First elected: 7th June 2001
Left House: 30th March 2015 (Retired)
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
These initiatives were driven by Annette Brooke, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Annette Brooke has not been granted any Urgent Questions
A Bill to amend section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to allow local authorities to adopt areas of amenity land which are unregistered or vested in the Crown, for the purposes of maintenance; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to require the Secretary of State to commission research into the merits of requiring cyclists aged fourteen years and under to wear protective headgear; to report to Parliament within six months of the research being completed; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require the wearing of protective headgear by children while riding cycles; to prescribe penalties for contraventions; and for connected purposes
Annette Brooke has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
We do not hold data on actual arms sales, only on export licences we have granted, available at: https://www.exportcontroldb.bis.gov.uk/sdb/fox/sdb/SDBHOME.
15 arms related licences for direct export to Russia have been revoked;
10 arms related licences have been revoked where Russia was listed as a 3rd party and ultimate end user for these licences. Of these licences 5 were for direct export to France, 4 for Italy and 1 for South Africa.
We do not hold data on actual exports, only on export licences we have granted. They are available to view at: https://www.exportcontroldb.bis.gov.uk/sdb/fox/sdb/SDBHOME.
Energy Performance Certificates can now be generated for park homes and the Energy Company Obligation is leading to improvements. For example, 200 park homes have had solid wall insulation under this scheme..
We will be consulting later this year on ways in which we could help park home rersidents access the Warm Home Discount.
I met with the Dorset LEP on 14 January to discuss their draft Strategic Economic Plan. Their final Plan will be submitted on 31 March and will be fully assessed as part of the Growth Deal negotiation.
The information collected by the Property Data Survey Programme focused on the condition of the buildings. The surveyors who visited schools as part of the programme did not record any information on the presence of asbestos. The condition need identified through the surveys does not reflect any asbestos that may be present.
The Property Data Survey was designed to give a relative view of condition need. As stated in the report, the Property Data Survey condition need we have calculated is not the cost of addressing the need in the estate but a relative weighting of the complexity of addressing different types of condition need. Calculating the total cost of addressing the need in the estate would involve taking into account other factors, such as asbestos and structural need, which are excluded from the survey. As such we do not hold an estimate of the total cost of repairs necessary to bring the school estate in England up to good condition.
The Property Data Survey does not provide an overall assessment of schools in the manner requested. The surveyors who visited schools made an assessment of the condition of individual construction types within each block, such as different types of roofs or walls for which we hold individual records, but did not attempt to rate an entire school on a ‘good’ to ‘bad’ scale.
The Property Data Survey does not provide an overall assessment of a block in the manner requested. The surveyors who visited schools made an assessment of the condition of individual construction types within each block, such as different types of roofs or walls for which we hold individual records, but did not attempt to rate blocks on a ‘good’ to ‘bad’ scale.
No date has yet been set for the publication of the review report but we intend to publish it very shortly.
A national summary of the condition of the school estate using data from the Property Data Survey Programme has been published on the Government’s website and can be found at:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/property-data-survey-programme
The individual survey reports for schools have been shared directly with schools, local authorities and other relevant bodies responsible for the maintenance of school buildings.
The Department is working with stakeholders, experts and the Health and Safety Executive to consider the latest evidence, and determine appropriate policy responses. We will provide an update on the management of asbestos in schools in the new year.
The UK Government believes that strong and effective laws already exist in the UK under which individuals, including children, may seek enforceable remedies in the courts or tribunals if they feel that their rights have been breached. We do not therefore currently believe that ratification of the Optional Protocol is necessary. Nonetheless, the Government will continue to keep this under review.
This information is not provided to the Department for Education by local authorities.
Local authorities and their partners across education, health and social care are implementing the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms which came into force on 1 September this year. The Department is working closely with local authorities and local Parent carer forums to understand how local implementation of the Children and Families Act 2014 is progressing. Summary findings of the autumn implementation survey will be published before the end of the year. We will also publish local authority data on an annual basis, starting summer 2015.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 September 2014 to Question 208892.
It is not in Ofsted’s remit to assess asbestos management in schools. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the lead regulator on managing asbestos.
We have today published our consultation response confirming the level of extra funding that each local authority will receive.
