Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the Infected Blood Compensation Authority can make effective determinations on compensation where medical records of applicants are unavailable.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Given the historic nature of the infected blood scandal, the Government recognises that not all medical records will still be available. The Scheme has been designed to minimise as far as possible the burden on those applying, and as set out in the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2024, eligibility for the Scheme will be determined based on the balance of probabilities. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority will provide assistance to those who believe their medical records have been lost or destroyed.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the Infected Blood Compensation Authority begins (a) assessing claims and (b) making payments before the end of 2024.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is supporting the Infected Blood Compensation Authority with its aim to design a compensation service that is simple to use, easy to access and securely pays out money as quickly as possible. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority is established in law and work is progressing to put the operational systems in place with the expectation of beginning payments by the end of this year. I will continue to update the House on this matter.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, if he will seek the advice of the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests on the conduct of the honourable Member for Bishop Auckland.
Answered by Rishi Sunak
No. I refer the hon. Member to the letter to him from the DLUHC Permanent Secretary on this issue. More broadly, on the issue of Teesworks, I would also refer him to the Written Ministerial Statement of 25 May 2023 (HCWS813).
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy of 27 April 2021, Official Report, column 86WH, on the Government's policy on the inappropriate use by some employers of fire and rehire as a negotiation tactics, what steps his Department has taken to (a) investigate the use of and (b) discourage the use of fire and rehire negotiation tactics by executive non-departmental public bodies; and what steps he has taken to communicate the Government's policy on those practices to those bodies.
Answered by Julia Lopez
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 15260 on 17 June 2021.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to review the application of the Freedom of Information Act 2001 in designated freeports.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The government remains fully committed to transparency, and there are no plans to review the application of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in designated freeports. Freeports are not deregulatory and the government will ensure the UK’s high standards with respect to security, safety, workers’ rights and the environment will not be compromised.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether it is in the scope of the Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform (TIGRR) to consider or recommend changes to the 48-hour week protections, rest breaks at work and inclusion of overtime pay when calculating some holiday pay entitlements.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Prime Minister has asked the Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform to generate recommendations for how the UK can take advantage of its newfound regulatory freedom.
The Terms of Reference for the Taskforce have been published, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/taskforce-on-innovation-growth-and-regulatory-reform/taskforce-on-innovation-growth-and-regulatory-reform-tigrr-terms-of-reference
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether it is within the scope of the Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform’s (TIGRR) Terms of Reference to consider changes to working time regulations derived from the Working Time Directive.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Prime Minister has asked the Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform to generate recommendations for how the UK can take advantage of its newfound regulatory freedom.
The Terms of Reference for the Taskforce have been published, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/taskforce-on-innovation-growth-and-regulatory-reform/taskforce-on-innovation-growth-and-regulatory-reform-tigrr-terms-of-reference
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many women in South Tees died from a ruptured aortic abdominal aneurysm in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) 2017.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people in South Tees died from a ruptured aortic abdominal aneurysm in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and 2017.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.