Asked by: Robert Buckland (Conservative - South Swindon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of universities accepting funding from entities linked to the Chinese People's Liberation Army on academic freedom.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The Integrated Review Refresh, which this government published in March 2023, sets out in clear terms the UK’s policy towards engagement with China and Chinese entities.
Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous institutions and are responsible for ensuring they have adequate governance, risk management procedures and policies in place, including on the acceptance of donations. HE providers will also have their own due diligence procedures which should consider reputational, ethical and security risks.
The department expects the HE sector to be alert to risks when collaborating with any international partners. Guidance published by Universities UK advises HE providers how to engage in international collaborations safely and securely. This guidance also includes a recommendation that due diligence should be conducted on all international partnerships and it is available here: https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/what-we-do/policy-and-research/publications/managing-risks-internationalisation.
The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 will ensure that HE providers in England have the tools they need to deal with interference with, and threats to, freedom of speech and academic freedom wherever they originate. The Act will enable the Office for Students to monitor the overseas funding of registered HE providers and their constituent institutions and student’s unions, and to take appropriate action. Provisions in the Act dealing with overseas funding are expected to come into force from 1 September 2025.
Asked by: Robert Buckland (Conservative - South Swindon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help support (a) peace and (b) cooperation in West Africa.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK uses our diplomatic presence to engage with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union, their member states and other African partners in support of regionally-led efforts to promote democracy, peace and stability. We support regionally-led coordination initiatives, such as the Accra Initiative, to help prevent the spread of violence and foster long-term stability. Through strategic defence and security partnerships with countries such as Nigeria and Ghana, we actively support African and regional security. I regularly discuss peace and cooperation with African leaders. I have recently discussed regional security with Ghana's Minister of National Security and with the President of ECOWAS, when I emphasised the need for regional coordination.
Asked by: Robert Buckland (Conservative - South Swindon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time was for Access to Work claims for the costs of employment coaches for supported interns to be paid in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested about Access to Work payment journey times for the cost of employment coaches for supported interns in the latest period is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
However, the Access to Work statistics includes number of people who received a payment for any Access to Work provision from 2007/08 to 2022/23. Please see Table 6 of the Access to Work statistics.
The latest Access to Work statistics can be found here.
Asked by: Robert Buckland (Conservative - South Swindon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Access to Work claims for the cost of employment coaches for supported interns were (a) approved and (b) unpaid on 5 February 2024; and if he will make an assessment of the total value of these claims.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested about Access to Work claims for employment coaches for supported interns is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
However, Access to Work statistics include how many applications result in provision being approved from 2007/08 to 2022/23. Please see Table 3 of the Access to Work statistics.
The latest Access to Work statistics can be found here.
Asked by: Robert Buckland (Conservative - South Swindon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) reduce food waste at farms and (b) support farmers to ensure that surplus food is redistributed.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government supports a thriving, productive and efficient farming sector that prevents waste occurring in the first place. For instance, we are supporting investment in productivity-boosting equipment, technology and infrastructure through the Farming Investment Fund. This provides grants to farmers, foresters, and growers (including contractors to these sectors) that will help their businesses to prosper, while improving their productivity and enhancing the environment.
We acknowledge that more can be done to reduce food waste in the primary production stage. The ‘fair dealings’ powers contained in the Agriculture Act 2020 can be used to prevent these kinds of unfair trading practices where they occur, as we are aware that unreasonably late cancellations or specification changes can sometimes lead to produce being unharvested. Last year we launched two new supply chain fairness reviews, looking into the egg and fresh produce supply chains, and building on what we have already got underway to improve transparency and contracts in the pork and dairy markets. The review into the egg supply chain closed on 22 December, and the review of the fresh produce supply chain will close on 22 February. We will publish a summary of responses within 12 weeks of each consultation closing.
The Government works closely with businesses through our delivery partner the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to overcome any barriers to redistribution. This includes the development of guidance and best practice through a sector wide working group, and support for the Target Measure Act approach to understanding and acting on food waste in supply chains, including the redistribution of any surplus should it arise and is supported by the National Farmers Union. Where the NFU stands on food waste – NFUonline
Since 2018, Defra funding of nearly £13 million has supported both large and small redistribution organisations across the country to increase their capability and capacity.
