Written Statements
Support to Ukraine
(9 years, 2 months ago)
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The Secretary of State for Defence (Michael Fallon)
I have today laid before Parliament a Ministry of Defence Departmental Minute describing a gifting package which the UK intends to make to the Government of Ukraine.
Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and its destabilising activities in eastern Ukraine, including direct military support to the separatists, have demonstrated its disregard for international law. The latest ceasefire agreement, reached in Minsk on 12 February and which came into force on 15 February, has seen a reduction in violence in the conflict zone. We very much hope it will help end the conflict. However, fighting has not ceased in some areas and there continue to be fatalities and casualties among the Ukrainian armed forces.
This Government are committed to supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. As a result of their prolonged engagement in this conflict, the Ukrainians face a serious shortage of basic equipment, and have requested help.
Our proposed gift of non-lethal equipment is designed to prevent further Ukrainian fatalities and casualties and to help improve situational awareness on the ground.
The Departmental Minute, which I have today laid before Parliament, describes a gifting package to the Ukrainian armed forces that will comprise five priority items that are needed which will provide immediate benefits. These items are individual first aid kits, global positioning systems (GPS) units, helmet-mounted monocular night vision goggles (MNVGs), ruggedised laptops, and Mk6 helmets. Subject to completion of the Departmental Minute process, delivery is expected to be undertaken over the coming weeks. The total cost of this proposed package of equipment is approximately £850,000, including transportation and contingency costs.
This gifting package is being provided alongside other training activities, which are being delivered by UK military personnel to the Ukrainian armed forces.
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Reserves held by Academies and Free Schools
(9 years, 2 months ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Mr Edward Timpson)
There has been some recent interest in the level of cash reserves held by academies and free schools. The Government regard academies’ cash holdings as reasonable. Academies cannot borrow and need to hold enough cash to manage their solvency prudently.
In January 2015 I answered two parliamentary questions (219279 and 219280) relating to the cash reserves held by academies and free schools. I would like to use this opportunity to provide additional information for individual academies and free schools and to provide corrected figures for reserves held by academy and free school trusts.
Reserves held by academies
In answering parliamentary question 219279, I provided details of academy trusts’ cash holdings for the financial years 2010-11 to 2013-14. Academy trusts can of course include more than one academy, and on reflection it is more useful and relevant to provide figures covering all individual academies as follows:
Date | Number of academies open | Total cash, £ millions | Average cash per academy, £ thousands |
|---|---|---|---|
31 March 2011 | 469 | 62 | 132 |
31 March 2012 | 1,664 | 1,199 | 721 |
31 March 2013 | 2,823 | 1,859 | 659 |
31 March 2014 | 3,905 | 2,469 | 632 |
The above table shows that average academies’ cash holdings increased between 2010-11 and 2011-12 and then decreased in the following years to 2013-14. This is due to many smaller academies opening more recently and holding less cash.
A corrected version of the table in my original answer to PQ 219279 is below. This table is less representative than the above table, as it does not show the average cash held at an individual academy level.
Date1 | Number of academies trusts open | Total cash, £ millions | Average cash per academy trust, £ thousands |
|---|---|---|---|
31 March 2011 | 377 | 62 | 165 |
31 March 2012 | 1,524 | 1,199 | 787 |
31 March 2013 | 2,108 | 1,859 | 882 |
31 March 2014 | 2,585 | 2,469 | 955 |
Reserves held by free schools
In answering parliamentary question 219280, I provided details of cash holdings for free schools that are part of a free school single academy trust for the financial years 2011-12 to 2013-14. On reflection, it is more relevant to provide details of all free schools that are part of a free school academy trust, as follows. This includes free schools that are part of multi-free school academy trusts.
Date | Number of free schools in free school academy trusts | Total cash, £ millions | Average cash per free school in a free school academy trust, £ thousands |
|---|---|---|---|
31 March 2012 | 19 | 2 | 105 |
31 March 2013 | 59 | 8 | 136 |
31 March 2014 | 129 | 26 | 202 |
The Education Funding Agency (EFA) holds information on free schools’ cash only where free schools are part of a single free school academy trust or a multi-free school academy trust. Where a free school is within a multi-academy trust with different types of academy, the EFA cannot distinguish the free school’s cash holding from that of the wider multi-academy trust. These schools are not therefore included in the above table.
A corrected version of the table in my original answer to PQ 219280 is below. This table is less representative than the above table as it only includes free schools that are the only school in their trust.
Date2 | Number of schools single academy trusts | Total cash, £millions | Average cash per academy trust, £ thousands |
|---|---|---|---|
31 March 2012 | 14 | 2 | 143 |
31 March 2013 | 47 | 7 | 149 |
31 March 2014 | 103 | 20 | 194 |
Academies and free schools are independent self-managing organisations with freedoms to generate income from donations and trading activity. They cannot borrow; they can build up reserves in order to accommodate longer-term plans such as capital investment, to fund maintenance and expand as well as to manage risk and uncertainty of future funding. As public sector bodies, academies and free schools are required to apply effective treasury management policies and ensure that cash is properly controlled.
