on its website in an online-only format.
Asked by: Baroness Sanderson of Welton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many external stakeholder meetings the independent commission on adult social care has had since April.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No commissioners have been appointed. Baroness Louise Casey of Blackstock chairs the Independent Commission into adult social care, alongside a dedicated secretariat team.
Baroness Casey and the Commission’s secretariat are based in the Cabinet Office. The secretariat has a total of ten officials, eight are employed by the Department of Health and Social Care, and two by the Cabinet Office. One external individual has been hired as contingent labour to support the work of the Commission’s secretariat. There are a further four officials working in the Commission’s sponsorship function based in the Department of Health and Social Care.
As the Commission is independent, the secretariat may expand as it carries out its work and as Baroness Casey considers what further skills and expertise she needs.
For 2025/26, the Department of Health and Social Care indicatively made available £2.9 million to support the Commission’s work and continue to keep the budget under review. As the Commission is independent, they will be responsible for reporting on their financial expenditure.
The independence of the Commission means the Department of Health and Social Care does not track the number of meetings the Commission has held. Engagement decisions are for Baroness Casey and her team to decide. The Commission has set out that it has met with over 350 people including those drawing on care and supporting, national organisations and delivery or provider organisations.
Details about how to engage with the Commission, including via the portal, are available on its website in an online-only format.
Asked by: Baroness Sanderson of Welton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many commissioners have been appointed to the independent commission on adult social care.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No commissioners have been appointed. Baroness Louise Casey of Blackstock chairs the Independent Commission into adult social care, alongside a dedicated secretariat team.
Baroness Casey and the Commission’s secretariat are based in the Cabinet Office. The secretariat has a total of ten officials, eight are employed by the Department of Health and Social Care, and two by the Cabinet Office. One external individual has been hired as contingent labour to support the work of the Commission’s secretariat. There are a further four officials working in the Commission’s sponsorship function based in the Department of Health and Social Care.
As the Commission is independent, the secretariat may expand as it carries out its work and as Baroness Casey considers what further skills and expertise she needs.
For 2025/26, the Department of Health and Social Care indicatively made available £2.9 million to support the Commission’s work and continue to keep the budget under review. As the Commission is independent, they will be responsible for reporting on their financial expenditure.
The independence of the Commission means the Department of Health and Social Care does not track the number of meetings the Commission has held. Engagement decisions are for Baroness Casey and her team to decide. The Commission has set out that it has met with over 350 people including those drawing on care and supporting, national organisations and delivery or provider organisations.
Details about how to engage with the Commission, including via the portal, are available on its website in an online-only format.
Asked by: Baroness Sanderson of Welton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Department of Culture, Media and Sport intends to publish a strategy for English public libraries.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism, Sir Chris Bryant MP, who has the policy remit for public libraries in England, has engaged with library sector organisations and leaders. They discussed the challenges in the sector and reflected on priority policy areas. He is considering their views and DCMS continues to promote the role of libraries across a range of government priorities.
Asked by: Baroness Sanderson of Welton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to strengthen the provisions of the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill to end the illegal smuggling of dogs into Great Britain for sale through the exploitation of the Pet Travel Scheme.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill includes measures to deliver our manifesto commitment to tackle puppy smuggling. The Bill reduces the number of pet dogs, cats and ferrets that can be moved under the pet travel rules. The Bill also includes powers to introduce further restrictions on pet travel and on the commercial import of cats, dogs and ferrets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation. In August 2021, the Government launched a consultation on how these powers could be used including proposals to ban the import of puppies under the age of six months. We are currently analysing the replies to this consultation and will publish our response in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Sanderson of Welton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to conduct an interim review of the findings of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner's review into community-based services before the Domestic Abuse Bill is considered in the House of Lords.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
The Domestic Abuse Bill includes a new statutory duty on tier one local authorities in England to provide support to victims of domestic abuse and their children within safe accommodation. These provisions have been designed in the light of extensive consultation and analysis about how to address the gaps in current provision.
We fully recognise the vital role played by community-based support services in helping victims of domestic abuse and their children to rebuild their lives. However, until we have undertaken a similar analytical exercise in relation to community-based support services, we believe it would be premature to legislate in this Bill.
A key part of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s role will be to monitor and oversee domestic abuse services nationally, and to support this she will undertake an in-depth exploration of the current community-based support landscape. While the initial scoping work is expected to be completed this financial year, the work on mapping the provision of community-based services across the country is expected to conclude by the end of 2021. The Government will then work with the Commissioner to understand the needs identified and develop options on how best to address them.
Asked by: Baroness Sanderson of Welton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with utility companies about any support those companies could offer the hospitality industry as a result of the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Government is liaising closely with energy suppliers and relevant trade bodies about support to all of their customers, and in particular vulnerable customers, during this period. Businesses in the hospitality sector that have concerns about being able to pay their utility bills should speak to their energy supplier about payment terms.