Tag: Tom Blenkinsop

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-10-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Pensions Regulator on using its powers to oblige Tata Steel to increase its support for the British Steel Pension Scheme.

Richard Harrington

The Pensions Regulator is independent, and how it uses its powers is a matter for the regulator. The Secretary of State and I regularly meet the independent Pensions Regulator about a variety of matters.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-01-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle the increase in sexual offences on Teesside.

Karen Bradley

Rape and sexual violence are devastating crimes and the Government has made protecting women and girls from violence and supporting victims and survivors of sexual violence a key priority. We want victims to have the confidence to report these crimes, knowing they will get the support they need and that everything will be done to bring offenders to justice.

These are under-reported crimes, and the Office for National Statistics report that recent increases in police recorded crime are likely due to improved recording by the police and an increase in the willingness of victims to come forward and report to the police. The number of prosecutions and convictions for sexual offences are at their highest ever levels.

The Government continues to support improvements to the criminal justice system’s response to victims of sexual violence. We have supported the publication of data on rape for every police force in the country as a basis for improving recording and investigations of rape and ensure that guidance on investigating and prosecuting rape is implemented in every police force area. The Rape Action Plan, led by the Crown Prosecution Service and the police, is helping to ensure that every report of rape is treated seriously and every victim is given the help they deserve.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he was made aware of the decision by Air Products to exit its energy-from-waste business.

Anna Soubry

The Government engages with Air Products in relation to their Tees Valley energy-from-waste plant at both Official and Ministerial level. My Department was first made aware of this decision on 4th April and will be working with the Local Enterprise Partnership to explore the impacts of this announcement.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-06-09.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to provide any funding for a further assessment of the Redcar SSI site as recommended in the independent report, Tees Valley: opportunity unlimited, published on 7 June 2016.

Greg Hands

I welcome Lord Heseltine’s independent report on the Tees Valley following the closure of the SSI steelworks. As noted in the report, the Government is providing funding for an intermediate body to manage the site prior to the creation of the Mayoral Development Corporation, and is funding site assessments in 2016-17 in order to understand the scale and complexity of the SSI site. The case for any further Government funding will be considered in light of those assessments.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the future of the UK steel industry.

Mr Robin Walker

As we prepare for negotiations on the UK’s exit from the EU, we will continue to consult with a broad range of stakeholders within Government and beyond in order to secure the best possible deal for the whole UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of prohibited steps orders on access to families across the Scottish English border; and on the movement of families and individuals across that border.

Dr Phillip Lee

The welfare of the child is the court’s paramount consideration when making a prohibited steps order and such orders restricting the freedom of a parent to choose his or her place of residence are exceptional.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department received any bid from steel companies with plants in the UK to supply plate steel for the Successor class of nuclear submarines.

Harriett Baldwin

The management of the steel procurement process for the Successor Programme is the responsibility of the Prime Contractor, BAE Systems. The Ministry of Defence’s involvement with suppliers was limited to conducting a technical assessment during the tendering process to ensure bids met specifications.

The tendering process was progressed and concluded by the Prime Contractor, no viable UK bid was received for this part of the Successor submarine manufacture. Other stages of construction will include grades of steel manufactured by British suppliers and I encourage them to take the opportunity to bid.

Overall, 85% of BAE System’s supply chain for the new submarines is based in the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if (a) statutory redundancy payments and (b) final salaries will be paid from the Government’s support funding package for those affected by recent redundancies in the steel industry.

Anna Soubry

I can confirm that the support package covers both of these aspects. The money allocated towards redundancies factored in payments for owed salaries and does not affect the money for training and regeneration of the local economy. I also note that without Government action, SSI workers would not have been paid their salaries in September.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2015-10-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to address the reported shortfall of £107 million in the Department’s 2015 budget and the consequent imbalance in funding for mental health services.

Alistair Burt

With the financial controls package and help from system leads, we are working towards delivering a balanced position against the overall spending controls in this financial year, despite an unprecedented level of deficit in the National Health Service provider sector.

The NHS must now put in place cost-control measures we have introduced, like clamping down on agency spend, limiting the use of management consultants and making sure trusts have to justify the pay package of any manager who is paid more than the Prime Minister, while we continue to work with hospitals on ways to improve productivity and reduce waste.

This year, we are investing £173 million of additional money in mental health, including £30 million for services for young people with eating disorders. We are taking a targeted and phased approach to the additional investment, to enable local areas to develop additional capacity and a collaborative approach across health, education and children’s services. This is what is needed to make a real difference.

We remain committed to providing the additional £1.25 billion investment in mental health services over the next five years, as announced in the Budget 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2015-10-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve tests for Lyme disease to ensure early diagnosis.

Jane Ellison

Public Health England regularly review new tests for Lyme disease and participate in a Europe wide Quality Assurance programme to ensure that the most suitable tests available are used.