Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what maintenance or other works have been undertaken on the defence estate in the last six months.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost, as across every Ministry of Defence site maintenance tasks are carried out on a daily basis.
For example, Amey, who are responsible for the maintenance of Service Family Accommodation, carry out approximately 250,000 maintenance tasks per year under the National Housing Prime contract.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference the advice of Chapter 12 of the Equal Treatment Bench Book, what assessment has been made of the potential effect of the advice that the court may consider making reporting restrictions under section 4 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 to prevent disclosure of a transgender person’s previous name and transgender history or it may direct a private hearing on the freedom of the press.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
To preserve the independence of the judiciary, the Lord Chief Justice, the Senior President of the Tribunals, and the Chief Coroner have statutory responsibility for judicial training, under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, and Coroners and Justice Act 2009 respectively. These responsibilities are exercised through the Judicial College and are outside the remit of the Ministry of Justice which means that no assessment is undertaken by the Ministry of Justice of its effect.
The Equal Treatment Bench Book (ETBB), reviewed by a judicial editorial panel, with content from judicial experts and other subject experts including academics and external bodies, is a general guidance document designed to encourage effective communication between all court users. It is not legally binding on judges or court users, who are free to decide what is appropriate in any given set of circumstances.
The content referred to in chapter 12 reflects the current law in the Gender Recognition Act 2004 regarding the revealing of transgender history of applicants for a Gender Recognition Certificate. It is for individual judges to balance reporting restrictions with the requirements of open justice in any particular case involving a transgender person where transgender history is not at all relevant to the subject of the proceedings.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he made of (a) the historical importance of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry and (b) its potential viability as a commercial operation as part of his decision on the Whitechapel Bell Foundry site.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The decision to grant planning permission for the proposals at Whitechapel Bell Foundry was published on 13 May. The Secretary of State did not make this decision. In reaching his decision, the Minister of State for Regional Growth and Local Government took into account a wide range of issues, based on the detailed findings of the Planning Inspector who held a public local inquiry into the case. The published decision letter sets out in detail the full reasoning and conclusions and, like all decisions, is published on the gov.uk website.
As the decision is final, unless challenged through the courts, the Government has no further jurisdiction in this matter and I am unable to give any further comment on the merits of the proposals.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answers of 16 February 2021 and 8 February 2021 to Questions 151601 and 150684 respectively, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the disposal of human remains in the sewage system since the temporary measure to allow home abortions in March 2020 on people working in (a) sewage and (b) waste disposal; and if the Department will consider making such an assessment.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made and there are no plans to do so.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information his Department holds on the value of the (a) former HMRC property Custom House in the City of London and (b) land attached to that property.
Answered by Jesse Norman
HMRC still retain ownership of the freehold interest in Custom House, London. The advice they have received from external surveyors is that the value of their freehold interest is probably negligible as it is subject to an unexpired long lease on the property which is owned by Mapeley, the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contractor. The value of the grant of the long leasehold interest was reflected in the PFI contractor’s bid price at the start of the contract.
HMRC understand that Mapeley have received an offer for their unexpired long leasehold interest in the property, subject to planning permission being granted, for the development of a hotel, but is not party to the details of that proposal. HMRC have no interest in, or information about, any additional land that may be proposed as part of a wider redevelopment of the area.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to increase regional availability of palliative, respite, and end-of-life care to babies and infants by supporting the establishment of more baby and infant-specific hospices.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for the commissioning of end of life and palliative care services. CCGs develop strategic clinical plans covering a wide range of health care services based on their local population needs. This includes specialised care for babies and infants with complex needs at children’s hospices.
Within the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England is increasing its contribution to the national children’s hospice grant by match-funding CCGs who commit to increase their investment in local children’s palliative and end of life care services including children’s hospices. This will increase funding from £11 million to a combined total of £25 million a year by 2023/24.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to ensure continuity in the provision of palliative, respite, and end-of-life care to babies and infants at Zoe's Place Baby Hospice.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before prorogation.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what feedback her Department has received on the quality of the manufacture and printing of new UK passports; and what estimate she has made of value for money in the award of the contract for the manufacture and printing of those passports.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The new British passport is a highly secure document containing some of the most sophisticated security technologies. Its components are rigorously tested to simulate normal passport handling over its ten-year lifespan.
Her Majesty's Passport Office undertakes routine quality assurance, and remains content the latest version of the British passport, including the personalisation process, continues to meet its requirements. The current contract to design, manufacture, and personalise the British passport continues to ensure good value for the taxpayer, with expected savings of approximately £140m compared to the previous contract awarded in 2009.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is his Department's policy that schools retain discretion as to the use of the resources recommended within the Relationships and sex education statutory guidelines including the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare's Abortion Care Factsheet.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department does not comment on individual resources and schools retain discretion over the resources they use. Schools must have in place a written policy for Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE), and they must consult with parents in developing and reviewing their policy.
The Department expects schools to make reasonable decisions about the content of their curriculum and use of resources. The implementation guidance for the RSE and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum, which came into force in September 2020, sets out clear advice for schools in choosing resources. It states that schools should assess all resources carefully to ensure they are age appropriate, meet the outcome of the relevant part of the curriculum, and are in line with the school’s legal duties in relation to impartiality. The list at annex B of the statutory guidance for RSHE illustrates some of the free resources that are available to schools.
The Department does not have a role in reviewing the content of the resources listed and cannot advise schools on which resources will be the most suitable to use. Schools operate in a variety of different contexts and have both the expertise and knowledge that makes them best placed to make these decisions.
The statutory guidance makes clear that by the end of secondary education young people should know the facts relating to pregnancy and states that there should be medically and legally impartial information on all options. Pupils should be made aware of the relevant legal provisions when particular topics are being taught. It is for schools to decide how best to comply with this in order to meet the needs of their pupils.
To support teachers to deliver these topics safely and with confidence the Department has produced RSHE Teacher Training Modules which are available for all schools. The intimate and sexual relationships training, including a sexual health teacher training module, covers pregnancy specifically. Each training module covers safeguarding to make sure teachers, pastoral staff, and the designated safeguarding lead are equipped to deal with sensitive discussions and disclosures.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with representatives of the (a) Society of Antiquaries,(b) Royal Astronomical Society, (c) Geological Society, (d) Linnean Society and (e) Ministers and officials in other Government departments on the future of the aforementioned learned societies at Burlington House.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
Five Learned Societies are tenants of New Burlington House, owned by the Department. Following a High Court settlement, all parties agreed in 2005 that rent would increase to market levels over a period of 80 years. The Department clarified that the referenced rent is limited to reflect cultural and educational purposes, rather than commercial office rent. A market rental valuation was agreed between the Department and the Learned Societies; mostly recently in 2019. The Learned Societies currently pay around 30% of this agreed market rent and will not pay full market rent until 2085.
The Department is sympathetic to the Societies’ position and is exploring whether there is a solution that can deliver value for taxpayers and help the Learned Societies to remain at New Burlington House, and an assessment of value will be made as part of an agreement. The Department has been discussing options with the Learned Societies and DCMS given their responsibility for policy in regards to culture, museums and heritage.