Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of updating the Fire and Rescue National Framework for England.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are revising the Fire National Framework for England to embed the reforms set out in the Government Response to the White Paper. The Framework sets priorities and objectives for Fire and Rescue Authorities in England in connection with the discharge of their functions. We are engaging partners to shape our proposals and key themes.
We intend to launch a public consultation on the revisions later this year.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on (a) how many occasions and (b) what dates he has intervened in a fire and rescue authority under section 22 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 since 2010.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Fire policy transferred from the Department for Communities and Local Government to the Home Office on 5 January 2016. Since then, there have been no formal interventions in the operations of a fire and rescue authority by the Secretary of State in England under section 22 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004. We do not hold any information for the period prior to the machinery of government changes.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times since 26 October 2022 the Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire has met (a) current and (b) former firefighters who have experienced bullying, discrimination or sexual harassment at work.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire has prioritised engagement with the sector on integrity matters. This has included Chief Fire Officers, Fire and Rescue Authority Chairs, His Majesty’s Inspectorate, the National Fire Chiefs Council, the Local Government Association and representative groups such as the Fire Brigades Union. In addition to regularly meeting frontline firefighters and police officers when visiting fire and police stations.
He will continue to meet with sector leaders to hear first-hand on these issues.
The Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire has corresponded with both current and former staff in fire and rescue services, who have raised concerns regarding bullying, harassment, and discrimination.
The Home Office will continue to call for action to ensure fire and rescue services are welcoming, respectful workplaces that enable all individuals who work in them to thrive.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what functions the office of the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders is able to undertake while the post of Independent Chief Inspector is vacant.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
The office of the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration has a clear plan of work, comprising of inspection activity, pre-inspection scoping activity, and non-inspection/corporate work that can continue whilst the post remains vacant.
A new Chief Inspector will be appointed in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. A recruitment campaign is underway, and an appointment will be made as soon as practically possible.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2024 to Question 17717 on Infected Blood Inquiry: Pay, on what dates the expert group has met.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Infected Blood Inquiry response expert group meets weekly and have met in full seven times as of 20th March. As the work of the expert group relates to the formulation and development of Government policy, their advice, evidence and methodologies as well as the terms of reference, minutes and agendas of their meetings have not been published at this time.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what dates four nations ministerial meetings have taken place on the topic of infected blood in the last 12 months.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I, and my predecessors in this role, have met with Ministers across the four nations a number of times in the last 12 months, and will be doing so again ahead of tabling a Government amendment for Report Stage of the Victims and Prisoners Bill.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an estimate of the cost of establishing an appeal body for asylum applications processed in Rwanda under the UK-Rwanda treaty.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
We are working at pace with the Government of Rwanda to establish an appeal body for asylum applications. More details on this will be released in due course.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the oral contribution by the Leader of the House at Business Questions on 7 March 2024, Official Report, column 974, how (a) individual people and (b) organisations can register to meet him during his tour on the infected blood scandal.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I am committed to engaging with the Infected Blood community and updating Parliament on progress of the Government response to the Infected Blood Inquiry as appropriate. Plans are currently being developed at my request to meet those infected and affected by Infected Blood across the United Kingdom to talk about their priorities ahead of the publication of the Inquiry’s final report. Further information on this will be shared soon.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the oral contribution by the Leader of the House at Business Questions on 7 March 2024, Official Report, column 974, where he plans to visit as part of his tour on the infected blood scandal; and when he will be undertaking this tour.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I am committed to engaging with the Infected Blood community and updating Parliament on progress of the Government response to the Infected Blood Inquiry as appropriate. Plans are currently being developed at my request to meet those infected and affected by Infected Blood across the United Kingdom to talk about their priorities ahead of the publication of the Inquiry’s final report. Further information on this will be shared soon.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when building work is planned to start at Hall Road Academy in Kingston upon Hull.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Hall Road Academy was announced in December 2022 as part of Round 4 of the School Rebuilding Programme. The project will commence before April 2025.