Stephen Twigg Portrait

Stephen Twigg

Labour (Co-op) - Former Member for Liverpool, West Derby

First elected: 6th May 2010

Left House: 6th November 2019 (Standing Down)


Liaison Committee Sub-committee on the effectiveness and influence of the select committee system
13th Feb 2019 - 6th Nov 2019
Liaison Committee (Commons)
6th Nov 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
National Security Strategy (Joint Committee)
30th Oct 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
Committees on Arms Export Controls
10th Oct 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
International Development Sub-Committee on the Work of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact
13th Sep 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
International Development Committee
12th Jul 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
International Development Committee
18th Jun 2015 - 3rd May 2017
International Development Sub-Committee on the Work of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact
27th Jan 2016 - 3rd May 2017
National Security Strategy (Joint Committee)
30th Nov 2015 - 3rd May 2017
Liaison Committee (Commons)
10th Sep 2015 - 3rd May 2017
Shadow Minister (Justice)
8th May 2015 - 18th Sep 2015
Shadow Minister (Justice) (Political and Constitutional Reform)
7th Oct 2013 - 30th Mar 2015
Shadow Secretary of State for Education
7th Oct 2011 - 7th Oct 2013
Shadow Minister (Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs)
8th Oct 2010 - 7th Oct 2011
Minister of State (Education and Skills) (School Standards)
16th Dec 2004 - 5th May 2005
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education and Skills)
30th May 2002 - 16th Dec 2004
Parliamentary Secretary (Privy Council Office)
11th Jun 2001 - 30th May 2002
Education & Employment
13th Dec 1999 - 11th May 2001
Public Accounts Committee
5th Nov 1998 - 17th Nov 1998


Division Voting information

Stephen Twigg has voted in 1492 divisions, and 5 times against the majority of their Party.

8 Feb 2017 - Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada - View Vote Context
Stephen Twigg voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 68 Labour No votes vs 85 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 409 Noes - 126
16 Dec 2015 - Representation of the People (Proportional Representation) (House of Commons) - View Vote Context
Stephen Twigg voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 16 Labour Aye votes vs 26 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 27 Noes - 164
11 Sep 2015 - Assisted Dying (No. 2) Bill - View Vote Context
Stephen Twigg voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 73 Labour Aye votes vs 91 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 118 Noes - 330
12 Mar 2012 - Backbench Business Committee - View Vote Context
Stephen Twigg voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 36 Labour No votes vs 50 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 203 Noes - 82
15 Jun 2010 - Backbench Business Committee - View Vote Context
Stephen Twigg voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 53 Labour Aye votes vs 57 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 171 Noes - 263
View All Stephen Twigg Division Votes

All Debates

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Michael Gove (Conservative)
(73 debate interactions)
Alistair Burt (Conservative)
(40 debate interactions)
Justine Greening (Independent)
(24 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department for Education
(260 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(103 debate contributions)
Department for Work and Pensions
(49 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Policing and Crime Act 2017
(1,748 words contributed)
Policing and Crime Act 2017
(1,748 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Stephen Twigg's debates

Latest EDMs signed by Stephen Twigg

30th October 2019
Stephen Twigg signed this EDM as a sponsor on Thursday 31st October 2019

South Sudan peace process

Tabled by: Lord Bellingham (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
That this House expresses its support for the people of the Republic of South Sudan; asks all parties to uphold their commitments to peace and dialogue as outlined in the 2018 revitalised peace agreement; calls on the incumbent Government and other signatories of the peace agreement to create a secure …
12 signatures
(Most recent: 16 Dec 2019)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 6
Conservative: 3
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Independent: 1
Green Party: 1
16th October 2019
Stephen Twigg signed this EDM as a sponsor on Thursday 17th October 2019

Invasion of North-East Syria (No. 2)

Tabled by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
That this House is extremely concerned by the Government of Turkey's military invasion of an area in north east Syria controlled by the Syrian Kurds, which is also known as Rojava, and the negative humanitarian consequences of that invasion following the unexpected announcement of the withdrawal of US military forces …
27 signatures
(Most recent: 4 Nov 2019)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 14
Conservative: 4
Independent: 3
Democratic Unionist Party: 3
Scottish National Party: 1
Plaid Cymru: 1
Liberal Democrat: 1
View All Stephen Twigg's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Stephen Twigg, 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.


4 Urgent Questions tabled by Stephen Twigg

Tuesday 24th April 2018
Tuesday 7th November 2017
Thursday 9th May 2013

Stephen Twigg has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

1 Bill introduced by Stephen Twigg


The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision in connection with the protection of children and vulnerable adults in receipt of official development assistance and disaster relief.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Commons
Wednesday 4th July 2018
(Read Debate)

Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
6 Other Department Questions
2nd Dec 2014
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how funding will be allocated to encourage students to register to vote before the General Election.

The Cabinet Office has been running a student forum since early 2013 which brings together organisations that represent universities and students to agree and evaluate best practice to register students.

