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1007754

registered interest
date	15/11/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Foster Care: Care Leavers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to support foster carers to assist their former fostered children when they leave care.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	191981
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2018 answer text <p>In 2014, the government introduced ‘Staying put: arrangements for care leavers aged 18 years and above’ which allows care leavers to continue living with their former foster carer when they reach age 18: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-put-arrangements-for-care-leavers-aged-18-years-and-above" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-put-arrangements-for-care-leavers-aged-18-years-and-above</a>. This means young people can continue to benefit from a stable and secure family setting, preparing for independence at a more gradual pace and moving into independent living when they are ready, rather than facing a cliff-edge on reaching age 18.</p><p>To support local authorities to implement Staying Put we have provided £68.35 million to date. Funding for 2019/20 will be £23.77 million, and funding beyond 2020 will be subject to future spending reviews.</p><p>The latest data show that for the year ending March 2018, 55% of those ceasing to be looked after in a foster placement on their 18th birthday stayed put with their former foster carer, which is an increase of 4% on the previous year. Furthermore, 31% of 19 year-olds were still with former foster carers on their 19th birthday, and 26% of 20 year-olds still with former foster carers on their 20th birthday. Again, these were both increases on the previous year.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 22/11/2018 15:52:47 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

1007756

registered interest
date	15/11/2018
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Taxis: Fares
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to safeguard taxi drivers from taxi fare evaders.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	191983
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2018 answer text <p>The Department’s Best Practice Guidance suggests that signs or notices that set out the expectations of passengers when travelling in a taxi or private hire vehicle (PHV) are displayed. This could include that passengers ensure they are aware of the fare on the meter and notify the driver if it is approaching the limit of their financial means. When a fare has been agreed before setting off passengers should ensure they have the means to pay before travelling.</p><p> </p><p>Legislation allows taxi drivers to recover unpaid fares and costs to be recovered should a passenger refuse to pay.</p> answering member constituency Wealden answering member printed Ms Nusrat Ghani question first answered 21/11/2018 12:51:03 answering member 4460 label Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

1007757

registered interest
date	15/11/2018
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Levetiracetam
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the availability of Keppra for people with epilepsy.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	191984
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2018 answer text <p>The United Kingdom’s position on medicines regulation remains clear. We want to retain a close working partnership with the European Union to ensure that medicines remain available to UK patients in a safe and timely manner. We have been clear that this involves us making sure our regulators continue to work together, as they do with regulators internationally. As the Prime Minister has said, we intend to to explore with the EU the terms on which the UK could remain part the European Medicines Agency.</p><p> </p><p>Until we can be certain of the outcome of Brexit negotiations our duty as a responsible Government is to prepare for all eventualities, including ‘no deal’. On 23 August 2018, therefore, the Department wrote to all pharmaceutical companies that supply the United Kingdom with prescription only or pharmacy medicines from, or via, the European Union/European Economic Area, asking them to ensure they have a minimum of six weeks’ additional supply in the UK, over and above their business as usual operational buffer stocks, by 29 March 2019 in the event of a no-deal scenario.</p><p> </p><p>Since then, we have received very good engagement from industry who share our aims of ensuring continuity of medicines supply for patients is maintained and able to cope with any potential delays at the border that may arise in the short term in the event of a no-deal Brexit.</p><p> </p><p>We understand that the medicine Keppra is important to many people in this country. However, the Department recognises that through its medicines supply contingency programme it is requesting sensitive commercial information from pharmaceutical companies. To reassure participating companies, we have committed to treating all information received confidentially, securely and to using it only for the purposes of the Department’s programme. That means not introducing information about a company, specific medicine or their supply routes into the public domain.</p> answering member constituency Winchester answering member printed Steve Brine question first answered 22/11/2018 11:54:10 answering member 4067 label Biography information for Steve Brine
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

1007758

registered interest
date	15/11/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Children: Maintenance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to reduce waiting times for reassessment of child maintenance following a change in circumstances.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	191985
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <p>The processing of changes of circumstance remains a key priority for the Child Maintenance Service. The numbers of people working within the Child Maintenance Service is reviewed regularly to ensure we have sufficient resources to answer customer calls and progress cases.</p><p>So far in 2018, we have recruited 835 people into the Child Maintenance Service, with these people joining us between February 2018 and October 2018, and we have plans in place for a further 40 people to join the Child Maintenance Service between November 2018 and January 2019.</p><p>The performance and timeliness of progressing changes to circumstances is under regular review and forms part of our external publication offering. We continue to explore opportunities to introduce improvements and efficiencies within the Child Maintenance Service and we are currently in the process of implementing Real Time Information from HMRC which will ensure that we have access to the latest income information to make efficient changes to assessments.“</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 20/11/2018 16:33:51 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

