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1135350

registered interest
date	27/06/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	English Language: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Department plans to increase funding for ESOL to ensure that all refugees can access a minimum of eight hours a week of formal accredited English language teaching for their first two years in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	270447
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>The government recognises that learning English is essential to enabling refugees to rebuild their lives. The department supports adults in England through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) to secure the English language skills that they need. The Home Office and the Department for Education have also provided £10 million to enable refugees resettled through the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme to access additional classes. The government has committed to developing a new strategy for English for speakers of other languages in 2019. Funding for all programmes beyond 2019/20, including any potential funding for this strategy, will be set during the upcoming Spending Review.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 02/07/2019 16:04:35 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1134966

registered interest
date	26/06/2019
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	Coal: Opencast Mining
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 the Government's policy is on planning permission for the creation of additional opencast coal mines.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	269800
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to clean growth and we are taking action to reduce our reliance on coal. We have set out our aim to end electricity generation from unabated coal by 2025 and we are also taking action to reduce coal use in industry and heating.</p><p>In terms of planning policy, the National Planning Policy Framework is already clear that planning permission should not be granted for the extraction of coal unless the proposal is environmentally acceptable or the national, local or community benefits outweigh its likely impacts. The National Planning Policy Framework is a material consideration in the determination of all applications for coal extraction in England.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 01/07/2019 16:15:19 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1134969

registered interest
date	26/06/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Refugees: Children and Young People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support his Department provides to local councils to ensure that young refugees are protected by an adequate level of safeguarding.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	269802
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>Under the Children Act 1989, local authorities are required to provide services for children in their local areas for the purposes of safeguarding and promoting their welfare, this includes children who are refugees. 'Working Together to Safeguard Children' (2018) clarifies the core legal requirements for how agencies work together to keep children safe, including responding to their needs.</p><p> </p><p>Some children arrive in the country as unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. Under section 20 of the Children Act 1989, local authorities are under a statutory obligation to provide accommodation for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. This means that they become looked-after children and receive the same safeguards and services as any other looked-after child.</p><p>The government recognises that unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee children can be some of the most vulnerable in our society. The government’s vision and additional commitment to care for these children is set out in the ‘Safeguarding Strategy for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking and Refugee Children’. The government has also published statutory guidance on the ‘Care of Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Modern Slavery’ to help local authorities to care effectively for these children.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 01/07/2019 12:54:14 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1134591

registered interest
date	25/06/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Counselling
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Research and analysis entitled, Supporting mental health in schools and colleges conducted by his Department, what steps the Government has taken to increase the provision of counselling services in schools.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	269133
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>The Department recognises that school-based counselling by well-qualified practitioners can play an effective role as part of a ‘whole school’ approach to supporting mental health and wellbeing. The ‘Supporting mental health in schools and colleges’ research indicated that 61% of schools offer counselling services, with 84% of secondary schools providing their pupils with access to counselling support.[1]</p><p>It is for schools to decide what support to provide to their pupils, including how to draw on counselling provision made locally, for instance by local authorities and the voluntary and community sector. To help more schools to do so effectively, the Government has published advice on how to deliver high quality school-based counselling.</p><p>The Government is also introducing the new mental health support teams linked to groups of schools and colleges to provide additional mental health support for pupils with mild or moderate issues. The first 59 teams are being set up in 25 areas of the country and will be fully operational at the end of this year. The aim is for these teams to work together with existing provision, including school-based counselling. The Government will evaluate their introduction to ensure that they do not displace existing provision.</p><p> </p><p>[1] <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/634726/Supporting_Mental-Health_survey_report.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/634726/Supporting_Mental-Health_survey_report.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 03/07/2019 08:21:19 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1134592

registered interest
date	25/06/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Yorkshire and the Humber
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that schools in Yorkshire and the Humber achieve the England average for the number of Ofsted schools ranked good.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	269134
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>Ofsted’s latest published data to 31 May 2019 shows that 80% of schools in Yorkshire and Humber have an Ofsted rating of good or better compared with the England average of 85%. This data can be accessed here:</p><p><a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/monthly-management-information-ofsteds-school-inspections-outcomes" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/monthly-management-information-ofsteds-school-inspections-outcomes</a>.</p><p>For the academic year 2018-19 where schools may need additional support, the Department has offered up to three days’ funded support from a national leader of education (or equivalent) to schools below the floor or coasting standards based on its 2017-18 results. This centred on helping the existing leadership team to identify and access appropriate support, with an additional £16,000 for schools that have two consecutive requires improvement judgements to implement an action plan. As at April 2019, 139 schools in Yorkshire and Humber were engaging with this offer.</p><p>In addition, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has confirmed that from academic year 2019-20, the Department will make an offer of support to all requires improvement schools not already benefitting from the current offer, to ensure that their leadership teams can access the support they need to improve.</p><p>The published 'Schools Causing Concern' guidance sets out how local authorities and Regional Schools Commissioners (RSC's) work with schools to support improvements to educational performance and how they can use their intervention powers. This guidance can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-causing-concern--2" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-causing-concern--2</a>.</p><p>Local authorities are responsible for the performance of maintained schools. RSCs acting on behalf of my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, are responsible for taking action where academies and free schools are underperforming. RSCs work closely with academy trusts to ensure that strong processes are in place to maintain and improve educational performance, including using their intervention powers where there is an inadequate Ofsted judgement.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 03/07/2019 08:39:24 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1134593

