Jeremy Quin

We have placed phonics at the heart of the early teaching of reading as we want all children to be fluent readers by the time they leave primary school. Results from this year’s phonics screening check show that, since its introduction in 2012, over 147,000 more six year olds are now on track to become excellent readers.

We are also investing £41m to enable primary schools to introduce highly effective south-east Asian mastery teaching methods, and we introduced a new more rigorous primary curriculum in 2014 raising standards in reading, writing and maths throughout the primary school phase.

Within West Sussex, the Crawley district forms part of the London fringe, while the rest of the local authority area is outside the fringe. The distinction is a longstanding feature of the teachers’ pay system, dating back at least 30 years. Decisions on pay, including the current geographical criteria for designating fringe areas, are based on recommendations by the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB). This independent body was established in 1991 to examine and report on matters relating to the statutory conditions of pay and employment of school teachers in England and Wales. The STRB can review the boundaries for the fringe if requested to do so by the Secretary of State.

London fringe area arrangements have been part of the mainstream school funding system since financial year 2013 to 2014. Since the school funding reforms were introduced in that year, they have been a feature of the local funding formulae in the five local authorities who have some of their schools within the London fringe area (Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Kent, along with West Sussex), enabling an uplift to be applied to the affected schools’ budgets.

Within West Sussex, the Crawley district forms part of the London fringe, while the rest of the local authority area is outside the fringe. The distinction is a longstanding feature of the teachers’ pay system, dating back at least 30 years. Decisions on pay, including the current geographical criteria for designating fringe areas, are based on recommendations by the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB). This independent body was established in 1991 to examine and report on matters relating to the statutory conditions of pay and employment of school teachers in England and Wales. The STRB can review the boundaries for the fringe if requested to do so by the Secretary of State.

London fringe area arrangements have been part of the mainstream school funding system since financial year 2013 to 2014. Since the school funding reforms were introduced in that year, they have been a feature of the local funding formulae in the five local authorities who have some of their schools within the London fringe area (Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Kent, along with West Sussex), enabling an uplift to be applied to the affected schools’ budgets.

Within West Sussex, the Crawley district forms part of the London fringe, while the rest of the local authority area is outside the fringe. The distinction is a longstanding feature of the teachers’ pay system, dating back at least 30 years. Decisions on pay, including the current geographical criteria for designating fringe areas, are based on recommendations by the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB). This independent body was established in 1991 to examine and report on matters relating to the statutory conditions of pay and employment of school teachers in England and Wales. The STRB can review the boundaries for the fringe if requested to do so by the Secretary of State.

London fringe area arrangements have been part of the mainstream school funding system since financial year 2013 to 2014. Since the school funding reforms were introduced in that year, they have been a feature of the local funding formulae in the five local authorities who have some of their schools within the London fringe area (Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Kent, along with West Sussex), enabling an uplift to be applied to the affected schools’ budgets.

We are concerned that some parents of summer born children either feel forced to send their children to school before they are ready, and before compulsory school age, or risk missing the reception year at school where the essential teaching of early reading and arithmetic takes place.

Subject to parliamentary approval, we have therefore decided to amend the School Admissions Code to ensure that summer born children can be admitted to the reception class at the age of five, where this is what their parents want, and can remain with that cohort as they progress through school, including through to secondary school. We will conduct a full public consultation in due course.
I recently set out this policy intent in an open letter to parents, schools and local authorities. The letter is available here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/summer-born-children-nick-gibbs-letter-about-school-admissions.

In Cambridge, we are allocating £9 million – including £5 million of new funding – to improve the barrier of water scarcity and accelerate the new Cambridge Delivery Group. The Government is working closely with Cambridge and North Sussex local authorities to learn from their experiences and has committed to developing water positive guidance, working with Ofwat on its environmental incentives and reviewing the building regulations to support developers to be water efficient.

