First elected: 6th May 2010
Left House: 6th November 2019 (Defeated)
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
NHS supply new lifesaving drugs for Cystic Fibrosis like 11 other EU countries
Gov Responded - 7 Dec 2018 Debated on - 10 Jun 2019 View Sarah Wollaston's petition debate contributionsChildren & young adults with CF endure lifelong suffering & early death. They need Orkambi and other precision medicines as they are developed. Sufferers in the EU, US & Australia can access the drugs, but not the UK. Hundreds have died in the 3yrs since these drugs were licensed.
Hold a second referendum on EU membership.
Gov Responded - 30 Jan 2019 Debated on - 1 Apr 2019 View Sarah Wollaston's petition debate contributionsThe Brexit process has been a failure. At the end of two years, our ruling party is bitterly divided, the main opposition not a viable replacement for it, and the deal we have negotiated is almost universally opposed.
No one voted for this to happen.
Revoke Article 50 and remain in the EU.
Gov Responded - 26 Mar 2019 Debated on - 1 Apr 2019 View Sarah Wollaston's petition debate contributionsThe government repeatedly claims exiting the EU is 'the will of the people'. We need to put a stop to this claim by proving the strength of public support now, for remaining in the EU. A People's Vote may not happen - so vote now.
Parliament must honour the Referendum result. Leave deal or no deal 29/03/19
Gov Responded - 4 Apr 2019 Debated on - 1 Apr 2019 View Sarah Wollaston's petition debate contributionsThe UK voted in a referendum in 2016 to Leave the EU....this wasn't dependent on a " deal" ....but rather just "Leave"
we are now demanding that all mp's honour this result .conservative and labour mp's also agreed to leave on 29/03/19...... deal or no deal as part of their gen election campaign
Increase funding for schools
Gov Responded - 5 Feb 2019 Debated on - 4 Mar 2019 View Sarah Wollaston's petition debate contributionsSchools are having to make difficult choices on how to spend their limited funding as their income has not kept pace with the rise in costs since 2010. All schools are working very hard to “make ends meet” but this is becoming increasingly difficult and verging on almost impossible.
These initiatives were driven by Sarah Wollaston, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Sarah Wollaston has not been granted any Urgent Questions
A Bill to make provision for protecting persons from risks associated with stalking; and for connected purposes.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 15th March 2019 and was enacted into law.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to establish requirements in connection to the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to introduce measures to reduce the exposure of children to the marketing of alcohol products; to make provision to establish the permitted content of marketing of alcohol products; and for connected purposes
Climate Change (Emissions Targets) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Rachel Reeves (Lab)
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Pension Transfers (Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Investigation) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Lord Vaizey of Didcot (Con)
Access to Welfare (Terminal Illness Definition) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Madeleine Moon (Lab)
European Union (Revocation of Notification of Withdrawal) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Geraint Davies (Ind)
Minimum Service Obligation (High Street Cashpoints) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Huw Merriman (Con)
Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (England) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Fiona Bruce (Con)
Abortion Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Diana Johnson (Lab)
Civil Aviation (Accessibility) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Helen Whately (Con)
Courts (Abuse of Process) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Liz Saville Roberts (PC)
Feeding Products for Babies and Children (Advertising and Promotion) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Alison Thewliss (SNP)
Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Liz Saville Roberts (PC)
Stalking (Sentencing) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Alex Chalk (Con)
Organ Donors (Leave) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Louise Haigh (Lab)
We are increasing the overall amount of cash in hand we provide students to support the cost of living to the highest ever amount. For new full-time students starting their courses on or after 1 August 2016, maintenance grants will be replaced by maintenance loans. Eligible students on low incomes will qualify for a maximum maintenance loan that is 10.3% higher than the maximum maintenance grant and loan support available in 2015/16. Higher education remains free at the point of entry, with students able to fund their studies through loans which they only repay when they are earning above £21,000.
All institutions wishing to charge fees above the basic level must agree an Access Agreement with the independent Director of Fair Access. In July, the Director of Fair Access announced that he has approved 183 Access Agreements for 2016/17. Institutions expect to spend £745.5m on widening access in 2016/17, rising to £750.8m in 2019/20.
