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Written Question
Education: Assessments
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Education to help close the gap in exam results between boys and girls.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

Raising attainment for all pupils, no matter their gender or background is at the heart of this government’s agenda, and we are committed to providing a world-class education system for all.

The latest data show that, while girls continue to outperform boys across most headline measures, the gender gap between boys and girls is narrowing.

At KS2 in 2022/23, the gender gap between boys and girls at the expected standard in reading, writing and maths has decreased since 2021/22 and is the lowest it has been since 2016/17. KS4 results show the gender gap has narrowed across all headline measures when comparing 2022/23 with both 2018/19 and 2021/22.

The Schools White Paper (March 2022) was clear about the direction of travel needed to improve attainment. It set out our long-term vision for a school system that helps every child to fulfil their potential by ensuring that they receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time – founded on achieving world-class literacy and numeracy.

This is supported by significant investment in education. Next year, including the recently announced funding for pension contributions, overall school funding is increasing by £2.9 billion compared to 2023-24, taking the total to £60.7 billion in 2024-25 – the highest ever level in real terms per pupil. This will help schools in their vital work to close attainment gaps, and level up educational opportunities.

Alongside this, the department takes a range of steps to improve attainment and outcomes for all pupils, including improving the quality of teaching and curriculum resources, strengthening the school system, increasing attendance, and providing targeted support where needed.

We know that disadvantaged pupils and those with additional needs are more likely to fall behind and need extra support to reach their full potential. This is why we provide additional funding as part of schools’ overall funding to support disadvantaged pupils through the pupil premium, which will rise to over £2.9 billion in 2024-25, an increase of £80 million from 2023-24.

Programmes such as Free School Meals that support over 2 million children, the Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF), and support for up to 2,700 breakfast clubs also support disadvantaged pupils.

We also continue to collaborate with other government departments to address out-of-school factors that we know have a significant impact on attainment outcomes.


Written Question
Legislative Drafting: Gender
Friday 15th March 2024

Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)

Question to the Leader of the House:

To ask the Leader of the House, with reference to the Answer of 19 June 2023 to Question 187222, on Legislative Drafting: Gender, whether the revised guidance has been completed; and whether she continues to plan to place it in the Libraries of both Houses and publish it on the gov.uk website.

Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel has updated its drafting guidance in general and, following the written statement, has further information for drafters on gendered language. This will be published on GOV.UK in due course.


Written Question
Cabinet Office: Staff
Friday 15th March 2024

Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) part-time and (b) full-time paid positions the a:gender staff network has; and what the cost to the public purse is of that network.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The costs (covering the period 2022-23) were £82,000. A decision has been made since then that no further funding will be provided.

Some of the information requested is being withheld because disclosure of that information would contravene one of the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation and section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Specifically, we consider that disclosure of the information would contravene principle A under article 5(1)(a) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which requires that personal data should be processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently.

We have found that on balance the legitimate interest and necessity in disclosure are overridden by the reasonable expectations of privacy of the individual[s] concerned.

In this case, the numbers concerned are 5 individuals or fewer. We cannot provide details in such cases as the individuals concerned could be identifiable. This is standard statistical reporting.


Written Question
Streaming
Wednesday 13th March 2024

Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she plans to take to ensure that Ofcom's review of video-on-demand services' (a) age ratings and (b) other audience protection measures, as required by section 32 of the draft Media Bill, is sufficiently thorough.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Media Bill will give Ofcom an enhanced ongoing duty to assess all video-on-demand providers’ audience protection measures – such as age ratings, content warning, and parental controls – to ensure that the systems put in place are effective and fit for purpose, as they have done with broadcast television.


Written Question
Pornography Review
Tuesday 12th March 2024

Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Angiolini Inquiry Part 1 report, published in February 2024, when she plans to publish the findings of her Department's review entitled Pornography Regulation, Legislation and Enforcement, published on 11 January 2024; and whether that review will address the societal impact of violent and extreme pornography.

Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Independent Pornography Review will involve a comprehensive assessment of the impact of pornography on viewers and wider society, including the impact of violent and extreme pornography, identifying any links to violence against women and girls. It will also review how effective current legislation, regulation, and law enforcement are in tackling extreme pornographic content. The review is being led by an independent lead reviewer, Baroness Gabby Bertin, who oversees the delivery of the review and the final report and recommendations. The independent review’s Terms of Reference state that it aims to conclude by Summer 2024.


