Tag: Vicky Foxcroft

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2016-04-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will put safeguards in place to ensure that (a) out of country entry clearance applications are rigorously checked, (b) all supporting documents for such applications are fairly considered and (c) applicants’ details are not confused with other cases.

James Brokenshire

All out of country entry clearance applications are subject to an extensive range of mandatory and discretionary checks. These include, but are not limited to, biographic and biometric identity checks against national and international police records and against previous immigration history, as well as document verification.

Applications are submitted at a Visa Application Centre (VAC) and are individually bundled. The bundles are sent to Decision Making Centres to be assessed by an Entry Clearance Officer, before being returned to the VAC. The application remains in individual bundles throughout the process to prevent applicants’ details being confused with other cases.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what contribution his Department is making to Government steps to reduce the incidence of serious youth violence.

Mr Rob Wilson

Cabinet Office is committed to supporting young people from all backgrounds to make positive life choices and give back to their communities. In January 2016 Home Office published Ending Gang Violence and Exploitation which sets out how Cabinet Office programmes such as NCS and Step Up to Serve provide meaningful alternatives to gangs. Over 200,000 16-17 year olds have participated in NCS since 2011 and Step Up To Serve’s #iwill campaign aims to increase the number of 10-20 year olds participating in social action by 50% by 2020. These programmes have a powerful impact on young people at a formative time in their lives.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2016-04-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Romani people are not being discriminated against in the UK.

Mr Marcus Jones

The Government is committed to creating a fair society in which all people, of whatever ethnic origin or background, are able to participate fully in society and realise their full potential. The Government deplores racism in all its forms and is determined to ensure everyone has the opportunity to get on in life, free from harassment and fear. The UK has a strong and well-established legal framework to combat discrimination and hate crime, which protects all individuals, including Roma, from racial and other forms of discrimination, and racially motivated crime. Officials in my Department hold regular meetings with Roma, Gypsy and Traveller organisations to discuss issues of concern to those communities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what contribution his Department is making to Government steps to reduce the incidence of serious youth violence.

Mr Edward Vaizey

This Government is committed to reducing youth violence. On 13 January 2016 the Home Office published the new Ending Gang Violence and Exploitation approach. This has a twin focus concerned with both reducing violence and protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation by gangs, and how the Home Office want to work with national and local partners to respond to this.

The Home Office’s Modern Crime Prevention Strategy, published on 23 March 2016, sets out a range of measures they are taking, including working with the police and industry to ensure there are effective controls on the sales of knives, particularly to under-18s. The Home Office has agreed a set of principles with major retailers and the British Retail Consortium to prevent the underage sale of knives and to ensure knives are displayed safely.

Government is also supporting police action taken against knife crime. Most recently, in February 2016, the Home Office supported thirteen police forces who undertook coordinated action against knife crime. This involved targeting habitual knife carriers, weapon sweeps, test purchases of knives from identified retailers, and use of surrender bins.

In addition, DCMS launched the Sport Strategy in December 2015, which sets out how sport can play a role in inclusivity and giving everyone the best chance in life.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2016-06-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the Government’s strategy is for increasing the number of apprenticeships.

Nick Boles

The English Apprenticeships 2020 Vision document that we published in December outlines our plans to increase the quantity and quality of apprenticeships in England.

Employer-led reforms are making it easier and more attractive for employers to offer apprenticeships. We have also set new expectations for the public sector and through public procurement.

We announced a £10 million fund to help boost the number of degree apprenticeships that provide the high level skills our economy needs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of cadet forces to reducing the incidence of serious youth violence.

Mr Julian Brazier

The Ministry of Defence-Sponsored Cadet Forces comprise the Sea Cadet Corps, the Combined Cadet Force, the Army Cadet Force, and the Air Training Corps.

The Department has not formally assessed the potential contribution of its Cadet Forces in reducing the incidence of serious youth violence. However, the 131,000 Cadets involved follow a wide variety of well-organised, enjoyable and challenging military-themed activities in a safely-managed environment.

Experience shows that these activities allow Cadets to develop a sense of responsibility and service to the community, self-reliance, leadership, teamwork, communication skills and respect for authority and for others. In undertaking these activities, Cadets can gain nationally-recognised educational and vocational qualifications.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2016-10-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to sick pay and state benefits for women who suffer from severe endometriosis.

Penny Mordaunt

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) provides a measure of earnings replacement for employees unable to work because of short-term sickness if they satisfy the qualifying conditions, which are not related to specific medical conditions.

Those who are not entitled to SSP or are still unwell at the end of the maximum payment period (28 weeks) may, provided they satisfy the conditions of entitlement, be entitled to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

As two people with the same condition can be affected in different ways, there is no condition-based entitlement to ESA. The Work Capability Assessment recognises that conditions can vary in their severity and therefore people with the same condition could be placed in the Work Related Activity Group, the Support Group or found fit for work.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, in how many towns there is no choice of secondary education provision.

Edward Timpson

The information requested is not held in the required format.

The Department’s register of educational establishments in England and Wales, EduBase, contains the postal address details of all schools including the postal town which may differ from the actual town where the school is located.

The EduBase system is publically available and can be accessed at: http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase/home.xhtml

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what contribution her Department is making to Government steps to reduce the incidence of serious youth violence.

Nick Gibb

The Department for Education is working with the Home Office on a series of measures to reduce the incidence of serious youth violence.

In January 2016, the Home Office published its Ending Gang Violence and Exploitation approach. Among its priorities, this publication describes action to protect locations where vulnerable young people can be targeted, including pupil referral units and residential children’s care homes. New regulations and guidance, introduced in 2015, make it clear that homes can prevent a child leaving the home where there is an immediate risk to their safety – which would include where a gang was seeking to lure a child away for involvement in gang activities. The Department for Education has also undertaken a stock-take of frontline practice in relation to missing children, which will inform and help to shape ongoing work to strengthen and improve practice with the Association of Directors of Children’s Services.

The Ending Gang Violence and Exploitation publication also states that the Department for Education continues to focus on action to improve school attendance. Regular attendance plays a vital role in keeping young people away from gang involvement and other crime and antisocial behaviour. The Department has, from September 2015, reduced the threshold for ‘persistent absence’ from 15% to 10%, emphasising the message that attending school should be a priority for every pupil.

In March 2016, the Home Office published its Modern Crime Prevention Strategy, outlining measures to strengthen the Government’s response to knife crime. This publication notes that the Home Office is working with the Department for Education to deliver prevention messages in schools; teaching school pupils to recognise and challenge unhealthy and exploitative relationships, to prevent them from being abused or from engaging in abuse themselves. We are working with the Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education Association to train teaching staff in areas that seek help, to help them to teach young people to recognise and avoid exploitation and abuse.

The Modern Crime Prevention Strategy also highlights that the Department for Education will work with the Home Office on how best to raise awareness in school age children about the risks of carrying knives, and the role schools can play to build resilience in children and young people so they do not give in to peer pressure to carry knives.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what contribution his Department is making to Government steps to reduce the incidence of serious youth violence.

Andrew Selous

We continue to play an active role in cross-Government work to tackle gangs and prevent youth violence.

Youth reoffending is too high which is why the justice Secretary has asked Charlie Taylor to conduct a review of youth justice. He will report back later this year with recommendations.