First elected: 7th May 2015
Left House: 3rd May 2017 (Defeated)
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Ben Howlett, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Ben Howlett has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Ben Howlett has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
Ben Howlett has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Companies Documentation (Transgender Persons) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Baroness Morgan of Cotes (None)
Information on the proportion of girls who took A level physics in state-funded schools in 2014/15 is published as part of the “A level and other level 3 results: 2014 to 2015 (revised)” statistical first release.[1] In independent schools[2] 9.3% of girls took A level physics in 2014/15.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/a-level-and-other-level-3-results-2014-to-2015-revised (Document titled: Maths and science tables; Tab titled: Table 18)
[2] Excludes independent special schools and non-maintained special schools.
The Department funds the Citizens Advice Service to provide valuable advice to consumers, including how to avoid scams. Citizens Advice also lead the annual Scams Awareness Month, working with Trading Standards to help give consumers the confidence to spot and report a scam.
Trading Standards Officers have powers to take action under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 against salesmen who use misleading practices and aggressive pressure selling. Additionally, National Trading Standards Scambuster Teams take action against large scale national and regional scammers, including those who exploit the elderly and vulnerable through the sale of substandard or unnecessary mobility aids.
Since 2014 the Consumer Protection (Amendment) Regulations 2014 introduced important new rights for consumers to take their own action against such traders to get their money back.
I have met with many business representatives since taking on the role of Minister for Women and Equalities and always ensure I use these opportunities to raise the issue of achieving a better gender balance on boards. More recently (October 2015) I spoke at the launch of Lord Davies’s final report where I was able to engage with a broad range of stakeholders who all have a key role to play in this agenda including Executive Search Firms, Chairs and Investors.
Lord Davies’s collaborative approach, which engaged all parties, was crucial in achieving the unprecedented number of women on boards we now have in the FTSE 350. The Government looks forward to continuing this approach with the new review on the executive pipeline.
This Government is determined to make sure all women can fulfil their potential. This has been a crucial part of the success Lord Davies had in increasing the number of women on boards. We will continue to work with international leaders Cranfield University to ensure continued transparency on this agenda.
There are also other reporting measures which are in place which allow us to get a clearer picture of where there are issues and help employers identify where action needs to be taken. We will be introducing regulations that require large employers to report on gender pay gaps and differential bonus payments. Alongside this, as part of the BIS Narrative Reporting Requirements, FTSE listed companies need to report on gender diversity at Board and senior management level.
These measures have proven to be effective as there are more women than ever on boards, and we are committed to continuing with them in order to see further progress.
As my rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State set out to the Energy and Climate Change Committee, EDF predict over 60% of the HPC project’s construction value will go to UK companies. The Government is working with EDF and other developers to maximise the opportunities for UK businesses linked to Hinkley and proposed future new nuclear projects. We have put in place a number of initiatives to help UK suppliers’ bid for new nuclear contracts.
The number of female doctorate qualifiers in STEM subjects increased from 5,485 in 2009/10 to 6,300 in 2013/14, an increase of 15%. The total number of doctorate qualifiers in STEM subjects also increased over this period, from 12,830 in 2009/10 to 14,020 in 2013/14, and the proportion of female doctorate qualifiers in STEM subjects who are female increased from 43% to 45%.[i]
The Government is committed to developing a strong, diverse research community. The Research Councils and National Academies share this commitment. We are taking steps to encourage greater representation of women in STEM subjects at university and in the academic community through the establishment of a Diversity Steering Group and support for such initiatives as the Athena SWAN charter which promotes gender equality in academia.
[i] Higher Education Statistics Agency: Number of Doctorate Qualifiers in STEM subjects by Gender. (Academic Years 2009/10 to 2013/14). Excel spreadsheet is attached to this PQ.
Women now make up 26.1 per cent of directors on the boards of FTSE 100 companies. This exceeds the Lord Davies target of 25 per cent. We have no more all male boards in the FTSE 100 and more women on FTSE 350 boards than ever before.
The Digital Single Market is a stated priority for the Juncker Commission, which could deliver significant gains for both consumers and businesses. As such, Ministers across Government regularly hold discussions in Europe and the UK with our European counterparts on the Digital Single Market including its potential effects on UK’s creative industries and publishers in particular.
Currently there are no Digital Single Market legislative proposals on the table, but we are encouraging the Commission to ensure that future proposals are carefully assessed to ensure that they do not damage incentives to invest in the production of creative content.
