Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the funding of the (a) High Needs Block of the Dedicated Schools Grant and (b) servicing of the debt incurred by local authorities.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The government is acutely aware not only of the financial pressures that local authorities are facing because of the increasing cost of supporting young people with complex needs, but also the pressures that the government as a whole is facing because of the financial situation it has inherited. This government is acting as quickly as it can to respond to the cost pressures in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, and is working to consider SEND reforms, including how it can help councils manage the impacts of dedicated schools grant (DSG) deficits on their accounts. This government will also take decisions on local authorities’ DSG allocations for next year as quickly as it can.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will require Integrated Care Boards to have a dedicated focus on tackling health inequalities for inclusion health populations.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are expected to have a dedicated focus on tackling health inequalities, including for inclusion health populations. The Health and Care Act 2022 mandates that ICBs reduce inequalities in access to, and outcomes from, the healthcare for the population they serve. This includes groups experiencing the poorest health outcomes, often referred to as inclusion health populations.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people applying for child Disability Living Allowance waited longer than 20 weeks in Bournemouth East constituency in the last 12 months for which data is available; and what proportion of benefit decisions for applicants from residents of Bournemouth East constituency were not made within the target timeframe set by her Department in each of the last 12 months for which data is available.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The information requested on waiting times for a child disability living allowance decision is not readily available. To provide this would incur a disproportionate cost.

The current waiting period at national level for child DLA claims, under normal rules, is 86 days on average. Whilst we do not have a target timeframe, we aim to make decisions as quickly as possible to ensure that families of disabled children receive the support to which they are entitled and are always working towards reducing waiting times.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will extend the Domestic Violence Easement available to survivors claiming (a) Job Seekers’ Allowance and (b) Universal Credit to disabled survivors who (i) claim Employment Support Allowance and (ii) are in the Support Group for Universal Credit.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Claimants in the Support Group for legacy Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and for those with Limited Capability for Work and Work-related Activity (LCWRA) in New Style Employment Support Allowance (NS ESA) or Universal Credit have no work-related requirements imposed on them.

Where a legacy ESA or NS ESA claimant in the work-related activity group (WRAG) has recently been a victim of domestic abuse, any work-related requirements are paused for a period of 13 consecutive weeks from when the claimant notifies the department. This is the same as the compulsory easements prescribed in Universal Credit legislation where work coaches must switch off work availability and work search requirements for the prescribed length of time. The work coach will decide if the break can be extended beyond 13 weeks in extreme circumstances.

The arrangements are described here Help available from the Department for Work and Pensions for people who are victims of domestic violence and abuse - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

To keep our easement policies clear, fair, and effective in supporting vulnerable claimants, we keep the conditionality and sanctions policies and processes under continuous review.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will introduce statutory paid leave for survivors of domestic abuse.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government does not have any plans to introduce a specific paid leave entitlement at this time. However, depending on the nature of the individual’s employment, survivors may be able to access a range of leave entitlements allowing them to take time off from work when they need it.

Being at work is often important for victims, and there is practical support employers can offer which can make a real difference, such as signposting, financial assistance and supporting safety in and around the workplace.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will bring forward legislation to introduce target dates to eradicate poverty for vulnerable groups.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We are committed to tackling poverty. As set out in our manifesto, good work will be the foundation of our approach for people of working age. Our New Deal for Working People, including ensuring that the minimum wage is a genuine living wage, along with reformed employment support will mean that many more people will benefit from the dignity and purpose of employment.

We have also announced a number of initial steps to support children and families including free breakfast clubs in every primary school so children don’t go hungry, protecting renters from arbitrary eviction and banning exploitative zero hours contracts.

Our Ministerial Taskforce, jointly chaired Work and Pensions and Education Secretaries, has started urgent work on an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy and will explore all available levers to drive forward actions across government to reduce child poverty, tackle its root causes and give every child the best start in life. The Strategy will be published in Spring 2025.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to close the disability employment gap by 2030.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government has ambitious plans relating to employment, including disability employment, and we will be setting this out through a forthcoming White Paper, the Employment Rights Bill and the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill. We know that there is more to do to address the labour market challenges of today and tomorrow. A fully inclusive labour market that enables disabled people and people with health conditions to have access to the same opportunities as everyone else to the benefits of work is crucial to meeting our ambition for an 80% employment rate.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will introduce legal aid for tenants for (a) housing repair issues and (b) enforcing legal housing rights.

Answered by Heidi Alexander - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Legal aid is available for those facing homelessness, and disrepair claims (when there is a serious risk of illness or injury) subject to a financial means test. Tenants in this situation should contact the Civil Legal Aid telephone helpline for assistance.

