Tag: Jo Cox

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-01-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons the trade supplement for a RAF weapon technician is no longer grouped with aircraft engineering trades under Armed Forces Pay Reform.

Penny Mordaunt

For Other Ranks, the Ministry of Defence uses a long-standing and rigorous process of Job Evaluation (JE) to determine the pay treatment of each trade. In the current binary pay model which consists of High and Low Pay Bands, JE evidence assigns the role of the RAF Weapon Technician to the High Pay Band. In the new pay system, with its four supplements and greater flexibility, the same JE evidence assigns the Weapon Technician to Supplement 2, while other trades in the RAF’s Trade Group 1 (TG1) (Aircraft Engineering) are assigned to Supplement 3. This does not mean there has been a reduction in the Weapon Technician’s technical status or intrinsic value. It reflects the fact that the other trades in TG1 continue to score higher in the JE process and therefore continue to be treated differently in pay terms.

No-one will take a pay cut on transition to the new model and Service personnel will continue to be eligible for any Government approved pay award. Incremental progressions will also continue to be a feature of the new pay model, though rationalised.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the UN responds effectively to allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse perpetrated by peacekeepers in the Central African Republic.

James Duddridge

These are terrible allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers in the Central African Republic. The UN and Member States must investigate these claims urgently and thoroughly and hold the perpetrators to account. The UK supports the efforts by the UN Secretary-General to eliminate all instances of sexual abuse and exploitation by UN peacekeepers.

The Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, The Rt Hon Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE, has made tackling sexual abuse and exploitation in peacekeeping missions one of her top priorities. The UK supported UN Security Council resolution 2272 which endorses the UN Secretary General’s decision to repatriate troops when there is credible evidence of sexual exploitation and abuse, and for troop contributing countries to keep the UN Secretary General informed of the progress of investigations.

The UK Government will provide £1 million to support the UN’s work to improve the suitability of deployed peacekeepers, design a reporting system that communities will trust, and ensure a stronger UN response to proven allegations. The UK will be hosting an international conference on UN peacekeeping in the autumn which will push for further progress on UN peacekeeping reform.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-01-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, by what process the trade supplement for an RAF weapon technician was decided under Armed Forces Pay Reform.

Penny Mordaunt

For Other Ranks, the Ministry of Defence uses a long-standing and rigorous process of Job Evaluation (JE) to determine the pay treatment of each trade. In the current binary pay model which consists of High and Low Pay Bands, JE evidence assigns the role of the RAF Weapon Technician to the High Pay Band. In the new pay system, with its four supplements and greater flexibility, the same JE evidence assigns the Weapon Technician to Supplement 2, while other trades in the RAF’s Trade Group 1 (TG1) (Aircraft Engineering) are assigned to Supplement 3. This does not mean there has been a reduction in the Weapon Technician’s technical status or intrinsic value. It reflects the fact that the other trades in TG1 continue to score higher in the JE process and therefore continue to be treated differently in pay terms.

No-one will take a pay cut on transition to the new model and Service personnel will continue to be eligible for any Government approved pay award. Incremental progressions will also continue to be a feature of the new pay model, though rationalised.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the UN peacekeeping force in the Central African Republic has sufficient resources to protect civilians and fulfil its mandate.

James Duddridge

The UK contributed £31.8 million to the UN Peacekeeping Budget for the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) in 2015/16.

The operation is focussing on restoring stability, preventing human rights abuses, and promoting reconciliation. The UK will work closely with UN Security Council partners to ensure that the protection of civilians remains a priority in the renewal of the mandate, and that the Mission has sufficient resources to fulfil it.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the new contract with junior doctors on recruitment in the NHS.

Ben Gummer

The independent Doctors and Dentists Review Body (DDRB) made recommendations for the reform of the junior doctor contract as a basis for national level negotiations. The new contract will be introduced from August 2016 and will be included in any evidence we provide to the DDRB for the 2017/18 pay round on the recruitment, retention and motivation of junior doctors.

Junior doctors are the backbone of National Health Service, but their current employment contract lets them down by failing to prevent some from working unsafe hours and not rewarding them fairly. This is why doctors deserve a new contract that will be fairer for doctors, safer for patients and juniors alike, better for training, and will better support a seven day NHS.

The contract will ensure that pay relates more fairly to actual work done; increase basic pay, recognising the professional nature of the role in a seven day NHS: and pay a higher rate for work at the most unsocial times. In addition, flexible pay premia will apply for: general practitioner trainees, to maintain current earning levels; other shortage specialties who would otherwise lose out under the new pay structure; those switching to shortage specialties; clinical academic trainees and public health trainees undertaking PhDs etc; and those undertaking approved academic/other work that benefits the wider NHS and improving patient care.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Veterans Welfare Service staff are permitted to represent ex-servicemen and women at tribunal hearings to contest War Pension Scheme decisions made by Veterans UK.

Mark Lancaster

Veterans Welfare Service staff are not permitted to act as representatives for veterans engaged in Pensions Appeal Tribunal hearings. They would, however, provide advice about the range of organisations that would be able to act as representatives, or explain how they could request someone of their own choosing.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-04-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to support carers assisting people with mental health conditions.

Alistair Burt

The Government recognises the invaluable contribution made by unpaid carers including those who care for people with mental health conditions and the importance of supporting them in their caring roles.

That is why we continue to support implementation of the improved rights for carers enshrined in the Care Act 2014. The Department has provided £104 million of funding to local authorities for these rights in 2015/16, which include an extended right to assessment and, for the first time, a duty on local authorities to meet carers’ eligible needs for support.

We have also made an additional £400 million available to the National Health Service between 2011 and 2015 to provide carers with breaks from their caring responsibilities to sustain them in their caring role. The equivalent annual allocation of £130 million for carers breaks is now included in the Better Care Fund.

In May 2014, NHS England published its action plan NHS England – Commitment to carers, it includes a series of commitments around eight priorities, which include raising the profile of carers, including young carers.

The Department is leading on the development of a new cross-Government National Carers Strategy that will look at what more can be done to support existing and new carers including those who care for people with mental health conditions. To support the development of the strategy we are currently conducting a national call for evidence. We want to engage with a wide range of individuals and organisations with experience of caring, to ensure our evidence reflects the diversity of experience of carers, and those for whom they care. The call for evidence was launched in March and will run until mid-summer 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of a seven-day elective service in the NHS on the number of hours worked by NHS staff; and if he will publish any such assessment.

Ben Gummer

The Government’s current plans for ensuring the same quality of care in hospitals on all days of the week are focussed on those with urgent and emergency care needs at weekends and those who are already inpatients. It is for individual health economies to determine if they wish to provide elective care at weekends, for example if they can use more efficiently additional resources that are available to meet urgent and emergency care needs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-02-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department paid out in attendance allowance in each of the last three years.

Justin Tomlinson

The Department publishes historic benefit expenditure and caseload data consistent with the annual Budget and Autumn Statements. These are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2015

“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-04-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will adopt recommendations 58 to 63 of the All Party Parliamentary Inquiry Report, Feeding Britain.

Priti Patel

As part of the ongoing development of the sanctions policy, we have already implemented many of the recommendations from the All Party Parliamentary Inquiry Report ‘Feeding Britain’ and Matthew Oakley’s independent review of sanctions, since they were published in 2014 and some are still being considered.

Where we identify an issue, we act to put it right. As with all our policies, we keep the operation of the sanction system under constant review to ensure that it continues to function effectively and fairly.