Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress has been made on delivering 30 hours of free childcare.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Early delivery of 30 hours free childcare was successful with over 15,000 places delivered to eligible parents across the 12 areas. The independent evaluation of our early delivery areas showed that 78% of parents reported greater flexibility in their working life as a result of 30 hours, and nearly a quarter of mothers and one in 10 fathers reported they had been able to increase their working hours. These independent evaluation reports are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-rollout-of-30-hours-free-childcare-evaluation and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/30-hours-free-childcare-early-implementation-evaluation.
On 1 September, 30 hours free childcare was rolled out nationally. As of 31 August, 216,384 eligibility codes had been issued for the autumn term and, as of 6 November, 93% of these eligibility codes had been validated via the Eligibility Checking System (ECS). This information is referred to in the following management information release: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/30-hours-free-childcare-eligibility-codes-issued-and-validated.
On 19 December we will publish an experimental statistics release ’30 hours free childcare: Autumn term 2017’ which will include a local council breakdown of codes issued and validated.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress has been made on rolling out 30 hours of free childcare in Hertsmere.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
On 1 September, 30 hours free childcare was rolled out nationally. As of 31 August, 216,384 eligibility codes had been issued for the autumn term and, as of 6 November, 93% of these eligibility codes had been validated via the Eligibility Checking System. This information is referred to in the following management information release: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/30-hours-free-childcare-eligibility-codes-issued-and-validated.
On 19 December, the department will publish a statistical release ’30 hours free childcare: Autumn term 2017’ which will include a council breakdown of codes issued and validated.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what specialist support is being provided to welfare claimants with (a) Asperger’s Syndrome and (b) other conditions on the spectrum, to assist them in the application process; and what plans he has to introduce an application format that takes into account an individual's specific needs.
Answered by Sarah Newton
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has an established approach to identifying and providing an appropriate level of support to all its customers who are vulnerable. DWP identifies any “individual who is identified as having complex needs and/or requires additional support to enable them to access DWP benefits and use our services” as being vulnerable. This definition ensures that we have consistency and continuity in the type and level of service that is being offered and that it supports the customer appropriately whatever their individual needs.
DWP adopts this approach, at all points of contact with the customer, and uses its records to ensure, where an individual is identified as being vulnerable, we take all reasonable steps to try to mitigate any risks.
DWP will continue to follow our established approach working with the individual and with their consent we will, where necessary, contact any relevant organisations to provide the appropriate levels of support.
DWP continually monitors our products and services to ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers and, where necessary, make any changes that improve the level of service we provide.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations his Department has received on parking difficulties experienced by jobcentre visitors; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The Department does not centrally record representations or complaints specifically regarding this issue.
Not all jobcentres have car parking facilities. Where car parking is available, spaces can be reserved for visitors or claimants with a mobility requirement. However, this would need to be arranged locally for claimants or through the member of staff responsible for organising the specific visit.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prevent over-fishing in the South Georgia seas.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) manages fisheries with the Territory's Maritime Zone to the highest international standards.The South Georgia toothfish fishery is assessed by the Marine Stewardship Council to be among the most sustainable fisheries in the world.
The UK ensures that SGSSI fisheries legislation and management practices are in line with our obligations to the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). We work through the CCAMLR Commission to agree sustainable and scientific-based fishery catch limits for the SSGSI Martime Zone, and cooperates with other CCAMLR Members to address issues relating to unreported, unregulated and illegal fishing activities across the Southern Ocean.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the time it will take to restore basic infrastructure in the British Virgin Islands.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The devastation caused by the recent hurricanes left the British Virgin Islands (BVI) without access to basic necessities like running water, electricity and shelter. The Government, through its regional taskforce, mounted an operation to provide immediate humanitarian relief and continues to work with the Government of the British Virgin Islands to help restore vital public infrastructure. To this end the BVI Government, with other regional development partners and the UK's Royal Engineers, is conducting thorough needs assessments for the restoration of basic infrastructure on the islands. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, FCO Minister for the Overseas Territories recently met the Premier of the British Virgin Islands to discuss the BVI Government's draft plans for near-term recovery and ongoing UK support.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of how effectively her Department's agencies, the police and the NHS work together to support victims, patients and families with mental health issues.
Answered by Sarah Newton
The Government has worked with the police and their partners to improve the support to people with mental health needs.
Latest figures on the use of section 136 of the Mental Health Act indicate that police stations were used as a place of safety on 2,100 occasions in 2015/16, a 54% reduction on the previous year, and the Government has also allocated up to £30m in funding to local areas to improve places of safety provision and ensure that people in mental health crisis are not detained in police stations.
Liaison and Diversion (L&D) schemes have been rolled out in police custody suites and courts to ensure that those coming into contact with the criminal justice system who have mental health issues are identified and referred to appropriate assessment and support services. Such schemes currently cover over 68% of the population of England and are expected to reach 82% by April 2018. Street triage schemes, which involve collaborative working and information exchange between police officers and mental health professionals, are operating in over 30 forces. These have been found to provide a more appropriate response to those in mental health crisis.
Home Office and Department of Health Ministers chair the National Steering Group on the Crisis Care Concordat, comprising a wide range of national organisations and service users. This monitors work undertaken across the country by local Crisis Care Concordat Partnerships in responding to those in mental health crisis.
However, there remains more to do and the Government announced on 4 October an independent review of the Mental Health Act to ensure that people with mental health problems receive the treatment and support they need when they need it. people with mental health problems receive the treatment and support they need, when they need it. people with mental health problems receive the treatment and support they need, when they need it. people with mental health problems receive the treatment and support they need, when they need it.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment his Department has made of the relative accessibility to wheelchair users of shops in England.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The Government has commissioned research to evaluate the effectiveness of regulatory guidance about accessibility and we will publish the results in due course. We have not undertaken a separate assessment of the relative accessibility of shops for wheelchair users.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that high street shops are wheelchair accessible.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Part M (Access to and use of buildings) of the Building Regulations requires that where building work takes place, including the erection or extension (and in some case material alteration) of a building, reasonable provision is made for access to and use of the building and its facilities. Approved Document M (Access to and use of Buildings) provides guidance on common ways of demonstrating compliance with this requirement. The Equality Act 2010 also places duties on building owners and service providers to make anticipatory reasonable adjustments to the physical features of buildings where a disabled person may be placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to enable local authorities to expedite the removal of unauthorised Traveller encampments.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
We intend to consult on the effectiveness of enforcement against unauthorised developments and encampments. We will seek views on whether there is anything that would ensure existing powers can be used more effectively. We will set out further details in due course.