Legal aid is available for anyone facing the loss of their home through the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service (HLPAS). HLPAS provides free early legal advice on housing, debt, council tax reduction and welfare benefits problems from the moment someone is faced with losing their home.

HLPAS also provides free legal advice and representation from a duty solicitor on the day of their court hearing. Where no face-to-face coverage is available, users can access remote early legal advice through HLPAS providers in other areas or via the Civil Legal Aid helpline or by going to https://find-legal-advice.justice.gov.uk.

There is no means or merits test for this service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to provide disability awareness training to all civil servants in public-facing roles.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Due to the delegated nature of the Civil Service, departments as individual employers are able to set the learning requirements for their employees.

However, Civil Service Expectations training is available to all Civil Servants. This provides an introduction to the Civil Service code and values; the legislation around diversity and inclusion; the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy; why diversity and inclusion matters and what it means to Civil Servants and the support that is available to them such as workplace adjustments, mental health and wellbeing support.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to remove clauses 22-25 from the Illegal Migration Act 2023.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Secretary set out the government’s position in respect of the Illegal Migration Act in her statement to the house on 22^nd July 2024. Any legislative plans from the statement will be set out in the normal way in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to ensure that her Department collects (a) comprehensive, (b) comparable and (c) disaggregated data on (i) violence against women and girls, (ii) the protected characteristics of (A) victims and (B) perpetrators and (iii) their relationship.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes a wide range of statistics collected across government on offences disproportionately experienced by women and girls. This includes data on the demographic characteristics of victims and their relationships with perpetrators.

The department is working with ONS and other government departments to improve and expand data collections in this area to provide a stronger evidence base to inform the Government’s commitment to halve violence against women and girls.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on using (a) the Public Sector Equality Duty and (b) equality impact assessments to ensure that (i) women and (ii) women with intersecting protected characteristics are treated equally in all decision-making processes.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

It is each local authority's own responsibility to ensure it fulfils its obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on gov.uk.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to introduce a legal right to (a) suitable emergency accommodation and (b) adequate support for people at risk of street homelessness.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Homelessness levels are far too high and we must address this and deliver long term solutions. The Government will look at these issues carefully and will develop a new cross-government strategy, working with mayors and councils across the country to get us back on track to ending homelessness once and for all.

The Homelessness Reduction Act, which came into force in April 2018, places duties on local housing authorities to take reasonable steps to try to prevent and relieve a person’s homelessness. These duties provide help to all eligible people, including single people who do not have priority need. If homelessness cannot be prevented or relieved, the local authority may owe the applicant a duty to provide them with temporary accommodation until settled accommodation is secured.

Homelessness legislation includes eligibility criteria, consideration of vulnerability and whether someone is intentionally homeless to ensure that resources, including temporary accommodation and access to settled housing, are prioritised effectively and accommodation is there for people who need it most. The Homelessness Code of Guidance, which local authorities must pay regard to, contains advice for assessing vulnerability.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to reform child maintenance services by (a) abolishing fees for survivors of violence against women and girls and (b) implementing robust enforcement measures for non-paying parents.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

A consultation on proposed reforms to the CMS was published by the previous Government on 8 May 2024. This included removing Direct Pay and changing the charging structure, with all CMS cases managed in one service to allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster. The consultation also explores how victims and survivors of domestic abuse can be better supported.

This Government has extended the consultation to the 30 September 2024 to ensure full stakeholder engagement can take place. We will then consider the next steps for CMS.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to extend the Domestic Violence Indefinite Leave to Remain and Destitution Domestic Violence Concession to all migrant victims of domestic abuse regardless of immigration status.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Tackling violence against women and girls is a top priority for this government and our mission is to halve levels of violence against women and girls within a decade.

We are reviewing all the issues impacting migrant victims of domestic abuse including the scope of both the Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession (formerly the Destitution Domestic Violence Concession) and the provisions of Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse (formerly Domestic Violence Indefinite Leave to Remain).

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will introduce annual limits to in-tenancy rent increases linked to (a) inflation and (b) real median income growth.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government has no plans to do so. Our recently introduced Renters’ Rights Bill includes provisions designed to empower private renters to challenge unreasonable rent increases.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the Rent a Room Scheme tax-free earnings threshold.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Rent a room relief provides an incentive for people to make spare rooms available for rent.

As with all aspects of the tax system, the Government will keep this under review.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Sections 14.128-131 of the Modern Slavery Guidance, published in May 2024, if her Department will take steps to amend the prioritisation criteria to ensure her Department prioritises conclusive grounds cases for people in the National Referral Mechanism that have waited the longest.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government is committed to tackling modern slavery; ensuring that victims are provided with the support they need to begin rebuilding their lives and that those responsible are prosecuted.

