Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - Devizes)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the replacement programme for the suspended Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme in June 2022 will be implemented; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the likelihood that perpetrators of domestic abuse who have not joined a new programme are still able to have regular contact with their victims before course completion.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is actively considering options to address the current lack of Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programmes in the family court. We are working with providers and the domestic abuse sector to explore interim arrangements, including potential new referral mechanisms, ahead of developing a revised model of support for domestic abuse cases in the family court.
The welfare of the child is the paramount consideration in any decision made by the court regarding child arrangements and the Government is working closely with stakeholders across the system to understand the impact the current change in provision has had on children and families. A timetable for the introduction of the new domestic abuse intervention offer will be confirmed in due course.
The Government has introduced a number of protections for survivors of domestic abuse in the family court. The Domestic Abuse Act prohibits cross-examination of victims by perpetrators and provides automatic eligibility for special measures for victims of domestic abuse in the family courts. The Act also makes it clear that ‘barring orders’ are available where further proceedings would risk causing harm, particularly where proceedings could be a form of continuing domestic abuse
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - Devizes)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason children who turned five before 1 September 2022 remain eligible for a primary course covid-19 vaccination, in the context of the risk of severe covid-19 symptoms in this age group.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Government continues to be guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) on who should be offered COVID-19 vaccinations.
The primary aim of the universal primary vaccination offers to children aged five to 11 years old, was to increase the immunity of vaccinated individuals against severe COVID-19 in advance of a potential future wave during the pandemic. When formulating advice in relation to childhood immunisations, JCVI has consistently maintained that the focus should be on the potential benefits and harms of vaccination to children and young people themselves, with prevention of severe COVID-19 (hospitalisations and deaths) in children and young people the primary aim.
As we transition away from a pandemic emergency response towards pandemic recovery, the JCVI advised on 25 January 2023, that the offer of a primary (initial) course of COVID-19 vaccination should be removed from those aged five to 49 years old who are not in an at-risk group. This will move to a more targeted offer during seasonal campaign periods to those at higher risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19 or of transmitting the virus to those vulnerable to serious outcomes. The JCVI advice to target the initial vaccination offer to those at higher risk only is available at the following link:
The Government is considering when during 2023 this recommendation should be implemented, and an announcement will be made in due course.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - Devizes)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information his Department holds on what use local authorities have made of the £10,500 per-person funding provided under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme; and whether his Department provided guidance to local authorities on how that funding should be spent.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Information and guidance on grant funding allocations for local authorities under the Homes for Ukraine scheme can be accessed here and here . DLUHC officials are in constant contact with counterparts in local authorities, and there are many examples of good practice and innovation by local authorities. Some have chosen to ‘top up’ the ‘thank you’ payments for hosts, others have extensive programmes to help arrivals into the private rented sector or employment. Inevitably, different locations will have differing specific needs, and have had particular successes or challenges.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - Devizes)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of (a) the take-up, as a proportion of eligibility, of the Specified Adult Childcare Credit, and (b) the estimated expenditure for the Specified Adult Childcare Credit, in each of the last four years.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Qualifying Years of National Insurance for State Pension can be filled whilst working or being self-employed; by being credited with National Insurance credits; and through making voluntary National Insurance contributions.
Specified Adult Childcare Credits are one of the many ways an individual can build a Qualifying Year of National Insurance to protect their future entitlement to State Pension. It is a transfer of the National Insurance credit from the primary parent/carer receiving Child Benefit to a Specified Adult providing care. Its award depends on the circumstances between an individual parent and a carer, and it is not possible to estimate potential volumes
There is no immediate expenditure associated with the award of the credit. Each credit adds a qualifying year which is used when the individual reaches State Pension age to determine their overall State Pension entitlement.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - Devizes)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the costs of (a) unnecessary prescribing or prescribing beyond medical guidance and (b) the consultation that accompanies that prescribing in respect of (i) antidepressants, (ii) opioids, (iii) benzodiazepines, (iv) z-drugs and (v) abapentinoids in each of the last five years.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We have no plans to do so.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - Devizes)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the recommendations of the 2019 PHE Prescribed Medicines Review, when he plans to introduce a dedicated national helpline and website to support people with prescribed drug dependence.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
NHS England and NHS Improvement are leading a programme of work in response to the recommendations in Public Health England’s ‘Dependence and withdrawal associated with some prescribed medicines: An evidence review’. The recommendation for a time-limited dedicated national helpline and website is being carefully considered as part of this work.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - Devizes)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will publish a timetable for (a) implementing the expanded dormant assets scheme and (b) funding for good causes derived from the new classes of dormant assets becoming available.