registered interest
date	25/06/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Further Education: Low Incomes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding his Department has allocated to further education colleges in low-income communities in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	269135
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>We do not have a standard definition of low-income communities. The department publishes the funding allocations for individual colleges annually. Links to the most recent years for both 16 to 19 year olds and adults are given below.</p><p>The link for funding allocations for 16 to 19 year olds can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/16-to-19-allocation-data-2018-to-2019-academic-year" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/16-to-19-allocation-data-2018-to-2019-academic-year</a>.</p><p>The link for funding allocations for adults can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2018-to-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2018-to-2019</a>.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 03/07/2019 15:13:12 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1134594

registered interest
date	25/06/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Discipline
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the Government’s policy is on the use of isolation booths for discipline in schools; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use of isolation booths.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	269136
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>Schools develop their own behaviour policies and strategies for managing behaviour. To help schools develop effective strategies, the Department has produced advice for schools which covers what should be included in the behaviour policy. This advice can be viewed here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/behaviour-and-discipline-in-schools" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/behaviour-and-discipline-in-schools</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Schools can adopt a policy which allows disruptive pupils to be placed in isolation away from other pupils for a limited period. If a school uses isolation rooms as a disciplinary penalty, this should be made clear in their behaviour policy. As with other disciplinary penalties, schools must act lawfully, reasonably and proportionately in all cases. The school must also ensure the health and safety of pupils.</p><p> </p><p>As part of Ofsted inspections, schools will be asked to provide records and analysis of any use of internal insolation. Ofsted inspectors will expect schools to have clear and effective behaviour policies that promote high standards of behaviour that are applied consistently and fairly. In reaching a judgement on pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare, inspectors will take account of a range of information, including schools’ use of internal isolation.</p><p>As part of the Government’s response to the Timpson Review of School Exclusion, we committed to publishing clearer, more consistent guidance by summer 2020. This includes guidance on managing behaviour, on the use of in-school units and the sorts of circumstances where it may be appropriate to use exclusion.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 02/07/2019 13:14:03 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1134595

registered interest
date	25/06/2019
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	VAT: Private Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the money retained by private schools as a result of the VAT exemption on private school fees in 2017-18.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	269137
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>Although no VAT is charged on private school fees, private schools cannot recover VAT on their related costs. There is therefore no money retained as a direct result of the VAT exemption on private school fees.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 03/07/2019 14:04:57 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1134596

registered interest
date	25/06/2019
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	Homelessness
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 steps the Government is taking to reduce homelessness in lower layer super output areas.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	269138
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping.</p><p>Homelessness is a priority for our Ministerial team. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period. This includes supporting local authorities in the implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act, increasing access to the private rented sector for families in temporary accommodation and supporting London boroughs to procure more efficiently.</p><p>No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy. This sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. In its first year, our Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI) provided over 1,750 new bed spaces and 500 staff.  This year we have expanded the RSI with investment of £46 million for 246 areas – providing funding for an estimated 2,600 bed spaces and 750 staff.</p><p>Local authorities are ultimately responsible for the allocation of funding resources within their respective geographical areas. This means that they will oversee the work done to reduce homelessness in any lower super output areas that fall within their remit.</p><p>As with all local government work to tackle homelessness, local authorities will be both supported and, where necessary, challenged by the MHCLG’s Homelessness Advice and Support Team (HAST). This team of advisers, drawn from local authorities and charities with expertise in the homelessness sector, help local authorities with work around statutory homelessness and single homelessness. These advisers have visited or had one-to-one contact with all 326 local authorities, focusing on the implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act and also working very closely with them to bring down the number of people in bed and breakfasts over 6 weeks.</p><p>In addition to the above, MHCLG have overhauled the statutory homelessness data collection alongside the introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act. This will give us better insights into the causes of homelessness and the support people need, with data broken down to local authority level. The new statutory homelessness data collection is called Homelessness Case Level Information Classification (H-CLIC). H-CLIC data is reported quarterly and the first case level H-CLIC returns were submitted to MHCLG over summer 2018.</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 03/07/2019 15:58:45 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1134597

registered interest
date	25/06/2019
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	Syria: Conflict Resolution
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps the Government is taking to support a peaceful conclusion to the conflict in Syria.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	269139
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>​The British Government continues to believe that only a negotiated political settlement will end the Syria conflict, as we reiterated at the UN Security Council on 27 June. We fully support the efforts to this end of the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, who the Foreign Secretary hosted in London in March. The UK Special Envoy for Syria discussed the situation with Mr Pedersen and international counterparts from the Syria Small Group on 23 June. We are also using our role at the UN Security Council to put pressure on the regime and Russia to end their ongoing offensive in Idlib.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 03/07/2019 16:34:24 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel