Robin Walker

The Government has today published Command Paper CP 822, which contains a draft Media Bill.

The draft Bill contains measures which will ensure that UK radio remains available to listeners via their smart speakers over the coming years, while providing scope for innovative collaboration and partnerships between stations and the smart speaker platforms.

Churches across England have responded to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s call to support credit unions and other forms of responsible credit and savings. At least 31 out of 40 dioceses have been actively involved in supporting over 50 credit unions in various ways, such as:

• promoting the local credit union in their congregation and wider community
• recruiting credit union volunteers
• hosting training sessions
• opening church premises as credit union access points
• encouraging payroll savings schemes among local employers
• helping to set up school savings clubs

Through the Church Credit Champions Network, one of the core initiatives of the Archbishop’s Task Group on Responsible Credit and Savings, the pilot scheme has engaged over 350 churches in London and Liverpool alone and trained more than 260 Credit Champions to date. Other creative diocesan responses include the Murston Community Bank in Canterbury diocese, Lichfield’s Funeral Project, Southwell & Nottingham’s 100x100 scheme are all designed to raise local awareness of credit unions.

The other core initiative, the LifeSavers programme, is working with eight credit unions across the country to set up savings clubs in primary schools, alongside an integrated programme of financial education. Following a successful pilot, the programme is being rolled out to 120 church and non-church primary schools over the next three academic years with financial support from Virgin Money. Additional funding from Government will help extend the coverage to many more primary schools through a dedicated LifeSavers website.

Data is not centrally collected for the number of employers taking on apprentices. The Department publishes details of apprenticeship starts by region and Local Education Authority (LEA) (first link) and apprenticeship participation by region (second link) and LEA (third link) online:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/438150/apprenticeships-starts-by-geography-learner-demographics-and-sector-subject-area.xls

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/438154/apprenticeships-participation-by-region-and-sector-subject-area.xls

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/378732/apprenticeships-participation-by-constituency-and-local-authority.xls

The Department also publishes details of Workplaces Employing Apprentices by region and Parliamentary constituency; however, workplaces cannot be interpreted as different employers since employers can have apprentices at more than one workplace. This data is published online: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/416511/apprenticeships-workplaces-by-region-and-constituency.xls

Post offices play an important role in communities across the UK, acting as a community hub and making sure people have access to important services.

The role of post offices in ensuring financial inclusion is becoming increasingly important. Post office operates 2,500 free-to-use ATMs across the UK and approximately 95% current accounts are accessible across post office counters in over 11500 branches across the UK. Post office is also increasing the range of financial services it offers to customers directly.

I believe post offices have a key role to play in ensuring financial inclusion and their contribution in this area enhances the social value of the post office network itself. That is why Government has provided nearly £2 billion since 2010 to maintain, modernise and protect the network.

The Church Commissioners are grateful to the Treasury for making the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund available to its Cathedrals alongside extending the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme to include repairs to church roofs and rain water guttering.

(a) The Cathedral at Worcester has received a total of £330,000 toward to costs of restoring its east window and to replace and weather-proof the ceiling & roof of the cathedral’s ancient library. The Cathedral successfully entered the bids for funding in rounds 1 and 2 of the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund which has so far assisted 32 of the Church of England’s Cathedrals. There is one final round to which Cathedrals both Anglican and Catholic can enter bids before the fund closes, the Church Commissioners hope the last few Cathedrals with substantial works pending who are yet to submit a bid will consider putting applications forward.

(b) The fund which the Chancellor has made available within the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund has only been available since the 2014 Autumn Statement, no funding or grants for roof repairs have be available centrally prior to this. The Roof Repair Fund is not administered by the Church of England but by the National Heritage Memorial Fund, who will make decisions on grants given.

The Church of England has advised all Diocesan Advisory Commissions (who assist Parishes with advice on repairs and alterations to architecture and fabric of buildings) to encourage and assist with applications to the fund which closes on the 30^th January 2015. From the Diocese of Worcester the Church of England understands 24 parish churches will apply, 7 parishes are currently on the English Heritage, ‘Heritage at Risk Register’ with a further 17 parishes in urgent need. These figures is based on initial responses, rather than formal expressions of interest. Not all parishes will be successful in their bids for assistance and each case will be judged on its merits. This fund like the WW1 Cathedrals Fund will enable the parishes to invest money into their wider community helping those in greatest need rather than spending money just keeping the building watertight.