Latest data from UCAS shows that the application rate to higher education for 18 years olds from disadvantaged backgrounds is at a record level. All institutions wishing to charge fees above the basic level must agree an Access Agreement with the independent Director of Fair Access (DFA) on their measures to widen access to higher education. This Government has extended the term of office for the current Director.
In his latest guidance to Institutions on how to produce access agreements the DFA has asked all Institutions with medical schools to consider the guidance on improving access to medical courses for those from lower socio-economic groups, developed by the Medical Schools Council and published in December 2014. The guidance from the medical schools council was developed in response to the Government call for more to be done to widen participation to medicine.
Information published by UCAS on the numbers of applications since 2009 is shown in the table. UCAS have not yet published comparable figures for 2015.
Medicine remains a very popular course that attracts many prospective students. There are no upfront fees and a progressive, income-contingent loan available for those applying for degrees.
Applications from UK domiciled applicants1 to pre-clinical medicine
| Year of entry | |||||
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
Applications | 56,055 | 62,855 | 65,270 | 63,120 | 64,000 | 64,345 |
Source: UCAS. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5.
1. Each applicant can submit up to four applications for pre-clinical medicine. UCAS have not released figures showing the number of applicants who have made one or more applications to pre-clinical medicine.
For many years, the Government has controlled undergraduate entrant numbers to medicine and dentistry courses at university. The Grant letter of 29 January 2015 to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) said that, at this stage, the Government is retaining intake targets for undergraduates on medicine and dentistry courses, reflecting the high cost of this training to the public purse.
A formal consultation process is not normally carried out when annual changes to higher education student support are introduced.
The Government expects to lay amendments to the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2011 before Parliament later this year which will bring changes to student support into effect for the 2016/17 academic year.
The Government carried out an analysis of the impact of the National Living Wage, using a similar approach to that published by the Office for Budget Responsibility, which considered the implications at the business, sector and aggregate economy level.
The Government will publish a full impact assessment for the introduction of the National Living Wage alongside the implementing regulations. These regulations will be debated in both Houses of Parliament in time to come into force on 1 April 2016.
The Government carried out an analysis of the impact of the National Living Wage, using a similar approach to that published by the Office for Budget Responsibility, which considered the implications at the business, sector and aggregate economy level.
The Government will publish a full impact assessment for the introduction of the National Living Wage alongside the implementing regulations. These regulations will be debated in both Houses of Parliament in time to come into force on 1 April 2016.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The Chief Executive of the Civil Service is responsible for the Government’s efficiency and reform programme, including commercial, digital, property, HR, major projects, shared services and civil service reform functions at the centre of government. No officials reporting to the Chief Executive of the civil service are working to implement or devise policies which could affect the consumption, marketing, pricing, availability or sale of alcohol.
I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland on 7 November 2014 PQ UIN213235 and UIN213236. As Chief Executive of the Civil Service, John Manzoni has no involvement in public health policy and therefore there is no conflict of interest.
I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland on 7 November 2014 PQ UIN213235 and UIN213236. As Chief Executive of the Civil Service, John Manzoni has no involvement in public health policy and therefore there is no conflict of interest.
Electricity connections and upgrades for new and existing homes are a matter for distribution network operators (DNOs) overseen by the independent regulator, Ofgem. Under the Distribution Connection and Use of System Agreement, DNOs are required to offer customers the most efficient solution to meet their requirements. In doing so, DNOs assess whether a single or three-phase supply would be appropriate.
Network operators are responsible for ensuring the reliable supply of electricity and the Ofgem RIIO-2 price control framework ensures network operators invest efficiently to provide continued safe and reliable services. In doing so they will need to balance the expected reductions in demand due to improvements in home energy efficiency against projected increases in demand from charging requirements of electric vehicles and the increased installation of heat pumps.
While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business.
The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. Thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010 the overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches.
The Court of Appeal judgment overturns the previous interpretation of the law and means that “sleep-in” shifts, as defined by the Court of Appeal, no longer attract the National Minimum Wage. The Court of Appeal judgment applies both retrospectively and going forward. Government guidance on when “sleep-in” shifts should attract the National Minimum Wage has been updated to confirm that the Government has noted the judgment. That guidance will be updated shortly once Ministers have fully considered the implications the Court of Appeal judgment.