The Building Regulations 2010 allow for tighter standards to be adopted through locally led voluntary agreements between the Lead Planning Authority and developers. Examples of these include individual developments, such as Eddington in Cambridge, which has been designed to a much tighter standard (80l/p/d). The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has not conducted any pilot schemes and does not hold any data. In the Environmental Improvement Plan roadmap on water efficiency in new developments and retrofits, Defra committed to reviewing the aspects of Building Regulations 2010 pertaining to water efficiency (regulation 36 and Part G2, H1, H2, H3 of Schedule 1).

Although by global standards, roads in the UK are very safe, every road death and injury is a tragedy for the families involved and we are working on a number of measures to keep our roads and road users safe. This Government has updated The Highway Code to improve road safety for people walking, cycling and riding horses, tightened up the law to target the most dangerous drivers and closed the loophole in the offence of driving while using a mobile.

Southern has created a new on-board supervisor (OBS) role for guards. These crew members are passenger-focussed and trained to manage emergencies.

Although operational staffing requirements are for the train operator to manage, the Department is aware that Southern will roster an on-board supervisor (OBS) on all trains which previously had a conductor. In addition, Southern has hired around 90 additional on-board supervisors and those staff are already working to assist passengers on Southern trains.

It is for the independent safety regulator - the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) - to judge whether the equipment, procedures and staffing is in place to provide a safe railway operation, and therefore it is to the ORR that such assurances are provided. The Secretary of State for Transport is aware that the operator concerned has provided the necessary assurances as recommended in the report he mentions.

Govia Thameslink Railway is not required to provide the Department with detailed information on the causes of train failures. Officials have discussed camera failures with Southern, who confirmed that there has been a noticeable increase in camera defects reported. However, when investigated, no faults have been found by technical teams.

The unnecessary industrial action is clearly having an effect on both passengers and businesses.

I am in regular contact with Govia Thameslink Railway and any retailer who feels that the disruption has had a detrimental effect on their business, should contact their managing Agent, Amey PT. Govia has assured me that each case will be looked at on an individual basis.

The table below gives statistics on the median clearance time in weeks for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for normal rules cases in selected local authority areas. The figures relate to the time between the return of the case from the Assessment Provider (AP) to the date of the decision made by DWP on the case. The figures are for those cases returned by the AP to DWP between 1 July 2015 and 30 June 2016.

Table 1: Median PIP clearance times in weeks, from return from AP to DWP decision.

Source: PIP Computer Systems

The off-payroll rules (commonly known as IR35) ensure that where an individual would be an employee if they were engaged directly rather than through their own company, they pay broadly the same taxes as employees. Since April 2017, public sector bodies have been responsible for deciding if these rules apply. Early analysis of tax receipts between April and June shows that around 90,000 additional new engagements occurred in the public sector above the level that would normally be expected. This indicates more individuals are being taxed as employees since the reforms, and is consistent with the government’s expectations that the reforms would increase tax compliance in the public sector.

The cost of non-compliance in the private sector is continuing to increase: the latest estimate is that tax losses to the Exchequer will grow to £1.2 billion a year by 2022/23. This is part of the wider increasing cost of incorporation highlighted by the OBR in their 2017 Fiscal Risks Report.

Recent business surveys show that momentum in the economy has continued. The PMI surveys show a broad-based pickup in activity in late 2016, with output growth reaching a 17-month high in December. This is also reflected in the employment level which currently stands at a historically high level of 31.8m, and has increased by 342,000 over the past year.

The National Planning Policy Framework is clear, local authorities should ensure that local planning policies and decisions, relating to all forms of development contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment.

Under Building Regulations, requirements for water efficiency in new dwellings set maximum consumption rates of 125 litres per person per day. A more stringent optional technical standard for new dwellings sets a maximum consumption of 110 litres per person per day, which can be set out in local plans as a policy expectation (and secured by planning condition) where there is evidence this is needed. Data on the number of authorities which have utilised the provision allowing 110 litres per person per day for new homes in water-stressed areas is not held centrally. A variation, allowing the lower ceiling of 110l/p/d to be used, could be proposed by a Local Planning Authority as part of its local plan, which would then be tested during an Inspector’s examination of local plans. Local authorities can prosecute and fine a builder, installer and contractor for non-adherence to Building Regulations, at the point of delivery, including by removing the work or transferring it to the local authority.

