Asked by: Seema Kennedy (Conservative - South Ribble)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on implementing the recommendations of the independent Mental Health Taskforce set out in the Five Year Forward View of February 2016.
Answered by Jeremy Hunt
An implementation plan for the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health was published in July which will see Mental Health spending increase by £1billion by 2020.
Asked by: Seema Kennedy (Conservative - South Ribble)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to address skills shortages in the workforce.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
This Government is committed to giving young people the skills they need to succeed in life.
We are supporting 3 million more apprenticeships in this Parliament, and we are ensuring that employers play a leading role in the design of our new Degree Apprenticeships. Following our Higher Education Green Paper, we will be launching a technical consultation on the Teaching Excellence Framework, which will ensure our universities continue to focus on helping their students into employment.
Asked by: Seema Kennedy (Conservative - South Ribble)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government is taking to tackle organised crime in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Theresa Villiers
The Fresh Start Agreement created a Joint Agency Task Force to identify strategic priorities and co-ordinate joint operations against those involved in cross-border organised crime.
Tackling organised crime in Northern Ireland is primarily a matter for the devolved Department of Justice, under the auspices of the Organised Crime Task Force.
Asked by: Seema Kennedy (Conservative - South Ribble)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with the financial sector and employer groups on workplace money management and workplace payroll savings schemes.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The government is committed to supporting savers, and government officials meet regularly with the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals to discuss the role that payroll deduction can play in promoting workplace saving, particularly in relation to the credit union movement. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is funding a £38m project to enable participating credit unions to expand their services to many more consumers, including to employees via workplace payroll savings. DWP is also looking into providing payroll savings facilities for their staff who are members of a credit union.
Asked by: Seema Kennedy (Conservative - South Ribble)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will support the increase of infrastructure for onboard wifi along the West Coast rail line.
Answered by Claire Perry
We recognise intermittent internet access is a frustration felt by many rail passengers. I have met with Virgin Trains to discuss their ambitions to improve internet connectivity on both West Coast and East Coast main lines. I recognise that this is an important issue for West Coast passengers and that we need to find a solution where all passengers can benefit.
Free Wi-Fi is being introduced on all Department for Transport-controlled rail franchises in England and Wales. All train operators bidding for new franchises and direct award agreements will have to present a phased implementation plan for free Wi-Fi. The West Coast franchise is being tendered this year with the new contract commencing in 2018, which will include this obligation.
On-train Wi-Fi addresses some of the issues, however we recognise that there is more to do that will require enhancements to trackside infrastructure. That’s why we are working with the rail and telecommunications industries to reach a shared understanding of the technical and commercial challenges, and seek out potential solutions.
Asked by: Seema Kennedy (Conservative - South Ribble)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of enforcement powers for court orders relating to child custody.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Government has not made any recent assessment. The family court has a wide range of enforcement powers to secure compliance with a child arrangements order.
Where a person named in a child arrangements order breaches it without good reason, the court may make an enforcement order requiring that person to carry out unpaid work. The court may also order that person to pay financial compensation for any loss suffered by another person named in the child arrangements order. These sanctions are in addition to the general powers of the court to treat the breach of a court order as a contempt of court, which is punishable by a fine or imprisonment. The court may alternatively vary the terms of the child arrangements order (reconsidering the provisions made) if it considers this necessary to make the arrangements work in the best interests of the child.
Asked by: Seema Kennedy (Conservative - South Ribble)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects the Drinking Water Inspectorate to announce the findings of its investigations into the causes of the recent cryptosporidium water contamination.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) holds the statutory responsibility to investigate and report on drinking water quality incidents that affect public water supplies in England and Wales. It continues to carry out a detailed and thorough investigation into the recent cryptosporidium outbreak in Lancashire. Once the final report is completed, it will be made publicly available.
Asked by: Seema Kennedy (Conservative - South Ribble)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps (a) her Department and (b) the Drinking Water Inspectorate are taking to ensure that utility companies take all reasonable measures to resolve efficiently and effectively (i) water contamination issues and (ii) cryptosporidium contamination.
Answered by Rory Stewart
Water companies are required to provide safe supplies of drinking water to the public. Where contamination of a public water supply occurs, whether by cryptosporidium or by any other cause, the water company involved is expected to take all appropriate measures to ensure that the public remains safe, and that a safe supply of drinking water is restored. The DWI has a rigorous independent regulatory and inspection regime, and holds enforcement powers to ensure that the likelihood of such an event is minimised, and, when they do occur, that the measures taken to resolve any issues are in interests of the customer.
Defra is the sponsor department for the water industry and is responsible for setting the legal and policy framework for the regulatory regime as applied by Ofwat (the economic regulator) and the DWI (the drinking water quality regulator). When the DWI produces its report on the recent cryptosporidium incident in Lancashire, Defra will consider, with other stakeholders, what wider lessons can be learnt about the effectiveness of the current regime.
Asked by: Seema Kennedy (Conservative - South Ribble)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure the pilot resettlement scheme for Chagos Islanders meets their requirements.
Answered by Grant Shapps
The Government is carrying out a public consultation exercise, seeking the views of Chagossians and other interested parties, about a potential resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory. The consultation is scheduled to last 12 weeks, concluding on 27 October. I am pleased that an estimated five hundred Chagossians in the UK, Seychelles, and Mauritius have joined meetings with members of the British Indian Ocean Territory Administration to talk through the consultation document. Though we have been clear that this document is not a statement of UK Government policy, as no decision has yet been taken, it sets out the most realistic hypothetical scenario in which possible resettlements, including a pilot option, could take place. The consultation period will help us understand Chagossians’ aspirations and the level of demand for the options set out. This consultation continues the conversation with Chagossian communities as part of our review of resettlement policy started in 2012, which included an independent feasibility study, which concluded at the end of January 2015.
Asked by: Seema Kennedy (Conservative - South Ribble)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of older people experiencing loneliness.
Answered by Alistair Burt
My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health set out in his speech to the Local Government Association on 1 July that we all have a responsibility at an individual, family, and community level to identify people with care needs such as loneliness and provide support and improve their wellbeing.
Through the Care Act 2014 the Department has required local authorities to have measures in place to identify people in their area who would benefit from universal services to help reduce, delay or prevent needs for care and support. This includes needs that may arise from social isolation.
The Department has supported a ‘digital toolkit’ for local commissioners, which was developed by the Campaign to End Loneliness. Since its launch in July 2012, the toolkit has been supporting commissioners in understanding, mapping and commissioning for loneliness and social isolation in their communities.
Alongside work to build our understanding of the issue and expanding the evidence base, we have launched the Prevention Library where local authorities can exchange ideas and experience of the impact of information, advice and befriending services.