Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to provide support to the Live Comedy Association's initiative to consult with the sector on (a) introducing a code of conduct and (b) improving working conditions.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Comedy is a vital performing art and part of our cultural landscape. It enriches lives. It shapes our collective identity. And it provides a much-needed corrective to pervasive political pomposity and prolixity, especially from ministers.
The government welcomes constructive action on improving working conditions across the creative industries. We know that poor working practices represent a threat to growth and disproportionately affect people who are under-represented. We welcome further details on the Live Comedy Association initiative to consider how we can provide support.
More widely, the Good Work Review, published in February 2023, by the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre, was the first sectoral deep dive of its kind into job quality and working practice in the creative industries. We are working closely with the sector as it responds to the recommendations of the review, which set out a number of priorities, including developing dedicated support and guidance for self-employed and freelance creators, building awareness of employment rights and responsibilities for creative workers and businesses, and encouraging the establishment of good work standards that reflect the distinct job quality issues in creative sub-sectors.
Asked by: Lord Wills (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to implement the findings of the Independent review of forensic pathology by Glenn Taylor, published on 11 September 2024; and whether they will introduce a statutory code of conduct for forensic pathology to ensure the dignity of victims is preserved.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Family members rightly expect that the pathology taken in respect of their loved ones will be explained to them and their questions answered, and the report made clear that more needs to be done on engagement and support for families.
Following the publication of the report "The Patronising Disposition of Unaccountable Power: Independent Review of Forensic Pathology", my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department confirmed that the Government accepts the six recommended points of action as I reported in my statement of 11 September 2024.
Officials are now working at pace on an action plan to respond in detail to those recommended points of action including updating some existing detailed guidance for pathologists which is now out for stakeholder consultation. This work will be completed in in the summer of this year and will include advice on any statutory measures which Ministers will consider carefully. The Government will report back in due course with our response to the recommendations.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the motor insurance sector on trends in the level of insurance prices for first-time drivers.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The cross-Government motor insurance taskforce, launched in October, is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The taskforce is supported by a separate stakeholder panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector.
The taskforce has been set up to support the Government’s missions to grow the economy and break down the barriers to opportunity for drivers of all ages, by acting on the cost pressures facing industry. We will provide updates on the taskforce’s work in due course.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of car insurance costs on the ability of young people to access employment.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The cross-Government motor insurance taskforce, launched in October, is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The taskforce is supported by a separate stakeholder panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector.
The taskforce has been set up to support the Government’s missions to grow the economy and break down the barriers to opportunity for drivers of all ages, by acting on the cost pressures facing industry. We will provide updates on the taskforce’s work in due course.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the membership is of the motor insurance taskforce announced on 16 October 2024; and what progress the taskforce has made.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The cross-government Motor Insurance Taskforce is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The taskforce is supported by a separate stakeholder panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector. The Government is committed to tackling high costs as part of our Plan for Change to raise living standards across Britain and we will provide updates on the taskforce’s work in due course.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to conduct a public inquiry into (a) deaths and (b) serious harm linked to the social security system.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department is fully supportive of the Work and Pensions Select Committee’s ‘safeguarding vulnerable claimants’ inquiry, which is examining how the department supports vulnerable benefit claimants and whether its approach to safeguarding needs to change. The Committee has had valuable and constructive discussions with a diverse range of groups and specialist organisations representing people with lived experience, DWP customers, policy makers and legal experts. DWP Officials and Ministers have also given vital evidence, fully supporting the areas the Committee wish to explore, and I look forward to reading the Committee’s report and recommendations when this inquiry concludes.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce the cost of motor insurance premiums for young drivers in (a) Runcorn postcodes and (b) England.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
This Government committed in its manifesto to tackle the high costs of motor insurance. To deliver on this commitment, the UK Government has formed a cross-government Taskforce on motor insurance, co-chaired by the Department for Transport and His Majesty’s Treasury, which met for the first time on 16th October.
The Taskforce is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and by the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The Taskforce is supported by a separate Stakeholder Panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector.
This Taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums, while maintaining appropriate levels of cover. It will evaluate the impact of increased insurance costs on consumers and the insurance industry, including how this impacts different demographics, geographies, and communities.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the affordability of insurance for (a) young and (b) all drivers.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
This Government committed in its manifesto to tackle the high costs of motor insurance. To deliver on this commitment, the UK Government has formed a cross-government Taskforce on motor insurance, co-chaired by the Department for Transport and His Majesty’s Treasury, which met for the first time on 16th October.
The Taskforce is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and by the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The Taskforce is supported by a separate Stakeholder Panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector.
This Taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums, while maintaining appropriate levels of cover. It will evaluate the impact of increased insurance costs on consumers and the insurance industry, including how this impacts different demographics, geographies, and communities.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with representatives of the insurance industry on (a) increases in car insurance costs and (b) steps being taken by (i) the Government and (ii) insurers to reduce those costs.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
This Government committed in its manifesto to tackle the high costs of motor insurance. To deliver on this commitment, the UK Government has formed a cross-government Taskforce on motor insurance, co-chaired by the Department for Transport and His Majesty’s Treasury, which met for the first time on 16th October.
The Taskforce is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and by the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The Taskforce is supported by a separate Stakeholder Panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector.
This Taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums, while maintaining appropriate levels of cover. It will evaluate the impact of increased insurance costs on consumers and the insurance industry, including how this impacts different demographics, geographies, and communities.
Asked by: Graham Leadbitter (Scottish National Party - Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had recent discussions with the (a) car insurance industry and (b) Financial Conduct Authority on the potential merits of bringing forward regulations to require car insurance providers to not disproportionately increase premiums for older drivers beyond what is justified by the specific risk.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
This Government committed in its manifesto to tackle the high costs of motor insurance. To deliver on this commitment, the UK Government has formed a cross-government Taskforce on motor insurance, co-chaired by the Department for Transport and His Majesty’s Treasury, which met for the first time on 16th October.
The Taskforce is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and by the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The Taskforce is supported by a separate Stakeholder Panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector.
This Taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums, while maintaining appropriate levels of cover. It will evaluate the impact of increased insurance costs on consumers and the insurance industry, including how this impacts different demographics, geographies, and communities.