Author: admin

  • Lord Boateng – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Boateng – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Boateng on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations of the report of the Harvard Global Health Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Independent Panel on Global Response to Ebola published in The Lancet online on 22 November 2015, with particular reference to the creation of a Global Health Committee of the UN Security Council.

    Baroness Verma

    The Ebola crisis demonstrated the need for reform of the international system of response to disease outbreaks, including reform of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Several independent groups have made important recommendations including the Harvard Global Health Institute and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Independent Panel. The WHO Director General commissioned an independent Advisory Group on Reform of WHO’s work in Outbreaks and Emergencies with Health and Humanitarian Consequences. This group considered the Harvard and London School reports but did not include the creation of a Global Health Committee of the United Nations (UN) Security Council in the recommendations they have made to the WHO. Her Majesty’s Government (HMG) supports the Advisory Group recommendations which aim to equip and empower WHO to deliver more effectively in outbreak response and to fulfil its leadership and coordination role in humanitarian crises and to do so with independent oversight. HMG will assess a progress update on WHO’s implementation of these reforms at the World Health Assembly in May.

  • Baroness Burt of Solihull – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Burt of Solihull – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Burt of Solihull on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why publication of the research by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Equality and Human Rights Commission into pregnancy discrimination has been delayed, and when the final report can be expected.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The final reports into Pregnancy and Maternity-related Discrimination and Disadvantage in the Workplace were published on 22 March 2016, together with the Government response to recommendations made by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

    We had intended to publish the final reports in December 2015, but this did not prove possible as the extensive research reports took longer than expected to finalise.

  • Baroness Deech – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Deech – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Deech on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Iran following the announcement by the Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon that Iran will pay $7,000 to the families of suicide bombers and other terrorists who die in the process of attacking any Israeli.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We raised the issue of payments to families of suicide bombers with the Iranian government, and are seeking clarification over the reported remarks about providing funds to the families of suicide bombers. We condemn any support for groups which pursue an ideology of violence that directly undermines the prospects for peace in the region.

  • Baroness Deech – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Deech – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Deech on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Iran concerning the announcement by Iranian state media that an additional $600,000 has been added by them to the existing cash reward for killing Salman Rushdie.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have consistently been clear that threats to Mr Rushdie are completely unacceptable. Our Chargé d’Affaires in Tehran raised our strong concerns with the Iranian government on 29 February about these recent developments.

  • Baroness Garden of Frognal – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Garden of Frognal – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Garden of Frognal on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to ensure that there is adequate funding for children with special educational needs in early years education.

    Lord Nash

    We have already announced over £1bn funding for the early years entitlements within the ring-fenced Dedicated Schools Grant by 2019-20, which includes £300m to uplift the funding rate to providers. We are also providing protection for high needs funding that will ensure that the level of funding rises in proportion to the number of children, including those under 5. This will mean that local authorities continue to have the flexibility to target funding where it is most needed to help children with special educational needs and disabilities and their families, including the youngest children. Further consideration will be given to funding for children with special educational needs in early years education as part of our consultation later this year.

    Local authorities are required by law to secure free entitlement places for parents that want their child to take them up. The Government is committed to ensuring that all families have access to high quality, flexible and affordable childcare and parents with children with special educational needs should have the same opportunities as other parents through access to high quality childcare. The Children and Families Act requires local authorities to have a ‘local offer’ which includes a statement on how they intend to tailor the childcare on offer for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Early implementation of 30 hours from September 2016 provides a real opportunity to develop innovative approaches to providing flexible childcare for working parents whose children are disabled or have special educational needs.

    Through Early Implementation, York, Northumberland, Newham and Wigan are among 8 Local Authorities delivering the 30 hours entitlement from September 2016, a year earlier than planned. This will include delivering targeted places focusing on children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

    They will also be supported by Early Implementer Innovator areas including Brighton and Hove, Hampshire and Trafford, who will test the offer and how it works under specific circumstances, including developing approaches to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

  • Baroness Garden of Frognal – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Garden of Frognal – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Garden of Frognal on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to ensure that adequate ring-fenced funding is provided to local authorities to enable them successfully to deliver the Government’s childcare provision targets.

    Lord Nash

    We have already announced over £1bn funding for the early years entitlements within the ring-fenced Dedicated Schools Grant by 2019-20, which includes £300m to uplift the funding rate to providers. The increase to the funding rate is based on robust evidence from the Review of the Cost of Childcare. We have made clear our commitment to maximise the amount of this funding which reaches front line childcare providers, and will consult on proposals for achieving this as part of our consultation on early years funding reform later this year.

  • Baroness Garden of Frognal – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Garden of Frognal – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Garden of Frognal on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the value of strategic local approaches to play, and the case for local authorities to submit regional play strategies to them for review.

    Lord Nash

    I refer my Noble Lady to the answer given on 8 March to PQ 29737, which I have also set out below:

    The Department for Education recognises that play has an important role in supporting all young children to develop and prepare for later learning.

    Play is covered in the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage framework which states: “Each area of learning and development must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity.”

    The staff working in early years settings as Early Years Educators (level 3) and Early Years Teachers (graduates) are required to have an understanding different pedagogical approaches, including the role of play in supporting early learning and development. The criteria for the Early Years Educator and standards for Early Years Teacher Status qualifications are set by the department.

    Ofsted registers childcare provision on the Early Years Register and the General Childcare Register and conducts a regular cycle of inspection to ensure that provision meets the required quality and safety standards.

    In judging the quality and standards of early years provision, Ofsted inspectors must assess the extent to which the learning and care provided by the setting meets the needs of the range of children who attend, including the needs of any children who have special educational needs or disabilities. At August 2015, 85 per cent of providers on the Early Years Register were rated good or outstanding for overall effectiveness. This is an increase of 11 percentage points since 2012.

    Local Authorities provide and offer Continuous Professional Development and training to early years settings; some of which may include training on play. However, it is not a requirement for local authorities to deliver regional play training as it is already a requirement in the Early Years Foundation Stage to cover play in a setting.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the cost of abolishing the National Patient Safety Agency.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    An internal report Abolition of the National Patient Safety Agency, Transition and closure (July 2012) states that “In total, the savings secured through closing the Agency have been calculated to be approximately £9.3 million per annum … The vast majority of the Agency’s cost base related to personnel. A significant amount of cost saving was secured through proactive management of headcount through restructuring and redundancy programmes.”

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are (1) the set up costs, and (2) the running costs, of the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    In the first year, the setting up costs and the running costs of the Healthcare Safety Investigations Branch will be £3.6 million. The Healthcare Safety Investigations Branch will sit within NHS Improvement and therefore other costs, such as premises and back office functions, will be met by NHS Improvement.

    The budgets of arm’s length bodies are agreed on an annual basis, subject to business planning. The budget for the Healthcare Safety Investigations Branch will be set through this process.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch will be responsible for overseeing the National Reporting and Learning System.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch will not be responsible for overseeing the National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS). The national safety functions, including the responsibility for overseeing the NRLS, will be transferring to NHS Improvement from 1 April 2016. The Government announced this decision in July 2015.