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385425

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2015
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Offences against Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what recent discussions he has had with the Director of Public Prosecutions about the performance of the Crown Prosecution Service in prosecuting child sexual abuse cases.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	4111
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2015 answer text <p>I have regular discussions with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on a wide range of criminal matters, including child sexual abuse (CSA) cases. The prosecution of CSA cases were specifically discussed at a meeting in February this year and the DPP outlined to me how the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is coordinating its response with the police to the Home Office CSA Inquiry.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In October 2013 the CPS issued guidelines setting out a new approach to CSA cases. Steps to be taken include the use of specialist prosecutors, the provision of dedicated CPS units to manage such cases, and the application of a new approach to considering evidence in such cases. In 2014-15, the number of child abuse prosecutions rose by 2,047 to 10,045, the highest volume of cases ever. There were 74.4% convictions in 2014-15, falling slightly from 76.2% in 2013-14, but overall there was a rise in the volume of convictions in the child abuse cases to 7,469 in 2014-15 from 6,096 in 2013-14.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 30/06/2015 15:19:06 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

101055

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Small Businesses: Non-domestic Rates
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many small firms and shops have benefited from reductions in business rates in (a) England and (b) Crawley constituency.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	212013
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>We have introduced a £1 billion business rate support package for 2014-15 including:</p><p>– a 2% cap in the Retail Price Index increase in the small business rates multiplier;</p><p>– a retail discount of £1,000 for around 300,000 shops, pubs and restaurants with rateable values below £50,000;</p><p>– a 12 month extension of small business rate relief doubling, benefitting over half a million businesses;</p><p>– a 50 per cent discount for new occupants of long-term vacant shops, and;</p><p>– allowing ratepayers to pay bills over 12 instalments.</p><p> </p><p>The Department does not collect data on a constituency basis, but the Crawley constituency lies entirely within the Crawley Borough Council boundary. Table 1 (attached) shows, where available, the estimated number of properties that will benefit from each of the reliefs introduced or extended in 2014-15 within Crawley Borough Council, as well as the amount of relief awarded. Table 2 (attached) provides the same data, but for England as a whole.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 05/11/2014 17:34:35 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins attachment 1 file name 212013 Smith - Table 1 and 2.docx title Table 1 and 2 - Business Rates
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

101056

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Help to Buy Scheme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the take-up of the Help to Buy has been in (a) England and (b) Crawley constituency.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	212014
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>This Government is committed to supporting people’s aspirations to own their own home.</p><p> </p><p>Statistics for Help to Buy sales by constituency are published for Help to Buy: Equity Loan, but not for Help to Buy: Mortgage Guarantee and Help to Buy: NewBuy. These, together with statistics on the number of Help to Buy sales at local authority and postcode level are published on the Open Data Communities portal for Help to Buy: Mortgage Guarantee and Help to Buy: Equity Loan. This is available on the following link: <a href="http://opendatacommunities.org/def/concept/folders/themes/housing-market" target="_blank">http://opendatacommunities.org/def/concept/folders/themes/housing-market</a></p><p> </p><p>Statistics on Help to Buy: NewBuy sales at local authority level are published on the Department’s website, available on the following link: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/collections/help-to-buy-equity-loan-and-newbuy-statistics" target="_blank">http://www.gov.uk/government/collections/help-to-buy-equity-loan-and-newbuy-statistics</a></p><p> </p><p>The number of Help to Buy: Equity Loan sales in the Crawley constituency (to 30 September 2014) is 49. The table below breaks down the total Help to Buy: Mortgage Guarantee, Help to Buy: Equity Loan and Help to Buy: NewBuy sales in England and the Crawley local authority area:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td><p>Mortgage Guarantee (to 30 June 2014)</p></td><td><p>Equity Loan (to 30 September 2014)</p></td><td><p>NewBuy (to 30 September 2014)</p></td><td><p><strong>TOTAL</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>England</p></td><td><p>15,091</p></td><td><p>33,911</p></td><td><p>5,518</p></td><td><p>54,520</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Crawley local authority</p></td><td><p>38</p></td><td><p>51</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>94</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br>Data at constituency level is only available for the Help to Buy: Equity Loan Scheme.</p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 03/11/2014 17:14:18 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