Academies and free schools typically hold a level of cash that most self-managing organisations would regard as prudent and no more. The EFA expects trusts with larger cash balances to have a clear plan as to how they will use these balances and to be able to demonstrate they have acted accordingly.
1 We do not have comparable records of academies’ cash holdings for financial years 06-07 to 09-10.
2 The first free schools opened in September 2011.
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Consultation for People with Learning Disabilities, Autism and Mental Health Conditions
(9 years, 2 months ago)
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The Minister of State, Department of Health (Norman Lamb)
The Government are today publishing the consultation paper “No voice unheard, no right ignored—a consultation for people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health conditions.”
A lot of work has been done over the last two and a half years to improve the lives of people with mental health needs, learning disability and autism and to realise the vision of everyone being treated with dignity and respect by health and care services and enjoying the same rights as anyone else.
However the scale and pace of change for individuals that we all wanted to see has not yet happened. We have to go further. We want to consider how we can make sure that the rights, incentives, responsibilities and duties in the system ensure that change is delivered everywhere and no-one can fall through the gaps any longer.
Above all, we want to see four things:
People in charge, supported by family and friends—not as passive patients or “prisoners” of a system, as they so often feel they are;
inclusion and independence in the community—people should not routinely be sent away from their homes and communities or to institutions which restrict access to their community or to inappropriate care;
the right care in the right place—there should be real person centred planning with the individual themselves at the heart; and
very clear accountability and responsibility throughout the system—there can be no excuses for a lack of clarity over responsibility or for people falling through the gaps between services.
The consultation sets out a series of proposals on how changes might be made. We hope that this will mark a step change—and help to secure the rights that everyone deserves. We also hope that this strengthens further the drive for parity of esteem for all those with mental health needs.
The consultation seeks to explore views on a range of proposals intended to strengthen or build upon existing policies. It also seeks views on proposals developed in response to:
issues raised during the 2014 consultation on the Mental Health Act Code of Practice regarding the Mental Health Act primary legislation; and ,
some of the recommendations of the 2015 National Audit Office report Care Services for People with Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviour.
It sets out a range of potential ideas rather than a single package of measures which necessarily need to be taken together, and therefore seeks views on which of the measures would be likely to have most impact.
The scope of the consultation primarily relates to:
(i) assessment and treatment in mental health hospitals for people (all age) with learning disability or autism;
(ii) adult care and support, primarily for those with learning disability but also for adults with autism (and the links to support for children and young people); and
(iii) all those to whom the Mental Health Act currently applies (including children and young people).
Other elements, particularly where they relate to the Care Act 2014, may be of relevance to adults in receipt of social care, including those with other disabilities.
Some of the proposals relating to possible amendments to the Mental Health Act are not intended to apply to patients under part 3 of the Mental Health Act (those who have entered via the criminal justice system). This is because of those patients’ particular needs and the important responsibility of the Secretary of State for Justice and the National Offender Management Service in relation to public protection. This is set out in each relevant section.
This is a consultation by the Department of Health in England. However, the Mental Health Act applies across England and Wales and any changes to the law in Wales would have to be agreed by the National Assembly for Wales.
Hidden impairments like autism, learning disability and mental ill health can be harder to see, and therefore easier to ignore. But, as a civilised society we simply cannot continue to ignore or tolerate people getting the wrong care or treatment any more than we would for people with heart disease or cancer.
The consultation will run for 12 weeks from 6 March 2015 to 29 May 2015. An easy read version of the consultation is also available.
A copy of the Command Paper (number 9007) entitled “No voice unheard, no right ignored—a consultation for people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health conditions” is available in the Library of the House and also available online at: http://www.parliament.uk/writtenstatements.
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Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council
(9 years, 2 months ago)
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The Minister for Employment (Esther McVey)
The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council will take place on 9 March 2015 in Brussels. Shan Morgan, deputy permanent representative to the EU, will represent the UK at the meeting.
There will be a policy debate on the European semester 2015; As part of the discussion, the Council will seek the Adoption of Draft Council conclusions on the 2015 Annual Growth Survey and Joint Employment report; and will also seek Adoption of the Draft Joint Employment Report. The commission will present a proposal for a Council decision on guidelines for the employment policies of the member states; and seek endorsement of key messages on the social situation in the EU: SPC report.
The Council will seek a general approach on the proposals for a Council decision establishing the Employment Committee and repealing decision 2000/98/EC; and establishing the Social Protection Committee and repealing decision 2004/689/EC.
The Council will also seek to adopt draft Council conclusions on moving towards more inclusive labour markets; and the EU strategic framework on Health and Safety at Work 29014-2020: - Adapting to new challenges.
Ministers will be asked to endorse key messages on financing, effectiveness and efficiency of social protection systems in the Joint SPC and Commission report.
Under any other business, the Latvian presidency will inform on the tripartite social summit; the respective Chairs of the EMCO and SPC will provide information on their work programmes for 2015. The Commission will provide information on the re-launching of the social dialogue, presentation of country reports from the European 2015 semester, and the Commission proposal on the youth employment initiative.
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