Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reductions to USAID on humanitarian aid in Sudan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK notes the US' decision to disband United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and cancel certain USAID programmes. This is a matter for the US. We are currently working to assess the implications of the US funding pause across all humanitarian and development sectors, including on joint and coordinated programming. Sudan remains a priority for the UK. After the London Sudan Conference, the Foreign Secretary announced a further £120 million in funding which will target over 650,000 people. This brought the total pledged by the attendees of the conference to over £800 million in humanitarian aid, a positive step that will have important protection outcomes for civilians.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what permits his Department has issued to UAV Tactical Systems Ltd for the export of (a) hardware, (b) software and (c) technical support to Israel since October 2023.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
From 1 October 2023 to 31 December 2024, the latest date covered by our most official statistics release, UAV Tactical Systems LTD have been issued 3 export licences covering exports to Israel.
Each licence has been assessed to ensure that the items were not for use by the Israeli military in military operations in Gaza, pursuant to the decision on 2 September 2024 to suspend exports of equipment to Israel that might be used by the Israeli military in operations in Gaza.
Licences for military equipment which is not for use in operations in Gaza or which relate to components for products which are ultimately for re-export to other countries were not included in the scope of the suspension.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average time taken was to get an Education, Health and Care Plan in place for a child in each of the last five years; and what steps she is taking to reduce this time.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Information for each of the last 5 years on the number and percentage of education, health and care (EHC) plans issued within the statutory 20-week deadline, with and without statutory exceptions to that deadline applying, is published as part of the statistical release, ‘Education, health and care plans’ (reporting year 2024), which can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2024.
Local authorities identified as having issues with EHC plan timeliness are subject to additional monitoring by the department, who work with the specific local authority. Where there are concerns about the local authority’s capacity to make the required improvements, the department can secure specialist special educational needs and disabiltiies advisor support to help identify the barriers to EHC plan process timeliness and put in place practical plans for recovery.
When inspections indicate that there are significant concerns with local authority performance, the department will intervene directly. This may mean issuing an improvement notice, statutory direction and/or appointing a commissioner, deployment of which is considered on a case-by-case basis.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) experienced and (b) new teachers in mainstream schools receive adequate training for teaching neurodivergent children.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department provides continuing professional development to the school and further education (FE) workforce through the Universal Services programme, led by the National Association for Special Educational Needs (nasen). This programme helps the school and FE workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) earlier and more effectively.
From September 2025, the new initial teacher training and early career framework (ITTECF) will set out a minimum entitlement to training for all new teachers. The ITTECF contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and SEND which was tested with SEND educational experts, to ensure new teachers are equipped to support pupils with a range of additional learning needs.
The department recognises that continuous improvement is essential and has committed to review the ITTECF in 2027 to ensure it continues to provide the best possible support. This review will include a focus on teaching pupils with SEND.
Also in November 2024, the department established the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, which includes clinicians, scientists, academics, education experts and third sector organisations. The group will make recommendations on the best ways to support and meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people in mainstream education settings.
The department is also investing in the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme, which is a national programme backed by £22 million of investment. PINS deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and better meet the needs of neurodivergent children.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many education, health and care plans have been withdrawn for children in (a) mainstream and (b) SEN schools in each of the last five years.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
There were 3,317 education, health and care (EHC) plans for children and young people aged 0-25 which ceased during 2023 because the child or young person’s needs were being met without an EHC plan. This was out of a total number of 517,048 EHC plans active at January 2023. There are several other reasons an EHC plan might cease, for example, moving between local authorities, moving outside England or accessing an apprenticeship, employment or higher education. The full breakdown of ceased plans by reason for the calendar years 2022 and 2023 can be found in the publication, ‘Education, health and care plans’ (reporting year 2024) which can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2024.
Information on the number who attended mainstream schools or special schools and the number ceasing an EHC plan for this reason prior to the 2022 calendar year is not available.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many mandatory reconsiderations of an initial child maintenance calculation have resulted in no change to the assessment in each of the last five years; and what the average time taken was for those child maintenance payments to be put in place.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
A Mandatory Reconsideration is where a parent has asked the Child Maintenance Service to reconsider a decision. It is a process that must be completed before the right to appeal to an independent tribunal with His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service.
A Mandatory Reconsideration can be requested during the lifetime of a case or when a new application is made, for Child Maintenance and the application is unsuccessful.