In addition the Government has recently announced £9.8 million to be used to maximise registration rates. Part of this allocation will go to organisations that can support activities to register currently under registered groups including students. £6.8 million will go to Electoral Registration Officers to support their activities to register their key groups such as students. This is in addition to the previous allocation of £4.2 million which has, in part, been spent on increasing the rate of student registrations.

2nd Dec 2014
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many people who have registered to vote online were already registered.

Since 10 June, over four million people have applied to register to vote and about two thirds of those have chosen to do so online.

Information on the amount of additional people that have joined the register since June will not be available until after the Electoral Commission publish their analysis of the electoral registers in February as part of their assessment of the transition to IER in England and Wales. The assessment for Scotland will be published by the EC in due course following publication of the Scottish registers at the end of February.

2nd Dec 2014
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many voters have fallen off the electoral register since the last Household Survey in 2013.

This information is not held centrally.

2nd Dec 2014
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps he is taking to ensure that students are registered to vote.

This Government has made it easier than ever before to register to vote. Electors can apply to register online in less than three minutes, using any device with internet access. This particularly helps regular home movers like students to register quickly and conveniently.

All potential electors, including students at their term time address, are being contacted individually, both by letter and in person, to complete their registration.

The Government established a national student forum in 2013, bringing together organisations representing students, universities and local authorities to agree practical steps to encourage students to register to vote.

In addition, every Electoral Registration Officer in Great Britain received a share of £4.2m funding to help with the costs of maximising voter registration. This was allocated favourably towards areas with high student populations.

10th Sep 2014
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will place a report in the Library every week of what proportion of the Spring 2014 electorate have been successfully datamatched for the transition to the Individual Electoral Register using (a) the DWP CIS database and (b) additional datamatching employed by local authorities in each local authority.

The results of the nationwide test of datamatching between government records and electoral registers is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-confirming-electors-through-data-matching

An evaluation report on the datamatching taking place this summer is due to be published in late autumn.

1st Oct 2019
To ask the Prime Minister, whether he discussed the conflict in Yemen in his meeting with Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on 24 September 2019.

Details of my meeting with President Rouhani are available on the GOV.UK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-meeting-with-president-rouhani-25-september

1st May 2019
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to respond to Question 237584 on Departmental Responsibilities, tabled on 27 March 2019 by the hon. Member for Liverpool West Derby.

I refer the Right Honourable Member to my answer given to Question 237584 on 8 May 2019.

27th Mar 2019
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many ministerial requirements have been issued by the Cabinet Secretary in each year since 2010.

I refer the honourable gentleman to recent correspondence from Justin Tomlinson MP, Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, a copy of which has been placed in the library of the House, which clarifies previous answers on this subject.

As the Prime Minister’s most senior policy adviser and Secretary to the Cabinet, the Cabinet Secretary provides advice on a wide range of policy issues. Policy decisions are taken by ministers, within the framework of collective Cabinet responsibility, on the advice of the Civil Service.

21st Mar 2019
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to recommendation two of the Government’s Capability Review of the Cross Government Funds, published on 28 March 2018, what progress his Department has made on making public the versions of national security strategies for priority countries.

In the National Security Capability Review the Government introduced the Fusion Doctrine, in order to strengthen HMG’s collective approach to national security. It introduced a new system of senior officials as Senior Responsible Owners, each responsible for developing strategies to deliver NSC priorities via cross-departmental National Security Strategy Implementation Groups (NSSIG).

The Joint Funds Unit and the National Security Secretariat are currently working with teams to develop a suitable approach to the publication of the strategies that underpin NSC priorities and clearly link how cross-Government funds are used to support NSC priorities. At the next National Security Council Sub-Committee for the Joint Funds (the Prosperity Fund and the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund) Ministers will agree the approach, and departments will work together on creating these documents for publication.

For transparency purposes, programme documents are published annually, for the CSSF, which outline the national security objectives that each programme work towards.

2nd Dec 2014
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many 18 to 24 year olds were on the electoral register in (a) 2012, (b) 2013 and (c) 2014.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

18th Apr 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department plans to publish its Smart Export Guarantee proposals for new solar households.

The consultation on a Smart Export Guarantee closed on 5 March 2019. We are currently analysing the responses we received and will publish a government response in due course.

3rd Jul 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to promote women's football in (a) Liverpool and (b) England.

The government is determined to get more girls and women playing sport, something we set out in our sport strategy, Sporting Future. Football is the second most played team sport for adult women and the top ranked team sport in terms of participation for girls.

We are investing £14.6million into the Football Association (FA) through Sport England between 2017 and 2021, to support their grassroots participation, talent and coaching programmes. £2.6million of this is specifically reserved for women and girls talent programmes, helping the FA reach its aspiration to double the number of women and girls teams. The FA also receive an additional £2m each year towards improving diversity in its coaching workforce.