Defra has received no recent representations on the commercial collection of rag worm in Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
As part of a SSSI notification Natural England provides a list of operations requiring Natural England's consent, which may include, for example, bait digging. None of the listed operations is permitted to be carried out without Natural England's prior written consent or the consent of another public body. Consent would only be given if the activity did not impact negatively on the designated feature of the SSSI.
Natural England has not recently received any notices for consent for bait digging (including specifically for rag worm collection).
We have not received any recent representation from park home owners on this topic.
The majority of premises either receive their water and sewerage services from a water company or a reseller. A customer of a water company can request (under the Water Industry Act 1991) a water meter and if it is not feasible to fit one (due to it being impractical or unduly costly) they will be moved across to an assessed charge. The assessed charge should ‘bear as much relation as possible to the volumes of water such customers would be likely to use’ and are normally based on the average metered bill for the area or the number of bedrooms.
Those customers of resellers (and this can include sheltered accommodation, housing association properties, flats above commercial premises, caravan parks and park homes) can ask for a meter to be fitted but there is no legal requirement on the reseller to do this.
The industry regulator, Ofwat, regulates the resale market through The Water Resale Order 2006 (section 150 of the Water Industry Act 1991) and provides examples on how the charges should be apportioned.
I have not received any recent representations on the number of rat infestations in a domestic setting. Rats have no special legal protection and people are free to control them by legal means.
We recognise there are concerns about the potential risks posed by helium balloons. In 2013, jointly with the Welsh Government, we commissioned an independent study to identify and assess the impacts and risks to livestock and the environment associated with sky lanterns and helium balloons.
Evidence from the report concluded that risk to the environment from helium balloons is small or highly localised.
The report is available at:
Any future action Government may take will need to be proportionate to the problem and backed by reliable evidence.
The Government is advocating for a simple, inspiring, and relevant post-2015 development framework, centred on eradicating extreme poverty. We are actively working with international partners to ensure that access to education and quality of learning is at the heart of the post-2015 focus on education.
The number of reported personal injury road accidents in England involving (a) at least one seriously injured pedal cyclist and (b) at least one seriously injured pedal cyclist aged under 16 for the years 2011, 2012 and 2013 is given in the tables below.
Reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one seriously injured pedal cyclist: England, 2011-2013
2011 | 2,814 |
2012 | 2,960 |
2013 | 2,884 |
Reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one seriously injured pedal cyclist aged under 16: England, 2011-2013
2011 | 349 |
2012 | 275 |
2013 | 248 |
Information on the pedal cyclists who suffered serious head injuries as a result of an accident is not available from the STATS19 data that the department collects.
However, information on the medical consequences of pedal cycle casualties in road accidents in England can be obtained from hospital inpatient data. The most recent analysis for 2001-2010 suggests that 40 per cent of pedal cycle admissions were the result of head injuries.
Anyone killed or seriously injured on our roads is one too many. The Department collects and publishes statistics annually (and sub-annually) and uses those to monitor road safety. Where there is an existing or emerging road safety challenge, the Department works hard to ensure the right policy solutions are in place to minimise those road safety risks.
The Royal Mail is responsible for the acceptance or otherwise of items to be carried by post and they have set out what they will accept, or not, in their publically available guide “Prohibitions and restrictions in the domestic and international post” published in July 2013. These rules ensure that specified low risk items can be transported safely through the UK postal network.
It clearly states that under certain conditions it is acceptable for samples of asbestos to be carried to UK destinations. Royal mail will not, however, accept asbestos under any circumstances for international carriage.
I will not be taking any additional steps to prevent the postage by retailers of Second World War gas masks containing asbestos.
The Department has no current plans to issue guidance on the safe use of trailers on bicycles. However children should be transported safely and securely and trailers should be in a roadworthy condition before being used on the highway.
The Government intends to bring in an eligibility criterion derived from average winter temperatures, with payments going only to eligible people living in EEA countries with cold climates. The regulations establishing Winter Fuel Payments for 2015/16 will include the new eligibility condition. These regulations are made annually under the Social Security Contributions & Benefits Act 1992, and those for winter 2015/16 will be made in the current Parliament.
