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Written Question
Autism and Learning Disability: Training
Tuesday 30th April 2024

Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the number of health and adult social care staff that will undertake the second part of tier (a) one and (b) two of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism in the next three years.

Answered by Maria Caulfield

We have provided estimates of the number of health and adult social care staff that would undertake Tier 1 and Tier 2 of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training in our consultation stage impact assessment. This assessment was published as part of the public consultation on the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice. The impact assessment and wider public consultation are available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/649a8c399e7a8b0013932bec/impact-assessment-oliver-mcgowan-draft-code-of-practice.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/oliver-mcgowan-draft-code-of-practice/oliver-mcgowan-draft-code-of-practice-on-statutory-learning-disability-and-autism-training

For healthcare, we estimated that over the first three years of training roll-out, 1,036,000 staff would be trained at Tier 1 level, and 1,186,000 staff would be trained at Tier 2 level. For adult social care, over the same period, we estimated that 840,000 staff would be trained at Tier 1 level, and 492,000 staff would be trained at Tier 2 level. In addition, over 1.7 million people have already completed the first part of Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism, an e-learning package.

The final stage impact assessment incorporates additional evidence on the number of staff expected to undertake training, which was provided by organisations through the public consultation. The final assessment will be published in due course.


Written Question
National Learning Disability Board
Tuesday 30th April 2024

Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the National Learning Disability Board last met.

Answered by Maria Caulfield

The final meeting of the National Learning Disability Board took place on 19 July 2016. More information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/learning-disability-programme-board#minutes


Written Question
Aviation: Crew
Monday 29th April 2024

Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is seeking a bilateral recognition of Flight Crew Licensing with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

Answered by Anthony Browne

The Department continues to engage with the European Union (EU) Commission on areas where future cooperation or recognition could support UK interests. Article 445(1) in the Aviation Safety Chapter of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) outlines the areas in which both the UK and EU may cooperate, including personnel licensing. The EU Commission has to date been clear it has no desire or mandate to expand the Aviation Safety Chapter, including at the most recent EU-UK Specialised Committee on Aviation Safety in November 2023.


Written Question
Domestic Abuse: Reoffenders
Friday 26th April 2024

Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people on probation (a) have been assessed as eligible for the Building Better Relationships programme and (b) are waiting for a place on that programme as of 23 April 2024.

Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice

We are unable to provide data on the number of people on probation who have been assessed as eligible for the Building Better Relationships programme (BBR) or who are waiting for a place on that programme as of 23 April 2024 without incurring disproportionate cost. We are also unable to provide the number of available places on the BBR programme for people on probation in 2024-25 without incurring disproportionate cost. This information is not collated and recorded centrally. Regions collect their own management information and waiting lists vary with average waiting times for BBR between one and five months. Each region manages their own accredited programme referrals and allocation of places is based on risk and order expiry date.

We are unable to provide data on the number of filled custodial places on the Building Better Relationships (BBR) programme in 2023-24 at this time as to do so would breach official statistics publication rules outlined in the Code of Practice for Statistics as they will form a subset of future published statistics. Data for 2023-2024 will be published in the Prison Education and Accredited Programme Statistics report on 26 September 2024.

There are 210 places available on the BBR programme for people in custody for 2024-25. This is subject to review related to changes in both the demand for different programmes, and the transition to new programmes being introduced in-year.


Written Question
Domestic Abuse: Reoffenders
Friday 26th April 2024

Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many places will be available on the Building Better Relationships programme for people (a) in custody and (b) on probation in 2024-25.

Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice

We are unable to provide data on the number of people on probation who have been assessed as eligible for the Building Better Relationships programme (BBR) or who are waiting for a place on that programme as of 23 April 2024 without incurring disproportionate cost. We are also unable to provide the number of available places on the BBR programme for people on probation in 2024-25 without incurring disproportionate cost. This information is not collated and recorded centrally. Regions collect their own management information and waiting lists vary with average waiting times for BBR between one and five months. Each region manages their own accredited programme referrals and allocation of places is based on risk and order expiry date.

We are unable to provide data on the number of filled custodial places on the Building Better Relationships (BBR) programme in 2023-24 at this time as to do so would breach official statistics publication rules outlined in the Code of Practice for Statistics as they will form a subset of future published statistics. Data for 2023-2024 will be published in the Prison Education and Accredited Programme Statistics report on 26 September 2024.

There are 210 places available on the BBR programme for people in custody for 2024-25. This is subject to review related to changes in both the demand for different programmes, and the transition to new programmes being introduced in-year.


Written Question
Domestic Abuse: Reoffenders
Friday 26th April 2024

Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many of the 200 custodial places on the Building Better Relationships programme were filled in 2023-24.

