Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to help ensure the adequacy of wellbeing support for (a) officers and (b) other staff in police forces.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

This Government takes very seriously the mental health of the police workforce and we are committed to making improvements in wellbeing support for officers and staff. Through the Police Covenant we have made significant progress on our initial priorities, including delivering pre-employment mental health support for the police workforce, launching a family support pack, improving occupational health standards in all forces and appointing a Chief Medical Officer for policing.

We also continue to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS). The service is helping forces and individuals to identify where there is most risk of impacts on mental health, and developing work around building resilience, as well as putting in place support for those who need it in response to traumatic events.

The Home Office also provided funding to establish and run the first year of a 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Support line for current and former members of the police workforce. The NPWS will introduce the new independent and confidential support line imminently. This will be a dedicated phone line for policing staffed by qualified counsellors who have specialised training in crisis intervention and suicide prevention. The line will initially be available to all police officers and staff within the North East Region, with the view to expanding to all regions in England and Wales in 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mental health support is available to police officers in England; and what steps her Department takes to make police officers aware of that support.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

This Government takes very seriously the mental health of the police workforce and we are committed to making improvements in wellbeing support for officers and staff. Through the Police Covenant we have made significant progress on our initial priorities, including delivering pre-employment mental health support for the police workforce, launching a family support pack, improving occupational health standards in all forces and appointing a Chief Medical Officer for policing.

We also continue to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS). The service is helping forces and individuals to identify where there is most risk of impacts on mental health, and developing work around building resilience, as well as putting in place support for those who need it in response to traumatic events.

The Home Office also provided funding to establish and run the first year of a 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Support line for current and former members of the police workforce. The NPWS will introduce the new independent and confidential support line imminently. This will be a dedicated phone line for policing staffed by qualified counsellors who have specialised training in crisis intervention and suicide prevention. The line will initially be available to all police officers and staff within the North East Region, with the view to expanding to all regions in England and Wales in 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to help ensure the adequacy of mental health support for staff in police forces.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

This Government takes very seriously the mental health of the police workforce and we are committed to making improvements in wellbeing support for officers and staff. Through the Police Covenant we have made significant progress on our initial priorities, including delivering pre-employment mental health support for the police workforce, launching a family support pack, improving occupational health standards in all forces and appointing a Chief Medical Officer for policing.

We also continue to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS). The service is helping forces and individuals to identify where there is most risk of impacts on mental health, and developing work around building resilience, as well as putting in place support for those who need it in response to traumatic events.

The Home Office also provided funding to establish and run the first year of a 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Support line for current and former members of the police workforce. The NPWS will introduce the new independent and confidential support line imminently. This will be a dedicated phone line for policing staffed by qualified counsellors who have specialised training in crisis intervention and suicide prevention. The line will initially be available to all police officers and staff within the North East Region, with the view to expanding to all regions in England and Wales in 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his planned timetable is for the commencement of a 24/7 mental health crisis support line for police forces staff.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

This Government takes very seriously the mental health of the police workforce and we are committed to making improvements in wellbeing support for officers and staff. Through the Police Covenant we have made significant progress on our initial priorities, including delivering pre-employment mental health support for the police workforce, launching a family support pack, improving occupational health standards in all forces and appointing a Chief Medical Officer for policing.

We also continue to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS). The service is helping forces and individuals to identify where there is most risk of impacts on mental health, and developing work around building resilience, as well as putting in place support for those who need it in response to traumatic events.

The Home Office also provided funding to establish and run the first year of a 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Support line for current and former members of the police workforce. The NPWS will introduce the new independent and confidential support line imminently. This will be a dedicated phone line for policing staffed by qualified counsellors who have specialised training in crisis intervention and suicide prevention. The line will initially be available to all police officers and staff within the North East Region, with the view to expanding to all regions in England and Wales in 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mental health support is available to police officers; and how that support is promoted to officers.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

This Government takes very seriously the mental health of the police workforce and we are committed to making improvements in wellbeing support for officers and staff. Through the Police Covenant we have made significant progress on our initial priorities, including delivering pre-employment mental health support for the police workforce, launching a family support pack, improving occupational health standards in all forces and appointing a Chief Medical Officer for policing.

We also continue to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS). The service is helping forces and individuals to identify where there is most risk of impacts on mental health, and developing work around building resilience, as well as putting in place support for those who need it in response to traumatic events.

