Asked by: John Grady (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will include workforce projections and training requirements for prosthetics and orthotics as a distinct profession within the update to the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. We are working through how the plan will articulate the changes for different professional groups.
Asked by: John Grady (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the British Association of Prosthetics and Orthotics and training providers on the long term availability of training courses for people to qualify as clinicians and technicians in Prosthetics and Orthotics.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Higher education institutions are independent providers and are responsible for making their own decisions about course delivery and viability based on learner demand and provider capacity.
NHS England continues to work closely with the British Association of Prosthetics and Orthotics and education providers to maintain and strengthen training pathways, including apprenticeship routes, for learners into these courses.
Asked by: John Grady (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Department is taking to help ensure the long term availability of training courses for people to qualify as clinicians and technicians in Prosthetics and Orthotics.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Higher education institutions are independent providers and are responsible for making their own decisions about course delivery and viability based on learner demand and provider capacity.
NHS England continues to work closely with the British Association of Prosthetics and Orthotics and education providers to maintain and strengthen training pathways, including apprenticeship routes, for learners into these courses.
Asked by: John Grady (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information her Department holds on the amount of Theatre Tax Relief for Corporation Tax provided to Scottish Companies over the last two tax years.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Data on the amount of Theatre Tax Relief (TTR) paid to Scottish companies is held by HMRC on the basis of the company’s registered office address. The amount of TTR paid in relation to the last two complete tax years is as follows.
2021-22 | £2m |
2022-23 | £12m |
Asked by: John Grady (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to provide support for small businesses in the Hair and Beauty sector.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Small businesses in the hair and beauty sector play an important role in supporting jobs, high streets and local economies. We've introduced permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties and have provided £4.3bn to shield ratepayers from bill increases.
We continue to back employers who take on apprentices, by providing £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged under 19 and employers are not required to pay National Insurance Contributions for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee's wage is below £50,270 a year). Additionally, the government pays the full training costs for young apprentices aged 16 to 21, and for apprentices aged 22 to 24 who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan or have been in local authority care, when their employer has fewer than 50 employees.
I will continue to engage closely with the sector, including through the Personal Care Roundtables, to ensure the industry's long-term growth. This includes working with hair and beauty businesses as we bring forward a new High Streets Strategy later this year.
Asked by: John Grady (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help ensure that drivers of liquefied petroleum gas autogas vehicles pay competitive prices.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) prices at forecourts reflect fixed and variable costs, including international traded prices, distribution, staff and other forecourt costs. Vehicles powered by LPG benefit from a reduced fuel duty rate of 28.88 pence per litre (ppl) versus the main rate of 52.95 ppl. The Government’s Fuel Finder scheme will require all UK petrol filling stations to report if they stock LPG for consumer access. Motor LPG is subject to general consumer and competition law. The Government works with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to monitor competition in the market and address any evidence of anti-competitive behaviour.
Asked by: John Grady (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that food products include labels on pea and legume allergies.
Answered by Ashley Dalton
There are a large number of potential food ingredients that may cause allergic reactions in sensitised individuals. The current 14 regulated allergens are recognised as the most common and potent allergens of public health concern across Europe. They must be clearly identified on prepacked foods and communicated effectively when eating out. Although peas and other legumes are not regulated allergens, they must still be declared in the ingredients list when they are intentionally used in any prepacked food products.
The Food Standards Agency continues to work to make it easier for people with food hypersensitivities, such as allergies, intolerances, and coeliac disease, to have access to clear and accurate information which is a fundamental part of its work. Its research can be found at the following link:
https://www.food.gov.uk/research/food-hypersensitivity
Asked by: John Grady (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with international allies to secure a long-term ceasefire in Lebanon and encourage the disarmament of Hezbollah.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 20 November in response to Question 91653.
Asked by: John Grady (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the DVLA is taking with local councils and police to remove abandoned vehicles (a) without road tax and (b) that are SORN registered from public roads.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) operates a comprehensive package of measures to tackle unlicensed vehicles. These range from automatic number plate recognition cameras, wheelclamping and the removal and impounding of unlicensed vehicles.
The DVLA works closely with the police and local authorities to address such vehicles at local levels and to share intelligence. As well as any enforcement action that may be taken by the DVLA, the law also allows local authorities and police forces to work in partnership with the DVLA to tackle unlicensed vehicles by giving them the power to immobilise or impound unlicensed vehicles identified in their areas. These are known as devolved power partners.
The DVLA’s database highlights every unlicensed vehicle that is not subject to a Statutory Off-Road Notification (SORN) and automatically recognises when a keeper becomes non-compliant so that enforcement action can take place.
The DVLA’s wheelclamping contractor also provides ANPR services that provide enforcement coverage across every district in the UK. The DVLA also uses its own fleet to locate unlicensed vehicles and take direct action where appropriate. Members of the public can report unlicensed vehicles to the DVLA online at https://www.gov.uk/report-untaxed-vehicle .
The removal of abandoned vehicles is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. The police also have the powers to remove immediately any vehicle that is causing an obstruction, is likely to cause danger or is broken down or abandoned without lawful authority.
Asked by: John Grady (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with international counterparts to ensure the protection of the rights of minority ethnic Bosniaks living in Republika Srpska.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is working closely with our international partners and parties across Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to uphold the Dayton Peace Agreement, rule of law and rights of all BiH citizens, including Bosniaks in Republika Srpska. In July, the Foreign Secretary spoke with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy about safeguarding BiH's stability, and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials have regular coordination meetings with Quint counterparts. On 9 October, I held a joint meeting with the Foreign Ministers of BiH and Serbia.