Answered by Edward Argar - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice

We are unable to provide data on the number of people on probation who have been assessed as eligible for the Building Better Relationships programme (BBR) or who are waiting for a place on that programme as of 23 April 2024 without incurring disproportionate cost. We are also unable to provide the number of available places on the BBR programme for people on probation in 2024-25 without incurring disproportionate cost. This information is not collated and recorded centrally. Regions collect their own management information and waiting lists vary with average waiting times for BBR between one and five months. Each region manages their own accredited programme referrals and allocation of places is based on risk and order expiry date.

We are unable to provide data on the number of filled custodial places on the Building Better Relationships (BBR) programme in 2023-24 at this time as to do so would breach official statistics publication rules outlined in the Code of Practice for Statistics as they will form a subset of future published statistics. Data for 2023-2024 will be published in the Prison Education and Accredited Programme Statistics report on 26 September 2024.

There are 210 places available on the BBR programme for people in custody for 2024-25. This is subject to review related to changes in both the demand for different programmes, and the transition to new programmes being introduced in-year.


Written Question
Learning Disability
Wednesday 17th April 2024

Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Appendix 1 of the guidance by NHS England entitled Improving identification of people with a learning disability: guidance for general practice, published on 11 October 2019, what recent estimate she has made of the number of people that have a learning disability; and how many and what proportion of those people are (a) on the learning disability register and (b) not on the register despite having conditions that would automatically entitle them to be on the register.

Answered by Maria Caulfield

There are approximately 1.3 million people in England with a learning disability, according to Mencap figures. NHS England data shows that, as of March 2023, there were 347,840 people of all ages with a learning disability on the learning disability register in England. However, this learning disability register is voluntary, and not everyone chooses to register.

It is a statutory requirement under the Equality Act 2010 that public sector agencies make reasonable adjustments to their practice that will make them as accessible and effective as they would be for people without disabilities. NHS England has published guidance aimed at improving the identification of people with a learning disability, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/improving-identification-of-people-with-a-learning-disability-guidance-for-general-practice.pdf

General practices should review this guidance and update their registers at least annually, to ensure that they are accurate.


Written Question
Autism: Females
Wednesday 17th April 2024

Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women with autism were in mental health inpatient care settings in each of the last five years.

Answered by Maria Caulfield

The following table shows the number of female patients with either autism or autism and a learning disability in mental health care inpatient settings in England, in each of the last five years:

Year

Autism

Learning disability and autism

Total

March 2020

270

115

390

March 2021

325

110

430

March 2022

375

110

485

March 2023

430

115

545

February 2024

395

90

490

Source: the data is taken from NHS England’s Assuring Transformation dataset, as of 28 February 2024.

Notes:

  1. The figures for the historical months in this table show the most recent data cut, calculated using submissions as of the end of February 2024.
  2. The February 2024 counts are expected to rise in subsequent months as some patients are added late to the data set, due to the diagnosis of autism or a learning disability after admission to hospital.

Written Question
Autism and Learning Disability: Training
Wednesday 17th April 2024

Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have completed part two of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism programme.

Answered by Maria Caulfield

The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is delivered in two tiers of training. Tier 1 is for those that require general awareness for their role, and Tier 2 is for those who may provide care for people with a learning disability or autism. Both tiers consist of two parts, and the first part of both tiers is an e-learning package, which over 1.7 million people have completed.

The second part of the Tier 1 training is an hour long online interactive session co-delivered by a person with a learning disability or an autistic person. The latest NHS England figures from December 2023 show that 12,741 people have completed the second part of the Tier 1 training.

The second part of the Tier 2 training is a full day, in-person training session co-delivered by a person with a learning disability or an autistic person. The latest NHS England figures from December 2023 show that 9,012 people have completed the second part of the Tier 2 training.

The numbers of staff having completed these training programmes is maintained by the NHS England regions, and reported to NHS England on a quarterly basis. These numbers are reported by integrated care boards, and are predominantly National Health Service staff.


Written Question
Autism and Learning Disability
Wednesday 17th April 2024

Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to The national strategy for autistic children, young people and adults: 2021 to 2026, published in July 2021, how many additional children have received diagnoses of autism and related support as a result of the expansion of the school-based identification programme.

Answered by Maria Caulfield

Through the Opportunity Area scheme, in 2021/22 the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education invested £600,000 into a pilot in Bradford through the Born in Bradford programme, which looked to improve early identification of autism and other neurodiverse conditions. This was subsequently adopted by four other Opportunity Areas as Early Identification of Autism Projects.

Information on how many additional children have received diagnoses of autism, and related support as a result of the programme, is not centrally held. The University of Manchester was commissioned to evaluate the Early Identification of Autism Projects, and their report will be published in due course.