The total amount of food redistributed in the UK in 2022 was over 170,000 tonnes and a value of around £590 million, an increase of 133% since 2019.
Asked by: Robert Buckland (Conservative - South Swindon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with NHS England about reducing waiting times for children and young people’s access to (a) community paediatric services, (b) occupational therapy and (c) speech and language therapy.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department holds regular meetings with NHS England on timely access to community health services. Addressing waiting times is a priority for both the National Health Service and the Department. In 2023, NHS England asked local systems to develop plans to reduce community waiting lists.
NHS England is working to improve community health services data to better understand waiting lists and identifying actions to reduce waits, including consideration of new pathways to improve effectiveness and productivity.
Asked by: Robert Buckland (Conservative - South Swindon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure the national allocation of funding for adult social care reflects (a) the number of autistic adults and (b) their potential level of need.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Public spending on adult social care is funded from both local Government revenue and central Government grants and therefore has to be viewed as part of the wider local Government funding settlement. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is responsible for the financial framework within which local Government operates and for ensuring the sufficiency of local Government funding.
Central Government grants for adult social care are largely distributed using the Adult Social Care Relative Needs Formulae, which are developed by independent researchers to reflect differences in councils’ need for local authority funded social care, to ensure councils funding reflects the relative level of need in their area. These formulae account for a range of factors including population, income and wealth, levels of impairment and availability of unpaid care support.
Local authorities have discretion over how to use their funding to meet the needs of their local population, including those of autistic adults.
Asked by: Robert Buckland (Conservative - South Swindon)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of adopting the Scottish Government's approach to applying digital imprints to election content posted by unregistered third parties.
Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The UK-wide digital imprint regime, introduced by the Elections Act 2022, is one of the most comprehensive digital imprint regimes in the world, applying to a wide range of material. The regime represents a substantial increase in transparency of digital political advertising for members of the public by requiring those promoting eligible digital campaigning material targeted at the UK electorate to include an imprint with their name and address.
Our regime does require unregistered third parties promoting paid-for material and those promoting other electronic material on behalf of specific political entities listed in section 44 of the Act to include an imprint in the material.
Asked by: Robert Buckland (Conservative - South Swindon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the cost of (a) confining autistic adults in mental health hospitals and (b) meeting needs in the community.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Health and Social Care Committee’s report, The treatment of autistic people and people with learning disabilities, included recommendations in relation to assessing the costs of care and support, and redesigning financial incentives in the healthcare system, for people with a learning disability and autistic people. The Government response to the report and position on the recommendations was published 27 July 2022.
In the response, we noted the wide range of capital and revenue funding sources and the range of support that a person may draw on from multiple services. This makes an assessment of costs practically challenging. The response set out that we are clear there must be credible alternatives to inpatient care so that people can live independent, fulfilled lives in their community, without financial incentives or disincentives which prevent this from happening.
To improve our understanding of funding flows, including any financial incentives or disincentives, the Department commissioned an independent specialist consultancy firm, RedQuadrant, in September 2021 to undertake a rapid review of funding flows associated with Building the Right Support. The work concluded in March 2022 and a report was published in July 2022.
Asked by: Robert Buckland (Conservative - South Swindon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to change funding incentives to help ensure that funding follows need for the right support in the community for autistic adults.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Health and Social Care Committee’s report, The treatment of autistic people and people with learning disabilities, included recommendations in relation to assessing the costs of care and support, and redesigning financial incentives in the healthcare system, for people with a learning disability and autistic people. The Government response to the report and position on the recommendations was published 27 July 2022.
In the response, we noted the wide range of capital and revenue funding sources and the range of support that a person may draw on from multiple services. This makes an assessment of costs practically challenging. The response set out that we are clear there must be credible alternatives to inpatient care so that people can live independent, fulfilled lives in their community, without financial incentives or disincentives which prevent this from happening.
To improve our understanding of funding flows, including any financial incentives or disincentives, the Department commissioned an independent specialist consultancy firm, RedQuadrant, in September 2021 to undertake a rapid review of funding flows associated with Building the Right Support. The work concluded in March 2022 and a report was published in July 2022.