The Home Office also provided funding to establish and run the first year of a 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Support line for current and former members of the police workforce. The NPWS will introduce the new independent and confidential support line imminently. This will be a dedicated phone line for policing staffed by qualified counsellors who have specialised training in crisis intervention and suicide prevention. The line will initially be available to all police officers and staff within the North East Region, with the view to expanding to all regions in England and Wales in 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) collecting and (b) publishing data on the number and proportion of police officers taking sick leave who have been diagnosed with a mental health condition.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

Supporting the wellbeing and mental health of our police officers is a priority for this Government. Through the Police Covenant we are delivering meaningful changes that will support all who work in policing.

The Home Office collects data on the number of officers on long-term sickness absence, including any recognised medical condition, physical or psychological, as reported by the officer or a medical practitioner. The reason for long-term sickness is not collected. We recognise the importance of understanding what mental health or wellbeing challenges members of the police workforce may face. That is why we continue to the fund the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS) to conduct the annual National Police Wellbeing Survey, the findings of which directly inform the ongoing development of the Police Covenant.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average Attainment 8 score was for (a) disadvantaged and (b) non-disadvantaged pupils who (i) were and (ii) were not entered for GCSE Religious Studies in the latest period for which data is available.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education

The data is included in the attached spreadsheet.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to update statutory guidance for schools on religious education following publication of Ofsted's report entitled Subject report series: religious education on 17 April 2024.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education

There are currently no plans to update the department’s non-statutory guidance on religious education (RE). The government believe that RE is an important subject, developing an individual’s knowledge and understanding of the religions and beliefs which form part of contemporary society, as well as serving to inform their own values and behaviour.

To ensure that pupils have equal access to RE, it is a compulsory subject that must be taught in all mainstream state-funded schools, including academies, to all pupils up to the age of 18. In support of that aim, the Oak National Academy has commissioned the development of RE teaching resources to ensure that high-quality lessons are available nationwide, benefitting both teachers and pupils, should schools opt to use them. Oak RE resources will be available for teaching from autumn 2024, with full packages expected to be available by autumn 2025. Additionally, the Religious Education Council has recently launched its ‘Religion and Worldviews Approach to RE’ Toolkit which consists of a handbook, exemplar frameworks and accompanying resources to assist curriculum developers in designing their own RE curricula.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department is taking steps to monitor compliance with voluntary pauses on exports to sanctioned countries by UK companies.

Answered by Alan Mak - Shadow Economic Secretary (Treasury)

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that pupils have equal access to religious education.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education

There are currently no plans to update the department’s non-statutory guidance on religious education (RE). The government believe that RE is an important subject, developing an individual’s knowledge and understanding of the religions and beliefs which form part of contemporary society, as well as serving to inform their own values and behaviour.

To ensure that pupils have equal access to RE, it is a compulsory subject that must be taught in all mainstream state-funded schools, including academies, to all pupils up to the age of 18. In support of that aim, the Oak National Academy has commissioned the development of RE teaching resources to ensure that high-quality lessons are available nationwide, benefitting both teachers and pupils, should schools opt to use them. Oak RE resources will be available for teaching from autumn 2024, with full packages expected to be available by autumn 2025. Additionally, the Religious Education Council has recently launched its ‘Religion and Worldviews Approach to RE’ Toolkit which consists of a handbook, exemplar frameworks and accompanying resources to assist curriculum developers in designing their own RE curricula.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of legal aid provision for immigration cases.

Answered by Mike Freer

Legal aid is available for asylum cases, for immigration matters for victims of domestic abuse and modern slavery, for separated migrant children and for immigration detention cases.

Once commenced, individuals who receive a removal notice under the Illegal Migration Act (IMA) will have access to merits and means free legal advice in relation to the removal notice.

We have taken action to increase access to legal aid for immigration and asylum cases, by:

• Setting fees for IMA work at 15% above the usual hourly rate;

• Providing up to £1.4 million of funding in 2024 for accreditation and re-accreditation of senior caseworkers to conduct immigration and asylum legal aid work;

• Allowing Detained Duty Advice Scheme (DDAS) providers to give guidance remotely, at the discretion of providers and subject to their professional judgement and their obligations towards vulnerable persons; and

• Introducing payment for travel time between Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs) and DDAS surgeries.

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) monitors supply across its legal aid contracts on an ongoing basis and, where demand is greater than the available supply, takes action within its operational powers to secure additional provision to ensure the continuity of legal aid-funded services.

