Asked by: Andrew Western (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of flood defences.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is working closely with the Environment Agency and relevant authorities to ensure flood defences impacted by recent flooding are repaired as quickly as possible; around 14,000 asset inspections have been conducted following the recent storms with action taken wherever asset performance was compromised.
This year and last, £200 million is being invested in maintaining flood risk assets, with the aim of achieving our current target of between 94-95% in target condition.
In the City of Chester, in the current Flood and Coastal Risk Management capital programme, £20,000 of Flood Defence Grant-in-Aid funding has been allocated for projects in the constituency, which will better protect properties from flooding. There is also a proposed project in the Stretford and Urmston constituency (Longford Brook Flood Alleviation Scheme).
Asked by: Andrew Western (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will publish the (a) invitation and (b) attendance list for the AI Safety Summit 2023 on 1 and 2 November at Bletchley Park.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The AI Safety Summit was attended by representatives from governments, multilateral organisations, and companies at the frontier of AI as well as leading academic experts and wider industry and civil society with an important stake in the safe development of frontier AI. In the run-up to the Summit, the government engaged widely to ensure that a diverse range of perspectives were reflected. A list of those organisations which attended the Summit has been published and can be found here.
Asked by: Andrew Western (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 5 July 2018 to Question 158337, on Social Services: Minimum Wage, if she will publish the market analysis referred to in that Answer.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have no current plans to publish this analysis.
Asked by: Andrew Western (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of work coaches in job centres have received disability equality training as of 15 November 2023.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are unable to provide the information you have requested as it is not centrally collected and would incur disproportionate costs.
However, all DWP Work Coaches undergo comprehensive learning to support customers with disabilities, and they continue to build on this in the workplace through accessing point of need learning products. This includes all Work Coaches undertaking the Public Sector Equality Duty learning which was mandated for all Civil Servants by the Cabinet Office.
Work Coaches are also signposted to tools, guidance, and websites (internal and external), so that they have access to the most up to date advice and expertise to help them better support those with disabilities or health conditions.
Work Coaches are also supported by Disability Employment Advisors (DEAs) within Jobcentres. More information on DEAs can be found here https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-05-22/186157.
Asked by: Andrew Western (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent conversations with his Israeli counterpart on the protection of civilian life in Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Hospitals in Gaza must be allowed to operate safely and treat the vulnerable. We continue to impress upon Israel the need to comply with International Humanitarian Law and take all possible precautions to protect civilians, and we will continue to do so. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon posted on X (formerly twitter) on 12 November that he is deeply distressed by the loss of life in Gaza's hospitals. On 10 November in the UN Security Council, the UK stressed that all parties to the conflict must abide by International Humanitarian Law, including by protecting civilians, civilian infrastructure and hospitals.
Asked by: Andrew Western (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Israeli counterpart on responsibility for the long-term security of Gaza.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since Hamas' terror attacks on 7 October, the Prime Minister and former Foreign Secretary have spoken with counterparts from over 20 countries, including Israel, as part of extensive diplomatic efforts to sustain the prospect of peace and stability in the Middle East. As the Prime Minister has said, there is no scenario where Hamas can be allowed to control Gaza again. We want to see a move towards a peaceful Palestinian leadership as soon as is practicable. The longer-term governance of Gaza and security oversight needs to be looked at in the round, as part of a process towards a two-state solution which ensures Israel's security and provides a better future for the people of Gaza.
Asked by: Andrew Western (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of jobcentres have specialist assistive technology installed on their customer computer kiosks to support those who are (a) deaf and blind and (b) have complex disabilities.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As part of its commitment to make services accessible to all customers, the Department provides computers for customer use in Jobcentres. All the computers have assistive technology built into those Operating Systems such as screen readers and screen magnification and are managed separately from the wider DWP IT estate.
The Department also provides a range of other items in Jobcentres such as alternative keyboards. Computers for customer use with assistive technology are currently in 635 permanent jobcentres.
Asked by: Andrew Western (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 16th October 2023 to Question 200467 on the Healthy Start Scheme, what is the NHS Business Services Authority's timeline on when they will obtain contact data for those eligible for but not accessing the Healthy Start scheme.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is currently working with the Department for Work and Pensions to obtain contact data for those eligible for but not accessing the Healthy Start scheme. The NHSBSA expects to receive this data in early 2024.
Asked by: Andrew Western (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the total cost to his Department has been of ministerial severance payments to outgoing Ministers of State for Housing since 13 May 2010.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Details of such payments are published in departmental annual reports and accounts, and ministerial salaries are published here.
Asked by: Andrew Western (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing his Department's funding for specialist assistive technology in job centres.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As part of its commitment to make services accessible to all customers, the Department provides computers for customer use in Jobcentres which have assistive technology built into them such as screen readers and screen magnification and are managed separately from the wider DWP IT estate. The Department also provides a range of peripheral items in each Jobcentre such as alternative keyboards.
Customers can also access a wide range of services which can support their needs such as braille and large print documents being made available upon request.
The DWP have also improved access to our Wi-Fi services in all Jobcentres, allowing customers to use their own personal devices if they prefer.