Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that devolved regions in Yorkshire develop a strategic plan for water and sewage management.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In January 2023, the Government published its Environmental Improvement Plan. This included a commitment for more joined up management of the water system. The current water and floods policy and legal framework has been developed incrementally over time, resulting in over 15 national plans and strategic documents. Whilst each plan has its own purpose, we want to make the whole framework more outcome-focussed and fully integrated with other environmental plans and government delivery plans. We reiterated this commitment in our landmark Plan for Water published in April 2023.
The Government recognises the importance of having a robust drainage system both now and for future demand. To improve the strategic management of drainage and target investment appropriately to meet future needs, water and sewerage companies have produced Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs). DWMPs set out how a water company intends to improve their drainage and wastewater systems over the next 25 years, including how the drainage network will adapt to changes such as an increasing population and urban creep. Water companies in England (including Yorkshire Water) have already produced one round of DWMPs, with the final plans published in Summer 2023. As committed to in the Plan for Water and the Environmental Improvement Plan, DWMPs will be placed on a statutory footing for the next cycle (2024-2029), in line with the ambition laid out in section 79 of the Environment Act 2021. Statutory planning will help to ensure that sewerage companies fully assess the wastewater and sewerage network capacity and promote closer working and development of collaborative solutions with others who are responsible for parts of the drainage network, such as local authorities. Combined with other water plans and initiatives, DWMPs will help to ensure drainage and wastewater services are better managed and properly supported, as well as delivering greater efficiencies for customers and supporting investment in nature-based solutions.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2024 to Question 20109 on Rivers: Repairs and Maintenance, whether he has held recent discussions with his counterpart in the Welsh Government on riparian landowners responsibilities for watercourse management.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Ministers regularly meet with stakeholders to discuss the department’s policies, including flood and water management.
The government’s independent review of statutory powers and responsibilities associated with Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management assets included riparian landowners’ responsibilities. Whilst the review covered England only, since responsibility for flood risk management is a devolved matter, officials from the Welsh Government and National Resources Wales, and a member from the Wales Flood and Coastal Erosion Committee were members of the Project Board and Project Steering Group. The review has recently concluded, and we expect to publish its findings by the summer.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing (a) periods of amnesty and (b) lower repayment plans to help tackle fraud in the welfare system.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Fraud and error is £8.3bn and the Department has a duty to the taxpayer to protect public funds and recover overpayments when they occur.
The Department’s priority is to negotiate affordable and sustainable repayment plans that do not cause undue financial hardship. We remain committed to working with anyone who is struggling with their repayment terms and encourage customers to contact DWP Debt Management. Debt Management will work with individuals to review their financial circumstances and, in most instances, a temporary reduction in their rate of repayment can also be agreed.
No assessment has been carried out on the potential merits of introducing amnesties.
Asked by: Earl of Caithness (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of Grade 1 and 2 lowland peat is let on annual farm business tenancies; and what steps they are taking to ensure this land is not being farmed in a manner that is accelerating its degradation and threatening future food security.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Peat policy is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
Defra does not have any data on the percentage of Grade 1 and 2 lowland peat let on annual farm business tenancies.
In the Environmental Improvement Plan, we said that we are committed to halting the degradation of our lowland peat soils which causes such significant harm to the environment.
We have also agreed to take forward action on all recommendations of the Lowland Agricultural Peat Task Force Chair's report, recognising the vital role that lowland peat soils play in producing food for our nation and supporting our rural economies.
We are currently funding approximately £12.5million on projects on paludiculture, local collaboration, and water management, as first steps towards a more sustainable future for lowland agricultural peat.
We are also developing a new England Peat Map that will help us identify areas for future intervention.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help increase specialist knowledge of cerebral palsy across the (a) health and (b) social care workforce.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The standards of training for health care professionals are the responsibility of the health care independent statutory regulatory bodies, including the General Medical Council (GMC), the Nursing and Midwifery Council, and the Health and Care Professions Council. These have the general function of promoting high standards of education, and co-ordinating all stages of education, to ensure that health and care students and newly qualified health care professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential for professional practice, including knowledge of cerebral palsy.
The training curricula for postgraduate specialty training is set by the relevant royal college, and has to meet the standards set by the GMC. Whilst curricula do not necessarily highlight specific conditions for doctors to be aware of, they do emphasise the skills and approaches that a doctor must develop in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has also published a range of guidance on care and support for children and young people, and adults with cerebral palsy, to support health care professionals and commissioners. The guidance outlines the kind of specialist care that children, young people, and adults with cerebral palsy may need from health and social care professionals. The guidance document for children and young people with cerebral palsy, and the guidance document for adults with cerebral palsy, are available respectively at the following links:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng62
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng119
NHS England has also produced an e-learning course on the prevention of cerebral palsy in preterm labour, which is available at the following link:
https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/prevention-of-cerebral-palsy-in-preterm-labour/
NHS England has established the Getting It Right First Time (GRIFT) national programme, which is designed to improve the treatment and care of patients through an in-depth clinically led review of specialties, to examine how things are currently being done and how they could be improved. The GRIFT National Speciality Report on Neurology makes recommendations on the diagnosis and management of a range of neurological conditions, including cerebral palsy, and will support the National Health Service in delivering care more equitably across the country, and improving services nationally.