Answered by Matt Warman
The Dormant Assets Scheme is led by industry and backed by the government with the aim of reuniting people with their financial assets. Where this is not possible, this money supports important social and environmental initiatives across the UK.
As a voluntary Scheme, industry stakeholders have been at the forefront of efforts to bring assets from the insurance and pensions, investment and wealth management, and securities sectors into scope. This includes leading work to estimate the value of dormancy currently in each sector and using their experience and understanding of reunification processes to inform their estimates of how much could be reunited with their owners successfully. The following table sets out these estimates, broken down by sector:
Sector | Dormant assets | Could be reunited with owners |
Insurance and pensions | £2.1bn | £1.17bn |
Investment and wealth management | £1.4bn | £781m |
Securities | £158m | £48m |
TOTAL | £3.7bn | £2bn |
Scheme expansion requires primary legislation, which will be introduced when parliamentary time allows. Once legislation has achieved Royal Assent, the speed at which it can be implemented and new funds will become available is dependent on regulator and industry readiness, as well as their voluntary participation in the Scheme. We anticipate that the estimated £880 million to be unlocked through the expansion of the Scheme will take several years to be released, based on the rate that industry participants transfer new assets.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - Devizes)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 25 of the Government's response to the consultation on expanding the Dormant Asset Scheme, if he will publish the methodology used to calculate that 54 per cent of dormant assets in the (a) insurance and pensions, (b) investment and wealth management and (c) securities sectors could be reclaimed by their owners as a result of enhanced tracing, verification and reunification efforts.
Answered by Matt Warman
The Dormant Assets Scheme is led by industry and backed by the government with the aim of reuniting people with their financial assets. Where this is not possible, this money supports important social and environmental initiatives across the UK.
As a voluntary Scheme, industry stakeholders have been at the forefront of efforts to bring assets from the insurance and pensions, investment and wealth management, and securities sectors into scope. This includes leading work to estimate the value of dormancy currently in each sector and using their experience and understanding of reunification processes to inform their estimates of how much could be reunited with their owners successfully. The following table sets out these estimates, broken down by sector:
Sector | Dormant assets | Could be reunited with owners |
Insurance and pensions | £2.1bn | £1.17bn |
Investment and wealth management | £1.4bn | £781m |
Securities | £158m | £48m |
TOTAL | £3.7bn | £2bn |
Scheme expansion requires primary legislation, which will be introduced when parliamentary time allows. Once legislation has achieved Royal Assent, the speed at which it can be implemented and new funds will become available is dependent on regulator and industry readiness, as well as their voluntary participation in the Scheme. We anticipate that the estimated £880 million to be unlocked through the expansion of the Scheme will take several years to be released, based on the rate that industry participants transfer new assets.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - Devizes)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish (a) a list of all organisations that have been awarded funding under the Kickstart scheme and (b) details of the number of placements each organisation has created since the start of that scheme.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As of 20/11/2020, the DWP’s Kickstart scheme has received 4’783 total applications. So far, applications covering 23’934 vacancies have been approved. Once approved, employers and organisations are sent a grant agreement of terms and conditions for Kickstart funding.
Below is a list of organisations who have been approved for funding from the DWP’s Kickstart scheme and that have returned their grant funding agreements as of 23/11/2020.