The Government is aware of issues relating to the water efficiency standards required of new developments and the challenges posed to developers and local planning authorities. The Government has committed to a legally binding water demand target to reduce demand by 20% by 2038. Defra wrote to local authorities last year to encourage them to implement the optional technical standard of 110 litres per person per day and published ‘water positive’ guidance for developers that supports tighter efficiency. We are working with Defra, Natural England and the Environment Agency to deliver commitments in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 which include reviewing water efficiency, water reuse and drainage standards set out in Building Regulations and which will facilitate future housing delivery. We will consider a new standard for new homes in England of 105 litres per person per day and 100 litres per person per day where there is a clear local need, such as in areas of serious water stress.

Under Building Regulations, requirements for water efficiency in new dwellings set maximum consumption rates of 125 litres per person per day. A more stringent optional technical standard for new dwellings sets a maximum consumption of 110 litres per person per day, which can be set out in local plans as a policy expectation (and secured by planning condition) where there is evidence this is needed. Data on the number of authorities which have utilised the provision allowing 110 litres per person per day for new homes in water-stressed areas is not held centrally. A variation, allowing the lower ceiling of 110l/p/d to be used, could be proposed by a Local Planning Authority as part of its local plan, which would then be tested during an Inspector’s examination of local plans. Local authorities can prosecute and fine a builder, installer and contractor for non-adherence to Building Regulations, at the point of delivery, including by removing the work or transferring it to the local authority.

The Government is aware of issues relating to the water efficiency standards required of new developments and the challenges posed to developers and local planning authorities. The Government has committed to a legally binding water demand target to reduce demand by 20% by 2038. Defra wrote to local authorities last year to encourage them to implement the optional technical standard of 110 litres per person per day and published ‘water positive’ guidance for developers that supports tighter efficiency. We are working with Defra, Natural England and the Environment Agency to deliver commitments in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 which include reviewing water efficiency, water reuse and drainage standards set out in Building Regulations and which will facilitate future housing delivery. We will consider a new standard for new homes in England of 105 litres per person per day and 100 litres per person per day where there is a clear local need, such as in areas of serious water stress.

Under Building Regulations, requirements for water efficiency in new dwellings set maximum consumption rates of 125 litres per person per day. A more stringent optional technical standard for new dwellings sets a maximum consumption of 110 litres per person per day, which can be set out in local plans as a policy expectation (and secured by planning condition) where there is evidence this is needed. Data on the number of authorities which have utilised the provision allowing 110 litres per person per day for new homes in water-stressed areas is not held centrally. A variation, allowing the lower ceiling of 110l/p/d to be used, could be proposed by a Local Planning Authority as part of its local plan, which would then be tested during an Inspector’s examination of local plans. Local authorities can prosecute and fine a builder, installer and contractor for non-adherence to Building Regulations, at the point of delivery, including by removing the work or transferring it to the local authority.

The Government is aware of issues relating to the water efficiency standards required of new developments and the challenges posed to developers and local planning authorities. The Government has committed to a legally binding water demand target to reduce demand by 20% by 2038. Defra wrote to local authorities last year to encourage them to implement the optional technical standard of 110 litres per person per day and published ‘water positive’ guidance for developers that supports tighter efficiency. We are working with Defra, Natural England and the Environment Agency to deliver commitments in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 which include reviewing water efficiency, water reuse and drainage standards set out in Building Regulations and which will facilitate future housing delivery. We will consider a new standard for new homes in England of 105 litres per person per day and 100 litres per person per day where there is a clear local need, such as in areas of serious water stress.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The information requested is not held centrally.

We know that people with mental health problems are disproportionately represented in the Criminal Justice System, and these conditions require treatment. We are working with health partners, as part of prison reform, to improve the data and evidence we collect to assist with evaluating health interventions. We are committed to meeting the mental health needs of prisoners. All prisons have procedures in place to identify, manage and support people with mental health issues.