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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 26 Feb 2015
Oral Answers to Questions

"The Government’s own figures show that Somerset’s rate of access to superfast broadband is only 41%, which hardly meets the needs of rural businesses and residents. Connecting Devon and Somerset allows bids from other suppliers in the Dartmoor and Exmoor national parks, but I understand that, because of the reason …..."
Tessa Munt - View Speech

View all Tessa Munt (LD - Wells and Mendip Hills) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Written Question
Social Services: Somerset
Wednesday 4th February 2015

Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to broaden and escalate the Government’s intervention in Somerset County Council’s Children’s Services.

Answered by Edward Timpson

I take any failure to provide children and young people with the services they deserve very seriously and I issued Somerset County Council with an Improvement Notice in November 2013. I recently met Somerset’s leadership and my officials have been working closely with the local authority against the requirements of my Improvement Notice; Ofsted’s 2013 report; and the Ofsted multi-remit inspection published on 26 November 2014.

Under the terms of my Notice, an improvement board with an independent Chair is in place and the Chair reports on progress in Somerset every three months. My officials are in regular communication with council leadership, and have attended each of the monthly boards to assess the LA’s improvement.

Ofsted is currently inspecting child protection and children in care service provision in Somerset and I am considering my next steps in relation to this intervention. I will not hesitate to escalate the intervention in the local authority if I am presented with further evidence that children and young people are still not safe in Somerset. I will inform Somerset County Council of my decision shortly.

Written Question
Children: Somerset
Wednesday 7th January 2015

Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that vulnerable children in Somerset are identified and protected from harm.

Answered by Edward Timpson

Ofsted inspected Somerset County Council’s arrangements for the protection of children between 24 June 2013 and 03 July 2013 and published their findings on 05 August 2013. Ofsted judged the authority’s performance as ‘inadequate’.

I take any failure to provide children and young people with the services they deserve very seriously and issued the Council with an Improvement Notice in November 2013. The Improvement Notice requires the Council to institute an Improvement Board headed by an independent chair to drive improvement and hold partners to account.

I am currently considering next steps in relation to this intervention and will inform Somerset County Council of my decision shortly.

Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 17 Dec 2014
Post Office Mediation Scheme

"My right hon. Friend has already mentioned that evidence needed to investigate complaints by the applicants should not be destroyed. Might he, in his position as leader of this debate, make sure that the Minister asks that the Post Office guarantees that the material gathered and produced by Second Sight …..."
Tessa Munt - View Speech

View all Tessa Munt (LD - Wells and Mendip Hills) contributions to the debate on: Post Office Mediation Scheme
Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 10 Dec 2014
Ofsted

"I wish to make a short contribution, and the title of the debate enables me to do precisely that. I want to raise a matter on behalf of a constituent.

The debate relates to the accountability of Ofsted, and we all hope that Ofsted inspectors do their work in a …..."
Tessa Munt - View Speech

View all Tessa Munt (LD - Wells and Mendip Hills) contributions to the debate on: Ofsted
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 01 Dec 2014
Oral Answers to Questions

"Somerset county council has withdrawn regular checks on children educated at home, stating that it will contact families only if it is

“advised that Elective Home Education is not happening or is unsuitable.”

Does the Minister recognise that it is necessary to check systematically so that children at risk are …..."
Tessa Munt - View Speech

View all Tessa Munt (LD - Wells and Mendip Hills) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 16 Oct 2014
Oral Answers to Questions

"I spoke to the Minister again in July about broadband in my area, and showed him the map of the proposed coverage. It seems that exchanges just a couple of miles away from main roads such as the A38 and the A370, where fibre-optic cables were laid years ago, cannot …..."
Tessa Munt - View Speech

View all Tessa Munt (LD - Wells and Mendip Hills) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 21 Jul 2014
Oral Answers to Questions

"Minutes of a meeting of governors at the Duke of York’s Royal Military school held on 26 November last year note that the Ministry of Defence, the school’s sponsor “were not keen” to be involved with military academies due to “reputational risk”. Will the Secretary of State elaborate on what …..."
Tessa Munt - View Speech

View all Tessa Munt (LD - Wells and Mendip Hills) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 10 Feb 2014
Oral Answers to Questions

"There is a conflict of interest when abuse is alleged in independent and military fee-paying schools, in that the interests of children as possible victims are pitched against those of the schools, which want to protect their reputation in order to maintain fee income. Will the Minister look again at …..."
Tessa Munt - View Speech

View all Tessa Munt (LD - Wells and Mendip Hills) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 10 Feb 2014
Oral Answers to Questions

"Of course, children will have access to their further family through both parents, so it is critical that they have an absolute right to direct, physical contact, and that should be a presumption, unless there is a proven safety reason...."
Tessa Munt - View Speech

View all Tessa Munt (LD - Wells and Mendip Hills) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions