Asked by: Steve Witherden (Labour - Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish details of his Department new private finance model for building neighbourhood health centres and the business case completed for it.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department and the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) will continue to work with the market to further develop the new Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for neighbourhood health centres (NHCs) with further engagement next year. The final design and development of this new PPP model for NHCs will be led by NISTA and co-designed by the Department.
The Department has no plans to publish the NHC PPP Feasibility Programme Business Case. Publication is not standard practice for business cases outside of the Government Major Projects Portfolio.
Asked by: Steve Witherden (Labour - Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how he plans to reduce disability benefits by up to £580 million a year.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Steve Witherden (Labour - Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that mandatory digital ID would not put the population’s personal data at risk of data breaches by hackers and foreign adversaries.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Security is a core principle of the new national digital credential that government is building, and will follow National Cyber Security Centre advice and international best practice.
Data will be federated, not centralised, minimising risks by keeping information securely stored where it already is. Advanced encryption and regular penetration testing will be part of a wider infrastructure to help protect against cyber threats, fraud, and hacking.
The system will comply with GDPR, operate strict legal firewalls, and empower individuals to have more control over what data is shared. All of these elements will help ensure there are robust safeguards to protect personal data from hostile actors.
Asked by: Steve Witherden (Labour - Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much the Digital ID scheme will cost.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
I refer the honourable Member to my answer to PQ93098.
Asked by: Steve Witherden (Labour - Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he has taken to make sure that digital ID can not be made a requirement for accessing a wide range of public and private services.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Digital ID will only be mandatory for a person who is going through a right to work check. There will be no other mandatory requirement to have the ID.
The Government is not mandating the use of digital ID to access other public or private services. People can still prove their identity using physical documents and non-digital alternatives outside of right-to-work checks if they prefer.
Asked by: Steve Witherden (Labour - Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help support agricultural livelihoods in Gaza; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure that UK-funded support for agricultural equipment and recovery prioritises the needs and expertise of older farmers to help secure sustainable, local food production.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We recognise that people with existing vulnerabilities, including older people, can be disproportionately affected by humanitarian crises. All organisations which receive Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office funding are required to demonstrate commitment to equality and inclusion in their work, to ensure our assistance reaches those in greatest need. The UK is actively supporting humanitarian efforts in Gaza - we are providing £78 million for humanitarian and early recovery support for Palestine this financial year. This includes the UK's support to UK-Med, which has enabled 800,000 patient consultations to take place in Gaza, including supporting vulnerable groups and the elderly.
Asked by: Steve Witherden (Labour - Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of the humanitarian aid budget for (a) the Gaza conflict and (b) all global humanitarian crises is specifically allocated for (i) social protection mechanisms and (ii) targeted cash grants for older people; and what specific steps the Department is taking to ensure that (A) age, (B) gender and (C) disability are considered by implementing partners to prioritise older people in the delivery of assistance.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We recognise that people with existing vulnerabilities, including older people, can be disproportionately affected by humanitarian crises. All organisations which receive Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office funding are required to demonstrate commitment to equality and inclusion in their work, to ensure our assistance reaches those in greatest need. The UK is actively supporting humanitarian efforts in Gaza - we are providing £78 million for humanitarian and early recovery support for Palestine this financial year. This includes the UK's support to UK-Med, which has enabled 800,000 patient consultations to take place in Gaza, including supporting vulnerable groups and the elderly.
Asked by: Steve Witherden (Labour - Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the restriction zone requirement in the Sentencing Bill would apply to convicted murderers on a life sentence; and whether the conditions of convicted murderers would be independently managed by the parole board.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
It is crucial that we have a justice system that punishes offenders and supports victims. That is why increasing restriction on serious sexual and violent offenders is part of our Plan for Change to cut crime and make streets safer.
Through the Sentencing Bill, we are introducing a new power which will allow restriction zones to be imposed on offenders on licence, where appropriate. These will restrict certain offenders to specific areas – so their victims know they are safe wherever else they want to go. We are working to finalise the operation of, and eligibility for, the new restriction zones, subject to the passage of the Sentencing Bill
Where an offender is serving a life sentence, they may only be released once they have completed their minimum term (or tariff) set by the court and where the independent Parole Board is satisfied that they no longer need to be detained for the protection of the public. If the Board directs the release of a life-sentence prisoner, it will also decide what licence conditions will apply to safely manage the offender in the community. Any subsequent variation of the conditions on a life licence will also be a matter for the Parole Board to decide.
Asked by: Steve Witherden (Labour - Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure humanitarian funding for (a) conflict-affected and (b) climate-vulnerable regions following the planned reduction of Official Development Assistance.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used are being worked through following the Spending Review and through resource allocation processes. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is focused on ensuring that every pound is spent in the most impactful way.
Asked by: Steve Witherden (Labour - Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether bereaved families of victims of murder would be protected under the restriction zone requirement in the Sentencing Bill.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
It is crucial that we have a justice system that punishes offenders and supports victims. That is why increasing restriction on serious sexual and violent offenders is part of our Plan for Change to cut crime and make streets safer.
Through the Sentencing Bill, we are introducing a new power which will allow restriction zones on offenders to be imposed on offenders on licence, where appropriate. These will restrict certain offenders to specific areas – so their victims know they are safe wherever else they want to go. Licence conditions for offenders convicted of murder are determined by the independent Parole Board.
We are working to finalise the operation of, and eligibility for, these zones, subject to the passage of the Sentencing Bill.