Where the Child Maintenance Service finds the original decision to be incorrect or if the parent has supplied more information the decision can change.
The full information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
The Department publishes quarterly statistics for the Child Maintenance Service and the latest statistics are currently available to December 2024. Table 9 of the latest National tables provides the total number of mandatory reconsideration requests received by the CMS and the outcomes occurring each quarter, from April 2015 to December 2024. Data from Table 9 for January 2020 to December 2024 is shown in the following table:
Mandatory Reconsiderations: the number of requests received by the Child Maintenance Service to reconsider a decision, and the outcomes occurring each quarter, Great Britain, January 2020 to December 2024
Quarter | Received | Cleared: | Cleared: | Cleared: | Number Cleared Within 28 Days of Receipt | Percentage Cleared Within 28 Days of Receipt (%) |
Jan to Mar 2020 | 12,000 | 3,200 | 4,400 | 9,400 | 7,800 | 83% |
Apr to Jun 2020 | 6,200 | 3,000 | 3,200 | 7,500 | 3,000 | 40% |
Jul to Sep 2020 | 9,900 | 2,500 | 3,300 | 7,500 | 5,600 | 74% |
Oct to Dec 2020 | 11,700 | 2,700 | 4,100 | 9,300 | 5,200 | 56% |
Jan to Mar 2021 | 15,700 | 4,200 | 5,500 | 12,900 | 6,800 | 53% |
Apr to Jun 2021 | 16,200 | 5,000 | 6,400 | 14,500 | 9,000 | 62% |
Jul to Sep 2021 | 17,100 | 5,500 | 8,100 | 17,700 | 11,900 | 68% |
Oct to Dec 2021 | 17,600 | 5,700 | 7,300 | 16,700 | 13,000 | 78% |
Jan to Mar 2022 | 19,300 | 5,400 | 7,300 | 16,600 | 12,600 | 76% |
Apr to Jun 2022 | 14,700 | 4,300 | 7,300 | 14,200 | 9,600 | 68% |
Jul to Sep 2022 | 14,600 | 3,700 | 7,500 | 13,800 | 9,900 | 71% |
Oct to Dec 2022 | 14,500 | 4,700 | 7,900 | 15,500 | 11,300 | 73% |
Jan to Mar 2023 | 16,300 | 4,300 | 7,200 | 14,300 | 11,800 | 82% |
Apr to Jun 2023 | 21,900 | 4,000 | 7,200 | 14,400 | 11,100 | 77% |
Jul to Sep 2023 | 13,900 | 4,000 | 7,300 | 14,500 | 11,200 | 78% |
Oct to Dec 2023 | 13,800 | 3,700 | 6,000 | 12,400 | 10,000 | 80% |
Jan to Mar 2024 | 17,200 | 4,000 | 7,100 | 14,100 | 11,100 | 78% |
Apr to Jun 2024 | 17,800 | 4,300 | 8,500 | 16,000 | 11,900 | 74% |
Jul to Sep 2024 | 21,800 | 5,700 | 11,400 | 20,700 | 16,400 | 79% |
Oct to Dec 2024 | 21,800 | 6,200 | 11,900 | 21,800 | 18,100 | 83% |
Source: Child Maintenance Service Management Information
Notes
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many requests for a mandatory reconsideration have been made by parents who have been instructed to pay child maintenance following an initial maintenance calculation in each of the last 5 years.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
A Mandatory Reconsideration is where a parent has asked the Child Maintenance Service to reconsider a decision. It is a process that must be completed before the right to appeal to an independent tribunal with His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service.
A Mandatory Reconsideration can be requested during the lifetime of a case or when a new application is made, for Child Maintenance and the application is unsuccessful.
Where the Child Maintenance Service finds the original decision to be incorrect or if the parent has supplied more information the decision can change.