Over the past year Ministers from across the Government have been working closely on how “sleep-in” shifts are remunerated and will continue to do so.
Ministers from BEIS and the Department of Health and Social Care are liaising with local authorities and care commissioners to ensure that they have clarity on the legal position and on their responsibilities when commissioning care services.
HMRC’s voluntary Social Care Compliance Scheme remains open. Employers participating on the scheme should take note of the Court of Appeal judgment and review their pay practices accordingly. HMRC officers have been in contact directly with all employers enrolled on the scheme to set out next steps.
The Court of Appeal judgment overturns the previous interpretation of the law and means that “sleep-in” shifts, as defined by the Court of Appeal, no longer attract the National Minimum Wage. The Court of Appeal judgment applies both retrospectively and going forward. Government guidance on when “sleep-in” shifts should attract the National Minimum Wage has been updated to confirm that the Government has noted the judgment. That guidance will be updated shortly once Ministers have fully considered the implications the Court of Appeal judgment.
Over the past year Ministers from across the Government have been working closely on how “sleep-in” shifts are remunerated and will continue to do so.
Ministers from BEIS and the Department of Health and Social Care are liaising with local authorities and care commissioners to ensure that they have clarity on the legal position and on their responsibilities when commissioning care services.
HMRC’s voluntary Social Care Compliance Scheme remains open. Employers participating on the scheme should take note of the Court of Appeal judgment and review their pay practices accordingly. HMRC officers have been in contact directly with all employers enrolled on the scheme to set out next steps.
The Court of Appeal judgment overturns the previous interpretation of the law and means that “sleep-in” shifts, as defined by the Court of Appeal, no longer attract the National Minimum Wage. The Court of Appeal judgment applies both retrospectively and going forward. Government guidance on when “sleep-in” shifts should attract the National Minimum Wage has been updated to confirm that the Government has noted the judgment. That guidance will be updated shortly once Ministers have fully considered the implications the Court of Appeal judgment.
Over the past year Ministers from across the Government have been working closely on how “sleep-in” shifts are remunerated and will continue to do so.
Ministers from BEIS and the Department of Health and Social Care are liaising with local authorities and care commissioners to ensure that they have clarity on the legal position and on their responsibilities when commissioning care services.
HMRC’s voluntary Social Care Compliance Scheme remains open. Employers participating on the scheme should take note of the Court of Appeal judgment and review their pay practices accordingly. HMRC officers have been in contact directly with all employers enrolled on the scheme to set out next steps.
The Court of Appeal judgment overturns the previous interpretation of the law and means that “sleep-in” shifts, as defined by the Court of Appeal, no longer attract the National Minimum Wage. The Court of Appeal judgment applies both retrospectively and going forward. Government guidance on when “sleep-in” shifts should attract the National Minimum Wage has been updated to confirm that the Government has noted the judgment. That guidance will be updated shortly once Ministers have fully considered the implications the Court of Appeal judgment.
Over the past year Ministers from across the Government have been working closely on how “sleep-in” shifts are remunerated and will continue to do so.
Ministers from BEIS and the Department of Health and Social Care are liaising with local authorities and care commissioners to ensure that they have clarity on the legal position and on their responsibilities when commissioning care services.
HMRC’s voluntary Social Care Compliance Scheme remains open. Employers participating on the scheme should take note of the Court of Appeal judgment and review their pay practices accordingly. HMRC officers have been in contact directly with all employers enrolled on the scheme to set out next steps.
Both the 2013 report, ‘Potential Greenhouse Gas Emissions Associated with Shale Gas Extraction and Use’[1] (Mackay/Stone) and the Committee on Climate Change’s (CCC) 2016 report ‘Onshore Petroleum: The compatibility of UK onshore petroleum with meeting the UK’s carbon budgets’[2] provided analysis on the potential implications of greenhouse gas emissions from extracting shale gas in the UK.
The Mackay/Stone report concluded that the carbon footprint of UK shale gas would likely be much less than coal and comparable to imported Liquefied Natural Gas.
The CCC report concluded that shale gas production is compatible with carbon budgets if three conditions are met:
Methane emissions from shale gas production minimised and monitored.
