Tag: Amanda Solloway

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Amanda Solloway on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing life skills into secondary education.

Edward Timpson

We are clear that as part of schools’ duty to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, all young people should be provided with a curriculum that prepares them for success in adult life. High quality personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) teaching has a vital role to play in this, helping young people understand the world around them, building resilience and helping them to make good choices and stay safe. We have made it clear in the introduction to the national curriculum that all schools should make provision for high quality, age appropriate PSHE, drawing on examples of good practice.

During the Education Select Committee hearing in September 2016, the Secretary of State agreed that we need to look again at how schools deliver high quality PSHE. We are considering all the options and will come to a view in due course..

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Amanda Solloway on 2016-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to facilitate and promote (a) work opportunities and (b) apprenticeships for people with both a physical and mental disability.

Justin Tomlinson

The Government is committed to halving the disability employment gap between disabled and non disabled people. Employers have a crucial role to play in this.

Disability Confident is encouraging employers to attract, recruit and retain disabled people who are eager to work and have the skills, talents and abilities that employers are looking for. Employers can register their interest in being Disability Confident and will then be sent advice, support materials and links to other resources. More than 600 employers have registered and the number continues to grow.

There are also DWP programmes that can provide practical assistance to disabled people in work, such as Access to Work. During 2014/15 Access to Work supported over 36,000 disabled people to take up or remain in employment.

We have expanded Access to Work’s Mental Health Support Service to conduct a two-year trial of targeted support for apprentices with mental health conditions. In addition a Taskforce, led by Paul Maynard MP, has been looking at issues around apprenticeships for people with learning difficulties or disabilities. Ministers are currently considering its recommendations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Amanda Solloway on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the effect that inability to access GP appointments is having on the levels of people presenting at Accident and Emergency services in Derby; and if he will take steps to increase access to GP appointments in Derby.

David Mowat

The commissioning and provision of primary medical care services, including general practitioner (GP) appointments, is a matter for NHS England and local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). As such, the Department itself makes no assessment of the effect of accessibility of GP appointments on accident and emergency services in Derby.

Southern Derbyshire CCG acknowledges that results from this year’s GP Patient Survey varied across its 55 GP practices, although the CCG believes that overall it is in line with average national performance. The CCG is therefore focusing support on those practices in greatest need. My hon. Friend may wish to contact the Chief Officer of her local CCG, Southern Derbyshire CCG, for the relevant information.

To implement the Government’s commitment to transform GP access, £175 million has been invested in the GP Access Fund from April 2014 to test improved and innovative access to GP services in schemes across the country. Across the two waves of the Access Fund, there are 57 schemes covering over 2,500 practices. 18 million patients, a third of the population, have benefited from improved access and transformational change at local level including evening and weekend appointments.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Amanda Solloway on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Government will take steps to tackle the abuse of anabolic steroids for image and performance enhancing purposes; and if she will bring forward legislative proposals to make the recreational use of such drugs illegal.

Brandon Lewis

Information and advice about anabolic steroids, including the health risks associated with using anabolic steroids, is provided by Talk to FRANK and NHS Choices.

In July 2015, Public Health England published advice for local authorities on commissioning services to prevent and treat harms caused by image and performance enhancing drugs (http://www.nta.nhs.uk/uploads/providing-effective-services-for-people-who-use-image-and-performance-enhancing-drugs.pdf).

Specified anabolic steroids are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as class C drugs. The Government has no current plans to review the legislative framework on anabolic steroids to include the possession offence. We are keeping the situation under review working closely with our independent experts, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Amanda Solloway on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the proposed A52 improvement programme.

Mr John Hayes

Highways England, in accordance with its Delivery Plan, is delivering the A52 scheme in Roads Investment Strategy Period 1 (2015-2020) and plans to start construction by 2019/20. The scheme will deliver a package of measures to improve junctions along the A52 near Nottingham to assist with the development of the Nottingham Enterprise Zone adjacent to the A52.