Written Question
Military Decorations
Friday 1st March 2024

Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to take steps to recognise the service of British and allied soldiers during the Cold War period.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 January 2024 to Question 7570 to the hon. Member for Barnsley Central (Dan Jarvis).


Written Question
Education: Boys
Tuesday 13th February 2024

Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has taken steps to implement recommendation 27 on page 260 of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's report entitled Equality and Human Rights Monitor, published in November 2023, on the under-performance of boys relative to girls in primary and secondary education.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

Raising attainment for all pupils, no matter their gender or background is at the heart of this government’s agenda and the government is committed to providing a world-class education system for all.

The latest data shows that, while girls continue to outperform boys across most headline measures, the gender gap between boys and girls is narrowing.

At key stage 2 in 2022/23, the gender gap between boys and girls at the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics has decreased since 2022 and is the lowest it has been since 2016. Key stage 4 results show the gender gap has narrowed across all headline measures when comparing 2022/23 with both 2018/19 and 2021/22.

The Schools White Paper, published in March 2022, was clear about the direction of travel needed to improve attainment. It set out the department’s long-term vision for a school system that helps every child to fulfil their potential by ensuring that they receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time – founded on achieving world-class literacy and numeracy.

This is supported by significant investment in education with the overall core school budget totalling over £59.6 billion in 2024/25 which is the highest ever level in real terms per pupil. This will help schools in their vital work to close attainment gaps, and level up educational opportunities.

Alongside this, the department takes a range of steps to improve attainment and outcomes for all pupils, including improving the quality of teaching and curriculum resources, strengthening the school system, increasing attendance, and providing targeted support where needed.

The department is aware that disadvantaged pupils and those with additional needs are more likely to fall behind and need extra support to reach their full potential. This is why the department has provided additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils through the pupil premium, which will rise to over £2.9 billion in 2024/25, an increase of £80 million from 2023/24.

Programmes such as free school meals that support 2 million children, the Holiday Activities and Food programme, and support for up to 2,700 breakfast clubs also support disadvantaged pupils.

The department continues to collaborate with other government departments to address out-of-school factors that we know have a significant impact on attainment outcomes.


Written Question
Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education
Thursday 8th February 2024

Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the new draft guidance for Relationship, Sex, and Health Education will be published.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The department aims to be in a position to publish a draft of the guidance for consultation very shortly so that the new guidance will be available as soon as possible.


Written Question
Kooth: Mental Health Services
Tuesday 6th February 2024

Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions she has had with NHS England on the Kooth mental health platform.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

While there have been no ministerial discussions with NHS England about the Kooth mental health platform, Departmental officials have had discussions with NHS England about the platform.


Written Question
Prostate Cancer: Diagnosis
Thursday 25th January 2024

Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to use (a) screening and (b) enhanced testing to increase early diagnosis rates for prostate cancer.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) does not currently recommend screening for prostate cancer as the current test, the Prostate Specific Antigen test, does not meet the required accuracy for use in a national screening programme. Current methods offer insufficient benefit in relation to harms caused by overdiagnosis, which may lead to invasive investigative procedures and unnecessary treatment, to warrant roll out as an organised screening programme. The UK NSC is due to review prostate cancer again in 2024 and will consider new evidence published between the two reviews.

In November 2023 we announced we will be funding a £42 million screening trial with Prostate Cancer UK to find ways of detecting country’s most common male cancer earlier. The first-of-its-kind trial, called TRANSFORM, will use innovative screening methods like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning to detect prostate cancer, and it will see hundreds of thousands of men across the country participating.

Steps have been taken to use enhanced testing to increase early diagnosis rates for prostate cancer; NHS England have streamlined cancer pathways, including implementing a best timed prostate cancer diagnostic pathway so that those suspected of prostate cancer receive a multi-parametric MRI scan first, which ensures only those men most at-risk undergo an invasive biopsy.  Furthermore, to boost early diagnosis NHS England is supporting three pilots, including the Man Van as part of the COVID-19 catch up cancer initiative. The Man Van was launched in March 2022 to provide free health checks for men and boost early diagnosis of prostate cancer.

In addition, backed by £2.3 billion capital funding, the department is expanding diagnostic capacity across the National Health Service by rolling out more Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs), delivering vital tests, scans and checks. With 150 CDCs open already and up to 160 set to open by March 2025, these offer millions of patients the chance to access quicker, more convenient checks outside of hospitals, with capacity prioritised for cancer. This is contributing to the elective recovery delivery plan ambition for 75% of patients urgently referred by their general practice for suspected cancer to receive a diagnosis or have cancer ruled out within 28 days.