The Statistical Expert Group, established by the Infected Blood Inquiry, has provided valuable insight into the numbers of infections from blood and blood products in the UK between 1970 and 1991 and subsequent survival rates. Since October 2022, the Government has paid over £400 million in interim compensation payments to those infected or bereaved partners registered with the UK Infected Blood Support Schemes, totalling over 4000 individuals. However, the requested information is not available by Parliamentary constituency. There is also considerable uncertainty over the number of people, especially those affected, who might be eligible under Sir Brian Langstaff’s recommendations. Therefore I am not able to provide a substantive response to the Honourable member’s questions on his constituency.

The Statistical Expert Group, established by the Infected Blood Inquiry, has provided valuable insight into the numbers of infections from blood and blood products in the UK between 1970 and 1991 and subsequent survival rates. Since October 2022, the Government has paid over £400 million in interim compensation payments to those infected or bereaved partners registered with the UK Infected Blood Support Schemes, totalling over 4000 individuals. However, the requested information is not available by Parliamentary constituency. There is also considerable uncertainty over the number of people, especially those affected, who might be eligible under Sir Brian Langstaff’s recommendations. Therefore I am not able to provide a substantive response to the Honourable member’s questions on his constituency.

Following the House of Commons vote on 2 December 2015, the UK joined a global coalition taking military action to tackle the threat posed by Daesh in Syria, as well as Iraq. The action in which the UK is participating includes targeted strikes against members of Daesh in Syria and Iraq, as well as targeting Daesh’s infrastructure, deployed forces and sources of revenue. The Coalition’s ongoing action, including the role of the UK, is lawful in Syria under Article 51 of the UN Charter, and in Iraq with the consent of the Iraqi Government. Coalition action has the support of the international community as reflected in UN Security Council resolution 2249(2015), and the support of the House of Commons.

My comments to the then right hon. Member for Neath (Mr Hain) on 26 September 2014, Official Report, column 1265, and the Oral Statement I gave on 7 September 2015, Official Report, column 26, about taking lawful action in response to an identified, direct and imminent threat to the UK would still apply, of course, to individuals in Syria and Iraq who are not members of Daesh. The Government reserves the right to take lawful action to address an identified, direct and imminent threat to the UK and report to Parliament after it has done so.

The UK is recognised as the world leader in social investment.

Across the country, social investment is helping social enterprises tackle issues and transform lives. It has an important role in building a more sustainable, resilient social sector.

We have created funds and programmes, which support these organisations to access investment and increase their impact.

I want this leadership to continue, and this Government is absolutely committed to growing this essential marketplace.

By the end of this year, we expect that over 200,000 young people will have benefited from NCS. Independent evaluations are showing that NCS is helping it deliver more confident, capable and engaged young people. That is why government has pledged to guarantee a place for every young person who wants one.

The Government, through UK Sport, is investing almost £73m into 18 summer Paralympic sports during the Rio 2016 cycle, an increase of 48% from London 2012, and £3.9m into 2 winter Paralympic sports during the current cycle.

In addition, Sport England is investing over £170m to make sport a practical and attractive lifestyle choice for disabled people and to get more disabled people playing sport.

Government remains committed to supporting disabled people to realise their potential in sport. Since 2012 Sport England has made disability sport a key focus of its strategy and the National Governing Bodies of Sport have specific targets for increasing the number of people with disabilities who play their sport. Sport England is currently investing over £171 million to make sport a practical and attractive lifestyle choice for disabled people and to get more disabled people playing sport.

Table A: Investment in disability sport-specific facilities

*Includes £30,000 award to GB Wheelchair Basketball Association (GBWBA) in 2013 for new wheelchairs

Please note that the figures in Table A only includes awards for projects which have a stated disability sport focus. Facilities like sports halls can be used for disability sports like the ones listed in Table A. Since 2012, Sport England has invested £39.8 million in 58 such sports hall projects.

