First elected: 5th May 2005
Left House: 6th November 2019 (Standing Down)
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Roberta Blackman-Woods, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Roberta Blackman-Woods has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Roberta Blackman-Woods has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Abortion Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Diana Johnson (Lab)
At this stage it is not possible to quantify whether there will be any redundancies at local authorities or if so, how many there could be.
Land Registry’s current research suggests approximately 850 local authority staff deal with Local Land Charges as all or part of their roles. Land Registry acknowledges the possibility that there may be redundancies among these staff, but they will typically have additional responsibilities alongside their Local Land Charges role.
Further work is required to understand exactly how much time is spent by each individual officer on the Local Land Charges service. Land Registry will, of course, fulfil any TUPE obligations if applicable in any particular case.
The table sets out the total amount drawn down by operational RGF awards to date and the financial years in which the remaining RGF and eRGF is committed through to 31 March 2017.
Unless otherwise agreed, projects and programmes in Rounds 1 to 4 have until 31 March 2015 to draw down their funding and projects and programmes in Round 5 and 6 will be able to draw down funding until 31 March 2017. The Department agrees a draw down profile with each organisation when they sign their grant offer letter that matches the beneficiary’s own investment schedules and job commitments. The subsequent rate of draw down is then subject to the beneficiaries meeting these conditions.
RGF Drawn Down by year (£m)
Financial Year | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | Total |
Actual paid – year to date | 464 | 159 | 551 | 875* | 2,048 | ||
Remaining/ Planned for whole financial year | 16 | 459 | 305 | 780 | |||
Total | 2,829 |
*This is the actual amount paid to beneficiaries and claims awaiting payment as of 24 March 2015.
The Higher Education Funding Council for England's announced allocations to institutions for each of the specified years can be accessed via the links below.
Recurrent allocations are available here, or using the links on this page:
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/whatwedo/invest/institns/annallocns/
Capital allocations are available in a number of places:
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/whatwedo/invest/funds/capital/
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/year/2008/200804/name,63740,en.html
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/year/2011/cl112011/name,62768,en.html
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/whatwedo/rsrch/howfundr/ukrpif/
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/whatwedo/invest/funds/catalyst/
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/whatwedo/rsrch/pastinits/orsas/
Through its programme of Civil Service Reform, the Government is taking urgent action to address long-standing skills gaps in the Civil Service. Our pioneering Commissioning Academy is building commercial capability across the public sector, and improving how public services are delivered.
To date 392 individuals have attended the central Commissioning Academy programmes, including 206 (52%) from central government. In the last year there was a 50% increase in demand for places on the programme, and it will be expanded to deliver 1,500 places by March 2016.
Commissioners have attended from the following local authorities:
Basildon Borough Council
Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council
Birmingham City Council
Bradford Metropolitan Borough Council
Bristol City Council
Canterbury and Coastal Clinical Commissioning Group
Cheltenham Borough Council
Cherwell District, South Northants and Stratford on Avon Councils
Cheshire East Council
Cheshire West and Chester Council
Cheshire West and Chester (a place-based group)
Cumbria County Council
Devon County Council
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Essex County Council
Fenland District Council
Gloucestershire County Council
Harborough District Council
Horsham District Council
Kent County Council
Knowsley Council (Health and Social Care Integration)
Lancashire County Council
Leicestershire County Council
London Borough of Barnet
London Borough of Haringey
London Borough of Lambeth
London Borough of Lewisham
London Borough of Sutton
London Borough of Waltham Forest
Lowestoft Rising (Place based group)
Manchester City Council
Milton Keynes Council
Norfolk County Council
Northamptonshire County Council
Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
Shropshire
Somerset County Council
Southend-on-sea Borough Council
Staffordshire County Council
Stoke-On-Trent City Council
Suffolk Coastal
Sunderland City Council
Surrey County Council
Swindon Borough Council
Tamworth Borough Council
Tri-borough councils: Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster
Wakefield Metropolitan District Council
Walsall Council
Warrington Borough Council
Waverley Borough Council
West Sussex County Council
Westminster City Council
Wirral Council
Worcestershire County Council
A number of other programmes sit alongside the central programme under the Commissioning Academy umbrella. 78 officials have attended local programmes in Norfolk and Staffordshire, modelled on the central programme, with participants drawn from local authorities and other public sector bodies in the local area. In addition, 8 councillors have attended a streamlined programme for Local Authority elected members.