The LAA regularly engages with provider representative groups, including on the provision of immigration and asylum services, via forums such as the Civil Contract Consultative Group.

The ongoing Review of Civil Legal Aid is considering the broader economic context of the civil legal aid market as a whole, including for immigration cases, so that it can operate sustainably in the long-term; the Green Paper consultation is expected in July 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for criminal defence solicitors.

Answered by Mike Freer

In responding to the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review (CLAIR), we boosted the system with upfront investment to address the most urgent concerns.

On 29 January, we published a consultation on proposed reforms to the Police Station Fee Scheme and the Youth Court, for which we propose an additional £16 million for police station work and £5.1 million for the Youth Court of funding per year. The consultation has now closed, and we are in the process of analysing the responses and considering the next steps. The government response will be published in due course.

We expect our reforms to criminal legal aid will increase investment in the solicitor profession by up to £85 million every year, including a 30% increase in funding for solicitors’ work in police stations and a 20% increase for their work in magistrates’ courts, once we introduce the additional £21 million per year allocated to these areas (subject to the consultation).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average wait time is between (a) arrest and charge and (b) charge and trial for robbery cases in (i) London, (ii) the rest of England and (iii) Slough.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

The Government has developed a Criminal Justice Dashboard (CJS) Dashboard to bring together data from across the CJS starting at the point at which a crime is recorded by the police, through to completion in the Crown Court. The Dashboard aims to increase transparency, support collaboration and drive improvement at a local level.

The dashboard publishes information on the median number of days taken, from a crime being recorded, to reach an investigative outcome, including charges, for offences recorded by the police in England and Wales. These can be broken down by Police Force Area, and by ‘Victim based crime’, ‘State based Crime’ and ‘adult rape offences’. The latest data can be accessed via the Criminal Justice Dashboard, available here:

https://cjs-dashboard-production.apps.live.cloud-platform.service.justice.gov.uk/quality-justice/police

The Home Office does not hold information on the time between an arrest and a charge, or on the time between a charge and a trial. However, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) holds information on the average number of days taken from charge to main hearing for rape, fraud, murder, burglary, robbery and drug offences at the Crown Court in i) London and ii) the rest of England. These are provided in the table. Data are not available for Slough and data for domestic abuse are not held centrally by the MoJ.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average wait time is between (a) arrest and charge and (b) charge and trial for domestic abuse cases in (i) London, (ii) the rest of England and (iii) Slough.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

The Government has developed a Criminal Justice Dashboard (CJS) Dashboard to bring together data from across the CJS starting at the point at which a crime is recorded by the police, through to completion in the Crown Court. The Dashboard aims to increase transparency, support collaboration and drive improvement at a local level.

The dashboard publishes information on the median number of days taken, from a crime being recorded, to reach an investigative outcome, including charges, for offences recorded by the police in England and Wales. These can be broken down by Police Force Area, and by ‘Victim based crime’, ‘State based Crime’ and ‘adult rape offences’. The latest data can be accessed via the Criminal Justice Dashboard, available here:

https://cjs-dashboard-production.apps.live.cloud-platform.service.justice.gov.uk/quality-justice/police

The Home Office does not hold information on the time between an arrest and a charge, or on the time between a charge and a trial. However, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) holds information on the average number of days taken from charge to main hearing for rape, fraud, murder, burglary, robbery and drug offences at the Crown Court in i) London and ii) the rest of England. These are provided in the table. Data are not available for Slough and data for domestic abuse are not held centrally by the MoJ.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average wait time is between (a) arrest and charge and (b) charge and trial for drug-related cases in (i) London, (ii) the rest of England and (iii) Slough.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

The Government has developed a Criminal Justice Dashboard (CJS) Dashboard to bring together data from across the CJS starting at the point at which a crime is recorded by the police, through to completion in the Crown Court. The Dashboard aims to increase transparency, support collaboration and drive improvement at a local level.

