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To ask the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent discussions the Archbishop of Canterbury has had with his French counterparts on illegal migrant crossings in the Channel.
To ask the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent discussions the Archbishop of Canterbury has had with his French counterparts on illegal migrant crossings in the Channel.
The Church of England is part of the World Council of Churches, the Conference of European Churches and the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe, and works in all those bodies to respond to the challenges of the largest movement of people since the end of the second world war.
What is my right hon. Friend doing to give the Groceries Code Adjudicator some more teeth to make sure that supermarkets do not inappropriately take advantage of the difficulties that we see with food prices? As he will well know, a lot of farmers face great pressure from supermarkets, and some would argue that they actually control the prices that farmers get when that is not really how it should be.
What is my right hon. Friend doing to give the Groceries Code Adjudicator some more teeth to make sure that supermarkets do not inappropriately take advantage of the difficulties that we see with food prices? As he will well know, a lot of farmers face great pressure from supermarkets, and some would argue that they actually control the prices that farmers get when that is not really how it should be.
The supermarket adjudicator has, in recent years, made good progress in bringing transparency to the way relationships work between suppliers and the supermarkets. In addition, through the Agriculture Act 2020, we have introduced new powers so that in future we will be able to regulate and improve the transparency and fairness of contracts between farmers and processors.
In Dorset we are taking care of 20 orphaned children who have lost their trafficked parents in illegal but also fatal crossings of the English channel. Now that the Church of England bishops are making co-ordinated political statements, can my hon. Friend tell me what advice the Archbishop of Canterbury is offering to prevent such situations from happening in the first place so that no more children are orphaned during illegal channel crossings?
In Dorset we are taking care of 20 orphaned children who have lost their trafficked parents in illegal but also fatal crossings of the English channel. Now that the Church of England bishops are making co-ordinated political statements, can my hon. Friend tell me what advice the Archbishop of Canterbury is offering to prevent such situations from happening in the first place so that no more children are orphaned during illegal channel crossings?
Let me first thank all those in Dorset who are caring for the children who lost their parents while they were being trafficked across the English channel. Our hearts go out to them, and we must do everything possible to prevent further such fatalities.
I can tell my hon. Friend that the bishops in the House of Lords have called for more safe routes for allowing asylum seekers to apply at UK embassies, and for better co-operation with the French on the processing of applications across the channel.
What steps he is taking to help refurbish school buildings.
What steps he is taking to help refurbish school buildings.
I recently met my hon. Friend, who has been a persistent champion of his local school. The Department provides funding annually to improve school buildings and has allocated £11.3 billion since 2015, including £1.8 billion this financial year. We have also opened the next round of our school rebuilding programme, which will transform 500 schools over the next decade.
I thank my hon. Friend for his answer. He will know full well that I have been supporting the Gryphon School in Sherborne to fix its dilapidated temporary classrooms. The school has just submitted a severe needs funding request in order for us to replace those temporary classrooms. Will he review that and support the submission so that we can fix the issue?
I thank my hon. Friend for his answer. He will know full well that I have been supporting the Gryphon School in Sherborne to fix its dilapidated temporary classrooms. The school has just submitted a severe needs funding request in order for us to replace those temporary classrooms. Will he review that and support the submission so that we can fix the issue?
I recognise that my hon. Friend has consistently pressed the case for his old school in this Chamber and through meetings with myself and with colleagues in the Lords. The next round of our school rebuilding programme has now opened. We expect to select around 300 projects this year, and our aim is to prioritise those with the greatest condition needs. I welcome the fact that a bid has gone in from his school, demonstrating that condition need. Although I can assure him that he has done everything that he can to draw the attention of our Department to these issues, he will understand that I cannot commit to any individual school until the selection process is complete.
To ask the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to strengthen its rural parish ministry.
To ask the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to strengthen its rural parish ministry.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's policy is on resolving universal credit overpayments in the event that the overpayment is due to an error by her Department.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's policy is on resolving universal credit overpayments in the event that the overpayment is due to an error by her Department.
Where Official Error overpayments do occur in a very small number of cases, the introduction of the 2012 Welfare Reform Act means that all overpayments of Universal Credit are recoverable.
Where recovery is made by deduction from Universal Credit, there is a limit placed on the overall amount that can be deducted which is currently 25% of the Standard Allowance. Moreover, a priority order is applied, which determines the order in which deductions can be made, with ‘last resort’ deductions, such as rent or fuel costs, taking precedence.
Anyone with overpayment deductions who does experience financial hardship is encouraged to contact the Department’s Debt Management unit. Where a person cannot afford the proposed rate, a lower amount can be negotiated.
