Every parliamentary written question tabled by John Hayes this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1,641–1,660 of 1,767 · this parliament
What the cost to the public purse was of staff diversity networks in his Department in each of the last five years.
The Ministry of Defence does not routinely collate information on staff network costs and collating this information could only be done at disproportionate cost.Information on spending and staffing can be found in the Department's annual report and accounts: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-defence-annual-report-and-accounts-2023-to-2024
How many properties her Department has rented for the temporary housing of asylum seekers awaiting a decision on their claim for asylum since 5 July 2024.
As was the case under the previous government, the Home Office does not rent properties; it discharges its statutory duties for accommodating destitute asylum seekers through a contract with three main accommodation providers, which was agreed by previous administrations. The providers are responsible for sourcing and acquiring accommodation to meet demand and the estate is subject to daily change.
How many and what proportion of asylum seekers being accommodated in hotels are awaiting a decision on their application by (a) nationality, (b) sex and (c) age range.
Data on the number of asylum seekers in receipt of support by nationality, can be found within the Asy_D09 tab for our most recent stats release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab).
How many foreign nationals have been refused visas because of criminal convictions in their home countries in each of the last five years.
The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on visas refused are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the detailed entry clearance visas dataset. However, this information is not broken down by reason for refusal. Further information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates up to the end of June 2024.
Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the provision of youth services in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.
As set out in section 507B of the Education Act 1996, local authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people. At the Autumn Budget, we announced £1.3 billion of extra funding through the Local Government Finance Settlement for the next financial year.This Government is committed to giving all young people the chance to reach their full potential and recognises the vital role that youth services and activities play in improving their life chances and wellbeing. That is why, on 12 November 2024, the Secretary of State announced the launch of a new National Youth Strategy coproduced with young people, which will prioritise delivering better coordinated youth services and policy at a local, regional and national level.Alongside this, the Government will be allocating over £85 million of capital funding to create fit-for-purpose spaces for young people. This includes launching the new £26 million Better Youth Spaces fund (equipment and small refurbishments for youth clubs, led by young people) and the completion of Youth Investment Fund projects such as youth clubs in communities that need them. We will also be launching the Local Youth Transformation pilot, which will provide tools, guidance, peer challenge and funding to build back local authorities’ lost capability in the youth space.
How many apprentices her Department has employed each year since 2010.
The Department formally began recording apprenticeship data from 2017, following the publication of the Civil Service Apprenticeship Strategy. This data reflects DfTc, excluding the agencies.YearApprentice Numbers2017 - 2018192018 - 2019202019 - 2020242020 - 202172021 - 2022442022 - 20231232023 - 20241122024 - present53
What steps she is taking to support parents of children with SEND to access transport to school in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.
The department's ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department’s home-to-school travel policy aims to make sure no child is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport.Local authorities must arrange free home-to-school travel for children of compulsory school age who attend their nearest school and would not be able to walk there because of the distance, their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or because the route is unsafe. There are extended rights to free home-to-school travel for children from low-income families, aimed at helping them exercise school choice.The department is aware that challenges within the wider SEND system are creating pressure on home-to-school travel. The government is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, with specialist provision supporting children with the most complex needs, so fewer children need to travel long distances to a school that can meet their needs. This will reduce the pressure on home-to-school travel over time.Most central government funding for home-to-school travel is provided through the Local Government Finance Settlement administered by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The government recognises the challenges local authorities are facing. The department has listened to voices across the sector and prioritised local government at the Autumn Budget 2024. £1.3 billion of new grant funding in 2025/26 was announced for local government to deliver core services. Together with local income from council tax and business rates, this will provide a real-terms increase in core spending power of around 3.2%.
What estimate her Department has made of the value of the counterfeit cigarette market.
HMRC estimated that the illicit tobacco market cost £2.2bn in lost excise duty and VAT for the year 2022/23. Cigarettes account for £0.7bn of this amount. We do not have an estimate relating to specifically counterfeit cigarettes. Further details can be found in the Measuring Tax Gaps 2024 publication.
What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Probation Service in the East Midlands.
His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service routinely publishes information about Probation Service regions’ performance as part of the Community Performance Annual Statistics. The most recent data, published in July, cover the financial year 2023-24, and includes the performance of East Midlands Probation.This publication includes details of performance against key performance indicators, a set of ‘Probation Service Scorecard Ratings,’ and other supporting information, which can all be accessed using the following link: Community Performance Annual, update to March 2024 - GOV.UK.
What estimate her Department has made of how many illegal cigarettes were smuggled into the UK in 2023.
The transparency data showing the total amount of illegal cigarettes seized by Border Force in 2023 is available at the following page:Border Force Transparency 2023Qty of Cigarettes (sticks)Q1 156,104,848Q2 197,641,347Q3 259,625,932Q4 210,205,139Total 823,577,266
Communities and Local Government, how much funding has been provided via the Disabled Facilities Grant in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire in the last three years.
South Holland and the Deepings constituency is part of Lincolnshire. Government provided the following Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) funding to South Holland, South Kesteven (which covers Deeping) and to Lincolnshire for each financial year since 2022-2023. DFG Allocation 2022-20232023-20242024-2025South Holland£772,382£839,780£842,476South Kesteven£975,298£1,060,402£1,063,807Lincolnshire£6,976,485£7,585,253£7,609,604 This information is publicly available on the Foundations website: Disabled Facilities Grant Annual Allocations.
How many jobs were created in Lincolnshire as a result of foreign direct investment in the last five years.
