Tag: Catherine McKinnell

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to differentiate between the roles of her Department and the Institute for Apprenticeships on the (a) quality of apprenticeships training and (b) collection and analysis of data.

Robert Halfon

From April 2017, the Institute for Apprenticeships will take on a number of functions relating to the quality of apprenticeship standards. The Institute’s key responsibilities will be: to set quality criteria for the development of apprenticeship standards and assessment plans; to review, approve or reject them; to advise on the maximum level of Government funding available for standards; and to quality assure some end point assessments. The Institute will have analytical capability to support its function, advising on funding caps and on other issues where appropriate. Responsibility for monitoring the quality of apprenticeship training will not transfer to the Institute.

The Department for Education will retain responsibility for the quality framework. Primary responsibility for the collection and analysis of data and metrics for apprenticeships, and the success of the apprenticeship programme, will remain with the Department, particularly through the work of the Skills Funding Agency.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 June 2015 to Question HL381, what steps he has taken following allegations of breaches of bribery and corruption laws by Soco International in Virunga National Park; what guidance his Department provides on the exploration of natural resources by UK listed companies operating in national parks and UNESCO wold heritage sites; and if he will make a statement.

James Duddridge

We are aware of allegations of breaches of bribery and corruption laws made against Soco International in relation to its activities in the Virunga National Park, and have ensured that the relevant law enforcement agencies both here and in the Democratic Republic of Congo are aware of the allegations.

Foreign investment in sectors such as hydrocarbons and the extractive industries can play a vital role in boosting the development of countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, helping lift people out of poverty. Such investment must be conducted responsibly and sustainably, in compliance with local law and conforming to international standards. The government encourage all British companies to uphold the highest of standards, but where they do not it is important that allegations of wrongdoing are investigated and perpetrators are held to account. Anyone with evidence of serious fraud, bribery or corruption should pass this to the Serious Fraud Office.

The government also encourages UK companies to observe the international standards for responsible conduct of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and provides a National Contact Point for the Guidelines complaint process. It was under the UK National Contact Point process that World Wildlife Fund and SOCO reached their 2014 agreement for SOCO to end its operations in Virunga.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 23 November 2015 to Question 16318, what recent progress he has made on discussions with stakeholders on proposals to exempt certain groups from the removal of automatic entitlement to housing support for 18 to 21 years olds on universal credit; and when he plans to publish proposals resulting from those discussions.

Justin Tomlinson

The Department continues to liaise with a range of key stakeholders as it develops exemptions to the removal of automatic entitlement to housing support for 18-21 year olds in Universal Credit. This includes discussing this policy with landlords, housing associations and charities.

Once this work has been completed we will bring forward detailed proposals.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the decision not to make personal, social, health and economic education statutory on the ability of schools to teach that subject.

Edward Timpson

This Government wants to provide all young people with a curriculum for life, which prepares them to succeed in modern Britain. High quality teaching of PSHE is central to this.

The Secretary of State wrote to the ESC in February 2016 stating that the Department will continue to keep the status of PSHE in the curriculum under review.

We have asked leading head teachers and practitioners to produce an action plan for improving PSHE. We will work with these experts to identify further action we can take to ensure that all pupils receive high quality, age appropriate PSHE and SRE.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answers of 11 and 18 October 2016 to Questions 46460 and 47904, whether the Government plans to put measures in place to replace the National Stroke Strategy after December 2017.

David Mowat

The National Stroke Strategy remains valid and implementation of it continues. There are, therefore, no current plans to renew it. Action is being taken to ensure the progress made on stroke continues. This includes:

– ongoing work in virtually all parts of the country to organise acute stroke care to ensure that all stroke patients, regardless of where they live or what time of the day or week they have their stroke, have access to high quality specialist care;

– publication of the Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Outcomes Strategy in 2013, which includes many stroke specific strategic ambitions;

– a CVD expert forum, hosted by NHS England, to coordinate delivery of the work which was initiated in the CVD Outcomes Strategy; and

– NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Stroke works with the Strategic Clinical Networks, clinical commissioning groups, voluntary agencies and individual providers to support better commissioning and provision of stroke care.

