Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of the 23 January 2019 to Question 208340 on Forensic Science: Misconduct, what guidance his Department has provided to local authorities on how to make individuals aware of the right of people to apply for a C650 Application notice to vary or set aside an order in relation to children as a result of the manipulation of forensic tests; and what information he holds on whether any local authorities have written to any such individuals.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Department for Education (DfE) wrote to all local authorities on 17 November 2017, informing them that a process for asking the court to vary or discharge an order would be established for individuals who believed that the outcome of their case was materially affected by a potentially unreliable test. In further correspondence of 17 February 2018, the DfE gave local authorities further information about how to access the C650 court process online and how to support individuals that may approach them for help in this matter.
The information on whether any local authorities have written to any such individuals is not held centrally.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate he has made of the number of (a) 16 and (b) 17 year olds living in unsupported independent living accommodation.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Data on children looked-after in independent living without live-in support is not collected or published by the department. The department collects annual data on looked-after children in independent living, with or without live-in support.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2018 to Question 191954, what additional required steps local authorities have identified to fulfil their statutory safeguarding responsibilities.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The department does not have information on whether the local authorities that commissioned forensic tests from Trimega, between January 2010 and April 2014, have carried out a case by case assessment of the effect of toxicology on decision-making in relation to the welfare of children. However, the department wrote to local authorities on 17 November 2017 and 16 February 2018, asking them to review whether they had commissioned forensic tests from Trimega Laboratories Limited between January 2010 to April 2014, and to consider whether there was a need to take further action in order to fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether any of the local authorities that commissioned forensic tests from Trimega Laboratories Limited between January 2010 and April 2014 have carried out a case-by-case assessment of the effect of toxicology on decision-making in relation to the welfare of children.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The department does not have information on whether the local authorities that commissioned forensic tests from Trimega, between January 2010 and April 2014, have carried out a case by case assessment of the effect of toxicology on decision-making in relation to the welfare of children. However, the department wrote to local authorities on 17 November 2017 and 16 February 2018, asking them to review whether they had commissioned forensic tests from Trimega Laboratories Limited between January 2010 to April 2014, and to consider whether there was a need to take further action in order to fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the accuracy of the figures produced by BBCRadio5 and the Observer that the numbers of 16 and 17 year olds in independent living placements without live-in support in England has increased by 28 per cent since 2010.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The department collects annual data on looked after children in independent living, with or without live-in support. These figures are given in the attached table. This information is not broken down to bed and breakfast accommodation, adult hostels, campsites or independent living placements without live-in support. Securing suitable accommodation that meets the needs of looked after children is a vital step in delivering improved outcomes for this vulnerable group.
The number of children in independent living increased by 29% between 2010 and 2018. This category includes accommodation such as a flat, lodgings, bedsit, bed and breakfast or living with friends. Live-in visiting support may be included as part of this package. Care should be taken when interpreting this rise because changes to the collection resulted in improvements in the accuracy of reporting placements. The figures for 2015 and earlier years are therefore not comparable with later years and any assessment of trends should take this into account.
The department collects and publishes data on 17 year old care leavers who are accommodated in bed and breakfasts and emergency accommodation. This is published in Table F4 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’ and can be accessed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of (a) bed and breakfast accommodation, (b) adult hostels and (c) campsites used for 16 and 17 year olds requiring independent living accommodation.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The department collects annual data on looked after children in independent living, with or without live-in support. These figures are given in the attached table. This information is not broken down to bed and breakfast accommodation, adult hostels, campsites or independent living placements without live-in support. Securing suitable accommodation that meets the needs of looked after children is a vital step in delivering improved outcomes for this vulnerable group.
The number of children in independent living increased by 29% between 2010 and 2018. This category includes accommodation such as a flat, lodgings, bedsit, bed and breakfast or living with friends. Live-in visiting support may be included as part of this package. Care should be taken when interpreting this rise because changes to the collection resulted in improvements in the accuracy of reporting placements. The figures for 2015 and earlier years are therefore not comparable with later years and any assessment of trends should take this into account.
The department collects and publishes data on 17 year old care leavers who are accommodated in bed and breakfasts and emergency accommodation. This is published in Table F4 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’ and can be accessed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the Timpson school exclusions review is planned to report.
Answered by Nick Gibb
In March 2018, the Government launched an externally-led review of exclusions practice, led by Edward Timpson CBE. The review is exploring how head teachers use exclusion, and why pupils with particular characteristics are more likely to be excluded from school. It is also considering the differences in exclusion rates across primary and secondary schools in England.
The review has gathered substantial evidence, including over 900 submissions to the call for evidence. Edward Timpson has also chaired a series of roundtables and the review has met with over 100 organisations and individuals, including schools, local authorities, parents and children.
The review will report in early 2019.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) funding and (b) resources available to local authorities for appropriate living situations for 16 and 17 year-olds requiring independent living accommodation.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Funding for children’s services is made available through the local government finance settlement, which gives local authorities flexibility to target spending according to local needs and to fulfil their statutory responsibilities, including the provision of appropriate living conditions for 16 and 17 year olds requiring independent living accommodation. Through the settlement, the government has made available over £200 billion across this five-year spending period. Local authorities used this flexibility to spend around £9.4 billion on children and young people’s services in 2017 to 2018.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the availability of appropriate placements for 16 and 17 year olds requiring independent living accommodation.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The information requested is not held centrally. The department collects annual data from local authorities on looked-after children who are in independent living accommodation, however, no information on the availability of these placements is provided in the data.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of the 20 November 2018 to Written Question 191957 on Trimega, if he will list the local authorities identified as having commissioned tests by Trimega.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Given the ongoing criminal investigation, the department does not intend to publish a list of local authorities who have commissioned services from Trimega Laboratories Limited during the period of January 2010 and April 2014.