Official statistics at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dbt-inward-investment-results-2023-to-2024 show that 1,295 new jobs were created in Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) in 2021-22, 1,159 in 2022-23 and 198 in 2023-24. Statistics at LEP level are not available for previous years. Figures were published at International Territorial Level 2 (ITL2) for the first time in 2023-24 which showed that 182 new jobs were created in Lincolnshire. Previous years figures at ITL2 level are not available.
What steps he is taking to support military veterans in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.
This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country, no matter which community they are based in. I am working across Government and with civil society to ensure veterans, including those in South Holland and the Deepings, and throughout Lincolnshire, get access to the health, housing, employment and other support they need. A range of support is in place for veterans. In England Op RESTORE provides specialist care to veterans who have physical health problems, and Op COURAGE, a mental health specialist service helps veterans and their families. Housing support is available across the United Kingdom via Op FORTITUDE, a single referral pathway to connect veterans with help and support. This system provides housing guidance and assistance to veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. As of 3 November 2024, over 2,700 referrals have been made and nearly 800 veterans have been supported into housing. Veterans can also access a range of tailored employment support, including the Career Transition Partnership, which is the initial point of provision for those leaving military service in search of new job opportunities. Armed Forces Champions are also based across the UK’s JobCentre Plus network to help support members of the armed forces community into work.
What is the total amount paid to (a) Serco, (b) Clearsprings and (c) Mears since 2019 for contracts to provide housing for asylum seekers.
Costs are subject to change depending on numbers being accommodated within the asylum system, and details are considered to be commercially confidential. The total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, available at HO annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Communities and Local Government, when she plans to make an announcement on the status of applications to the Community Ownership Fund Round 4.
I refer the rt hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 11941 on 8 November 2024.
What estimate his Department has made of how many miles of pylons and power lines will need to be built in England to meet the 2030 clean power target.
The Government does not design or develop the electricity network, and it is for the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to assess and recommend high-level reinforcements to the electricity network. Transmission Owners then develop the network on the basis of those recommendations. The NESO recently published advice on possible pathways to achieve clean power by 2030, which includes an assessment of required transmission reinforcements. Using this advice, Government will publish its Clean Power 2030 Action Plan later this year.
If she will make it her policy to immediately deport foreign nationals convicted of criminal offences resulting in custodial sentences.
The removal of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) is an important priority of this Government. FNOs who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced and, where appropriate, we will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation. We are currently on track to remove more foreign national offenders this year than at any time in recent years.As the Lord Chancellor stated in Parliament on 05 November, we are reviewing the operation of our removal mechanisms to ensure they are as effective as possible. This includes assessing how we can make the Early Removal Scheme more effective. We will be working with the Home Office as we develop our plans in this area, to ensure that FNOs who have no right to remain here are deported as swiftly as possible.
What the average waiting time is for a dementia assessment in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.
The constituency in question is split across two Older People Community Mental Health Teams (CMHT), Stamford and Spalding CMHTs. Whilst this does not map exactly with the constituency area, the average wait for the first appointment across the two CMHTs is 11.62 weeks.Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) has received funding to introduce a specific pathway for memory assessments, which will help tackle local waiting times for assessment and diagnosis of conditions such as dementia. Work is underway to finalise the model of care and to launch it towards the end of the financial year.There has been continued LPFT recruitment funding for dedicated Memory Assessment Practitioners with increased assessment and diagnostic output, as well as recruitment for additional, dedicated Memory Assessment Service Consultants to increase diagnostic capacity.
What steps he is taking to help improve ambulance response times in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.
The Government has committed to supporting the National Health Service to improve performance and achieve the standards set out in the NHS Constitution, including for ambulance response times. This will improve the level of service nationally, in Lincolnshire and in South Holland and the Deepings.As a first step, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care appointed Professor Lord Darzi to lead an independent investigation of the NHS’ performance. The investigation’s findings were published on 12 September and will feed into the Government’s work on a 10-Year Health Plan to radically reform the NHS and build a health service that is fit for the future.Ahead of this winter, NHS England has set out the priorities for the NHS to maintain and improve patient safety and experience, including actions to support patient flow and ensure ambulances are released in a timely way. NHS England’s winter letter is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/winter-and-h2-priorities/
What steps her Department is taking to improve the recruitment of male primary school teachers.
High quality teaching is the factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education with teachers helping shape the lives of young people.There are now 468,693 full-time equivalent teachers in state-funded schools in England, but the government must do more to ensure we have the workforce needed to provide the best possible education for every child in all parts of the country. This is why the government has set out the ambition to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers.The first crucial step towards achieving this is to ensure teaching is once again an attractive and respected profession. As part of this, it is important that teachers get the pay they deserve, which is why this government has accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools from September.The department is committed to making teaching and teacher recruitment as inclusive as possible. This includes the Get Into Teaching marketing campaign, which provides inspiration and support to explore a career in teaching and directs people to the Get Into Teaching Service, which exists to make teaching a career of choice and support candidates to apply for teacher training in the most effective and efficient way possible.The service supports the department's overall aim to improve teacher sufficiency and quality by boosting teacher recruitment and retention. The department’s Apply for Teacher Training digital service gives it more data and greater insight into the behaviour of male candidates and schools and universities that offer initial teacher training. This is helping the department identify and address barriers for different groups, including men.The department offers a range of training pathways into teaching that appeals to the widest range of candidates. These include routes funded through student finance and, in some subjects, bursaries or employment-based training where trainees will earn a salary while they train, including teaching apprenticeships.