Tag: Ian Austin

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2015 to Question 16115, if he will make it his policy to collect centrally data on Flexible Support Funding spent on childcare support.

Priti Patel

The Flexible Support Fund is used at the discretion of Jobcentre Plus District Managers and Work Coaches to support people back into work. Given this is a localised, discretionary fund we do not, and do not have plans to, create additional bureaucratic reporting on how the fund is spent.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2016 to Question 26338, on EU grants and loans, on what the £71 million European Social Fund monies have been spent.

Mr Sam Gyimah

For the period December 2013 to July 2015 (2007-2013 European Social Fund programme extended to 2015), European Social Fund monies were used to support young people aged 14-19 who were not in education, employment or training or, who were at risk of being so to remain in or, re-engage in education, employment and training.

Providers who were contracted to deliver support to young people were required to do so through delivery of activities designed to help young people gain a greater understanding of their own abilities, learning needs and the range of opportunities available with the establishment of clear progression routes for the young people concerned. Providers were also required to deliver innovative programmes to give young people experience of success in learning and, increase their commitment and motivation to achieve.

The Skills Funding Agency which administered the funds on behalf of the Education Funding Agency is currently undertaking an evaluation of the above European Social Fund programme. The evaluation will be published later this year and will provide greater detail on the activities undertaken by young people.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-04-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to prohibit individuals involved in the death of Sergei Magnitsky from entering the UK and using its financial system; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire

The Government already has the power to deny entry to individuals from the UK where their presence is not considered conducive to the public good, and separately, to freeze individuals’ UK assets provided that certain conditions are met.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Skills Funding Agency on that body’s proposal to reduce 16-18 apprenticeship funding.

Robert Halfon

The department and the Skills Funding Agency have worked closely together on the development of the apprenticeships funding policy and plans for implementation, including on the digital apprenticeship service.

We have engaged thousands of employers and training providers throughout the development of the apprenticeship funding reforms and continue to do so. This engagement helped to shape the funding policy proposals for England from May 2017, published on 12 August.

A survey seeking detailed views from employers and providers closed on 5 September, and the 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 Health, what criteria are used when deciding to give heroin to heroin addicts in line with his Department’s policy set out on page 31 of the Modern Crime Prevention Strategy, published by his predecessor in March 2016.

Nicola Blackwood

The prescribing of injectable opioids, such as methadone or diamorphine (pharmaceutical heroin) as substitutes for illicit heroin, as outlined in the Government’s Modern Crime Prevention Strategy, published in March by the then Home Secretary, has been an option for many years but since the late 1960s, prescribing of diamorphine for the management of addiction has been restricted to licensed addiction specialists.

The decision to prescribe injectable diamorphine for the treatment of dependence is a clinical matter, for a clinician to take in conjunction with the patient. Advice to guide these decisions is contained in Chapter 5 and Annex 8 of the 2007 UK Guidelines on the Clinical Management of Drug Misuse and Dependence. The guidelines advise that:

– “injectable opioid treatment may be suitable for a small minority of patients who have failed in optimised oral treatment.”;

– “clinicians providing injectable opioid treatment should encourage patients not to regard it as a lifelong treatment option and should regularly review their patients and the continuing necessity for this unusual and expensive treatment”; and

– The use of diamorphine “alone does not constitute drug treatment…it should be seen as on element or pathway within wider packages of planned and integrated drug treatment”.

The guidelines are currently being reviewed by an Expert Working Group, to take into account developments in the evidence base. In July 2016, the Expert Working Group published their draft update for consultation. The consultation has closed and the responses are being considered by the Expert Working Group.

Diamorphine is licensed as a medicine by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Clinicians wishing to legally prescribe it for the treatment of dependence need to obtain a licence for that purpose from the Home Office and to comply with all other legislation relevant to the safe management, use and supply of medicines which are controlled drugs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the potential effect of the introduction of the national living wage on the cost of care paid for by local authorities.

David Mowat

Social care continues to be a key priority for the Government. This is why, against the context of tough public sector finances; the Government has taken steps to protect social care services. The Government is giving local authorities access to up to £3.5 billion of new support for social care by 2019/20. This should mean local government has access to the funding to increase social care spending in real terms by the end of the Parliament. This will support councils to continue to focus on core services and to pay fees which reflect provider costs including the National Living Wage.

The spending took into account a range of financial and economic factors, including projections and data on the National Living Wage from the Office of Budget Responsibility and Skills for Care.

The National Living Wage is an important step in rewarding the valuable contribution made by care workers, who often fall into the lowest earning occupations. Out of an estimated 1.16 million workers in adult social care in England, up to 900,000 people are expected to benefit.

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities must have regard to fostering an effective workforce with the appropriate capabilities when shaping their local markets. The Act and its statutory guidance make clear that prices and fee rates agreed with providers must reflect these new duties, including the National Living Wage. The Department continues to monitor the whole of the market of care providers and engage with the sector to better understand the challenges they face and support local authorities who purchase services.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will designate airfields as greenfield sites.

Brandon Lewis

National planning policy already requires local planning authorities to take account of airfields’ growth and role in serving business, leisure, training and emergency needs. In March we issued guidance emphasising the need for local planning authorities to have regard to the extent to which an aerodrome contributes to connectivity outside the authority’s own boundaries.

Currently, all airfields, as land that has been previously developed, are regarded as brownfield land.

We will work with the aviation sector to ensure the current policy relating to development on airfields is better understood.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-12-14.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of halving Air Passenger Duty in Scotland on Birmingham Airport.

Damian Hinds

The government is currently undertaking a consultation into options to support regional airports from the impacts of air passenger duty devolution. We are carefully considering the evidence we have received from stakeholders and will respond in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-01-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will meet with the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner to discuss banning the sale of zombie knives.

Karen Bradley

The Government continues to work with the police and partners to ensure we reduce violence and knife crime, and in the year ending June 2015, knife crime recorded by the police was 17% lower than 2010. We are aware of concerns about zombie knives and we are currently considering representations including the letter of 13 January from the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for the West Midlands and on 21 January from the prospective mayoral candidate for London Zac Goldsmith. A reply will be sent shortly and we will offer to meet with the PCC.

We are currently considering what action to take against the prevalence of zombie knives on our streets. We are talking to retailers, including Amazon, about the action they can take. There are strict laws on the sale of knives to under 18s and on how knives can be marketed. We are concerned about any knives being carried in public especially if used to threaten and inflict violence. It is a criminal offence to possess a knife in public without good reason, and if a person is convicted a second time they now face a minimum mandatory custodial sentence following the introduction of this change by the Government in July 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-02-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of pupils who achieved five A* to C grades at GCSE in 2015 received no higher than a B grade in any subject.

Nick Gibb

Of those pupils[1] achieving five A* to C grades at GCSE[2] in 2015:

• 4.5% received no higher than a C grade in any subject

• 32.8% received no higher than a B grade in any subject

[1] Based on pupils at the end of key stage 4 in the 2014/15 academic year

[2] Based on those pupils entering single award GCSEs only