First elected: 3rd March 2011
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 Dan Jarvis, 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.
Dan Jarvis has not been granted any Urgent Questions
A Bill to make provision about protection from redundancy during or after pregnancy or after periods of maternity, adoption or shared parental leave.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 24th May 2023 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to establish a target for the reduction of child poverty in the United Kingdom; to make provision about reporting against such a target; and for connected purposes.
Criminal Appeal (Amendment) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Barry Sheerman (LAB)
Clean Air Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Geraint Davies (Ind)
Quad Bikes Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Judith Cummins (Lab)
Youth Courts and Sentencing Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Rob Butler (Con)
Goods and Services of UK Origin Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Gareth Thomas (LAB)
Death by Dangerous Driving (Sentencing) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Theresa May (Con)
High Performance Vehicle Renting (Regulation) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Holly Lynch (Lab)
Covid-19 Financial Assistance (Gaps in Support) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Tracy Brabin (LAB)
Food Insecurity Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Emma Lewell-Buck (Lab)
Freedom of Information (Extension) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Andy Slaughter (Lab)
Employment and Workers' Rights Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Stephanie Peacock (Lab)
Maternity and Paternity Leave (Premature Birth) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Steve Reed (LAB)
House of Lords Reform (Exclusion of Hereditary Peers) Bill 2015-16
Sponsor - David Hanson (Lab)
At the Budget, we announced a dedicated £63 million support package for swimming pools, which is targeted at addressing cost pressures facing public swimming pool providers. It will also help provide investment in energy efficiency measures to reduce future operating costs and make facilities sustainable in the long-term. Eligibility criteria for the fund will be published shortly, which will determine the number of beneficiaries through a competitive process. The Government intends for community and charitable trusts to be eligible for support.
Departmental officials and Ministers talk regularly on a range of issues, and have discussed the Ministry of Defence’s strategy for tackling sexual offending in Defence, which will shortly be released.
The Government is committed to providing support to all those that need it, including new mothers and children born during the pandemic, as we recover from the impact of COVID-19. During the crisis we have rolled out unprecedented levels of support to protect jobs and income for both women and men, including via the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Universal Credit uplift.
Financial support available for those who are pregnant or new parents includes Child Benefit, the Sure Start Maternity Grant, and the Healthy Start Scheme, as well as Maternity Allowance or paid parental leave for those who are eligible and/or Universal Credit where relevant.
We also recognise the impact of the pandemic and restrictions on people’s mental wellbeing and are doing our utmost to ensure that mental health services are there for everyone who needs them. The Government's mental health recovery action plan, backed by £500 million, will support hundreds of thousands of people with mental health issues.
All specialist and in-patient perinatal mental health services have remained available during COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, having moved at pace during the early stages to be able to deliver digital and remote support.
Since 1 April 2020, GPs are required to offer a maternal postnatal consultation at 6-8 weeks after birth, focusing on a review of the mother’s physical and mental health and general wellbeing. This service has also continued throughout the pandemic.
I have set up the UK Mayors and Regions Advisory Council with mayors and local leaders from across the UK and which had its first meeting last year. I look forward to engaging with the group on our plans for COP26 at our upcoming meeting. Local leaders will have a key role in reaching communities as part of Together for Our Planet and supporting us to make this an ‘All of Society COP’.
The Sponsor Body, working closely with the Delivery Authority, has recently carried out a Strategic Review for how the restoration programme should be carried out. The Sponsor Body looked at all viable options as part of the Strategic Review, including consideration of Church House. The Strategic Review will be published in due course.
The Equality Act 2010 (the Act) places obligations on employers in relation to disabled employees. An employer is required to make reasonable adjustments to any element of a job which may place disabled people at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people. It is advisable for a disabled person to discuss with an employer or educational provider what reasonable adjustments they would require, since action is dependent on employers having knowledge of a person’s disability.
The Equality and Human Right Commission enforces the Act and provide guidance on reasonable adjustments: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/multipage-guide/reasonable-adjustments-practice
The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) provides authoritative and impartial advice free to employees or employers in relation to employment discrimination issues via their website (http://www.acas.org.uk) and telephone helpline 0300 123 1190 or text relay service 18001 0300 123 1190. Acas also provides employees and employers with Early Conciliation to help them resolve/settle their workplace dispute without going to court.
