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, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle religious oppression against (a) Christians and (b) other religious groups in (i) Burkina Faso and (ii) other parts of West Africa.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK is deeply concerned about the security deterioration in Burkina Faso and the Sahel, including attacks in recent months against religious minorities. We are committed to working with all partners, including Burkina Faso and other countries in West Africa, to protect freedom of religion and belief for all. As the UK increases its work to encourage stability and prosperity in the Sahel, we will continue being vocal champions for the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
What steps he is taking to prevent animal cruelty.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This Government is leading the way in promoting animal welfare by bringing forward legislation that will increase the maximum custodial penalty for animal cruelty in England from 6 months’ to 5 years’ imprisonment. We have also made it a requirement for all slaughterhouses to have CCTV; updated and improved the laws regulating dog breeding and pet sales; and banned the third party sale of puppies and kittens.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will meet the Chancellor to discuss the potential cost benefits of reducing VAT on the (a) building products and (b) low-carbon technologies used to retrofit homes to improve indoor air quality, energy efficiency and the health of occupants.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
I regularly meet with Cabinet colleagues to discuss a range of issues, including the Government’s carbon reduction policies.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps he has taken to help ensure that schools take the leading role in deciding whether to (a) form and (b) join a multi-academy trust.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The process to become an academy is school led, with schools’ Local Governing Bodies taking the initiative to apply to their Regional School Commissioners’ office on whether to join an existing academy trust, or form one with partner schools. The only exception to this, where the department takes a leading role, is where a school is judged as ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted, as the law requires the Secretary of State to make an order enabling the school to become an academy.
The department aims to ensure that all schools considering becoming academies are able to join strong academy trusts, and this has historically been supported through trust capacity funding. Ultimately, our ambition is for every school that wants to, to benefit from the autonomy and freedom to innovate that academy status offers, and for schools to collaborate through strong academy trusts.
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, what recent discussions he has had with his Indian counterpart on the time taken to conduct the trial of Jagtar Singh Johal in that country.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
We regularly make representations on Mr Johal's behalf, including raising his right to a fair trial. Our High Commissioner in India raised this with the Indian High Commissioner to the UK most recently on 10 June.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to review the 3,000 pupil threshold for academy capital funding; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Condition funding is allocated each year to those responsible for school buildings to improve and maintain the condition of the school estate. Schools and those responsible for school buildings receive condition funding through different routes depending on their size and type.
Local authorities and larger multi-academy trusts (MATs) receive a school condition allocation to invest in condition priorities across their schools. School condition allocations for 2019-20 are available online at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capital-funding.
MATs and opted in academy chains currently receive school condition allocations if they have 5 or more academies and at least 3,000 pupils. Smaller and stand-alone academy trusts instead apply for capital funding to the Condition Improvement Fund. All schools also receive an allocation of devolved formula capital to invest in smaller capital projects to meet their own priorities.
The department keeps condition funding policy under review and plans to publish the methodology for school condition allocations for the 2020-21 financial year in autumn 2019. The eligibility for school condition allocations in 2020-21 will remain consistent with previous years.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evidence his Department holds on the effectiveness of Multi Academy Trusts in improving educational outcomes for pupils.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Performance data illustrates how disadvantaged pupils in academy trusts are making more progress at GCSE level than the equivalent national average. Data for key stage 4 and academy trust performance in 2018 is available here:
In primary schools within academy trusts, disadvantaged pupils performed significantly better than the equivalent national average in writing and maths. Data for key stage 2 and academy trust performance is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/774446/KS2_Revised.
The department has also conducted a series of assessments into the effectiveness of academy trusts in improving educational outcomes for pupils. In 2019, we published internal analysis of the performance of sponsored academies, which typically converted to academy status due to underperformance. Our analysis concluded that pupil outcomes in sponsored academies have typically improved since their formation in comparison with sets of similar schools. The analysis is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sponsored-academy-performance. Evidence shows there are now more than 550,000 pupils in good or outstanding sponsored academies, which typically replaced underperforming local authority schools.
In addition to our own internal analysis, we also hold evidence produced by external organisations, such as the one produced by the Institute of Education, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/763796/School_Improvement_in_Multi-School_groups_-_FINAL_10122018.pdf.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the five growth checks for multi-academy trusts.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The department has conducted an assessment of the multi-academy trust (MAT) development programme, previously referred to as growth checks. A summary of the assessment will be published in due course.
The materials for the MAT development programme can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/722985/MAT_Development_Programme_2018_resource.pdf.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to incentivise multi-academy trusts to deliver effective school improvements; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating a mechanism for schools to decide to move between multi-academy trusts.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Academy trusts operate under a strict system of oversight and accountability for the quality of education they provide, which informs decisions about targeted support or intervention. Regional School Commissioners work to support academy trusts within their regions and, where appropriate, encourage academies and trusts to apply for funding to support school improvement, such as The Multi-academy trust Development and Improvement Fund.
Where a school wishes to leave a trust of which it is already a part of, this is possible with the consent of my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, providing both the school and the trust are in favour; that it can be demonstrated there will be greater benefits for the school from joining another trust; and that the capacity of the existing trust is not diminished.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to update the April 2016 Regional Vision Statement for the West Midlands and publish a new statement.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
In light of changes over time to how Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) interact with the school system, we are reviewing the published Regional Vision Statements, and expect to decide on any replacements or revisions shortly.
The RSC for the West Midlands will be meeting my hon. Friend, the Member for Walsall North, on 22 July 2019 at which time he will be able to discuss the regional vision for the West Midlands RSC area.