Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department issues on adapting school environments to support the needs of autistic students.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Huddersfield to the answer of 12 February 2024 to Question 11638.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has spent on (a) improving understanding of and (b) finding a cure for Lobular cancer as of 31 January 2024.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department invests over £1 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), with NIHR expenditure for all cancers being £121.8 million in 2022/23.
Current NIHR research into breast cancer includes a £1.3 million project to determine whether an abbreviated form of breast magnetic resonance imaging can detect breast cancers missed by screening through mammography, such as lobular breast cancer. The NIHR also supports research on lobular breast cancer through its research infrastructure, including Biomedical Research Centres which are undertaking research on early detection and genetic aspects of breast cancer. It is difficult to attribute research infrastructure funding allocations to specific disease and therapy areas as the staff and facilities funded through the NIHR infrastructure supports research across disciplines.
Additionally, the NIHR supports breast cancer research funded by research partners in the charity and public sectors through the NIHR’s Clinical Research Network (CRN). Over the last five years the CRN has supported delivery of 10 lobular breast cancer-related studies.
Research on the underpinning science to understand the mechanisms of cancer, including lobular breast cancer, is funded through the UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Medical Research Council who spend £125 million annually on cancer research. The NIHR also works closely with research funding partners including Cancer Research UK, Breast Cancer Now, Medical Research Council, and other cancer charities.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding his Department has provided to support farmers whose lands have been flooded in each of the last five years.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Farming Recovery Fund was activated in 2019 for farmers who suffered uninsurable damage to their land and were affected by exceptional flooding incidents as a result of significant rainfall. £1.4m was allocated towards reinstatement costs. £519,000 of this was claimed in 2020, £884,200 in 2021, and £750 in 2022. The fund was also announced on Saturday 6th January 2024 following Storm Henk, as part of the wider Flood Recovery Framework, but there is no claims data to report yet.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of the standard of forensic science available to police officers on prosecution rates.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has made no direct assessment of its own, but we have worked with the National Police Chief’s Council and the Forensic Science Regulator to monitor the accreditation rates of forensic science providers.
The government also put the Forensic Science Regulator on a statutory footing through the Forensic Science Regulator Act (2021) and he has the necessary powers to enforce quality standards.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the number of food banks operating (a) as of 23 January 2024 (b) in 2010.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The latest statistics show that in 2021/22, 7% (4.7m) of all individuals lived in food insecure households. For working age adults this figure was 7% (2.9m), for children it was 12% (1.7m) and for pensioners it was 1% (0.2m).
Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the Department for Work and Pensions does not have any role in the operation of foodbanks. We do not have reliable statistics on the number of foodbanks operating.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of people in food poverty.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The latest statistics show that in 2021/22, 7% (4.7m) of all individuals lived in food insecure households. For working age adults this figure was 7% (2.9m), for children it was 12% (1.7m) and for pensioners it was 1% (0.2m).
Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the Department for Work and Pensions does not have any role in the operation of foodbanks. We do not have reliable statistics on the number of foodbanks operating.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve the quality of water in rivers and streams in Wales.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
Water is a devolved matter in Wales, as such the Welsh Labour Government is responsible for water in rivers and streams in Wales, not the UK Government. It is high time that the Welsh Government took greater action on this vital issue as a devolved responsibility.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) membership and (b) terms of reference is for the forensic science reform programme board.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The membership of the Forensic Reform Programme Board, in addition to officials from the Home Office and Ministry of Justice, includes:
Association of Forensic Science Providers
Association of Police and Crime Commissioners
Attorney General’s Office
Bar Council
BlueLight Commercial
Chartered Society of Forensic Scientists
Crown Prosecution Service
First Forensic Forum
Forensics Archive
Forensic Capability Network
Forensic Science Northern Ireland
Forensic Science Regulator
Judicial Office
Law society
National Crime Agency
National Police Chiefs’ Council
Police Digital Service
Scottish Police Authority Forensic Service
University of Lausanne
United Kingdom Accreditation Service
Victims' Commissioner
The Terms of Reference of the Forensic Science Programme Board are as follows:
The Board, which brings together stakeholders from across policing and the criminal justice system, steers and scrutinises reform to ensure that the forensics model that serves England and Wales is working for the whole of the CJS.
The Board oversees completion of the Forensic Reform Programme and ensures that the programme’s interventions deliver the improvements needed. These interventions are intended to strengthen the forensics model and win back the confidence of stakeholders and partners who depend on it, in their service to justice and the public.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department holds data on the total number of streamlined forensic reports produced since they were introduced.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has not conducted any such impact assessment and does not hold this data.
The Home Office funded Forensic Capability Network (FCN) manages and oversees the Streamlined Forensic Reporting (SFR) process on behalf of policing and the criminal justice system. The FCN last published guidance on SFR in January 2023, which can be read here:
https://www.fcn.police.uk/news/2023-01/streamlined-forensic-reporting-sfr-update-winter-2023
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has produced an impact assessment on the use of streamlined forensic reports.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has not conducted any such impact assessment and does not hold this data.
The Home Office funded Forensic Capability Network (FCN) manages and oversees the Streamlined Forensic Reporting (SFR) process on behalf of policing and the criminal justice system. The FCN last published guidance on SFR in January 2023, which can be read here:
https://www.fcn.police.uk/news/2023-01/streamlined-forensic-reporting-sfr-update-winter-2023