167705

	registered interest
	date	03/12/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Small Businesses: Non-domestic Rates
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of how many small firms and shops will benefit from reductions in business rates in (a) England and (b) Crawley in 2015-16.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	217113
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2014 answer text <p>The Chancellor announced at the 2014 Autumn Statement an extra £650 million of support for 2015-16 bills, bringing the total support of 2013 and 2014 Autumn Statement polices to £1.4 billion. This help includes:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>doubling small business rate relief for a further year. In England, this means an estimated 385,000 properties will pay no rates at all, while a further 190,000 properties will benefit from tapered relief.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>a 2% cap on the increase of the small business rates multiplier. This is a continuation of the 2% cap introduced in 2014-15 as part of Autumn Statement 2013 measures;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>increasing the temporary £1,000 discount for shops, pubs and restaurants with rateable values below £50,000 to £1,500 for 2015-16, benefitting an estimated 300,000 properties in England;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>extending the existing transitional relief scheme for two years for properties with a rateable value up to and including £50,000.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>These policies are in addition to previous Autumn Statement measures that continue into 2015-16, including:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>a 50 per cent discount for 18 months to new occupants of vacant shops;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>allowing businesses to keep their small business rate relief for a year where they take on an additional property; and</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>business rates relief for empty new builds.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Central Government also now funds 50% of any local discount granted.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Local authority level data is not yet available for the number of properties that will benefit from Autumn Statement 2014 measures in 2015-16. However, the attached table shows the number of hereditaments in 2014-15 that have benefitted from business rates measures extended in this year’s autumn statement.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 10/12/2014 15:55:36 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins attachment 1 file name 217113 Smith - Table.docx title Table 1
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

167709

	registered interest
	date	03/12/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Right to Buy Scheme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the take-up has been of the Help to Buy schemes in (a) England and (b) Crawley constituency to date.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	217114
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2014 answer text <p>This Government is committed to supporting people’s aspirations to own their own home.</p><p> </p><p>By 31 October, nearly 66,400 families have bought a home with the assistance of the three Help to Buy schemes in England and 132 in the Crawley constituency.</p><p> </p><p>The Department’s official statistics on sales for the Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme, at 31 October in England, broken down by constituency, local authority and postcode, are available at: www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-monthly-statistics<br><br>The Department’s official statistics on sales for the Help to Buy: New Buy scheme, at 30 September are available at: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-and-help-to-buy-newbuy-statistics-april-2013-to-september-2014" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-and-help-to-buy-newbuy-statistics-april-2013-to-september-2014</a> Figures are not available by constituency.</p><p> </p><p>The Help to Buy: Mortgage Guarantee scheme is managed by HM Treasury. The latest official statistics, at 30 September, are available at: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-mortgage-guarantee-scheme-quarterly-statistics-october-2013-to-september-2014" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-mortgage-guarantee-scheme-quarterly-statistics-october-2013-to-september-2014</a></p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 10/12/2014 15:46:34 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

178924

	registered interest
	date	10/02/2015
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Local Government: Devolution
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to devolve greater responsibilities to democratically elected county councils and county unitary authorities.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	224121
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2015 answer text <p>The Government has always believed that local decision-making plays an essential role in building stronger local economies and communities and is open to discussions over possible offers from areas that are interested in greater devolution of powers. This basic principle of localism underpins the Government's approach and is why programmes such as Growth Deals and Growing Places Fund have been made available to all local areas in England through Local Enterprise Partnerships.<br><br></p><p>I also refer my hon. Friend to the Government's publication, &quot;The implications of devolution for England” (CM 8969) which outlines the views of both Coalition parties on the scope for greater decentralisation in England.</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/implications-of-devolution-for-england" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/implications-of-devolution-for-england</a></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 24/02/2015 10:18:34 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

45022

	registered interest
	date	25/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what (a) direct and (b) indirect bilateral funding arrangements his Department has with governmental or non-governmental projects and bodies in Argentina.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	193646
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/04/2014 answer text <p>The Department does not at present provide bilateral funding to Argentina.</p> answering member constituency Bexhill and Battle answering member printed Gregory Barker question first answered 01/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1389 label Biography information for Lord Barker of Battle
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

