Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he made of the needs of families with seriously ill and disabled children who need to run lifesaving medical equipment at home when determining his policy on the energy price guarantee.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is delivering the Energy Bills Support Scheme, a £400 non-repayable grant to support all families with their energy bills. The Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) will save a typical household in Great Britain £900 this Winter. In addition, families with disabled children are entitled to a one-off £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment.
The Government is currently reviewing the EPG. The consultation will explore the best ways to ensure that vulnerable high energy users, such as those with medical requirements, are not put at risk of having to pay more.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to fund free British Sign Language courses for parents or guardians of children who are deaf.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
Funding is already available through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) for qualifications in, or focusing on, British Sign Language (BSL) up to and including Level 2. About 60% of the AEB has been devolved to Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority who determine which provision to fund for learners in their areas. The Education and Skills Funding Agency provides the remaining funding for learners in non-devolved areas. Some providers of Community Learning offer BSL courses, and those providers determine the course fees, including levels of fee remission.
For qualifications at Level 3 and above, Advanced Learner Loans are available for certain BSL qualifications.
There is a statutory duty, under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989, for local authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of ‘children in need’ in their area, including disabled children, by providing appropriate services to them. Services for disabled children provided under Section 17 will typically include short breaks for parent carers, equipment or adaptations to the home, and support for parents.
Section H1 of an education, health and care plan must specify all services assessed as being needed for a disabled child or young person under 18, under section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970. This may include services to be provided for parent carers of disabled children, including following an assessment of their needs under the Children Act 1989. Where this assessment judges that the family needs provision to learn BSL, it could be included here.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has taken recent steps with the (a) Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and (b) National Grid to ensure that families with disabled children who rely on life-saving equipment have a guaranteed electricity supply.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
While there have been no specific discussions with the National Grid, we are working with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to understand the likelihood of any power outages. Care providers and equipment suppliers support those with long term conditions including families with disabled children to safely use medical equipment at home and in cases where the equipment is disrupted. In a power outage scenario, the Priority Services Register is maintained by electricity network operators to target support to the most vulnerable customers.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to Contact for families with disabled children's survey entitled Out of Energy, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his Department's policies of that survey's findings on families with seriously ill and disabled children who have cut back or stopped using essential disability equipment, in the context of rising energy costs.
Answered by Graham Stuart
As set out in my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Statement, the Government will work with consumer groups and industry to consider the best approach to consumer protection in energy markets from April 2024, including assistance for families with disabled children. The Government will consider all relevant evidence, including this survey, in developing its approach.
On top of the Energy Price Guarantee for all households, the Government has announced an additional £1,200 of support for the eight million most vulnerable households to help with the cost of living. In 2023-24, an additional Cost of Living Payment of £900 will be provided to households on means-tested benefits and £150 to individuals on disability benefits.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that children with disabilities and their families have sufficient financial support to help (a) power medical equipment, (b) heat their home and (c) have nutritious food.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living, including disabled children and young adults. Children and young adults with a long-term health condition or disability can be entitled to up to £156.90 a week, tax free, as a contribution to the wide range of extra costs they face through either Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP). These benefits are not means tested, paid in addition to other social security benefits and can also provide a passport to additional support such as premiums and additional amounts in the means tested benefits.
An informal carer, such as a parent or guardian, providing 35 hours or more care a week to a child or adult in receipt of the middle or highest rate care component of DLA or the daily living component of PIP can also be entitled to financial support through Carer’s Allowance (CA). The Secretary of State has an annual statutory duty to review benefits and State Pensions rates, including the rates for CA, DLA and PIP. That review has commenced following the publication of the relevant indices by the Office for National Statistics. The Secretary of State’s decisions will be announced shortly.
Should a household need additional support with day-to-day costs, such as food, they may be entitled to claim a means tested benefit such as Universal Credit.
In addition, the Government has taken further, decisive action to support people with their energy bills. The Energy Price Guarantee is supporting millions of households with rising energy costs, and the Chancellor made clear it will continue to do so from now until April next year. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost of living support announced earlier this year which includes:
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many units of (a) body armour, (b) night vision goggles, (c) ballistic helmets and (d) other non-lethal aid the UK has sent to Ukraine as of 5 September 2022; and whether the Government plans to continue to send (a) aid of that nature and (b) other humanitarian support to Ukraine.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK has sent over 200,000 pieces of non-lethal aid to Ukraine, including helmets, body armour, range finders and medical equipment. In providing lethal and non-lethal aid to Ukraine, we have liaised closely with the Ukrainian Armed Forces to determine and meet their needs. We have also enabled the delivery of systems and capabilities from other donor nations. In the coming weeks, we will send thousands more pieces of vital equipment. We have also committed £220 million of humanitarian funding to those affected by Russia's invasion. Our priority is to support the most vulnerable people - including women, children, the elderly and disabled. Our pledge includes over £140 million to UN and Red Cross Agencies and £25 million in matched funding to the Disasters Emergency Committee Appeal.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether under arrangements for Education, Health and Care Plans for Deaf children may include provision and specific funding to support parents and close family members of those children to learn British Sign Language.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Funding is available through the adult education budget (AEB) for qualifications in or focussing on British Sign Language (BSL) up to and including level 2. About 60% of the AEB has been devolved to Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority who determine which provision to fund for learners resident in their areas. Education and Skills Funding Agency provides the remaining funding for learners resident in non-devolved areas. Some providers of community learning offer BSL courses, and those providers determine the course fees, including levels of fee remission. For qualifications at level 3 and above, Advanced Learner Loans are available for certain BSL qualifications. BSL qualifications and the appropriate further education funding offer can be found here: https://www.qualifications.education.gov.uk/Search. Eligible students will be able to apply for student support if their undergraduate course is designated for funding under The Education (Student Support) Regulations 2011. If undertaking a BSL qualification that leads to a masters level qualification, eligible students can access a postgraduate loan, as long as they have not previously accessed the postgraduate loan product, or already hold a level 7 qualification. Several universities and organisations offer such qualifications.