The full information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
The Department publishes quarterly statistics for the Child Maintenance Service and the latest statistics are currently available to December 2024. Table 9 of the latest National tables provides the total number of mandatory reconsideration requests received by the CMS and the outcomes occurring each quarter, from April 2015 to December 2024. Data from Table 9 for January 2020 to December 2024 is shown in the following table:
Mandatory Reconsiderations: the number of requests received by the Child Maintenance Service to reconsider a decision, and the outcomes occurring each quarter, Great Britain, January 2020 to December 2024
Quarter | Received | Cleared: | Cleared: | Cleared: | Number Cleared Within 28 Days of Receipt | Percentage Cleared Within 28 Days of Receipt (%) |
Jan to Mar 2020 | 12,000 | 3,200 | 4,400 | 9,400 | 7,800 | 83% |
Apr to Jun 2020 | 6,200 | 3,000 | 3,200 | 7,500 | 3,000 | 40% |
Jul to Sep 2020 | 9,900 | 2,500 | 3,300 | 7,500 | 5,600 | 74% |
Oct to Dec 2020 | 11,700 | 2,700 | 4,100 | 9,300 | 5,200 | 56% |
Jan to Mar 2021 | 15,700 | 4,200 | 5,500 | 12,900 | 6,800 | 53% |
Apr to Jun 2021 | 16,200 | 5,000 | 6,400 | 14,500 | 9,000 | 62% |
Jul to Sep 2021 | 17,100 | 5,500 | 8,100 | 17,700 | 11,900 | 68% |
Oct to Dec 2021 | 17,600 | 5,700 | 7,300 | 16,700 | 13,000 | 78% |
Jan to Mar 2022 | 19,300 | 5,400 | 7,300 | 16,600 | 12,600 | 76% |
Apr to Jun 2022 | 14,700 | 4,300 | 7,300 | 14,200 | 9,600 | 68% |
Jul to Sep 2022 | 14,600 | 3,700 | 7,500 | 13,800 | 9,900 | 71% |
Oct to Dec 2022 | 14,500 | 4,700 | 7,900 | 15,500 | 11,300 | 73% |
Jan to Mar 2023 | 16,300 | 4,300 | 7,200 | 14,300 | 11,800 | 82% |
Apr to Jun 2023 | 21,900 | 4,000 | 7,200 | 14,400 | 11,100 | 77% |
Jul to Sep 2023 | 13,900 | 4,000 | 7,300 | 14,500 | 11,200 | 78% |
Oct to Dec 2023 | 13,800 | 3,700 | 6,000 | 12,400 | 10,000 | 80% |
Jan to Mar 2024 | 17,200 | 4,000 | 7,100 | 14,100 | 11,100 | 78% |
Apr to Jun 2024 | 17,800 | 4,300 | 8,500 | 16,000 | 11,900 | 74% |
Jul to Sep 2024 | 21,800 | 5,700 | 11,400 | 20,700 | 16,400 | 79% |
Oct to Dec 2024 | 21,800 | 6,200 | 11,900 | 21,800 | 18,100 | 83% |
Source: Child Maintenance Service Management Information
Notes
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that civilian (a) support and (b) protection is being considered as part of work towards a ceasefire in Sudan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As penholder on Sudan at the UN Security Council (UNSC), the UK is committed to advocating for the protection of civilians amidst this brutal conflict. In November 2024, during our UN Security Council Presidency, the Minister for Africa chaired a Council session which stressed the urgent need to protect civilians in Sudan. The UK also co-led a protection of civilians resolution in partnership with Sierra Leone which received support from all Council members apart from Russia, who chose to veto it. Any lasting ceasefire must adhere to the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect Civilians in Sudan that both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces have already signed up to. The UK continues to push for a return to a civilian-led government that delivers the peace and stability that the Sudanese people deserve.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of halting arms licences for export to foreign governments for which there is a demonstrable risk of complicity in international law violations.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
All export licence applications are reviewed against the UK’s Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (SELC). These state that the Government will not issue export licences if there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
We also keep all our extant licences (which typically last for two years) under continual review on this basis.
This government will take whatever action is appropriate in the specific circumstances, including amending, suspending or revoking export licences.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information his Department holds on how exports made by UAV Tactical Systems Ltd to Israel since October 2023 have been used.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Three export licences have been issued to this company since October 2023, but each licence has been assessed to ensure that the items were not for use by the Israeli military in military operations in Gaza.
This is pursuant to the decision on 2 September 2024 when we suspended export licences for the Israeli Defence Forces covering equipment that might be used in military operations in Gaza, based on our assessment that these could be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law.
Licences for military equipment which is not for use in operations in Gaza or which relate to components for products which are ultimately for re-export to other countries were not included in the scope of the suspension.