Government is also investing £18million to the Football Foundation charity each year to help deliver a programme of new and improved community sports facilities in towns and cities across the country.

All public funding provided is used to benefit men’s, women’s and disability football; for example, investment in a mixed coaching programme or facility will benefit all groups within that community.

Liverpool, for example, has benefitted to the sum of £15.2millon for football programmes over the last three years from the Football Foundation, which includes a mix of public funding and investment from the FA and the Premier League. This includes the delivery of a Parklife Football Hub, which is home to women and girls clubs, recreational programmes and women’s beginner football festivals.

Mims Davies
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
23rd Apr 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of level of access to superfast fibre broadband in (a) Liverpool West Derby constituency, (b) Merseyside and (c) North West England; and what steps he is taking to increase access to that service in those areas.

According to Thinkbroadband; 99.7% of premises in Liverpool West constituency currently have access to Superfast broadband. 96.8% of premises in the North West, have access to Superfast broadband. Thinkbroadband does not hold specific information for Merseyside.

Despite high levels of access to superfast speeds in these areas, many premises are choosing not to take it up. Current take up rates for broadband stands at 46.6% of premises in the Merseyside area, and 45.2% in the North West.

DCMS run several voucher schemes which are available to the public to help increase broadband services across the UK.

The Better Broadband Voucher Scheme is available to those who are unable to obtain a connection speed above 2Mbps. The Scheme can support access to satellite broadband, or fixed 4G or wireless connections in some locations. The Better Broadband Voucher Scheme will be open for applications until 31st December 2019, ensuring that an affordable basic broadband installation remains available to eligible applicants. Further information is available at:https://basicbroadband.culture.gov.uk/.

In March 2018 the Local Full Fibre Networks programme launched its £67m Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme. Small to medium sized businesses can claim a voucher worth up to £2,500, and residents can claim a voucher worth up to £500 as part of a group project. Businesses and local community groups interested in requesting a voucher can find details of suppliers in their local area on our website at: https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk/.

16th Nov 2018
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, on how many occasions the Information Commissioner's Office has disclosed personal data to the wrong recipient.

We do not hold the requested information. The Information Commissioner is independent of Government, and reports directly to Parliament. The Information Commissioner's Office publishes its annual report on its website, www.ICO.org.uk, where it holds such information.

18th Jul 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of children who are at risk of experiencing hunger during the school summer holidays in 2019.

The information requested is not held centrally.

In 2018, the department announced a programme of work to explore ways of supporting disadvantaged families during school holidays. We received 94 applications for funding from organisations across the country, for a share of £2 million.

The 2018 programme saw charities and community groups provide meals and activities such as football, play sessions, and cooking classes for more than 18,000 children across the country. Building on this, the department has quadrupled funding and strengthened the programme to encourage coordination in local communities, so that even more disadvantaged children can benefit from the programme. Applications were invited from organisations to act as coordinators in a specific local authority area. The 2019 programme received 92 applications and selected 11 locations for funding, including at least one in each of the 9 regions of England. This summer, around 50,000 disadvantaged children will be offered free meals and activities over the upcoming summer holidays, funded by £9.1 million.

The purpose of this programme is to allow us to gather more evidence about the scale of the issue, the most effective ways of tackling it, and the costs and delivery challenges associated with doing so. As a result, the department will be able to make an evidence based decision about whether and how we should intervene in the longer term.

18th Jul 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department is providing to families with children who are at risk of experiencing hunger during the school summer holidays in 2019.

The information requested is not held centrally.

In 2018, the department announced a programme of work to explore ways of supporting disadvantaged families during school holidays. We received 94 applications for funding from organisations across the country, for a share of £2 million.

The 2018 programme saw charities and community groups provide meals and activities such as football, play sessions, and cooking classes for more than 18,000 children across the country. Building on this, the department has quadrupled funding and strengthened the programme to encourage coordination in local communities, so that even more disadvantaged children can benefit from the programme. Applications were invited from organisations to act as coordinators in a specific local authority area. The 2019 programme received 92 applications and selected 11 locations for funding, including at least one in each of the 9 regions of England. This summer, around 50,000 disadvantaged children will be offered free meals and activities over the upcoming summer holidays, funded by £9.1 million.

The purpose of this programme is to allow us to gather more evidence about the scale of the issue, the most effective ways of tackling it, and the costs and delivery challenges associated with doing so. As a result, the department will be able to make an evidence based decision about whether and how we should intervene in the longer term.

18th Jul 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he has taken to increase the accessibility of childcare in Merseyside.

The government provides the following childcare support to parents and foster parents:

  • 15 hours of free childcare a week for disadvantaged 2 year olds. This applies to all families in receipt of Universal Credit, with an annual net earned income equivalent to - or less than - £15,400. It also applies to families in receipt of benefits that currently entitle them to free school meals and those receiving working tax credits (with an annual gross household income of no more than £16,190). Equally, it applies to children entitled to certain benefits or support for a disability or special educational need and looked after children and certain children who have been in care, including those who have been adopted.

