Category: Speeches

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has developed proposals that enable academies to be re-brokered with a new sponsor or multi academy trust on the initiative of parents of children in those academies.

    Edward Timpson

    Our White Paper Educational Excellence Everywhere set out the Government’s intention to engage Multi Academy Trusts (MATs), sponsors, academies, dioceses and the wider schools sector to ensure that the academies legal framework for the future can achieve the right balance of intervention, review and stability. This included a commitment to consider how parents at individual schools might be able to petition Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) for their school to move to a different MAT where the school or its MAT is underperforming or in other exceptional circumstances.

    We will be testing and consulting on proposals for the future legal framework with a wide range of stakeholders, including parents, in due course. This engagement will assess the implications of different legal framework models and ensure that any options which are taken forward are fit for purpose.

    RSCs already take action to move academies to new trusts where necessary and parents should continue to escalate any concerns they have about academies to RSCs where the academy trust has not responded sufficiently to their concerns.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 28 June 2016 to Question 40553, whether (a) local Health and Wellbeing Boards, (b) Clinical Commissioning Groups, (c) NHS Trusts, (d) hon. Members and (e) members of the public will be consulted ahead of the implementation of Sustainability and Transformation Plans.

    David Mowat

    Clinical commissioning groups and National Health Service trusts have come together with local authorities to decide how to improve health and care services in their local area. This is a unique exercise in collaboration, with local doctors, hospitals and councils working together to decide the way forward in consultation with local communities.

    We expect all local leaders to be regularly talking to members of the public and stakeholders, including hon. Members. It is vital that people are able to shape the future of their local services. No changes to the services people currently receive will be made without local engagement and, where required, consultation. There are longstanding assurance processes in place to make sure this happens. The national health and care bodies are about to publish engagement guidance for local areas developing Sustainability and Transformation Plans.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many and what proportion of (a) existing trade deals and (b) trade deals under negotiation by the EU will be available to countries in the European Free Trade Area.

    Greg Hands

    Countries in the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) are not party to any EU trade deals, either existing or under negotiation.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of annual funding cycles on the ability of further education and sixth form colleges to undertake financial planning; what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on that matter; what plans the Government has to change those funding cycles to reflect Government spending review cycles; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    16-19 funding is that it is based on the level of recruitment institutions delivered in the previous year. That means institutions’ funding keeps pace with changing student numbers with the minimum delay. The Government has no plans to change the 16-19 funding system.

  • Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment (a) his Department and (b) NHS England have made of the levels of preparedness among clinical commissioning groups (CCG’s) for the planned transfer of obesity surgery commissioning responsibilities to CCGs in April 2016.

    George Freeman

    The responsibility for commissioning severe and complex obesity for Tier 4 services will transfer to CCGs in April 2016. This is one of a number of changes in commissioning responsibility which will be managed between NHS England and CCGs. NHS England will be leading on the contracting for services for 2016/17 to facilitate the smooth handover from 1 April 2016.

    NHS England is addressing preparedness, both around the technical and financial transfer of budget and contracting responsibility, and supporting CCGs in commissioning of the clinical pathway.

    The technical impact of these changes is being modelled and formal agreement within NHS England will occur in mid-December. The formal transfer will be part of the annual national Planning Guidance to commissioners, including CCGs that will be issued in early 2016.

  • Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that vulnerable Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan have access to basic services such as health and education.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK has allocated £304 million in Lebanon and £193 million in Jordan to support Syrian refugees and vulnerable host communities in response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the region. Whilst addressing the immediate needs of refugees and vulnerable members of host communities, UK aid is also supporting their longer-term resilience and stability through funding to essential basic services. For example, the UK has allocated over £27 million in Lebanon and £21 million in Jordan to support health related activities such as providing over 229,157 medical consultations in Lebanon and 102,205 in Jordan for emergency trauma and primary healthcare cases.

    As part of the No Lost Generation Initiative (NLGI) the UK is also working with other donors, UN agencies, NGOs and governments in the region to prevent a whole generation being lost to the Syria conflict through long-term negative impacts on psychological wellbeing and lack of access to quality education. In Lebanon, the UK’s total pledge to support education now stands at £80 million, and in Jordan, the UK is providing £15 million over three years to improve the quality of public school education for both Jordanians and Syrians. In addition to this support to the formal sector in Jordan the UK has also providing £3 million so far to support Jordanians and Syrians in informal education.

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

    Lord Bradley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that learning disabilities services are commissioned by the NHS in every prison in England.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Public Health England, NHS England and the National Offender Management Service commission individual health and wellbeing needs assessments (HNAs) in all prisons and young offender institutions in England on a regular basis. An HNA identifies the health needs of the population for which health services will be commissioned in that establishment, which includes learning disabilities.

    NHS England commissions health services to standard specifications which ensures that evidence-based clinical standards of care are delivered in individual prisons.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of senior civil servants in his Department are women.

    Brandon Lewis

    46.3% of senior civil servants in the Department are women. This is higher than the overall proportion of women in the senior civil service.

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects the Supported Accommodation review to be completed.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department for Work and Pensions jointly with the Department for Communities and Local Government commissioned an evidence review into the shape, scale and cost of the supported housing sector.

    Off the back of this evidence, we will conduct a policy review to ensure support is focused on the most vulnerable and the appropriate groups are safeguarded.

    This review report will be published later this year.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of converting schools into academies in (a) Coventry and (b) the West Midlands.

    Edward Timpson

    In light of the new money announced in the Budget to support our plans, we are currently considering how best to consolidate and improve the support available to schools as they convert to become academies. New guidance will be available soon which will ensure that the available funding has maximum impact to build capacity and help schools make the most of the opportunities of becoming an academy.

    There will be a range of help available to support schools to become academies and secure the associated benefits. Pre-opening support grants are available to all schools, which contribute towards the costs of conversion incurred by schools in establishing the academy. In addition, other grants support a range of different models and phases of academy development, including the sponsor capacity fund and grants which are targeted to help groups of primary schools to either come together in new trusts or join existing ones.