Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which (a) legal authority and (b) procedural rules permit judges to withhold notes from employment tribunal hearings.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Data Protection Act 2018 do not apply to information gathered and personal data processed in proceedings before the courts and tribunals. Together these exemptions protect judicial independence and judicial proceedings, allowing the courts and tribunals to maintain judicial control over access to information in proceedings, ensuring that access to information is provided through existing access and discovery regimes.
With respect to the Employment Tribunal, access to audio recordings and transcription of recordings is governed by the Practice Direction: Recording of Employment Tribunal hearings and the transcription of recordings. This includes details of how and the circumstances in which a party may be able to access audio-recordings, request a transcript of proceedings, or obtain a Judge’s notes of a hearing.
The Practice Direction: Recording of Employment Tribunal hearings and the transcription of recordings, can be found at: https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PD-recording-and-transcription-final.pdf.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing new methods for expatriates to receive access to premium bond earnings without a UK bank account.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
National Savings & Investments (NS&I) can only make payments to, and receive payments from, a UK bank or building society account in pounds sterling. Therefore, to save with NS&I, customers must have a UK bank or building society account in their name. This policy ensures value for money for taxpayers and minimises the risk of fraud.Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the availability of thatching materials.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has no plans to make an assessment of the availability of thatching materials at this time.
Following discussion with the National Society of Master Thatchers, Historic England has updated its roof guidance to clarify the decision-making process for both applicants and local authorities on applications for listed building consent.
Historic England’s update roof guidance is available on that organisation’s website here.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to achieve the Access and Waiting Time Standard for Children and Young People with an Eating Disorder in every area.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is vital that children and young people with a diagnosed or suspected eating disorder, as well as their families and carers, can access effective help quickly. Given this, NHS England is in the process of publishing updated commissioning guidance for children and young people with eating disorders and updated Access and Wait Time Standard guidance. NHS England has also recently published updated guidance on caring for children and young people in a mental health crisis.
The updated guidance will reflect NHS England's ambition to improve eating disorder services and align with the latest evidence-based care, improve outcomes and experiences of care, and focus on prevention, where possible, to reduce prevalence and re-occurrence. It supports providers in meeting the standard that 95% of children and young people referred for assessment or treatment for an eating disorder receive National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-approved treatment with a designated healthcare professional within one week for urgent cases, and four weeks for all other cases.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of moratoriums on the building of incinerators.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Over the last 14 years, England has seen recycling rates stall, meaning too much waste is dealt with through incineration or thrown in landfill.
Under new plans, published alongside Defra’s Residual Waste Infrastructure Capacity Note, the Government makes clear it will only back new waste infrastructure projects if they meet strict local and environmental conditions. Projects will need to maximise efficiency and support the delivery of economic growth, net zero and the move to a circular economy.
Defra’s analysis shows that there remain certain areas in England where significant volumes of household waste are sent to landfill and that non-household waste is also sent to landfill. Disposing of waste in landfill has a greater negative environmental impact than recovering the energy through incineration.
Therefore, we have taken this step to support our transition to a circular economy, end the stagnated recycling rates in England and support the waste hierarchy in minimising waste sent to landfill.
Those developing energy recovery facilities (at all stages in the process) are encouraged to consider forecast changes to future capacity, demand, and the Government's circular economy opportunities, in light of the evidence published in the Capacity Note. And we expect those granting permissions to consider these changes in any decisions they make.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she will undertake a review of the effectiveness of the off-payroll working rules.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government keeps all tax policy and legislation under review as part of the Budget process.
HMRC published both external research and internal analysis looking at the impacts of the reform to the off-payroll working rules in the private and voluntary sectors, introduced in April 2021.
HMRC will continue to provide support and guidance to individuals and businesses operating the rules and will continue to look for opportunities to improve the way these rules work in practice.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make a comparative assessment of the number of beds provided for Psychiatric Intensive Care Units in (a) Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS Foundation Trust and (b) other trusts.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have no plans to currently do so. The 2025/26 Planning Guidance sets a requirement for integrated care boards (ICBs) to reduce the average length of stay in adult acute mental health beds, improving the availability of local beds and reducing inappropriate out of area placements. It also asks ICBs to maximise the use of crisis alternatives, including 111 mental health option, crisis resolution and home treatment teams, and community mental health services to keep people well at home.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of nurses in acute inpatient mental health settings.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service has been facing workforce shortages for a number of years and, while there has been growth in the mental health workforce over recent years, more is needed. That is why, as part of our mission to build an NHS that is fit for the future, we will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce waiting times and provide faster treatment. We recognise that bringing in the staff needed will take time. We are working with NHS England on options to deliver this expansion of the mental health workforce.
More broadly, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS. This plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed to move healthcare from hospital to the community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention. A central part of this will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.
This summer we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again. We will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to extend the Stamp Duty Land Tax holiday for first-time buyers who sign a memorandum of sale before 31 March 2025.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
In September 2022, the previous Government announced a change to the level at which first time buyers start paying Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) from £300,000 to £425,000, and the purchase price limit for accessing the relief is currently £625,000. These changes were made temporary in November 2022. After the rates revert on 1 April, first time buyers will still benefit from paying no SDLT up to £300,000, and will be able to claim relief on purchases up to £500,000.
The previous Government made these changes temporary SDLT rates. Individuals will therefore be liable to pay the SDLT at the point at which they complete their property purchase.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the accessibility of Fracture Liaison Services for people with osteoporosis.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) are a globally recognised care model and can reduce the risk of refracture for people at risk of osteoporosis by up to 40%. We remain committed to rolling out FLS across every part of the country by 2030. That is what the Secretary of State promised before the election, and what he is delivering. In the meantime, we are investing in 14 high-tech DEXA scanners, which are expected to provide an extra 29,000 scans to ensure people with bone conditions get diagnosed earlier.