Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the closure of small training airfields on (a) local rural economies and (b) the availability of aviation training.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We recognise the role small airfields play in General Aviation as a gateway for individuals to develop their career aspirations in the aviation sector. Ministers do not routinely intervene in local planning and any consideration of directions to modify local plans including the closure of airfields will be made by the local planning authority in accordance with relevant legislation.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the independent aviation safety regulator and as part of their role oversee the approval of training organisations who may operate from small training airfields. In circumstances where a flying training organisation ceases operation, the CAA would work with affected trainees to find new training solutions for each of them where required.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of reported assaults on NHS staff have resulted in prosecution in the last 12 months.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Assaults can be prosecuted under a range of offences such as common assault, actual bodily harm (ABH) or grievous bodily harm (GBH). The Ministry of Justice does not, however, collate data on the profession of the victim. To do so could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
By way of example, data is collated on defendants who are prosecuted and convicted of an assault against an emergency worker. Data on those convicted of such assaults, up to 30 June 2024, can be found in the principal offence proceedings and ‘Outcomes by Offence’ data tool, available at: Outcomes by Offence data tool: June 2024. In the “Outcomes by Offences” document, select the `Overall volumes’ page, then select the offence filter. Select “8.22 Assault of an emergency worker”. The number of convictions for an assault against an emergency worker for each year can be found in the `Convicted’ row.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to encourage students with low literacy rates to develop a love of reading.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.
The department knows that reading for pleasure is hugely important and brings a range of benefits. There are a number of strong links with attainment, such as the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study report, which found a 34 point difference in reading performance between pupils in England who “very much” liked reading and pupils who “do not” like reading. Additionally, the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment study found that enjoyment of reading links to pupils’ reading engagement, and that reading engagement was strongly positively correlated with reading performance. There is also a strong evidence base linking reading for pleasure with other positive effects, such as expanding pupils’ knowledge about the world and about language, as well as their understanding of subject-specific academic and technical vocabulary.
Furthermore, pupils who read regularly report heightened levels of social and emotional wellbeing. For many, reading is a form of relaxation, a place to escape everyday challenges, or a source of entertainment. Reading allows readers to adopt new perspectives, develop empathy and become more socially conscious.
In recognition of this, the department has implemented a range of measures to support reading for pleasure. The English Hubs programme supports the teaching of phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure, with £23 million committed for the 2024/25 academic year to support this work. Furthermore, the government’s reading framework provides guidance on improving the teaching of reading, to ensure that every child is not only able to read proficiently but also develops a genuine love of reading.
On 5 February, the government announced a £2 million investment to drive high and rising standards in reading and writing. Building on the success of phonics, teachers will receive additional training to help children progress from the early stages of phonics in reception and year 1 through to reading fluently by the time they leave primary school. This will be delivered through the English Hubs programme.
In secondary school, teachers will be offered new training and resources this year to help them support readers at all levels, and next year the department will commission further training that will be focused specifically on struggling readers in secondary school who are at risk of falling behind.
The current national curriculum states that teachers are expected to encourage pupils to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information.
The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which will look closely at the key challenges to attainment for young people, in line with the government’s ambition for a curriculum that delivers excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed increase in employers National Insurance contributions on private suppliers providing local authority-funded home-to-school transport to children with special educational needs.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon to the answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 26397.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of measures in place to prevent violence against NHS staff.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Individual employers are responsible for the health and safety of their staff, and they put in place many measures to ensure their health and safety, including appropriate security, training, and emotional support for staff affected by violence.
To support them, NHS England is working on initiatives to prevent and reduce violence and aggression from patients, their families, and the public. In December 2024, NHS England updated its violence prevention standard. This sets out guidance for employers to help them identify risks and develop local policies for dealing with violence and supporting staff.