Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, when he expects Norman Shaw North to be reopened; and when Members of Parliament will be able to occupy their offices in that building.
Answered by Charles Walker
Refurbishment works in Norman Shaw North are due to be completed by Summer 2026, occupation is currently anticipated for Autumn 2026 in collaboration with the Accommodation Whips.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the progress made by the Canal & River Trust on growing alternative income sources to its grant funding.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government currently provides an annual grant of over £50 million to the Canal and River Trust, guaranteed until 2027. We are undertaking a review of the grant, as required by the 2012 Grant Agreement. The review is assessing whether the grant is providing value for money and whether there is a case for continued government funding beyond the end of the grant period in 2027. As the review is ongoing, I am unable to provide specific details. The outcome of the review will be announced when it has concluded.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of reducing funding for UK waterways and reservoirs on the (a) level of risk faced by communities and (b) economic, social and environmental afforded to areas near those waterways and reservoirs.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government currently provides an annual grant of over £50 million to the Canal and River Trust, guaranteed until 2027. We are undertaking a review of the grant, as required by the 2012 Grant Agreement. The review is assessing whether the grant is providing value for money and whether there is a case for continued government funding beyond the end of the grant period in 2027. As the review is ongoing, I am unable to provide specific details. The outcome of the review will be announced when it has concluded.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment as part of the review of the Canal & River Trust's future grant funding of the potential impact of climate change on the cost of maintenance and repair of waterways.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government currently provides an annual grant of over £50 million to the Canal and River Trust, guaranteed until 2027. We are undertaking a review of the grant, as required by the 2012 Grant Agreement. The review is assessing whether the grant is providing value for money and whether there is a case for continued government funding beyond the end of the grant period in 2027. As the review is ongoing, I am unable to provide specific details. The outcome of the review will be announced when it has concluded.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her review of the future grant funding for the Canal & River Trust post-2027 will conclude; and whether she will publish that review once concluded.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government currently provides an annual grant of over £50 million to the Canal and River Trust, guaranteed until 2027. We are undertaking a review of the grant, as required by the 2012 Grant Agreement. The review is assessing whether the grant is providing value for money and whether there is a case for continued government funding beyond the end of the grant period in 2027. As the review is ongoing, I am unable to provide specific details. The outcome of the review will be announced when it has concluded.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the article in the Jewish Chronicle article entitled Children chant massacre-Jews song at North London school, published 24 November, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her Department’s policies of the events reported in that article.
Answered by Nick Gibb
All registered independent schools must, as a condition of registration, meet the Independent School Standards (ISS). The ISS include, among other things, an obligation to provide teaching that does not undermine the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs, and provide personal, social, health and economic education which encourages respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010.
The Government takes allegations seriously and, where appropriate, will investigate further. The school in question was inspected in October 2022. The Department awaits the publication of the final report of that inspection, confirming whether those standards were met. The Department will consider this report carefully before deciding what regulatory steps are appropriate, in line with the published policy.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will make an assessment of the implications for the Government's policies of the decision by FIFA to ban the One Love rainbow armband at the World Cup.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Ministers and senior officials have raised the concerns of LGBT+ visitors with Qatari authorities at all levels, and will continue to engage on this issue during the World Cup. Qatar has repeatedly committed that "everybody is welcome" to the tournament. We will continue to encourage equal treatment and the respect of individual rights, and identify what action the Qatari authorities are taking to match their commitment.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of launching an urgent inquiry into the death of animals in establishments licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 as a result of failure to provide adequate food or water, as set out in the Animals in Science Regulation Unit’s annual reports for 2019-2021.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government continues to be committed to assuring that animals used in science are protected by the legal framework.
The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) has published its compliance framework which identifies and investigates potential incidents of non-compliance and decides on appropriate and proportionate measures and remedies to minimise the risk of recurrence.
All cases of non-compliance during 2019 to 2021 have been thoroughly investigated and the outcomes have been published in ASRU’s annual report.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the level of support provided by the energy bill relief scheme will be kept under review by his Department during the initial six month period of that scheme; and whether the Government plans to continue support (a) beyond the initial six month period and (b) until energy price volatility has decreased.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government announced its intention to introduce an Energy Bill Relief Scheme, for six months, from 1 October 2022. Alongside that announcement, the Government committed to carrying out a review of the operation of the scheme in order to inform decisions on future support after March 2023.
The review will focus on identifying the non-domestic customers most at risk and how the Government will continue assisting them with energy costs from April 2023.
The Government will publish finding of the review by January 2023.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether (a) district councils and (b) other local authorities will be eligible for the Energy Bill Relief Scheme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
District councils and other local authorities on eligible contracts will be covered by the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. This scheme will provide a price reduction to ensure all businesses and other non-domestic energy users are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period.