  • 15 hours of free childcare a week for all 3 year olds and 4 year olds, worth around £2,500 a year on average.

  • 30 hours of free childcare a week for working parents of 3 year olds and 4 year olds with working parents. 30 hours of free childcare is available to families where both parents are working (or where the sole parent is working in a lone parent family) and where each parent earns a weekly minimum equivalent to 16 hours at national minimum wage or living wage. This also includes self-employed parents.

  • Help with up to 70% of childcare costs for people on low incomes through working tax credits. In April 2016, this help increased to up to 85% through Universal Credit, subject to a monthly limit of £646 for one child or £1108 for 2 or more children.

  • Tax-free childcare, for which 1.5 million families who have childcare costs will be eligible. For every £8 parents pay into an online account, the government will pay £2 – up to a maximum contribution of £2,000 per child each year, for children aged under 12. Parents of disabled children will receive extra support (worth up to £4,000 per child, each year and until their child is 17).

  • Childcare vouchers provided through some employers, allowing parents to save money by paying for childcare from their pre-tax salary. This scheme is closed to new applicants from October 2018.

  • Shared Parental Leave, giving parents the chance to share up to 50 weeks’ leave and up to 37 weeks’ parental pay in the first year following their child’s birth or adoption.

It is the responsibility of the local authority to ensure that every child that is eligible for the 15 hours and 30 hours of free childcare is able to access a place. Local authorities also have a statutory duty to provide parents with information, advice and guidance on their websites about how these childcare offers can be accessed locally.

10th Apr 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department has issued to schools on identifying pupils who are young carers; and what steps is he taking to help ensure that young carers achieve the same standards of educational attainment at GCSE level as other pupils.

​The government is committed to supporting young carers so that they are properly protected from excessive or inappropriate caring responsibilities and supported to achieve their full potential.

We know that consistent identification of young carers remains challenging, which is why we have funded the Carers Trust to review and disseminate best practice in the identification of young carers - this commitment was set out in the Carers Action Plan 2018-20. The Children in Need review is also identifying how to spread best practice on raising educational outcomes of children in need, including those young carers assessed as being in need.

The department provides schools with £2.4 billion each year in additional funding through the pupil premium to support disadvantaged pupils; each eligible pupil attracts £1,320 to primary schools and £935 to secondary schools. Eligibility for the pupil premium is based largely on current or past claims for free school meals. Some research with young carers aged 14-16 suggested that around 60% already attract the pupil premium through their eligibility for free school meals.

We expect schools to make effective use of their pupil premium and do not tell them how to use it. Schools know their pupils best and will spend the grant to meet pupils needs, which may include needs arising from a caring role. Schools are held to account for their pupil premium use through school inspection and information in performance tables, and most schools are required to publish details about their pupil premium strategy and its impact. These are national programmes of work which will benefit young carers across England. The department is not undertaking regional programmes at this time.

We recognise, however, that there are issues that are specific to the North East around education and employment prospects for children and young people. That is why, in October 2018, the department committed £24 million to Opportunity North East, in order to tackle issues holding back young people from all communities, raise aspiration, and boost social mobility in the region.

10th Apr 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support young carers with their education in (a) Merseyside, (b) the North West of England and (c) the rest of England.

​The government is committed to supporting young carers so that they are properly protected from excessive or inappropriate caring responsibilities and supported to achieve their full potential.

We know that consistent identification of young carers remains challenging, which is why we have funded the Carers Trust to review and disseminate best practice in the identification of young carers - this commitment was set out in the Carers Action Plan 2018-20. The Children in Need review is also identifying how to spread best practice on raising educational outcomes of children in need, including those young carers assessed as being in need.

The department provides schools with £2.4 billion each year in additional funding through the pupil premium to support disadvantaged pupils; each eligible pupil attracts £1,320 to primary schools and £935 to secondary schools. Eligibility for the pupil premium is based largely on current or past claims for free school meals. Some research with young carers aged 14-16 suggested that around 60% already attract the pupil premium through their eligibility for free school meals.

We expect schools to make effective use of their pupil premium and do not tell them how to use it. Schools know their pupils best and will spend the grant to meet pupils needs, which may include needs arising from a caring role. Schools are held to account for their pupil premium use through school inspection and information in performance tables, and most schools are required to publish details about their pupil premium strategy and its impact. These are national programmes of work which will benefit young carers across England. The department is not undertaking regional programmes at this time.

We recognise, however, that there are issues that are specific to the North East around education and employment prospects for children and young people. That is why, in October 2018, the department committed £24 million to Opportunity North East, in order to tackle issues holding back young people from all communities, raise aspiration, and boost social mobility in the region.

27th Feb 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on educating young people on road safety.

Schools are free to cover teaching about road safety as part of their duty to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, including through their Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education provision. Schools can draw on resources available from many providers including, in relation to road safety, the THINK! Campaign developed by the Department for Transport (DfT). Information on the campaign is available at the following link: https://www.think.gov.uk.