More generally, the NHS Five Year Forward View recognises that quality of care, including stroke care, can be variable and that patients’ needs are changing and new treatment options are emerging. The Five Year Forward View sets out high level objectives to address these issues.

There are no current plans for a formal evaluation of the National Stroke Strategy. However there is a continuous evaluation of the quality of stroke care via the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP). This measures most of the key indicators defined as important in the strategy and findings are freely available on the SSNAP website at:

https://www.strokeaudit.org/

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure UK support for energy in developing countries is directed towards low carbon technologies.

Grant Shapps

DFID supports the development and deployment of low carbon energy technologies through the International Climate Fund (ICF). Since 2011, the ICF has provided access to low carbon energy to more than 2.6 million people.

On October 22^nd I launched the Energy Africa campaign which will accelerate access to clean energy across sub-Saharan Africa via the market-based delivery of solar household systems providing the poorest with lighting, phone charging and other critical household electricity services. In addition, through the research we fund, we make a significant contribution to affordable clean energy solutions to meet the needs of the 1.1 billion people who currently lack electricity globally.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward plans to (a) require all local authorities to measure the level of single non-priority homelessness in their areas and (b) collate that data in a national database.

Mr Marcus Jones

Information on homeless households not in priority need is already collected and published in table 770 of the homelessness live tables which can be viewed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness

No information is collected on the household type of households found to be not in priority need.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to update existing sex and relationships education guidance.

Edward Timpson

This Government wants to provide all young people with a curriculum for life, which prepares them to succeed in modern Britain. High quality teaching of PSHE is central to this.

The Secretary of State wrote to the ESC in February 2016 stating that the Department will continue to keep the status of PSHE in the curriculum under review.

We have asked leading head teachers and practitioners to produce an action plan for improving PSHE. We will work with these experts to identify further action we can take to ensure that all pupils receive high quality, age appropriate PSHE and SRE.

We welcome the supplementary advice for schools, ‘Sex and relationships education (SRE) for the 21st century’, published by the PSHE Association, the Sex Education Forum, and Brook. This addresses changes in technology and legislation since 2000, in particular equipping teachers to help protect children and young people from inappropriate online content, and from online bullying, harassment and exploitation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to evaluate formally the National Stroke Strategy before the end of 2017.

David Mowat

The National Stroke Strategy remains valid and implementation of it continues. There are, therefore, no current plans to renew it. Action is being taken to ensure the progress made on stroke continues. This includes:

– ongoing work in virtually all parts of the country to organise acute stroke care to ensure that all stroke patients, regardless of where they live or what time of the day or week they have their stroke, have access to high quality specialist care;

– publication of the Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Outcomes Strategy in 2013, which includes many stroke specific strategic ambitions;

– a CVD expert forum, hosted by NHS England, to coordinate delivery of the work which was initiated in the CVD Outcomes Strategy; and

– NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Stroke works with the Strategic Clinical Networks, clinical commissioning groups, voluntary agencies and individual providers to support better commissioning and provision of stroke care.

More generally, the NHS Five Year Forward View recognises that quality of care, including stroke care, can be variable and that patients’ needs are changing and new treatment options are emerging. The Five Year Forward View sets out high level objectives to address these issues.

There are no current plans for a formal evaluation of the National Stroke Strategy. However there is a continuous evaluation of the quality of stroke care via the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP). This measures most of the key indicators defined as important in the strategy and findings are freely available on the SSNAP website at:

https://www.strokeaudit.org/

“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to paragraph 8.1 of Transparency in Supply Chains etc: A practical guide, published by her Department on 29 October 2015, if she will provide a central database of slavery and human trafficking statements published by each organisation.

Karen Bradley

We are aware of a number of different proposals to create a central depository or database outside of government. Our priority is to ensure that the best possible platform is established.