Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to tackle the disproportionate rates of school exclusions of black children.
Answered by Brendan Clarke-Smith
Published in 2019, the Timpson Review of School Exclusions illustrated a complex picture and identified that there is no substantial difference in permanent exclusion rates, when comparing all ethnic minority children as a whole with white British children. However, the department recognises that certain groups of children are more likely to be permanently excluded, although local context means there will be different patterns across the country.
The updated suspension and permanent exclusion guidance, published 13 July 2022, sets out that it is vital that schools, local authorities, and local partners work together to understand what lies behind local trends. Local leaders should use this understanding to plan and put in place additional and targeted action. If they identify any gaps, they should act to ensure those who work with children have the training, services, and support they need to address them.
Under the Equality Act 2010, schools also have a legal duty not to discriminate against pupils. Ofsted’s assessment of behaviour in schools includes specific consideration of rates, patterns, and reasons for exclusions, as well as any differences between groups of pupils.
If a parent believes that any form of discrimination has been a factor in their child’s exclusion, they can make a claim to the first-tier tribunal in relation to disability, or a county court for other forms of discrimination.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking in response to the survey of Black, Asian and minority ethnic women in prison published by the Independent Monitoring Boards and Criminal Justice Alliance in April 2022.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
HMPPS are considering the findings of the IMB / CRA reports and will act accordingly. We recognise that race disparities persist in the Criminal Justice System, and we are committed to actively tackling the impact of this across MoJ. In December 2020 HMPPS launched the Race Action Programme, which will increase the diversity of our workforce, address the risk of bias in our policies and tackle disparity in outcomes for prisoners, people on probation and children in our system.
The Female Offender Strategy also included a clear commitment to look at how the distinct needs of ethnic minority and non-British national women can be better addressed. This is being taken forward by the Female Offender Minority Ethnic working group, which brings together officials and stakeholders to work together to improve outcomes for this cohort of women.
There is no place for racial abuse in prisons, which should be safe, orderly and decent places for both prisoners and staff. As set out in the Prisons Strategy White Paper we are introducing training for staff in women’s prisons to address the diverse needs of all women in their care. This will include cultural competence training to equip our staff with an increased knowledge of the effects of culture, faith and sustaining family relationships for ethnically diverse communities, increasing their confidence and skills in supporting all offenders, including those subjected to racial abuse.
Information on the number, grade and allocated duties of equality staff is not held centrally. The majority of HMPPS PGDs have a dedicated Regional Equality Lead (Band 8 & Full Time) who coordinate activity and drive a regional strategy designed to best represent the unique situations arising in that part of the country, representative of the staff and prisoner population. Profiles for equalities work are decided at a local level to ensure they best fit the nature of individual establishments.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to drive economic growth in the Black Country.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government published its Levelling Up White Paper in February, which sets out our missions as part of a decade long masterplan to see the potential of every corner of the United Kingdom fulfilled.
Through the Levelling Up Fund, designed to invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK, Wolverhampton will receive £20m to develop its City Learning Quarter, delivering 10,000 qualifications over ten years. Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall will receive a combined total of over £35m directly from the recently launched £2.6bn UK Shared Prosperity Fund, building pride in place, investing in businesses and improving life chances across the UK. Wolverhampton, Walsall and Dudley will also receive a combined total of £71m through the Towns Fund, which ensures that local areas can grow their economies, create and sustain local jobs whilst also carving out new opportunities to reshape the look and feel of their area.
Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of (a) verbal abuse and (b) physical attacks experienced by NHS staff in (i) Coventry, (ii) the West Midlands and (iii) England in each of the last three years; and what steps his Department is taking to better protect NHS staff in those areas from that abuse.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The following table shows the proportion of cases where National Health Service staff in organisations in Coventry, the West Midlands and England experienced at least one occurrence of physical violence at work from patients and service users, their relatives or other members of the public in each of the last three years.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust | 13.8% | 13.7% | 15.2% |
Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust | 19.7% | 14.9% | 14.3% |
Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System | N/A | 11.2% | 10.4% |
Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care System | N/A | 13.4% | 14.2% |
The Black Country and West Birmingham Integrated Care System | N/A | 13.1% | 13.5% |
England | 15.0% | 14.6% | 14.3% |
Source: NHS Staff Survey
The following table shows the proportion of cases where NHS staff in organisations in Coventry, the West Midlands and England experienced At least one occurrence of harassment, bullying or abuse at work from patients and service users, their relatives or other members of the public in each of the last three years.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust | 27.4% | 27.2% | 29.7% |
Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust | 27.0% | 22.9% | 26.0% |
Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System | N/A | 21.3% | 23.2% |
Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care System | N/A | 25.9% | 28.6% |
The Black Country and West Birmingham Integrated Care System | N/A | 26.7% | 27.2% |
England | 28.7% | 26.8% | 27.5% |
Source: NHS Staff Survey
Data for integrated care systems are not available for 2019.