During the stakeholder engagement process and call for evidence about the curriculum content for Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and about the future status of PSHE, the Department for Education engaged with 90 organisations and other Government Departments, including the DfT.

On 25 February, following a 17 week consultation, the Department published an updated draft of the guidance on Relationships Education, RSE and Health Education, and laid the regulations for debate in Parliament.

17th Jan 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to table A2 of the statistical release Information on looked-after children at both national and local authority levels for the financial year 2017-18, how many of the 9,720 looked-after children who were cared for in a friends and family foster placement on 31 March 2018 had also been in (a) an unrelated foster placement, (b) another family and friends care placement, (c) a children's home and (d) other provision for looked-after children.

For the years ending 31 March 2017 and 2018, the number of looked after children in a foster placement with friends or family who have also been in a foster placement; not with friends or family, a children’s home placement, or any other type of placement in the same period of care is shown in the table attached.

17th Jan 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to table A2 of the statistical release Information on looked after children at both national and local authority levels for the financial year 2016-17, how many of the 8,830 looked-after children who were cared for in a friends and family foster placement on 31 March 2017 had also been in (a) an unrelated foster placement, (b) another family and friends care placement, (c) a children's home and (d) other provision for looked-after children.

For the years ending 31 March 2017 and 2018, the number of looked after children in a foster placement with friends or family who have also been in a foster placement; not with friends or family, a children’s home placement, or any other type of placement in the same period of care is shown in the table attached.

17th Dec 2018
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to table A2 of the statistical release Information on looked-after children at both national and local authority levels for the financial year 2017-18, how many of the 9,720 looked-after children who were cared for in a friends and family foster placement on 31 March 2018 had also been in (a) an unrelated foster placement, (b) another family and friends care placement, (c) a children's home and (d) other provision for looked-after children; and whether this data could be provided at (i) national, (ii) regional and (iii) local authority area level.

The information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

17th Dec 2018
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to table A2 of the statistical release Information on looked after children at both national and local authority levels for the financial year 2016-17, how many of the 8,830 looked-after children who were cared for in a friends and family foster placement on 31 March 2017 had also been in (a) an unrelated foster placement, (b) another family and friends care placement, (c) a children's home and (d) other provision for looked-after children; and whether this data could be provided at (i) national, (ii) regional and (iii) local authority area level.

The information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

9th Oct 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the Minister for Children and Families plans to respond to the letter dated 16 August 2017 from the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby on a meeting with the Liverpool City cabinet member for children and young people's services.

I wrote to the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby, on 10 October 2017 in response to his letter.

I very much look forward to meeting with him and the Liverpool City Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services.

21st Jul 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish all information her Department has collated on attainment at Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 4 in all GCSE subjects for all pupils eligible for the pupil premium in maintained schools in the last four years.

The Department for Education publishes national, local authority and school level data in relation to disadvantaged pupils (defined as those who attract pupil premium funding) at key stage 2 and key stage 4 in the school performance tables, which are published online at:

www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance

Data covering the last three years is available and shows attainment and progression as well as a comparison with the performance of other pupils.

A GCSE subject level breakdown is published at school level for all pupils and is available from the school performance tables, published online at:

www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/download_data.html

This information is not disaggregated further by pupil groups, including disadvantaged pupils, due to the small numbers that would result from such a breakdown. The majority of the data would need to be suppressed to ensure that no individuals could be identified.

The information requested could only be produced at disproportionate cost.

22nd May 2018
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to minimise deforestation (a) in the UK and (b) abroad.

As forestry is a devolved matter this answer relates to England only.

The Forestry Act and the Environmental Impact Assessment regulations afford woodlands protection from inappropriate felling and land use change.

The Government is committed to accelerating new woodland planting and has a number of manifesto commitments to support afforestation in England, including the planting of 11 million trees and a further one million trees in our towns and cities by 2022.

The Government also has a number of schemes to support afforestation including the Woodland Creation Grant under Countryside Stewardship, the Woodland Carbon Fund, and the Woodland Creation Planning Grant.

In January the Prime Minister announced through the 25 Year Environment Plan the support of the new Northern Forest, which will see 50 million trees planted by 2042.

The 25 Year Environment Plan also outlines our commitment to supporting and protecting the world’s forests, supporting sustainable agriculture and enhancing sustainability and supporting zero-deforestation supply chains.

The UK Government endorses the New York Declaration on Forests, which aims to end natural forest loss by 2030, and is a member of the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020. Alongside Germany and Norway, we have pledged $5 billion to support countries that are reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Through International Climate Finance, Defra has committed £210m in projects and programmes that aim to protect the world’s most biodiverse forests, for example in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Zambia and Madagascar.

22nd May 2018
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to minimise the environmental effect of farming (a) in the UK and (b) abroad.

We set out in Chapter 1 of the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan how we will reduce the impact of farming on the natural environment. We will design and deliver a new environmental land management system that puts the environment first, which will incentivise and reward land managers to restore and improve our natural capital and rural heritage. We will enforce regulations for new farming rules for water, requiring every farmer to identify and manage risks to water on their land and start taking precautions to reduce ammonia emissions. We will work with farmers to use fertilisers efficiently, in order to cut the air and water pollution that harms the environment, and we will protect crops while reducing the environmental impact of pesticides.

As the 25 Year Environment Plan makes clear, it is vital that we leave a lighter footprint on the global environment, so we will work with business to develop ideas for enhancing sustainability.

In terms of addressing the environmental impact of farming abroad, through International Climate Finance (ICF), Defra has committed £210million to support forestry projects and forest dependent communities to develop low carbon and sustainable agriculture practices.

In the Amazon and Atlantic Forests of Brazil, Defra’s ICF supports small and medium sized farms to implement low-carbon agriculture while protecting forests and biodiversity. Defra also supports the BioCarbon Fund Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes (ISFL) which promotes reducing greenhouse gas emissions through smarter land-use policies and practices such as sustainable agriculture.

Through our support to the eco.business Fund in Latin America we promote business and consumption practices that contribute not only to biodiversity conservation but also to the sustainable use of natural resources, to mitigate climate change and adapt to its impacts.

22nd May 2018
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his steps Department is taking to minimise the environmental effect of logging (a) in the UK and (b) abroad.

In most cases a licence is required from the Forestry Commission before a landowner can undertake tree felling. When considering a felling licence application the Forestry Commission in England will take into account the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS), the government’s approach to sustainable forestry. Where clear felling takes place there is, in most cases, a requirement to restock the woodland to maintain our woodland resource.

In addition recipients of licences are reminded of their obligations to carry out their activities in a manner that reflects good forestry practice with appropriate consideration for possible impacts on habitats and species, including checks to ensure compliance with the Habitats Regulations relating to European Protected Species and obligations to protect birds under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

These safeguards help ensure that sustainable forest management in the UK, including the appropriate felling of trees, has a positive environmental effect.

The government is committed to tackling the trade in illegal timber. We implement the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), which makes it an offence to place illegally logged timber on the EU market for the first time, and the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Regulation, which establishes the FLEGT licensing scheme and aims to improve the supply of legal timber to the EU. The EU FLEGT Regulation is underpinned by Voluntary Partnership Agreements between the EU and timber producing countries. Indonesia became the first partner country to issue FLEGT licences in November 2016.

The Government’s Timber Procurement Policy also requires Government Departments, Executive Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies to procure timber and timber products that are both legal and sustainable.

16th Oct 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian effect of the escalation of military activity in Northern Syria; and what steps his Department is taking to help alleviate the humanitarian situation in that region.

The situation in Northeast Syria remains very fluid, and we are continually adjusting our assessment of the current impact on the humanitarian situation in the region at this stage.

The ongoing military action on the ground is having an impact on the humanitarian response. Many NGOs have already had to withdraw staff, and some have suspended activities altogether. This is very concerning, and we are discussing closely with our NGO partners and the UN. The Secretary of State has been in touch with Sir Mark Lowcock, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, and other UN officials.

We have allocated £40 million this financial year for our NGO and UN partners operating in Northeast Syria. Our funding is focused on providing vital food, water, shelter and healthcare. We have been in close dialogue with our partners to ensure that they have the flexibility to utilise this funding to meet immediate needs arising from the current military action in the region. We are assured that they do, but will keep this under review, given the fluidity of the situation and the significant access constraints for humanitarian actors on the ground.

16th Oct 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access for humanitarian supplies in Northern Syria after the recent escalation of military activity in that region; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure humanitarian support is provided to people in that region.

The situation in Northeast Syria remains very fluid, and we are continually adjusting our assessment of the current impact on the humanitarian situation in the region at this stage.

The ongoing military action on the ground is having an impact on the humanitarian response. Many NGOs have already had to withdraw staff, and some have suspended activities altogether. This is very concerning, and we are discussing closely with our NGO partners and the UN. The Secretary of State has been in touch with Sir Mark Lowcock, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, and other UN officials.

We have allocated £40 million this financial year for our NGO and UN partners operating in Northeast Syria. Our funding is focused on providing vital food, water, shelter and healthcare. We have been in close dialogue with our partners to ensure that they have the flexibility to utilise this funding to meet immediate needs arising from the current military action in the region. We are assured that they do, but will keep this under review, given the fluidity of the situation and the significant access constraints for humanitarian actors on the ground.

16th Oct 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make an assessment of the accuracy of reports by the (a) International Committee of the Red Cross and (b) Syrian Arab Red Crescent that Hassekeh city is at risk of running out of water as a result of damage to the main water station during the recent escalation in military conflict; and what steps will his Department take to ensure adequate water supplies to that region.

