Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Sixth Report of the Work and Pensions Committee of Session 2022-23, Children in poverty: Child Maintenance Service, HC 272, published on 27 April 2023, if he will make it his policy to launch a public inquiry into assessments from the Child Maintenance Service.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service welcomes the Work and Pensions Select Committee report and are considering the recommendations. We will provide a response in due course.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the eligibility rules for 30 hours of free childcare so that children become eligible in the month following their third birthday.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
Eligible working parents of 3 and 4-year-olds are currently eligible for 30 hours of free childcare per week, over 38 weeks a year. In the 2023 Spring Budget, the government announced a number of transformative reforms to childcare. This includes the expansion of the free childcare offer so that eligible working parents in England will be able to access 30 hours of free childcare per week, for 38 weeks, per year from when their child is 9 months old to when they start school.
The department expects to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education by 2027/28, helping working families with their childcare costs. This announcement represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England.
From April 2024, all eligible working parents of 2-year-olds will become eligible for 15 hours of free childcare, with eligible parents of 9 months to 2-year-olds eligible for 15 hours from September 2024 onwards. The offer will be rolled out in full, with eligible working parents of children aged 9 months to 3 years able to access 30 hours, from September 2025.
To be eligible for this offer, parents will need to earn the equivalent of 16 hours a week at National Minimum or Living Wage, and less than £100,000 adjusted net income per year.
As set out in the regulations underpinning the entitlements, eligibility for the current free early education entitlements, including 30 hours free childcare, begins from 1 September, 1 January or 1 April following the child’s third birthday, or their second birthday if they are eligible for the 15 hours for disadvantaged 2-year-olds. Parents must apply for 30 hours free childcare in the term their child turns 3 if they wish to take up a place from the start of the following term. Further information on the recommended dates at which parents should apply is available at: https://www.gov.uk/30-hours-free-childcare?step-by-step-nav=f517cd57-3c18-4bb9-aa8b-1b907e279bf9.
These termly deadlines ensure that children can receive at least two years of early education and/or reception before they reach compulsory school age, which is the beginning of the term following their fifth birthday. They also allow local authorities and childcare providers to better plan and ensure that sufficient early years places are available for parents each term, as there are clear periods for when children are likely to start a place.
In the meantime, parents can also access other childcare offers such as Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit. Tax-Free Childcare can help parents with childcare for children aged from 0-11, and for disabled children until the age of 17. Universal Credit Childcare provides support with childcare costs for children aged 0-16. The government is taking action to support parents in receipt of this with childcare costs upfront when they need it, rather than in arrears.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a debt forgiveness programme for students who were financially affected by covid.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the government was clear that universities were expected to maintain academic standards and the quantity of tuition should not drop. All universities were expected to continue to deliver excellent learning, in line with guidance from the Office for Students, to provide students with a full experience.
The tuition fee and student loan system in England is designed to be sustainable, fair to students and taxpayers, while ensuring that those who benefit financially from higher education make a fair contribution towards its cost.
Borrowers are only liable to repay after leaving study when earning over the relevant repayment threshold. The student finance system continues to protect lower earners and borrowers who experience a reduction in their income. Repayments are calculated as a fixed percentage of earnings above the relevant repayment threshold (£27,295 for a post-2012 undergraduate plan and £21,000 for a post graduate loan), and do not change as a result of interest rate charges or the amount borrowed. If a borrower’s income drops, so does the amount they repay. If income is below the relevant repayment threshold, or a borrower is not earning, then they do not have to make repayments at all. Any outstanding debt, including interest accrued, is written off after the loan term ends (or in the case of death or disability), at no detriment to the borrower.
To further protect borrowers, the government, by law, must cap maximum student loan rates to ensure the interest rate charged on the loan is in line with market rates for comparable unsecured personal loans. On 8 February 2023, the Student Loan Company announced that the interest on Plan 2 and Plan 3 student loan repayments will be capped to 6.9% from 1 March 2023. Without this cap, student loan borrowers may have faced interest rates between 9 to 12%.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will take steps to issue guidance on the use of buckle belts following advice issued by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and in the context of local authorities use of home to school transport services.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
I recognise the importance of vulnerable young people being able to travel safely to school and elsewhere and I understand why some local authorities have chosen to use these devices to try and keep children safe. However, there are potential safety issues in the event of an emergency, and for this reason DVSA has sent two direct notices to public service vehicle operators to highlight the potential issues.
However, this is a complicated matter and the DVSA has no plans to target enforcement action against their use, instead it will support PSV operators and other transport providers and DVSA is working with industry to develop solutions to maintain the safe transport of PSV users.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to prevent landlords in the private rented sector from stipulating that they will not accept tenants in receipt of social security payments.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The White Paper 'A Fairer Private Rented Sector' , published in June 2022, sets out our plan to bring forward legislation banning blanket 'No DSS' practices. The government remains committed to introducing a Renters Reform Bill within this Parliament, and we will do so as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on an exchange agreement to allow holders of a Ukrainian licence to drive both manual and automatic vehicles in the UK.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The current driving licence exchange agreement with Ukraine allows the licence holder to drive both manual and automatic vehicles, providing the Ukrainian driving licence was issued following a test taken after 28 December 2021.
The law only allows drivers who took a test in Ukraine before 28 December 2021 to be granted entitlement to drive automatic cars when the GB licence is issued. This is because the Ukrainian driver licensing authority does not retain information to confirm whether a test was taken in a manual or automatic vehicle before this date. This restriction also applies to licence exchange agreements with other countries where the licence issuing authority does not retain information about the type of vehicle in which a test was taken.
However, the Department for Transport appreciates the unique circumstances that Ukrainians who have come to the UK find themselves in. The Department for Transport is exploring options to enable this group to use their Ukrainian driving licences for longer and minimise the administrative burden they face and will keep this House and the Ukrainian community in the UK updated on this work.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to help social workers affected by technical issues re-register to retain their right to practice.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
Social Work England, the regulator for social workers in England, is confident there were no technical issues with their systems during this registration period.
Social workers in England have a period of 91 days to renew their registration and must ensure they fulfil all the registration criteria by the deadline given to complete it. Those social workers who intended to renew but did not between 1 September and 30 November 2022 can apply to restore their registration.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on an exchange agreement to allow holders of a Ukrainian licence to drive larger vehicles to exchange it for a UK equivalent.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is progressing the work needed to introduce an exchange agreement for Ukrainian lorry and bus licences as quickly as possible. This will be subject to a public consultation and the necessary legal processes.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timetable is for bringing forward legislation on rights to visits in care settings.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government’s guidance states that every resident should be able to have at least one visitor in all circumstances. We are looking at a range of options to strengthen the guidance around visiting and avoid instances where residents are unable to receive visitors.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to tackle the shortages of HRT medication.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
There are over 70 hormone replacement therapy (HRT) products available in the United Kingdom and while most remain in good supply, factors including an increase in demand has led to supply issues with a limited number of products. We are working with suppliers and the National Health Service and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to maintain overall supply, including expediting resupply dates of the disrupted HRT products, filling supply gaps and preventing future shortages.
Since Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) were issued for HRT products to provide an even distribution and allow alternative products to be dispensed, supplies have improved for many products and several SSPs have been removed. Suppliers have secured additional stock of the HRT products experiencing shortages and deliveries have been expedited. We share regular communications on shortages and discontinuations with the NHS on HRT supply issues via the on the Specialist Pharmacy Services medicine supply tool.