Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the timescale is for the completion of the proposed rebuild project of New Leaf Pupil Referral Unit in Walsall.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The New Leaf Centre is a local authority maintained Pupil Referral Unit. Walsall local authority is responsible for the building project, so the department is unable to confirm timescales.
Ofsted judged the school as inadequate following an inspection in April 2018. As a result, an Academy Order was issued by the Regional School’s Commissioner (RSC) on 28 June 2018. The Forward Education Trust were approved as sponsor of the school by the RSC in April 2019. The department is working closely with the local authority and the Forward Education Trust regarding the site issue.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the (a) effect of the £60 fine per child or young person for unauthorised absences on the level of those absences and (b) potential effect of an increase in that fine on the level of absences.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Parents have a duty, under Section 7 of the Education Act 1996, to ensure that their child of compulsory school age (5-16) receives an efficient full-time education either by attendance at school or otherwise.
If parents register their child at school, the law places a duty on parents to ensure their child of compulsory school age attends school regularly.
A penalty notice is a fine issued to parents for failing to secure their child’s regular attendance at school. The Parental Responsibility Measures Attendance census collects data from local authorities annually on parental responsibility measures issued to address poor attendance in state-funded schools. It is a matter for schools and local authorities to decide whether to issue a penalty notice for unauthorised term time absence.
The Department has not formally assessed the impact of penalty notices, but comparable data shows overall absence rates have remained fairly stable across recent years, following a generally downward trend since 2006/07 (4.8% in 2017/18, compared to 6.5% in 2006/07).
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what date funding for gov.verify stops.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
In October 2018, the Cabinet Office announced that government funding would stop in March 2020. GOV.UK Verify provides secure access to 21 government services and has over 5.2 million accounts. The government is committed to ensuring that services are able to access the identity services they need beyond April 2020 and has set out plans for how it will support the creation of a thriving digital ID market.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much Barts NHS Foundation Trust spent on legal fees in relation to the case of Tafida Raqeeb v Barts NHS Foundation Trust and others in the High Court.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Department does not issue guidance on legal action in best interests cases. Decisions around withdrawal of treatment in such difficult circumstances are never easy. It is important that families and medical experts communicate and, where possible, reach agreement on the best interest of the child. Medical ethics committees and mediation services are often involved in such cases, but each case will be different and must be considered on its own unique circumstances by those who are involved – the National Health Services trust, clinicians and parents/patients. Health care professionals have a duty to act in the best interests of their patients and when doctors and families do not agree about the best interests of a child the Courts can been asked, by either party, to make an independent judgement, as in the case of Tafida Raqeeb.
The Department does not collect information on the cost of best interest cases.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the High Court judgment of 3 October 2019 on Tafida Raqeeb v Barts NHS Foundation Trust and others, if his Department will undertake a review of the guidance issued to NHS Trusts on taking legal action in the best interests of patients.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Department does not issue guidance on legal action in best interests cases. Decisions around withdrawal of treatment in such difficult circumstances are never easy. It is important that families and medical experts communicate and, where possible, reach agreement on the best interest of the child. Medical ethics committees and mediation services are often involved in such cases, but each case will be different and must be considered on its own unique circumstances by those who are involved – the National Health Services trust, clinicians and parents/patients. Health care professionals have a duty to act in the best interests of their patients and when doctors and families do not agree about the best interests of a child the Courts can been asked, by either party, to make an independent judgement, as in the case of Tafida Raqeeb.
The Department does not collect information on the cost of best interest cases.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 7 October 2019 to Question 292977 on Persecution of Christians Across the Globe Independent Review; on what date he plans to hold the Cabinet discussion on Freedom of Religion or Belief.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
We have drawn up an implementation plan for the Bishop of Truro’s various recommendations, dividing them into short, medium and longer term priorities. We believe that it is better to allow time to prepare properly for a Cabinet level discussion on freedom of religion or belief and are looking to schedule this at an appropriate time; this is not a short term task.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 30 September 2019 to Question 291141 on Persecution of Christians Across the Globe Independent Review, what the timescale is for his Department to implement the recommendations of the Bishop of Truro’s Independent Review for the Foreign Secretary of FCO Support for Persecuted Christians.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
We have drawn up an implementation plan for the Bishop of Truro’s various recommendations, dividing them into short, medium and longer term priorities. We hope to have implemented, or to be in the course of implementing a good number of them by the end of 2019. Others will take longer, while many will require an ongoing effort to embed into the working practice of the FCO and other Departments. The Bishop of Truro’s Review itself recommends reviewing the implementation of the recommendations after 3 years.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of remuneration for chief executives in the charity sector in the last five years.
Answered by Baroness Morgan of Cotes
Setting executive pay is a matter for a charity’s trustees to determine, acting in the best interests of their charity. In doing so the charity trustees need to consider a number of factors, including securing value for money for the charity, and the impact of their decisions on public trust. The Charity Commission for England and Wales requires charities to include information on the number of staff receiving remuneration in excess of £60,000, in their Annual Return. This information will be published in income bands on the charity register. The Charity Commission also requires charities to include information on the remuneration of their highest paid staff member. It will use this data to make a study of pay in charities and will publish its findings, once that work is complete.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of remuneration for chief executives in the charity sector in the last five years.
Answered by Baroness Morgan of Cotes
Setting executive pay is a matter for a charity’s trustees to determine, acting in the best interests of their charity. In doing so the charity trustees need to consider a number of factors, including securing value for money for the charity, and the impact of their decisions on public trust. The Charity Commission for England and Wales requires charities to include information on the number of staff receiving remuneration in excess of £60,000, in their Annual Return. This information will be published in income bands on the charity register. The Charity Commission also requires charities to include information on the remuneration of their highest paid staff member. It will use this data to make a study of pay in charities and will publish its findings, once that work is complete.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of remuneration for chief executives in the charity sector in the last five years.
Answered by Baroness Morgan of Cotes
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.