The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-07-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when his Department plans to respond to its consultation on changes to the statutory scheme to control the prices of branded health service medicines.
Nicola Blackwood
The Department is developing its response to the consultation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-10-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what provision her Department has put in place for SEND pupils who will not be able to pass selective school admission policies.
Nick Gibb
This Government is committed to ensuring all children, including those with Special Educational Needs and disabilities (SEND), have the opportunity to achieve their potential and make a successful transition to adult life.
In the Children and Families Act 2014, we legislated to make fundamental changes to improve the SEND support system for the benefit of the 14.4% of children with SEND. These are the biggest reforms to the SEND system in a generation. To support local authorities and others to make these changes successfully, we have invested heavily in practical and financial support, including an extra £90 million of support for 2016/17.
Following Sir Andrew Carter’s report on Initial Teacher Training (ITT), the Government published a new framework of core content in July 2016. This includes specific content on SEND, so that teachers have a clear understanding and early awareness of pupils with SEND. This will help to ensure that pupils with SEND have the opportunity to fully realise their potential.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the safety of British tourists in Tunisia.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We continue to advise against all but essential travel to Tunisia. We advise any British nationals who choose to travel to or remain in Tunisia to check that their insurance policy provides adequate cover, to be especially vigilant and to follow the advice of the Tunisian security authorities.
We have almost doubled our support for Tunisia this year. We are working closely with the Tunisian government to improve their protective security and build their capacity to deter and respond to terrorist threats. We are also working with professionals in the tourist industry in popular tourist areas such as Sousse and Hammamet to build their awareness of the threat and to put in place appropriate security measures.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-03-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2016 to Question 28048, when the Equality Impact Assessment will be published.
Ben Gummer
We expect to publish the Equality Impact Assessment shortly after Easter.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-04-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations she has received from professional linguists on the effectiveness of language analysis testing.
James Brokenshire
Language analysis assists us in determining whether asylum seekers are of the nationality or national origin they claim. It is one of the tools used by asylum decision makers to help resolve fairly issues of doubtful nationality or national origin and to ensure that those claiming asylum in a false identity are detected quickly. It does not replace the requirement during substantive interview to fully probe and investigate doubted nationality/national origin cases.
Professional linguists have communicated with the Home Office regarding their particular preference for the different models available for language analysis testing. As part of the contract competition undertaken in 2014, language analysis companies provided strong evidence of the quality of the services offered. There are dedicated formal arrangements in place to monitor our suppliers’ compliance with the contract terms.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-07-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support the Government is providing to micro-insurance schemes in developing countries for the protection of livelihoods from the effects of climate change.
Rory Stewart
DFID’s work on climate resilience includes a number of weather-related microinsurance initiatives and a major research programme on scaling up microinsurance in the agricultural sector.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-10-24.
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2016 to Question 48607, on equality impact assessments, if her Department will publish the Public Sector Equality Duty guidance circulated across Whitehall.
Caroline Dinenage
The Government Equalities Office issues from time to time guidance on the Public Sector Equality Duty to Whitehall Departments. This is circulated with a view to enabling them to add any supporting documentation about their own processes before publishing the material on their intranets.
The guidance was last issued in September 2014. The Department will publish that guidance in updated form on GOV.UK in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2015-12-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Government will publish its equality impact assessment of the Immigration Bill.
James Brokenshire
The Government has already published a number of equality impact assessments relating to the Immigration Bill covering residential tenancies, driving, banks, appeals and support. They can be found online:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-bill-2015-16
Further equality statements in relation to labour market enforcement and the English language requirement in the public sector will be published in the New Year together with the Government’s responses to the recent public consultations on these subjects.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-03-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to further regulate the use of fireworks.
Anna Soubry
I am aware of recent concerns about the use of fireworks in some parts of the country. However, I believe that the majority of people enjoy fireworks sensibly, responsibly and in accordance with the current restrictions on their use and I therefore have no immediate plans to review the legislation already in place.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-04-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what procedures and checks her Department has put in place to ensure that the new supplier of language analysis testing are fully qualified to conduct those tests.
James Brokenshire
Language analysis assists us in determining whether asylum seekers are of the nationality or national origin they claim. It is one of the tools used by asylum decision makers to help resolve fairly issues of doubtful nationality or national origin and to ensure that those claiming asylum in a false identity are detected quickly. It does not replace the requirement during substantive interview to fully probe and investigate doubted nationality/national origin cases.
Professional linguists have communicated with the Home Office regarding their particular preference for the different models available for language analysis testing. As part of the contract competition undertaken in 2014, language analysis companies provided strong evidence of the quality of the services offered. There are dedicated formal arrangements in place to monitor our suppliers’ compliance with the contract terms.