Through the Good Work Plan, the Government is taking forward the largest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation. In order to improve fairness for workers, we have committed to introduce legislation to ensure that tips left to workers will go to them in full.

We expect over a million workers to benefit from new rules on tips, many of whom are in low-paid jobs. Consumers will have reassurance that the money they leave in good faith is going to the staff, as they intended.

We have been working closely with stakeholders and across Government to prepare this legislation and will lay measures in Parliament as soon as possible.

The Department for Transport published data (1 October 2018) shows that Northern Rail paid almost £900,000 in passenger compensation since the start of the current franchise to 2017/18. This figure includes other discretionary compensation payments made following complaints of poor service, as well as payments for delays and cancellations.

The number of cancellations and partial cancellations by Northern is monitored by the Rail North Partnership on behalf of the Department and Transport for the North. In line with the provisions of the Franchise Agreement, each year’s results are used to calculate an annual financial ‘performance sum payment’. Northern is required to reinvest this amount into performance improvement schemes aimed at raising performance for the benefit of passengers. The amount of these payments in each year is commercially confidential.

I refer my Hon Friend to the answer given to him on 21 February 2019, UIN 222621.

Operational decisions are for each fire and rescue authority to make as part of the integrated risk management planning process. The authority is best placed to act on the professional advice of their Chief Fire Officer.

We continue to stress to the Government of Bangladesh, both in public and in private, the importance of respect for human rights and the rule of law. We expect those in detention, including Khaleda Zia, to be treated in accordance with Bangladesh's international commitments on human rights. We regularly engage with the Government of Bangladesh on the treatment of those in detention and on the integrity and independence of the judicial process.

The Foreign Secretary wrote to Bangladesh Foreign Minister, AK Abdul Momen, this year to express our concerns about the general election in December 2018 and to encourage the Government of Bangladesh to maintain dialogue with opposition parties and civil society. The Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific reiterated these concerns and the importance of respect for human rights when he met the Prime Minister and ministers during his visit to Bangladesh in April 2019.

The Government has announced its intention to legislate to ensure that all tips left to workers are kept by them in full. In some sectors, tips are a significant part of staff income. It is only right that workers keep the full value of tips left in recognition of good service and hard work.

This commitment was published as part of the Government’s Good Work Plan, which represents the largest upgrade to workplace rights in a generation. Full details of legislation on tips will be published in due course.

I met with the Premier League on 31 January 2019. The Secretary of State met with them on 30 October 2018. The funding of grassroots football was discussed, and on both occasions the Premier League reaffirmed their commitment to invest over £100million in each of the next three years towards improving community football programmes and facilities across the whole of the country in partnership with the Football Association (FA) and Government.

Sport England invests £18million each year into football facilities on behalf of the DCMS through ring-fenced exchequer contributions to the Football Foundation.

This funding, matched in partnership with the FA and the Premier League, sees more money than ever before going towards priorities identified in the National Football Facilities Strategy. The Strategy sets new challenging targets to significantly improve the nation’s facilities stock over the next 10 years with an increase in 3G pitches is a key strategic priority. This will be delivered through initiatives like the “Parklike Hubs” programme that predominantly aims to deliver multi pitch 3G hubs for community use at strategic locations across the country.

Local authorities are important stakeholders in the implementation of the National Football Facilities Strategy as so much of the stock of facilities are in public ownership. Sport England is working closely with the FA to develop Local Football Facility Plans for every Local Authority in England. The plans will be in place by 2020 and will identify local priorities where investment in grassroots facilities is needed the most.

Sport England invests £18million each year into football facilities on behalf of the DCMS through ring-fenced exchequer contributions to the Football Foundation.

This funding, matched in partnership with the FA and the Premier League, sees more money than ever before going towards priorities identified in the National Football Facilities Strategy. The Strategy sets new challenging targets to significantly improve the nation’s facilities stock over the next 10 years with an increase in 3G pitches is a key strategic priority. This will be delivered through initiatives like the “Parklike Hubs” programme that predominantly aims to deliver multi pitch 3G hubs for community use at strategic locations across the country.

Local authorities are important stakeholders in the implementation of the National Football Facilities Strategy as so much of the stock of facilities are in public ownership. Sport England is working closely with the FA to develop Local Football Facility Plans for every Local Authority in England. The plans will be in place by 2020 and will identify local priorities where investment in grassroots facilities is needed the most.

We want all schools to maximise the use of their facilities – for the mutual benefit of schools and their communities. This is an ambition set out in the Government's Sporting Future strategy and the Department for Education’s Governance Handbook for schools.

Sport England’s 'Use Our School' resource has been designed to support schools to open up their facilities for community use and to help those that are already open to stay open.

The new cross-departmental School Sport and Physical Activity Action Plan, which will be published in the spring, will also consider how school facilities can best be used to encourage all children to play more sports, including football, and to be more active.

We do not collect data on redeployment opportunities for firefighters.

The availability of redeployment opportunities is a matter for individual fire and rescue authorities as employers.

DfT published research in October 2018 on the effectiveness of the rail passenger compensation regimes: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-delays-and-compensation-2018. The operators provide the Department with Delay Repay figures annually which we publish here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/744567/2017-2018-passenger-compensation-figures.pdf

Northern introduced Delay Repay from 15 minutes (DR15) in December 2018.

​We are aware of the proposal for a cull of hippos on the Luangwa River in Zambia. Our High Commissioner has raised the matter with the Zambian Government. The importance of protecting wildlife was discussed with the Minister of Tourism and Arts at the October 2018 Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London. Our High Commissioner also discussed conservation issues with President Lungu in November 2018.

Ministers have not had any recent meetings with representatives of the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and we are not aware of proposals to reduce the number of fire stations and engines in the city region.

As required by the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State will review the operation of the Pubs Code and the effectiveness of the Pubs Code Adjudicator for the period to 31 March 2019. The Government is currently considering the format of the review and will ensure all those with an interest, including tenants and pub companies, have an opportunity to contribute.

As required by the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State will review the operation of the Pubs Code and the effectiveness of the Pubs Code Adjudicator for the period to 31 March 2019. The Government is currently considering the format of the review and will ensure all those with an interest, including tenants and pub companies, have an opportunity to contribute.