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Written Question
Education: Ethnic Groups
Tuesday 27th April 2021

Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how his Department plans to (a) narrow the attainment gap and (b) tackle racial inequalities in education through the covid-19 education recovery package and catch-up programme.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Government is taking steps to close the educational attainment gap and improve the education of disadvantaged children and young people of all ethnic backgrounds. The Department recognises that the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak has been felt most heavily by disadvantaged children and young people, and so it is important that we target support towards these children.

On 24 February, the Department announced a £700 million Education Recovery package, building on the £1 billion provided in 2020. As well as a range of measures to support all pupils to recover lost education, the package includes significant funding aimed at addressing the needs of disadvantaged pupils. This includes a one off £302 million Recovery Premium for the next academic year that will be allocated to schools based on disadvantage funding eligibility. Schools with more disadvantaged pupils will therefore receive larger allocations. Within this package is a £22 million accelerator fund to scale up evidence based approaches that support children and young people in disadvantaged areas.

In June 2020, as part of the £1 billion COVID-19 catch up package, the Department announced £350 million to fund the National Tutoring Programme for disadvantaged students in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 academic year. The programme will provide additional, targeted support for those children and young people who have been hardest hit from disruption to their education as a result of school closures. Teachers and school leaders should exercise professional judgement when identifying which pupils would benefit most from this additional support.

There is extensive evidence that tutoring is one of the most effective ways to accelerate pupil progress, and the Department wants to extend this opportunity to disadvantaged and vulnerable learners. We are funding small group tuition for 16 to 19 year olds and early language skills in Reception classes. The Department is also providing over £400 million to support access to remote education and online social care services. To date, over 1.29 million laptops and tablets have been delivered to schools, trusts, local authorities and further education providers.

£200 million will be made available to secondary schools to deliver face to face summer schools. Funding is allocated on the basis of schools’ existing year 7 pupils, but there is flexibility for schools to draw in other pupils should they identify a need. Schools will identify the pupils most in need of support and will be able to target provision based on pupils’ needs.

The ongoing provision of pupil premium funding, which is worth £2.5 billion this financial year, aims to close the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers. It allows school leaders to tailor the support they provide, based on the needs of their disadvantaged pupils, with the aim of accelerating their progress and improving their educational attainment.


Written Question
Assessments: Ethnic Groups
Tuesday 27th April 2021

Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to (a) encourage greater standardisation in teacher assessments and (b) discourage racial bias in forthcoming transition from school exams to teacher assessments.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Department is confident that the system of teacher assessed grades, underpinned by clear guidance published by the Joint Council for Qualifications, will ensure the grades students receive are as fair and consistent as possible. In addition to this guidance, exam boards have provided grade descriptors and exemplar materials to support teachers. The grade descriptors and materials exemplify the established performance standard that is maintained each year by awarding organisations. To ensure that there is a common basis to all teacher assessed grades, teachers are being asked to apply the performance standards described in the grade descriptors to the evidence of students’ work this year.

Students should have confidence in their grades this year and it is vital that teachers are supported to avoid any unconscious bias. Awarding organisations will provide assessment materials, guidance, and training to support centres to make fair, consistent, and evidence-based decisions which are without bias. Ofqual have also published information for centres about making objective judgements this year, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/information-for-centres-about-making-objective-judgements.

Centres will be encouraged to allow students to see the evidence used to determine their grade in advance of that grade being submitted. This transparency should enable any errors or circumstances relating to particular pieces of evidence to be taken into account in advance of the grade submission. Students’ grades will also go through internal and external quality assurance processes to ensure errors are identified and that judgements are as consistent as possible. Internal standardisation will help mitigate the risk of unconscious bias in judgements of students’ grades. Centres will set out how they will ensure objectivity in their centre policies, which will be reviewed by exam boards.

There will also be an appeals system as a safety net to resolve any errors not identified during the earlier parts of the process. The Department has made clear that every student will have the right to appeal their grade.


Written Question
Migrants: Detainees
Thursday 4th March 2021

Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to create small units for the detention of women within existing immigration removal centres; how many women will be detained in those centres; and for what reason the detention estate for women is being expanded by the creation of a new detention centre in Durham.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The immigration removal estate is kept under ongoing review to ensure that the Home Office has sufficient capacity, in the right places and that it provides value for money.

The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre (IRC) for around 80 women by the autumn. Initial discussions with the planning authority have taken place and work has commenced at the site. An Equality Impact Assessment will be completed as part of this programme of work.

