Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will take steps to establish a funding scheme to support disabled candidates for elections in England.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It is the Government’s ambition to see more disabled people in public office. The Government takes positive action to promote disabled people’s participation in public life, including protecting disabled people through the Equality Act 2010. In relation to accessing elected office specifically, political parties have responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that their disabled members who contest any political position are not disadvantaged and can take part in the same processes and opportunities as non-disabled people.
The Government has been clear that it will champion disabled people's rights, and work closely with them so that disabled people's views and voices are at the heart of all we do. We know that some disabled people still face additional financial barriers when standing for elected office. We are looking at how we might work with political parties and others to help tackle this.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the time taken for the state pensions top-up process.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
People have until 5th April 2025 to fill some gaps in their National Insurance record. The original deadline was set as far back as 5 April 2023. This was extended to 12 June 2023 and then to end 5 April 25. From 6 April 2025 customers can continue to pay NICs for any of the previous 6 years. The majority of customers can check for any gaps in their record, and make payments, online. For those who are unable to use online services, they can call DWP to check whether making payment will enhance their pension, and then call HMRC to make a payment.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to implement the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, published on 20 October 2022.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is focused on delivering meaningful change for victims of these horrendous crimes.
Before Easter, we will lay out a timetable for responding to the 20 recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. The new victims and survivors panel will support our cross-Government ministerial group to consider those recommendations, putting the voices of victims at the heart of our plans going forward.
We will strengthen the law, introducing a mandatory reporting duty to make it an offence, with professional and criminal sanctions, to fail to report or to cover up child sexual abuse.
Going further, my Department will legislate to make grooming an aggravating factor in the sentencing of child sexual offences, to ensure that this behaviour is reflected in the sentencing of perpetrators.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking with (a) Europol, (b) Eurojust, (c) French authorities and (d) other international partners to (i) tackle migration challenges and (ii) help reduce deaths in the Channel.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
This government is committed to working with international partners to tackle shared migration challenges and is working across multiple lines of effort to reduce the impact of irregular migration into the UK.
To do this the Home Secretary has launched the new Border Security Command which will provide the strategic direction to mobilise work across agencies, to better protect our borders and go after the smuggling gangs facilitating small boat crossings.
We have made progress; in December 2024 we agreed the Calais Group Priority Plan with key near neighbours and the Joint Action Plan on migration with Germany, and in November 2024, the landmark security agreement with Iraq. Additionally, we have a well-established relationship with our French counterparts and continue to work closely to prevent further dangerous crossings and reduce risk to life at sea.
The UK also continues to support the EU and its agencies and undertakes multiple operations with our European law enforcement partners, coordinated through Europol and Eurojust. The NCA has surged additional officers to Europol, enhancing our efforts to arrest and prosecute criminal smuggling gangs and disrupt their supply chains.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help reduce the number of people who die when crossing the Channel in small boats.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
Criminal gangs only care about the profits they make, not about the lives they put at risk. The Border Security Command is leading the UK’s efforts to disrupt and bring to justice those facilitating illegal migration, including small boats crossings.
Border Force-crewed vessels, directed and coordinated by HM Coastguard, provide a 24/7 response to these dangerous and unnecessary crossings.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of (a) suspensions and (b) exclusions among pupils with SEND.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Every pupil deserves to learn in a safe, calm classroom, and the department will always support our hardworking and dedicated teachers to make this happen. Schools can use sanctions as a measure to improve behaviour and, in the most serious cases, exclusion may be necessary to protect other pupils from disruption and restore a safe environment.
This government is determined to address the causes of poor behaviour. The statutory ‘Suspension and permanent exclusion’ guidance is clear that, in all cases, school leaders should consider early intervention strategies to address the underlying causes or contributing factors of a pupil’s disruptive behaviour before issuing an exclusion. This includes situations where a pupil has special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Schools should also consider using a multi-agency assessment for pupils who display persistent disruptive behaviour, which could include those with unidentified SEND. Schools should arrange such assessments when concerns arise, rather than waiting for a specific trigger.
This government is absolutely committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to children and young people with the most complex needs. The department will also strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive including through Ofsted, support the mainstream workforce to increase their SEND expertise, and encourage schools to set up resourced provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle unlawful discharges of sewage by water companies into waterways in Surrey.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
For too long, water companies have discharged record levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas.
That is why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water (Special Measures) Bill, which will strengthen regulation, including delivering new powers to ban the payment of bonuses for polluting water bosses and bringing criminal charges against persistent law breakers.
We are also carrying out a full review of the water sector to shape further legislation that will transform how our water system works and clean up rivers, lakes and seas for good.
The Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) will continue to drive investment and improvement at a range of Thames Water Sewage Treatment Works and Storm Overflows across Surrey. Several schemes were funded in WINEP 2020-25 in the Guildford constituency including to monitor sewage spills at storm tanks and to tighten environmental permit limits for phosphorous.
The final determination for the next Price Review by Ofwat, due on the 19 December, will confirm additional investment planned by Thames Water for 2025-2030 to reduce phosphorus levels and improve storm overflows in Surrey.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support cross-community inter-faith work in Surrey.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Ministers have been meeting a wide range of faith and belief leaders, along with interfaith practitioners, to hear more about the vital work undertaken in communities to help foster good relations.
This department was pleased to support Inter Faith Week in November, and we continue to fund a number of partners to deliver cohesion programmes in local communities which help to contribute to positive interfaith relations.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to increase prosecution rates for cases relating to violence against women and girls in Surrey.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
In 2023-24, in the Surrey police force area, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecuted 487 cases flagged for domestic abuse and 41 cases flagged for rape.
The CPS uses thematic monitoring flags to track progress and performance surrounding certain types of cases within its case management system (CMS). "Flags " are identified and applied by lawyers and administrative staff. Monitoring flags currently exist within CMS for the following VAWG-related offences: rape; domestic abuse; so-called honour abuse / violence; forced marriage; and child abuse.
These figures for 2023-24 represent an increase from 434 and 30 in 2022-23, respectively.
The CPS has already produced a new operating model for the prosecution of rape based on robust evidence from Operation Soteria and launched the Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan with policing in November 2024. The early results of improvements in partnership working with policing under the plan have already led to modest initial increases in domestic abuse referrals, setting a strong foundation for future improvements.
In September 2024, the CPS prosecuted the third conviction for female genital mutilation (FGM) and the first conviction of conspiring to commit FGM in England and Wales. This marks a significant milestone and demonstrates the growing effectiveness of prosecuting these cases.
However, more can be done to increase prosecution rates for VAWG, in Surrey and across the country. This Government’s ambition is to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, as part of our Safer Streets Mission, and delivering effective prosecutions is a key part of this.
To address the increasing complexity of VAWG offending, and holistic needs of victims, the CPS is producing a new VAWG strategy which will be published in spring 2025.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on steps to ensure all new homes are built to high energy efficiency standards.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has dual ambitions of delivering 1.5 million new homes by the end of this Parliament and achieving clean power by 2030. These objectives are not mutually exclusive, and with good planning and smart design we can build the high quality, low carbon homes we need.
The Future Homes and Buildings Standards consultation was published in December 2023 and closed in March 2024 under the previous Government. We fully support the need for low carbon homes, fit for a net zero future. We are reviewing proposals and feedback from the Future Homes and Building Standards consultation and will publish the Government Response in due course.