The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many disability employment advisers are employed by Jobcentre Plus.
Damian Hinds
The number of Disability Employment Advisers employed by the Department for Work and Pensions is 263 at July 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with Ofsted on sex and relationships education.
Edward Timpson
We want schools to provide all young people with a curriculum that equips them for success in adult life. High-quality sex and relationship education (SRE) and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education have a vital role to play in this.
SRE is compulsory in maintained secondary schools. Academies and free schools do not have to teach SRE, but many choose to do so as part of their statutory duty to provide a broad and balanced curriculum.
When teaching SRE, all schools, including academies through their funding agreement, must have regard to the Secretary of State’s Sex and Relationship Education guidance. The existing SRE guidance was last updated in 2000. We have received requests about updating the guidance which we will consider carefully.
Schools and teachers have the freedom to design lessons that meet their pupils’ needs, taking account of pupil and parent views. Teachers are encouraged to develop their practice with the support of specialist organisations and expert professionals. Many of these specialist organisations have produced resources that can be used and adapted by schools.
We hold regular meetings with Ofsted about a range of matters. As the Secretary of State said at the Education Select Committee hearing in September 2016, we need to look again at how schools deliver high-quality PSHE, including SRE. We are considering all the options, including the need for any statutory powers, and will come to a view soon.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2015-10-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the change in the number of firefighter posts was in Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service in 2013-14.
Greg Clark
Information on the number of full time equivalent firefighter posts for each fire and rescue service and for each year, together with greater detail, is available in the Department’s Fire and Rescue Operational Statistics publication (Table 2 for full time equivalent posts) at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fire-and-rescue-authorities-operational-statistics
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Turner on 2015-11-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent comparative assessment he has made of the cost to the public purse of expanding (a) Heathrow and (b) Gatwick airports.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Government is currently considering the large amount of very detailed analysis contained in the Airports Commission’s final report before taking any decisions on next steps.
The Government will carefully consider all the evidence set out, including that on costs, when making a decision on additional runway capacity.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-01-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what consultation his Department has undertaken with councils with statutory responsibility for vulnerable people in supported housing (a) before and (b) since the announcement that housing benefit for tenants in supported housing will be capped at the local rate of local housing allowance.
Brandon Lewis
Ministers from the Department of Communities and Local Government and the Department of Work and Pensions regularly consult with a wide range of organisations as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Ministers and officials from both Departments are meeting relevant organisations from all sectors.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-02-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when the next meeting of the Tata Steel Task Force is due to take place; and who will attend that meeting as a representative of his Department.
Stephen Crabb
The Welsh Taskforce was convened on 20 January and met subsequently on 1 February. The next meeting will be held on 15 February.
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth, attended the meeting on 1 February and will attend future meetings whenever practicable. Due to prior commitments he was unable to attend the first meeting and the Wales Office Director represented the Department. UK Government officials also attend Taskforce meetings.
The Taskforce is chaired by Welsh Government Minister for Economy, Science and Transport, Edwina Hart. Minutes of the Taskforce and any agreed programme of work are matters for the Welsh Government.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many rape incidents have occurred in each prison establishment in each month since May 2010.
Andrew Selous
NOMs collects data on all sexual assaults, but does not separate these into type of assault. Our annual Safety in Custody Statistical Bulletin contains information on the overall numbers of sexual assaults (see table 3.9 in the link https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/495430/safety-in-custody-assaults-dec-2014.xls).
We are committed to running safe prisons. We treat any assault extremely seriously and are working hard to reduce levels of violence in our prisons.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton on 2016-03-22.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to increase diagnosis and treatment rates of iron deficiency anaemia.
Lord Prior of Brampton
It is for local National Health Service organisations to develop their own policy to treat patients with iron deficiency anaemia based on their clinical needs.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced a large body of guidelines aimed at professionals treating patients with anaemia who have chronic conditions, such as kidney disease and cancer. A copy of Chronic kidney disease: managing anaemia is attached.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-04-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average value was of payments made under the Financial Assistance Scheme to former members of Allied Steel and Wire pension scheme in each of the last six years.
Justin Tomlinson
The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philippa Whitford on 2016-06-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, for what reason self-employed adoptive parents are excluded from the financial support offered to other workers to allow them to take full leave and settle an adopted child from the care system into their family.
Nick Boles
Society benefits from parents being able to take time off work to care for their children whilst remaining in employment. Employed adopters have a statutory entitlement to Adoption Leave and Pay (subject to eligibility requirements) on the basis that individual employers would otherwise not offer socially optimal levels of leave and pay.
However, self-employed adopters can decide how much time off to take. Since affordability may limit the time away from work that some self-employed adopters can take, statutory adoption guidance says that Local Authorities should consider making a payment equivalent to Maternity Allowance in cases where adopters do not qualify for any statutory payment because of self-employment. This payment is discretionary and means-tested to ensure that resources are targeted at those adopters who need it most, as part of a package of post-adoption support.