Tag: Roberta Blackman-Woods

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to close the Collective Passport Service by the end of February 2016; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire

The future use of the Collective Passport is under review in the light of changing demand for the product and the security of the document. We are engaging with staff and other stakeholders and expect to make an announcement shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his oral contribution of 20 July 2016, Official Report, column 849, when his Department will make an announcement on the exemption of specialist supported housing from changes to housing benefit.

Caroline Nokes

The Secretary of State has confirmed that the Government expects to make an announcement on the way forward for supported housing in early autumn.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of the proposed closure of the Collective Passport Office on the costs of obtaining passports for (a) school groups and (b) families.

James Brokenshire

The future use of the Collective Passport is under review in the light of changing demand for the product and the security of the document. We are engaging with staff and other stakeholders and expect to make an announcement shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his oral contribution of 20 July 2016, Official Report, column 849, what (a) meetings and (b) discussions Ministers of his Department have had with stakeholders on the exemption of specialist supported housing from changes to housing benefit.

Caroline Nokes

Ministers in DWP and DCLG have met and continue to meet with stakeholders representing local authorities, supported accommodation, commissioners, and all categories of supported housing providers, be they charities, housing associations, voluntary organisations or from the commercial sector.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the final decision was made to close the Collective Passport Service; and what discussions her Department has had with staff representatives on that closure.

James Brokenshire

The future use of the Collective Passport is under review in the light of changing demand for the product and the security of the document. We are engaging with staff and other stakeholders and expect to make an announcement shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of domestic violence refuges that will be potentially close as a result of changes to housing benefit.

Caroline Nokes

The Secretary of State has confirmed that the Government expects to make an announcement on the way forward for supported housing in early autumn. Full impact and equality impact assessments will be undertaken in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether it is his policy that his Department’s changes to security of tenure for council tenants will apply to (a) the tenancies of existing tenants and (b) existing tenants when they transfer to a new local authority property; and when he plans that those changes will come into effect.

Brandon Lewis

The changes will not apply to existing lifetime tenants who remain in their own home.

If tenants are required to move home by their landlord, for example to allow demolition and regeneration work to take place, they will be granted a tenancy with no less security in their new home.

Where existing lifetime tenants seek to transfer, local authorities will retain a discretion to offer the tenant a further lifetime tenancy in their new home. We will set out the circumstances in which local authorities may exercise this discretion in regulations. We expect these will include where tenants downsize into a smaller home or move for work.

We expect that the provisions will come into force early next year, subject to passage of the Bill and implementation of the regulations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the recent reduction in the number of school nurses does not affect the standard of sex and relationship education in schools.

Edward Timpson

The government believes that all children should have the opportunity to receive a high quality and appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE). SRE is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools, and many primary schools also teach it in an age-appropriate way. Academies 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.

Schools and teachers should decide what to teach based on their pupils’ needs, and taking account of pupil and parent views. Teachers are encouraged to develop their practice with the support of specialist organisations and expert professionals, as they deem appropriate, and schools work with a number of partners to deliver SRE in schools.

Since April 2013, Local Authorities have been responsible for public health locally, including school nursing, and decisions should be based around local needs. According to NHS Digital there are 1,100 qualified school nurses (Specialist Community Public Health Nurses) in England and the workforce numbers have remained relatively stable over the last few years. More information can be found at: http://digital.nhs.uk/searchcatalogue?productid=21584&topics=0%2fWorkforce&sort=Relevance&size=10&page=1#top

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2015-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much funding was awarded by the (a) Arts and Humanities Research Council, (b) Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, (c) Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, (d) Economic and Social Research Council, (e) Medical Research Council, (f) Natural Environment Research Council and (g) Science and Technology Facilities Council to each university in the UK in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13, (iv) 2013-14 and (v) 2014-15.

Greg Clark

This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2015-02-10.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of commissioners from local government have attended the Commissioning Academy; and by which local authorities those commissioners are employed.

Mr Francis Maude

Through its programme of Civil Service Reform, the Government is taking urgent action to address long-standing skills gaps in the Civil Service. Our pioneering Commissioning Academy is building commercial capability across the public sector, and improving how public services are delivered.

To date 392 individuals have attended the central Commissioning Academy programmes, including 206 (52%) from central government. In the last year there was a 50% increase in demand for places on the programme, and it will be expanded to deliver 1,500 places by March 2016.

Commissioners have attended from the following local authorities:

Basildon Borough Council

Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council

Birmingham City Council

Bradford Metropolitan Borough Council

Bristol City Council

Canterbury and Coastal Clinical Commissioning Group

Cheltenham Borough Council

Cherwell District, South Northants and Stratford on Avon Councils

Cheshire East Council

Cheshire West and Chester Council

Cheshire West and Chester (a place-based group)

Cumbria County Council

Devon County Council

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

Essex County Council

Fenland District Council

Gloucestershire County Council

Harborough District Council

Horsham District Council

Kent County Council

Knowsley Council (Health and Social Care Integration)

Lancashire County Council

Leicestershire County Council

London Borough of Barnet

London Borough of Haringey

London Borough of Lambeth

London Borough of Lewisham

London Borough of Sutton

London Borough of Waltham Forest

Lowestoft Rising (Place based group)

Manchester City Council

Milton Keynes Council

Norfolk County Council

Northamptonshire County Council

Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council

Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council

Shropshire

Somerset County Council

Southend-on-sea Borough Council

Staffordshire County Council

Stoke-On-Trent City Council

Suffolk Coastal

Sunderland City Council

Surrey County Council

Swindon Borough Council

Tamworth Borough Council

Tri-borough councils: Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster

Wakefield Metropolitan District Council

Walsall Council

Warrington Borough Council

Waverley Borough Council

West Sussex County Council

Westminster City Council

Wirral Council

Worcestershire County Council

A number of other programmes sit alongside the central programme under the Commissioning Academy umbrella. 78 officials have attended local programmes in Norfolk and Staffordshire, modelled on the central programme, with participants drawn from local authorities and other public sector bodies in the local area. In addition, 8 councillors have attended a streamlined programme for Local Authority elected members.