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Written Question
Department for Education: Dairy Products
Wednesday 11th May 2016

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of dairy products procured for her Department was sourced from British producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

Answered by Nick Gibb

As of March 2016, the Department for Education sources approximately 90% of its dairy products from British producers.


Written Question
Special Educational Needs
Wednesday 9th September 2015

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many special educational needs co-ordinators were employed in each financial year since 2009.

Answered by Edward Timpson

The information requested is not available.

In order to ensure that we receive reliable information in future, we have contacted schools in the run up to the November 2015 school workforce census reminding them of their statutory obligations with regard to the appointing of a SEN coordinator. We have highlighted that they must record the identity of the teacher with these responsibilities. We will repeat this message shortly before the census takes place.


Written Question
Pre-school Education: Special Educational Needs
Monday 7th September 2015

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what training and development is provided to staff in early years settings in (a) the identification of and (b) support for children with speech, language and communication needs.

Answered by Edward Timpson

The development of all children’s speech, language and communication during their early years is a priority for government. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the prime areas of learning that early years providers must follow and this includes a focus on communication and language. The EYFS requires providers to have arrangements in place to support children with special educational needs or disabilities. In England the Early Years Educator Criteria and the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) also require the staff in question to deliver the EYFS.

The Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) requires early years teachers to demonstrate a clear understanding of the needs of all children, including those with speech, language and communication or other special educational needs or disabilities. It requires teachers to be able to use and evaluate distinctive approaches to engage and support children and to have the skills and awareness to know when a child is in need of additional support. The Department for Education provides grants to a number of expert organisations so that they can support the early years workforce to meet the needs of children with speech, language and communication difficulties. This includes providing access to best practice, tools and training. A range of organisations and bodies also provide advice and support to their members on this issue.

Where Ofsted inspectors have identified areas of improvement it is the responsibility of the early years setting to put an improvement plan in place. Local authorities are required by legislation to secure information, advice and training for early years providers judged less than good on their last Ofsted inspection report, including to help the provider meet the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Under section 22 of the Children and Families Act 2014 local authorities in England are required to identify all the children and young people in their area (i) who have or may have special educational needs, and (ii) who have a disability. Section 23 places a duty on clinical commissioning groups, NHS trusts or NHS foundation trusts if they are of the opinion that a child under compulsory school age has (or probably has) special educational needs or a disability, to tell the local authority and child’s parents.

Local authorities in England must ensure that all providers they fund are aware of the requirement on them to have regard to the special educational needs and disability - code of practice and to meet the needs of children with special educational needs or disabilities.



Written Question
Pre-school Education: Special Educational Needs
Monday 7th September 2015

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what legal duties local authorities have to support early years settings in the identification of, and support for, children with speech, language and communication needs.

Answered by Edward Timpson

The development of all children’s speech, language and communication during their early years is a priority for government. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the prime areas of learning that early years providers must follow and this includes a focus on communication and language. The EYFS requires providers to have arrangements in place to support children with special educational needs or disabilities. In England the Early Years Educator Criteria and the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) also require the staff in question to deliver the EYFS.

The Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) requires early years teachers to demonstrate a clear understanding of the needs of all children, including those with speech, language and communication or other special educational needs or disabilities. It requires teachers to be able to use and evaluate distinctive approaches to engage and support children and to have the skills and awareness to know when a child is in need of additional support. The Department for Education provides grants to a number of expert organisations so that they can support the early years workforce to meet the needs of children with speech, language and communication difficulties. This includes providing access to best practice, tools and training. A range of organisations and bodies also provide advice and support to their members on this issue.

Where Ofsted inspectors have identified areas of improvement it is the responsibility of the early years setting to put an improvement plan in place. Local authorities are required by legislation to secure information, advice and training for early years providers judged less than good on their last Ofsted inspection report, including to help the provider meet the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Under section 22 of the Children and Families Act 2014 local authorities in England are required to identify all the children and young people in their area (i) who have or may have special educational needs, and (ii) who have a disability. Section 23 places a duty on clinical commissioning groups, NHS trusts or NHS foundation trusts if they are of the opinion that a child under compulsory school age has (or probably has) special educational needs or a disability, to tell the local authority and child’s parents.