The dashboard publishes information on the median number of days taken, from a crime being recorded, to reach an investigative outcome, including charges, for offences recorded by the police in England and Wales. These can be broken down by Police Force Area, and by ‘Victim based crime’, ‘State based Crime’ and ‘adult rape offences’. The latest data can be accessed via the Criminal Justice Dashboard, available here:

https://cjs-dashboard-production.apps.live.cloud-platform.service.justice.gov.uk/quality-justice/police

The Home Office does not hold information on the time between an arrest and a charge, or on the time between a charge and a trial. However, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) holds information on the average number of days taken from charge to main hearing for rape, fraud, murder, burglary, robbery and drug offences at the Crown Court in i) London and ii) the rest of England. These are provided in the table. Data are not available for Slough and data for domestic abuse are not held centrally by the MoJ.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average wait time is between (a) arrest and charge and (b) charge and trial for burglary cases in (i) London, (ii) the rest of England and (iii) Slough.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

The Government has developed a Criminal Justice Dashboard (CJS) Dashboard to bring together data from across the CJS starting at the point at which a crime is recorded by the police, through to completion in the Crown Court. The Dashboard aims to increase transparency, support collaboration and drive improvement at a local level.

The dashboard publishes information on the median number of days taken, from a crime being recorded, to reach an investigative outcome, including charges, for offences recorded by the police in England and Wales. These can be broken down by Police Force Area, and by ‘Victim based crime’, ‘State based Crime’ and ‘adult rape offences’. The latest data can be accessed via the Criminal Justice Dashboard, available here:

https://cjs-dashboard-production.apps.live.cloud-platform.service.justice.gov.uk/quality-justice/police

The Home Office does not hold information on the time between an arrest and a charge, or on the time between a charge and a trial. However, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) holds information on the average number of days taken from charge to main hearing for rape, fraud, murder, burglary, robbery and drug offences at the Crown Court in i) London and ii) the rest of England. These are provided in the table. Data are not available for Slough and data for domestic abuse are not held centrally by the MoJ.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average wait time is between (a) arrest and charge and (b) charge and trial for murder cases in (i) London, (ii) the rest of England and (iii) Slough.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

The Government has developed a Criminal Justice Dashboard (CJS) Dashboard to bring together data from across the CJS starting at the point at which a crime is recorded by the police, through to completion in the Crown Court. The Dashboard aims to increase transparency, support collaboration and drive improvement at a local level.

The dashboard publishes information on the median number of days taken, from a crime being recorded, to reach an investigative outcome, including charges, for offences recorded by the police in England and Wales. These can be broken down by Police Force Area, and by ‘Victim based crime’, ‘State based Crime’ and ‘adult rape offences’. The latest data can be accessed via the Criminal Justice Dashboard, available here:

https://cjs-dashboard-production.apps.live.cloud-platform.service.justice.gov.uk/quality-justice/police

The Home Office does not hold information on the time between an arrest and a charge, or on the time between a charge and a trial. However, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) holds information on the average number of days taken from charge to main hearing for rape, fraud, murder, burglary, robbery and drug offences at the Crown Court in i) London and ii) the rest of England. These are provided in the table. Data are not available for Slough and data for domestic abuse are not held centrally by the MoJ.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average wait time is between (a) arrest and charge and (b) charge and trial for fraud cases in (i) London, (ii) Slough and (iii) the rest of England.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

The Government has developed a Criminal Justice Dashboard (CJS) Dashboard to bring together data from across the CJS starting at the point at which a crime is recorded by the police, through to completion in the Crown Court. The Dashboard aims to increase transparency, support collaboration and drive improvement at a local level.

The dashboard publishes information on the median number of days taken, from a crime being recorded, to reach an investigative outcome, including charges, for offences recorded by the police in England and Wales. These can be broken down by Police Force Area, and by ‘Victim based crime’, ‘State based Crime’ and ‘adult rape offences’. The latest data can be accessed via the Criminal Justice Dashboard, available here:

https://cjs-dashboard-production.apps.live.cloud-platform.service.justice.gov.uk/quality-justice/police

The Home Office does not hold information on the time between an arrest and a charge, or on the time between a charge and a trial. However, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) holds information on the average number of days taken from charge to main hearing for rape, fraud, murder, burglary, robbery and drug offences at the Crown Court in i) London and ii) the rest of England. These are provided in the table. Data are not available for Slough and data for domestic abuse are not held centrally by the MoJ.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average wait time is between (a) arrest and charge and (b) charge and trial for rape cases in (i) London, (ii) the rest of England and (iii) Slough.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

The Government has developed a Criminal Justice Dashboard (CJS) Dashboard to bring together data from across the CJS starting at the point at which a crime is recorded by the police, through to completion in the Crown Court. The Dashboard aims to increase transparency, support collaboration and drive improvement at a local level.

