Every parliamentary written question tabled by Laura Kyrke-Smith this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 121–140 of 140 · this parliament
What steps she is taking help improve technical skill development in Aylesbury constituency.
High quality technical education is a priority for this government in order to boost opportunity for individuals and tackle skills gaps which are essential for driving economic growth. The department has established Skills England is central to the govern...
What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her polices of recent trends in the amount of time taken for transport to be arranged for SEND pupils; and what steps she is taking to ensure that
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 ...
With reference to the Disabled Facilities Grant scheme, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of updating the Test of Resources in order to ensure working people with disabiliti
We recognise how important the right housing arrangements are in enabling people to live independently, and the need to support people to live in their own home wherever possible. In England, we continue to fund the locally administered Disabled Facilitie...
What steps her Department is taking to improve the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of school support staff in Aylesbury constituency.
The full-time equivalent (FTE) of support staff has increased since 2019/20, rising to 510,400 in 2023/24. This is an increase of 4,800 (0.9%) since last year. Support staff roles include teaching assistants, administrative staff, auxiliary staff, technic...
What steps her Department is taking to help improve the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of teachers in Aylesbury constituency.
High quality teaching is the factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education. There are now 468,693 full-time equivalent teachers in state-funded schools in England, but the government must do more to ensure it has the workforce needed to ...
What steps she is taking to roll out open access young futures hubs for (a) children and (b) young people in (i) Aylesbury constituency and (ii) Buckinghamshire.
The Government is committed to rolling out a Young Futures programme which will bring together local services to improve the delivery of support for young people at risk of being drawn into crime .The HO has already set up a YF delivery unit to make progr...
If she will make an assessment of trends in (a) recruitment and (b) retention of school support staff in (i) Aylesbury constituency and (ii) England in the last five years.
The full-time equivalent (FTE) of support staff has increased since 2019/20, rising to 510,400 in 2023/24. This is an increase of 4,800 (0.9%) since last year. Support staff roles include teaching assistants, administrative staff, auxiliary staff, technic...
What steps his Department is taking to tackle waiting lists for mental health services in Aylesbury constituency.
People with mental health issues in the Aylesbury constituency and across the country are not getting the support or care they deserve, which is why we will fix the broken system to ensure that mental health is given the same attention and focus as physic...
What recent estimate she has made of the number of pensioners eligible for Pension Credit in Aylesbury constituency; and what steps she is taking to encourage the take-up of Pension Credit in that const
The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics, which includes estimates of the number of households eligible for but not claiming Pension Credit, cover the financial year 2021 to 2022 and are available at: Income-related benefits: estimates of ta...
What steps she is taking to support pensioners with increases in the cost of living in Aylesbury constituency.
The State Pension is the foundation of income in retirement and will remain so, protecting 12 million pensioners through the triple lock. Based on current forecasts, the full rate of the new state pension is set to increase by £1,700 over the course of th...
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the reported (a) use of violence and (b) detention of Palestinian land owners in the West Bank
The UK's position is clear. Settlements are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. We recognise settlements have reached record levels in the past year and there has been...
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will raise the case of Alice Kisiya with his Israeli counterpart; and what diplomatic steps he is taking to help protect land rights of Palestinians.
The UK's position is clear. Settlements are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. We recognise settlements have reached record levels in the past year and have been acco...
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on recent Israeli settlements in the Al Makhrour area of Beit Jala in the occupied West Bank.
The Foreign Secretary has raised the UK's concerns about settlement expansion and settlers with Israeli Ministers. The UK's position is clear. Settlements are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and threaten the physical viabili...
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department’s policies of the increase in Israeli settlement expansion and the depopulation of Palestinian
The UK's position is clear. Settlements are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. We recognise settlements have reached record levels in the past year and there has been...
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of linking the minimum income requirement for spousal visa applications to the National Living Wage.
The financial requirements for the Family Immigration Rules include the Minimum Income Requirement (MIR) which is currently set at £29,000 and is intended to maintain the economic wellbeing of the UK whilst respecting family life.The Home Secretary has an...
Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to protect library services in Aylesbury constituency.
Public libraries are funded by local authorities and each local authority is responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing a library service to meet those needs within available resources.DCMS is aware of the current consultation on proposed changes to opening hours at a number of libraries in Buckinghamshire, including Aylesbury. DCMS officials have met with Buckinghamshire County Council officers to ensure that they are aware of the Council's statutory duty under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service, and to advise officers on the Secretary of State's duty of superintendence, which includes the consideration of formal complaints that a library authority is not carrying out their duties under the 1964 Act.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to assess Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law in Gaza.
We are clear that International Humanitarian Law must be upheld, and we are following the necessary processes.As soon as the Foreign Secretary took office, he tasked officials with a comprehensive review of Israel's compliance with International Humanitarian Law, and that process is now under way. We will update the House again once the process is complete.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle illegal sewage discharges in waterways in Aylesbury constituency.
The Secretary of State recently met with water company bosses, including Thames Water, to make it clear that water firms will be held accountable for their performance for customers and the environment. During the meeting, water bosses signed up to the Government’s initial package of reforms to cut sewage dumping and attract investment to upgrade infrastructure. The Government also announced a new Water (Special Measures) Bill, which will turn around the performance of water companies, in the King’s Speech. The Bill will strengthen regulation, give the water regulator new powers to ban the payment of bonuses if environmental standards are not met and increase accountability for water executives. These are the first critical steps in enabling a long-term and transformative reset of the entire water sector.
If she will have discussions with HS2 Ltd to ensure that HS2 works in Aylesbury constituency result in minimal disruption.
The Department and I are working closely with HS2 Ltd to ensure that, as we deliver the railway, local communities are involved, informed, and treated with the respect they deserve. Construction of a project on the scale of HS2 will inevitably affect many people, including residents of Aylesbury, but a wide range of controls are in place, including a comprehensive Code of Construction Practice, and independent Commissioners, to minimise disruption as far as possible and to respond to any concerns raised. In recognition of those impacts that remain, however, local people may be interested in applying to the HS2 Community and Environment Fund, which provides grant funding for beneficial projects along the line of the route, and to mitigate the impact of HS2 works.
What steps she is taking to support (a) children with SEND and (b) their parents, families and carers in the Aylesbury constituency.
The department is continuing to support and challenge Buckinghamshire to improve delivery of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services. The last local area SEND inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for Buckinghamshire was in March 2022, during which inspectors identified three areas of significant weakness. A written statement of action to address these areas of weakness was accepted by Ofsted and CQC. The department’s regional team has put in place systems to track outcomes against these areas of weakness and the progress made by children and young people with SEND, including regular review meetings. Buckinghamshire Council are committed to working closely with the department to improve services. Buckinghamshire is taking part in the Delivering Better Value (DBV) in SEND Programme. The DBV in SEND Programme, established under the previous government, aims to help local authorities provide more effective SEND services by meeting the needs of children and young people at an early stage and with the right level of support. Buckinghamshire is part of the most recent national competition to find multi-academy trusts to run 18 additional special schools. The competition was launched before the election and the window for application has just closed. This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department will be focusing on a community-wide approach to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools as well as to ensure that special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.