Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for what reason the Strategic Trade Advisory Group has not met since June 2022; and when the Group is next planned to meet.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston
The Department for Business and Trade is reforming its approach to external engagement to meet the needs of industry and match the priorities of the new Department. A new approach will be set out in due course, but in the meantime the Department continues to engage with a full range of interested parties on key issues.
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason employees contracted by the NHS are not entitled to the Agenda for Change staff level pay increases; and whether he has made an estimate of the additional funding required to provide a pay increase on that basis to those employees.
Answered by Will Quince
Individuals employed directly by the National Health Service on Agenda for Change contract are entitled to the pay award agreed by the NHS Staff Council on 2 May. Where the NHS contracts out services to independent providers or other local public sector organisations, it is for those employers to determine pay, terms and conditions and eligibility for pay rises.
No assessment has been made of the full cost of passing on the non-consolidated awards for 2022/23 to all staff employed by NHS contractors. An assessment has been made of the cost of passing on the consolidated award for 2023/24, and additional funding for this will be provided in the normal way.
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, for what reasons does the Renters Reform Bill not make reference to three-year fixed rental agreements.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
I refer the Hon. Member to my remarks during the debate titled Private Rented Sector: Regulation on 24 May 2023 (Official Report, Volume 733, Column 123WH).
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many civil servants his Department employs to work on public service innovation.
Answered by Mike Freer
The Department does not hold information centrally on the number of staff in innovation roles.
The Department is committed to enabling all parts of the organisation to embrace the innovative thinking that can deliver improvements in outcomes and value for money. Steps being taken to create the conditions for innovation to flourish in all parts of the MoJ include supporting the capability in our leadership team, ensuring that our structures and governance allow civil servants to approach problems in new ways and providing guidance and standards on how to pilot new ideas.
Examples of the types of innovation being implemented include construction of the new prison at Full Sutton which is due to open in 2025 and will use around 70% less energy than HMP Five Wells and Fosse Way, and is the UK’s first all-electric prison, and the significant increase in the use of technology across the Department’s services, from remote parole and court hearings, to virtual prison visits, and a significant increase in virtual and hybrid meetings.
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many officials her Department employs to work directly on public service innovation.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Innovation is at the heart of our vision for a modern civil service, in particular finding new ways to solve problems and improve people’s lives, and seizing the full potential of data and technology.
All officials are expected to contribute to public service innovation, whether through the policy they develop or in the services they deliver. This work can range from supporting continuous improvement to leading more radical transformation.
The Home Office does not hold the data requested in a reportable format.
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many officials his Department employs to work directly on public service innovation.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
The Department does not hold this information centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many officials his Department employs to work directly on public service innovation.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
Innovation is at the heart of our vision for a modern civil service, in particular finding new ways to solve problems and improve people’s lives, and seizing the full potential of data and technology.
All officials are expected to contribute to public service innovation, whether through the policy they develop or in the services they deliver. This work can range from supporting continuous improvement to leading more radical transformation.
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the supply of (a) nuclear medications and (b) medical radioisotopes from EU member states.
Answered by Will Quince
We are not aware of any supply issues with nuclear medications or medical radioisotopes in the United Kingdom.
The Department’s medicine supply team works closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the pharmaceutical industry, NHS England and others to help prevent shortages and to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised when supply issues do arise.
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many staff his Department employs in the NHS Transformation Directorate; how many full time equivalent staff are employed to work on NHS innovation; and what proportion of these are employed centrally by NHS England.
Answered by Will Quince
There are 131 staff in the NHS Transformation Directorate in the Department for Health and Social Care. There are 4,108 staff in the NHS Transformation Directorate in NHS England. Numerous teams focus on NHS innovation as part of the ambition to digitise, connect and transform the NHS.
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the budget allocated for public service innovation is in the (a) Department for Health and Social Care, (b) Department for Education, (c) Home Office, (d) Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (e) Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, (f) Department for Work and Pensions and (g) Department for Justice.
Answered by John Glen - Shadow Paymaster General
There is no single budget specifically allocated to “public service innovation” across government as a whole or within individual departments. The Government has funded a range of initiatives that could be considered public service innovation, but ultimately budgets are not measured in this way.