171095

	registered interest
	date	17/12/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	GCSE: Stoke on Trent
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of pupils at schools in Stoke-on-Trent Central constituency received five A to C grades in GCSEs in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	219066
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>Figures for the proportion of pupils at schools in Stoke-on-Trent Central constituency who received five A* to C grades in GCSEs in the academic years 2010/11, 2011/12 and 2012/13, can be found in the table below.</p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2"><p><strong>2012/13</strong></p></td><td colspan="2"><p><strong>2011/12</strong></p></td><td colspan="2"><p><strong>2010/11</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"><p>Number of eligible pupils</p></td><td rowspan="2"><p>Percentage of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C grades</p></td><td rowspan="2"><p>Number of eligible pupils</p></td><td rowspan="2"><p>Percentage of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C grades</p></td><td rowspan="2"><p>Number of eligible pupils</p></td><td rowspan="2"><p>Percentage of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C grades</p></td></tr><tr><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>Stoke-on-Trent Central</p></td><td><p>549</p></td><td><p>81.6</p></td><td><p>523</p></td><td><p>78.2</p></td><td><p>728</p></td><td><p>78.6</p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table><p>These figures have been taken from the Department’s most recent Statistical First Release ‘GCSE and equivalent attainment by pupil characteristics’, published online at: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/gcse-and-equivalent-attainment-by-pupil-characteristics-2012-to-2013" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/statistics/gcse-and-equivalent-attainment-by-pupil-characteristics-2012-to-2013</a></p><p>Figures for the year 2013/14 will be published in January 2015.</p> answering member constituency Yeovil answering member printed Mr David Laws question first answered 05/01/2015 09:02:10 answering member 1473 label Biography information for Mr David Laws
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

223260

	registered interest
	date	24/02/2015
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: West Sussex
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department has allocated for additional school places in (a) Crawley constituency and (b) West Sussex in (i) 2013-14 and (ii) 2014-15.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	225168
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2015 answer text <p>Information on capital funding allocations for the creation of new school places, including for financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15, is published online at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/basic-need-allocations-2015-to-2018" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/basic-need-allocations-2015-to-2018</a></p><p> </p><p>West Sussex was allocated over £54 million for new school places between 2013 and 2015 (£25.5 million of basic need funding and a further £28.7 million of targeted basic need funding). This funding was allocated to West Sussex as the local authority with statutory responsibility for the provision of sufficient school places in the area.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Yeovil answering member printed Mr David Laws question first answered 02/03/2015 14:20:36 answering member 1473 label Biography information for Mr David Laws
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

225886

	registered interest
	date	09/03/2015
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Special Educational Needs
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to reassure parents that schools are following the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	226684
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2015 answer text <p>Our reforms create an expectation that schools will provide transparent information about what they are doing to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and engage with parents to shape the support their child receives.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>All schools are required to publish an SEN Information Report. This should explain the implementation of their SEN policy. It should be easily accessible by young people and parents and should use clear, straightforward language. This information must be linked to the Local Offer published by local authorities.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Schools must have regard to the SEND Code of Practice and must use their best endeavours to identify and address the needs of all pupils with SEND. Ofsted have a central role in holding schools to account for the support that is provided. The school inspection framework places an emphasis on how schools meet the needs of pupils with SEND, the quality of teaching and the progress made by those pupils.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are funding voluntary and community sector organisations to support schools to implement the Code of Practice. This includes the development of the SEND Gateway, a “one stop shop” for all schools to access high quality information, resources and training funded by Government and developed by voluntary and community organisations. This can be accessed online at: <a href="http://www.sendgateway.org.uk/" target="_blank">www.sendgateway.org.uk</a>. In addition, we are funding the Achievement for All programme to provide leadership support to schools to embed the reforms.</p><p> </p><p>Ensuring parents have information about the new system and access to advice and support is a priority for the Government. All local authorities, by law, must provide children and young people with SEN or disabilities, and their parents, with information and advice.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Mr Edward Timpson grouped question UIN 226685 question first answered 16/03/2015 17:23:18 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith