Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support is available for workers who have been exposed to hazardous chemicals in upholstery and furniture manufacturing.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government offers a range of financial support for individuals whose health has been adversely affected by exposure to hazardous chemicals in the workplace.
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit is a non-contributory, non-means-tested benefit paid to those who become disabled because of a workplace accident or certain prescribed industrial diseases. The amount of benefit awarded depends on the level of disablement, which is assessed by an independent medical professional. In some cases, additional allowances may also be available, depending on individual circumstances.
Those who are unable to work due to illness or disability may be able to claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). Eligibility is dependent on satisfying the basic conditions of entitlement and contribution conditions. Where appropriate, individuals may claim Universal Credit which provides financial support for people on low incomes or who are unable to work because of a health condition.
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can provide help towards the extra costs arising from a long-term health condition or disability for working-aged people. Entitlement to PIP focuses on the functional impacts of a person’s health condition or disability on their daily life and is assessed on the basis of needs arising and not on the condition itself.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the Health and Safety Executive has made of the potential risks associated with chemical exposure in upholstery workshops, including chemicals found in foam and treated fabrics.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has recognised the risks to textile workers who routinely handle finished fabrics, including those treated with fire-resistant finishes. HSE have produced a specific guidance page on their website which covers both the initial manufacture and any secondary processing of finished fabrics (such as upholstery). The guidance page can be found here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/textiles/fabric-finishes.htm
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) outline specific duties on employers to protect workers from harmful substances, such as foams and flame retardants, which may be contained in soft furnishings such as mattresses and sofas. HSE provides practical advice and guidance on the basics of COSHH, completing COSHH assessments and links to industry specific information and guidance to prevent and control workplace exposure to harmful substances at Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) - HSE
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many inspections of upholstery and furniture workshops have been carried out by the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last five years.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Between 2019 and the present date, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have inspected 2104 premises whose primary business includes the manufacture of office and shop furniture, kitchen furniture, mattresses and other furniture (based on the Standard Industry Classification (SIC)).
The breakdown by year is as follows:
Year | Number of Inspections |
2019/20 | 304 |
2020/21 | 145 |
2021/22 | 192 |
2022/23 | 419 |
2023/24 | 627 |
2024/25 | 319 |
2025 to date | 98 |
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what mechanisms are in place to ensure timely correction of factual or chronological errors in published judgments to ensure that any discrepancies are removed from public record.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Responsibility for the accuracy of judgments rests with the independent judiciary.
Courts have established procedures to correct errors promptly when they come to light. For example, under the Civil Procedure Rules, judges can amend accidental slips or omissions at any time.
Substantive errors that may affect the meaning of the judgment may require a formal application to the court. Once corrected, the revised judgment replaces the original in official records and on the Find Case Law service, operated by the National Archives.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
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 take steps to prevent (a) parking debt collectors and (b) legal firms from adding £70 to existing parking charges of £100 per PCN; and whether she plans to ban debt recovery fees.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 places a duty on the Government to prepare a code of practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities. We will announce our plans for the new Code, including the position on debt recovery fees, in due course.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is fully committed to international law and fully respects the independence of the International Court of Justice. We continue to consider the Court’s Advisory Opinion carefully. We do not disagree with the central findings of the Court’s Advisory Opinion. We are of the clear view that Israel should bring an end to its presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as rapidly as possible – but we are clear that every effort must be made to create the conditions for negotiations towards the two-state solution. Our commitment to a two-state solution is unwavering. The UK abstained on the UN General Assembly resolution in September because it did not provide sufficient clarity to advance a negotiated two-state solution.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with Sport England on the derecognition of the British Ju Jitsu Association.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Following the outcome of a review of its recognised NGB status last summer, the British Ju Jitsu Association Governing Body (BJJAGB) submitted evidence to Sport England relating to its compliance with the Home Country Sports Council's recognition criteria.
It is now for the Home Country Sports Council Boards to decide on the recognition of the organisation. This information will be communicated in the near future.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with Sports England on the British Ju Jitsu Association's (a) equality, (b) inclusion and (c) diversity policies.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Following the outcome of a review of its recognised NGB status last summer, the British Ju Jitsu Association Governing Body (BJJAGB) submitted evidence to Sport England relating to its compliance with the Home Country Sports Council's recognition criteria.
It is now for the Home Country Sports Council Boards to decide on the recognition of the organisation. This information will be communicated in the near future.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to prevent the closure of local post offices.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
Government is committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Post Office network and has provided over £2.5 billion in funding to support the Post Office network over the past decade and is providing a further £628 million for the Post Office between 2022 and 2025.
The Post Office network is not in decline. As CEO Nick Read confirmed recently, the network is as large as it has been for about five years with around 11,700 branches. Government continues to monitor Post Office's network numbers and performance, and Post Office publishes an annual network report.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 10 May 2023 to Question 182611 on Teachers: Qualifications, if she will take steps to make the Education Accreditation Scheme available to online education providers for adult learners.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The Online Education Accreditation Scheme (OEAS) was launched by the department in April 2023. The objective of the scheme is to bring regulatory oversight to an unregulated part of the education sector. The scheme is not designed to cover all forms of online education but to focus where the need for quality assurance is most pronounced, which is to pupils of compulsory school age. The OEAS is only open to applications from those providers offering full-time education online to pupils of compulsory school age. The government has no plans to expand the scheme to online education providers for adults.