Highways England has appointed design consultants to work up and assess a range of options and will be engaging stakeholders in the coming months.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Amanda Solloway on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will ensure that the review of fair funding for early years education includes steps to close the attainment gap in children at age five.

Caroline Dinenage

This Government is committed to narrowing the gap in attainment between the most disadvantaged children and their peers, including in the early years. We will be investing over £1 billion more per year by 2019-20 to fund our commitments on the early years entitlements – this includes £300 million per year from 2017-18 for a significant increase to the hourly rate paid for the two, three and four year old entitlements.

The 2014-15 Early Years Foundation Stage Profile results tell us that the proportion of children achieving a good level of development continues to increase – 66% in 2015, compared to 60% in 2014 and 52% in 2013. A higher proportion of children eligible for free school meals are achieving a good level of development – 51% in 2015 compared to 45% in 2014.

We need to continue this improvement. This is why we propose an additional needs factor in our new early years national funding formula, to channel funding towards local authorities with a higher relative proportion of children with additional needs.

The Government already provides additional funding for the most disadvantaged three- and four-year olds through the Early Years Pupil Premium. This will continue as a separate funding stream, additional to the early years national funding formula.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Amanda Solloway on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential of the early years workforce strategy to increase recruitment and retention of early years teachers in (a) Derby North and (b) England.

Caroline Dinenage

The Government recognises the importance of the early years workforce in improving quality and delivering better outcomes for children. That is why we are committed to publishing an early years workforce strategy. The national strategy will set out how we will help to remove barriers to attracting, retaining and developing staff. As part of the strategy, we will look at the barriers to growing the body of graduates in the workforce in England.

The Government currently delivers early years initial teacher training places in England. We fund eligible graduates to undertake the training, and provide student bursaries. Information about training routes is available on the Get into Teaching website, available at: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Amanda Solloway on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of the additional £1.25 billion made available in the March 2015 Budget for child and adolescent mental health services has been spent in Derby North constituency.

Nicola Blackwood

This information is not available in the format requested.

We are advised by NHS England that from this additional funding the amount allocated to Southern Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group in 2015/16 was £1.029 million and for 2016/17 the amount is £1.370 million.

This Government has made £1.4 billion funding available over the course of the Parliament for spending on children and young people’s mental health, with total investment to date of £453 million.

Investment in 2015/16 included:

– £75 million to transform local services through delivery of Local Transformation Plans (LTPs);

– £30 million to improve community based eating disorder services; and

– £68 million to fund expansion of the Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Programme (CYP IAPT); improvements to perinatal mental health care; investment in inpatient services for children and young people; increased workforce capability; and innovation and development of online support.

Investment for 2016/17 includes:

– £119 million for LTPs;

– £30 million to improve community based eating disorder services; and

– £131 million for workforce and system development to support LTPs; a proportion of this will be allocated to commissioners for CYP IAPT and perinatal mental healthcare.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Amanda Solloway on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust response times for stroke victims for whom 999 emergency services are requested.

Mr Philip Dunne

This is a matter for East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust, working with its commissioners and other local partners and supported by NHS Improvement.

The Trust intends to deliver improved performance for all patients, including patients who have had a stroke. This includes increasing the resources available to respond to patients by recruiting more frontline staff and investing in new ambulances to increase the fleet size. The Trust is also working with the local acute hospitals and commissioners to help reduce the delays experienced by ambulance crews when handing over patients at hospitals and reviewing its stroke care practice to ensure that stroke patients are taken to specialist centres within the ideal timeline.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Amanda Solloway on 2015-11-23.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to raise girls’ aspirations in schools.

Nicky Morgan

We are determined to tackle gender inequality at its root so that every child can fulfill their potential. Too often girls’ success at school is not reflected in the workplace.

In my role as Education Secretary, I’ve strengthened links between schools and employers. That’s why we are backing the inspirational Your Life scheme and why we published the Your Daughter’s Future Guide.

I am also encouraging schools to focus on character skills, as well as attainment, including a £5m investment in character education.