Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on levels of prevalence of aluminium composite material cladding on buildings in Nuneaton constituency.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

There are no buildings in the Nuneaton constituency that have been identified with unsafe cladding.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of differences in sentencing for violent crimes committed (a) within domestic settings and (b) outside the home.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the independent courts. Courts take into account the specific facts of each case and have a statutory obligation to follow any relevant sentencing guidelines. The Sentencing Council’s guideline on domestic abuse, published in 2018, makes clear that the domestic context of an offence increases its severity. This is because it represents a violation of trust and security that normally exists in an intimate or family relationship.

We know, however, that sentences which offenders receive often do not make sense either to victims or the wider public, and this is particularly worrying for offences against women and girls. That is why this Government has committed to carry out a review of sentencing, to ensure it is consistent and makes sense to victims and the public.

We are also aware that there are specific issues in relation to domestic homicide sentencing, due to the effects of the 25-year starting point for murders committed with a knife or other weapon taken to the scene with intent. In opposition, this Government welcomed the legislation introduced by the previous administration which implemented some of Clare Wade KC’s independent Domestic Homicide Sentencing Review recommendations. We recognise, however, that there is more to be done and Ministers are continuing to meet stakeholders on this complex issue.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the suitability of Nuneaton constituency for a youth hub in the context of plans relating to the young futures unit.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to rolling out a network of Young Futures Hubs which will bring together services to help improve the way young people can access the support they need.

Over the coming weeks we will be engaging with local communities, the police, charities, and other key partners to support the design of the Young Futures programme, including hubs and explore options for their delivery.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of using (a) car parks and (b) other elements of the built environment for industrial solar energy projects; and if he will take steps to do so.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government supports the deployment of solar on rooftops, including those of car parks and other buildings. Many smaller-scale commercial rooftop projects are covered by permitted development rights, which allow them to be installed without applying for planning consent. These include solar canopies in non-domestic, off-street car parks, and rooftop projects of any size on non-domestic buildings. From next year, Future Homes and Buildings Standards will ensure that all newly-built homes and commercial buildings are fit for a net zero future.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing district councils to be constituent members of Combined County Authorities.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Existing combined county authority legislation provides that only upper tier local authorities in the area of a combined county authority can be constituent members. District councils are an important part of local government, and as non-constituent members can play an active role in any combined county authority in their area, should they wish.

It is important that all local authorities are engaged and actively involved in improving their areas, working across all levels of government for the interests of the local community.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the real-terms funding per pupil in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Nuneaton constituency has been in each financial year since 2010.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Local authorities receive their core funding for schools through the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG). Local authorities are then responsible for designing a local formula, within certain parameters, to distribute the funding that they receive from the department to schools in their area. This local formula is used to determine funding for both the maintained schools and academies in each area.

As the DSG is allocated at local authority level DSG allocations are not available broken down to the level of individual constituencies. The individual allocations that schools within Nuneaton constituency receive are determined, each year, by the local funding formula set by Warwickshire local authority.

The table below provides the per pupil funding units from the 2018/19 academic year to the 2024/25 academic year for Warwickshire local authority. The department cannot provide comparable funding data back to 2010, due to the changes in the funding system since that time. In particular, funding for schools was only identified separately from funding for high needs or early years in 2013, and funding for central school services provided by local authorities was split out from the schools block funding in the 2018/2019 academic year.

The figures below represent the core funding schools receive through the schools block of the DSG. All the figures in the table exclude growth and premises funding. They also do not include additional funding that schools have received for pay and pensions, or other funding streams such as the pupil premium.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support primary prevention regarding violence against women and girls.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

This Government will treat tackling violence against women and girls as a national emergency and prevention will be a key element of our approach.

With a mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of SEND provision services in Nuneaton constituency; and what steps she is taking to work with local authorities in Nuneaton to improve SEND provision.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Following the last Ofsted inspection, departmental officials have been working with Warwickshire County Council to closely monitor progress against the areas for improvement identified by inspectors.

The areas were:

(i) Autism spectrum disorder waiting times, assessments and support following diagnosis.

(ii) Co-production.

(iii) Placement of children and young people with an education, health and care plan.

(iv) Uptake of training for school staff working with children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

(v) And the quality of the online local offer.

The department has appointed a SEND advisor to support and work alongside Warwickshire County Council and the local area partnership.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach in collaboration with local area partnerships to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.