Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of whether state schools have sufficient capacity to accommodate the number of additional pupils who would leave independent schools in the event that VAT were to be levied on independent school fees.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government has no plans to make changes to the VAT regime for independent schools. Therefore, it is not necessary to make any assessment of the capacity of state schools to accommodate additional pupils in the event VAT were levied on independent school fees.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will discuss with (a) Ofcom and (b) the Competition Commission potential measures to increase competition and diversity of supply in the provision of commercial and retail cloud data and storage services.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Fair competition and diversity of supply in the cloud sector is important for our country's economic growth. On 5 April, Ofcom proposed to refer the market to the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) (previously the Competition Commission) for further investigation into competition issues it has identified as part of its market study into cloud services. Ofcom is consulting on that referral.
If the CMA takes forward a market investigation, the CMA could choose to intervene in the market using its existing competition powers or through the new powers it will be granted via the upcoming Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill. The CMA is an operationally independent regulator and any intervention it makes in this market would be at its own discretion.
The Government regularly engages with its regulators and will continue to do so to ensure that the cloud services market remains competitive.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will issue guidance to schools on identifying gaming disorders.
Answered by Nick Gibb
As part of the statutory relationships, sex and health education guidance, pupils are taught about the importance of online safety and the harms associated with excessive use. Pupils are also taught how to seek help and support for issues or have mental health concerns. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-and-sex-education-rse-secondary.
Statutory health education, sets out that pupils are taught that although the internet is an integral part of life, they should understand the benefits of rationing time spent online, the risks of excessive time spent on electronic devices, the impact of positive and negative content and how this might affect mental and physical wellbeing.
Schools can also access the 'Teaching online safety in schools' non-statutory guidance. This includes content on how schools can ensure their pupils understand how to stay safe and behave online as part of existing curriculum requirements and when they should seek support. This guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teaching-online-safety-in-schools.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to support the police to help reduce the number of cases of (a) children assaulting their parents or guardians due to (i) gaming and (ii) other technology withdrawal disorders and (b) other inter-familial attacks.
Answered by Sarah Dines
Child and adolescent to parent violence and abuse (‘CAPVA’) is a hidden but increasingly recognised form of abuse.
The Home Office have been working to better understand CAPVA, including why it happens and how best to tackle it. As part of our 2021-22 Domestic Abuse Research Fund, we awarded over £1m for various research projects. Included in this were projects that specifically focused on under-researched areas like CAPVA. Over the last three years we have also invested over £41m in increasing the availability of interventions for domestic abuse perpetrators (for example behaviour change programmes) which will also improve our understanding of what works to reduce reoffending. This has included funding projects that specifically work with children and young people displaying these types of behaviours. We recently launched a similar fund worth £36m over the next two years.
More widely, in our cross-government Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan, the Home Office committed to publishing updated guidance for front line practitioners on child to parent abuse. We will seek input from those working in police, health, education and social care to help develop and hone this guidance. The Home Office will also work with stakeholders to reach an agreed definition and terminology for this type of behaviour which will help in identifying and addressing it.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the health surveillance measures used by his Department to (a) detect cases of Marburg virus disease and (b) prevent people with the disease from entering the UK.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Testing for Marburg virus disease (MVD) is provided by the UK Health Security Agency’s Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL) at Porton Down, including out of hours testing. Any clinician who suspects a possible case of MVD, usually based on clinical symptoms and travel history, should contact the Imported Fever Service (IFS). IFS is a 24/7 helpline, provided by specialist clinicians, who will arrange testing at RIPL as required and who will also advise on immediate clinical management and infection control. Details of IFS are available online at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/imported-fever-service-ifs
The risk of people with MVD entering the United Kingdom has been assessed as being very low based on the available epidemiology and geography of cases overseas. A specialist team undertake daily epidemiological global horizon scanning to identify any new and emerging threats, as well as any changes to existing overseas situations. Any change to information about current MVD outbreaks, or new incidents, will trigger a review of these risk assessments and consideration of additional potential public health interventions required.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will commission research on the impact of (a) conflict, (b) economic exclusion, (c) religious and ethnic persecution, (d) famine and (e) terrorism on migration from the Sahel and sub-Saharan Africa and illegal migration into the UK.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Migration is a permanent feature of the global economy. It is estimated that there are 281 million international migrants globally, accounting for about 3.6% of the global population. Work remains the major reason people migrate internationally, but UNHCR estimate that 100 million people worldwide are forcibly displaced from their homes. In Sub-Saharan Africa including the Sahel, millions of people have been displaced from their homes due to conflict, human rights violations, violence and natural disasters, exacerbated by climate change; the vast majority remain in or near their country of origin. His Majesty’s Government takes a “whole of route” approach to addressing the challenges of illegal migration, recognising that people’s motivations to move can be complex and inter-related. There are a number of drivers for migration and some of those include illegal migration to the UK or other European countries. While the Home Office does monitor trends, there is no plan to commission any new research at this time.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his counterparts at the United Nations on ending the advantages given to China as a consequence of its developing nation status.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The way different parts of the UN system categorise a country as 'developing' varies, as do the benefits of such a status. The UK is clear, including in discussions in the UN and elsewhere, that in light of China being one of largest global economies, we expect it to contribute responsibly to global challenges such as on climate and international development.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to introduce sanctions on people in Russia who have been sanctioned by the US and Canadian governments for their role in the prosecution of the British national Vladimir Kara-Murza.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government does not speculate on future designations as to do so could reduce their impact. To date, we have sanctioned over 1500 individuals and entities through the Russia Sanctions Regime, and over 90 individuals and entities under the UK's Global Human Rights Regime. This includes individuals involved in Mr Kara-Murza's case, such as jailer Dmitry Komnov and Judge Podoprigorov.
The UK continues to raise Mr Kara-Murza's case with the Russian authorities and call for his release. Officials have attended his court hearings, and will attend a hearing on Tuesday 28 March. We remain vigilant to attempts by the Russian government to exclude diplomats from future hearings.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support adults with cerebral palsy to remain economically active.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
A range of Government initiatives are supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including cerebral palsy, to start, stay, and succeed in work. These include:
- Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies, which combines psychological treatment and employment support for people with mental health conditions;
- increasing Work Coach support in Jobcentres for people with health conditions receiving Universal Credit or Employment Support Allowance;
- Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres offering advice and expertise on how to help disabled people and people with health conditions into work;
- the Work and Health Programme and Intensive Personalised Employment Support, providing tailored and personalised support for participants;
- access to Work grants towards extra costs of working beyond standard reasonable adjustments;
- Disability Confident encouraging employers to think differently about disability and health, and to take positive action to address the issues employees face in the workplace; and
- the Information and Advice Service providing better integrated and tailored guidance on supporting and managing health and disability in the workplace.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with the EU on securing visa-free access for UK nationals to the Schengen area for up to 180 days at a time.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK's Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU confirms that both the UK and EU currently provide for visa-free travel for short-term visits for each other's nationals in accordance with their respective laws.
The UK's offer to EU citizens is the same as our offer to the nationals of all other countries. Similarly, the EU has legislated to grant British citizens the same visa-free travel permissions they offer as standard to all other third countries.
Negotiations with the EU have concluded and the Government's focus is on the smooth, robust and effective implementation of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.