Daily Report Wednesday, 22 May 2019 This report shows written answers and statements provided on 22 May 2019 and the information is correct at the time of publication (06:31 P.M., 22 May 2019). For the latest information on written questions and answers, ministerial corrections, and written statements, please visit: http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/ CONTENTS ANSWERS 4 Clyde Naval Base: Unmanned ATTORNEY GENERAL 4 Air Vehicles 9 Attorney General: Sick Leave 4 Ministry of Defence: Brexit 10 BUSINESS, ENERGY AND Porton Down: Animal INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 4 Experiments 10 Construction: Trading DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND Standards 4 SPORT 11 Department for Business, Department for Digital, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Culture, Media and Sport: Sick Sick Leave 5 Leave 11 Females: Directors 5 Design 11 CABINET OFFICE 6 Internet: Offensive Weapons 12 Cabinet Office: Sick Leave 6 Internet: Safety 12 Cybercrime: Public Social Media: Freedom of Appointments 6 Expression 13 Government Departments: EDUCATION 13 Consultants 7 Academies: Autism 13 Government Departments: Children's Centres 14 Land 7 Education 14 Government Departments: Pupil Exclusions 15 Property 7 Pupils: Health 16 Government Departments: Staff 8 Pupils: Poverty 16 Prime Minister: Sick Leave 8 Social Mobility 17 DEFENCE 9 Social Services: Children 17 Armed Forces: Chemical Special Educational Needs: Weapons 9 Finance 18 Students: Finance 20 ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND HOME OFFICE 31 RURAL AFFAIRS 20 Asylum: Religion 31 Air Pollution 20 CCTV: Biometrics 32 Animal Welfare 20 Crimes of Violence: Cats and Dogs: Imports 21 Radicalism 32 Department for Environment, Forced Marriage: Young Food and Rural Affairs: Sick People 32 Leave 21 Immigrants: EU Nationals 33 Electronic Training Aids 22 Offenders: EU Nationals 33 Private Rented Housing: New Overseas Students: English Forest 22 Language 34 Veterinary Medicine: Migrant Police: Pensions 34 Workers 23 Refugees: Children 34 EXITING THE EUROPEAN UNION 24 Visas: Applications 35 Department for Exiting the HOUSE OF COMMONS European Union: Sick Leave 24 COMMISSION 35 FOREIGN AND Parliamentary Estate: Waste 35 COMMONWEALTH OFFICE 24 Parliamentary Estate: Waste Dong Samuel Lauk and Management 35 Aggrey Ezbon Idri 24 HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND South Sudan: Armed Conflict 25 LOCAL GOVERNMENT 36 South Sudan: Detainees 25 Buildings: Insulation 36 HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE 26 High Rise Flats: Birmingham 37 Asthma: Prescriptions 26 INTERNATIONAL TRADE 38 Baby Care Units: Mental Coal: Export Credit Health Services 26 Guarantees 38 Bowel Cancer: Young People 27 Design: Exports 38 Brain Cancer 27 JUSTICE 39 Department of Health and Ministry of Justice: Sick Leave 39 Social Care: Sick Leave 28 Trials: Ethnic Groups 39 Drugs: Prices 28 Young Offenders: Children in NHS: Drugs 29 Care 40 Pathology: Staff 29 Youth Justice System Review 41 Roaccutane: Side Effects 29 NORTHERN IRELAND 42 Urinary Tract Infections 30 Common Travel Area: Northern Ireland 42 Hospitals: Parking 42 Employment: Disability 51 Marriage (Same Sex Couples) WORK AND PENSIONS 51 Act 2013: Northern Ireland 42 Department for Work and Sovereignty: Northern Ireland 42 Pensions: Sick Leave 51 SPEAKER'S COMMITTEE ON Homelessness 52 THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION 43 Independent Case Examiner: European Parliament: Complaints 52 Elections 43 State Retirement Pensions: TRANSPORT 44 Reciprocal Arrangements 53 Department for Transport: Sick Universal Credit 53 Leave 44 Universal Credit: Housing 54 Heathrow Airport: Railways 44 WRITTEN STATEMENTS 55 High Speed 2 Railway Line 46 BUSINESS, ENERGY AND Motor Vehicles: Exhaust INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 55 Emissions 46 Contigency Fund update 55 Motor Vehicles: Lighting 46 Pre Competitiveness Council Roads: North Herefordshire 47 Statement 55 Shipping: Conditions of Register of Beneficial Owners Employment 47 of Overseas Entities Update 56 South Eastern Rail Franchise 47 HOME OFFICE 57 TREASURY 48 Modern Slavery 57 Electronic Publishing: VAT INTERNATIONAL TRADE 58 Zero Rating 48 Pre-Council: EU Foreign EU Budget: Contributions 48 Affairs Council (Trade) 27 May Small Businesses: Tax Yields 49 2019 58 State Retirement Pensions: JUSTICE 59 British Nationals Abroad 49 Interim response to The Treasury: Sick Leave 49 Sentencing Code Volume 1: Report (Law Com No382) 59 WOMEN AND EQUALITIES 50 [Subject Heading to be Assigned] 50 Notes: Questions marked thus [R] indicate that a