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  • Lord Higgins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Higgins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Higgins on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether EU member states within the Schengen area are issuing a standard form of passport or other document to those they accept as asylum seekers or whether individual countries decide on the format to use; whether they have examined any sample of such document; and if so, whether they will place in the Library of the House any examples they may have.

    Lord Bates

    Under Article 25 of the Qualification Directive asylum seekers accepted as refugees in an EU member state will be issued a refugee status travel document, in the form set out in the Schedule to the Geneva Convention, for the purpose of travel outside their territory unless there are compelling reasons of national security or public order which prevent this.

    It is normal practice for member states to distribute specimen documents between states. All specimen documents are stored securely in the UK.

  • Baroness Hussein-Ece – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Hussein-Ece – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hussein-Ece on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to support the Manchester-based charity Broken Rainbow.

    Lord Bates

    The Government is committed to tackling domestic violence and abuse. Broken Rainbow plays an important role in supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender victims of domestic abuse, and the Home Office has informed Broken Rainbow that it will be renewing funding to support its helpline for 2016/17.

  • Baroness Jowell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Baroness Jowell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jowell on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps the Cabinet Office intends to take to increase the number of profit-with-purpose businesses in the UK.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The Government is committed to growing the social investment market, as shown through initiatives like Big Society Capital and the Social Investment Tax Relief. Cabinet Office recognises that “profit with purpose” businesses are a growing and important part of the social economy. Cabinet Office is engaging with stakeholders to better identify, support and promote this sector.

  • Baroness Jowell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Jowell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jowell on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the potential contribution of profit-with-purpose companies to UK gross value added.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Non-profit institutions accounted for 3.1 per cent of real GDP in 2014, with the output of this sector increasing 0.9 per cent over the same period. ONS data do not produce statistics for ‘profit-with-purpose’ companies.

  • Baroness Jowell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Jowell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jowell on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what policies they intend to implement in recognition of the contribution of the first 1,000 days of a child’s life to its subsequent academic and other attainment.

    Lord Nash

    As the Prime Minister made clear in his speech on 11 January 2016, the government understands the importance of those first crucial years of life and that we need to get parenting and the early years right if we are to improve children’s life chances. The government will be publishing a Life Chances strategy in the spring which will set out a comprehensive plan to fight disadvantage and extend opportunity, including policies to give children the best start in life.

    The government is already implementing a range of policies which recognise the contribution of the first 1001 days of a child’s life to its subsequent academic and other attainment, which are detailed below.

    Healthy Child Programme

    The evidence based Healthy Child Programme is the universal service offered to every family. Delivered by health visitors, the programme centres on a series of screening tests, immunisations, developmental reviews, and information and guidance to support families of children aged 0-5 years. Since October 2015 there have been five mandated child development reviews, to provide a national standard format to ensure universal coverage and ongoing improvements in public health. Effective implementation of the Healthy Child Programme should lead to readiness for school and improved learning.

    Best Start in Life programme

    One of Public Health England’s (PHE) national priorities is to ensure that every child has the best start in life, so that they are ready to learn at age two and ready for school at five. The Best Start in Life programme provides national leadership to support local areas to take a whole system approach to commission and provide evidence based services and interventions which improve child health outcomes and reduce inequalities. PHE also has has also published a range of professional guidance for best practice to support families in the first 1001 days.

    Integrated Review (IR)

    In 2013, DfE ran a joint Integrated Review pilot with the Department of Health (DH) which focused on two-year-olds in registered childcare settings. This was to test out the most effective way of undertaking the early years progress check with the universal DH Healthy Child Programme and providing parents with a holistic review of their child’s development. In 2015, we provided funding to support the roll out of the IR by all local authorities in England. We are currently piloting the second phase of the IR with eight local authority pilot areas to test different local models of how early years practitioners can collaborate with health professionals to identify parents of two year-olds not in registered childcare settings, so that their children can also benefit from an Integrated Review.

    Early Learning for Two Year Olds

    There is a strong body of evidence that shows good quality childcare and pre-school provision, especially from age two and upwards, has positive benefits on children’s all round attainment and behaviour. For this reason the government introduced the early learning for two-year-olds programme in September 2013 for 130,000 of the most disadvantaged children in England. In September 2014, the programme was later expanded to 260,000 of the most disadvantaged children in England. The programme is becoming increasingly popular amongst eligible parents.

  • Baroness Jowell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Jowell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jowell on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many hours per week (1) primary, and (2) secondary, school pupils spent participating in sport in 2015 compared to 2010.

    Lord Nash

    In both 2014/15 and 2009/10, primary schools reported spending around 2 hours per week on Physical Education.

    In 2009/10, secondary school pupils spent on average around 1 hour and 45 minutes in PE each week. No equivalent figures are available for secondary school pupils for 2014/15.

    Through the primary PE and sport premium, primary schools have received over £450m of ring-fenced funding to improve PE and sport. We have committed to continue this funding until 2020. In December 2015, we published a research report looking at how schools used the primary PE and sport premium and the impact of the fund on PE and sports provision. The findings show that 87% of schools reported that the quality of PE teaching had increased since the introduction of the premium. 84% of schools reported an increase in pupil engagement in PE during curricular time and in the levels of participation in extra-curricular activities. Meanwhile, 70% of schools reported that participation in inter-school competitions had increased and over half of schools reported an increase in intra-school competitions.