The Cabinet Office asked Lord Young of Graffham, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Enterprise, to conduct a review of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012.
The report, published on 13 February, shows the Act is having a positive effect where it is taken up. It finds that a number of local authorities have taken a leading role in implementing social value and names Durham Council as an example.
The report makes a number of recommendations. The Government is considering these to ensure that the Act fulfils its full potential.
The Cabinet Office asked Lord Young of Graffham, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Enterprise, to conduct a review of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012.
The report, published on 13 February, shows the Act is having a positive effect where it is taken up. It finds that a number of local authorities have taken a leading role in implementing social value and names Durham Council as an example.
The report makes a number of recommendations. The Government is considering these to ensure that the Act fulfils its full potential.
The Government underwrite guarantee will cover funding for all successful UK bids to Horizon 2020 that are submitted before exit, even if they are notified of success after exit. This includes the 47 successful UK bids to the ERC Advanced Grant 2018 call which form part of the €540m funding recently announced by the European Commission for cutting edge research.
The UKRI portal was announced in the Horizon 2020 Technical Notice and is part of our plans to underwrite funding for UK Horizon 2020 beneficiaries in the event of ‘no deal’. In this scenario, UK beneficiaries who have registered on the UKRI portal will receive detailed information about how the guarantee will be delivered and the next steps that they need to take.
If the underwrite does need to come into effect, our delivery partner, UKRI, is ready to deliver and has planned to make the process as simple and effective as possible for UK beneficiaries.
The Government underwrite guarantee will cover funding for all successful UK bids to Horizon 2020 that are submitted before exit, even if they are notified of success after exit. This includes the 47 successful UK bids to the ERC Advanced Grant 2018 call which form part of the €540m funding recently announced by the European Commission for cutting edge research.
The UKRI portal was announced in the Horizon 2020 Technical Notice and is part of our plans to underwrite funding for UK Horizon 2020 beneficiaries in the event of ‘no deal’. In this scenario, UK beneficiaries who have registered on the UKRI portal will receive detailed information about how the guarantee will be delivered and the next steps that they need to take.
Since the announcement of the underwrite guarantee in 2016, the Government has consistently reiterated our commitment to deliver it, should it be required. Methods used include Ministerial statements in Parliament, digital engagement by both BEIS and our delivery partner UKRI, and direct engagement with business and stakeholder groups.
The attached tables show the amount and proportion of research income earned by each higher education institution (HEI) from the Research Councils and higher education funding bodies across the UK in each of the last three years.
Research and development is a key driver of economic growth and is a vital part of the government's Industrial Strategy. The government clearly demonstrated its commitment to science and research in the 2016 Autumn Statement, committing an additional £4.7 billion to R&D funding covering both science and innovation over the period 2017/18 to 20/21. This equates to an extra £2 billion a year by 2020/21, the biggest increase in any parliament since 1979.
Total R&D expenditure in the UK in 2015 represented 1.68% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The rate in future years will depend on both public sector and private sector investment in R&D as well as on the level of GDP.
Research and development is a key driver of economic growth and is a vital part of the government's Industrial Strategy. The government clearly demonstrated its commitment to science and research in the 2016 Autumn Statement, committing an additional £4.7 billion to R&D funding covering both science and innovation over the period 2017/18 to 20/21. This equates to an extra £2 billion a year by 2020/21, the biggest increase in any parliament since 1979.
Total R&D expenditure in the UK in 2015 represented 1.68% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The rate in future years will depend on both public sector and private sector investment in R&D as well as on the level of GDP.
We are currently considering the merits of a request for funding that we received from the UK National Committee for Women on the 28th of August.
The UK is the second largest donor to UN Women, providing £12.5m of funding each year.