We are delivering our election commitment to end subsidies for new onshore wind. We are seeking to legislate through the Energy Bill to close the renewables obligation (RO) to new onshore wind capacity from 1 April 2016, one year earlier than planned. To protect wider investor confidence we are proposing to allow projects which meet certain criteria extra time to accredit under the scheme.
Fifteen onshore wind projects, with a combined installed capacity of around 750MW, signed a Contract for Difference (CfDs) earlier this year following the first CfD allocation round. These projects are expected to commission between 2016/17 and 2018/19. We will be setting out our plans for delivering a new generation of cost effective, secure, electricity supplies and confirming decisions in relation to allocations of further renewables contracts in due course.
Small-scale onshore wind projects up to 5 megawatts in scale are eligible for support under the feed-in tariff (FITs) scheme. DECC has proposed action, through the FITs review consultation, to control spending and put FITs onto an affordable and sustainable footing. Further information can be found online at:
https://econsultation.decc.gov.uk/office-for-renewable-energy-deployment-ored/fit-review-2015.
The Bristol and Bath Science Park provides a world-class environment for innovative businesses to locate and grow their operations. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) continues to work closely with the Homes and Communities Agency, the private sector development partners and local partners to ensure that the existing site is developed to its full potential.
The Homes and Communities Agency manages the development on behalf of BIS. The Department is the beneficial owner of the site and the Homes and Communities Agency holds the freehold rights.
A Local Steering Group has been established to steer the development, which includes representatives from the private sector development partners, the local universities (Bath, Bristol, and the University of the West of England), South Gloucestershire Council, West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, the National Composites Centre which is situated on the Science Park and is part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, Invest Bristol & Bath, the Homes & Communities Agency and BIS.
The Government has a range of policies in place to promote the use of Combined Heat and Power (CHP), which is a key technique capable of generating heat from power station waste heat. Environmental permitting requires developers of power plants to consider opportunities for operating CHPs, and provides them with CHP permits if these are cost effective. CHP installations that are certified by our Quality Assurance Programme are eligible for Enhanced Capital Allowances, Business Rates exemptions, a partial exemption from the Carbon Price Support tax, and Renewable Obligation Certificates and Renewable Heat Incentive payments for any heat they generate from biomass. Developing heat networks offers further opportunities for power plants to recover and supply heat.
The Equality Act 2010 prohibits discrimination against disabled children which could include ‘play’. For example it would be unlawful to refuse or inhibit a disabled child’s access to a local playground; their enrolment at a local nursery or playgroup; or their taking part in any other play activities such as local sports. The Act requires service providers to make both requested and anticipatory ‘reasonable adjustments’ that will facilitate the participation of disabled children in all forms of ‘play’.
Higher education institutions play an important role in their local areas. Several universities have undertaken individual studies of their impact on their local area, and such studies have generally found positive impacts. Universities UK and others have also assessed the important impact of universities on national growth.
The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and supports collaboration between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and the creative economy using a variety of mechanisms including knowledge exchange centres and collaborative doctoral studentships.
AHRC will invest £16m during the period 2012-16 in the Knowledge Exchange Hubs for the Creative Economy. These Hubs, based in Bristol, Dundee, London and Lancaster, have drawn over 350 businesses, 320 academics and 170 third sector organisations into new forms of collaboration.
Innovate UK encourages collaboration between HEIs and the creative economy through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (8 currently being supported in the Creative Industries) and through support of the creative industries council’s strategy.
There are two schemes which support deployment of domestic renewable energy installations.
The Feed-in Tariff incentivises domestic deployment of renewable electricity generation by providing a guaranteed tariff over 20 years to solar PV, wind, hydro, anaerobic digestion and micro CHP installations up to 5MW. Generators benefit from tariffs generation and export to the grid, as well as through bill savings.
The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) provides financial incentives to install renewable heating in place of fossil fuels, with payments based on an installation’s renewable heat output. The scheme supports air-to-water heat pumps; biomass-only boilers and biomass pellet stoves with integrated boilers; ground-to-water and water-to-water heat pumps; flat plate and evacuated tube solar thermal panels. Payments are made on a quarterly basis over seven years, with tariffs reflecting the expected cost of renewable heat generation over 20 years.