The dashboard publishes information on the median number of days taken, from a crime being recorded, to reach an investigative outcome, including charges, for offences recorded by the police in England and Wales. These can be broken down by Police Force Area, and by ‘Victim based crime’, ‘State based Crime’ and ‘adult rape offences’. The latest data can be accessed via the Criminal Justice Dashboard, available here:

https://cjs-dashboard-production.apps.live.cloud-platform.service.justice.gov.uk/quality-justice/police

The Home Office does not hold information on the time between an arrest and a charge, or on the time between a charge and a trial. However, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) holds information on the average number of days taken from charge to main hearing for rape, fraud, murder, burglary, robbery and drug offences at the Crown Court in i) London and ii) the rest of England. These are provided in the table. Data are not available for Slough and data for domestic abuse are not held centrally by the MoJ.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Chief Inspector of Prisons' report entitled, Report on an announced inspection of HMP Lewes, 5–16 February 2024, published on 14 May, what assessment he has made of the impact of the early release of prisoners on public safety.

Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice

Public protection remains our priority. End of Custody Supervised Licence (ECSL) is a temporary measure and its use is under constant review. The most serious and dangerous offenders are excluded, including all those convicted for sexual or serious violent offences, and offenders whose release is a matter for the Parole Board to decide. Those released on ECSL are subject to strict licence conditions and probation supervision.

It remains at the discretion of the prison service to prevent the release of any prisoners under this measure where releasing an offender earlier presents a heightened risk than if they were released at their automatic release date. A panel formed of HMPPS senior leaders takes decisions on exclusions following advice from prison and probation staff.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what support his Department provides (a) prison governors and (b) the probation service on identifying suitable prisons for release via the early release scheme.

Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice

Central HMPPS teams identify the prisoners who are potentially eligible for release on End of Custody Supervised Licence (ECSL) and provide this to the relevant prisons and to the probation service.

Extensive operational guidance on ECSL is issued to prisons and probation to guide them through the process and eligibility criteria. There is also an operational support helpline that prison and probation practitioners can call should they want additional support in confirming eligible cases or have any other questions about ECSL. For cases where there are concerns about heightened risk as a result of release before the automatic release point, the exemption panel of senior HMPPS leaders deals with cases that are escalated for a decision.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners released early under the overcrowding alleviation scheme have subsequently been recalled to custody in each of the last five years; and what the reasons for recall were.

Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice

End of Custody Supervised Licence began in October 2023. Analysis of its use will be based on at least one year’s worth of data and published in line with the same approach we take for other statistical releases, such as deaths of offenders in the community.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have been released under the End of Custody Supervised License scheme in each of the last five years, by category of offence they were originally convicted for.

Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice

End of Custody Supervised Licence began in October 2023. Analysis of its use will be based on at least one year’s worth of data and published in line with the same approach we take for other statistical releases, such as deaths of offenders in the community.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an estimate of the number of court appearances that have been delayed as a result of Operation Early Dawn; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of Operation Early Dawn on court administration.

Answered by Mike Freer

Operation Early Dawn is a contingency designed to mitigate impacts across the criminal justice system. We monitor system impacts but we cannot estimate how many court appearances are delayed because of Operation Early Dawn. This data is not collected in our management information systems (because Operation Early Dawn is a contingency).

We can confirm that no court sessions were cancelled as a result of Operation Early Dawn.

The Ministry of Justice and its agencies are working to minimise any associated delays across the criminal justice system, which includes prioritising the most urgent cases, and to minimise the inevitable impact on court administration.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what criteria are used to determine the eligibility of prisoners for early release under the overcrowding alleviation scheme.

Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice

There is no such thing as the overcrowding alleviation scheme. HMPPS uses crowding where necessary and appropriate to ensure there is sufficient prison capacity to lock up offenders.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department (a) is taking and (b) plans to take steps to encourage the use of balcony solar in urban environments.

Answered by Andrew Bowie - Shadow Minister (Energy Security and Net Zero)

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effectiveness of vehicle-to-grid technology.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress her Department has made on the installation of large-scale battery storage facilities across the UK.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the safety of British citizens in the Democratic Republic of Congo following the recent attempted coup.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

We are in contact with the local authorities following the armed attacks in Kinshasa. We advise all British nationals to follow our travel advice. British Nationals in DRC who require urgent help should call the British Embassy Kinshasa on +243 81 556 6200.  Anyone in the UK who may be concerned about relatives or friends should call the FCDO on 020 7008 5000.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the issuance of arrest warrants for (a) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and (b) senior Hamas leaders by the International Criminal Court.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

We do not believe that seeking warrants will help get hostages out, get aid in, or deliver a sustainable ceasefire. This remains the UK's priority.