relevant interest has been declared. Questions with identification numbers of 900000 or greater indicate that the question was originally tabled as an oral question and has since been unstarred. ANSWERS ATTORNEY GENERAL Attorney General: Sick Leave Tom Brake: [254076] To ask the Attorney General, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department; and what the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period. Lucy Frazer: The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has had officials take sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months. However, we are not in a position to release this data, as due to the small size of the office this could lead to individuals becoming identifiable. The AGO is highly committed to the health and wellbeing of its staff, and works to help them to manage stress in the workplace. The AGO offers a range of guidance and services in place to support staff, including launching its own wellbeing statement and strategy, and receiving the commitment of the Executive Board to wellbeing. The staff volunteer led wellbeing group has organised numerous events for colleagues to help improve wellbeing and manage stress. The AGO also offers free counselling services for staff members. BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY Construction: Trading Standards David Morris: [254821] To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Trading Standards in protecting consumers from rogue and incompetent builders in the construction industry. Kelly Tolhurst: [Holding answer 20 May 2019]: No such assessment has been made, but the Government is considering options to ensure that our system of consumer protection provides a robust response to both local and national threats for the Consumer White Paper. The Government has endorsed the TrustMark scheme to reduce the number of rogue and incompetent builders; and to identify local traders who have undergone independent checks for both trade competence and good trading practice. This scheme gives consumers increased confidence and ability to choose registered businesses including builders who adhere to and maintain high standards. TrustMark is actively involved with Trading Standards to provide further protection to consumers affected by rogue builders. Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Sick Leave Tom Brake: [254064] To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department; and what the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period. Andrew Stephenson: The number of employees in the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) during the calendar year of 2018 who were absent due to mental health reasons, including stress was 59, this represented 1.5% of the total workforce. The proportion of sickness absence related to mental health reasons, including stress, was 23% of the overall sickness absence for the department for the same time period. The estimated cost to the department over this period for employees taking sickness absence, is estimated at £1,421,738.30. BEIS is committed to supporting the wellbeing of its staff, including helping them to manage stress in the workplace, and has a Wellbeing Strategy that includes a specific focus on supporting good mental health in its employees. This strategy is based in part on the Civil Service Health and Wellbeing Strategy that also includes the promotion of good mental health for all as one of its five priorities. Through a programme of wellbeing events and speakers, a growing cohort of mental health first aiders, promotion and signposting of the employee assistance programme, and e- learning packages for staff on stress, resilience and wellbeing, the Department has seen continued awareness and engagement on wellbeing and good mental health. Females: Directors Mr Jim Cunningham: [255270] To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the number of women in senior roles at UK energy companies. Kelly Tolhurst: [Holding answer 21 May 2019]: Government does not make assessments of the number of women in senior roles at UK energy companies, but alongside sponsoring the Hampton-Alexander Review on FTSE Women Leaders and promoting diversity in the energy sector, we support the work of POWERful Women which collates data on gender diversity in senior and middle management levels in the energy sector - which can be found at: http://powerfulwomen.org.uk/board-statistics-by-company/ Strong progress has been made in that the representation of women on FTSE 100 boards has increased from 12.5% in 2011 to 31.6% in May 2019 and among executive directors has doubled from 5.5% to 10.3% in the same period.