The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many applications to the Healthy New Towns programme were made from each local authority area.
Jane Ellison
The Department does not hold information on the applications to the Healthy New Towns programme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-04-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to offer childcare services to grandparents that care for grandchildren.
Priti Patel
The Government recognises the crucial role that working grandparents play in providing childcare and supporting working families. We have therefore announced plans to extend shared parental leave and pay to working grandparents, and will consult on these later this month.
In addition, all grandparents who are the kinship or responsible carers for children are already able to access a universal free early education entitlement place for any three or four year old in their care, and grandparents may also be able to access a free early education place for any two year old in their care if they are eligible.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the potential effect of Skills Funding Agency proposals to reduce 16-18 apprenticeship funding on the finances of apprenticeship providers.
Robert Halfon
The aim for an employer-led system has been clear for some time. Our 2020 Vision Document published in December 2014 made clear the need for providers to respond to employer demand.
With the introduction of the apprenticeships levy, employers will directly purchase their own apprenticeship training – choosing the apprenticeship training they want to purchase and negotiating on price. This means we have to simplify the funding system to encourage employers to recruit more apprentices of all ages and from all backgrounds, including young people.
As a result of the levy we will be investing £2.5 billion in apprenticeships; that’s double what was spent on apprenticeships in 2010-11.
Our funding proposals will introduce a simpler pricing system with a maximum cost for each type of apprenticeship, regardless of age or location. We do not want to dis-incentivise employers from taking on young apprentices so we’re evening out the costs of each apprenticeship, and employers won’t have to pay more to give a 16 to 18-year-old their first step on the career ladder. We are also progressively withdrawing frameworks as standards become available so the funding difference for frameworks is a transitional issue.
We are also proposing to give employers and training providers an extra £1,000 each for every 16-18 year old apprentice they take on. Providers will need to adapt but we’re making sure there is more money going in overall.
We’ve published these proposals well in advance of the new system coming in so that providers have time to prepare. The new funding model will only apply to new apprenticeship starts after May 2017, so providers will continue to benefit from stability in funding for apprentices already in the system. The current survey on the draft proposals concluded on 5th September, and feedback will inform the final policy which we aim to publish in October.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with police forces and police and crime commissioners on heroin distributed in their areas in line with her Department’s policy set out on page 31 of the Modern Crime Prevention Strategy, published by her predecessor in March 2016.
Brandon Lewis
The Modern Crime Prevention Strategy, which highlighted the value of supervised injectable diamorphine/heroin in reducing crime, was launched by Home Office Ministers at the International Crime and Policing Conference on 23 March whose attendance included a large number of representatives from the criminal justice system. Police and Crime Commissioners and police forces wishing to explore issues relating to heroin assisted treatment are encouraged to engage with the relevant local authorities which commission drug and alcohol treatment in their areas.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-10-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department sought legal advice in advance of redrafting the Building Bulletin 100 guidance relating to sprinkler systems in school buildings; and what assessment her Department made of that advice.
Nick Gibb
We are currently consulting on updating the Fire Safety Design for Schools – Building Bulletin 100 (BB100) guidance as it is nearly 10 years old. However, there is no change to the policy regarding the installation of sprinklers in new school buildings, and the requirement for a proper fire risk assessment to determine the need for sprinklers in new schools is consistent with the BB100 guidance from 2007.
All new schools are assessed on a case-by-case basis for fire safety and, where it is concluded that sprinklers must be fitted to protect property or keep children safe, they will be. All schools must comply with building and fire safety regulations.
As there has been no change in policy, no legal advice was required in the development of the draft updated BB100 guidance.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools which signed up to the reception baseline providers that were subsequently not approved by her Department will have their costs reimbursed by her Department.
Nick Gibb
On 3 July 2015, the Department for Education contacted schools which had selected suppliers that were not approved by the department. This communication confirmed that, should the school continue to use that supplier, no costs would be reimbursed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if the costs to schools of administering the reception baseline assessment will be funded by her Department in each year of the current Parliament.
Nick Gibb
The Department for Education is currently considering all spending, as part of the ongoing spending review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the estimated cost to the public purse is of her Department’s comparative studies on reception baseline assessments.
Nick Gibb
Costs are not yet finalised and we cannot provide the information until the study is complete.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the estimated cost to the public purse of developing the reception baseline assessment policy implemented in September 2015 (a) was in 2014-15 and (b) is expected to be in 2015-16.
Nick Gibb
The expenditure in 2014/15 was£82,507.81.
Costs for 2015/16 cannot be released until finalised.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what advice his Department issues to local authorities on advising private rented sector tenants subject to court orders for possession on the steps they should take to find accommodation.
Brandon Lewis
The statutory Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities includes advice and guidance to authorities on the actions they can take to prevent homelessness where a person is at risk of eviction from a property. This includes negotiation with landlords or with help to address rent arrears for example. It also explains how authorities should carry out their homelessness duties where eviction takes place.
We have also introduced protections for tenants against “retaliatory eviction”. Where a tenant makes a genuine complaint about the condition of their property that has not been addressed by their landlord, their complaint has been verified by a local authority inspection, and the local authority has served either an improvement notice or a notice of emergency remedial action, a landlord cannot evict that tenant for 6 months using the ‘no-fault’ eviction procedure (a section 21 eviction). A ‘no fault’ eviction is one where the tenant does not have to have done anything wrong, for example not paying the rent, to be asked to leave. The landlord is also required to ensure that the repairs are completed. These rules, set out in the Deregulation Act 2015, apply to all new assured shorthold tenancies that start on or after 1 October 2015. A guidance note is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/465275/Retaliatory_Eviction_Guidance_Note.pdf
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