I refer the hon. Member for the City of Durham to the answer I gave on 26 June 2019 to Question 267762.
The government will consider the Post-18 Education and Funding Review recommendations carefully and will conclude the review at the Spending Review. The government has not yet taken decisions with regards to the recommendations put forward. Access and successful participation remain a priority for this government and is enshrined in the Higher Education (HE) and Research Act (2017). Everyone with the ability to succeed in HE should have the opportunity, regardless of their background or where they grew up.
The Department is running a public consultation until 12 February 2019 to gather evidence on the impact of increased contributions to the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) for all TPS employers, including universities.
The Government has stated publicly that the United Kingdom (UK) is committed to continuing full participation in the Erasmus+ Programme up until we leave the European Union. We will underwrite successful bids for Erasmus+ that are submitted while the UK is still a member state, even if they are not approved until after we leave, and/or payments continue beyond the point of exit.
Bids for higher education study periods submitted before the exit date will include mobility in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 academic years. The underwrite will cover funding for those successful bids which are submitted before exit and we are encouraging participants to continue to apply for funding until we leave.
The student finance system is financially sustainable and has enabled record numbers of students from disadvantaged backgrounds to benefit from higher education.
Latest data show that 18 year olds applied at record rates in 2017, and their application rates have increased for five years in a row. This is also true for the most disadvantaged 18 year olds.
Non-continuation rates for UK students at English Higher Education Institutions are lower than in 2009/10, including for young, mature, disadvantaged and BME students.
Teaching is a graduate profession. We do not stipulate a minimum degree class for trainee teachers; however, initial teacher training providers have the freedom to set their own entry requirements. Through the use of bursaries, we encourage those with a higher degree class to enter teaching. Details of bursaries for those beginning courses in 2017/18 can be found here: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/funding-and-salary/overview
The degree class of current postgraduate trainees is provided in Tables 2 and 2a in the Main tables section on:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/initial-teacher-training-trainee-number-census-2016-to-2017.
It includes a breakdown by subject and route.
Teaching is a graduate profession. We do not stipulate a minimum degree class for trainee teachers; however, initial teacher training providers have the freedom to set their own entry requirements. Through the use of bursaries, we encourage those with a higher degree class to enter teaching. Details of bursaries for those beginning courses in 2017/18 can be found here: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/funding-and-salary/overview
The degree class of current postgraduate trainees is provided in Tables 2 and 2a in the Main tables section on:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/initial-teacher-training-trainee-number-census-2016-to-2017.
It includes a breakdown by subject and route.
To teach in a state maintained secondary, primary, or state or non-state maintained special school you must have qualified teacher status (QTS). Routes that lead to the award of QTS, including those which assess previous teaching experience, are outlined on the Get Into Teaching website:
https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/explore-my-options/teacher-training-routes.
Teachers who trained outside England may be able to have their teaching qualification recognised as equivalent to QTS. To do so, such teachers must apply to the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) to be awarded QTS before they can take up a teaching post in a maintained school or non-maintained special school in England. Individuals who hold qualified teacher learning and skills (QTLS) status are also eligible to work as a qualified teacher in schools in England.
Further information on eligibility and equivalencies is available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/qualified-teacher-status-qts.
The criteria used to determine eligibility for multi-year allocations are set out in the 2017-18 allocations methodology published in September 2016. For postgraduate providers, these include Ofsted grade (based on published initial teacher education inspection data) but do not refer to provider size or location.
We will publish a detailed technical methodology on how three-year allocations were determined, alongside a full list of allocations for 2017-18, in due course.
The criteria used to determine the allocations universities received are set out on pages 7-8 of the 2017/18 allocations methodology, published September 2016.
We intend to publish a full list of allocations and three-year allocations for 2017-18 in due course. This will be supported with a methodological and technical guide on how three-year initial teacher training allocations were determined.
We did not apply different weightings to the criteria – they all have equal weighting. The criteria on how we determined three-year allocations is outlined on pages 7-8 of the 2017/18 allocations methodology, published September 2016.
It is for individual businesses to determine how they meet the skills challenges arising from the Government’s ambitious home building programme.