We are aware of water shortages in Hassekeh. These have been caused by the damage to the Alouk/Al Haouk water station, which compounds an existing issue as water supplies in Hassekeh have been under enormous strain since before the crisis. This water station is critical and serves approximately 400,000 people in Hassekeh and camps in the area. The UN is currently assessing the damage and needs in the water station. We are actively engaging with partners on the ground to assess any impact on their ability to assist those in need. Whilst partners had prepared contingency planning and prepositioned supplies in advance of the recent crisis, we understand that some of our partners have now had to suspend operations to protect their staff. In spite of this, we are engaging with our partners to ensure humanitarian access is continuing to be delivered to those in need. The Secretary of State has been in contact with Sir Mark Lowcock, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, to identify gaps in the humanitarian response.

Last financial year we provided over £40 million in humanitarian assistance in Northeast Syria, and intend to continue our support at that level this financial year. This support is focussed on reaching those in most acute need, providing vital food, water, shelter and healthcare.

16th Oct 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in the al-Hol refugee camp in Syria; and what steps her Department is taking to support refugees within that camp.

We are working closely with our partners on the ground to meet the humanitarian needs of the roughly 70,000 people in Al Hol camp. Conditions at the start of the year were very poor, following a large and unplanned influx of people in need.

Last financial year we provided over £40 million in humanitarian assistance in Northeast Syria, and plan to continue our support at that level this year. The UK’s initial humanitarian response focused on immediate, life-saving support, such as food, water, shelter (over 1,300 tents for example) and healthcare. This included providing “safe spaces” for children in the camp.

The biggest challenge facing our current programme is security of staff, with recent events resulting in NGO international staff being evacuated and local staff having to continue delivery under difficult circumstances. In spite of this, we are engaging with our partners to ensure humanitarian access is continuing to be delivered to Al Hol.

2nd Oct 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support his Department is providing to Yemeni-led civil society organisations.

In order to protect key institutions and build national capacity in Yemen, the UK is supporting the Yemen Social Fund for Development, a national institution established in 1997. It works across the country to deliver development outcomes such as public employment programmes, access to water and sanitation, and local capacity building through a community-led approach.

DFID is providing £34.48 million to the Fund over three years (2018-2021), including £11.48 million this financial year. This support will provide hundreds of thousands of Yemenis with work opportunities through cash for work schemes, train health and education workers, and support local development by supporting small and medium enterprises.

30th Sep 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations the Government has made to the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom on the closure of humanitarian international NGOs in that country.

We are very concerned that the Nigerian Military has closed the offices of Action Against Hunger and Mercy Corps in North East Nigeria. We have not raised the issue directly with the Nigerian High Commissioner in London instead focusing our engagement directly with the Federal government in Nigeria. We have urged the Government of Nigeria in Abuja to follow due process with the relevant judicial authorities to allow an impartial hearing in accordance with Nigerian Law and to enable the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian assistance.

30th Sep 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations the Government has made to the United Nations on the expulsion of humanitarian international NGOs operating in in North-East Nigeria.

We are concerned that the Nigerian Military has closed the offices of Action Against Hunger and Mercy Corps in North East Nigeria. We have raised our concerns with the Head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Nigeria and with our partners and are directly discussing this with senior leaders in the UN at a global level. We welcome the efforts of the UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Nigeria to push for a resolution to the dispute and for closer collaboration between the UN and Government of Nigeria.

30th Sep 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the effect on the humanitarian situation in North-East Nigeria of the closure of international NGO operations in that country.

We are very concerned that the Nigerian Army has closed the offices of Action against Hunger and Mercy Corps in North East Nigeria.

NGOs in the North East of Nigeria, including Action Against Hunger and Mercy Corps, provide millions of people with crucial, life-saving assistance. When these organisations are forced to withdraw it has a huge impact on the lives of the most vulnerable. We have urged the Government of Nigeria to complete their investigations swiftly to resolve the dispute and to enable the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian assistance. We must ensure unimpeded access for people in need in line with International Humanitarian Law.

26th Sep 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to reverse the declining trend in Official Development Assistance spending on education.

Between 2009 and 2018 DFID’s spend on education doubled from almost £500 million to nearly £1 billion. The Prime Minister has publicly stated that education, particularly girls’ education, is a priority for the UK. He announced £90 million for education in emergencies and protracted crisis including £85 million to Education Cannot Wait at the G7 Summit, and last week the UK announced a £515 million package of support for education, including a £300 million pledge for the new International Finance Facility for Education. In total, these announcements will support 6.3 million girls. Alongside our commitment to the Global Partnership for Education, the UK is now the leading bilateral donor to all three major multilateral education funds and continues to be one of the leading bilateral donors to basic education. At the UN General Assembly last week, the UK has been calling for others to step up and follow our lead.

26th Sep 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to help meet Sustainable Development Goal 2 on zero hunger.

