Tag: Lisa Cameron

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support children and young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder in the education system.

Edward Timpson

The Children and Families Act 2014, which came into force in September 2014, introduced significant reforms to the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) system. The new statutory framework ensures that support is focused on needs and aspirations, enabling all pupils, including those with autism, to achieve better outcomes in education and adult life.

Changes to the SEND system since September 2014 include the publication of ‘local offers’ of SEND services by local authorities; the introduction of streamlined education, health and care needs assessments and plans; and new statutory protections for young people aged 16-25 in further education.

The Act also makes provision to ensure that parents, children and young people are able to access impartial information, advice and support about the SEND system through a local, dedicated and easily identifiable service. Among other things, this service offers help in preparing for meetings with schools, health professionals, or other agencies.

The Department’s Free Schools programme has seen nineteen special free schools open across the country. This includes several free schools that are specifically for children with Autism, such as the Rise free school in Hounslow, the Lighthouse free school in Leeds, and the National Autistic Society’s Church Lawton free school in Cheshire. There are a further eleven special free schools due to open in the future, five of which will specialise in provision for children with autism, including the Heartlands Autism free school in Haringey and a second National Autistic Society free school, the Vanguard free school in Lambeth. The other six will also offer some places for children with autism.

The Department has contracted with the Autism Education Trust (2015-16) to deliver autism training to education professionals. The Trust has now trained almost 80,000 education staff since 2012. The Department is also providing grant funding for two additional projects (2015-16): a project by the National Autistic Society to provide information and advice to parents and professionals on exclusions; and a project by Ambitious about Autism on strategies for supporting the transition from school to college.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2015-12-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans the Government has to increase the study of Japanese in schools.

Nick Gibb

The government supports the efforts of the Japan Foundation to help schools teaching Japanese. Since September 2014, maintained primary schools in England must teach a modern or ancient foreign language to pupils at key stage 2 (ages 7 to 11). Schools can choose which language or languages to teach and should enable pupils to make substantial progress in one language by the end of primary school.

The government took action in 2010 to halt the decline in the number of school children taking language GCSEs by including it within the English Baccalaureate. This has had a positive effect on the take up of languages in schools. The proportion of the cohort in state funded schools entered for a modern foreign language has risen from 40 per cent in 2010 to 49 per cent in 2015. The government’s goal is that, in time, at least 90 per cent of pupils enter GCSEs in the EBacc subjects of English, maths, science, humanities and languages.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-03-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will provide additional financial support for families with working parents who will receive less in benefits as a result of the April 2016 universal credit changes.

Priti Patel

Changes to the Universal Credit work allowances are part of a wider package of measures announced in the Summer Budget. This also includes the increase to the personal tax allowance, introduction of the national living wage, and an increase in childcare support to provide for an additional 15 hours free childcare for working parents of three and four year olds from September 2017. In addition, from April 2016, we are increasing childcare support under Universal Credit from 70% to 85% of eligible childcare costs paid, up to a maximum cap.

We will be contacting Universal Credit claimants directly affected by the work allowance changes in advance to prepare them and let them know how they can access further advice and support. As well as additional work coach support, affected claimants may qualify for help from the Flexible Support Fund to help them retain work and increase their earnings.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-04-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the next set of National Diet and Nutrition Service data will be published.

Jane Ellison

The next report of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey, covering data collected over two years from 2012-13 to 2013-14 for the United Kingdom as a whole, is in preparation and is expected to be published in late 2016. The report is an Official Statistic and the publication date will be pre-announced in advance in accordance with the Official Statistics Code of Practice.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-09-02.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in the level of UK corporation tax on tax revenues in (a) developing and (b) other countries.

Jane Ellison

The Government is committed to a competitive and fair tax system, one that encourages innovation and business investment and taxes the profits of economic activity that occur in the UK.

That is why the UK used its G8 presidency to build support for the OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project (BEPS), which is about tackling tax avoidance by multinationals through updating the international tax rules, and is delivering many of its recommendations in a package of measures announced at Budget 2016.

The UK has led international efforts to help developing countries tackle evasion and avoidance. Through the G20 we have commissioned the international organisations to develop toolkits to assist developing countries to implement the BEPS outcomes, as well as funding assistance to help developing country tax authorities tackle multinational tax avoidance.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children who have had a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in each local authority area were excluded from school in the last five years.

Edward Timpson

The Department does not hold information on the number of pupils excluded with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2015-12-16.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of HM Revenue and Customs office closures on the local economy in East Kilbride.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has a large and long-established presence in Scotland. The Department announced in November its decision to significantly invest in Scotland by creating two Regional Centres in Glasgow and Edinburgh, employing up to 6,300 staff. As part of those transformation plans, HMRC is planning to remain in East Kilbride until 2025-26.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-03-03.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with Sir John Chilcot on the publication date of the Iraq Inquiry.

Mr Oliver Letwin

None.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-04-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will abolishing work-focused interviews in work-related activity groups for disabled people who are under appeal from employment and support allowance.

Priti Patel

Growing evidence over the last decade has shown that work can keep people healthy as well as help promote recovery and it is right therefore to offer support to those placed in the work related activity group who are appealing the decision. The work coach or provider will work with the claimant to tailor reasonable activities to help them prepare for a future return to work.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-09-02.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the UK’s tax treaties with developing countries on tax revenue in the UK.

Jane Ellison

By governing the taxation of cross-border income flows in a predictable manner and eliminating double taxation and excessive taxation, tax treaties promote international trade and investment, leading to sustainable tax revenues, which are vital in financing for development. However, as my predecessor and Rt Hon Friend the Member for South West Hertfordshire has stated in response to similar questions, given the long timescales, complex and shifting interactions with domestic law, large and unpredictable behavioural effects and the lack of a sensible comparator, it is not possible to produce meaningful estimates of the revenue effects of double taxation agreements, and successive Governments have never attempted it.