Tag: Tulip Siddiq

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what (a) funding, (b) personnel support and (c) other support has been provided by the Government under the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund referred to in the Prime Minister’s response to the Foreign Affairs Committee’s report on the Extension of Offensive British Military Operations to Syria, published on 26 November 2015.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

Under the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, the UK has delivered over £100million in support to Syria, Jordan and Lebanon since the start of the crisis. This has focussed on strengthening the moderate opposition, building resilience against extremists, fostering civil society structures in besieged areas, promoting Human Rights, delivering basic governance and laying the foundations for a more peaceful and inclusive future for Syria. Further details of our funding can be found on the Gov.uk website.

The UK has always punched above its weight in helping deal with the effects of the Syria crisis. Our vision for Syria is an open, democratic society with greater social, economic and political participation where violent extremism does not have a place and where refugees feel safe to return. That is why, alongside our pledge of over £1.1 billion in humanitarian aid, the Prime Minister announced a commitment of at least £1 billion to reconstruction in Syria during the 26 October Commons debate.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-01-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of how many pensioners will have the assessed income periods of their pension credit end early as a result of changes to pension credit on 6 April 2016.

Justin Tomlinson

We estimate that around 250,000 Pension Credit recipients will have their assessed income period (AIP) end early. This estimate is based on DWP administrative data and includes an assumption about the number of new AIPs that will be set between now and 5 April 2016. The end of an AIP does not necessarily change the Pension Credit award; the effect depends on whether any changes to income or capital have taken place.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations she has received on local authority non-compliance with statutory requirements in relation to (a) education, health and care plans and (b) the Local Offer; what mechanism is in place to ensure that local authorities comply with such statutory requirements; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure such compliance.

Edward Timpson

We are monitoring implementation of the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) reforms very closely. We undertake termly surveys of local authorities and Parent Carer Forums. We also engage in regular dialogue with voluntary and community sector partners, including parent representatives, and we monitor issues raised in ministerial and official correspondence.

The SEND reforms are complex and will take time to embed fully. The transition period from statements to Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs) runs until 2018. Our team of SEND Advisers has focused on improving the quality and timeliness of Local Offers and EHCPs, and is offering support to local authorities. In 2015, we responded to widespread feedback to extend the timescale for transferring a statement of SEN to an EHCP from 16 weeks to 20 weeks. We have also provided workshops on Local Offers and on transition; we are currently working with partners to run a series of workshops for local authorities on drafting good EHCPs.

Early in the process, feedback showed that local authorities were at different stages in developing their Local Offers. All local authorities now have a Local Offer in place, and are working with their partner bodies, families and young people to ensure Local Offers respond to local needs.

Parents/carers and young people have various options if they are dissatisfied with the way an authority has acted in relation to an EHCP or about the Local Offer. They may wish to complain directly to their local authority, following its formal complaints procedure. Once a local authority’s complaints procedure has been exhausted, the complaint can be referred to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO). The LGO can investigate complaints of maladministration or service failure made by parents/carers and young people about their local authority, including non-compliance with statutory duties relating to EHCPs and the Local Offer. The LGO will not usually investigate complaints about decisions that the local authority has taken in relation to EHC needs assessments and plans that can be appealed to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability).

If a complaint is not resolved locally or by the LGO, it can be referred to the Secretary of State under sections 496 and 497 of the Education Act 1996. If the Secretary of State finds that the local authority has failed to carry out a statutory duty, or has done so unreasonably, she can then issue a direction to the authority in order to put matters right, if it is expedient to do so.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-01-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many full-time equivalent staff were employed by HM Revenue and Customs’ Pay and Work Rights Helpline in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16; and what funding was provided to that team in each of those years.

Nick Boles

Broadcasting Support Services (BSS) was contracted in 2009 to run the Pay and Work Rights Helpline (PWRH) until March 2015.

In April 2015 Acas took over responsibility for providing a one stop shop for workers and employers seeking advice on a wider range of employment matters.

The budget was: 2009/10 – £968k, with 9 members of staff; and in 2014/15 it was £750k, with 7 members of staff. The cost of the service was then absorbed by Acas within their existing helpline functions when they took over responsibility for handling calls previously dealt with by the PWRH.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2016 to Question 25404, which of the (a) academies, (b) academies which were previously maintained schools and (c) free schools have been subject to complaints about admissions decisions.