While the Attorney General and I, and our department, regularly engage with the legal professions, we have not discussed the management of Family Protection Trusts by firms of solicitors with the Law Society.
The Crown Prosecution Service understands that attending court is often an intimidating experience for all victims of crime, including victims of domestic abuse. The Crown Prosecution Service is committed to treating all victims and witnesses at court with respect and sensitivity. Victims of domestic abuse are encouraged to take part in pre-trial familiarisation visits, which can help them understand what will happen when they attend court. Additionally, the Speaking to Witnesses at Court guidance commits the prosecutor to meet the victim before they give their evidence to explain court processes and procedures and answer questions the victim may have.
The Government takes the security of its supply chain extremely seriously and has taken action to bolster the powers to intervene where a risk to national security has been identified.
The Procurement Act 2023 received Royal Assent on 26 October 2023 and will strengthen the security framework around public procurement. It includes new powers to ban suppliers from specific sectors, such as areas related to defence and national security, while allowing them to continue to win procurements in non-sensitive areas. It will come into effect in Autumn 2024, after which the National Security Unit for Procurement will consider cases relating to these powers.
I refer the Hon Member for Barnsley Central to the Minister for the Cabinet Office’s answer of 26 July 2023 (UIN 194829), noting that the Procurement Bill has now become the Procurement Act following Royal Assent on 26 October 2023.
Given the quasi-judicial nature of the government's investment screening powers, and for commercial and national security reasons, it would be inappropriate to comment on any specific acquisitions or the potential applicability of the NSI Act 2021. However, transparency is of course a crucial part of the NSI Act, and as such, the Government publishes notices of any Final Orders made on GOV.UK.
The Government works constantly to strengthen the security and resilience of UK Critical National Infrastructure (CNI).
The Cabinet Office works closely with Lead Government Departments to understand, manage and mitigate the impacts of cyber risk to their corresponding CNI sectors. Each CNI sector's security and resilience is overseen by a Lead Government Department, and it is that Department's Minister that will hold overall accountability for that CNI sector. The UK Government also works closely with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the UK's national technical authority. NCSC are working with CNI operators to help them find the cyber exercising and incident management services they need from the marketplace by expanding the NCSC’s accredited scheme for Cyber Incident Response and introducing a new scheme for exercising.
At Cyber UK 2023, the Deputy Prime Minister announced that we have set specific and ambitious cyber resilience targets for all critical national infrastructure sectors to meet by 2025. This is alongside examining plans to bring more private sector businesses working in critical national infrastructure within the scope of cyber resilience regulations. This work will further our ambition to understand and manage cyber risk.
Through the National Cyber Strategy, the Government is working to improve resilience to cyber risks across the UK economy and drive organisations to take action themselves as part of a whole of society approach. Over the past year, the Cabinet Office has been progressing foundational work to support the creation of common but flexible resilience standards across CNI and do more on the assurance of CNI, including cyber assurance preparedness by 2030.
The Deputy Prime Minister, as Secretary of State in the Cabinet Office, takes decisions under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 in a quasi-judicial capacity. The Investment Security Unit coordinates expertise from across Government so that the Secretary of State may make decisions based on the evidence. It would not be appropriate to comment on individual cases.
The Deputy Prime Minister, as Secretary of State in the Cabinet Office, takes decisions under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 in a quasi-judicial capacity. The Investment Security Unit coordinates expertise from across Government so that the Secretary of State may make decisions based on the evidence. It would not be appropriate to comment on individual cases.
The previous Minister for the Cabinet Office and the Deputy Prime Minister chaired meetings of the UK Resilience Forum on the 2nd of February and 19th July 2023, to discuss risk and resilience capability building with senior stakeholders from across national, regional and local government; the private and voluntary sectors and other interested parties. More widely, the Cabinet Office engages regularly with all local partners on national resilience, as part of the Government’s commitment to implement the December 2022 UK Government Resilience Framework.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is the Lead Government Department responsible for managing the relationship between central government and local authorities.