999622

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	VAT: Repayments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of levels of performance in processing and paying VAT refunds.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	187134
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2018 answer text <p>HMRC continually monitors its performance for processing and making VAT repayment returns (refunds). It processes around 2 million repayment returns annually. Over 90% of all repayments are authorised within 10 working days of receipt.</p><p> </p><p>As part of its responsibilities for the care and management of the VAT system, HMRC is required to make reasonable enquiries prior to making a repayment to prevent VAT fraud, which is damaging to the UK economy. It gives high priority to checking repayment returns as it is aware of the importance of cash-flow to smaller businesses.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>In circumstances where HMRC takes over 30 days to process a repayment return, a Repayment Supplement is paid. Repayment Supplement is due on less than 1% of repayments received.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Central Devon answering member printed Mel Stride question first answered 09/11/2018 14:59:36 answering member 3935 label Biography information for Mel Stride
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

999623

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	VAT: Repayments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the new online service for VAT refunds on the time it takes to process and pay VAT refunds.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	187135
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2018 answer text <p>Making Tax Digital should not have an impact on the VAT refunds process nor on paying VAT refunds.</p> answering member constituency Central Devon answering member printed Mel Stride question first answered 09/11/2018 14:59:12 answering member 3935 label Biography information for Mel Stride
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

989456

registered interest
date	17/10/2018
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Recycling
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department supports local authorities to promote recycling by businesses.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	180845
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2018 answer text <p>Section 45 of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) places a duty on local authorities to collect or arrange for the collection of commercial waste from premises in their area if requested by the occupier and may charge for the services they provide. Local authorities may also promote waste minimisation and recycling within its authority but do not have specific duties to promote business recycling. The Government wants to increase business recycling and will set out in the Resources and Waste Strategy, which will be published shortly, how we will achieve this.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 26/10/2018 11:21:49 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

989457

registered interest
date	17/10/2018
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Recycling
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether local authorities are responsible for monitoring the extent of recycling undertaken by businesses.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	180846
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2018 answer text <p>No, they are not.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 24/10/2018 14:46:45 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

987806

registered interest
date	15/10/2018
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Railways: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure that provisions for disability inclusive rail services are included in future rail franchise agreements to enable disabled people to travel for (a) work and (b) pleasure.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	179303
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2018 answer text <p>Our vision is for disabled people to have the same access to transport as everyone else, being able to travel confidently, easily and without extra cost. The Inclusive Transport Strategy, launched in July 2018, is the next step in our ambition to deliver accessible transport.</p><p> </p><p>In future rail franchise competition processes we will require bidders to provide enhanced services for those with accessibility needs including enhanced disability and equality awareness training for staff.</p> answering member constituency Wealden answering member printed Ms Nusrat Ghani question first answered 22/10/2018 15:58:38 answering member 4460 label Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

982455

registered interest
date	08/10/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Hate Crime
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department provides to (a) schools and (b local education authorities on dealing with race-related incidents and hate crime in schools.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	176603
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2018 answer text <p>Racism has no place in our schools and any incident is unacceptable. All schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy which outlines measures to prevent all forms of bullying.</p><p>The Department issues guidance to schools on how to prevent and tackle bullying. This was last updated in July 2017 and outlines the Government’s approach to bullying, the legal obligations and powers schools have, and the principles which underpin the most effective anti-bullying strategies in schools. It provides information on sources of support, including tackling bullying based on race, religion and nationality. This guidance can be viewed here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying</a>.</p><p>The Department has published a research report which details common strategies that schools have found to be effective in combating bullying, along with more detailed case studies showing practical measures taken by schools. The report is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/approaches-to-preventing-and-tackling-bullying" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/approaches-to-preventing-and-tackling-bullying</a>.</p><p>In January 2016, the Department launched the website <a href="http://www.educateagainsthate.com/" target="_blank">www.educateagainsthate.com</a>, jointly with the Home Office, to provide schools with practical advice on protecting children from extremism and radicalisation. The website highlights the main routes to report a hate crime and includes our guidance to schools on promoting the shared values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs.</p><p>The Department’s guidance is directed towards schools rather than on local authorities, therefore guidance is only issued for schools.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 12/10/2018 14:14:25 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith