Category: Speeches

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of hospital shifts breaching the national price caps for NHS agency staff occurred on patient safety grounds in the last year for which figures are available.

    Alistair Burt

    Last year the Government introduced a series of tough financial controls to help the National Health Service tackle overspending on agency staff, including an hourly price cap. These controls include a provision for any trusts that need to override the price caps on exceptional patient safety grounds. Trusts report any such overrides on a weekly basis to NHS Improvement.

    The latest information released by NHS Improvement on the number of trusts reporting using shifts in excess of the price caps from 23 November 2015 to 7 March 2016 is available here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foi-agency-shifts-exceeding-the-price-caps-by-trust

    “

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-06-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the UK funding available to support refugee children in state schools in Jordan and Lebanon can also be made available to voluntary organisations for the same purpose.

    Baroness Verma

    The UK is supporting the Governments of Jordan and Lebanon to deliver the landmark commitments made at the London Syria Conference to enable every refugee and vulnerable host community child to access education by the end of the 2016/2017 school year. UK funding will be aligned with the plans of partner governments and a range of delivery mechanisms are being considered. Our approach is not exclusive: programmes will be implemented through partners who can deliver increases in access to quality education, quickly, efficiently and at scale.

    The UK has worked with NGOs and voluntary organisations to provide support in both Jordan and Lebanon and will consider partnering with those that can demonstrate the ability to deliver effective results in line with Government strategies, progress towards the London Conference goals and offer value for money.

  • Lord Birt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Birt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Birt on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the success of Team GB at the Rio Olympics, and of Wales in the European Football Championship, whether they will review the effectiveness of the governance of English football.

    Lord Ashton of Hyde

    Team GB success at Rio and the achievement of the Welsh football team reaching the semi-final at the European Championships have ensured a memorable summer for sport. Government wants English football to enjoy similar success on the international stage and we are targeting public funding at grassroots sport through increased investment in facilities, coaching and projects that boost participation.

    The Football Association, like all UK sports bodies and organisations that want to continue to receive public funding, will have to adhere to the new Code of Governance announced in the government’s sport strategy, Sporting Future, in December 2015. The code aims to ensure that the highest levels of transparency, ethical standards and leadership are present across sport in this country.

  • Lord Willis of Knaresborough – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Lord Willis of Knaresborough – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough on 2016-10-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what the new platform for providing back-office services to Research Councils will be; when it will be operational; and what plans they have for the safe migration of services to the new platform.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    No decisions have been taken beyond what has already been announced by the Department. The detailed plan will be developed in consultation with Partner Organisations and Unions.

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andrew Stephenson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of provision of play opportunities for children with disabilities and complex needs.

    Edward Timpson

    Play has an important role in supporting all young children to develop and prepare for later learning. The importance of play is recognised in the Early Years Foundation Stage framework[1], 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. Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, to think about problems, and relate to others. Children learn by leading their own play, and by taking part in play which is guided by adults.”

    Early Years educators and Early Years teachers are required to have an understanding of different pedagogical approaches, including the role of play in supporting early learning and development. It is for individual schools and settings to provide opportunities for play for their children and pupils, including those with special educational needs.

    We welcome the report published by Sense and their continuing efforts to support deafblind children and young people.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework–2

    “

  • Jamie Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jamie Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of regional variations in the level of education provision for children with cerebral palsy.

    Edward Timpson

    The reforms introduced in September 2014 will ensure that all children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) aged 0 to 25, including those with cerebral palsy, have improved access to the support they need.

    Local authorities are responsible for meeting the educational needs of all children with SEND within their local area. They must co-ordinate education, health and care provision for individual children and ensure that young people and parents are involved in discussions about their individual support and about local provision more generally. Statutory Local Offers published by each local authority must set out what support is available for all children and young people with SEND in their area, including those with more complex needs.

    The reforms detailed in the SEND Code of Practice were drawn up in consultation with a wide range of interested parties, many of whom represented the interests of children and young people with specific impairments. They are intended to improve outcomes for every child or young person with SEND by placing them at the heart of a system designed to respond to their individual needs and aspirations.

    The Department has not assessed the impact of the SEND Code of Practice, or regional variations in provision, on the basis of any specific impairment but is monitoring implementation closely.

    This monitoring includes inputs from annual data collection; termly surveys of local authorities and Parent Carer Forums; and feedback from specialist SEND Advisers and funded voluntary sector organisations. From May 2016, this monitoring will be enhanced by a new joint Ofsted/CQC inspection framework for SEND, which is currently the subject of a national consultation.

    Schools are required by the Children and Families Act 2014 to identify the SEN of the pupils they support and to use their best endeavours to make sure that they get the support they need. Teachers are expected to be able to adapt their teaching to the needs of all pupils, and to have an understanding of the factors that can inhibit learning and how to overcome them.

    To support the school workforce, the Department has funded almost 11,000 SEN Coordinators to attain Masters-level national awards between 2009 and 2014, at a cost of almost £33 million; is funding SEND conferences for school leaders and supporting the development of a ‘SEND gateway’ for education professionals, which offers a wide range of online training and information.

  • Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to respond to the recommendations in the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission’s 2015 State of the Nation Annual Report.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The government is grateful to the Commission for its wide-ranging and comprehensive report and will study the findings and recommendations very carefully. As the Prime Minister announced on 11 January, we are committed to publishing a Life Chances Strategy in the Spring.The Strategy will set out a comprehensive plan to fight disadvantage and extend opportunity, including a wider set of non-statutory measures on root causes of child poverty such as family breakdown, problem debt, and drug and alcohol dependency. The government looks forward to working with the new Social Mobility Commission, which will continue to play a very important role in the drive to promote and increase social mobility in the years to come.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) suicides and (b) attempted suicides were recorded as having taken place on the strategic road network in each year since 2009-10; and what work Highways England has undertaken with the Samaritans related to suicides on roads.

    Andrew Jones

    Highways England records details on its Command and Control (C&C) database, of incidents that occur on the strategic road network, but only when the Traffic Officer Service have an awareness or involvement. Therefore due to the current Traffic Officer network coverage, the majority of incidents recorded occurred on the motorway network.

    The following table records the number of incidents coded as ‘suicide/suicide attempt’ on the C&C database and reflect those incidents that the Traffic Officer Service have been directly involved in or have been reported to them:

    Year

    Number of suicides/attempted suicide incidents

    2009/10

    93

    2010/11

    125

    2011/12

    110

    2012/13

    84

    In April 2014 a review of the database was carried out and the closure code for ‘suicide/attempted suicide’ was changed. This created significant anomalies in the data capture which means that the 2014/15 data are not robust. We are in the process of verifying the data and will be in a position to provide the figures later this year.

    Highways England (formerly Highways Agency) has worked closely with organisations such as the Samaritans in helping to prevent further suicides on the strategic road network. Highways England has commenced work to take forward a Suicide Prevention Group. This group will comprise of relevant stakeholders such as the Samaritans, emergency services and our service providers to develop and co-ordinate delivery of an action plan to reduce the number of suicide attempts on the strategic road network. We are also working closely with both the Samaritans and Network Rail to identify best practice following their success in reducing suicide attempts on the rail network.

    Known suicide hotspots are investigated to look at possible improvements, such as raising the height of the parapets on bridges and introducing or improving crisis signing. Highways England consults The Samaritans when undertaking this work.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-02-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the Prime Minister’s Oral Statement of 22 February 2016, Official Report, column 35, on the European Council, whether her Department is undertaking planning in the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the EU referendum.

    Amber Rudd

    At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

  • Oliver Dowden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Oliver Dowden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Dowden on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made on implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Government remains committed to the success of the deal. The IAEA’s 26 February report on Iran’s nuclear activities concluded that Iran was complying with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA). We have been working to help businesses take advantage of new commercial opportunities and to ensure that Iran benefits from sanctions relief.