Asked by: Louise Ellman (Independent - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timeframe is for (a) the restart of construction the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital and (b) the completion of the hospital; and if he make a statement.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department and NHS Improvement are working with the Trust to conclude discussions and agree final terms with funders for a managed termination of the current contract. This agreement will enable the Trust to continue working with the existing main construction contractors on site to minimise any further delay and complete the hospital as soon as possible.
Subject to legal agreements being reached as part of this process, construction work could restart as early as November. If this is the case, we would expect the new Royal Liverpool to be completed in 2020.
Asked by: Louise Ellman (Independent - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent steps he has taken to ensure that leaseholders in privately-owned blocks do not have to fund the replacement of cladding and remedial fire safety measures following the Grenfell Tower tragedy; and if he will he make a statement.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Ministers have been very clear that in the private sector it is the responsibility of the building owner, or responsible person, to fund the measures necessary to ensure the safety of residents and must do all they can to protect leaseholders from additional costs. We are encouraged by those in the sector, such as Barratt Developments, Mace, Legal & General and Taylor Wimpey, who are doing the right thing and taking responsibility, and we expect others to follow their lead.
The Secretary of State has recently written to all private sector building owners who are currently committed to passing costs to leaseholders, and to those who are yet to make clear their plans to remediate their buildings, or their intention to pass on costs.
These letters set the expectation that there is a moral imperative for private sector landlords to do the right thing and remove unsafe cladding quickly and not leave leaseholders to cover the cost. We have made clear that we have ruled out no options if industry, individual building owners, or developers do not come forward with their own solutions.
Asked by: Louise Ellman (Independent - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timetable is for a new contractor to be appointed to complete the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital following the liquidation of Carillion.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government remains absolutely committed to getting the new Royal Liverpool Hospital built as quickly as possible and officials are working closely with the existing lenders and the Trust to achieve this. There is a key milestone on 30 September, the longstop date set in the existing Private Finance Initiative contact for the completed hospital to be handed over to the Trust. This milestone is not now going to be met.
Once this date has passed the Trust has the option of declaring that the project is in default, which would be followed by the contract being terminated. The Government has indicated to the Trust that it will support them in whatever next steps they need to take, be it termination or some other option, to ensure the project is not delayed further. The timetable for opening the hospital will be an important factor in deciding on the best route forward and we are working towards achieving a decision on this by the end of September.
To date, significant concerns have been identified with work carried out by Carillion, and the investigation of this has resulted in delays.
Asked by: Louise Ellman (Independent - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to improve the English Language lessons service for refugees; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The Government is committed to ensuring that all refugees have access to the English language support they need. For refugees resettled in the UK under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme and the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme the Government has provided additional funding which can be accessed by local authorities. Those who make their own way to the UK to claim asylum and are granted refugee status are eligible for funding for English language courses through the Adult Education Budget. Courses are free for unemployed refugees who are looking for work.
The Government published the Integrated Communities Strategy Green Paper on 14th March (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/integrated-communities-strategy-green-paper). This included proposals on the future of integration support for refugees and set out that the Government will work with civil society to increase integration support for refugees recognised after arrival in the UK. The Green Paper committed Government to share best practice and build on learning about what works in relation to support for refugees on employment, English language, mental health and cultural orientation. It also proposed the development of a new English language strategy for England.
Consultation on the Green Paper closed in June and there will be a Government response in the Autumn.
Asked by: Louise Ellman (Independent - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of pay between assignment (PBA) contracts on equal pay; what the average length of time workers have been on PBA contracts in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Government does not hold data on the average length of pay between assignment contracts. Alongside the Government response to Matthew Taylor’s review of modern working practices, we launched a public consultation that covers, amongst other areas, the issue of pay between assignment contracts. As part of this, we asked for information on the use of these contracts. The consultation recently closed. We are considering the responses and we will set out next steps shortly.
Asked by: Louise Ellman (Independent - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timetable is for the appointment of a new contractor to complete the building of the new Royal Liverpool Hospital; and will he make a statement.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
As stated in the answer I gave to Question 158172, officials from the Department of Health and Social Care are working closely on this matter with those from Her Majesty’s Treasury and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority to ensure that the hospital can be completed as quickly as is possible.
Asked by: Louise Ellman (Independent - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on English language teaching schools (a) in the UK and (b) abroad; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Government is committed to English language teaching and recognises the opportunities and value this brings to schools in both the UK and abroad.
The Government values international exchange and collaboration in education and training as part of its vision for a global Britain. As the PM said in her Mansion House speech on 2 March, ‘There are many other areas where the UK and EU economies are closely linked – including education and culture.’ We will continue to take part in specific policies and programmes which are greatly to the UK and the EU’s joint advantage, such as those that promote science, education and culture, such as Erasmus+.
Asked by: Louise Ellman (Independent - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many blocks of flats which have been found to have dangerous cladding after the Grenfell Tower disaster are owned by freeholders who have not funded removal of that cladding; and if he will he make a statement.
Answered by Dominic Raab
As of 14 June 2018, from the results of Building Research Establishment large-scale system tests and the information provided to us by local authorities we know of 297 private sector residential buildings with cladding systems that are unlikely to meet current Building Regulations guidance. Local authorities have told us about plans for remediating 72 buildings. Of these, 21 buildings have started remediation, of which 4 have completed.
We have made it clear that we expect building owners and industry to explore all options to protect leaseholders from incurring the costs associated with replacing unsafe cladding. Some in the sector, such as Barratt Developments, Legal & General and Taylor Wimpey, are doing the right thing and taking responsibility. We want others to follow their lead and we will continue to encourage them to do so. They must do the right thing, and if they do not, we are not ruling anything out at this stage.
Asked by: Louise Ellman (Independent - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the financial viability of research projects in receipt of funding from Horizon 2020 after that funding ceases in 2020.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The Withdrawal Agreement ensures that UK entities’ right to participate in EU programmes, such as Horizon 2020, will be unaffected by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU for the lifetime of projects financed by the current MFF, including where funding agreed before the end of the transition period extends beyond 2020. UK based organisations and individuals will be able to bid for funding, participate in and lead consortia, until programme closure.
This provides valuable reassurance to UK researchers and institutions that they can continue to collaborate with European partners for the lifetime of projects financed by the current MFF, and vice versa.
Once agreed as part of the Withdrawal Treaty, this will supersede the requirement for the domestic guarantee announced by the Government in 2016. UK organisations should continue to bid for EU funding with the assurance that payments will continue after our departure from the EU.
Asked by: Louise Ellman (Independent - Liverpool, Riverside)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has indemnified Arriva Rail North for industrial action; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
As provided for in all franchise agreements, The Secretary of State, in his discretion, may at any time decide to reimburse or ameliorate net losses of the Franchisee arising from Industrial Action (however caused and of whatever nature) in circumstances where the Franchisee has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Secretary of State that it has taken all reasonable steps to avoid the Industrial Action and that, Industrial Action having nevertheless occurred, the Franchisee has taken all reasonable steps to mitigate its effects. However, no payments have been made under the relevant Franchise Agreement provision.