The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is the UK’s framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery which works to ensure that confirmed victims receive support until they no longer have recovery needs, or until these needs are met by other services, including if this takes 12 months, or longer.

The unprecedented increase in the volume of referrals into the NRM has presented significant challenges in resourcing and workflow, and we recognise that wait times are too long. Work has been done to increase capacity for decision making, improve operational effectiveness and testing alternative approaches to decision making, but recognise that more needs to be done and are considering options. I am as keen as you to ensure that this happens.

We keep all policies and processes under review.

The Modern Slavery Statutory Guidance sets out when access to modern slavery support may be withheld and that potential victims in the NRM can choose to have legal representation. It also sets out the current prioritisation approach and priorities can change periodically in line with Ministerial arrangements under the Equality Act 2010. Any changes to the prioritisation criteria will be reflected in this guidance.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that competent authorities issue decisions on (a) reasonable grounds within five working days and (b) conclusive grounds within 30 days of a reasonable grounds decision; and if her Department will provide support for all victims of modern slavery who have been given a positive conclusive grounds decision for at least 12 months.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government is committed to tackling modern slavery; ensuring that victims are provided with the support they need to begin rebuilding their lives and that those responsible are prosecuted.

The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is the UK’s framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery which works to ensure that confirmed victims receive support until they no longer have recovery needs, or until these needs are met by other services, including if this takes 12 months, or longer.

The unprecedented increase in the volume of referrals into the NRM has presented significant challenges in resourcing and workflow, and we recognise that wait times are too long. Work has been done to increase capacity for decision making, improve operational effectiveness and testing alternative approaches to decision making, but recognise that more needs to be done and are considering options. I am as keen as you to ensure that this happens.

We keep all policies and processes under review.

The Modern Slavery Statutory Guidance sets out when access to modern slavery support may be withheld and that potential victims in the NRM can choose to have legal representation. It also sets out the current prioritisation approach and priorities can change periodically in line with Ministerial arrangements under the Equality Act 2010. Any changes to the prioritisation criteria will be reflected in this guidance.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to amend the Modern Slavery Statutory Guidance, published in May 2024, to ensure that people who (a) have been referred to the National Referral Mechanism and (b) do not have legal representation cannot have support from her Department withdrawn from them.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government is committed to tackling modern slavery; ensuring that victims are provided with the support they need to begin rebuilding their lives and that those responsible are prosecuted.

The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is the UK’s framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery which works to ensure that confirmed victims receive support until they no longer have recovery needs, or until these needs are met by other services, including if this takes 12 months, or longer.

The unprecedented increase in the volume of referrals into the NRM has presented significant challenges in resourcing and workflow, and we recognise that wait times are too long. Work has been done to increase capacity for decision making, improve operational effectiveness and testing alternative approaches to decision making, but recognise that more needs to be done and are considering options. I am as keen as you to ensure that this happens.

We keep all policies and processes under review.

The Modern Slavery Statutory Guidance sets out when access to modern slavery support may be withheld and that potential victims in the NRM can choose to have legal representation. It also sets out the current prioritisation approach and priorities can change periodically in line with Ministerial arrangements under the Equality Act 2010. Any changes to the prioritisation criteria will be reflected in this guidance.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to extend the move-on period for newly-recognised refugees to a minimum of 56 days.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The government is aware of the need for a smooth transition out of asylum accommodation for recognised refugees. The Home Office works closely with MHCLG on ensuring move-on works effectively, so that those granted refugee status can integrate into society and work.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether future funding for organisations tackling violence against women and girls will (a) support the full running costs of services, (b) make provision for cost of living increases over the funding period and (c) allow for the remuneration of staff.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

To make our streets safe, we must drastically reduce serious violent crimes and violence against women and girls; increase confidence in the police; stop young people falling into crime and make our criminal justice system work for victims.

We have set out our mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.

This Government will treat tackling violence against women and girls as a national emergency and will use every tool to target perpetrators and ensure survivors have access to the support they need.

All decisions on funding will be made in due course as part of the Spending Review. The Majority of funding in this space is from MoJ and MHCLG.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of using the Accreditation UK scheme for institutions providing courses to students on a Sponsored Study visa.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

International students using the student and child student routes must be sponsored by an education provider that holds a Student sponsor licence.

Education providers wishing to sponsor international students must obtain and maintain a Home Office Sponsor licence to do so and must be assessed for educational quality by an Educational Oversight body. We keep our immigration policies and Student sponsorship system under constant review.

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