Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisons reported a rat infestation in (a) 2022-2023 and (b) 2021-2022.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
There is no central record held showing the number of prisons reporting rat infestations across the prison estate. Routine planned pest control regimes exist, facilitated by the Facilities Management providers in alignment with contractual specifications. In addition to this, reactive pest control visits are undertaken as required.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether the Government plans to increase protections against harassment in the workplace.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Government has been supporting the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill first introduced in the Commons by the Hon Member for Bath.
I am delighted that Parliament has agreed the final version of the Bill on Friday 20 October and it will now receive Royal Assent.
This Bill will strengthen protections for employees against workplace sexual harassment.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to provide additional funding to extend the provision of fracture liaison services to all NHS trusts.
Answered by Will Quince
On 24 January 2023, we announced our plan to publish the Major Conditions Strategy. The Strategy will focus on six major groups of conditions, including musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders such as osteoporosis.
We have now published our initial report ‘Major Conditions Strategy: Case for change and our strategic framework’. It sets out what we have learned so far, and shares what we plan to focus on next to develop the final strategy.
For MSK conditions, it sets out that we will look to aim to improve services where medical treatment is necessary. Together with NHS England, we will explore supporting the further provision of fracture liaison services. This could include identifying people at risk of further osteoporotic fragility fracture and implementing strategies to reduce the risk of future fracture, including falls, and mortality.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of grant funding schemes funded by her Department are performing to a satisfactory standard according to their respective monitoring and evaluation processes as of 13 October 2023.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department will review the performance of grant schemes through the completion of its first assessment of grant operations later in the year. This is a well-established process, administered by the Cabinet Office, for determining alignment with Government Functional Standards. Alongside this review, as a new department, the Department will establish the mechanisms to report specifically on grants and whether they meet their objectives.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much from the public purse the Government has provided to local authorities to support Net Zero initiatives in each of the last three years.
Answered by Graham Stuart
It is not possible to provide this information because it depends on the decisions local authorities make about using the funding available to them, such as their core local authority settlement. In addition to their core funding, local authorities can also use other funding to support net zero, such as UK growth funding and grant funds for specific programmes.
Furthermore, DESNZ funds the Local Net Zero Hubs Programme which supports local authorities to develop net zero projects and attract commercial investment.
The Government has also established the UK Infrastructure Bank with an initial £12 billion of capital for the twin goals of tackling climate change and levelling up. This includes a loan facility for local government.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on the impact of subsidies to the anaerobic digestion industry on the sale of surplus food to charitable organisations.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra and DESNZ officials continue to work closely to coordinate anaerobic digestion (AD) policy, working with ministers where required.
The Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS) launched in 2021, provides tariff-support for biomethane produced via AD and injected into the gas grid. Under the GGSS, at least 50% of all biomethane (by energy content) must be produced using waste or residue feedstocks. In line with scheme guidance, AD site operators should ensure that the waste hierarchy has been applied and alternative markets have been considered before using any waste feedstocks for AD. DEFRA will continue to work closely with other government departments to deliver the best environmental policy outcomes which align with the food surplus and waste hierarchy.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he was first informed of the Prime Minister's decision not to go ahead with the Birmingham to Crewe section of HS2; and when compulsory purchase of land for this section of HS2 ceased.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The issuing of compulsory purchase notices on Phase 2a of HS2 (West Midlands to Crewe) was halted following the announcement. Applications that are in progress will be handled on a case-by-case basis after consulting with the claimants.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will take capital gains tax into account when calculating the resale value of land bought by his Department under a compulsory purchase order for the Birmingham-Crewe leg of HS2.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is only paid by individuals and trusts, not by government departments.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the reasons for which the drafting process for NICE guidelines on haemochromatosis was paused in April 2023.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department has made no such assessment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) reviewed its guidelines portfolio in May 2023 to identify topics that it thinks will add the most value to the health and care system, considering key factors such as clinical benefit, cost effectiveness, the potential to increase productivity and support workforce issues and the potential to address health inequalities. As a result, NICE identified several topics, including the guidance on haemochromatosis, where work will stop for the time being to allow focus on key priorities. NICE consulted on the scope for the guideline on haemochromatosis in January 2023 but has not published the final scope.
These topics will be reconsidered by NICE’s new Prioritisation Board that is being established by its Chief Medical Officer, and as work to establish the prioritisation board progresses, more information on timescales will become available. NICE will make further information available on its website once topics have been reprioritised.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the scope of draft NICE guidelines on haemochromatosis with regards to (a) known forms of haemochromatosis and (b) pathogenic variants attributable to other genetic mutations associated with iron overload.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department has made no such assessment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) reviewed its guidelines portfolio in May 2023 to identify topics that it thinks will add the most value to the health and care system, considering key factors such as clinical benefit, cost effectiveness, the potential to increase productivity and support workforce issues and the potential to address health inequalities. As a result, NICE identified several topics, including the guidance on haemochromatosis, where work will stop for the time being to allow focus on key priorities. NICE consulted on the scope for the guideline on haemochromatosis in January 2023 but has not published the final scope.
These topics will be reconsidered by NICE’s new Prioritisation Board that is being established by its Chief Medical Officer, and as work to establish the prioritisation board progresses, more information on timescales will become available. NICE will make further information available on its website once topics have been reprioritised.