The UK is playing its part in ending hunger and undernutrition through a substantial portfolio of agricultural and other economic development programmes, social safety nets, and humanitarian response interventions; through its bilateral programmes as well as support to multilateral institutions.

Following the UK-hosted Nutrition for Growth Summit in 2013, DFID has significantly scaled up its work to prevent and treat malnutrition. Since 2015, we have reached 60 million young children, adolescent girls and women with nutrition services, particularly in the most fragile and conflict-affected regions of the world.

26th Sep 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions he has had with his German counterpart on an international alliance for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 on hunger.

We are discussing opportunities for achieving more effective global interventions to reverse the negative trend on hunger and make progress on Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) in the decade to 2030. This includes the German-initiated proposal for an SDG2 event in 2020, and the Government of Japan’s preparations for the 2020 Nutrition for Growth Summit.

In August, senior DFID officials met with senior counterparts in the German Federal Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ) to consider options for creating alliances on SDG2 alliances, in particular in fragile and conflict-affected geographies and in climate-vulnerable areas.

25th Sep 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment his Department has made of the humanitarian effect of the recent escalation of military activity in Al-Daleh province, Yemen.

The UN estimates that 10,000 households have been displaced in Al Dhale this year, with the emergency response reportedly remaining limited and slow across the governorate due to severe access constraints.

The UK is actively raising humanitarian concerns with all parties, calling on them to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2451 by facilitating safe, rapid, and unhindered humanitarian and commercial access.

4th Sep 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that children in Kenya have access to high quality education.

As one of the largest donors to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), DFID is helping to ensure that children in Kenya have access to high quality education. GPE supports the Government of Kenya to develop national education sector plans, improve early grade mathematics and strengthen school management systems. Through UK support to the Girls’ Education Challenge, we are also improving learning opportunities and outcomes for Kenya’s most marginalised girls.

In partnership with the Kenyan Ministry of Education in 2015, DFID provided funding to rigorously test a new structured approach to early grade teaching. The approach helped teachers better meet the needs of all students, provided continual coaching and monitoring, and improved teaching materials. The Kenyan Government scaled the approach nationwide. Independent research shows this reform led to the percentage of grade two children meeting learning benchmarks in English rising from 34% to 65%.

4th Sep 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to ensure that girls in Kenya who become pregnant are able to re-enter education.

DFID is helping to improve life opportunities and learning outcomes for the most vulnerable girls in Kenya including those who are pregnant, through our £154 million Girls Education Challenge (GEC) programme. Through investments in catch up classes, financial assistance, and support for life skills and confidence building, GEC is supporting girls who are pregnant and young mothers, to re-enter education.

4th Sep 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions he has had with the Kenyan Government on the implementation of the National Re-entry Guidelines for Learners in Basic Education.

The Secretary of State has not yet had the opportunity to meet representatives of the Kenyan Government.

DFID officials continue to discuss the importance of inclusive education with senior representatives at the Ministry of Education, although DFID has not been consulted on the draft National Re-entry Guidelines for Learners in Basic Education. DFID support through the Global Partnership for Education and the Girls’ Education Challenge Fund helps to improve access to education and learning for the most vulnerable children, including support for re-entry.

3rd Sep 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to encourage donors to fulfil the pledges they have made to the United Nations-led humanitarian response in Yemen.

The UK has brought forward funding from our £200 million aid pledge to Yemen this year and has already provided 87% of the funding we pledged to UN agencies.

The UK continues to engage with donor countries at every opportunity to ensure they rapidly disburse funding to the UN humanitarian response in Yemen.

I most recently did this during my visit to the Gulf region from 25-29 August, where I discussed the issue with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

2nd Sep 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment his Department has made of the humanitarian impact of the recent escalation of military activity in Aden, Yemen.

The UK is monitoring the humanitarian impact felt in the south of Yemen.

The UN has so far verified 13 civilian deaths and 70 civilian injuries since fighting escalated, and has reported over 1,600 families and 1,000 individuals have been displaced to northern governates in August.

Major overland routes in the south have closed and a backlog of 15,000 containers in Aden port is waiting to be processed. This is affecting the delivery of commercial goods and humanitarian services, including challenges for UN agencies transferring goods between Aden and the north.

The UK regularly raises humanitarian concerns with all parties to the conflict, calling on them to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2451 and facilitate safe, rapid, and unhindered access for humanitarian and commercial supplies, including through Aden Port.

2nd Sep 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access for humanitarian supplies from the port of Aden, Yemen.

The UK tracks Yemen’s imports and ports to monitor trends and predict pressure points in humanitarian supplies.

Although Aden port remains operational, we are concerned by a backlog of 15,000 containers waiting to be processed. Fighting across the south of the country has also closed many major overland routes, affecting the onward delivery of commercial goods and humanitarian services.

The UK regularly raises humanitarian concerns with all parties to the conflict, calling on them to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2451 and to facilitate safe, rapid and unhindered access for humanitarian and commercial supplies, including through Aden port and onward movement across the country.