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Written Question
Inland Waterways
Friday 20th December 2024

Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether (a) he and (b) the Transport Infrastructure Planning Unit has had recent discussions with the Canal and River Trust on a proposal for (i) an order under the Transport and Works Act 1992 and (ii) other legislative proposals on the operation of inland waterways.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra officials meet regularly with Canal and River Trust senior management to discuss a range of issues. The Trust has recently announced the formation of an independent Commission to review the legal framework around boat licensing so that it reflects the changes in use of the network over the past 30 years, within which potential legislative reforms and/or operational changes to the Trust’s boat licensing activities may be considered. The review will take place in 2025 and will inform any decision by the Trust to pursue a potential Order under the Transport and Works Act 1992.


Written Question
Houseboats
Friday 20th December 2024

Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to help ensure that the children of the families of boat dwellers without a permanent mooring are able to reasonably achieve daily access to education without the risk of (a) their boat licence being shortened or withdrawn for remaining too close to one place in term time, (b) seizure of their boat by the Canal and River Trust and (c) similar enforcement action by other navigation authorities.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Navigation authorities are responsible for operational matters on their waterways, and that boaters using navigable waterways are required to comply with the terms of their licences for the benefit of all waterway users. The Canal and River Trust has provided assurances that appropriate enforcement action on its waterways is only used as a last resort in response to persistent non-compliance, to ensure fairness to all boaters. Those with children who choose to live on a boat without a permanent mooring are responsible for ensuring they have access to education; the Trust provides reasonable adjustments for anyone who qualifies under the Equalities & Human Rights Act.


Written Question
British Film Institute
Thursday 19th December 2024

Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the British Film Institute on the potential impact on Black (a) communities and (b) audiences of the position of Education/Film Programmer, Adult Community.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

No, ministers have not had any such discussions with the BFI. Staffing decisions within the BFI are operational matters for the organisation, which is responsible for ensuring its compliance with relevant equality legislation and its own equality, diversity and inclusion commitments. Likewise, matters relating to audience engagement and programming are the responsibility of the BFI.


Written Question
British Film Institute
Thursday 19th December 2024

Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the British Film Institute on the potential adverse impacts on equality grounds of the position of Education/Film Programmer, Adult Community.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

No, ministers have not had any such discussions with the BFI. Staffing decisions within the BFI are operational matters for the organisation, which is responsible for ensuring its compliance with relevant equality legislation and its own equality, diversity and inclusion commitments. Likewise, matters relating to audience engagement and programming are the responsibility of the BFI.


Written Question
British Film Institute
Thursday 19th December 2024

Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the British Film Institute on a race equality impact assessment for the position of Education/Film Programmer, Adult Community.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

No, ministers have not had any such discussions with the BFI. Staffing decisions within the BFI are operational matters for the organisation, which is responsible for ensuring its compliance with relevant equality legislation and its own equality, diversity and inclusion commitments. Likewise, matters relating to audience engagement and programming are the responsibility of the BFI.


Written Question
British Film Institute
Thursday 19th December 2024

Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the British Film Institute on the position of Education/Film Programmer, Adult Community.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

No, ministers have not had any such discussions with the BFI. Staffing decisions within the BFI are operational matters for the organisation, which is responsible for ensuring its compliance with relevant equality legislation and its own equality, diversity and inclusion commitments. Likewise, matters relating to audience engagement and programming are the responsibility of the BFI.


Written Question
British Film Institute
Thursday 19th December 2024

Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the British Film Institute on public sector duties under the Equality Act 2010.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

No.


Written Question
Social Security Benefits: Fraud
Tuesday 17th December 2024

Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many targeted case reviews her Department expects to have carried by the end of 2024.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Since the start of Targeted Case Review, the Department expects to have completed around 815,000 Universal Credit claim reviews by the end of December 2024.

Figure is rounded to the nearest 5000.


Written Question
Universal Credit
Tuesday 17th December 2024

Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether algorithm driven risk scoring is being used in the process of selecting Universal Credit claimants for a Targeted Case Review.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Algorithm driven risk scoring is not used when selecting cases for a Targeted Case Review.


Written Question
Houseboats
Monday 16th December 2024

Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to prevent boat dwellers without a permanent mooring from (a) having their homes seized and (b) being financially penalised in enforcement action by (i) the Canal and River Trust and (ii) other navigation authorities.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

All navigation authorities in England and Wales are responsible for operational matters on their waterways, including setting fees and charges for those using them and the use of corresponding enforcement powers, under the relevant statutory provisions. The Government does not have a role in that but recognises that boaters using navigable waterways require a valid licence from the relevant navigation authority and are expected to comply with the terms of their licences for the benefit of all waterway users. The Government is assured that appropriate enforcement action is only used as a last resort in response to persistent non-compliance, to ensure fairness to all boaters who do comply. We also understand that the Canal and River Trust provides a variety of support routes to boaters experiencing difficulties with licence fees or compliance with navigation requirements.