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1123498

registered interest
date	29/04/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Rural Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on additional funding for rural schools.
tabling member constituency	Lewes
tabling member printed	Maria Caulfield
uin	910573
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2019 answer text <p>My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, meets Treasury ministers regularly to discuss matters of shared interest, including funding for schools.</p><p>The Department provides additional support aimed at rural schools. For example, the sparsity factor in the National Funding Formula allocates £25 million specifically to schools that are both small and remote.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 29/04/2019 16:50:32 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield

1123499

registered interest
date	29/04/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Literacy: Teaching Methods
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of teaching early literacy through phonics.
tabling member constituency	Erewash
tabling member printed	Maggie Throup
uin	910576
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2019 answer text <p>There is a significant body of evidence that demonstrates that systematic phonics is a highly effective method for teaching early reading. According to the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), phonics approaches have been consistently found to be effective in supporting younger readers to master the basics of reading, with an average impact of an additional four months’ progress. Research suggests that phonics is particularly beneficial for younger pupils (four to seven year olds) as they begin to read. Teaching phonics is more effective on average than other approaches to early reading (such as whole language or alphabetic approaches), though it should be emphasised that effective phonics techniques are usually embedded in a rich literacy environment for early readers and are only one part of a successful literacy strategy[1].</p><p>In 2018 there were 163,000 more six year olds in England on track to become fluent readers compared to 2012. This represented 82% of pupils meeting the expected standard in the phonics screening check, compared to just 58% when the check was introduced in 2012.</p><p>The Department is investing £26 million in a national network of English hubs to support local schools in developing their teaching practice, with a focus on systematic phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure. There are now 34 such hubs, based in primary schools across England.</p><p>[1] EEF Phonics Teaching and Learning Toolkit, updated August 2018 (available at: <a href="https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence-summaries/teaching-learning-toolkit/phonics/" target="_blank">https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence-summaries/teaching-learning-toolkit/phonics/</a>).</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 29/04/2019 16:27:32 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4447 label Biography information for Maggie Throup

1122620

registered interest
date	24/04/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs: Visual Impairment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the increase in funding for special needs provision meets the needs of the visually impaired.
tabling member constituency	Twickenham
tabling member printed	Sir Vince Cable
uin	246913
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2019 answer text <p>The Children and Families Act (2014) requires local authorities to work with parents, young people, and providers to keep the provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities under review, including its sufficiency.</p><p>We do not prescribe in detail how local authorities should allocate their high needs funding. In consultation with schools and other services, local authorities should consider carefully how best to meet the needs of children and young people in their area, including those with vision impairment.</p><p>To support local authorities, in December 2018 we announced an additional £250 million high needs funding up to 2020, on top of the funding increases we had already committed. This brings the total allocated for high needs in 2019-2020 to £6.3 billion and will help local authorities to manage the significant pressures on their high needs budgets.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 29/04/2019 16:03:23 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	207 label Biography information for Sir Vince Cable

1122622

registered interest
date	24/04/2019
answering body	Department for Exiting the European Union
answering dept id	203
answering dept short name	Exiting the European Union
answering dept sort name	Exiting the European Union
hansard heading	Department for Exiting the European Union: Equal Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the gender pay gap in his Department.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff Central
tabling member printed	Jo Stevens
uin	247110
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Exiting the European Union is committed to the creation of a diverse and inclusive working environment to ensure staff do not face any barriers to success, and all staff feel supported at work.</p><p>At the time of DExEU’s gender pay gap report, women being overrepresented in more junior grades and underrepresented in more senior grades was a significant contributory factor in reporting DExEU’s gender pay gap. This is an issue that we are committed to addressing through our recruitment practices as well as the use of central and local talent management schemes to support the Department’s talent pipeline.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 29/04/2019 12:50:42 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	4425 label Biography information for Jo Stevens

1122624

registered interest
date	24/04/2019
answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Religious Hatred
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for the 415 per cent increase in religious hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales since 2011-12.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff Central
tabling member printed	Jo Stevens
uin	247111
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2019 answer text <p>Police recorded religiously motivated hate crime has increased in recent years despite a backdrop of a longer-term downward trend in the experience of hate crime overall according to the Crime Survey of England and Wales. We know that there have been trigger events for increases in hate crime, such as the EU Referendum and the terror attacks in 2017, though data shows that these have been temporary. A considerable driver for this overall increase is general improvements in police recording, and through our work with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and third party services such as the Community Security Trust and Tell MAMA, police are better at identifying whether a crime is a hate crime and victims may be more willing to come forward.</p><p>The Government has a comprehensive plan to tackle hate crime in all its forms, as set out in the refreshed Hate Crime Action Plan published in October 2018, which sets out a programme of work across Government and by the police.</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 29/04/2019 16:40:32 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
tabling member	4425 label Biography information for Jo Stevens

1122625

registered interest
date	24/04/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Iraq and Syria: Prisoners
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has held discussions with his US counterpart following reports that the US may be considering a mass transfer of prisoners from Kurdish-controlled areas of Syria to Iraq.
tabling member constituency	Oxford East
tabling member printed	Anneliese Dodds
uin	247152
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2019 answer text <p>We will continue to work together with international partners, including the US, to find a sustainable, long-term solution to the complex issue of suspected Daesh terrorists, and in the pursuit of justice of those who have participated in terrorism overseas.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 29/04/2019 16:22:33 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4657 label Biography information for Anneliese Dodds

1122630

registered interest
date	24/04/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	China: Animal Welfare
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has held with his Chinese counterpart on the Shanghai World Dog Show 2019 and animal welfare in that country.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	247116
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2019 answer text <p>I have not raised this issue with my Chinese counterpart. However, the Government is committed to raising standards of animal welfare at home and abroad. The sale and consumption of dog meat is legal in many countries, including China, and there are no international norms, laws or agreements governing this. We believe that it is necessary to work with governments around the world to gain agreement on animal welfare standards, and to phase out cruel and inhumane practices. There is no suggestion that the event will break any local or international laws.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 29/04/2019 16:10:16 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1122631

registered interest
date	24/04/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Electric Bicycles
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness legislation to limit the use of the throttle on e-bikes at 15.5mph.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	247117
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2019 answer text <p>No such assessment has yet been made. A cycle with electric assistance available above speeds of 15.5 mph would be classified as a moped and is subject to different regulatory requirements. Enforcement of requirements for vehicle use on the roads is a matter for the police.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 29/04/2019 11:44:27 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1122632

registered interest
date	24/04/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Gaza: Non-governmental Organisations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of increased restrictions on (a) personnel and (b) material entering the Gaza strip on the work of NGOs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff Central
tabling member printed	Jo Stevens
uin	247112
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2019 answer text <p>We continually monitor and remain deeply concerned about restrictions on movement and access in Gaza, and the impact that this is having on the humanitarian situation. Recognising the challenges, the UK has committed to an extension of support for the UN Access Coordination Unit (ACU) until 2021 which works to facilitate humanitarian access for UN and NGO workers. DFID has also allocated £1.8 million for the Materials Monitoring Unit (MMU) of the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism (GRM) since it was established in October 2014. The GRM/MMU was set up to facilitate timely access of large amounts of construction materials into Gaza and enable Gazan citizens, families and businesses to get access to reconstruction materials following widespread destruction in the 2014 conflict. We continue to call on the Israeli Government to ease movement and access restrictions for Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 29/04/2019 16:49:43 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	4425 label Biography information for Jo Stevens

1122633

registered interest
date	24/04/2019
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prison Sentences
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people since 2016, who have been given a sentence of six months or less, have previously served (a) 20 short sentences of six months or less, (b) 50 short sentences six months or less and (c) 100 short sentences of 6 months or less.
tabling member constituency	North Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
uin	246959
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2019 answer text <p>For those offenders sentenced to an immediate custodial sentence of six months or less between 1<sup>st</sup> January 2017 and 30<sup>th</sup> September 2018, 339 offenders had 20 previous custodial sentences of six months or less, 20 offenders had 50 previous custodial sentences of six months or less and 1 offender had 100 previous custodial sentences of six months or less.</p><p>There is a strong case to abolish sentences of six months or less, with some exceptions. We are exploring options to restrict the use of short custodial sentences, but we have not at this stage reached any conclusions.</p><p>There is persuasive evidence showing community sentences, in certain circumstances, are more effective than short custodial sentences in reducing reoffending. The MoJ study ‘The impact of short custodial sentences, community orders and suspended sentence orders on re-offending’ published in 2015 involved around 350,000 sentencing occasions over 4 years and used 130 different variables to construct matched groups of offenders and examine the effect of short sentences relative to community sentences. This study found a reduction of around 3 percentage points in proven reoffences if offenders receiving sentences of less than 12 months were to get a community order instead. This is statistically significant and equates to around 30,000 proven reoffences in total over a one-year period. This means fewer victims of crime.</p><p>Unless we tackle the underlying causes of offending, we cannot protect the public from being victims of crime. Effective community orders can address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and alcohol or drug misuse needs, and provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community.</p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 29/04/2019 16:47:45 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones