Tag: Caroline Lucas

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-02-01.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of employers who self-reported their non-compliance with the national minimum wage as a result of the Government’s recent campaign on their policy.

Mr David Gauke

The Government is committed to increasing compliance with minimum wage legislation and effective enforcement of it. Everyone who is entitled to the minimum wage should receive it.

Employers who pay workers less than the minimum wage not only have to pay arrears of wages at current minimum wage rates but also face financial penalties of up to £20,000 per underpaid worker. A further increase in penalties will come into force in April 2016 and will increase the penalty percentage from 100% to 200% of the underpayments owed to each worker, up to the existing maximum.

Work on the campaign continues so I refer the honourable member to the answer provided at UIN 8859.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms in the (a) Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement and (b) EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) apply to local authorities in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry

The investment protection provisions of trade and investment agreements such as the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) will typically apply to the acts of local authorities but claims under the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms of those agreements may only be brought against the UK or the EU.

The question of investment protection and ISDS provisions in TTIP is still under negotiation. The Government wants any such provisions to reflect the right of governments to act in the public interest and deter investors from making unnecessary and speculative claims.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-03-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2016 to Question 26772, whether (a) legal costs and (b) compensatory payments resulting from investor state dispute settlement claims relating to the acts of local authorities would be passed onto those local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry

If the UK were to lose a claim brought under the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism of a trade and investment treaty which relates to an act of a local authority, the Government would typically be responsible for legal costs incurred and compensatory payments awarded by the ISDS tribunal. However, the UK has a good record of creating the right environment for investors and treating them fairly – we have over 90 such agreements in place with other countries and there has never been a successful ISDS claim brought against the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the conclusion in the report from Sense, entitled Making the case for play, published in February 2016, that a misguided interpretation and approach to health and safety is creating a barrier to accessing play settings and activities for children with multiple needs.

Mr Sam Gyimah

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given on 11 April to PQ 32244, which I have also set out below:

The government recognises that play is essential for children’s development and this is covered in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework. Play has an important role in supporting all young children to develop and prepare for later learning, and the EYFS is clear that “practitioners must consider the individual needs, interests, and stage of development of each child in their care… to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience for each child in all of the areas of learning and development.” Health and safety should not create a barrier to accessing play activities for children with multiple needs.

The staff working in early years settings as Early Years Educators (level 3) and Early Years Teachers (graduates) are required to have an understanding of different pedagogical approaches, including the role of play in supporting early learning and development. The criteria for the Early Years Educator and standards for Early Years Teacher Status qualifications are set by the department. However, it is the responsibility of early years settings to provide play opportunities for their children and pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Ofsted conducts a regular cycle of inspection to ensure that provision meets the required quality and safety standards and assesses the extent to which the learning and care provided by the setting meets the needs of the range of children who attend, including the needs of any children who have SEND.

As you may be aware, the Childcare Act 2016 expands the free childcare entitlement from 15 to 30 hours for three- and four-year-olds of working parents. As part of the Early Implementer Package announced on Tuesday 2 February, local authorities involved will be using the opportunity to test and showcase how childcare can be delivered in a way that improves access for children with SEND. The department also launched a consultation on 3 April seeking views on key elements of the operation and delivery of the 30 hours and we specifically welcome views on provision for children with SEND. The consultation is available at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/30-hour-free-childcare-entitlement.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-05-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he make representations to the Ethiopian government on establishing an independent inquiry into the reported use of excessive force during protests in the Oromia region in December 2015.

James Duddridge

The UK Government remains deeply concerned about the handling of demonstrations in Oromia and the reported deaths of a number of protestors, and has repeatedly made representations to the Ethiopian Government over the ongoing situation in Oromia. Justine Greening, the Secretary of State for International Development, raised our concerns with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on 21 January, as did I, with the Ethiopian Foreign Minister, Dr Tedros, at the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa on 27 January. Our Ambassador did the same in a meeting with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on 26 April.

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has been appointed to look into the handling of the protests in Oromia, and we await the publication of its report. We will continue to urge the EHRC and the Government of Ethiopia to ensure that their report is credible, transparent and leads to concrete action.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her contribution of 4 May 2016, HC Deb Official Report, column 166, whether the unaccompanied children who come to the UK will be eligible to apply for their parents to join them under refugee family reunion rules.

James Brokenshire

Under the family reunion provisions in the Immigration Rules children are not eligible to sponsor parents or grandparents. Allowing them to do so would create a perverse incentive for children to be encouraged, or even forced, to leave existing family units in their countries of origin and risk hazardous journeys to the UK in order to act as sponsors. This would go against our safe guarding responsibilities.

Our refugee family reunion policy allows a spouse or partner and children under the age of 18 of those granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK to reunite with them here, providing they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country of origin.

There is provision to grant visas outside the Immigration Rules, which caters for those who do not qualify under the rules, where there are exceptional circumstances.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on the (a) full or (b) part privatisation of NHS Professionals; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman

Currently NHS Professionals Ltd works with around a third of National Health Service trusts, saving over £40 million a year by providing bank staff cheaper than agencies. The Department’s sole objective is to expand this good work into more trusts, thus boosting efficiency and improving patient care.

The Department has been exploring a range of potential options, to help NHS Professionals drive further value for the NHS, and enable NHS Professionals to become more agile and flexible to meet the needs of the NHS. No final decisions have yet been made by Ministers about the future of NHS Professionals.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when she plans to publish the report of her Department’s implementation review of employment tribunal fees which was initiated on 11 June 2015.

Sir Oliver Heald

We will publish the outcome of our review into Employment Tribunal Fees in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2016 to Question 42910, on poultry: animal welfare, for what reasons the ban on conventional cages only applies to laying hens of the species gallus gallus.

George Eustice

The UK ban on conventional cages only applies to laying hens of the species Gallus gallus as the legislation implements the EU-wide ban on keeping laying hens in conventional cages in Council Directive 1999/74, which is specific to laying hens.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish (a) the revised list of the membership of the Department’s Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment and (b) a revised register of interests of the Committee’s members.

George Eustice

The current membership of the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) is:

Professor Rosemary Hails MBE (chair), Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

Dr Kathy Bamford, Imperial College

Professor Michael Bonsall, University of Oxford

Dr Rosemary Collier, University of Warwick

Professor Ian Crute CBE, self-employed consultant

Dr Matthew Heard, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

Professor David Hopkins, The Royal Agricultural University

Simon Kerr, National Institute of Agricultural Botany

Dr Peter Lund, University of Birmingham

Dr Ben Raymond, University of Exeter

Dr Andrew Wilcox, Harper Adams University

An updated register of the interests of the Committee members will be published as soon as possible on the ACRE pages of the GOV..UK website. (at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/advisory-committee-on-releases-to-the-environment).

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