Local authorities in England must ensure that all providers they fund are aware of the requirement on them to have regard to the special educational needs and disability - code of practice and to meet the needs of children with special educational needs or disabilities.



Written Question
Pre-school Education: Special Educational Needs
Monday 7th September 2015

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support is available for early years settings where Ofsted inspections have identified a need to improve provision for children with speech, language and communication needs; and from which sources such support is provided.

Answered by Edward Timpson

The development of all children’s speech, language and communication during their early years is a priority for government. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the prime areas of learning that early years providers must follow and this includes a focus on communication and language. The EYFS requires providers to have arrangements in place to support children with special educational needs or disabilities. In England the Early Years Educator Criteria and the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) also require the staff in question to deliver the EYFS.

The Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) requires early years teachers to demonstrate a clear understanding of the needs of all children, including those with speech, language and communication or other special educational needs or disabilities. It requires teachers to be able to use and evaluate distinctive approaches to engage and support children and to have the skills and awareness to know when a child is in need of additional support. The Department for Education provides grants to a number of expert organisations so that they can support the early years workforce to meet the needs of children with speech, language and communication difficulties. This includes providing access to best practice, tools and training. A range of organisations and bodies also provide advice and support to their members on this issue.

Where Ofsted inspectors have identified areas of improvement it is the responsibility of the early years setting to put an improvement plan in place. Local authorities are required by legislation to secure information, advice and training for early years providers judged less than good on their last Ofsted inspection report, including to help the provider meet the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Under section 22 of the Children and Families Act 2014 local authorities in England are required to identify all the children and young people in their area (i) who have or may have special educational needs, and (ii) who have a disability. Section 23 places a duty on clinical commissioning groups, NHS trusts or NHS foundation trusts if they are of the opinion that a child under compulsory school age has (or probably has) special educational needs or a disability, to tell the local authority and child’s parents.

Local authorities in England must ensure that all providers they fund are aware of the requirement on them to have regard to the special educational needs and disability - code of practice and to meet the needs of children with special educational needs or disabilities.



Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 30 Jun 2015
Oral Answers to Questions

"20. The summer sporting and music calendar is in full swing, but fans are being let down by shady ticket sellers. This week, Taylor Swift fans are disappointed after the company from which they have bought tickets online disappeared without trace. When can we have better regulation of the secondary …..."
Nick Smith - View Speech

View all Nick Smith (Lab - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions

Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 04 Feb 2015
Electoral Registration

"In Blaenau Gwent over the past year, more than 2,000 people have dropped off the register. Does the Minister accept that being on the register is important in obtaining credit and getting a mortgage? What are the Government going to do to help the 8.5 million people who have fallen …..."
Nick Smith - View Speech

View all Nick Smith (Lab - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney) contributions to the debate on: Electoral Registration

Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 04 Feb 2015
Electoral Registration

"Does the hon. Gentleman accept that the Government are missing important sources of voter data? For example, if they used information from credit reference agencies such as Experian, they could boost registration considerably. Does he accept that that would be a worthwhile thing to do?..."
Nick Smith - View Speech

View all Nick Smith (Lab - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney) contributions to the debate on: Electoral Registration

Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 04 Feb 2015
Electoral Registration

"My hon. Friend the Member for Bishop Auckland (Helen Goodman) showed how difficult it is for young people to know their national insurance number. What action are the Government going to take to ensure that 16 to 18-year-olds know their NI number so that they can register to vote, and …..."
Nick Smith - View Speech

View all Nick Smith (Lab - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney) contributions to the debate on: Electoral Registration

Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 12 Jan 2015
Consumer Rights Bill

"The Minister says that the amendment is too prescriptive. Does she not recognise that the internet spivs who use these botnets are rigging the market and putting up prices for consumers? What is she going to do about these internet spivs who are harvesting tickets against the interests of consumers?..."
Nick Smith - View Speech

View all Nick Smith (Lab - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney) contributions to the debate on: Consumer Rights Bill