The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2016-06-15.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax credit cases which have been processed by Concentrix have involved single parents; and if he will make a statement.
Mr David Gauke
I refer the right honourable gentleman to the answer I gave on 4 February 2016 [24418].
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2015-12-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons she selected St Mary’s University, Twickenham, to host a specialist international centre for research into modern slavery and human trafficking; and whether any other institution was considered for this role.
Karen Bradley
The Government welcomes research into modern slavery, including the work that St Mary’s University is undertaking on behalf of the Santa Marta Group. The Home Office has no record that either Ministers or its officials played any part in the selection process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2016-06-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which schools in Slough are partner schools for Teach First.
Nick Gibb
Teach First currently has two cohorts of trainees participating in its two year Leadership Development Programme in Slough. They are placed in the following schools:
Foxborough Primary School
Marish Primary School
Montem Academy
St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School
St Ethelbert’s Catholic Primary School
Slough and Eton Church of England Business and Enterprise College
Wexham Court Primary School
Willow Primary School
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2015-12-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress her Department has made on the evaluation of the Child Trafficking Advocates Trial.
Karen Bradley
Section 48(7) of the Modern Slavery Act requires the Government to lay before Parliament a report setting out the steps it proposes to take in relation to independent child trafficking advocates within nine months of Royal Assent of the Modern Slavery Act. The Government will publish this report and the independent evaluation, by the final day that Parliament sits this year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to roll out the independent child trafficking advocate scheme nationally beyond the early adopter sites; what response she has made to the recommendations of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner that a national roll-out should be implemented before the end of the designated second phase trial period if preliminary evaluations are positive; and when she plans to develop the secondary legislation and statutory guidance accompanying that section.
Sarah Newton
As the previous Minister for Preventing Abuse, Exploitation and Crime set out in June 2016, the Government intends to roll out independent child trafficking advocates nationally as soon as the procedures for Parliamentary commencement and the introduction of statutory guidance secondary legislation are completed. We will consider carefully the evaluation of the early adopter sites which will assist us in ensuring the secondary legislation and statutory guidance provide for the most effective model to be rolled out.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support unaccompanied trafficked and asylum seeking children; and if she will make a statement.
James Brokenshire
The Home Office takes its responsibility for the welfare of children very seriously and recognises the additional vulnerability of unaccompanied children. The best interests of the child are a primary consideration in every decision taken in respect of children and we work closely with local authorities, children’s services and other agencies to ensure unaccompanied trafficked and asylum seeking children receive appropriate support and care.
Immigration staff are trained to identify potential victims of trafficking and to refer them to the National Referral Mechanism – a multi-agency victim identification and support process for responsible agencies to co-operate, share information and facilitate access to support. The Home Office also has dedicated asylum decision makers for children’s cases who receive additional training on specific child related issues.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans for a training programme on human trafficking for existing independent advocates to be available to all looked-after children under the Children Act 2004 will commence; which organisation she plans to provide such training; and if she will confirm whether her Department plans to fund that training.
Sarah Newton
We are finalising arrangements for training with other Government departments and the Welsh Government, including how this will be structured and who will deliver the training. Further details will be announced later this year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2015-10-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help schools in areas with a housing shortage to recruit qualified teachers.
Nick Gibb
We recognise that in some parts of the country teacher recruitment may be challenging, particularly as the economy improves, but we are committed to attracting top graduates and career-changers into teaching, and supporting schools to recruit and retain good teachers. We have increased scholarships and training bursaries, in priority subjects; expanded Teach First and given graduates the chance to earn a salary while they train.
We have also given schools greater flexibility to use the pay system to attract and retain teachers in response to local circumstances.
The Secretary of State has asked the School Teachers’ Review Body to consider whether a salary advance scheme for rental deposits on privately rented homes should be introduced for teachers to help with the cost of moving and so support recruitment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2015-10-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to raise the human rights of ethnic and religious minorities in India during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to the UK in November 2015; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Hugo Swire
India and the UK have a rich, wide-ranging and mature bilateral relationship. We will discuss a broad spectrum of issues during Prime Minister Modi’s visit.
The UK raises a range of human rights matters with India, including religious freedom and the treatment of ethnic minorities, both bilaterally and through the EU. This includes meeting Union and State level government institutions, such as the Indian National Commission for Minorities, which the British High Commission in New Delhi met earlier this month. The High Commission also stays in regular contact with civil society organisations and senior faith leaders working on religious freedom across India.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2015-10-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Prime Minister’s press release, PM’s Extremism Taskforce: tackling extremism in universities and colleges top of the agenda, dated 17 September 2015, what evidence was used to identify the six hate preachers named in that press release; and if she will publish the evidence which demonstrates that Dr Salman Butt had expressed views at a university contrary to British values.
Karen Bradley
The Home Office has information on 70 events held on university campuses in 2014 involving speakers who are considered by the Home Office to have previously expressed views contrary to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. Dr Salman Butt is the chief editor of Islam21c, a publication that hosts material contrary to British values, and has himself expressed views of concern in this publication and on social media, appearing to compare homosexuality to paedophilia as a sin and supporting FGM. He has spoken alongside CAGE and used social media to support CAGE’s position on Mohammed Emwazi (‘Jihadi John’), which has been to try to justify his resort to violence.