Our reforms to apprenticeships will be a key tool to enable employers to meet their skills needs and the construction sector is currently developing a range of apprenticeship standards as part of the reform process.
The training that is delivered for apprentices is monitored by Ofsted and the Skills Funding Agency, which set minimum standards for achievement rates. Both organisations have intervention regimes in place if training falls short of minimum requirements.
The current apprenticeships programme has a clear emphasis on improving quality.
There are apprenticeship standards in development for both plastering and bricklaying, and both are intended to be three years in duration. We have a further 25 construction apprenticeship standards in development. We are working with the construction sector to ensure that these apprenticeships are relevant, robust, high-quality and are of sufficient duration for the apprentice to be competent in their chosen occupation.
The government believes that all children should have the opportunity to receive a high quality and appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE). SRE is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools, and many primary schools also teach it in an age-appropriate way. Academies do not have to teach SRE but many choose to do so as part of their statutory duty to provide a broad and balanced curriculum.
Schools and teachers should decide what to teach based on their pupils’ needs, and taking account of pupil and parent views. Teachers are encouraged to develop their practice with the support of specialist organisations and expert professionals, as they deem appropriate, and schools work with a number of partners to deliver SRE in schools.
Since April 2013, Local Authorities have been responsible for public health locally, including school nursing, and decisions should be based around local needs. According to NHS Digital there are 1,100 qualified school nurses (Specialist Community Public Health Nurses) in England and the workforce numbers have remained relatively stable over the last few years. More information can be found at: http://digital.nhs.uk/searchcatalogue?productid=21584&topics=0%2fWorkforce&sort=Relevance&size=10&page=1#top
The Government is committed to ensuring stronger protection of our ancient woodlands. The irreplaceable nature and value of ancient woodlands is recognised by their special status in the National Planning Policy Framework. The National Planning Policy Framework is very clear that the development of these areas should be avoided.
The UK does not have a specific policy about using the word Rohingya in discussions with the Burmese authorities. The UK recognises the rights of all communities to self-identify, including the Rohingya. We continue to urge the Burmese authorities to ensure basic rights for all people of Burma.
At present DFID is not providing support directly to this specific population. Humanitarian Advisors are monitoring the situation, speaking to the Border Consortium and aiming to visit the area in early 2018 to make an assessment. DFID’s current humanitarian assistance in Burma is channelled through the Burma Humanitarian Assistance And Resilience Programme, which provides support to Burmese refugees in Thailand and over 100,000 conflict-affected and internally displaced people across Burma.
Before DFID Burma’s programmes work with private sector companies we conduct vetting and due diligence to identify and screen out any companies or individuals who may have military links. It is however difficult in Burma to assert that none of our project partners are not purchasing any goods or services from military-owned or controlled companies. Over 50 years of dictatorship the military has built up a range of commercial interests. The services and goods they provide range from drinking water to port handling services and mobile phone towers.
In Uganda, the Bridge International Academies (BIA) schools remain open with BIA and the Government of Uganda in dialogue to ensure that BIA meets the requirements set out.
There is no set funding pattern to BIA. CDC has a total UK investment in BIA of $7.1m, made in 2014. The investments made were long term and will be returned to the UK taxpayer, they are not specifically for any country of operation. A DFID £3.45m grant, awarded competitively, was also provided to open 23 Bridge academies in Lagos, Nigeria. This grant is now completed.
Any future funding decisions will follow DFID’s due process that aims to achieve best value for money and developmental impact, taking into consideration a broad range of evidence.
I welcome the establishment of the Institute for Free Trade, which fully acknowledges the vital role trade can play in boosting developing countries’ economic development and lifting people out of poverty.
This Government is committed to engaging with a broad range of stakeholders as we further develop our trade and development policy. I look forward to considering the work of the Institute as this progresses.
