Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of having a teaching qualification from an English university on the ability of a British National (Overseas) visa holder to gain Qualified Teacher Status in the UK.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Since February 2023, eligible teachers who trained in an increased number of overseas countries, including Hong Kong, have been able to apply for qualified teacher status (QTS) through our new digital service if they meet the robust criteria.
This recognition process is designed to assess the qualifications, professional standing and experience of teachers who trained overseas, rather than those who have qualifications from institutions in England.
English teacher training courses that meet our quality requirements and are offered by an accredited provider lead to QTS. As the qualification your constituent presented did not lead to QTS and has not been gained overseas, it cannot be considered for recognition.
There are several other routes available for experienced teachers to gain QTS, including the assessment only route. This allows teachers to demonstrate that they already meet all the teachers‘ standards, without the need for any further training. Teachers need to present detailed evidence and their teaching is assessed in a school by an accredited and approved provider.
If my hon. Friend, the Member for Rushcliffe has further questions about the eligibility criteria, he may find it helpful to contact the Teaching Regulation Agency directly via QTS.enquiries@education.gov.uk.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure equitable parking enforcement debt collection practices.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
To ensure an enforcement regime that is fair and proportionate, the Department for Transport published the ‘Statutory guidance for local authorities in England on civil enforcement of parking contraventions’, which sets out the appropriate debt collection practices together with links to the applicable legislation. Local authorities in England with civil parking enforcement powers must have regard to this statutory guidance under Section 87 of the Traffic Management Act 2004. Matters relating to private parking and local authority operated off-street car parks are the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he is taking steps with his international counterparts to (a) help ensure that an assessment is made of the condition of and (b) protect the (i) Gaza and (ii) Deir el Belah Commonwealth War Grave Cemeteries in Gaza.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) reports that as a result of the recent conflict in Gaza, both the Gaza War Cemetery and the Deir al Balah War Cemetery have suffered extensive damage, including to approximately 10% of the headstones.
A more detailed assessment cannot be carried out until the current situation subsides. The CWGC will, however, restore those sites to a befitting standard as and when circumstances allow. Until then, the locally employed maintenance team remain temporarily relocated outside Gaza.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to promote cross-Departmental work to invest in communities following violent disorder in summer 2024.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer my Hon Friend to the answer I gave to UIN 19795 on 20 December 2024.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to require (a) Instagram and (b) other social media channels to add posting dates to all posts.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government is committed to making the internet safer. Media literacy can help users engage critically with online content, including contextual data and labelling. Since 2022, DSIT has provided £3 million in funding for media literacy projects that empower users to navigate the online world safely.
The Online Safety Act updated Ofcom’s statutory media literacy duty by placing targeted duties on the regulator to help the public assess the reliability, accuracy and authenticity of content on services. Ofcom has published a three-year media literacy strategy that emphasises collaboration with platforms. We look forward to working with them as they implement these strategies.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of taking (a) legislative and (b) regulatory steps to help improve lithium-ion battery safety; including in the planning application process for new battery energy storage systems.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are regulated by the Health and Safety Executive within a robust framework which requires battery designers, installers, and operators to take the necessary measures to ensure health and safety through all stages of the system’s deployment.
Government has updated planning practice guidance to encourage BESS developers to engage with local fire services and for local planning authorities to refer to guidance published by the National Fire Chiefs Council.
Government has considered the merits of taking further steps, and in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan committed that Defra will consult by June 2025 on including BESS within the Environmental Permitting Regulations.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a weekly cap on domiciliary care costs.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We announced on 3 January 2025 that we are launching an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service.
Chaired by Baroness Louise Casey and reporting to the Prime Minister, the Commission will work with people who draw on care and their families, staff, politicians, and the public, private and third sector to make clear recommendations for how to rebuild the adult social care system to meet the current and future needs of the population.
The Commission will be comprehensive and will build on the expert proposals of other reviews, including that of Sir Andrew Dilnot into care funding and support. It will be broader and wider than ever before, asking essential questions about the shape and future of the social care sector, including what long-term and sustainable funding solutions should look like.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is encouraging developers to make provisions for (a) hedgehogs and (b) other wildlife.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The revised National Planning Policy Framework we published on 12 December 2024 expects developments to provide net gains for biodiversity, including through incorporating features which support priority or threatened species such as swifts, bats and hedgehogs.
Hedgehog highways are identified in the National Model Design Code and Planning Practice Guidance as a feature to enable movement between development sites, and Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework sets out how development can incorporate a range of nature friendly features including bricks with a hole which can benefit sparrows, tree sparrows, swifts, starling, and bats.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will amend planning regulations to facilitate converting holiday lodges into permanent primary homes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
It is for local planning authorities to consider whether holiday lodges would be suitable to become permanent primary homes. Where a holiday lodge is judged to be unsuitable for use as a permanent home, for example due to its size, location or access to amenities, a local planning authority can attach conditions to the grant of planning permission which restricts the use of the property.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that all further education colleges comply with (a) accessibility regulations on (i) access to assistive technology and (ii) the use of accessible design in learning resources and (b) other accessibility regulations.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to ensuring that all learners, including learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), have access to a world-class education that sets them up for life and supports them to achieve positive outcomes.
Further education (FE) colleges must endeavour to secure the special educational provision that students need.
In addition, colleges also have duties and obligations under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that they are acting inclusively and not discriminating against disabled students. As with other FE providers, colleges are obliged to make reasonable adjustments to ensure disabled students are not placed at a substantial disadvantage. This may include making provision for accessibility and assistive technology. Where a student has a learning difficulty or disability that calls for special educational provision, the college must use its best endeavours to put appropriate support in place.
Furthermore, under the SEND code of practice there should be a named person with oversight of SEND provision in every college. They co-ordinate, support and contribute to the strategic and operational management of the college. Curriculum and support staff in a college should know who to go to if they need help in identifying a student's special educational needs (SEN), are concerned about their progress or need more advice.
Colleges should keep the needs of students with SEND under regular review. They should involve the student and, particularly for those aged 16 to 18, their parents, closely at all stages of the cycle. Colleges should ensure that their staff have the skills to do this effectively.
Colleges should be ambitious for young people with SEN, whatever their needs and whatever their level of study. They should focus on supporting young people so they can progress and reach positive destinations in life, including higher education or further training or employment. They should equip them for independent living, good health and participating in the community.
Ofsted also ensures that colleges comply with accessibility requirements, as inspectors will determine whether staff are suitably qualified and/or have appropriate expertise to support learners or specific groups of learners. Ofsted will determine whether learning resources, including assistive technology and online/remote learning resources, are to the required standard and specification and whether they are used effectively to support learners to overcome their barriers to achieving their challenging learning goals.