Edward Timpson

Academies are responsible for setting and applying their own admission arrangements. This includes responsibility for making arrangements for appeals against the refusal of a school place. The information requested can be sought directly from the relevant academies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many consent orders have been signed by courts for the settlement of judicial review cases for asylum and immigration applications in each year since 2009-10; how many such cases were decided in favour of the appellant upon reconsideration; how many found in contempt of court for the breaching such consent orders; and on how many occasions the courts has refuse to sign a consent order.

Mr Shailesh Vara

This information is not held centrally and can only be collated at disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what restrictions are in place on Dr Nicole Mather in her role as Director of the Office for Life Sciences in relation to her role as Director of Deloitte’s Healthcare and Life Sciences practice.

George Freeman

It is a condition of Nicole’s secondment to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) that she ensures that in the course of carrying out the work she is asked to do, there will be no conflict of interest that will cause either embarrassment to, or difficulties for, Nicole, Deloitte or BIS.

As part of her secondment agreement to BIS, Nicole has signed up to the Civil Service Code including its values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality. The secondment agreement sets out specific requirements around shareholdings, use of information gained in the course of her work in BIS, directorships, being a partner in a partnership, and the application of the Business Appointment Rules if Nicole wishes to take up another role within 2 years of the end of her secondment to BIS.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2016 to Questions 26129 and 26130, how much community engagement funding to tackle female genital mutilation (a) was allocated in 2013-14 and (b) has been allocated for 2015-16 through schemes operated by (i) her Department and (ii) the Department for Communities and Local Government; how many and which community projects applied for funding in these years; and which such applications were (A) accepted and (B) rejected.

Karen Bradley

In 2014-15, the Government provided over £380,000 to community organisations through the Home Office’s female genital mutilation (FGM) Community Engagement Initiative and the Department for Communities and Local Government’s FGM and forced marriage prevention projects.

A total of 179 applications were received, and 29 of these applications were funded. The Answer of 11 February 2016 to Questions 26129 and 26130 provides a list of the organisations whose applications were successful. The Government did not provide specific funding for FGM community engagement projects in 2013-14 or 2015-16.

We know that changing attitudes within communities is key to ending FGM and we will continue to work with community organisations and survivors through the FGM Unit’s stakeholder group and ongoing outreach programme to drive this work forward.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how the Government plans to enforce the reporting duties for female genital mutilation for professionals under Section 5B of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003, as amended.

Karen Bradley

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a crime and it is child abuse.

The new FGM mandatory reporting duty requires specified professionals to report known cases of FGM in under 18s to the police. It applies to teachers and health and social care professionals regulated by a body which is overseen by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (with the exception of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland) in England and Wales.

The duty does not apply to non-regulated professionals. This includes non-regulated professionals who are members of bodies on the Accredited Voluntary Register. However, our guidance on the duty is clear that such professionals also have a responsibility to take appropriate action in relation to any identified or suspected case of FGM, in line with wider safeguarding frameworks and guidance, including the multi-agency guidance on FGM which we are putting on a statutory footing.

Where professionals fail to comply with the duty, this should be dealt with in accordance with professional bodies’ existing disciplinary procedures.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-03-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2016 to Question 28947, how many referrals the helpline has made to which relevant bodies in each year it has been in place, which relevant, on what date it is planned that the new modern slavery helpline will begin to operate; and how much funding the Government has allocated for the operation of that helpline.

Karen Bradley

I refer the Hon. Member to my response of 2 March. Between 31 July 2014 and 31 July 2015, 849 contacts were made to the NSPCC-run modern slavery helpline. Of these in total, 403 referrals were made to the police, 106 referrals were made to children’s services, 1 to the armed forces and 81 to other agencies. For the period 1 August 2015 to 31 January 2016 74 referrals were made to the helpline. Of these 49 referrals were made to the police, 14 referrals were made to children’s services and 11 to other agencies. A referral may be made to more than one agency and may include update referrals.

No funding has been allocated for the NSPCC helpline for the financial year 2016-17. Polaris, a US-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), is establishing an enhanced UK helpline in collaboration with a UK-based NGO, which will supersede the current NSPCC helpline. The NSPCC helpline will remain in operation until the enhanced helpline is up and running. Start up funding of up to £1 illion has been provided by Google.org. The new helpline is expected to be in operation later this year.