The National Apprenticeship Service is not an organisation in its own right, but is a service delivery brand operated by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA). The SFA, as the funder of post 16 education and training in England, has the responsibility for the funding of apprenticeships in England. Any organisation in receipt of SFA funds to deliver apprenticeships is required to comply with the associated Funding Rules which detail compliance for the apprenticeship programme as referenced in the Deregulation Bill of 2015.
The majority of the Department’s £450m savings will be delivered through known underspends and releasing unallocated funding. Officials in my department are working with the Skills Funding Agency to determine how Further Education savings can best be achieved in line with ministers’ priorities.
All spending decisions for 16-17 and beyond will be taken as part of the Spending Review, the timetable for which is yet to be finalised.
This information is not held by the department or its agencies.
The sector led Supporting Professionalism in Admissions Programme (SPA) has published good practice guidance on admissions for refugees and asylum seekers.
Through the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, the Government is working closely with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to identify those most at risk and bring them to the UK.
The UK has been at the forefront of the international response to the Syrian crisis. On 4 February 2016, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that the UK will more than double our total pledge to the Syria crisis from £1.12 billion to over £2.3 billion. This is our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis and means that the UK is one of the largest donors to the Syria crisis.
The Government is considering carefully the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendations on migration including the likely impact on different sectors. It is essential that the UK remains open for business, while migration levels are controlled.
DECC and DCLG have commissioned Dr Peter Bonfield to undertake an Independent Review into Consumer Advice, Protection, Enforcement and Standards. In taking forward the Review, Dr Bonfield has invited a wide number of stakeholders, including Local Authorities and other local organisations to feed into the development of the recommendations.
I would encourage all interested parties who have not yet done so to take this opportunity, as the recommendations begin to be finalised.
The Government funds a number of programmes which encourage the uptake of STEM subjects by girls. We monitor the progress of these programmes against their key performance indicators through regular reports, and by evaluating their impact.
In 2014 the Government published for the first time data showing the proportion of girls and boys studying A levels in science and maths at each post-16 institution, and in 2016 time series data of students entered for mathematics and science A level subjects by number of subjects and gender. Both sets of data will continue to be published on an annual basis.
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) publishes data on application and entry rates for full-time undergraduate courses.
The tables show the proportion of 18 year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds who applied to university by the main January deadline (application rate) and the proportion of 18 year olds that accepted a place during a UCAS application cycle (entry rate).
Table 1: Application rates for English 18 year olds from POLAR3 quintile 1 areas (for entry in year) | |||||||
2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
15.2% | 18.0% | 18.6% | 17.9% | 18.9% | 20.4% | 21.0% | 22.0% |
Table 2: Entry rates for English 18 year olds from POLAR3 quintile 1 areas (for entry in year) | ||||||
2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
13.6% | 14.2% | 15.1% | 15.1% | 16.4% | 17.8% | 18.5% |
Notes:
Ofcom, as the independent telecommunications regulator, introduced rules in May 2005 to protect consumers against slamming. Its most recent rules, updated in June 2015, prohibits all telephone companies from engaging in dishonest, misleading or deceptive conduct, and oblige providers to ensure consumers fully understand and consent to a contract before it is agreed.
Ofcom’s most recent complaints data shows that slamming complaints have reduced significantly to an average of 140 complaints per month, compared with an average of over 700 in 2010. Ofcom can take action if companies repeatedly breach these rules and has the power to fine companies up to 10% of their annual turnover and to require them to remedy any issues that have arisen, including repaying affected customers who have lost money. In addition, safeguards have been built into the landline/broadband switching process on the Openreach network that are designed to protect consumers from being slammed. Consumers are required to receive a letter informing them that a switch is scheduled and that there is a 10-day switchover period, during which the order can be stopped if a customer has been inadvertently signed up.
The Government wants to reduce the cost and hassle of switching mobile providers for consumers. We expect industry to start automatically unlocking customers’ handsets at the end of their contracts, and will consult this year on ending the practice of handset locking for customers outside their initial contract period.
Ministers are considering a number of measures relating to local Heritage management as part of the Cultural White Paper, which will be published in due course.
We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation with the Department forCommunities and Local Government.
The Government believes it is important for all young people to have access to the very best arts and culture, and will continue to support children's theatres through Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs)and Grants for theArts projects.
For example, 2012 – 2015 (year to date) NPO funding has provided over £74 million to organisations that provide support to children and young people’s theatre, while Grants for theArts has invested £4 million ofNationalLottery funds in theatre projects specifically for children and young people. TheGovernment'sTheatres Taxrelief, launched during the last Parliament,also supports new and touring theatre productions across the UK and includes children’s theatres.