Gas consumption remains within carbon budget limits
Any additional shale gas emissions offset by reductions elsewhere in order to meet carbon budgets
We believe that our robust regulatory regime and determination to meet our carbon budgets mean those tests can and will be met.
The Government is grant funding an environmental monitoring programme led by the British Geological Survey in the Fylde (Lancashire) and Kirby Misperton (North Yorkshire), where applications for shale gas wells have been made. This programme includes the measurement of methane emissions, and would continue after the start of shale gas extraction. The evidence gathered from this programme will inform our future estimates of unintended methane emissions from potential shale gas extraction.
During any shale gas operations the operator will be required to undertake environmental monitoring, including emissions monitoring, to demonstrate compliance with their environmental permits.
Clauses in the Infrastructure Act make it clear that any hydraulic fracturing activity cannot take place unless appropriate arrangements have been made for monitoring emissions of methane into the air. Operators will also be required to publish the results of their methane emissions reporting.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/237330/MacKay_Stone_shale_study_report_09092013.pdf
[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/committee-on-climate-change-report-and-government-response-on-the-compatibility-of-uk-onshore-petroleum-with-meeting-the-uks-carbon-budgets
BEIS has not made any estimates of the potential effect on employment from the future development of the shale gas industry.
The Government does not produce forecasts for job creation over a future time period for the renewables industry.
It is up to the operator to agree disposal methods with the appropriate regulators as part of their planning application for any future shale gas development.
The Government has not made an assessment of the amount of flowback waste which would be produced from any future shale gas development.
It is the operator’s responsibility to agree disposal methods with the appropriate regulators as part of their planning application for all shale gas development.
The UK has the second largest aerospace industry globally, with strengths in some of the most technologically advanced parts of aircraft: wings, engines and advanced systems. The industry has annual turnover of around £32 billion, and exports some £30 billion.
Through the Aerospace Growth Partnership, Government is supporting action by industry to make sure the UK remains competitive, including a joint Industry/Government commitment of £3.9 billion for Research and Development activities through to 2026.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy keeps the state of the network under review including the provision of rural services through outreaches. Outreaches are provided so Post Office can maintain access to communities, most often in rural areas, where the old post office has closed. These provide a regular part time service, with hours tailored to the levels of demand in the community. They provide a welcomed link to the network for many isolated communities.
The Government entrusts the Post Office’s management to keep the health of the network under review in order to meet the commitment we have set to maintain the network at over 11,500 branches. The commercial agreements it has with subpostmasters, rural and urban, covering costs and revenue form a key part of ensuring the health of the network. While these arrangements are commercially sensitive between both parties the evidence of their success is in the fact that that the network is at its most stable in decades.
The Government understands the important role post offices play in communities across the country, especially in the more remote, rural areas. This is why in our manifesto we committed to secure the future of 3,000 rural post offices.
Thanks to Government investment the UK’s network of 11,600 branches is at its most stable in decades, with over 98% of the UK population in rural areas within 3 miles of a post office. The investment is offering real improvements to customers, including an extra 200,000 opening hours every week and over 4,200 post offices open on a Sunday.
The Government’s recent consultation will help us understand what the public and businesses expect from the Post Office and to understand more fully what subsidy is needed and what it should be used for.
Safety must always be paramount in technological developments and there is no credible evidence 5G is harmful to human health. All proposed 5G Testbeds and Trials (5GTT) projects have to comply with the guidelines published by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. ICNIRP is formally recognised by the World Health Organization. Public Health England’s Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards takes the lead on public health matters associated with radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, or radio waves.
The 5GTT has strict expectations that all grant funded projects will adhere to ICNIRP guidelines. A considerable amount of research has been carried out on radio waves and per PHE’s advice we anticipate no negative effects on public health.
Permanent and fixed period exclusions in England: 2016-2017 can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-in-england-2016-to-2017.
Permanent and fixed period exclusions by type of special educational need can be found in national table 6.
The information requested, on the number of children with autism spectrum condition who have been isolated in schools in the last 12 months, is not held centrally.
As part of Ofsted inspections, however, schools will be asked to provide records and analysis of any use of internal isolation. Ofsted inspectors will expect schools to have clear and effective behaviour policies that promote high standards of behaviour and are applied consistently and fairly. In reaching a judgement on pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare, inspectors will take account of a range of information, including schools’ use of internal isolation.