Since 1 June 2014, we have received two Parliamentary Questions, twenty one items of Ministerial or official correspondence and four Freedom of Information requests relating to the future of Winter Fuel Payments in France. Following the European Court ruling in the Stewart case, Winter Fuel Payments are made to those with a “genuine and sufficient link” to the UK, rather than – as previously – being restricted to those who had previously received a Payment in the UK.
The Government intends to bring in an eligibility criterion derived from average winter temperatures, with payments going only to eligible people living in EEA countries with cold climates. The regulations establishing Winter Fuel Payments for 2015/16 will include the new eligibility condition. These regulations are made annually under the Social Security Contributions & Benefits Act 1992, and those for winter 2015/16 will be made in the current Parliament.
Since 1 June 2014, we have received two Parliamentary Questions, twenty one items of Ministerial or official correspondence and four Freedom of Information requests relating to the future of Winter Fuel Payments in France. Following the European Court ruling in the Stewart case, Winter Fuel Payments are made to those with a “genuine and sufficient link” to the UK, rather than – as previously – being restricted to those who had previously received a Payment in the UK.
The National Crime Agency monitors trends in fraudulent activity, including cold calls, to help target action. Whilst we cannot put a precise figure on transfer-related activity initiated by cold calls it is apparent that cold calling is a route often used by scammers. The public and industry can do their bit to help develop the intelligence picture by reporting concerns to Action Fraud (http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/).
More generally, both the Pensions Regulator and the Financial Conduct Authority are running information campaigns (Scorpion and ScamSmart respectively) as part of Project Bloom to raise the profile of the threat posed by pension and investment scams.
We have received correspondence relating to Winter Fuel Payments, to which we have replied.
The Government intends to bring in an eligibility criterion derived from average winter temperatures with payments going only to eligible people living in EEA countries with cold climates. Legislation will need to be passed before any change can be made.
Under Project Bloom DWP and other agencies are already working together with the pensions industry to crackdown on pensions scams. Actions include:
· A tightening of HMRC’s pension scheme registration, as called for by industry, including the introduction of a fit and proper person test.
· A further wave of the Pensions Regulator’s well-received Scorpion information campaign highlighting the threat posed by pension scams, with further waves happening early next year.
· The launch of the Financial Conduct Authority’s Scamsmart campaign.
· Police raids.
· Closing down websites used to facilitate pension scams.
More generally, the Pensions Regulator and the Financial Conduct Authority work together with trustees and providers to ensure that occupational pension scheme members’ and consumers’ contract based pensions are safe.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has no specific system in place to inspect schools to assess their standard of asbestos management.
HSE's work planning systems focuses its inspection priorities on the major hazard industries and comparatively high risks sectors (such as construction, waste and recycling, and some types of manufacturing), but can also involve targeted initiatives elsewhere. In recent years this approach has resulted in discrete inspection programmes to assess asbestos management by:
HSE has concluded its sampling exercise with online sellers. A number of the different types of gas mask available were analysed and most found to contain asbestos. The placing on the market, supply and transport of almost all items containing asbestos, including gas masks, is prohibited by the EU Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (EU1907/2006) (REACH).
HSE and Trading Standards are working with the platform, which hosted the purchases of the gas masks involved in the study, on a policy to prohibit the sale of items that fall under REACH.
HSE will continue work on a case by case basis with Local Authority Trading Standards, who are responsible for enforcement relating to sale to consumers, to take robust action against those who break the law on asbestos and unnecessarily put themselves and others at risk.
The Health and Safety Executive continues to be a member of the Asbestos in Schools Steering Group which aim to promote the effective management of asbestos in both local authority and non-local authority controlled schools. The steering group has representatives from the joint Union Asbestos Committee, education trade unions, local authorities and independent schools.
In June 2014, HSE published the results of its latest inspection survey into the management of asbestos in schools covering those outside local authority control. This survey showed improved levels of awareness and a decrease in the level of enforcement action required in comparison with a survey of the same sector in 2010/11. HSE also completed a similar inspection exercise in 2010 on local authority controlled schools.
We are working closely with the providers to ensure that they are taking all necessary steps to improve performance, speed up the process and ensure claimants receive a satisfactory experience.
