Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to publish the report entitled Prostitution and sex work: nature and prevalence in England and Wales.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
As part of the Government’s response to the 2016 Home Affairs Select Committee report into prostitution, the Home Office provided £150,000 to fund research specifically into the nature and prevalence of prostitution in England and Wales.
This independent research was led by the University of Bristol and will enable us to inform an objective evidence base before we can consider any changes to policy and legislation in respect of prostitution.
The report was published on 30 October and is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nature-of-prostitution-and-sex-work-in-england-and-wales
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to answer Question 2871 tabled on 21 October 2019 by the hon. Member for Luton South.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The response for UIN 2871 was answered on 4th November 2019.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of extending the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme to peak-time travel.
Answered by George Freeman
No estimate has been made of the cost of extending the statutory English National Concessionary Travel Scheme to include pre-9.30am travel.
Concessionary travel legislation gives all local authorities in England the power to introduce local concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, including free or discounted travel before 9.30am.
This is the most commonly offered local concession – 69 of the 89 Travel Concession Authorities in England (outside London) offered free or discounted travel before 9.30am to pass holders in 2018/19.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
What recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on the rule of law.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor meet regularly and discuss a range of matters. The Lord Chancellor has sworn an oath to respect the rule of law and to defend the judiciary. It is an oath he takes very seriously. The government will always abide by the law.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to increase funding for sixth form colleges in England in 2019-20.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
For the current academic year 2019-20, the department is protecting the base rate of funding at £4,000 for 16 to 19-year-olds at all types of provider, including sixth forms colleges. We are continuing to provide additional funding, for example over £500 million to support disadvantaged students. One new element of funding in this academic year is the advanced maths premium which provides additional funding of £600 for every additional young person studying specified level 3 maths qualifications. Our commitment to the 16 to 19 sector has contributed to the current record high proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds who are participating in education or apprenticeships, the highest since consistent records began.
My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of Exchequer announced on 31 August 2019 that the government will invest an extra £400 million in 16-19 education in 2020-21. This represents an increase of 7% in overall 16 to 19 funding and the biggest year-on-year increase since 2010, with funding increasing faster for 16-19 than in 5-16 schooling. This will ensure that we are building the skills that our country needs to thrive in the future. As part of this, the base rate of funding for all types of providers, including sixth form colleges, will be increased by 4.7% in academic year 2020-21, from £4,000 to £4,188.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of applicants to the EU Settlement Scheme who are resident in Luton who have (a) been granted settled status, (b) been granted pre-settled status and (c) had their application turned down in each year since the introduction of that scheme.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
Published information on EU Settlement Scheme applications by region and local authority can be found in the Home Office’s ‘EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics’, local authority statistics tables, table EUSS_LA, available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/826752/eu-settlement-scheme-local-authority-statistics-28-august-2018-to-30-june-2019.ods.
The latest published information on EU Settlement Scheme applications concluded for the UK can be found in the Home Office’s ‘EU Settlement Scheme monthly statistics’ available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics-august-2019. It was noted in this release that one application was refused on suitability grounds during the period from 1 August to 31 August 2019.
The available data is of applications received and processed since testing began on 28 August 2018, just over 12 months ago. The Home Office does not currently publish statistics on EU Settlement Scheme application outcomes by local authority.
The Home Office is committed to publishing more detailed quarterly statistics on the EU Settlement Scheme. Home Office statisticians are currently considering the content of the next quarterly release and will take into account the views of statistics users.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department has issued to schools on the eligibility of EU citizens without settled status to receive state-funded education up to the age of 18.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Schools and local authorities cannot take into account nationality or immigration status when deciding which pupils to admit, and there will be no change to this after exiting the EU. Parents or carers of pupils who are EU, EEA or Swiss citizens will need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after 2020.
The Department has issued advice for schools on how to prepare for exiting the EU, which includes information on the EU Settlement Scheme and on accessing school places after exiting the EU. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-exit-no-deal-preparations-for-schools-in-england/eu-exit-no-deal-preparations-for-schools-in-england.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to tackle number plate cloning.
Answered by George Freeman
The law requires that anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK must be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). It is a legal requirement for suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that number plates are only sold to those who can prove they are entitled to the registration number. Number plate suppliers must also keep records of the plates they have supplied.
The DVLA visits number plate suppliers to monitor compliance with the legal requirements and works closely with the police and trading standards to share intelligence and support investigations and prosecutions of suppliers who do not comply.
Anyone who suspects that their number plate has been cloned should report this to the police, who are responsible for on road enforcement. Any fines or correspondence received for offences which have not been committed should be returned to the issuing authorities for investigation. Vehicle keepers can also contact the DVLA, to request issuing a new registration number for a vehicle where necessary.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has received legal advice on the compliance of the Get ready for Brexit campaign with the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019.
Answered by Kevin Foster
In law that the UK is set to leave the EU on 31 October 2019. “Get Ready for Brexit” is a public information campaign providing the facts citizens and businesses need to know about the preparations they need to take to be ready for when the UK leaves the EU.
The campaign is a cross-government campaign using national advertising including TV, radio, press, digital and outdoor advertising. It also includes direct engagement and local elements including business preparedness events, ministerial visits and local authority activity.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he has taken to amend the Get Ready for Brexit advertising campaign as a result of the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019.
Answered by Kevin Foster
In law that the UK is set to leave the EU on 31 October 2019. “Get Ready for Brexit” is a public information campaign providing the facts citizens and businesses need to know about the preparations they need to take to be ready for when the UK leaves the EU.
The campaign is a cross-government campaign using national advertising including TV, radio, press, digital and outdoor advertising. It also includes direct engagement and local elements including business preparedness events, ministerial visits and local authority activity.