Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his planned timetable is for the reallocation of HS2 funding to Network Rail for upgrading (a) Haughley and (b) Ely junctions.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The Prime Minister's Network North announcement confirmed government support for the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement and upgrades to Haughley Junction. My officials have been engaging with their counterparts at Network Rail to consider next steps in progressing these important schemes and an update on next steps will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his planned timetable is for the commencement of works upgrading (a) Haughley and (b) Ely junctions.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The Prime Minister's Network North announcement confirmed government support for the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement and upgrades to Haughley Junction. My officials have been engaging with their counterparts at Network Rail to consider next steps in progressing these important schemes and an update on next steps will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with Network Rail on upgrading (a) Haughley and (b) Ely junctions.
Answered by Huw Merriman
The Prime Minister's Network North announcement confirmed government support for the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement and upgrades to Haughley Junction. My officials have been engaging with their counterparts at Network Rail to consider next steps in progressing these important schemes and an update on next steps will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to enable police forces to charge the organisers of marches for the cost of policing them.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental part of our democracy, but this right must be balanced with the rights of others to go about their daily lives without disruption.
The government recognises that there will be unexpected and exceptional events that can put financial pressure on forces. In these cases, Police and Crime Commissioners can apply to the Home Office for special grant funding to meet additional costs that would be incurred from policing these events.
The Government is proposing a total police funding settlement of up to £18.4 billion in 2024-25, an increase of up to £842.9 million when compared to 2023-24. This includes £34m for Special Grant funding. The core purpose of Special Grant funding is to support the police with costs of unexpected events and these are considered on a case-by-case basis.
The Government regularly reviews legislation to ensure it adequately reflects challenges that are likely to be faced today. Where gaps in the legislation are identified, we will seek to address them.
Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking with English-language testing organisations to help ensure that people coming to (a) study and (b) settle in the UK have attained an International English Language Testing System for UK Visas and Immigration score of at least 5.5 or equivalent.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
English proficiency levels are defined within the Immigration Rules relevant to each immigration route. Home Office commercial arrangements with our secure English language testing suppliers require all tests to meet the requirements of the relevant Immigration Rules.
Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) quantitative and (b) qualitative data is used by Ofsted inspectors to assess the adequacy of SEND provision in schools.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector. I have asked the Chief Inspector to write to my hon. Friend, the Member for Ipswich directly and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has issued guidance for local authorities on the inclusion of personal budgets in education, health and care plans.
Answered by David Johnston
When a local authority draws up or reviews an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan, the child’s parents, or the young person from age 16, can request a personal budget. Local authorities must include information on personal budgets as part of their published Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) local offer.
Statutory guidance for local authorities on personal budgets is included in the 0 to 25 years SEND Code of Practice. This can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.
The number and proportion of EHC Plans that included personal budgets in each of the last five years are as follows:
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
Number of personal budgets | 15,712 | 20,346 | 22,233 | 25,259 | 18,887 |
Number of EHC plans | 353,995 | 390,109 | 430,697 | 473,255 | 517,049 |
Proportion of EHC plans including a personal budget | 4.4% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 3.7% |
Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on the number and proportion of education, health and care plans that included personal budgets in each of the last five years.
Answered by David Johnston
When a local authority draws up or reviews an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan, the child’s parents, or the young person from age 16, can request a personal budget. Local authorities must include information on personal budgets as part of their published Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) local offer.
Statutory guidance for local authorities on personal budgets is included in the 0 to 25 years SEND Code of Practice. This can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.
The number and proportion of EHC Plans that included personal budgets in each of the last five years are as follows:
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
Number of personal budgets | 15,712 | 20,346 | 22,233 | 25,259 | 18,887 |
Number of EHC plans | 353,995 | 390,109 | 430,697 | 473,255 | 517,049 |
Proportion of EHC plans including a personal budget | 4.4% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 3.7% |
Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had recent discussions with Ofsted on the steps it takes to collect data on the (a) skills training, (b) further education, (c) apprenticeships, (d) work and (e) other activities taken up by post-17 school leavers with special educational needs and disabilities.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Since data collection is not part of Ofsted’s role, there have been no recent discussions on the steps Ofsted takes to collect data. Ofsted is a separate government department responsible for inspecting and reporting on the quality of post-16 education and training provided by further education colleges and training providers. As set out in Ofsted’s Further Education and Skills Handbook, the quality of provision for learners with high needs and with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is always considered during the provision of any type of inspection. The handbook is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-education-and-skills-inspection-handbook-eif/further-education-and-skills-handbook-for-september-2022. Before making any final judgement on overall effectiveness, inspectors must evaluate the extent to which the education and training provided meets the needs of all learners, including learners with SEND and those who have high needs.
Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on the number of schools that received an Ofsted inspection in 2023 and did not receive a grade of outstanding as a result of judgments on their SEND provision.
Answered by David Johnston
There is no central record of whether Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision alone is the cause of a school not receiving an outstanding overall effectiveness judgement.
Ofsted has confirmed that individual inspection reports will always provide detail on a school’s SEND provision, including strengths and weaknesses. Provision for pupils with SEND is looked at across all of Ofsted’s key judgements and through its safeguarding assessment, as set out in the school inspection handbook. In assessing the quality of a school’s education, inspectors will consider a number of factors, including; how well the school identifies, assesses and meets the needs of pupils with SEND; whether leaders are suitably ambitious for all pupils with SEND; whether the curriculum is coherently sequenced to meet all pupil’s needs starting points and aspirations; as well as how well pupils with SEND are prepared for their next steps in education, employment and training and their adult lives.
Where schools are falling short in their provision for pupils with SEND, Ofsted judgements will reflect this.