Company Name | Number of Vacancies |
Hales Group Limited | 39 |
MOLINARE TV & FILM LIMITED | 37 |
Park Homes (UK) Ltd | 30 |
Black Sheep Utilities Ltd | 30 |
iSmash UK Trading Ltd | 56 |
Airfi Networks Services Limited | 30 |
Blueline Learning Ltd | 30 |
Intelligent Transformation Limited | 30 |
Lionheart Security Services LTD | 30 |
Modo Creations Limited | 30 |
RGE Engineering Ltd. | 32 |
Purpol Marketing Ltd | 50 |
Specialist Care Team Ltd | 33 |
The Boxing House Ltd. | 30 |
MYBE Awards | 30 |
Aspen Health | 30 |
Boundary Mill Stores Limited | 71 |
Compass Group PLC | 50 |
Cordant Recruitment | 65 |
David Lloyd Leisure | 130 |
DealBerry Limited | 40 |
Enginsoft | 40 |
Event Support Team ltd | 100 |
EXPD8 LIMITED | 305 |
Macc Care | 90 |
O'Neill and Brennan Construction Ltd | 500 |
Rising Stars Property Solutions | 100 |
Robinson Manufacturing Limited | 35 |
Tenstar Personnel Limited | 150 |
The HALO Kilmarnock Ltd | 200 |
TRG LOGISTICS LTD | 75 |
Yorkshire College of Beauty Ltd | 32 |
AA Zentivus Ltd | 30 |
AIR RESOURCES LIMITED | 30 |
Angel Guard Limited | 30 |
Bauer Radio Limited | 30 |
Crouch Logistics Ltd | 30 |
F M CONWAY LIMITED | 30 |
Link Academy Trust | 30 |
Hollowood Chemists Limited | 30 |
MARCUS EVANS LIMITED | 30 |
MPS Care Ltd | 30 |
Nightingale Group Limited | 100 |
Reed Specialist Recruitment Ltd | 50 |
The Claxson Group Limited | 30 |
Hometrust Care Ltd | 30 |
Maritime Academy Trust | 30 |
The Trade Centre Group PLC | 30 |
Whistl UK Ltd. | 30 |
Yorkshire Repak Limited | 30 |
CAPITA PLC | 60 |
LADbible Group | 30 |
Q Care Ltd | 40 |
University of Wolverhampton Multi Academy Trust | 40 |
Berneslai Homes Ltd | 30 |
Corona corporate Solutions Ltd | 30 |
NDH CARE LTD | 34 |
Peninsula Care Homes ltd | 30 |
Reynold 123 Limited | 34 |
Search Consultancy Limited | 30 |
The Calico Group | 30 |
Williams & Co | 40 |
Bolloré Logistics UK Ltd | 30 |
Internet Fusion Ltd | 45 |
Learning Curve Group Limited | 30 |
Pilgrim's Pride UK Ltd | 60 |
The Northam Care Trust | 30 |
Heritage Taverns Ltd | 30 |
Oliver Marketing Limited | 30 |
Wincanton Holdings Ltd | 120 |
Places For People Group Limited | 41 |
The Gym Limited | 30 |
Portakabin Limited | 30 |
Unity Schools Partnership | 65 |
Astute Ltd | 31 |
Made To Order Limited | 30 |
E-ACT | 66 |
M&D Green Dispensing Chemist Limited | 30 |
Aspire Defence Services Ltd | 69 |
Suffolk's Libraries IPS Limited | 30 |
Treloar Trust | 30 |
Ronnies Limited | 35 |
Vantec Europe Ltd | 30 |
Tops Day Nursery Limited | 37 |
Coppergreen Developments Ltd | 41 |
Coffee1 Ltd | 30 |
Moorhouse Group | 30 |
Action Centres UK Ltd | 30 |
SPECTRUM HEALTHCARE DOMICILIARY CARE LIMITED | 30 |
Optima Care | 30 |
Clipper Logistics PLC | 105 |
Pre-school Learning Alliance | 50 |
Peter Vardy Ltd | 58 |
Rosebourne Limited | 30 |
West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust | 30 |
Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust | 44 |
The Royal Mint | 32 |
Osbourne Co-operative Academy Trust | 30 |
Coate WATER Cre Company Ltd | 80 |
J Murphy & Sons Ltd | 52 |
Persona Care and Support Limited | 30 |
Doncaster Culture & Leisure Trust | 30 |
London North Eastern Railway Limited | 38 |
Harris Federation | 60 |
Aggregate Industries | 39 |
Impact Education Multi Academy Trust | 35 |
The Growth Company | 31 |
Go Train Ltd | 30 |
Furniture Resource Centre Limited | 30 |
Key Care & Support | 30 |
Saint John of God Hospitaller Services | 30 |
MLL Telecom Limited | 36 |
Brunelcare | 42 |
Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust | 30 |
The Football League (Community) Ltd T/A EFL Trust | 475 |
Muslim Council of Britain Charitable Foundation | 90 |
HIT Training Ltd | 48 |
One for the people limited | 30 |
Casual Speakers Ltd | 38 |
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - Devizes)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support his Department provides to community-led housing groups.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The principal way in which the Government has supported the community-led housebuilding sector in England in recent years was through the Community Housing Fund, making available £163 million in grants over 2018/19 and 2019/20. The Community Housing Fund closed at the end of March. Departmental budgets for 2021/22 have been confirmed at the recent Comprehensive Spending Review and my department will now undertake a process of allocation of budgets to individual programmes. The needs of the community-led housing sector will be taken into consideration alongside the full range of the department’s priorities.
The Government recognises that the community-led housing sector offers significant potential for helping to meet housing need across England. In addition to helping increase the rate of delivery of new housing, it will help deliver a range of benefits including diversifying the housebuilding sector, improving design and construction quality, and sustaining local communities and local economies. The support and close involvement of the local community enables the community-led approach to secure planning permission and deliver housing that could not be brought forward through mainstream development.