As part of GBWBA’s Whole Sport Plan investment for 2013-17, Sport England invested £154,833 in the University of Worcester Disabled Athlete Accommodation project. Across Sport England’s National Centres for Sport, at least 20 per cent of accommodation provided has been designed specifically with disability access requirements in mind.

Sport England is also investing £26,000 in a research project in partnership with GBWBA to look at ways to increase the quality of surfaces used for wheelchair sports.

It is the responsibility of local authorities, schools and further education settings to commission appropriately qualified staff to support the education of children and young people in their area.

To offer the mandatory qualification in sensory impairment (MQSI), providers must be approved by the Secretary of State for Education. The department’s aim is to ensure a steady supply of teachers of children with visual, hearing and multi-sensory impairments in both specialist and mainstream settings. There are currently six providers of the MQSI, with a seventh from September 2024. The department does not have published data on the number of teachers that have completed the MQSI.

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) has also developed a sensory impairment apprenticeship and expect it to be available from 2025. This will open a paid, work-based route into teaching children and young people with sensory impairments by enabling people to undertake high-quality apprenticeships.

It is the responsibility of local authorities, schools and further education settings to commission appropriately qualified staff to support the education of children and young people in their area.

To offer the mandatory qualification in sensory impairment (MQSI), providers must be approved by the Secretary of State for Education. The department’s aim is to ensure a steady supply of teachers of children with visual, hearing and multi-sensory impairments in both specialist and mainstream settings. There are currently six providers of the MQSI, with a seventh from September 2024. The department does not have published data on the number of teachers that have completed the MQSI.

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) has also developed a sensory impairment apprenticeship and expect it to be available from 2025. This will open a paid, work-based route into teaching children and young people with sensory impairments by enabling people to undertake high-quality apprenticeships.

The department is investing over £1 billion in tutoring via its flagship National Tutoring Programme. This has seen nearly five million tutoring courses commence since the programme started in November 2020, including over two million in each of the last two academic years. Primary, secondary and special schools are continuing to offer tutoring, with 346,000 courses having started in the first five weeks of the current academic year.

There is extensive evidence that tutoring is one of the most effective ways to accelerate academic progress. The Education Endowment Foundation has found that, on average, pupils who receive small group tutoring may make four months additional progress. The department’s external evaluation of year two of the National Tutoring Programme, carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research, shows that School Led Tutoring has had a positive impact on pupil attainment at both Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4.

The department is investing over £1 billion in tutoring via its flagship National Tutoring Programme. This has seen nearly five million tutoring courses commence since the programme started in November 2020, including over two million in each of the last two academic years. Primary, secondary and special schools are continuing to offer tutoring, with 346,000 courses having started in the first five weeks of the current academic year.

There is extensive evidence that tutoring is one of the most effective ways to accelerate academic progress. The Education Endowment Foundation has found that, on average, pupils who receive small group tutoring may make four months additional progress. The department’s external evaluation of year two of the National Tutoring Programme, carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research, shows that School Led Tutoring has had a positive impact on pupil attainment at both Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4.

In 2014, the government introduced a new duty on schools to support pupils with all medical conditions and published the ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’ statutory guidance for schools and others. This guidance does not specify which medical conditions should be supported in schools. Instead, it focuses on how to meet the needs of each individual child and how their medical condition affects school life.

Schools also have duties under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments to their practices, procedures, and policies to ensure that they are not putting those with certain long-term health problems at a substantial disadvantage.

Under the Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2017, all schools can buy adrenaline auto-injector (AAI) devices without a prescription, for emergency use in children who are at risk of anaphylaxis, but their own device is not available or not working. The Department of Health and Social Care has published guidance on using emergency AAIs in schools, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/using-emergency-adrenaline-auto-injectors-in-schools.

Flood Re launched last month, and will ensure people will have access to affordable flood insurance. Flood Re will achieve this by providing reinsurance, with high risk customers having their policies ceded to Flood Re by their insurer. Flood insurance policies ceded to Flood Re have premiums and excesses within set limits based on Council Tax band.

As of today, 29 insurers are using Flood Re and it remains important that consumers shop around to obtain the best price. A review of the Flood Re scheme will take place in 2019.