The immigration detention capacity for women is not being expanded. We plan to supplement the new Hassockfield IRC by continuing to provide some detention capacity for women at Colnbrook, Dungavel and Yarl’s Wood IRCs, in order to provide flexibility in placement and shorter escorting journeys for those in detention, including women.


Written Question
Palace of Westminster: Police
Tuesday 16th February 2021

Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many officers are in the Parliamentary Liaison and Investigation Team; and who the head of that team is.

Answered by Kit Malthouse

The Metropolitan Police Service Parliamentary Liaison and Investigation Team (PLaIT) is made up of seven members of staff in total, including the Head of PLaIT. We are unable to give further details on the Head of the team, at this time; however, all Members’ of Parliament are able to make direct contact with PLaIT and the Head of PLaIT through dedicated, known communication channels.


Written Question
Windrush Lessons Learned Review
Friday 27th March 2020

Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she will publish the Windrush lessons learned review; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Priti Patel

I published the Windrush Lessons Learned Review and made a statement on 19 March 2020.


Written Question
Undocumented Migrants: Deportation
Tuesday 5th March 2019

Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has taken any action against caseworkers who failed to meet targets for the removal of illegal immigrants; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Caroline Nokes

There are no targets set for the removal of illegal immigrants.


Written Question
Police: Finance
Monday 11th February 2019

Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of police funding.

Answered by Nick Hurd

Last year, I spoke to all 43 polices force in England & Wales about the demands they face. The 2018/19 funding settlement provided an increase of over £460m in total investment in the police system this financial year, including an increase of around £280m in funding for Police & Crime Commissioners through council tax precept.

In his Autumn Budget speech, the Chancellor recognised that the police are under pressure from the changing nature of crime. The Home Secretary is reviewing police spending power ahead of the 2019/20 police funding settlement to ensure the police have the resources they need.

We are continuing to work closely with the police to build the evidence base on police demand, resilience and capability.


Written Question
Undocumented Migrants: Deportation
Friday 8th February 2019

Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department carried out any equality impact assessments prior to setting his Department's targets for the removal of illegal immigrants; and if he will publish any such assessments.

Answered by Caroline Nokes

The Department does not hold any Equality Impact Assessments related to the setting of targets for removals of illegal migrants. This is because the Equalities Act 2010 does not require public authorities to carry out such assessments. http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06591/SN06591.pdf.

Ministers have not set specific targets for the enforced removal of illegal immigrants in 2018 – 19.

The Department has published information on the performance management regime for enforced removals. This is set out is set out in Sir Philip Rutnam’s letters of 14 May and 25 June 2018 to Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, Chair, Home Affairs Select Committee:

https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/home-affairs/Correspondence-17-19/180514-Home-Office-Permanent-Secretary-Immigration-Enforcement.pdf (14 May)

and

https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/home-affairs/Correspondence-17-19/180625_Permanent_Secretary_Immigration%20Enforcement.pdf (25 June)


Written Question
Disclosure and Barring Service: Standards
Friday 25th January 2019

Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of occasions on which referrals to the Disclosure and Barring Service have been set aside for over (a) one, (b) six, and (c) nine months.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Referrals to the Disclosure and Barring Service are not set aside as their operating procedures do not allow for this. Barring cases are triaged and reviewed upon receipt and allocated in line with workflow processes.

Under DBS’ published service standards their aim is to close more than 65% of barring cases within three months. Performance data on attainment of this standard in 2017-2018 can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-annual-report-and-accounts-2017-to-2018.

DBS also publishes quarterly performance data on barring cases and appeals against barring decisions relating to revised internal performance standards here https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dbs-dataset-4-barring-cases-and-appeals.


Written Question
Disclosure and Barring Service: Swiss Post Solutions
Friday 25th January 2019

Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of occasions on which sensitive information has been attached to incorrect case files by Swiss Post Solutions in the course of work outsourced from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

DBS do not have a contract with Swiss Post Solutions. Swiss Post Solutions is a sub-contractor of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).


Swiss Post Solutions, as a sub-contractor, are managed by TCS. TCS report on service level agreements and key performance indicators relating to work conducted by Swiss Post Solutions and their performance is monitored by the DBS.

Swiss Post Solutions handle more than 6,000 pieces of correspondence each month relating to DBS barring business, and have been used for barring since 4 September 2017. In this time the DBS have been informed of one occasion on which information was attached to an incorrect case file. This error was identified and remedied internally before any correspondence was sent.