We know how important it is that children with medical conditions are supported to enjoy a full education. That is why we introduced a new duty to require governing bodies to make arrangements to support pupils with medical conditions and have provided statutory guidance outlining schools’ responsibilities in this area.
The Department has also issued advice on behaviour and discipline for schools. This advice is clear that schools should assess the needs of pupils who present with persistently difficult behaviour. We make clear that schools should consider whether the continuing disruptive behaviour is a result of unmet educational or other needs. At this point, the school should consider whether a multi-agency assessment is necessary.
Apprenticeships are paid jobs with quality training, and dependent upon employers offering apprenticeships, they set any entry criteria and make selection decisions. There will always be competition for the best apprenticeship places, as there is for the best universities.
Apprenticeships vacancies in England can be found at the Find an Apprenticeship pages on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship. The site offers information and guidance about finding and applying for vacancies advertised here – not all apprenticeships are advertised on this site.
A new ‘Get In Go Far’ campaign launched on 16 May aimed at 14-24 year-olds, their parents, teachers and employers. This major four-year campaign aims to influence public perceptions, awareness and attitudes towards apprenticeships as a route into a successful career, encouraging more young people to apply and more employers to offer apprenticeship opportunities. As of 24 August, there were over 560,000 visitors to the campaign website, with an average 35% of these being driven to view opportunities on the Find an Apprenticeship website.
The National Careers Service provides independent, professional advice on careers, skills and the labour market, including on the benefits of apprenticeships and how to apply for vacancies. The service is available on-line, over the telephone, via web chat, e-mail, text and online forums. A face-to-face service is available to adults aged 19 and over (or those aged 18 years plus if on out-of-work benefits or offenders in custody).
The statutory guidance for schools on careers guidance and inspiration was updated and published in March 2015 and is now in force. This is clear that schools should give employers and other providers delivering apprenticeships the opportunity to inform pupils directly, on school premises, about what they offer. It emphasises that apprenticeships and university offer two equally effective routes to a successful career.
Apprenticeships can transform lives. They are a great way for people of all ages and backgrounds to progress in work and life and a great way for employers to improve the skills base of their businesses.
Apprentices acquire skills much valued in the labour market, and the apprentice does not have to contribute to the costs of their learning. Apprenticeships are paid jobs with training and so, as with any other form of employment, selection decisions are made by individual employers, who choose the most appropriate candidates for their jobs.
We are encouraging a wider range of young people into apprenticeships. Traineeships are available to help 16-23 year olds become ‘work ready’. They include work preparation training, English, maths and work experience, which all help the trainee to enter the world of work, including apprenticeships. They are flexible so providers can adapt them to the needs of the trainee by including additional support such as mentoring.
We are giving employers more control of the funding for apprenticeships training in return for them investing more in apprenticeships; this includes simplifying the funding system to encourage employers to recruit more apprentices of all ages and from all backgrounds.
The Government funds a number of programmes which encourage the uptake of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects by girls. We monitor the progress of these programmes against their key performance indicators through regular reports and by evaluating their impact.
In 2014 the Government published for the first time data showing the proportion of girls and boys studying A levels in science and maths at each post-16 institution, and in 2016 time series data of students entered for mathematics and science A level subjects by number of subjects and gender. Both sets of data will continue to be published on an annual basis.
In 2013 the Government restored the policy of marks for spelling, punctuation and use of grammar (SPaG)to GCSE exams as a key part of our commitment to high standards and to ensuring that GCSEs match expectations set in the highest performing jurisdictions internationally. It gives a real incentive to teachers to provide effective support to all their students to improve their written communication skills.
For those pupils with special educational needs, including those with dyslexia, appropriate reasonable adjustments, including extra time, are available, as necessary. Details can be found in the Joint Council for Qualifications’ “Access Arrangements, Reasonable Adjustments and Special Consideration” at: http://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/access-arrangements-and-special-consideration/regulations-and-guidance
Schools play an important role in promoting good mental health and supporting children and young people facing difficulties. In the introduction to the national curriculum, we have made clear that all schools should make provision for PSHE.
The Department funded the PSHE Association to publish guidance on teaching about mental health in PSHE. This was published in March 2015 and is available online: www.pshe-association.org.uk/resources. Our Mental Health and Behaviour advice helps teachers to identify and support pupils with mental health needs, including advice on making referrals to specialist services when appropriate. Our blueprint for school counselling services provides schools with practical, evidence-based advice on how to deliver high quality school based counselling.
