Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many meetings his predecessor had with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser between 1 January and 31 March 2018.
Answered by Dominic Raab
The previous Secretary of State had numerous meetings attended by analysts and technical specialists from across the Department between 1 January and 31 March 2018.
Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government how many meetings he held with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser between October 2017 and December 2017.
Answered by Jake Berry
The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government had numerous meetings attended by analysts and technical specialists from across the Department between October 2017 and December 2017.
Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Government has made an assessment of the effect on pubs of cheap supermarket alcohol.
Answered by Jake Berry
My Department has made no such assessment. As Minister with policy responsibility for Community Pubs I am determined to work with organisations such as the Pub is The Hub and other key business partners in the sector to ensure that community pubs across the country continue to thrive.
I would advise the Rt Hon Member to contact the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for further information.
Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers of his Department have had with the Chief Scientific Adviser in his Department in the last three months.
Answered by Marcus Jones
My department does not have an established Chief Scientific Adviser. Officials in my department work closely with the Government Office for Science as well as drawing upon expertise from across government to inform policy making and advice to Ministers.
Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if his Department will allocate additional funding to the relevant local authority to support the mental health of people affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.
Answered by Lord Sharma
I refer the rt Hon Member to the answers today to Questions UIN 441 and UIN 443.
Other support announced by the Government includes a £5 million Grenfell Tower Residents’ Discretionary Fund to help pay for the immediate financial needs of those affected, which we will keep under review
Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what number of working days were lost due to mental illness in his Department in each of the last three years.
Answered by Marcus Jones
My Department has had the following working days lost to mental illness in each of the last three years:
Working Days Lost to Mental Illness | Days Lost | Days Lost | Total Working Days Lost (12 month period) | Available Working Days (12 Month Period) | % of working days lost due to mental illness |
Mar-14 | 530 | 1951.5 | 2481.5 | 392905.4 | 0.6% |
Mar-15 | 753.0 | 1849.0 | 2602.0 | 389052.2 | 0.7% |
Mar-16 | 733.5 | 2959 | 3692.5 | 389960.2 | 0.9% |
Oct-16 | 588 | 2986.5 | 3574.5 | 365433.4 | 1.0% |
The department introduced Mental Health First Aid training for staff in February 2015 and has since trained over 100 people. We have an active Mental Health Ambassador Network of staff who offer advice, support and direction to both staff and managers. DCLG also has also a Mental Health Support Group that encourages staff experiencing poor mental health or who caring for someone with a mental health illness to share experiences and offer mutual support and advice.
Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many Disabled Facilities Grants were not progressed as a result of families not being able to afford adaptations in cases in which the cost of adaptation exceeded the grant amount in 2014 and 2015; and if he will estimate the number of such grants that will not be progressed in 2016 for that reason.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Department for Communities and Local Government does not collect data on the number of Disabled Facilities Grants which are not progressed where the cost of the adaptations exceed the grant limit of £30,000 per applicant. Local authorities can provide additional top-up funding which can be used to fund adaptations where the cost exceeds the grant limit per applicant.
Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people were employed as occupational therapists in each of the last five years; what information his Department holds on unfilled vacancies in occupational therapy in the last 12 months; and what steps he is taking to increase the number of people trained as occupational therapists.
Answered by Marcus Jones
The Department for Communities and Local Government does not collect information on the number of occupational therapists in employment or the number of unfilled vacancies in occupational therapy.