NHS England has established a violence reduction programme to address deliberate violence and aggression towards NHS staff and ensure offenders are punished. The Civility and Respect programme aims to tackle bullying and harassment in the NHS.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are offering to Ukraine to increase its (1) land, or (2) river-based, exporting infrastructure to assist in getting grain out of that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Russia's unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated one of the most severe food and energy crises in recent history. Russia bears responsibility for preventing Ukraine from exporting its food and playing its role as the breadbasket of the world. Russia's bombardment of cities and infrastructure across Ukraine, its blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports and its attacks on farmers and their farms have crippled Ukraine's ability to export its produce. It is Putin's responsibility to lift this blockade. We are working with Ukraine, the UN, the G7 and the wider international community to explore the best solutions, whether by road, rail, river or sea, to extract the 25 million tons of grain stuck in Ukraine.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to increase SEND provision in the Black Country.
Answered by Will Quince
In March 2022, the department announced High Needs Provision Capital Allocations (HNPCA) amounting to over £1.4 billion of new investment. This funding is to support local authorities to deliver new places for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years and improve existing provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or who require alternative provision (AP).
This funding forms part of the £2.6 billion the department is investing between 2022 and 2025 and represents a significant, transformational investment in new high needs provision. It will support local authorities to deliver new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings, and will also be used to improve the suitability and accessibility of existing buildings.
Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton collectively received a total of just over £33.9 million through these allocations announced in March 2022 and just under £6.6 million through previous HNPCA allocations announced in April 2021 to deliver new places for the 2022/23 academic year. Information on these allocations can be found published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/high-needs-provision-capital-allocations. It is ultimately up to each local authority to determine how to best utilise their HNPCA funding to address local priorities.
The department is also supporting local authorities through our ongoing delivery of new special and AP free schools. Sandwell currently has a new special free school in the pipeline and the department has recently launched the ‘How to Apply’ guidance for the 2022 Special and AP free school application waves. These waves are open to all local authorities in England. Guidance can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/special-free-school-applications and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-to-open-an-alternative-provision-free-school.
The department is further supporting local authorities to achieve the shared endeavour to secure a financially sustainable high needs system. This includes investment of £9.1 billion high needs revenue funding in 2022/23 (a £1 billion increase from 2021/22), continuing work with local authorities as part of the safety valve programme, the introduction of the Delivering Better Value programme and the recommendations outlined in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Green Paper.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, what plans he has to celebrate Black Country Day on 14 July 2022.
Answered by Boris Johnson
As a former resident of Bilston, I am proud of the enormous contribution that the Black Country has made and continues to make to the UK. I encourage everyone to join in as we celebrate the region's industrial heritage, history and culture on Black Country Day.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to help increase access to ultrafast full fibre broadband in Birmingham.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Thanks to the government's work to promote competition and investment and bust barriers in the UK telecoms market, over 93% premises in Birmingham can now access the fastest gigabit-capable networks.
The commercial rollout is continuing at record pace, and for those premises where private sector deployment is not viable without subsidy, our £5bn Project Gigabit will contribute to nationwide coverage, with Birmingham and the Black Country set to benefit in phase 3 of the programme.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many homes have access to ultrafast full fibre broadband in Birmingham.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Thanks to the government's work to promote competition and investment and bust barriers in the UK telecoms market, over 93% premises in Birmingham can now access the fastest gigabit-capable networks.
The commercial rollout is continuing at record pace, and for those premises where private sector deployment is not viable without subsidy, our £5bn Project Gigabit will contribute to nationwide coverage, with Birmingham and the Black Country set to benefit in phase 3 of the programme.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of household's access to ultrafast full fibre broadband in Birmingham.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Thanks to the government's work to promote competition and investment and bust barriers in the UK telecoms market, over 93% premises in Birmingham can now access the fastest gigabit-capable networks.
The commercial rollout is continuing at record pace, and for those premises where private sector deployment is not viable without subsidy, our £5bn Project Gigabit will contribute to nationwide coverage, with Birmingham and the Black Country set to benefit in phase 3 of the programme.