There is a statutory duty, under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989, for local authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of ‘children in need’ in their area, including disabled children, by providing appropriate services to them. Services for disabled children provided under Section 17 will typically include short breaks for parent carers, equipment or adaptations to the home, and support for parents.
Section H1 of an education, health and care plan must specify all services assessed as being needed for a disabled child or young person under 18, under section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970. This may include services to be provided for parent carers of disabled children, including following an assessment of their needs under the Children Act 1989. Where this assessment judges that the family needs provision to learn BSL, it could be included here.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) local and (b) national funding is available for parents and close family members for studying advanced British Sign Language courses that enable them to communicate more effectively with their children.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Funding is available through the adult education budget (AEB) for qualifications in or focussing on British Sign Language (BSL) up to and including level 2. About 60% of the AEB has been devolved to Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority who determine which provision to fund for learners resident in their areas. Education and Skills Funding Agency provides the remaining funding for learners resident in non-devolved areas. Some providers of community learning offer BSL courses, and those providers determine the course fees, including levels of fee remission. For qualifications at level 3 and above, Advanced Learner Loans are available for certain BSL qualifications. BSL qualifications and the appropriate further education funding offer can be found here: https://www.qualifications.education.gov.uk/Search. Eligible students will be able to apply for student support if their undergraduate course is designated for funding under The Education (Student Support) Regulations 2011. If undertaking a BSL qualification that leads to a masters level qualification, eligible students can access a postgraduate loan, as long as they have not previously accessed the postgraduate loan product, or already hold a level 7 qualification. Several universities and organisations offer such qualifications.
There is a statutory duty, under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989, for local authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of ‘children in need’ in their area, including disabled children, by providing appropriate services to them. Services for disabled children provided under Section 17 will typically include short breaks for parent carers, equipment or adaptations to the home, and support for parents.
Section H1 of an education, health and care plan must specify all services assessed as being needed for a disabled child or young person under 18, under section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970. This may include services to be provided for parent carers of disabled children, including following an assessment of their needs under the Children Act 1989. Where this assessment judges that the family needs provision to learn BSL, it could be included here.
Asked by: Justin Tomlinson (Conservative - North Swindon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the policy paper entitled National Disability Strategy: Part One: practical steps now to improve disabled people's everyday lives, published on 28 July 2021, what recent progress her Department has made on making playgrounds more inclusive as part of widening access to arts, culture, sport and the great outdoors.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Ensuring that playgrounds are accessible is an important part of driving forward inclusion for disabled children. The National Disability Strategy included an action to publish a new National Model Design code, supported by guidance, to stress the importance of providing accessible and inclusive play spaces and equipment for all. The new Code was published by the government in July 2021.
It is vitally important for all local authorities to consider their duties and legal obligations under the Equalities Act of 2010 and ensure that new and refurbished play areas are accessible and inclusive.
I have continued to meet regularly with Ministerial Disability Champions across government to drive progress on priority areas for disabled people, including on accessible playgrounds.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he will take to support parents of disabled children with the increasing cost of childcare.
Answered by Will Quince
The department is fully committed to supporting families with children who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This is why children with an education, health and care (EHC) plan or children who qualify for the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) are able to access the 2-year-old entitlement. The 2-year-old entitlement offers 15 hours free early education.
All children, including those with SEND, are eligible for 15 hours childcare per week from the term following their third birthday. Working parents may also be eligible for an additional 15 hours of free childcare per week, known as 30 hours childcare, from the term after the child’s third birthday.
Working parents can apply for Tax-Free Childcare to help pay for extra hours of childcare. If eligible, parents of disabled children aged 0-16 can save up to £4,000 per year. Tax-Free Childcare can be used for childcare providers to purchase specialist equipment to support the child’s needs, such as mobility aids.
Working parents on a low income may also be eligible for help with up to 85% of their childcare costs through the childcare element of Universal Credit. This is subject to a monthly limit of £646 for one child or £1,108 for two or more children aged 0-16.