Since 2012 the UK has pledged £2.46 billion in response to the Syria crisis, the UK’s largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. As well as supporting children with food, shelter and healthcare, the UK helped to launch UNICEF’s No Lost Generation Initiative, which provides education, protection, and mental health support for children in Syria and neighbouring countries. At the 2016 London Syria Conference we did not make a specific pledge for education inside Syria, but in 2016/17 alone DFID helped ensure that over 350,000 children accessed formal primary and secondary education in Syria, and that over 80,000 benefitted from non-formal education.
In line with the Conservative Manifesto, this Government is pressing for the rules that govern how, on whom, and for what purpose development assistance is spent to better reflect the breadth of our assistance around the world. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee (OECD-DAC) determines what may be counted as Official Development Assistance. As it operates by consensus, we are working with our DAC partners and other stakeholders to achieve this.
DFID led the way in the crisis as the international community’s largest bilateral donor. In Bangladesh we made the first international contribution of £660,000 to help over 60,000 people with food, shelter, and water and sanitation. Following flooding earlier in the year, we allocated £3m for early recovery in North East Bangladesh. In Nepal, we provided water, hygiene, sanitation and shelter support to 30,000 people through pre-positioned supplies, and gave £400,000 to the Nepal Red Cross Society for the response. In Pakistan, we committed over £410,000 for emergency response, which included cash support for 1,300 families to repair damaged homes, and provide temporary access to clean drinking water to 400,000 people. In India, we committed £400,000 through the multi-donor START fund in India.
Over several years DFID has helped Bangladesh and Nepal to prepare for natural disasters. Previous UK support in Bangladesh funded emergency flood shelters, and in Nepal the UK funded the construction of a humanitarian staging area at Kathmandu airport. In addition, DFID Bangladesh is earmarking £7.9 million for disaster preparedness from 2016-2021, and DFID Nepal is setting aside £46 million between 2016 and 2022, for strengthening disaster resilience and responding to humanitarian emergencies.
The UK leads the world in our long-term support for comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR): from tackling HIV, to family planning, to maternal and newborn health, to combatting Female Genital Mutilation and child, early and forced marriage, to supporting safe abortion. We are the second largest donor to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria; the largest donor to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and we recently opened bids for innovative civil society consortia to address SRHR.
In July 2017 the UK again rose to the challenge, hosting the London summit on family planning, and committing to spend an average of £225m every year on family planning for the next five years, an increase of 25%, which we estimate will prevent 6 million unintended pregnancies.
While our first priority has been to deliver life-saving assistance to those affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the UK government has also started work on recovery and reconstruction in the affected Territories. A team of technical experts will be starting discussions this week with the Overseas Territory Governments to help them develop plans to meet their reconstruction needs.
DFID is working closely with member states and the Commonwealth Secretariat to develop policy proposals for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting 2018 and for the UK's full period as Chair-In-Office until 2020. Malaria is one of the issues under consideration. The UK is a leading global actor in fighting malaria through a wide range of interventions.
I am pleased that the Agreed Conclusions reached by member states at the 58th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) included a call for a dedicated goal on gender equality, women's and girls' empowerment and the human rights of girls and women. It also called for ending all forms of violence against women and girls; economic empowerment; leadership and participation in decision making; and ending harmful practice, including Child, Early and Forced Marriage, and Female Genital Mutilation.
The UK statement at the CSW highlighted the need for a dedicated goal on gender equality, and the empowerment of girls and women in the post -2015 framework. We are working with others across the international community, including civil society, to ensure that this is achieved.
The Government recognises the benefit that education exports bring to the UK and continues to support its growth - it is our wish to maximise opportunities for UK providers. We also recognise the valuable contribution universities make to improving lives around the world. We will be doing more to promote the UK higher education offer, particularly in Trans National Education; and the Department for International Trade’s dedicated education team has enhanced its focus with the imminent arrival of a secondee from the sector. We will continue to collaborate with the higher education sector to support development of their international business.
The Secretary of State has confirmed that the Government expects to make an announcement on the way forward for supported housing in early autumn.
Ministers in DWP and DCLG have met and continue to meet with stakeholders representing local authorities, supported accommodation, commissioners, and all categories of supported housing providers, be they charities, housing associations, voluntary organisations or from the commercial sector.