As we have also said from the outset, we do not think the ICC has jurisdiction in this case. The UK has not yet recognised Palestine as a state, and Israel is not a State Party to the Rome Statute.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps his Department is taking to help support a (a) sustainable and (b) peaceful resolution to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The UK is concerned by intensification of fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and its humanitarian consequences. We continue to urge all parties to deliver on their commitments, agreed through regional peace processes. We welcome the recent mediation efforts facilitated by the Angola-led Luanda peace process and continue to urge all parties to commit to further political dialogue. In March, Lord Benyon travelled to Kinshasa where he met with a range of representatives of the Government of DRC, including President Tshisekedi, to underline our support for the regional mediation efforts. Lord Benyon was also in Angola last month and discussed the conflict in eastern DRC with President Lourenco.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the recent attempted coup in the Democratic Republic of Congo on democratic (a) processes and (b) institutions in that country.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

We strongly condemn the armed attacks perpetrated in Kinshasa on Sunday 19 May and condemn attempts to undermine democracy, peace and stability in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In response to the attacks, it is important that the rule of law is upheld. We regularly engage with the GoDRC in support of robust democratic processes.

Question

To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many contracted security personnel employed for constituency offices are paid below the minimum wage when travel time is included.

Answered by Charles Walker

All security personnel working at constituency surgeries by agencies contracted by the Parliamentary Security Department are paid above the Real Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage. These employees work within the local area and are therefore not required to travel as part of their role beyond an ordinary commute.

Question

To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will make an assessment of the adequacy of the terms and conditions of employment relating to (a) travel expenses and (b) other matters for security guards employed for hon. Members' constituency surgeries.

Answered by Charles Walker

The Parliamentary Security Department manages the contract for provision of security personnel at constituency surgeries. Assurance on satisfactory terms and conditions has been provided through the procurement process and ongoing regular contract meetings.

Question

To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps the Commission is taking to ensure that security personnel employed at constituency surgeries by agencies contracted by parliamentary security are paid (a) at least the minimum wage and (b) travel expenses.

Answered by Charles Walker

All security personnel working at constituency surgeries by agencies contracted by the Parliamentary Security Department are paid above the Real Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage. These personnel work within their local area and are therefore not required to travel as part of their role beyond an ordinary commute. If travel expenses are required, these are fully paid by the security provider.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of (a) cases of extradition related to fraud and (b) convictions related to fraud have been successfully completed in each of the last five years.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Shadow Minister (Home Office) (Security)

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department takes to ensure the police's use of powers at protests is compliant with human rights standards.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he had with food import businesses before implementation of physical checks on (a) animal and (b) plant products entering from the EU.

Answered by Mark Spencer

Since the publication of the draft Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) on 5 April 2023, Defra and the UK Government have engaged with stakeholders from across industry, including many in the food supply chain, to inform design and promote readiness.

From publication of the draft, the Government undertook a six-week feedback period to capture input into the design of the BTOM. Defra engaged directly with large trade associations, logistics organisations, border operators and directly with businesses of all sizes to cover a wide range of audience insight, facilitating effective policy design.

After the publication of the final BTOM on 29 August 2023, Defra began an intensive programme of engagement and communications to deliver trader preparedness for both 31 January 2024 and 30 April 2024 milestones. This work included monthly sector focused webinars that are recorded and hosted on YouTube, digestible content leaflets on gov.uk to support traders in preparing, EU focused activity and translations to ensure whole supply chain readiness.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure compliance of broadcasters with impartiality rules (a) in general and (b) in the run-up to a General Election.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on what date Ofcom last imposed statutory sanctions on a broadcaster for breaches of impartiality rules; and what the circumstances of that instance were.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much funding his Department has provided to Slough Borough Council for social housing projects in each of the last five years.

Answered by Jacob Young

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers have been investigated for drug smuggling in the last five years.

Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what data his Department holds on the number of criminal legal aid firms that have ceased operations in each of the last 15 years.

Answered by Mike Freer

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of electric vehicles with vehicle-to-grid technology that will be on the road in (a) Slough, (b) London and (c) the UK by 2030.

Answered by Anthony Browne

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation

Found: into force the level of prosecutions and convictions are incredibly low by any standard.22 As Tanmanjeet

Found: that this House has considered debt in Africa (See also Ministeri al correction ) Lead Member: Tanmanjeet