Tag: Steve McCabe

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2016 to Question 44488, what the implications for councils are of failure to determine planning applications in a timely and efficient manner; and what plans he has to provide extra funding to councils to assist them with implementing his Department’s plans to tighten the Planning Guarantee for minor planning applications.

Gavin Barwell

Councils are at risk of being designated as underperforming where they persistently fail to determine planning applications for major development within statutory timescales or an agreed extended period with the applicant. In an area where the council has been designated as underperforming, applicants can choose to submit their application directly to the Planning Inspectorate for determination, instead of the council. We are extending this regime to applications for non-major development. Where applications are not determined within 26 weeks, councils have to refund the application fee under the Planning Guarantee.

We do not intend to provide any additional funding to local authorities with regard to tightening the Planning Guarantee. Earlier this year we consulted on proposals to increase planning fees and will publish our response in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2016 to Question 44308, on primary education, where the information requested is held.

Nick Gibb

The information requested is not held, because the data supplied by the consultation does not provide a breakdown by profession of respondents to question 1 of the consultation.

As set out in answers 44308 and 35933, the Department’s analysis of the consultation responses is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/new-national-curriculum-primary-assessment-and-accountability.

“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-10-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many countries on the EU Commission tax haven blacklist, or identified as zero tax jurisdictions, received UK aid in financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15.

Mr Desmond Swayne

DFID uses a range of criteria to inform how we allocate aid across countries. These criteria include, for example, current and projected poverty levels in the country, the country’s ability to self-finance its development (e.g. through domestic taxation), and the likely effectiveness of UK aid.

A number of EU member states maintain lists of jurisdictions for tax purposes against criteria concerning tax transparency and/or the prevailing tax rate. The EU does not maintain a blacklist; however a list of 30 jurisdictions that featured on 10 or more member state lists was compiled and then superseded by a recent European Commission update.

This update included UK Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories which had the UK’s signature of the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters extended to them in 2014. The updated individual member state lists can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/taxation/gen_info/good_governance_matters/lists_of_countries/.

Of the 30 jurisdictions named in the original list, 14 received UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2013 (the most recent year for which consolidated figures are available). Of these 14, only three (Liberia, Montserrat and Vanuatu) received ODA from DFID for development and humanitarian assistance in that year. Details of funding amounts to these 14 jurisdictions can be found at the Statistics on International Development 2014 page of the gov.uk website.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the NICE Quality Standard for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis treatment is implemented in all NHS bodies.

Jane Ellison

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published a quality standard for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2015. This sets out the markers of high quality in the care of people with IPF and is designed to drive up standards and to reduce inequalities and variation.

NHS England commissions some services for patients with IPF as part of its specialised services remit. Its respiratory interstitial lung disease (adult) service specification, which includes IPF, sets out what it expects to be in place so that providers can offer evidence based, safe and effective services. This specification is currently being reviewed to ensure it includes the most up to date guidance on IPF including the recently published NICE quality standard. Commissioning of rehabilitation, oxygen services and acute admissions for exacerbations are covered by local commissioning arrangements.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-02-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government plans to extend childcare support to cover the school holidays.

Mr Sam Gyimah

The government is fully committed to ensuring that sufficient, flexible provision of childcare is made available to support hard working parents.

All childcare providers are able to offer the existing 15 hour free entitlement for 3 and 4 year olds during the school holidays, and a number of providers already do so. We will be consulting on proposals with regard to the new entitlement to 30 hours of free childcare, including how this offer can be made more flexible for working parents. We will work closely with the Local Government Association, local authorities and childcare providers to identify and remove barriers to flexible provision, including offering childcare during the school holidays.

In addition, my Rt. Hon friend the Sectary of State announced on the 6 October 2015 that parents will be granted a new ‘right to request’ wraparound and / or holiday childcare at their school. Childcare providers will also be given the right to request use of school sites outside school-hours to provide this care. The consultation on the ‘right to request’ opened on the 7 December and closes on 29 February 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the access to therapeutic services for children who enter the care system.

Edward Timpson

Local authorities are required to comply with a robust care planning framework which clearly sets out their duties in meeting the needs of looked-after children. This includes the assessment of a child’s emotional and mental health and requires the local authority to set out how they will address any needs.

This framework should ensure that every looked-after child can access the support and services they need. At the Education Select Committee hearing on the mental health and wellbeing of looked-after children on 3 February 2016, the Minister for Community and Social Care announced that the Departments of Health and Education will be setting up an expert group working with NHS England, Health Education England, and sector partners to develop care pathways to support an integrated approach to meeting the needs of looked-after children with mental health difficulties. The experts will be drawn from across the health, social care and education sectors, with input from children, young people, carers and families with experience of the care system.

In addition, the Department for Education’s £100 million Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme currently supports 53 projects in the development, testing and spreading of more effective ways of supporting children and families who need help. This includes projects focused on providing therapeutic services to improve outcomes for young people, including those looked-after and on the edge of care. The projects are being independently evaluated.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 26546, when he expects to publish the consultation document on introducing fixed recoverable costs in clinical negligence claims.

Ben Gummer

We are planning to go out to consultation shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the well-being of children being assessed at Key Stage 2 level in June 2016; and whether her Department has conducted an impact assessment of changes to primary school assessments at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 level.

Nick Gibb

Assessment is a crucial part of a child’s schooling and is fundamental in a high-performing education system. It enables parents and teachers to see how pupils are performing in relation to national expectations and identifies the areas where additional support for pupils is needed.

The best way to prepare pupils for the tests is by teaching the National Curriculum and we do not recommend that schools devote excessive preparation time for Key Stage 2 tests. We trust teachers to prepare pupils in a way that does not put undue pressure on them. Schools are also required to provide continuous and appropriate support as part of a whole school approach to supporting the wellbeing and resilience of pupils. It is therefore recommended that any child experiencing high levels of stress should speak to their teachers or school counsellors.

The Government recognises that it will take time for schools to adjust to new primary assessment arrangements. We have developed new assessments to reflect the new National Curriculum and made the expected standard more challenging to align with the high expectations it sets. The new statutory assessments, however, still measure the same range of attainment. Additionally, statutory tests only form part of the broader assessments that teachers make about pupils on an ongoing basis.

Throughout the introduction of these reforms, we have worked closely with teachers, head teachers and their union representatives and considered their concerns fully. We will continue to do so in resolving any remaining issues.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2016 to Question 29818, what assessment he has made of the effect of a four-year freeze in local housing allowance (LHA) rates on people that rely on LHA if the cost of renting in the private rented sector continues to rise; and whether the four-year freeze will disproportionally affect those living in houses with more than four bedrooms.

Justin Tomlinson

The information requested is not available. However there will be Targeted Affordability Funding available to support areas where higher rent increases are causing a shortage of affordable accommodation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 30649, when she plans to publish the outcomes of the review of the process of dealing with family reunion applications.

Mike Penning

Following consultation with partners, we are currently in the process of finalising revised guidance on dealing with family reunion applications. We intend to publish updated guidance in April 2016.