If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.
If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.
Dorset police is at the bottom of the funding league table for police forces, coming 40th out of 41 forces, and we continue to battle issues of rural crime, including county lines drug gangs. Will my right hon. Friend commit to ensuring that Dorset gets its fair share, so that we can get more police officers—I particularly want to see the rural crime police team doubled, and I know those aspirations are shared by our police and crime commissioner?
Dorset police is at the bottom of the funding league table for police forces, coming 40th out of 41 forces, and we continue to battle issues of rural crime, including county lines drug gangs. Will my right hon. Friend commit to ensuring that Dorset gets its fair share, so that we can get more police officers—I particularly want to see the rural crime police team doubled, and I know those aspirations are shared by our police and crime commissioner?
I have committed before, and I am happy to do so again, that before the end of the Parliament we will produce a new funding formula to ensure that my hon. Friend’s constituency gets exactly what he deserves, as indeed he should.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether Natural England has invited the Dorset National Park team to be involved in the further assessment of the Dorset proposal.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether Natural England has invited the Dorset National Park team to be involved in the further assessment of the Dorset proposal.
Natural England is undertaking a strategic England landscape assessment to identify areas which may have potential for future National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty designation, as well as places for alternative landscape action. This assessment is providing an opportunity to gather a wide range of views including those of local stakeholders, including groups such as the Dorset National Park team. All designation orders made by Natural England are subject to the Secretary of State’s confirmation.
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what measures announced in his Department's Levelling Up the United Kingdom White Paper will specifically benefit West Dorset.
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what measures announced in his Department's Levelling Up the United Kingdom White Paper will specifically benefit West Dorset.
The Levelling Up the United Kingdom White Paper upholds the Government’s central mission to reverse the geographical inequalities faced by our communities by spreading opportunity more equally across the country and by bringing left behind communities up to the level of more prosperous areas. This means spreading prosperity to all corners of the UK, including West Dorset.
Firstly, Dorset County Council area is included as one of 55 areas identified by the Department for Education as new Education Investment Areas. More broadly, higher educational attainment will be supported by a £560 million investment over three years into a new National Youth Guarantee.
Second, an additional £1.6 billion has been allocated to the British Business Bank’s Regional Investment Funds, which provide debt and equity finance to SMEs. These funds will be specifically directed toward the South West and North East of England, providing significant opportunity for the 97% of businesses within West Devon that are either small or micro-sized.
Third, Dorset will also see 5 of the 11 new hospital schemes in the South West.
Finally, all areas of the UK will receive an allocation from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund via a funding formula rather than a competition. The fund will seek to restore pride in place to communities across the UK, and a new prospectus will be published later in Spring 2022.
I very much welcome the news from the Prime Minister yesterday that services in Dorset and across the west country will be returned on 19 February. Will the Minister share with the House how we got to the place where an entire region of the United Kingdom—Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire and Devon—had its direct service to London completely severed and slashed in half, without MPs even being told about it?
I very much welcome the news from the Prime Minister yesterday that services in Dorset and across the west country will be returned on 19 February. Will the Minister share with the House how we got to the place where an entire region of the United Kingdom—Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire and Devon—had its direct service to London completely severed and slashed in half, without MPs even being told about it?
I assure my hon. Friend that the Department continues to work closely with rail operators, as we work through mitigating the impact of staff absences on rail services. I assure him that the current temporary rail timetable is exactly that—temporary—but it is providing passengers, especially the country’s key workers, with certainty, so that they can plan as much as
possible, with the confidence that we want. I really hope that as staffing pressures start to ease, alongside passenger demand increasing, we will see those rail services, which are key, starting to increase accordingly.
To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2022 to Question 101841 on Church of England: Public Relations, how much Lambeth Palace spent on public affairs in the financial year 2020-2021.
To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2022 to Question 101841 on Church of England: Public Relations, how much Lambeth Palace spent on public affairs in the financial year 2020-2021.
It is not possible to disaggregate expenditure on all public affairs activity from the overall total working costs for the Archbishop of Canterbury in the financial year 2020-21 without incurring disproportionate cost. During this period the public affairs team at Lambeth Palace comprised a social and public affairs adviser, research officer and a PA. The PA role will be reduced to half time in 2022.
Q5
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Chris Loder (West Dorset) (Con):
South Western Railway has totally cut off Dorset, Somerset, most of Wiltshire and Devon from its direct rail services to London as well as slashing our service in half, most of which is totally unnecessary. Will my right hon. Friend support me and my neighbouring colleagues in getting direct services back to West Dorset and having a timetable that is fit for our region?
Q5
.