The Department’s behaviour and discipline guidance to schools makes clear that schools must act lawfully, reasonably and proportionately when using isolation, and must take account of any special education needs or disabilities pupils placed in isolation may have.
The Department for Education has a joint programme of work with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Health Education England to deliver the proposals set out in the green paper ‘Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision’. This includes setting up and running Mental Health Support Teams linked to groups of schools and colleges. The teams will be made up of additional, trained, mental health workers, supervised by suitable NHS staff working closely with other professionals such as educational psychologists, school nurses, counsellors and social workers.
The first teams will be set up in 25 trailblazer areas this year, which will be evaluated to inform the subsequent roll-out. The Department has put in place a small regional implementation team to work alongside NHS England to support delivery of the green paper commitments and lead and model effective partnership working for education and health.
The Government is also taking action to support specific vulnerable groups of children. In May 2016, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission began inspecting local areas on their effectiveness in fulfilling the new duties on education, health and social care services to provide for children and young people who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). All 152 local areas in England will be inspected over a period of five years. The inspections are identifying how effectively access to mental health provision is working as part of the SEND provision locally.
The Department is also piloting new mental health assessments for looked-after children to ensure young people are assessed at the right time to support more effective access to mental health provision, with a focus on meeting their individual needs as they enter care.
The Government has no plans to assess the impact of any changes in the length of school break times. Schools have the autonomy to make decisions about the structure and duration of their school day to suit their own circumstances. However, the Department is clear that pupils should be given an appropriate break and expects school leaders to make sure this happens.
The Government recognises the importance of physical activity in schools to improve physical and mental wellbeing and support attainment. The Department’s childhood obesity strategy reflects the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines that primary age children should get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day and the aim that 30 minutes of that should be during the school day.
World-class education is not only about having the highest standards in academic and technical education, it also means ensuring that education builds character and resilience.
We want all children and young people to have opportunities to develop the key character traits of believing that they can achieve, being able to stick with the task in hand, seeing a link between effort today and reward in the future, and being able to bounce back from the knocks that life inevitably brings to all of us. Character must also be grounded in positive values such as kindness, generosity, fairness, tolerance and integrity.
The 5 Foundations for Building Character announced on 7 February by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education are sport, creativity, performing, volunteering and membership, and the world of work. Each of these areas covers a very wide range of activities that children and young people can enjoy doing. In developing key character traits, research suggests that high-quality delivery of the 5 foundations should take a structured approach, occur over a sustained period of time, and be self-directed by the child or young person. Through the support of teachers, coaches or other professionals, children and young people are more likely to receive a higher level of challenge and develop the traits that can help them achieve their goals.
Play can provide benefits to children and young people through physical activity and promotion of wellbeing, but the audit of the availability of out-of-school activities across the country does not currently include playing outside as that activity does not provide the structured and high quality elements that are required in character building activities as proposed in the 5 Foundations for Building Character.
World-class education is not only about having the highest standards in academic and technical education, it also means ensuring that education builds character and resilience.
We want all children and young people to have opportunities to develop the key character traits of believing that they can achieve, being able to stick with the task in hand, seeing a link between effort today and reward in the future, and being able to bounce back from the knocks that life inevitably brings to all of us. Character must also be grounded in positive values such as kindness, generosity, fairness, tolerance and integrity.
The 5 Foundations for Building Character announced on 7 February by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education are sport, creativity, performing, volunteering and membership, and the world of work. Each of these areas covers a very wide range of activities that children and young people can enjoy doing. In developing key character traits, research suggests that high-quality delivery of the 5 foundations should take a structured approach, occur over a sustained period of time, and be self-directed by the child or young person. Through the support of teachers, coaches or other professionals, children and young people are more likely to receive a higher level of challenge and develop the traits that can help them achieve their goals.
Play can provide benefits to children and young people through physical activity and promotion of wellbeing, but the audit of the availability of out-of-school activities across the country does not currently include playing outside as that activity does not provide the structured and high quality elements that are required in character building activities as proposed in the 5 Foundations for Building Character.
The numbers of children looked after in foster placements at any time during the year ending 31 March in each of the last five years were published in Table B1, in the statistical release Children looked after in England including adoption: 2016 to 2017 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2016-to-2017.