Good cyber security is a first line of defence which protects industry, end users and the insurance industry alike from cyber attacks.
The Government’s approach to driving up resilience through the National Cyber Strategy includes working with market influencers, including insurers, to incentivise good cyber security practices across the economy.
The Government regularly engages with the insurance industry to consider how it can best support the growth of the cyber insurance market and help build wider economic resilience to cyber attacks.
The Government holds regular resilience meetings with the Devolved Administrations. These include the UK Resilience Forum. The Deputy Prime Minister and I co-chaired the most recent meeting in July. I also chaired a Ministerial forum in Edinburgh in June with Devolved Administration colleagues to discuss resilience priorities and our respective progress against them. Cabinet Office officials also meet regularly with the Devolved Administrations on matters of national resilience at all levels of seniority to ensure we are coordinating our approach.
It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.
The Prime Minister and other Ministers regularly engage with a wide range of colleagues across government, including diplomatic staff.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 26 October 2022, Official Report, House of Lords, HL2839.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 26 October 2022, Official Report, House of Lords, HL2839.
The Integrated Review (IR) refresh process is being run by a joint No10-Cabinet Office team under the leadership of the Prime Minister’s Special Adviser for Foreign Affairs and the National Security Adviser. The core team comprises 18 FTE civil servants, supported by a virtual team across Cabinet Office who are assisting the IR refresh as part of their roles.
The core No10-CO team is also coordinating a wider government effort drawing on policy expertise from across key departments, meaning that a higher number of civil servants in total will have some interaction with the process.
The Government intends to publish a resilience strategy this Autumn.
I can confirm that neither I, nor my immediate predecessors (including Edward Argar and Michael Ellis) have had any conversations regarding the future of the National Security Council with the Secretary of State for Defence.
The Prime Minister accompanied pilots on a routine training flight and, therefore, no extra cost was incurred.
At the request of the Prime Minister, the then Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, led a review into COVID-status certification, which concluded in July.
As published in the COVID-19 Response: Autumn and Winter Plan on 14 September, in order to help businesses prepare their own contingency plans, the Government will shortly publish more detail about the proposed certification regime that would be introduced as part of Plan B.
HMG has recently announced an additional £5 million in funding to assist veteran charities in addition to the £3 million already invested into mental health support through NHS England’s Op Courage. This additional funding is provided with the aim of ensuring that veterans are able to receive the support they may need. The OVA continues to engage with other departments and external stakeholders, including charities to deliver the Strategy for our Veterans and improve coordination of veterans’ work across Government.
We are not prepared to comment on ongoing budget discussions during this spending review period. However, the Office for Veterans' Affairs continues to increase in size and capability, and is making progress in delivering the Strategy for our Veterans. The Office for Veterans’ Affairs has all the necessary resources and support from the rest of government to continue its work making the UK the best place in the world to be a veteran.
Details of my public engagements will be announced in the usual way. We want to empower local people to make decisions in areas that matter to them – on infrastructure, transport, housing – and for their future to be in their hands. Last month’s Metro Mayor elections built on the biggest transfer of powers to local areas since the Second World War. And we will introduce a Levelling Up White Paper too – allowing every community across the country to have more local control and boosting livelihoods across the country as we recover from the pandemic.
The Government remains absolutely committed to looking at the broader aspects of the constitution and the relationship between the Government, Parliament and the courts as pledged in our Manifesto. As set out to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, we are taking forward this work through a number of separate workstreams to ensure all policy development is given the utmost consideration.
Of those workstreams which have already been announced, two of these have been subject to independent review including an expert panel. These are the Independent Review of Administrative Law chaired by Lord Faulkes which presented its findings to Government earlier this year, and the current Independent Review of the Human Rights Act chaired by Sir Peter Gross.
We will consider the composition and focus of future workstreams carefully including whether these should be the subject of an independent review.
The Government remains absolutely committed to looking at the broader aspects of the constitution and the relationship between the Government, Parliament and the courts as pledged in our Manifesto. As set out to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, we are taking forward this work through a number of separate workstreams to ensure all policy development is given the utmost consideration.
