Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many special free schools are in special measures.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
42 special free schools had an Ofsted inspection between 31 January 2021 and 31 January 2024. 5 special free schools had an Outstanding rating following an Ofsted inspection between 31 January 2021 and 31 January 2024. The proportion of Good special free schools is higher than the figure for all special schools. 62% of special free schools that were inspected in the last 3 years were Good in comparison to 53% of all special schools that were inspected in the last 3 years. 3 special free schools had an Inadequate rating following an Ofsted inspection between 31 January 2021 and 31 January 2024. 3 special free schools are in special measures as of 31 January 2024. Ofsted inspection data from 31 January 2024 is the most recent available.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason the eligibility criteria for NHS sight tests does not include people with learning disabilities within the classification of groups at high risk of eye disease.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning National Health Service sight testing services to meet the local need, which could include commissioning adapted sight testing services to meet the needs of adults with learning disabilities. People over the age of 14 years old with a learning disability are entitled to a general practice led annual health check, to maintain their health. This can help identify undetected health conditions early, including problems with vision.
All children under the age of 16 years old, and those under the age of 19 years old in full time education, as well as adults aged 60 years old or over, are entitled to an NHS sight test. Those on a low income, and defined categories of people at particular risk of developing eye disease are also entitled to free tests. Sight tests will also be made available to all children attending special day and residential schools during 2024/25.
For adults, although having a learning disability does not provide exemption grounds, we would expect those with severe learning disabilities would meet the eligibility criteria in other ways. We therefore do not believe there is a need to extend eligibility further.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to reduce inequalities in eye care for adults with learning disabilities.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning National Health Service sight testing services to meet the local need, which could include commissioning adapted sight testing services to meet the needs of adults with learning disabilities. People over the age of 14 years old with a learning disability are entitled to a general practice led annual health check, to maintain their health. This can help identify undetected health conditions early, including problems with vision.
All children under the age of 16 years old, and those under the age of 19 years old in full time education, as well as adults aged 60 years old or over, are entitled to an NHS sight test. Those on a low income, and defined categories of people at particular risk of developing eye disease are also entitled to free tests. Sight tests will also be made available to all children attending special day and residential schools during 2024/25.
For adults, although having a learning disability does not provide exemption grounds, we would expect those with severe learning disabilities would meet the eligibility criteria in other ways. We therefore do not believe there is a need to extend eligibility further.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2023 to Question 7225 on Personal Independence Payment: Appeals, if he will publish the (a) number and proportion of personal independence payment claims overturned by Tribunal, broken down by primary reason, and (b) feedback provided by his Department's Presenting Officers for each of the last three years.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The table below shows the number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) decisions overturned at Tribunal by reason between January 2021 and September 2023.
These figures are the result of a complex data match across a number of data sets. This data is unpublished data and should therefore be used with caution, as it may be subject to future revision.
To note, this information is taken from Decision Notices and recorded on the PIP computer system.
This data only provides one reason per appeal why decisions by DWP decision makers have been overturned at a tribunal hearing, and therefore may not give the full story as there may be other or multiple reasons.
Appeals data is taken from the DWP PIP computer system’s management information. Therefore, this appeal data may differ from that held by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service for various reasons such as delays in data recording and other methodological differences in collating and preparing statistics.
As with all DWP processes, we continuously review and have made improvements to our decision-making processes to help ensure we make the right decision as early as possible in the claim journey. We have introduced a new approach to decision making at both the initial decision and the Mandatory Reconsideration stage, giving Decision Makers additional time to proactively contact customers where they think additional evidence may support the claim.
The feedback from Presenting Officers is done on a case-by-case basis and only at a local level. Whilst trends are identified to help inform future decision making - this includes feeding back to Healthcare Professionals - there are no plans to consolidate and publish the feedback in data recording and other methodological differences in collating and preparing statistics.
Summary reason DWP decision | Appeal Clearance Year | ||
2021 | 2022 | 2023 (up to September) | |
New written evidence provided at hearing | 400 | 200 | 300 |
Cogent Oral Evidence | 8,800 | 8,800 | 11,800 |
Reached a Different Conclusion on | 16,300 | 16,700 | 17,500 |
Other | 1,900 | 1,900 | 2,000 |
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many responses her Department received to its letter of June 2023 to football league and competition organisers on guidance relating to the safety of barriers and fences in stadiums.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Following serious incidents involving football players colliding with objects and barriers around the perimeter of the playing area, the Government and the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) wrote jointly to The Football Association (FA), Premier League, the English Football League (EFL) and the National League setting out our concerns. Of these, The FA, Premier League, and the EFL have responded.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of supporting the case brought against Israel by South Africa at the International Court of Justice.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
This development is unhelpful and we do not support it. We recognise that Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas, in accordance with International Humanitarian Law. We do not believe that calling this genocide is the right approach. It is wrong to say that Israeli leadership, and Israel as a country, have the intention to commit genocide. Ultimately, it is for courts to decide on matters of genocide, not for states. We of course respect the role and independence of the International Court of Justice.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the new Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work plans to outline her priorities for supporting disabled people.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This Governments priorities on supporting disabled people remains unchanged. We will continue to build on our strong track record, which includes supporting over two million more disabled people into work
Our multi-billion pound support plans announced at Autumn Statement will further help millions more disabled people and those with health conditions, including those with long-term sickness, to start, stay, and succeed in work.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of combining the roles of the (a) Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work and (b) Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression on ministerial capacity.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The new Minister for Disabled People has extensive experience of the issues that face disabled people and she will maintain the government’s relentless focus on improving their lives. She has been part of the Department for Work and Pensions’ Ministerial Team since 2019 and brings a wealth of departmental knowledge.
What matters is action and the new Minister for Disabled People will continue to build on the Government’s strong track record of delivering for disabled people.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the length of time it took to appoint a new Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The new Minister for Disabled People has extensive experience of the issues that face disabled people and she will maintain the government’s relentless focus on improving their lives. She has been part of the Department for Work and Pensions’ Ministerial Team since 2019 and brings a wealth of departmental knowledge.
What matters is action and the new Minister for Disabled People will continue to build on the Government’s strong track record of delivering for disabled people.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason the position of Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work has become a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Disabled People, Health and Work.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The new Minister for Disabled People has extensive experience of the issues that face disabled people and she will maintain the government’s relentless focus on improving their lives. She has been part of the Department for Work and Pensions’ Ministerial Team since 2019 and brings a wealth of departmental knowledge.
What matters is action and the new Minister for Disabled People will continue to build on the Government’s strong track record of delivering for disabled people.