The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, backed by £2.4 billion, sets out the steps needed to deliver an NHS workforce that meets the changing needs of the population over the next 15 years. The plan will double medical school training places by 2031, and sets out that the NHS will focus on expanding the number of clinicians who train to take up enhanced and advanced roles and work as part of multidisciplinary teams. We expect that this will increase the number of health care professionals in the speciality of neurology, and those that have specialist knowledge of cerebral palsy.
Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many liquidations began (1) five, (2) 10, and (3) 15, years ago but are still not finalised.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Time Period (years) | Number of Companies in Liquidation |
0 - 5 | 56,363 |
5 - 10 | 10,042 |
10 - 15 | 8,189 |
15 + | 20,822 |
The figures show when the most recent liquidation process began for distinct entities. These figures include liquidations notified to the Registrar of Companies up to 31 December 2023.
These figures are being provided as management information and are unaudited and are subject to change. They should only be used for indicative purposes.
Further information about companies in liquidation is available in the statistical tables published by Companies House on a quarterly basis.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to increase the sustainability of transport infrastructure.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
DfT formed the Infrastructure Decarbonisation Division (IDD) in April 2023 to drive action on the decarbonisation of transport infrastructure. DfT requires all transport infrastructure projects that it funds to produce carbon management plans (CMP) that include a comprehensive whole life carbon assessment, and a plan to reduce carbon across the project lifecycle in line with PAS2080 principles.
DfT maintains frequent engagement with its Arm’s Length Bodies to support progress against their own carbon reduction plans.
In addition to taking action on transport infrastructure decarbonisation, DfT is also strengthening transport adaptation policy by launching a consultation on the Department’s first transport adaptation strategy on 3 April. The strategy sets a vision for a well-adapted transport network that is flexible, reliable, operates safely and is responsive to a changing climate. This strategy will raise ambition and ensure that adaptation becomes a part of ‘business as usual’, ensuring the transport network is more resilient in the face of climate change.
The Environment Act 2021 has introduced new requirements that will support action to improve the sustainability of transport infrastructure. Since 1 November 2023 Ministers have had a legal duty to have due regard to the Environmental Principles Policy Statement when making policy.
Network Rail and National Highways are progressing work to support nature recovery including through commitments to deliver no net loss in biodiversity across their estates.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many full time equivalent staff in his Department worked on investigation of earnings alerts for carer’s allowance in (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2022-23, (d) 2022-23 and (e) 2023-24.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department allocated the following resources to full time equivalent to the investigation of earnings alerts for carer’s allowance as outlined below;
| FTE |
19/20 | 46.43 |
20/21 | 55.20 |
21/22 | 80.92 |
22/23 | 59.75 |
23/24 | 48.70 |
Data is correct as of March for each of the following Financial Years: (a) 2019/20, (b) 2020/21, (c) 2021/22, (d) 2022/23 and (e) 2023/24.
Figures were derived from the Department’s Activity Based Model (ABM), which provides Full Time Equivalent (FTE) figures based on point in time estimate by Line Managers. They cover only FTE of staff with paid employment.
The number of colleagues employed in these directorates is unpublished management information, collected and intended for internal departmental use and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. As the Department holds the information, we have released it.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were released under the Release following Risk Assessed Recall review process between 7 September and 31 December 2023.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
In the case of recalled standard determinate sentence and extended sentence offenders, the Secretary of State has an executive power to re-release them, if he considers that the statutory release test is met - that is, that it is no longer necessary on the grounds of public protection for the offender to remain confined. Thus, the Secretary of State’s power is exercised with regard to the same test to which the Parole Board has regard.
The power is exercised by officials in the Public Protection Group (PPG), in His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service under approved delegated authority. In exercising that power, PPG works closely with the Probation Service, in order to put in place a robust risk management plan before a final decision is made to re-release the prisoner.
The number of recalled offenders released using the Secretary of State’s re-release power for each year between 2017 and 2023 is set out in the table below. Executive re-release was refreshed and relaunched as Risk Assessed Recall Review (RARR) on 30 May 2023. Between 7 September and 31 December 2023, 89 people were released following a RARR.
Year of issuing the decision | Number of releases |
2017 | 1,584 |
2018 | 1,386 |
2019 | 957 |
2020 | 725 |
2021 | 464 |
2022 | 92 |
2023 up to May | 20 |
The figures in these tables have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. As such, figures are subject to change as information is updated.
Data source: Public Protection Unit Database (PPUD)
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were released under the executive release scheme in each year between 2017 and 2023.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
In the case of recalled standard determinate sentence and extended sentence offenders, the Secretary of State has an executive power to re-release them, if he considers that the statutory release test is met - that is, that it is no longer necessary on the grounds of public protection for the offender to remain confined. Thus, the Secretary of State’s power is exercised with regard to the same test to which the Parole Board has regard.
The power is exercised by officials in the Public Protection Group (PPG), in His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service under approved delegated authority. In exercising that power, PPG works closely with the Probation Service, in order to put in place a robust risk management plan before a final decision is made to re-release the prisoner.
The number of recalled offenders released using the Secretary of State’s re-release power for each year between 2017 and 2023 is set out in the table below. Executive re-release was refreshed and relaunched as Risk Assessed Recall Review (RARR) on 30 May 2023. Between 7 September and 31 December 2023, 89 people were released following a RARR.
Year of issuing the decision | Number of releases |
2017 | 1,584 |
2018 | 1,386 |
2019 | 957 |
2020 | 725 |
2021 | 464 |
2022 | 92 |
2023 up to May | 20 |
The figures in these tables have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. As such, figures are subject to change as information is updated.
Data source: Public Protection Unit Database (PPUD)