Of those workstreams which have already been announced, two of these have been subject to independent review including an expert panel. These are the Independent Review of Administrative Law chaired by Lord Faulkes which presented its findings to Government earlier this year, and the current Independent Review of the Human Rights Act chaired by Sir Peter Gross.
We will consider the composition and focus of future workstreams carefully including whether these should be the subject of an independent review.
Levelling up is at the heart of the Government’s agenda to build back better after the pandemic and to deliver for citizens in every part of the UK. The Government will publish a landmark Levelling Up White Paper later this year, setting out bold new policy interventions to improve livelihoods and opportunity in all parts of the UK. The Levelling Up Unit will be resourced in line with the PM’s ambitions for this agenda.
Levelling up is at the heart of the Government’s agenda to build back better after the pandemic and to deliver for citizens in every part of the UK. The Government will publish a landmark Levelling Up White Paper later this year, setting out bold new policy interventions to improve livelihoods and opportunity in all parts of the UK. The Levelling Up Unit will be resourced in line with the PM’s ambitions for this agenda.
In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not usually disclosed.
The Government fully recognises the importance of diversity and acknowledges that women are currently underrepresented in many occupations in the Construction and Built Environment sectors. The Construction Leadership Council recently published a Skills Plan for the sector that sets out a series of clear actions and commitments for both industry and Government to help tackle this.
We expect all suppliers in all sectors to lead by example by upholding the values of the Supplier Code of Conduct, including supporting key government corporate social responsibility policy areas, such as diversity and inclusion, sustainability, apprenticeships and skills development and addressing the gender pay gap.
Through our policy to extend the use of the Social Value Act, effective from 1 January, all major central government procurements will, where appropriate, explicitly evaluate social value.
The information on the number of women employed by construction companies with Government contracts is not held centrally.
In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not usually disclosed.
The Government fully recognises the importance of diversity and acknowledges that women are currently underrepresented in many occupations in the Construction and Built Environment sectors. The Construction Leadership Council recently published a Skills Plan for the sector that sets out a series of clear actions and commitments for both industry and Government to help tackle this.
We expect all suppliers in all sectors to lead by example by upholding the values of the Supplier Code of Conduct, including supporting key government corporate social responsibility policy areas, such as diversity and inclusion, sustainability, apprenticeships and skills development and addressing the gender pay gap.
Through our policy to extend the use of the Social Value Act, effective from 1 January, all major central government procurements will, where appropriate, explicitly evaluate social value.
The information on the number of women employed by construction companies with Government contracts is not held centrally.
The Office for Veterans’ Affairs’ budget has not been confirmed and the Cabinet Office budget for 2021/22 will be published in due course. Support for veterans is funded through a variety of Government channels, including the OVA and individual departments delivering veterans’ services. This year, more funding than ever before has been made available to veterans’ mental health services in NHS England, and unprecedented support has been offered to the service charity sector.
The OVA works to champion veterans across government, driving new approaches and policies in areas that will improve the support the nation offers veterans over the long term, in line with the commitments made by all four nations of the Union in the Strategy for our Veterans. Examples of this are through better use of data to drive change, improved digitisation to make services easier to access and navigate, developing a coherent research strategy to improve our understanding of issues affecting veterans and to improve collaboration across the veterans sector.
The Office for Veterans’ Affairs’ budget has not been confirmed and the Cabinet Office budget for 2021/22 will be published in due course. Support for veterans is funded through a variety of Government channels, including the OVA and individual departments delivering veterans’ services. This year, more funding than ever before has been made available to veterans’ mental health services in NHS England, and unprecedented support has been offered to the service charity sector.
The OVA works to champion veterans across government, driving new approaches and policies in areas that will improve the support the nation offers veterans over the long term, in line with the commitments made by all four nations of the Union in the Strategy for our Veterans. Examples of this are through better use of data to drive change, improved digitisation to make services easier to access and navigate, developing a coherent research strategy to improve our understanding of issues affecting veterans and to improve collaboration across the veterans sector.
