Tag: Steve McCabe

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2015 to Question 18122, (a) how many times and (b) on what grounds Palestinian academics have not been given permission to attend academic conferences in the UK in the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire

Acquiring information on the number of times academics of Syrian nationality have been refused entry to attend an academic conference would involve examining each individual case record held by UK Visas and Immigration for the category. To do so would incur a disproportionate cost.

In order to safeguard an individual’s personal information and comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 the Home Office is limited in what information it can provide when the request is made by someone who is not the applicant. The Home Office is therefore unable to provide information on the reasons for refusing entry to the UK.

All applications are considered on their individual merits and in line with the Immigration Rules.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what programmes her Department has contributed to from the £300 million it allocated to eradicate polio.

Mr Nick Hurd

The United Kingdom remains fully committed to global polio eradication and has pledged £300 million to support the Global Polio Eradication Initiative for 2013 to 2019. Of the £300 million, £270 million is directed to the World Health Organisation, which hosts the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. £30 million is allocated to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to support its role in the global introduction of the Inactivated Polio Vaccine, a key step in the path to eradication.

As the third largest contributor towards global polio eradication, UK support has played a crucial role in the more than 99% decrease in polio cases since the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire in assessing the wellbeing of children and young people when they enter the care system.

Edward Timpson

This Government is committed to supporting children in care and the unique challenges that they often face. That is why we’ve put in place a comprehensive package of support, including the introduction of the Pupil Premium Plus and compulsory Virtual School Heads to champion the attainment of children in care. We’ve also changed the rules so foster children can remain at home until 21 and have recognised long-term fostering as a placement in its own right, providing young people with greater stability as they prepare for independence and adult life.

The Department collects Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) scores for children looked-after for at least 12 months. The data returned by local authorities are based on questionnaires completed by the child’s main carer. SDQs should inform a looked-after child’s annual health assessment.

In England, 72% of 5-16 year olds, looked after for at least 12 months, have had an SDQ score submitted. In Birmingham, 85% of these children have had an SDQ score submitted. These figures are correct as of 31 March 2015. More information can be found in the Department’s Statistical First Release Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England at 31 March 2015[1].

The SDQ is an internationally validated screening tool that provides information about the behavioural and emotional health of children. It has been part of the Department’s statistical collection for looked-after children since 2008. Where the SDQ score from the main carer suggests there may be a problem, the statutory guidance Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children[2], which is issued jointly by the Department for Education and Department for Health, makes clear that consideration should be given to further assessment.

The Department recently supported the research undertaken by the Rees Centre at the University of Oxford on The Educational Progress of Looked-After Children in England: Linking Care and Education Data[3]. This research demonstrates that having a high SDQ score was strongly predictive of poor GCSE outcomes. We are discussing the implications of this research with local authority Virtual School Heads.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2014-to-2015

[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-the-health-and-wellbeing-of-looked-after-children–2

[3] http://reescentre.education.ox.ac.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EducationalProgressLookedAfterChildrenOverviewReport_Nov2015.pdf

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of making medical donors entitled to sick pay while they are recovering from giving a medical donation.

Justin Tomlinson

Employed donors should be able to receive Statutory Sick Pay if they satisfy the qualifying conditions and provide medical evidence which assesses them as unfit for work.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 29 February 2016 to Question 27310, on how many occasions other than cases in which an objection was submitted the Schools Adjudicator has judged a school’s admission arrangements not to be compliant with the Schools Adjudicator’s Code in the last two years.

Nick Gibb

The Schools Adjudicator has the power, under Section 88H of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, to consider objections to a school’s determined admission arrangements. She also has the power, under Section 88I of the Act, to consider whether admission arrangements that come to her attention by other means comply with the School Admissions Code.

Data on the number of cases considered by the Adjudicator and their outcome can be found on page 20 of the Chief Schools Adjudicator’s annual report for 2014/15. The report can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/osa-annual-report.

The Adjudicator does not publish data broken down in the way requested.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-21.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 26995, what steps he has taken to support people who have moved home because of flooding and are unable to sell their primary home within the 18-month eligibility period for refund of stamp duty.

Mr David Gauke

The Government has doubled the eligibility period from 18 to 36 months for refunds from the higher rates of SDLT if purchasers move home before selling their main residence. The Government believes that the longer period of time is fairer to purchasers who may, due to circumstances beyond their control, be unable to sell a previous main residence within 18 months.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2016 to Question 29831, on how many occasions his Department has provided advice and support upon request from local authorities who wish to undertake post-implementation value for money assessments.

Mr Marcus Jones

None. However, carrying out post-implementation reviews is an established practice of good policy making for both local and central government.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which local authorities applied for monies from the Planning Enforcement Fund; and how many such applications were successful.

Brandon Lewis

The Department received six applications for enforcement grants before the deadline for submitting applications and all were successful.

Two grants were made in the financial year 2014-15 to Staffordshire County Council (£8,010) and Stratford-on-Avon District Council (£3,200).

Four grants were made in the financial year 2015-16 to Bath and North East Somerset Council (£7,993.75), London Borough of Camden (£8,184.50), Chelmsford City Council (£2,755) and South Gloucestershire Council (£3,291.66).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answers of 21 March 2016 to Questions 31227 and 31228, if he will review what guidance is given by his Department to local authorities on public private partnerships.

Mr Marcus Jones

There are no current plans to produce updated guidance for local authorities on public private partnerships. However, my Department continuously reviews developments in the sector and if it is identified that take-up of new public private partnerships by local authorities is increasing, I will reconsider this position.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-04-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2016 to Question 33991, what proportion of the 644 teachers and head teachers who responded to the 2013 consultation supported the principle of the assessment reforms.

Nick Gibb

The primary school assessment and accountability consultation in 2013 was an important exercise which contributed to the development of our reforms.

An analysis of the consultation responses is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/new-national-curriculum-primary-assessment-and-accountability.

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