Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the report by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism entitled Thousands of care workers risk deportation after employers breach rules, published on 11 May 2024.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Government will carefully consider the evidence put forward by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. The Home Office does not tolerate exploitation in the labour market and our systems are designed to ensure exploitative employers are unable to sponsor migrant workers. Any decision to revoke an employer’s licence will only be done in circumstances where they have failed to meet the obligations and duties such as ensuring workers are being paid the correct salary and given guaranteed work.
We are working hard across government and with the sector to support care workers who wish to seek alternative employment with a Home Office approved sponsor and remain in the UK.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to announce the pay award for NHS workers for 2024-25.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has submitted its evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body, the Doctors and Dentists Pay Review Body, and the Senior Salaries Review Body, in order for them to make recommendations on a pay uplift for National Health Service workers for 2024/25. We will carefully consider the pay review bodies’ comments and recommendations when we receive them, and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies of the recent findings from the World Health Organization that revealed Great Britain has the highest rate of child alcohol use worldwide.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Schools are already required to teach content on alcohol use as part of the statutory guidance for Health Education.
Since September 2020, it has been compulsory for schools to teach Relationships Education for primary school aged pupils, Relationships and Sex Education for secondary school aged pupils and Health Education for all pupils in state-funded schools. This guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.
To support implementation, the department published a teacher training module on drugs, alcohol and tobacco as part of a wider suite of teacher training materials. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-training-drugs-alcohol-and-tobacco.
The department is currently reviewing the content of the ‘Relationships and sex education and health education’ statutory guidance and expects to consult on an amended draft very shortly so that the new guidance will be available as soon as possible.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will review the content of alcohol education material used in (a) schools, (b) colleges and (c) universities that has been provided by organisations in receipt of funding by the alcohol industry.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
From September 2020 in England, Relationships Education became compulsory for all primary school-aged pupils, Relationships and Sex Education became compulsory for all secondary school-aged pupils, and Health Education became compulsory for all pupils in state-funded schools.
The statutory guidance for Health Education sets out content on drugs, alcohol and tobacco use. This guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.
To support implementation, the department published a teacher training module on drugs, alcohol and tobacco as part of a wider suite of teacher training materials. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-training-drugs-alcohol-and-tobacco.
The department does not direct schools on which resources, external speakers or organisations to use, and the department does not endorse or promote resources to schools other than those produced by other government departments. The ‘Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education’ guidance is, however, clear that all materials used should be age appropriate and factual.
The department is currently reviewing the RSHE statutory guidance. The review has been informed by an independent expert panel to advise my right. Hon friend, the Secretary of State for Education, on the introduction of age limits for sensitive subjects.
In March 2023, the Secretary of State for Education also wrote to schools to remind them that copyright law does not prevent them from sharing external resources with parents. In October 2023, the Secretary of State wrote again to clarify that any contractual clause that prevents schools from sharing materials is void and unenforceable and to provide practical advice on how to share materials with parents in a way that is in line with copyright legislation. The department will ensure that the updated guidance fully reflects this very clear position. A copy of the Secretary of State’s letter to schools about sharing curriculum resources with parents is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/secretary-of-state-letter-to-schools-about-sharing-curriculum-resources-with-parents.
A draft of the amended guidance will be published for consultation as soon as possible.
It is for further education colleges to determine what material they use to support the health and wellbeing of students.
Higher education providers in England are autonomous and independent and they make decisions on the courses that they will run. In making these decisions providers will adapt their offers to the interest of students and demand from employers. The department cannot therefore comment on their choices.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make it his policy to establish an independent review to guarantee that UK arms export policy does not breach obligations under international law.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
All export licence applications are already assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations of Debt Justice's Together Against Debt Manifesto, published in March 2024.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to supporting people in problem debt. This is why at Spring Budget 2024 the Chancellor announced changes to make it easier to access a Debt Relief Order (DRO) in England and Wales.
In May 2021, the Government launched the Breathing Space scheme, providing a period of protections from creditor enforcement action for individuals in problem debt. The Government Debt Management Function (GDMF) have also recently developed and published a toolkit to help public sector creditors identity and support vulnerable individuals.
The Government provides a range of debt advice services through the Money and Pensions Service to meet the needs of individuals in problem debt, including national and community-based services.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the number of parking spaces designated for disabled people at NHS hospitals.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Disabled blue badge holders are entitled to free hospital car parking in line with the Government’s commitment to provide free hospital car parking for those with the greatest need. Disabled patients and visitors receive free parking for the duration of their attendance at, or visit to, the hospital. Disabled employees receive free parking while at the hospital, for purposes relating to their employment.
National Health Service organisations decide locally on the provision and type of car parking spaces, in line with the policy set out by the Department, which is available at the following link:
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the temporary easement for wine products will end on 1 February 2025.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
As part of the new alcohol duty system, the Government introduced the temporary wine easement. During this period, all wine between 11.5-14.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) will pay duty as if it were 12.5% ABV. The temporary wine easement will last until 1 February 2025, giving the wine industry over two years to adapt to the new system.
The Government is closely monitoring the impact of the recent reforms and will evaluate the impact of the new rates and structures three years after the changes took effect on 1 August 2023. This will allow time to understand the impacts on the alcohol market, and for HMRC to gather useful and accurate data with which to evaluate the effects of the reform.
As with all taxes, the Government keeps the alcohol duty system under review during its yearly Budget process.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2024 to Question 19159 on Overseas Investment: Fossil Fuels, if he will publish a full energy portfolio for British International Investment setting out investments in (a) fossil fuels and (b) renewable energy in (i) 2021, (ii) 2022 and (iii) 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
BII already discloses the percentage of assets in its portfolio that can be considered climate finance and 'carbon-related' (i.e. in the fossil fuel value chain) as part of its annual Task Force on Climate related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) reporting in its Annual Accounts (published on BII's website), in line with TCFD recommendations.
The UK's Development White Paper set the ambition for BII to become the most transparent bilateral Development Finance Institution. Subsequently, BII has published a Transparency Roadmap. For its existing portfolio, the Roadmap commits BII to state whether an investment is fossil fuel or renewable energy power generation. This will be available on its public investment database by the end of the year.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 entitled Anatomy of a Genocide, published on 25 March 2024, A/HRC/55/73.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas in line with International Humanitarian Law, as we have said from the outset. Our view is that Israel's actions in Gaza cannot be described as a genocide, but we also remain clear that formal determination of genocide should be based upon the final judgment of a competent court.
There must be a reduction in civilian casualties. All parties must act within International Humanitarian Law. We want to see Israel take greater care to limit its operations to military targets and avoid harming civilians and destroying homes.