Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 2 May 2023 to Question 182481 on Secondary Education: Teachers, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure the quality of continuing professional development provision for non-specialist teachers teaching religious education.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The number of teachers remains high, with over 468,000 full time equivalent teachers working in state funded schools across the country, over 27,000 more than there were in 2010.
The Department provides funded Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) courses for 9 subjects, including religious education, for those who have yet to start an initial teacher training course. Eligibility is subject to an applicant meeting the requirements to train to teach in England and the applicant accepting a conditional offer which specifies the requirement to complete a SKE course. Eligible participants can receive a bursary of £175 per week. Religious education courses last 8 weeks.
Once teachers are qualified and working in schools, the responsibility for supporting non specialist teachers rests with head teachers, as they are best placed to assess the needs of their staff and provide appropriate support, such as continuing professional development.
Oak National Academy will provide both specialist and non specialist teachers with access to high quality digital curriculum resources. This includes resources for religious education. Oak will work closely with the sector and utilise sector expertise when developing these new curriculum resources.
The Department has also transformed the training and support available to teachers of all subjects. An entitlement to at least three years of structured training, support and professional development for all new teachers has been created, to bring teaching into line with other prestigious professions such as law, accountancy and medicine. Underpinning this is the new Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework, and together, these ensure that new teachers will benefit from at least three years of evidence based training, across ITT and into their induction.
Beyond the first few years of teaching, the Department’s priority is to help all teachers and head teachers to continuously develop their expertise throughout their careers so that all pupils get the best start in life.
National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) are available to education professionals at all levels, from those who want to develop expertise in high quality teaching practice, to those leading multiple schools across trusts. The qualifications have been designed with professionals in mind, using the latest and best available evidence, and can be completed flexibly around existing commitments.
Four specialist NPQs are available, for those who want to broaden their existing knowledge, expertise, and skills in specialist areas of teaching practice including an NPQ in Leading Teaching where participants will learn how to lead the teaching of a subject, year, group or phase.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2023 to Question 190908 on Universal Credit: Childcare, whether the introduction of upfront payments for childcare costs for people on Universal Credit will apply to claimants who are already in work and do not increase their hours.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
For those UC claimants who are already in work, the amount they can claim back has significantly increased by more than £300 a month for one child, from £646.35 to £950.92, and by more than £500 a month for two or more children, from £1,108.04 to £1,630.15.
Universal Credit (UC) claimants who are already in work and not increasing their working hours will not be eligible for the upfront childcare costs support.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department have made of the impact of the closure of the National Cancer Research Institute on cancer research.
Answered by Will Quince
National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) has done great work over 22 years bringing together the cancer research community and connecting researchers. The decision to close was made by the NCRI trustees and is not the result of Government funding or any other decisions.
As the landscape evolves, we will continue to work with the research community and funders across the ecosystem to deliver research that meets the needs of patients and the public. We recognise the considerable leadership that Cancer Research UK has in this area, and will work in partnership with them and the patient community to strive to improve care and outcomes for all.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent estimate he has made of when the Levelling Up Partnerships will be formed in each of the areas selected for the scheme.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Statement made on 16th March 2023, UIN HCWS641, by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to provide additional funding to places identified for a Levelling Up Partnership.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Statement made on 16th March 2023, UIN HCWS641, by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which forms of photo ID that are issued by Government are eligible for use at polling stations.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
This information is set out in the Elections Act 2022.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
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 improve waiting times for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Wakefield constituency.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Information on waiting times is not collected as a national access and waiting times standard for children and young people’s mental health services in England has not yet been defined or set.
The NHS Long Term Plan commits to increasing investment into mental health services by at least an additional £2.3 billion a year by March 2024. This will allow 345,000 more children and young people, including children and young people in Wakefield, to access NHS funded mental health support and improve waiting times.
NHS England has also consulted on the potential to introduce five new waiting time standards as part of its clinically led review of NHS access standards. One of these is that children, young people and their families/carers presenting to community-based mental health services, should start to receive care within four weeks from referral. We are now working with NHS England on the next steps.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time is for referral to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Wakefield constituency.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Information on waiting times is not collected as a national access and waiting times standard for children and young people’s mental health services in England has not yet been defined or set.
The NHS Long Term Plan commits to increasing investment into mental health services by at least an additional £2.3 billion a year by March 2024. This will allow 345,000 more children and young people, including children and young people in Wakefield, to access NHS funded mental health support and improve waiting times.
NHS England has also consulted on the potential to introduce five new waiting time standards as part of its clinically led review of NHS access standards. One of these is that children, young people and their families/carers presenting to community-based mental health services, should start to receive care within four weeks from referral. We are now working with NHS England on the next steps.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government plans to review the potential merits of extending the length of time that Blue Badges can be issued for to people with permanent disabilities.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The legislation allows for badges to be issued with a three-year validity period. Local authority administrators already have the discretion to add a ‘not for reassessment’ marker to individual Blue Badge records, including for applicants with permanent disabilities, which can help to streamline the reapplication process in those cases.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 25 May 2023 to Question 186268 on Universal Credit: Childcare, whether he plans for proposed changes to the Universal Credit childcare element to be introduced to all Universal Credit recipients.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UC childcare element is available to all eligible lone parents and couples, regardless of the number of hours they work. For couples, both parents need to be in paid work to be eligible, unless one of the allowable exceptions is met.
UC claimants with dependent children that wish to take on more hours, move into work or those that have high childcare costs, can benefit from one or both of the changes.