Special Adviser Appointments

Debate between Earl Howe and Lord Addington

Wednesday 2nd October 2019 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, I cannot comment on the reported offer of a payout, as I hope the noble Baroness will understand. Having said that, the model special adviser contract sets out severance arrangements for when special advisers’ contracts end, as I intimated to the noble Lord, Lord Butler. As I mentioned, all special advisers must adhere to the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, which applies across the board to every special adviser in government. They are also bound by the standards of integrity and honesty required of all civil servants, as set out in the Civil Service Code.

[Lord Addington (LD)]

My Lords, I will keep this simple. Does the Minister accept that the behaviour in the Sonia Khan case must never be seen as some form of precedent for the way these people are treated? It must never happen again.

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, No. 10 has always been involved in the performance management and appraisal of special advisers and other personnel management issues. Disciplinary matters fall under the heading of performance management. That reflects long-standing practice. It is also set out in successive versions of the Ministerial Code.

Autism

Debate between Earl Howe and Lord Addington

Wednesday 4th February 2015 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, part of this depends on the system working in a joined-up way between the National Health Service, local authorities and all the services upon which they depend. A great deal more training is going on, as I have mentioned. In December the Department of Health, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and Public Health England issued a new national autism self-assessment exercise, as I have mentioned. Much can be achieved, as we are impressing on local authorities, through low-level preventive support, and there are duties around prevention in the Care Act that local authorities now have in this area.

[Lord Addington (LD)]

My Lords, what is the relationship between the Department for Education and the Department of Health, particularly in spotting those at the higher-functioning end of the spectrum, for whom it may not become apparent that they have a problem until later in life rather than in the educational system?

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, the new statutory framework for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, SEND, is designed to improve the integrated working across health, education and social care so as to deliver improved outcomes for a child and his or her family. Clinical commissioning groups and local authorities will be working together according to that statutory framework.

Learning Disabilities: Premature Deaths

Debate between Earl Howe and Lord Addington

Wednesday 30th July 2014 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, the specification for the mortality review function is under development, and we all wish to see that work proceeded with rapidly. Data to support the function will be needed from both national and local sources. Work is under way with NHS England, the Health & Social Care Information Centre and Public Health England to derive data to underpin both the mortality review function and the NHS Outcomes Framework. However, it is important that this should take full account of wider developments in the collection and sharing of patient data, and this will inevitably impact on the pace of progress. As I am sure the noble Baroness recognises, it is vital that we get that right.

[Lord Addington (LD)]

My Lords, my noble friend will undoubtedly remember that we had a discussion in this House on the problems of the deaf in trying to access healthcare, and how that leads to other problems. Will there be a pan-disability look into this problem? It is clear that those who have problems communicating in forms of consultation with the NHS get bad results from it.

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, many of the issues that apply to those with learning disabilities also apply to others with different disabilities, and the work currently going on in the context of the noble Baroness’s Question will, I think, have a beneficial impact across the piece.

Autism

Debate between Earl Howe and Lord Addington

Wednesday 5th December 2012 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, I shall gladly take that idea away with me. The noble Lord is right about the structures for delivery. Local authorities in England are responsible for the delivery of services and support for people with autism, and the NHS is the body that we are relying upon to identify those with autism and diagnose their needs. The two must work together.

[Lord Addington]

My Lords, will the Minister tell us a little more about the problems of being the lead department and trying to relate to other sections of government? How good, for instance, are the links with various stages of education in order to allow not only for people with the most acute forms of autism but for those at the higher-functioning end of the spectrum, such as those with Asperger’s? How is that developing and have we done any work in that field?

[Earl Howe]

Yes, my Lords, the autism strategy is a cross-government strategy and is already having an impact in areas such as employment and education. It includes activity to help adults with autism into work. The mandate to the NHS Commissioning Board particularly mentions those with learning disabilities and autism and their need to receive safe, appropriate and high-quality care. From 2014, when necessary, young people up to the age of 25 with special educational needs, which would include autism, will have an education, health and care plan. I assure my noble friend that work is going on across government in this area.