Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Over £1 billion savings for motorists as whiplash reforms come into force, published on 31 May 2021, what estimate he has made of the average saving on motor insurance in each of the last three years.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Part 3 of the Civil Liability Act 2018 (the Act) requires motor insurers in England and Wales to provide the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with data on savings arising from its provisions and on how they have been passed on to policy holders. The Act also requires that a report on the savings made must be completed and laid before Parliament by no later than 1 April 2025. The data gathering phase has been completed and the FCA are now working with HM Treasury officials to prepare a report which will be published in line with statutory deadlines.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Sikorsky-92 model helicopters have been licensed to operate in the UK offshore energy sector in each year since 2013.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As of 1 March 2024, there are 26 Sikorsky-92 aircraft licensed to operate in the UK oil and gas offshore sector, with their status being either ‘in service’ or ‘in storage’. Data for previous years has been taken as a snapshot as at 1 March for consistency: 29 (2023), 32 (2022), 29 (2021), 37 (2020), 36 (2019), 38 (2018), 43 (2017), 35 (2016), 32 (2015), 22 (2014) and 17 (2013).
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to tackle shortages in family social workers.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Social workers play a valuable role in supporting the most vulnerable in society and the department is committed to ensuring there is an excellent child and family social worker for everyone who needs one. The department recognises the ongoing challenge facing local authorities across the country in recruiting and retaining child and family social workers, with reasons for social workers leaving the profession varied and complex.
On 2 February 2023, the department published the care reform strategy, ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’, which set out proposals to help stabilise the workforce. This includes supporting the recruitment of up to 461 social worker apprentices, a new Early Career Framework that will set out the development plans for a social worker’s first five years, proposals to reduce the overreliance on agency social workers, and setting up a National Workload Action Group to tackle unnecessary workload drivers which keep social workers away from direct time with children and families.
Every year, through the department’s fast track and development programmes, the department trains an average of 800 new social workers and provides professional development for around 4,000 others.
The number of full time equivalent child and family social workers in post at 30 September 2023 was 33,100. This is the highest figure we've seen since gathering this data. The statistics show that the department’s £50 million average yearly investment over this Spending Review on recruitment and training child and family social workers, alongside the hard work of local authorities is generating positive results.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to (a) request data from operators of helicopter transport services in the offshore oil and gas sector on their annual flying hours between 2018 and 4 March 2024 and (b) place copies of that information in the Library.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to ensuring that North Sea helicopter flying is as safe as possible. In 2014, the CAA published a comprehensive review of the safety of offshore helicopter operations. The Review examined the risks to helicopter operations to support the oil and gas industries in and around the North Sea. It identified a wide range of opportunities to improve the safety of those operations and to increase the chances of passengers and crew surviving an accident.
As the UK’s aviation safety regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) continues to monitor all aspects of the operations of offshore helicopter companies and any risks to safe operation through its ongoing programme of safety oversight - which includes implementation of the review findings and monitoring data from operators.
It is the role of the CAA as the independent regulator to collect safety data, it is not for the Department to do so.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made a recent assessment of the (a) resilience and (b) safety of helicopter transport operations in the North Sea.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to ensuring that North Sea helicopter flying is as safe as possible. In 2014, the CAA published a comprehensive review of the safety of offshore helicopter operations. The Review examined the risks to helicopter operations to support the oil and gas industries in and around the North Sea. It identified a wide range of opportunities to improve the safety of those operations and to increase the chances of passengers and crew surviving an accident.
As the UK’s aviation safety regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) continues to monitor all aspects of the operations of offshore helicopter companies and any risks to safe operation through its ongoing programme of safety oversight - which includes implementation of the review findings and monitoring data from operators.
It is the role of the CAA as the independent regulator to collect safety data, it is not for the Department to do so.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of allowing dental therapists to carry out some minor dental procedures.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
From August to September 2023, we consulted on changes to the Human Medicines Regulations, which will enable dental therapists and dental hygienists to supply and administer some medicines without the need for a prescription from a dentist, allowing therapists and hygienists to work to their full scope of practice. We will respond shortly to the consultation on the proposals. Furthermore, NHS England’s January 2023 guidance clarified that dental therapists and dental hygienists can open and close National Health Service courses of treatment and provide direct access to NHS care, where that care is within the General Dental Council scope of practice, provided that they are qualified, competent, and indemnified to do so.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to re-examine the use of fluoridisation of water supplies.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under new legislation, we have made it simpler to start new water fluoridation schemes. Our plan to recover and reform dentistry included a long-term ambition to systematically bring water fluoridation to more of the country, as a safe and effective intervention, with a particular focus on the most deprived areas.
As a first step, we will consult on expanding existing water fluoridation in the North East. We will begin consultation early this year. My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care continues to have a duty to monitor the effects of the water fluoridation schemes every four years, with the next report due in 2026.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has received recent representations from the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers on safety risks in the offshore helicopter supply chain.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The responsibility for safety risks in the offshore helicopter supply chain lies with the Civil Aviation Authority. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is not aware that the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has received recent representations from the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers on this matter.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will consider the potential merits of implementing a method for members of the public to report directly and anonymously suspected child exploitation.
Answered by Laura Farris - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Ministry of Justice) (jointly with Home Office)
Since 2019, The Home Office has provided £3.9m to the Children’s Society’s Prevention Programme, which drives targeted action to respond to exploitation. The programme has reached over 56,000 people and works with 35 police force areas on the #LookCloser campaign delivered in partnership between The Children’s Society, the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) and the British Transport Police (BTP). The #LookCloser campaign’s focus is on improving public and business sector awareness of exploitation and abuse, and everyone’s role in spotting and reporting concerns.
The Government is also acting quickly to implement mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse in England, which introduces a new legal requirement for those in roles with responsibility for children to speak out when a child is being sexually abused. Following the conclusion of a call for evidence over the Summer, and a public consultation, the Government announced it will introduce mandatory reporting via amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill. The Government has listened to the voices of victims and survivors and will deliver deep-rooted change to ensure children are never again so badly let down by the very institutions that should have protected them.
If anyone has any concerns that a child is being exploited, the government strongly encourages them to report those concerns to the police or to contact the children’s social care team at their local council. Members of the public can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, NSPCC Helpline or ChildLine to discuss their concerns and get confidential advice.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps members of the public can take to report suspected cases of child exploitation.
Answered by Laura Farris - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Ministry of Justice) (jointly with Home Office)
Since 2019, The Home Office has provided £3.9m to the Children’s Society’s Prevention Programme, which drives targeted action to respond to exploitation. The programme has reached over 56,000 people and works with 35 police force areas on the #LookCloser campaign delivered in partnership between The Children’s Society, the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) and the British Transport Police (BTP). The #LookCloser campaign’s focus is on improving public and business sector awareness of exploitation and abuse, and everyone’s role in spotting and reporting concerns.
The Government is also acting quickly to implement mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse in England, which introduces a new legal requirement for those in roles with responsibility for children to speak out when a child is being sexually abused. Following the conclusion of a call for evidence over the Summer, and a public consultation, the Government announced it will introduce mandatory reporting via amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill. The Government has listened to the voices of victims and survivors and will deliver deep-rooted change to ensure children are never again so badly let down by the very institutions that should have protected them.
If anyone has any concerns that a child is being exploited, the government strongly encourages them to report those concerns to the police or to contact the children’s social care team at their local council. Members of the public can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, NSPCC Helpline or ChildLine to discuss their concerns and get confidential advice.