We do not target our employment programmes exclusively at individuals with particular conditions such as M.E. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The Department's programmes, including its specialist disability employment programmes, aim to identify and meet the needs of the individual, including those with M.E. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Access to Work provides additional support for individuals whose health or disability affects the way they do their job. It provides individuals and their employers with advice and support with extra costs which may arise because of an individual's needs. Access to Work does not replace the duty an employer has under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments.
Work Choice is a specialist disability employment programme that provides tailored support to help disabled people who face the most complex barriers to employment, find and stay in work and ultimately help them progress into unsupported employment, where it is appropriate for the individual.
Jobcentre Plus Disability Employment Advisers can provide support and advice for disabled people who need help finding and retaining employment. They can refer individuals to specialist programmes, including Work Choice, and can use the professional expertise of Work Psychologists, who specialise in working with disabled people. Disability Employment Advisers can advocate with employers on the individual's behalf and help employers to explore job solutions such as the restructuring of a job's tasks/environment, or the provision/change of equipment.
The Government published ‘The disability and health employment strategy: the discussion so far' on 17 December 2013. This paper sets out a range of proposals to further improve our employment support for disabled people and those with health conditions.
The Government recognises that getting the right support at the right time is particularly important for disabled people and those with a health condition so as part of our vision for future employment support we are developing a new Employment Gateway. This will be a light-touch process based on an individual's strengths and needs and will direct people to the most appropriate support.
In order to support individuals to stay in work where possible we are putting in place a new Health and Work Service (HWS).The HWS will provide occupational health advice and support for employees, employers and GP's to help individuals with a health condition to stay in or return to work.
The intention is to introduce the service by the end of 2014.
The Department requires the health professionals carrying out Personal Independence Payment assessments to have a broad and thorough training in disability analysis, as well as training in specific conditions, including fluctuating conditions.Both organisations providing the assessment have to conform to a rigorous set of quality and recruitment standards which are closely monitored by the Department for Work and Pensions.
We do not target our employment programmes exclusively at individuals with particular conditions such as M.E. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The Department's programmes, including its specialist disability employment programmes, aim to identify and meet the needs of the individual, including those with M.E. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Access to Work provides additional support for individuals whose health or disability affects the way they do their job. It provides individuals and their employers with advice and support with extra costs which may arise because of an individual's needs. Access to Work does not replace the duty an employer has under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments.
Work Choice is a specialist disability employment programme that provides tailored support to help disabled people who face the most complex barriers to employment, find and stay in work and ultimately help them progress into unsupported employment, where it is appropriate for the individual.
Jobcentre Plus Disability Employment Advisers can provide support and advice for disabled people who need help finding and retaining employment. They can refer individuals to specialist programmes, including Work Choice, and can use the professional expertise of Work Psychologists, who specialise in working with disabled people. Disability Employment Advisers can advocate with employers on the individual's behalf and help employers to explore job solutions such as the restructuring of a job's tasks/environment, or the provision/change of equipment.
The Government published ‘The disability and health employment strategy: the discussion so far' on 17 December 2013. This paper sets out a range of proposals to further improve our employment support for disabled people and those with health conditions.
The Government recognises that getting the right support at the right time is particularly important for disabled people and those with a health condition so as part of our vision for future employment support we are developing a new Employment Gateway. This will be a light-touch process based on an individual's strengths and needs and will direct people to the most appropriate support.
In order to support individuals to stay in work where possible we are putting in place a new Health and Work Service (HWS).The HWS will provide occupational health advice and support for employees, employers and GP's to help individuals with a health condition to stay in or return to work.
The intention is to introduce the service by the end of 2014.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended a number of drugs for the treatment of advanced and metastatic breast cancer through its technology appraisals and a clinical guideline. These include:
- anthracyclines
- docetaxel
- vinorelbine
- capecitabine
- gemcitabine in combination with paclitaxel
- tamoxifen
- trastuzumab
Further information on each of these, together with the evidence base for NICE’s recommendations, can be found in NICE’s updated clinical guideline on advanced breast cancer (CG81) at:
NHS England has advised that any request for a formal review of a decision made by the national Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) panel to remove a drug from the national CDF list can be made in line with NHS England’s Standard Operating Procedures for the Fund. Any request for a review of a panel decision must be made by the clinician or pharmaceutical industry representative that made the original application for inclusion on the list.