The government has made children and young people’s mental health support a priority. We are investing an additional £1.4bn in children and young people’s and perinatal mental health services over the next 5 years. We are also contributing £1.5m to a joint pilot for training single points of contact in schools and specialist mental health services; and, through a dedicated mental health strand within our VCS programme, we are providing £4.9m of funding this year to support 17 projects delivering a wide range of support across the country to children and young people with mental health issues.
Education can play a vital role in helping young people understand healthy relationships and identify those which are unhealthy. Sex and relationships education (SRE) must be taught in all maintained secondary schools and we expect most secondary academies teach it as part of a broad and balanced curriculum. Any school teaching SRE must have regard to the Secretary of State’s Sex and Relationship Education Guidance (2000).
The guidance makes clear that all sex and relationship education should be age-appropriate and that schools should ensure young people develop positive values and a moral framework that will guide their decisions, judgments and behaviour. This is particularly relevant to sexual consent and the guidance makes clear that all young people should understand how the law applies to sexual relationships. The guidance is available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sex-and-relationship-education
Schools can also choose to teach about pornography in their PSHE lessons drawing on the guidance and resources available. The PSHE Association has produced a suggested programme of study as guidance for teachers, which includes teaching about the impact of pornography. We commissioned the PSHE Association to produce guidance for schools on teaching about the topic of consent, which was published in March 2015 and is available online: https://www.pshe-association.org.uk/content.aspx?CategoryID=1161.
All forms of bullying and harassment are unacceptable and every school is required to have in place a behaviour policy with measures to tackle all forms of bullying. They are held to account by Ofsted and inspectors will look at records and analysis of bullying, discriminatory and prejudicial behaviour.
The Longitudinal Study of Young Peoplein England(LSYPE), which was published by the Department in November 2015, compared bullying among two cohorts of 14 year olds (year 10 students)from 2004 and 2014. It found that 30,000 fewer people in year 10 said they had been bullied in the last twelve months. This represents a drop from 41 per cent in 2004 to 36 per cent in 2014.
Good schools have a whole school approach to behaviour management that fosters tolerance and respect. Schools can also choose to teach about internet safety and the safe use of social media through their PSHE and sex and relationships provision. Under the computing curriculum, children from the age of five are taught how to stay safe online and how to communicate safely and respectfully.
All schools must have regard to the statutory guidance ‘Keeping children safe in education’. This highlights the specific safeguarding issues that staff should be aware of including bullying, child sexual exploitation, gender based violence against girls, sexting and teenage relationship issues, and signposts staff to additional information and support.
Through the introduction to the national curriculum, the Government has made clear that all schools should make provision for Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE). PSHE is, however, a non-statutory subject.
The Government is determined to increase the number of young people studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects, particularly girls. There have been 12,000 more A Level entries in STEM subjects for girls over the last five years.
PSHE plays an important part in preparing young people for the world of work including dispelling gender stereotyping. Resources to support PSHE include those produced by Siemens in collaboration with the PSHE Association. These resourced explore equality and the world of work which aim to inspire the next generation of female scientists, technicians and engineers.
We are also supporting schools in other ways to tackle this issue through professional development and enrichment activities, including the Stimulating Physics Network, and the inspiring “Your Life” campaign, which will transform perceptions of science and mathematics.
Studio schools have a part to play in our education reforms by harnessing the talents of students. They offer hands-on learning and work experience alongside their GCSEs and A levels, providing them with the vocational and “work ready” skills that employers demand.
The Government remains committed to giving due consideration to Articles set out in the UNCRC through new policy and legislation. Article 31 refers to the right to relax and play and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic, and other recreational activities. Play and relaxation are important for children’s mental wellbeing. As such, we believe that it is important for all children to have access to a wide range of such recreational activities.
The Children Act 1989 and associated guidance place duties on a range of organisations, including schools, to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. All schools should create a happy and supportive environment through a broad and balanced curriculum. They have a responsibility to ensure that all children have access to high-quality arts and cultural education. Pupils also have to study drama, as part of the English curriculum, and dance, as part of the PE curriculum.
Our guidance to schools on mental wellbeing, in particular the guidance on school-based counselling published in March, emphasises that support works best within a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing. This includes a healthy approach to play and relaxation, as set out in Article 31.