The numbers of children, who ceased to be looked after because of a special guardianship order during the year ending 31 March in each of the last five years, are shown in the attached table.
The numbers of children looked after in foster placements at any time during the year ending 31 March in each of the last five years were published in Table B1, in the statistical release Children looked after in England including adoption: 2016 to 2017 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2016-to-2017.
The numbers of children, who ceased to be looked after because of a special guardianship order during the year ending 31 March in each of the last five years, are shown in the attached table.
The post-16 system is performing well and a record proportion of 16 to 18-year olds are now participating in education or apprenticeships. The results in the first of the reformed A levels were released last month, with students continuing to achieve effectively against the high standards of the qualification and demonstrating their readiness for the demands of higher education. Overall A level results this year were stable compared to last year.
A record number of 18-year olds applied for places in Higher Education this year and the entry rate for English 18-year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds is at a record high.
We will publish a careers strategy in the Autumn. The strategy will have a clear focus on improving social mobility.
The statutory responsibility for transport to education and training for children of compulsory school age and for 16 to 19 year olds rests with local authorities, enabling them to make decisions which best match local needs and circumstances.
Local authorities are required to consult a range of stakeholders including schools and colleges about their post-16 transport policies. When developing transport policies for children of compulsory school age statutory guidance strongly encourages local authorities to consult.
Local authorities publish transport policies for school age children and post-16 young people on their websites. The department does not assess these to determine the extent to which local authorities meet these expectations for consultation. Links to post-16 transport policies can be found at www.gov.uk/subsidised-college-transport-16-19.
The income raised from the Immigration Skills Charge will support the provision of skills for the resident population, to address the skills gaps that employers face. Further information will be set out in due course. We have not estimated the potential annual cost to NHS and social care sponsors. The cost will depend on employer use of the Tier 2 skilled worker route.
The income raised from the Immigration Skills Charge will support the provision of skills for the resident population, to address the skills gaps that employers face. Further information will be set out in due course. We have not estimated the potential annual cost to NHS and social care sponsors. The cost will depend on employer use of the Tier 2 skilled worker route.
The Department for Education has frequent contact with local authority officers and elected members on the subject of elective home education. Published guidance for local authorities is available on the GOV.UK website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/elective-home-education
The Department for Education has published guidance on ‘Listening to and involving children and young people’, which makes clear that in keeping with Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, local authorities (LAs) should take steps to ensure that the views of children are obtained and taken into account. This published guidance is available on GOV.UK at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/listening-to-and-involving-children-and-young-people
The guidance is issued under s.176 of the Education Act 2002, which requires LAs to use guidance on consulting children when they exercise their functions in relation both to schools and to elective home education. It is for each local authority to decide how best to take account of the views of children who are being educated at home.
The Department will make a decision on how to build on the outcome of the pilot once the training workshops have been delivered and the evaluation has been completed. This pilot is currently running in 27 Clinical Commissioning Group areas.
Officials are working with the Association of Colleges to ensure that effective links are being made between the pilot areas and their local colleges, so that they are involved in the development of shared protocols and longer term planning for the provision of children’s mental health services.
High quality Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education has a vital role to play in ensuring that young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain, helping them develop healthy relationships and recognise unhealthy relationships. It can also give them the skills and knowledge to help keep themselves, and each other, safe. The Government has made it clear in the introduction to the framework to the national curriculum that all schools should teach PSHE. Schools and teachers are best placed to develop their own PSHE curriculum based on the needs of their pupils, drawing on guidance provided by expert organisations such as the PSHE Association.
As stated in the Government response to the select committee report, we will take forward work with the sector to improve the quality of PSHE, and intend to make significant progress on this issue during this parliament.
We want all children to lead healthy and active lives. Schools have a key role to play in supporting this; the new national curriculum sets the expectation that pupils are taught, across a variety of subjects, about the importance of leading healthy and active lives.
Schools and teachers already recognise the importance of good PSHE education and know that healthy, resilient, confident pupils are better placed to achieve academically and to be stretched further. In the introduction to the national curriculum, we have made clear that all schools should make provision for PSHE, drawing on examples of good practice.
The Secretary of State for Education has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Health about children’s health and the role schools can play in tackling childhood obesity.