The Department is funding £14.3 in 16/17 to improve integration between cycle and rail through the provision of new cycle facilities at railway stations. This includes new high quality cycle parking, cycle hire and improved access to stations and will support more active travel.

In conjunction with this, a revised version of the Cycle Rail Toolkit was published on 19 May 2016 which will help those implementing cycle-rail facilities to ensure that high-quality infrastructure is in place to encourage new users and to ensure that cycling to stations becomes easy and convenient and the natural choice for short trips to the station.

DWP’s contract with the Association of British Credit Unions Ltd to deliver the Credit Union Expansion Project began in May 2013. It is due to end in April 2016 but we are currently considering a request for an extension. The Department has plans to review effectiveness at the end of the Project.

The Department has made no such specific assessment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends the involvement of physiotherapists in the management of a range of neurological conditions including Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease. The commissioning of services to provide supported physical activity, such as that provided by physiotherapists, is a local matter, as are the vast majority of services for neurological conditions.

The information requested is not collected centrally.

In 2014, the Royal College of Psychiatrists made an assessment of the national provision of liaison psychiatry, the services that provide mental health support to Emergency Departments. This followed a commitment that the College made in the mental health Crisis Care Concordat.

The Government’s Mandate to NHS England states that access to crisis services, for an individual must be “at all times as accessible, responsive and as high quality as other health emergency services. This includes ensuring the provision of adequate liaison psychiatry services in emergency departments.”

NHS England has adopted these aims in Putting Patients First, its business plan for 2014/15 – 2016/17, and will take them forward as part of its Parity of Esteem programme. This year, £30 million investment is to be targeted on effective models of liaison psychiatry in a greater number of acute hospitals.

Achieving better access to mental health services by 2020 set the expectation that, by 2020, all acute trusts will have in place liaison mental health services for all ages appropriate to the size, acuity and specialty of the hospital.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advice on prostate cancer screening/prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing in men over the age of 50 is that a systematic population screening programme is not recommended. This recommendation is currently being reviewed as part of the UK NSC's regular review cycle and is due to be completed by November 2015. The UK NSC first reviewed the evidence for a national prostate screening programme in 1997 and again in 2010. The reviews did not show clear evidence that prostate cancer screening using the PSA test was more beneficial than harmful, and showed a risk of over-diagnosis.

The UK NSC says that PSA testing can be performed on request, and information is provided on the risks and benefits by the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme.

NHS England has responsibility for clinical commissioning group (CCG) allocations.

CCGs have only existed since April 2013, so there is only information regarding South Worcestershire CCG allocations for years 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16, as detailed in the following table:

A copy of the detailed CCG allocations for 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16, published by NHS England on 20 December 2013, has already been placed in the Library and is also available at:

www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/ccg-allocation-big-table-v2.pdf

For the six years to 2013 (most recent figures), trade both goods and services between the United Kingdom and Argentina was worth £1,190m in 2008, £1,250m in 2009, £1,430 in 2010, £1,420m in 2011, £1,460m in 2012 and £1,380 in 2013.

For the six years to 2013 (most recent figures), trade between the United Kingdom and Paraguay was worth, £25m in 2008, £23m in 2009, £41m in 2010, £47m in 2011, £40m in 2012 and £53m in 2013.

This Government is committed to building upon our record levels of exports to, and inward investment from, China.

We are doubling the resources of UK Trade and Investment China to make it their biggest operation globally. This will enable more exchanges and trade missions like the recent Shanghai GREAT Festival of Creativity.

We are aware of allegations of human rights abuses on both sides of the Line of Control in Kashmir. We are clear that such allegations of human rights abuses must be investigated thoroughly, promptly and transparently. We regularly raise our concerns through our High Commissions in Islamabad and Delhi as appropriate.

Through our Embassy in Khartoum, the UK has been coordinating international efforts, including EU, Troika and others, to secure the release of Meriam Ibrahim from prison. We are also working with EU partners in Brussels to ensure an effective EU response.

My Ministerial colleagues and I will continue to lobby forcefully, bilaterally and with other partners, for Meriam's release.