Requests must be lodged within 20 working days of the original decision being notified.
NHS England has advised that all patients currently being treated with eribulin, lapatinib or everolimus through the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) will continue with their treatment. Furthermore, clinicians will continue to be able to apply for individual patients to receive these drugs on an exceptional basis.
Based on current applications received for these drugs, NHS England estimates that, on an annual basis, 1,730 patients treated with these drugs will be affected.
NHS England has also advised that there are alternatives available for all these drugs within either baseline commissioning or the CDF. The purpose of NHS England’s recent review is to ensure that the very latest drugs are available to patients. The CDF has already helped over 60,000 patients.
NHS England has advised that A Cancer Drugs Fund Working Party has been established to review the future sustainability of the Fund and funding cancer drugs in general. The pharmaceutical industry is represented on this group.
The removal of cancer drugs from the national Cancer Drugs Fund list is subject to a written review/complaint procedure and NHS England anticipates that a number of applications will be made under those processes.
A search of the Department’s Ministerial correspondence database has not identified any items of correspondence received since 1 June 2014 about the provision of psychiatric inpatient beds for people with learning disabilities in Dorset.
This figure represents correspondence received by the Department’s Ministerial correspondence unit only.
Public Health England has commissioned the Institute of Health Equity to undertake a rapid review of the evidence around social isolation across the lifecourse. A publication, aimed at NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups and local authorities, will describe who is at risk of social isolation, at what stage of life, what impact this has on health inequalities and what works to reduce social isolation in the groups identified.
The Department considered a number of data sources that could provide data for a population-based measure of loneliness. The Department has not found a measure that would provide local authorities with sufficient information for action. The Department remains interested in exploring how the issue can be measured in the general population in a way that will support local authorities, and will retain the existing measure of social isolation in both the Public Health Outcomes Framework and the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework.
Public Health England has commissioned the Institute of Health Equity to undertake a rapid review of the evidence around social isolation across the lifecourse. A publication, aimed at NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups and local authorities, will describe who is at risk of social isolation, at what stage of life, what impact this has on health inequalities and what works to reduce social isolation in the groups identified.
The Department considered a number of data sources that could provide data for a population-based measure of loneliness. The Department has not found a measure that would provide local authorities with sufficient information for action. The Department remains interested in exploring how the issue can be measured in the general population in a way that will support local authorities, and will retain the existing measure of social isolation in both the Public Health Outcomes Framework and the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework.
The Department is currently seeking views on proposed new statutory guidance for local authorities and National Health Service organisations to support the implementation of Think Autism, the update to the 2010 adult autism strategy.
The consultation looks at issues including the identification and diagnosis of autism in adults, and the proposal that NHS England local audit teams should look at people’s experiences of the diagnostic process locally and assure themselves that this is acceptable. The consultation period began on 7 November and closes on 19 December 2014.
Responses are invited from a wide range of people and groups, including adults with autism, families and carers, health and social care organisations that plan, commission and provide services for autism and their families. The Department intends to issue the statutory guidance in February 2015.
Local authority areas will also report back on progress they are making on autism diagnosis and other issues in Public Health England’s forthcoming national autism self-assessment exercise on implementing the Adult Autism Strategy.
The Department is currently seeking views on proposed new statutory guidance for local authorities and National Health Service organisations to support the implementation of Think Autism, the update to the 2010 adult autism strategy.
The consultation looks at issues including the identification and diagnosis of autism in adults, and the proposal that NHS England local audit teams should look at people’s experiences of the diagnostic process locally and assure themselves that this is acceptable. The consultation period began on 7 November and closes on 19 December 2014.
Responses are invited from a wide range of people and groups, including adults with autism, families and carers, health and social care organisations that plan, commission and provide services for autism and their families. The Department intends to issue the statutory guidance in February 2015.
Local authority areas will also report back on progress they are making on autism diagnosis and other issues in Public Health England’s forthcoming national autism self-assessment exercise on implementing the Adult Autism Strategy.