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1043021

registered interest
date	17/01/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to support the improvement of local authority-run services for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	209746
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2019 answer text <p>The Children and Families Act (2014) introduced a range of additional duties for local authorities in relation to services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).</p><p> </p><p>We have invested heavily in training and support for local authorities to take on their new responsibilities and improve their services. This includes funding training and resources on education, health and care planning; leadership skills; joint commissioning of services; and effectively engaging with children, young people and their families to deliver a service that meets their needs. We are also working with IPSEA (Independent Parental Special Education Advice) to deliver legal training for local authorities on the implications of the SEND reforms, and are funding peer support via a network of local authority regional coordinators.</p><p>High needs funding has risen by £1 billion since 2013, to just under £6 billion this year and on 17 December 2018, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced additional high needs funding for local authorities of £125 million in 2018-19 and £125 million in 2019-20 to help local councils manage the increasing costs of provision for children and young people with SEND. He also announced a further £100 million top-up to the special provision capital fund for in 2019-20, to take the total investment to £365 million across 2018 to 2021. This will help local authorities invest in improved facilities and additional school and college places for children and young people with SEND.</p><p>Since May 2016, we have been funding Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to inspect local areas (the local authority and relevant commissioning health bodies) on how they are fulfilling their duties for children and young people with SEND. All 152 areas will be inspected over 5 years and where weaknesses are identified by the inspectors, areas are being supported by the Department for Education and NHS England regional SEND advisers to develop and implement an improvement plan known as a written statement of action (WSOA). Inspections are identifying a wide range of strengths, as well as areas for improvements and are acting as a real driver for change. Revisits by Ofsted and the CQC to those areas with a WSOA are helping to ensure than momentum is maintained.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 22/01/2019 15:23:38 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1043023

registered interest
date	17/01/2019
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	European Parliament: Elections
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) EU representatives on holding European parliamentary elections in the UK in 2019 in the event that the UK's withdrawal from the EU is delayed.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	209747
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2019 answer text <p>The Government has been clear that the UK will cease to be a member of the European Union on 29 March 2019. After this date the UK will no longer have Members of the European Parliament. The Secretary of State has therefore not had discussions with Cabinet colleagues and EU representatives on this matter.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 22/01/2019 15:30:01 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1043026

registered interest
date	17/01/2019
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Courts: Repairs and Maintenance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment his Department has made of the number of courts that require repair work.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	209748
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2019 answer text <p>All court and tribunal buildings require routine maintenance to resolve issues that arise, and to keep them operational. Since 2015/16, as at January 2019 we have invested approximately £123m on capital maintenance to improve our estate.</p><p> </p><p>HM Courts &amp; Tribunals Service has undertaken a programme of surveys over the last 12 months to identify the capital maintenance repairs required at courts and tribunals across the UK.</p><p> </p><p>A rolling programme of repairs and investment is in place to deal with the areas of highest maintenance priority and in December 2018, it was announced an extra £15 million was being set aside this year for security and maintenance work.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 23/01/2019 15:32:13 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer previous answer version 96835 answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1043027

registered interest
date	17/01/2019
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	Mali: Politics and Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political and security situation in Mali; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	209749
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2019 answer text <p>The Government continues to be concerned about the situation in Mali. We reiterate our previous calls on the Government of Mali and the Plateforme and Coordination of Movements of Azawad (CMA) to redouble their efforts and take the additional steps needed for the immediate and full implementation of the 2015 Algiers Peace Agreement. We welcome recent efforts to accelerate disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) efforts but underline the need for these efforts to accompanied by concurrent political and institutional reform, as well as initiatives to promote the development of northern Mali to improve the lives of ordinary people.</p><p>We are deeply concerned by the large numbers of civilians that continue to be affected by terrorist attacks and intercommunal clashes, particularly in the centre of Mali. We unequivocally condemn recent attacks against security personnel and express our condolences to all those who have been affected by violence. We have made clear that the security situation should be addressed through a comprehensive approach to address underlying grievances and avoid further deterioration. We encourage the Government of Mali to work with all partners to help reduce violent conflict.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 22/01/2019 15:07:51 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1043038

registered interest
date	17/01/2019
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Huawei: USA
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on Huawei; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	209750
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2019 answer text <p>DCMS Ministers and officials speak with international counterparts, including the US, on a range of matters, including telecoms.</p><p> </p><p>DCMS is leading a cross-government review of the UK telecoms supply chain. The Review is considering the full UK market position, including economic prosperity, corporate and consumer effects, and the quality, resilience and security standards of equipment with a view to establishing a robust supply chain policy framework that balances security and prosperity. The terms of reference for the review are available on gov.uk.</p> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James question first answered 22/01/2019 16:42:30 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1042280

registered interest
date	16/01/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Syria: Refugees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support the health and well being of displaced Syrian refugees living in refugee camps during periods of adverse weather conditions.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	209290
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2019 answer text <p>The UK continues to support the most vulnerable Syrian refugees across the region, including with health and wellbeing needs, spending over £1.2 billion since 2012 to support the over 5.6 million refugees across Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.</p><p> </p><p>DFID is providing support to those refugees worst affected by adverse weather conditions this winter, including cash transfers to over 50,000 of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees across Lebanon. This has supported refugees in areas most affected by winter storms, allowing them to prepare for adverse weather conditions by buying fuel, warm clothing and insulation for their homes. DFID is also the leading contributor to the Start Fund, which has disbursed over £300,000 so far in response to the flooding in Lebanon this winter. Since 2017, our partnership with Save the Children in Lebanon has included improvements to 67 flood-prone refugee settlements, mitigating the impact of the recent storm in many sites. In Iraq, DFID provides central funding to UNHCR who provide heaters, high thermal blankets and plastic sheeting to Syrian refugees.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 21/01/2019 17:20:49 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1042284