  • Lord Lexden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Lexden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lexden on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total volume of milk supplied to schools in (1) 1986, and (2) 2015.

    Lord Nash

    Information on the total volume of milk supplied to schools in 1986 and 2015 is not held centrally.

    The School Food Standards require that milk is made available to all pupils. Where milk is served as part of lunch, it is provided free to all pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 and to pupils of all ages who are eligible for free school meals.

  • Lord Mawson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Mawson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they decided to cancel the transfer of police custody healthcare services to the NHS after several years of preparation; whether that change in policy was announced to Parliament; and what assessment they have made of how that decision will ensure equivalent standards and quality of healthcare and safety of patients in all police services across England and Wales.

    Lord Bates

    The decision not to pursue the transfer of custody healthcare commissioning from Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to NHS England was taken in the context of wider decisions about the Provisional Police Funding Settlement for 2016/17, details of which were announced to Parliament in a written statement by the Minister of State for Policing, Crime and Criminal Justice and Victims on 17 December.

    The Government is clear that Police and Crime Commissioners should retain full flexibility to be able to prioritise resources towards police custody healthcare functions based on their local needs.

    A number of sources of information and guidance are available to PCCs to inform their commissioning of custody healthcare services.

    The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1983 (PACE) sets out the statutory framework for custodial care and the rights and entitlements of a detainee in police custody. The College of Policing, as the professional body for policing, has published Approved Professional Practice (APP) on custody and detention. Police officers and staff are expected to have regard to the APP in discharging their responsibilities.The APP references wider guidance published by professional medical bodies including the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. In addition there is a NHS England national service specification setting out clinical standards for the commissioning and provision of police custody healthcare functions. This is currently being reviewed and updated.

    In many police force areas the close ties which PCCs have established to local NHS England commissioners over recent years have already helped to drive up the standards and quality of provision. On 11 February my Rt Hon Friend the Home Secretary and my Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Health wrote to Police and Crime Commissioners and NHS England Commissioners encouraging them to continue to build upon this work to further improve healthcare service delivery.

    Any recommendations made by the forthcoming independent review of deaths and serious incidents in police custody will be carefully considered in due course.

  • Lord Mawson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Mawson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the decision to cancel the transfer of police custody healthcare services to the NHS, what assessment they have made of the minimum standards of training, skills and competence for healthcare professionals working in a police custody setting; and what steps they have taken to advise Police and Crime Commissioners about the need to adhere to such minimum standards for all healthcare professionals, as recommended by the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine, the UK Association of Forensic Nurses, and the College of Paramedics.

    Lord Bates

    The decision not to pursue the transfer of custody healthcare commissioning from Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to NHS England was taken in the context of wider decisions about the Provisional Police Funding Settlement for 2016/17, details of which were announced to Parliament in a written statement by the Minister of State for Policing, Crime and Criminal Justice and Victims on 17 December.

    The Government is clear that Police and Crime Commissioners should retain full flexibility to be able to prioritise resources towards police custody healthcare functions based on their local needs.

    A number of sources of information and guidance are available to PCCs to inform their commissioning of custody healthcare services.

    The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1983 (PACE) sets out the statutory framework for custodial care and the rights and entitlements of a detainee in police custody. The College of Policing, as the professional body for policing, has published Approved Professional Practice (APP) on custody and detention. Police officers and staff are expected to have regard to the APP in discharging their responsibilities.The APP references wider guidance published by professional medical bodies including the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. In addition there is a NHS England national service specification setting out clinical standards for the commissioning and provision of police custody healthcare functions. This is currently being reviewed and updated.

    In many police force areas the close ties which PCCs have established to local NHS England commissioners over recent years have already helped to drive up the standards and quality of provision. On 11 February my Rt Hon Friend the Home Secretary and my Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Health wrote to Police and Crime Commissioners and NHS England Commissioners encouraging them to continue to build upon this work to further improve healthcare service delivery.

    Any recommendations made by the forthcoming independent review of deaths and serious incidents in police custody will be carefully considered in due course.

  • Lord Mawson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Mawson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why forensic medical services are an exception under Schedule 2 to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014; why such healthcare services are considered equivalent to other healthcare settings and whether they are subject to the same level of scrutiny; and whether they plan to amend those Regulations to allow the Care Quality Commission powers of inspection of healthcare facilities in police custody.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Care Quality Commission (CQC) document The scope of registration (CQC, 2015) includes a section about those health and care services that lie outside its duties to regulate, and for which providers are not required to register. Within this section, the document classes forensic medical services as a “third party exemption”, because these services are commissioned and paid for directly by police bodies, which are considered to be the “customer” of these services. This differs from healthcare services commissioned and funded by the National Health Service, in which services are arranged and organised for the benefit of patients. A copy of The scope of registration is attached.

    Nevertheless, the CQC regularly takes part in joint inspections of police healthcare services, in partnership with Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation. The Department, with the CQC and others, is currently considering whether to amend Schedule 2 to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 in order to remove the current exemption, and strengthen the CQC’s contribution to these joint inspection arrangements.