Chris Loder (West Dorset) (Con):
South Western Railway has totally cut off Dorset, Somerset, most of Wiltshire and Devon from its direct rail services to London as well as slashing our service in half, most of which is totally unnecessary. Will my right hon. Friend support me and my neighbouring colleagues in getting direct services back to West Dorset and having a timetable that is fit for our region?
I thank my hon. Friend very much for his question; he knows whereof he speaks. He is an expert in the subject and has lobbied very effectively for his constituents and reflected their frustrations. I am told that the timetable is expected to return to December 2021 levels from Saturday 19 February.
If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 2 February.
If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 2 February.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the capacity of the booster vaccination programme in West Dorset.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the capacity of the booster vaccination programme in West Dorset.
In Dorset, larger vaccination centres extended their opening hours to 8am to 8pm, including at Vespasian House in Dorchester and walk-in appointments have been available.
Twenty-five years ago, I attended the Gryphon School in Sherborne and was schooled in temporary classrooms. I returned to the school only a few months ago, to find the same temporary classrooms, in a terrible state, being used for students today. I am making limited progress with my hon. Friend’s Department, so might he offer further support so that we can get the situation sorted out?
Twenty-five years ago, I attended the Gryphon School in Sherborne and was schooled in temporary classrooms. I returned to the school only a few months ago, to find the same temporary classrooms, in a terrible state, being used for students today. I am making limited progress with my hon. Friend’s Department, so might he offer further support so that we can get the situation sorted out?
My hon. Friend is right to speak up for his old school. I am concerned to hear of the issues there. I understand that he met my noble Friend the Minister for the School System and senior officials. We have been engaging with the Sherborne Area Schools’ Trust on this matter and it has received £585,000 this financial year to improve its school buildings, but I would of course be happy to meet my hon. Friend again.
If he will take steps to ensure a high standard for school buildings in West Dorset.
If he will take steps to ensure a high standard for school buildings in West Dorset.
Ensuring that schools are well maintained and support effective education is a Government priority. We have allocated £11.3 billion since 2015 to improve school buildings, and Dorset Council received £2.9 million this financial year in school condition allocations. We are delivering rebuilding projects in West Dorset, and our school rebuilding programme will transform 500 schools over the next decade.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of unlicensed schools operating in (a) West Dorset constituency, (b) Dorset and (c) England.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of unlicensed schools operating in (a) West Dorset constituency, (b) Dorset and (c) England.
Any education institution which provides full-time provision to 5 or more pupils of compulsory school age (or one or more pupils of compulsory school age who is ‘looked after’ or who has an education, health and care plan) is required to register with the Secretary of State for Education. It is a criminal offence under section 96 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 to conduct an independent educational institution unless it is registered.
Since those conducting an unregistered school are committing a criminal offence, they do not generally inform the Department for Education about the school’s operation. It is not therefore possible to accurately estimate the number of unregistered schools operating in (a) West Dorset constituency, (b) Dorset, and (c) England.
The Department for Education and Ofsted continue to investigate any institution where intelligence or evidence suggest the operation of an unregistered school. Section 97 of the 2008 Act permits the Chief Inspector to investigate, and conduct no-notice inspections of, institutions believed to be operating in breach of the registration requirement.
Ofsted publishes statistics on the number and outcomes of investigations carried out into unregistered schools. Statistics have been published online for the period 1 January 2016 to 31 August 2021. The statistics up to 31 August 2021 showing the investigations and inspections which have taken place both nationally and in the south-west are in the table attached.
To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, how much the Church of England spent on (a) public affairs and (b) reputation management organisations in financial year 2020-21.
To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, how much the Church of England spent on (a) public affairs and (b) reputation management organisations in financial year 2020-21.
It is not possible to give a cumulative figure for expenditure on public affairs for the Church of England, as each National Church Institution, diocese and parish is a separate charity and this information is not collected.
At a national level public affairs functions are not limited to a specific branch of the National Church Institutions. The Faith and Public Life team of the Archbishopâs Council (formerly MPA: the Mission and Public Affairs Division) handles much of the Church of Englandâs national engagement with Government, Parliament and policymakers but also has responsibility for work that is not public affairs. In the transition from MPA to the Faith and Public Life team under the Transforming Effectiveness process, the total number of NCI staff working in those public affairs roles has been cut.
The Archbishopsâ Council Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 can be seen here: GS 2211 AC_annual_report_and_financial_statements_for_year_ended_31_December_2020.pdf (churchofengland.org)
The Church Commissioners for England Annual Report 2020 can be seen here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2021-06/Church%20Commissioners%20Annual%20Report%202020.pdf