Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2020 to Question 106980 on Prisons: Disclosure of Information, whether the drafts of the updated policy and supporting guidance documents include provisions for prison staff to have access to a single whistleblowing telephone hotline through which to raise health and safety concerns.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Consultation has taken place with the following trade unions: Prison Officers’ Association, Prison Governors’ Association, PCS, Prospect, GMB, FDA, Napo and Unison and the response was largely positive with trade unions supportive of the new policy and supporting guidance documents.
The new Raising a Concern policy and supporting guidance documents include provision for staff in prisons to access the Integrity Hotline which allows staff to raise any concerns they may have about the workplace or their own wellbeing. HMPPS has effective and reliable systems for reporting and recording adverse security, and health and safety incidents. This allows staff to voice any concerns, and for health and safety teams to monitor and act where necessary.
Trade union consultation has now been completed and the new policy is now going through the separate Ministry of Justice and HM Prison & Probation Service policy governance processes. Once these processes are complete the policy will be published, which is expected to be in January 2021.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2020 to Question 99603 on Prisons: Disclosure of Information, when he expects to launch the new whistleblowing policy; and whether he plans to include in that policy provisions for prison staff to have access to a single whistleblowing telephone hotline through which to raise health and safety concerns.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Consultation has taken place with the following trade unions: Prison Officers’ Association, Prison Governors’ Association, PCS, Prospect, GMB, FDA, Napo and Unison and the response was largely positive with trade unions supportive of the new policy and supporting guidance documents.
The new Raising a Concern policy and supporting guidance documents include provision for staff in prisons to access the Integrity Hotline which allows staff to raise any concerns they may have about the workplace or their own wellbeing. HMPPS has effective and reliable systems for reporting and recording adverse security, and health and safety incidents. This allows staff to voice any concerns, and for health and safety teams to monitor and act where necessary.
Trade union consultation has now been completed and the new policy is now going through the separate Ministry of Justice and HM Prison & Probation Service policy governance processes. Once these processes are complete the policy will be published, which is expected to be in January 2021.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2020 to Question 99603, Prisons: Disclosure of Information; which trade unions have received drafts of the updated policy and supporting guidance documents; and on what date did they receive that information.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Consultation has taken place with the following trade unions: Prison Officers’ Association, Prison Governors’ Association, PCS, Prospect, GMB, FDA, Napo and Unison. Consultation with HMPPS trade unions re-started, following a break due to the current pandemic, on 21st October 2020.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to provide support to seaside and high street arcades during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Like other businesses, seaside and high street arcades have been able to access the Government’s £300 billion package of support measures, which has included a business rates holiday, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme. In addition, a new Job Support Scheme (JSS) will be introduced from 1 November to protect viable jobs in businesses which are facing lower demand over the winter months due to coronavirus. On 9 October, the Chancellor announced that JSS will be expanded to protect jobs and support businesses required to close their doors as a result of coronavirus restrictions.
The department has also worked closely with industry representatives on developing guidance to ensure that the sector could reopen in a Covid secure way. We will continue to keep this guidance under review with the industry.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to provide support to (a) seaside and (b) high street arcades; and if he will extend the reduction in the rate of VAT to 5 per cent to include that sector.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government initially cut the rate of VAT applied to hospitality, accommodation and attractions, from 20 per cent to 5 per cent, for a period of six months to 12 January 2021. The Government has extended this relief, and it will now end on 31 March 2021. The reduced rate aims to support the cash flow and viability of over 150,000 businesses in the affected sectors and will help protect 2.4 million jobs.
Any business providing relevant hospitality, accommodation or attractions is able to benefit from the relief, wherever the business is located in the UK. Further information on this is available on GOV.UK. This policy will cost over £3 billion, and while some businesses in some sectors are disappointed, a boundary for eligibility had to be drawn.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 1 September 2020 to Question 76674, Prisons: Disclosure of Information, what progress his Department has made with the review of the whistleblowing process for prison staff.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The existing Ministry of Justice whistleblowing policy is being reviewed and updated by the Ministry of Justice HR Policy team. Drafts of the updated policy and supporting guidance documents are currently with trade unions, as part of a wider consultation exercise. We are aiming to launch the new policy following the consultation exercise.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to ensure additional support for the coach industry during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
On 8 August, the Government announced a funding package of over £40 million for Local Transport Authorities to procure additional, dedicated home to education transport services, including the provision of additional coach services.
This funding will help children and young people get to school and college, whilst social distancing reduces the capacity of existing public transport.
Coach operators could contact local authorities to discuss their home to school transportation plans.
The Government has also announced several measures available to UK businesses, including the coach sector, to support them through this time, including: a further exemption to the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations until July 2021; Government recognition of refund credits under the Bonded Coach Holiday Scheme to allow customers to book a future holiday or request a refund when trading resumes; and access to the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Coronavirus Bounce Back Loan Scheme, and Time to Pay.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his oral Answer of 14 July 2020 to Question 904751, what assessment he has made of the ability of prison staff to use the existing whistleblowing process with confidence that it is confidential.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The existing Ministry of Justice (MoJ) whistleblowing policy is currently being reviewed by the MoJ HR Policy team. The changes being looked at are primarily extra resources and language changes to further encourage individuals to raise any concerns. We are aiming to conclude this and launch the new policy in the Autumn.
Any Ministry of Justice employee who raises a concern using the Whistleblowing policy will be supported and will not suffer any unfair or negative treatment as a result. Where a protected disclosure is made the individual also has a legal entitlement to protection. All concerns raised in good faith will be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly, sensitively and as quickly as possible.
Any disclosures made under the MoJ whistleblowing procedure will be treated in a sensitive manner. Details of individuals will only be shared with those who need to know, in order to investigate and progress the matter.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his Answer of 14 July 2020 to Question 904751, what steps he is taking to make whistleblowing a (a) safe and (b) meaningful exercise for all prison staff.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The existing Ministry of Justice (MoJ) whistleblowing policy is currently being reviewed by the MoJ HR Policy team. The changes being looked at are primarily extra resources and language changes to further encourage individuals to raise any concerns. We are aiming to conclude this and launch the new policy in the Autumn.
Any Ministry of Justice employee who raises a concern using the Whistleblowing policy will be supported and will not suffer any unfair or negative treatment as a result. Where a protected disclosure is made the individual also has a legal entitlement to protection. All concerns raised in good faith will be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly, sensitively and as quickly as possible.
Any disclosures made under the MoJ whistleblowing procedure will be treated in a sensitive manner. Details of individuals will only be shared with those who need to know, in order to investigate and progress the matter.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2020 to Question 904751, what the (a) scope and (b) timeframe of the HMPPS review into the whistleblowing process for prison staff is.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The existing Ministry of Justice (MoJ) whistleblowing policy is currently being reviewed by the MoJ HR Policy team. The changes being looked at are primarily extra resources and language changes to further encourage individuals to raise any concerns. We are aiming to conclude this and launch the new policy in the Autumn.
Any Ministry of Justice employee who raises a concern using the Whistleblowing policy will be supported and will not suffer any unfair or negative treatment as a result. Where a protected disclosure is made the individual also has a legal entitlement to protection. All concerns raised in good faith will be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly, sensitively and as quickly as possible.
Any disclosures made under the MoJ whistleblowing procedure will be treated in a sensitive manner. Details of individuals will only be shared with those who need to know, in order to investigate and progress the matter.