The Government has committed to ensuring that the administration of Government is less Whitehall-centric with 22,000 civil service roles relocating to the regions and nations of the UK by the end of the decade. As you are aware, HMT and MHCLG both announced their relocation plans in the last few weeks. The Places for Growth programme is working with departments on their relocation plans to ensure a broad geography of the UK is benefiting from this agenda. Further announcements will be made in due course.
The Government has committed to ensuring that the administration of Government is less Whitehall-centric with 22,000 civil service roles relocating to the regions and nations of the UK by the end of the decade. As you are aware, HMT and MHCLG both announced their relocation plans in the last few weeks. The Places for Growth programme is working with departments on their relocation plans to ensure a broad geography of the UK is benefiting from this agenda. Further announcements will be made in due course.
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by myself and the Minister without Portfolio to questions on 12 November.
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by myself and the Minister without Portfolio to questions on 12 November.
The Government considers national security implications arising from foreign investment on a case-by-case basis.
On 22 June this Government laid secondary legislation to amend the Enterprise Act 2002, strengthening the Government’s powers to intervene in certain investments made into the UK.
The Government will also bring forward the National Security and Investment Bill when Parliamentary time allows. As announced in the Queen’s Speech, the Bill will upgrade the Government’s powers to scrutinise investments and consider the risks that can arise from hostile parties acquiring ownership of, or control over, businesses or other entities and assets that have national security implications.
Further to the answer given to PQs 48885, 48886, 48887 on 14 May 2020, the Government has published guidance on staying safe outside the home during the COVID-19 pandemic:
The guidance includes information on the use of face coverings. We are asking people to make their own face coverings at home, using scarves or other textile items and we have published guidance to help illustrate the process.
In terms of the wider production of PPE for use for medical purposes, Lord Deighton has been appointed to lead the national effort to boost PPE production, and also support the scaling up of engineering efforts for small companies capable of contributing to supplies.
Arrangements for UK nationals crossing the Schengen Area border will remain as now for the duration of the transition period. Thereafter, the EU will grant UK nationals visa free access for short-term visits, subject to reciprocity. This means that UK business visitors and tourists will not need a visa when travelling to the Schengen area for short stays of up to 90 days in every 180-day period.
We are willing to discuss with the EU how to facilitate crossing of our respective borders for legitimate travel purposes.
We recognise the extraordinary efforts of frontline workers, who are going above and beyond to ensure people get the support they need in these incredibly challenging times. The government will continue to review the support provided to public sector workers on the front line of responding to this crisis.
Our message to the British public is clear: stay at home, in order to protect the NHS and save lives. The position remains, as outlined on gov.uk, that everyone who can work from home should do so.
Where that is not possible, people should go into work where it is safe and they are not symptomatic, isolating or shielding. Relevant guidance including from Public Health England should be followed.
In terms of the provision of education for the children of certain key workers, it is already the case that security officers and private security workers working in, for example, hospitals and social care could be eligible as long as "their specific role is necessary for the continuation of this essential public service". This is set out here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision
The Government has placed restrictions on the operations of certain businesses as part of the strategy to ensure people stay at home and away from others. Separate guidance has been published on this and is also available on gov.uk.
The Government undertakes regular reviews of our preparedness for the risks facing the UK through the National Security Risk Assessment (NSRA) and National Resilience Capabilities Programme (NRCP). This includes the risk from foreign investment into critical national infrastructure.
In addition, the Government considers any national security implications arising from foreign investment on a case-by-case basis, including in investments in Critical National Infrastructure. The Government’s approach is predicated on a risk assessment based on the specific circumstances of the case.
The Government’s current powers to intervene in mergers that may raise national security concerns are contained in the Enterprise Act (2002), which establishes key parts of the UK’s competition regime. The vast majority of transactions raise no national security concerns and the Government expects to quickly rule out national security risks in most cases, allowing parties to proceed with certainty.
As part of our efforts to communicate the changes which are being introduced under the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023, the Government will be producing guidance. The guidance will be published in the New Year to support the commencement of the regulations.