In addition the Government has:
The Government remains committed to giving due consideration to Articles set out in the UNCRC through new policy and legislation. Article 31 refers to the right to relax and play and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic, and other recreational activities. Play and relaxation are important for children’s mental wellbeing. As such, we believe that it is important for all children to have access to a wide range of such recreational activities.
The Children Act 1989 and associated guidance place duties on a range of organisations, including schools, to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. All schools should create a happy and supportive environment through a broad and balanced curriculum. They have a responsibility to ensure that all children have access to high-quality arts and cultural education. Pupils also have to study drama, as part of the English curriculum, and dance, as part of the PE curriculum.
Our guidance to schools on mental wellbeing, in particular the guidance on school-based counselling published in March, emphasises that support works best within a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing. This includes a healthy approach to play and relaxation, as set out in Article 31.
In addition the Government has:
The Department for Education does not collect data on the uptake of school theatre visits. Teachers and head teachers are in the best position to use their professional judgement to decide how theatre visits and similar activities meet the needs of their pupils, and to plan lessons and use their budgets accordingly.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Taking Part 2014/15 Annual Child Report published in July 2015 shows that almost all children aged 5-15 (98.1%) had engaged with the arts in the preceding year. Figures are available in the DCMS Taking Part 2014/15 Annual Child Report published in July 2015 online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/447730/Taking_Part_2014_15_Child_Report__Repaired_.pdf
The government recognises the importance of cultural education. That is why we are supporting Arts Council England’s Cultural Education Challenge, which calls for arts and cultural organisations together with the education sector to offer consistent cultural education to all children and young people.
The government’s report ‘Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation’ sets out the steps that the government is taking to protect children from sexual exploitation, including children with learning difficulties and disabilities. For example, we are exploring how personal, social, health and economic education training and resources for schools might be tailored for staff and special schools, and have provided £4.85 million for services supporting child sexual abuse survivors, including vulnerable children with learning difficulties.
Local authorities have clear duties to support children with special educational needs (SEN). They are responsible for planning and delivering the necessary services for children within their area.
The Children and Families Act enables a joined-up approach to support children with sensory impairments, with clear information on the support that families can expect locally and the option of a personal budget for some parents and young people to give them control over the support they receive.
The Department for Education funds the National Sensory Impairment Partnership (NatSIP) to support local authorities to benchmark and improve the support available for children with sensory impairments. NatSIP is working with sensory support services across the country to support the SEN reforms. NatSIP helps local authorities and settings ensure that the right support is in place to improve the outcomes for deaf, blind and multi-sensory impaired children.
The Government wants all young people to leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. High quality personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) teaching has a vital role to play in providing young people with a ‘curriculum for life’, equipping them with the skills and understanding they need to manage their lives and stay safe. Departmental advice on the teaching of PSHE is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-social-health-and-economic-education-pshe
To improve the quality of PSHE, we are developing a new, rigorous accreditation for schools which will enable them to demonstrate excellence in the quality of their PSHE teaching. The new quality mark will give parents more information about a school’s PSHE provision. We are also working with the PSHE Association to help quality assure teaching resources.
Giant hogweed has been present in the UK for over a century and is widespread. Biocontrol methods have been considered in the past but suitable candidates from the plant’s native range have not been found.
Giant hogweed is, however, listed on schedule 9 and subject to section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it an offence to plant, or cause this species to grow, in the wild. In addition, Local Authorities and the Police now have powers to issue Community Protection Notices under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, requiring landowners to take action to control species like giant hogweed where they are having a detrimental effect on local people’s quality of life.
We are fully committed to complying with EU Air Quality Standards as soon as possible. We have already committed over £2 billion since 2011 in transport measures to improve air quality. On 12 September we launched a public consultation on our draft revised Air Quality plans for nitrogen dioxide, which set out a range of local, national and European actions to lower levels of harmful emissions. The consultation closes on 6 November 2015.
Government departments and agencies work together to prioritise action and offer the best advice to vulnerable groups to help mitigate the health effects of air pollution. Our daily air quality forecast includes accompanying health messages to the public based on advice provided by Public Health England.
We consulted widely and worked very closely with the Association of British Insurers to ensure that the Flood Reinsurance (Scheme Funding and Administration) Regulations 2015 reflect the intended policy position. As set out in the Regulations, Flood Re will assess whether an insurer is liable for levy payments (and the amount of levy they are due to pay) based on the amount of domestic property insurance an insurer covers in the UK market.