Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of jury service on people employed on zero hour contracts.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Jury service is an important civic duty, and we want to help jurors feel supported as they undertake this important role. The Government has not made any specific assessment of the impact of jury service on people employed on zero-hour contracts. However, all employees including those employed on zero-hour contracts are legally protected from dismissal or unfair treatment due to jury service under the Employment Rights Act 1996.
All employees who are summoned for jury service are entitled to renumerations for travel, subsistence and loss of earnings expenses, including those on zero-hour contracts. They can also apply for a deferral or excusal based upon financial hardship. The Government keeps all support provided to jurors throughout their service under review.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to allow people with epilepsy who have been seizure-free for more than ten years while taking medication to apply for a driver's licence.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
People with epilepsy can be issued with a licence to drive Group 1 vehicles (cars and motorcycles) after being seizure free for 12 months (whether or not they are taking medication to treat epilepsy) and as long as they are following their medical professional’s advice on treatment.
The law currently requires a driving licence applicant to have been free from seizures for 10 years, without medication, before the issue of a Group 2 (lorries and buses) licence can be considered.
The Secretary of State for Transport’s Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on driving and disorders of the nervous system, provides advice on the medical standards for driving with epilepsy. In October 2023, the panel confirmed that it was satisfied with the existing requirements but would consider any future research or evidence in this area.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what guidance her Department has issued to (a) UK charities and (b) the Charity Commission to ensure that charities do not invest in illegal settlements in occupied territory which are a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not issued such guidance to charities or to the Charity Commission for England and Wales. The Government and Charity Commission for England and Wales expect charities to act lawfully, in line with the charity’s purpose, and in the charity’s best interest.
Any concerns about a charity’s activities should be referred to the charity in the first instance. If their response is unsatisfactory or there is a belief that the charity is acting unlawfully or engaged in misconduct or mismanagement, concerns can be raised with the Charity Commission. The Charity Commission takes such concerns seriously, prioritising resources and taking appropriate and proportionate action. As a civil regulator, the Charity Commission refers all potential criminal matters to the relevant law enforcement body for investigation.
The Charity Commission provides a range of guidance to help charity trustees understand their legal duties and requirements, as well as how to make decisions in the best interests of their charity.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress her Department has made on increasing driving examiner recruitment in Fife.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.
The driving test centres that serve candidates in Fife are Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy. From a recent recruitment campaign a potential new driving examiner (DE) has been offered a position in Dunfermline. Following successful completion of training and pre-employment checks, it is hopeful the candidate will be in post by autumn. A further potential DE who had been offered a post in Kirkcaldy, has since withdrawn from the process.
DVSA will be undertaking another recruitment campaign shortly and will again advertise for posts in this area.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she expects Network Rail to have completed a feasibility study on making Burntisland railway station accessible.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.
In May 2024, the previous government selected 50 stations for initial feasibility work for potential upgrades as part of our Access for All programme. This did not include Burntisland railway station. We expect to provide an update to stakeholders during the summer.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage on people in Wales.
Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Up to 160,000 workers across Wales received a record pay rise through increases to the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage.
Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will see a real-terms pay increase of £1,400 per year, whilst 18-to-20-year-olds will get a record boost of £2,500 each year. This will help provide people across Wales with better financial stability.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of a supply shortage of Aimovig on people who experience migraines.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is aware of a recent short term supply issue with one strength of Aimovig. We worked with NHS England, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and the devolved administrations to expedite resupply and have confirmed that stock is now available for patients to access.
Medicine supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated, and there are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the United Kingdom and outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues, and regulatory issues.
While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise, to mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, and use of Serious Shortage Protocols. In addition, we will issue communications to the National Health Service, which provides management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle ageism in the provision of financial services.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government works closely with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the independent regulator of the UK’s financial services sector, to ensure that all customers get the right support with their financial products and services. The FCA requires firms to provide a prompt, efficient, and fair service to all of their customers.
Ensuring individuals have access to appropriate financial products and services is also a key priority for the Government. This is why I have committed to publish a Financial Inclusion Strategy later this year which will seek to tackle a range of barriers consumers can face in accessing the products they need.
Additionally, the Equality Act 2010 generally prohibits discrimination based on certain protected characteristics, including age. There are some limited exceptions to this. For example, insurance providers cannot refuse to cover potential consumers or charge more for insurance as a result of age, unless they base their risk assessment on relevant information from a reliable source.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to review the current accreditation process for the Microgeneration Certification Scheme.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
While the Government works closely with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), the Secretary of State does not formally review its accreditation process, given MCS’ independent status. MCS is introducing a wide-ranging reforms programme, and the Government is closely monitoring the introduction of these reforms. The reforms are designed to improve consumer protection, and reduce unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy for installers, including around the installer accreditation process.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for driving tests in Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy constituency.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.
On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce driving test waiting times across the country.
Further information on these actions and progress on the DVSA’s 7-point plan, which was set out last year, can be found on GOV.UK.
A recruitment campaign has recently closed, and from this DVSA hope to recruit examiners for test centres that serve the Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy constituency.