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  • Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what mechanisms his Department has put in place to ensure that (a) schools, (b) nurseries and (c) learning establishments receiving any funds or endorsement from his Department teach evolution and do not teach that creationism is scientifically valid.

    Elizabeth Truss

    The Government’s policy is that evolution should be taught in schools as an essential element of a rigorous scientific education; teaching creationism as science is incompatible with the delivery of a broad and balanced curriculum.

    The national curriculum requires all maintained schools to teach evolution as an established scientific theory. All academies and free schools are required to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum. The model funding agreements for all kinds of academies and free schools are being revised. The latest published version includes a specific requirement to teach evolution, and prohibits the teaching of creationism as an evidence-based theory.

    As in all areas of education, we look to Ofsted as the best and most effective lever to ensure expected standards are being achieved. All state funded schools are subject to Ofsted inspections which are required to report on the quality of education provided in the school including the quality of teaching.

    Providers in receipt of early years funding must follow clear standards to make sure children are taught the key skills they need to get a good start in life. Where an Ofsted inspector identifies any concerns, they must notify Ofsted’s compliance, investigation and enforcement team, who will consider notifying the appropriate agencies.

    We expect the Government’s position on creationism and evolution to be supported by any learning establishment in receipt of funding from the Department for Education to support science education.

  • Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen O’Brien on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, in what circumstances he uses a calculation of the (a) value of preventing a fatality, (b) willingness to pay and (c) cost-per-quality adjusted life year approach to quantify the value of a policy intervention; what other tools he uses to quantify the benefit of a policy intervention; and if he will make a statement.

    Elizabeth Truss

    Department for Education economists employ a range of valuation tools as appropriate to specific policy interventions in order to advise Ministers, following the principles and techniques prescribed in HM Treasury guidance. Such techniques are also used as appropriate in research commissioned by the Department, for instance in policy evaluations.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to deal with emotional neglect of children.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    Our revised statutory safeguarding guidance, ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children 2013′, includes a definition of emotional abuse which social workers already act on when deciding on what action to take to keep a child safe.

    We want social workers and other professionals who work with children and families to recognise the early signs of all forms of abuse and neglect and take appropriate action. To support this, the Department is working on a number of initiatives. We have brought together a panel of experts to review the evidence concerning indicators of neglect that are associated with a likelihood of future harm to babies, pre-school children and school-age children.

    We are reviewing the recommendations in the Action for Children report ‘Child Neglect: The scandal that never breaks’ and the Ofsted report ‘In the child’s time: professional responses to neglect’ and will consider how to support professionals in recognising early signs of all forms of neglect. We are also working with the Department of Health on their proposals for the development of a new criminal offence of ill-treatment or wilful neglect. Following the Narey review, we are improving social work training and developing further the skills of social workers in critical areas including neglect and how to undertake a good quality assessment.

    We have also published training materials commissioned from Action for Children and the University of Stirling. These materials, ‘Childhood neglect: Improving outcomes for children’, contain guidance and training resources to help staff identify and respond early to all signs of neglect and to know what types of interventions are the most effective.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the merits of requiring all schools in the UK to fly the Union flag.

    Mr David Laws

    The Department for Education has made no such assessment.

  • Jeremy Browne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jeremy Browne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Browne on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the performance of the children and families department in Somerset County Council.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    Ofsted inspected Somerset County Council’s arrangements for the protection of children between 24 June 2013 and 3 July 2013 and published their findings on 5 August 2013. Ofsted judged the authority’s performance as ‘inadequate’.

    My officials met with representatives of Somerset County Council on 20 August 2013 to discuss the Ofsted judgement, the Department’s proposed course of action and the Council’s immediate plans for improvement.

    I wrote to the leader of Somerset County Council, John Osman, on 13 September 2013 to underline my concern at the Ofsted judgement of performance and set out my intention to issue the council with an Improvement Notice.

    I issued a 12-month Improvement Notice to Somerset County Council on 22 November 2013, requiring the council to institute an improvement board headed by an independent chair to drive improvement and hold partners to account. The improvement board has sat monthly since October 2013 and I am represented at each Board by my officials.

    I plan to visit Somerset County Council to assess improvements for myself. My officials will also undertake a review of progress in June 2014 and report findings to me. I will then assess progress against the Improvement Notice and Ofsted recommendations and decide whether to intervene further.

  • Jeremy Browne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jeremy Browne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Browne on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what resource is available to parents who believe that Social Services departments are behaving unreasonably in pursuing their children’s safeguarding activities.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    Parents should, in the first instance, complain to the service provider or the local authority’s complaints officer if they are unhappy about the way a local authority has handled a specific case. They may find it helpful to contact the local authority to obtain details of the authority’s own complaints procedure. Details of how to complain about a local authority service can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/understand-how-your-council-works/make-a-complaint

    Parents may wish to complain to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) if they feel dissatisfied with the handling of their complaint under the local authority procedure. More information on making a complaint to the LGO is available at www.lgo.org.uk or by calling the LGO advice line on 0300 061 0614 or 0845 602 1983.

    “

  • Jeremy Browne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jeremy Browne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Browne on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children have been removed from their parents by social services in each of the last five years.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    The following table shows the number of children who were taken into care in each of the last five years. Children who were taken into care were children who started to be looked after under a care order, police protection, emergency protection order or child assessment order.

    Children who were taken into care during the years ending 31 March:

    Year

    2009

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013

    Number of children taken into care

    8,180

    9,580

    9,560

    10,140

    11,100

    The information provided in the table is also published in table C2 of the statistical release, which is available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption

    “

  • Rushanara Ali – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Rushanara Ali – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to promote the reputation and status of youth work.

    Matthew Hancock

    Responsibility for youth policy, including youth work, transferred to Cabinet Office on 3 July 2013. Cabinet Office co-ordinates cross-government work on youth policy and is also responsible for policy on international youth issues, youth voice and democracy, and the role of local authorities as well as working with the youth sector.

    The Department for Education continues its commitment to all young people through its responsibilities for education and children’s services in England; and works closely with the rest of government on key issues such as reducing risky behaviour and increasing participation in education, employment and training.

  • John Redwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    John Redwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what levels of stock his Department holds of (a) stationery, (b) printer cartridges, (c) treasury tags and other fasteners and (d) other office consumables.

    Elizabeth Truss

    The information requested is not held centrally, and could only be collated at disproportionate cost.

  • John Redwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    John Redwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what levels of stock his Office holds of (a) stationery, (b) printer cartridges, (c) treasury tags and other fasteners and (d) other office consumables.

    Mr Nick Clegg

    The information requested is not held centrally.