registered interest
date	16/01/2019
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	Personal Independence Payment: Appeals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the total cost to the public purse of the appeals process for personal independence payments assessments in each year since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	209291
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2019 answer text <p>This information is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.<strong>   </strong></p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 21/01/2019 13:44:03 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1042291

registered interest
date	16/01/2019
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	United Nations: Sexual Offences
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 had with United Nations representatives on the recent findings of a report from that organisation that one third of UN staff and contractors have experienced sexual harassment in the last two years.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	209293
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2019 answer text <p>The UK has been anticipating this report and is deeply concerned by its findings. Whilst the UK welcomes the UN Secretary General's initial response, we urge the UN to increase its efforts to tackle sexual harassment and will look for the earliest opportunity to discuss this with them. The Foreign and Development Secretaries raised the issue of sexual harassment with the UN Secretary-General last December and the Minister for the Commonwealth and the UN discussed the issue with the Under Secretary-General Head of the UN Task Force on Sexual Harassment in October. Senior officials have also been in regular contact with senior United Nations representatives to push for action to tackle these issues.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 21/01/2019 17:13:34 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1042297

registered interest
date	16/01/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Adult Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2019 to Question 207155 on Adult Education, what steps his Department is taking to increase participation rates in adult education courses.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	209294
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2019 answer text <p>For the 2018/19 academic year, we will be supporting those in work on low incomes to access the Adult Education Budget (AEB) through the introduction of a new one-year trial which allows providers to fully fund eligible learners on low wages. This will directly support social mobility by enabling those that have been motivated to move out of unemployment and are low paid/skilled, to further progress. Early results suggest that this is attracting new/additional learners and we are reviewing whether it will be extended to cover the 2019/20 academic year.</p><p> </p><p>Community Learning plays a vital role within AEB provision, it provides an accessible way of progressing to further learning, training or employment and is mainly non-formal non-accredited learning which supports access to further adult education, particularly for disadvantaged adult learners.</p><p> </p><p>It is funded in a way that enables providers to meet the needs of disadvantaged learners; for example, by running smaller classes, by responding quickly to local needs, by offering more intensive support, and by holding classes in community venues, such as community centres, schools and libraries. This encourages adult learners, who may not be suited to more formal learning at this point in their lives, to participate in community and family learning and begin their learning journey.</p><p> </p><p>We also provide full funding for learners who need English and Maths skills to undertake a range of courses in GCSEs, Functional Skills and stepping stone qualifications from entry level to level 2. From 2020, selected basic digital skills courses will also be fully funded.</p><p> </p><p>From 2019/20 academic year, approximately 50% of the AEB will be devolved to 6 Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Tees Valley, West Midlands, West of England) and delegated to the Greater London Authority (GLA). The MCAs and GLA will be responsible for commissioning and funding AEB provision for learners resident in their areas. However, they must ensure access and funding for the statutory entitlements, including the new digital entitlement, to enable eligible learners to be fully funded. The Education and Skills Funding Agency will be responsible for funding learners resident in non-devolved areas.</p><p> </p><p>We are also introducing the National Retraining Scheme, which is an ambitious, far-reaching programme to drive adult learning and retraining. It will help people respond to changes in the economy and support them to progress in work, redirect their careers and secure the higher-paid, higher-skilled jobs of the future, focusing on those individuals that need it most.</p><p> </p><p>To inform the design of the scheme, the Flexible Learning Fund is supporting 31 pilot projects across England with a total value of £11.4 million. The projects are designing and testing innovative, flexible learning that is easy to access, and the best ways to reach working adults and incentivise them to train.</p><p> </p><p>Apprenticeships benefit people of all ages and backgrounds such as people with children returning to part-time work and needing to re-train. 41% of starts in 2017/18 have been by those aged 25 and over.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 21/01/2019 17:32:41 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1041684

registered interest
date	15/01/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Energy: Prices
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2017 to Question 206232 on Energy: Prices, what estimate he has made of the total cost incurred by (a) the public purse and (b) other energy suppliers as a result of the transfer of customers of domestic energy suppliers who cease trading through the Supplier of Last Resort process in each year since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	208752
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2019 answer text <p>A Supplier of Last Resort (SoLR) appointed through a competitive process may make a claim to recover some of the costs they incur via an industry-wide levy. None of the levy costs are met by the public purse. The recovery of any tax arrears in an insolvency is a matter for the administrators and HMRC.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is not able to make estimates of the expected costs as a result of the SoLR process. The costs of an insolvency will depend on the circumstances of each case and variables such as the number of customers, the short term costs of ensuring they continue to be supplied with energy, the settlement of customer bills and the costs absorbed by the incoming supplier. It is for Ofgem, as the expert regulator, to scrutinise the costs in any levy claim and to consult with industry and interested parties before any decision is taken to use the levy.</p> answering member constituency Devizes answering member printed Claire Perry question first answered 21/01/2019 15:26:09 answering member 3974 label Biography information for Claire Perry
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham