Every parliamentary written question tabled by Jon Pearce this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 21–40 of 65 · this parliament
What data her Department holds on the number of people in High Peak constituency who (a) paid national insurance contributions and (b) earned below £25,000 per year in financial year 2022-23.
The information for the tax year 2022 to 2023 is not yet available. Table 3.15 of HMRC’s Personal Incomes Statistics contains the latest constituency-level income estimates for the tax year 2021 to 2022.
What assessment her Department has made of the impact of ticket office closures in railway stations on communities; and what steps she plans to take to avoid closures.
Passenger service is at the heart of our plans to improve Britain’s railways and it is clear the role that station staff play in supporting vulnerable passengers. This Government has no plans to close ticket offices and we expect train operating companies to take measures to ensure they are open at published times.
What (a) support and (b) resources his Department has provided to help support GP surgeries to (i) clear patient backlogs and (ii) reduce workloads in High Peak constituency.
We know that patients are finding it harder than ever to see a general practitioner (GP), and we are committed to fixing this crisis in GPs to secure the long-term sustainability of the National Health Service. High Peak sits within the NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), where the percentage of appointments delivered within two weeks of booking is 12.7% lower than the national average.This government has committed to fixing the front door to the NHS by shifting the focus from hospitals and into the community. We know that if patients can’t get a GP appointment, they will end up in A&E, which is worse for them, and more expensive for the taxpayer.NHS England is working to address training bottlenecks so the health service has enough staff for the future, and we are providing £82m to fund the recruitment over 1,000 newly qualified GPs, to increase capacity and reduce workloads.We are pleased to announce that newly qualified GPs will be included in the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme as part of an initiative to address GP unemployment, with additional funding over 2024/25.
What steps his Department is taking to support the recruitment and retention of GPs in High Peak constituency.
We have committed to training thousands more GPs across the country as well as taking pressure off those currently working in the system.Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) reports that it supports recruitment and retention in the High Peak and across Derby and Derbyshire, providing a range of initiatives. These include a new to practice scheme that supports GPs and Practice Nurses for the first two years of their career, and GP mentorship and fellowship schemes.We have accepted the recommendations of the DDRB, the independent pay review body, in full and subject to consultation with the BMA will uplift the pay element of the GP contract by 6% on a consolidated basis, to provide practices with funding to uplift GP partner, salaried GP and other salaried staff pay by 6%.Funding for these awards will be backdated to April 2024, and it is our expectation this funding is passed on to all salaried general practice staff.The government recently announced changes to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme which allows primary care networks to recruit newly qualified GPs through the scheme for 24/25. This is an emergency measure whilst the government works with the profession to identify a longer term solution.
Communities and Local Government, if he will make an estimate of the number of unoccupied dwellings in (a) Derbyshire and (b) High Peak constituency.
The department publishes data on vacant dwellings in live table 615 which can be found at this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants. This data is collated from Council Taxbase data collected from local authorities.Data for Derbyshire can be aggregated from the district level data. Data are not available at a constituency level.
Communities and Local Government, what support her Department provided to rough sleepers in High Peak constituency in winter 2023-24; and what steps her Department plans to take to support such rough sleepers in winter 2024-25.
High Peak Borough Council have received Rough Sleeping Initiative 2022-25 (RSI) funding to support rough sleepers, including during the winter months. High Peak Borough Council is part of a joint RSI bid led by Chesterfield Borough Council. The local authorities within the bid received £769,222 in 2023/24, and were allocated £624,328 for 2024/25. Levels of homelessness and rough sleeping are far too high. The Government will look at these issues carefully and will develop a new cross-government strategy, working with mayors and councils across the country to get us on back on track to ending homelessness once and for all.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the prevalence of damp and mould in social housing in (a) High Peak constituency and (b) Derbyshire.
The English Housing Survey sets out levels of overcrowding, damp and mould in people’s homes and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/english-housing-survey. In 2022/23 the survey found that 19% of homes in the East Midlands did not meet the Decent Homes standard. Nationwide, 10% of private renters were living with damp and mould, followed by 7% of local authority renters, 4% of those in housing associations and 2% of owner occupiers. The survey found 12% of households that were overcrowded were likely to live in a home with damp problems present compared with 4% of those that were not overcrowded.We are committed to decent, warm and safe homes of all tenures, and will say more on raising standards across the country this autumn.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the number of people living in overcrowded housing in High Peak constituency.
The English Housing Survey sets out levels of overcrowding, damp and mould in people’s homes and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/english-housing-survey. In 2022/23 the survey found that 19% of homes in the East Midlands did not meet the Decent Homes standard. Nationwide, 10% of private renters were living with damp and mould, followed by 7% of local authority renters, 4% of those in housing associations and 2% of owner occupiers. The survey found 12% of households that were overcrowded were likely to live in a home with damp problems present compared with 4% of those that were not overcrowded.We are committed to decent, warm and safe homes of all tenures, and will say more on raising standards across the country this autumn.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the supply of adapted housing for (a) adults and (b) children with disabilities in High Peak constituency.
The provision of appropriate housing for people with disabilities, including specialist and supported housing, is crucial in helping them to live safe and independent lives. The National Planning Policy Framework outlines that it is for local authorities to assess the size, types and tenure of housing needed for different groups, including those who require affordable housing, people with disabilities, older people, families with children, and rural communities, and to reflect this in their planning policies. In 2019, we published guidance to help local planning authorities implement this policy.
What steps she is taking to help increase the availability of childcare in High Peak constituency.
Ensuring that parents are able to access affordable and high-quality childcare is a priority for this government. As an initial step, the department is progressing work to deliver 3,000 new nurseries through upgrading space in primary schools. Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing. Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, the department discusses what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and where needed, supports the local authority with any specific requirements through the department’s childcare sufficiency support contract.
How many (a) primary and (b) secondary school students receive free school meals in High Peak constituency.
As of January 2024, 26%, or 1,725 pupils, of state-funded primary school pupils and 24%, or 1,286 pupils, of state-funded secondary school pupils attending schools in High Peak constituency were eligible for and claiming free school meals. This compares with national rates of 24% of primary school pupils and 24% of secondary school pupils in the whole of England. These figures are from the school census and are published down to school level here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.
What assessment her Department has made of the implications for her policies of trends in levels of school exclusions in (a) High Peak constituency, (b) Derbyshire and (c) England.
Every pupil deserves to learn in a safe, calm classroom and the department will always support teachers to make this happen. Schools can use sanctions as a measure to improve behaviour and in the most serious cases, suspension and permanent exclusion may be necessary to ensure that pupils are protected from disruption and can benefit from the opportunities provided by education. The statutory Suspension and Permanent Exclusion guidance is clear that, in all cases, school leaders should consider early intervention strategies to address the underlying causes or any contributing factors towards pupil’s disruptive behaviour. This can include where a pupil has special educational needs and disabilities or other unmet needs. The guidance also makes clear that schools, local authorities and local partners should work together to understand what lies behind local trends. Local leaders should use this to understand, to plan and put in place additional and targeted action based on their own local context. 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. The rising number of exclusions presented for the 2022/23 school year, including in Derbyshire, puts into sharp focus that too many pupils are being held back by their background and that the education system is failing to meet the needs of children. The government is determined to get to grips with the causes of exclusions to ensure it can break down the barriers to opportunities. The department has already committed to providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary school and ensuring earlier intervention in mainstream schools for pupils with special needs.
How many high street businesses in (a) Wellingborough constituency, (b) Northamptonshire and (c) England have closed in each of the last five years; and whether she plans to make changes to the level of business rates in the next five years.
Data is not collected by the government on high street closures. The government is committed to a fairer business rates system. The retail sector accounts for approximately 21% of Rateable Value but only contributes 5% to Gross Value Added (GVA). In our manifesto, we pledged to level the playing field between the high street and online giants, as well as to take steps to incentivise investment, tackle empty properties and support entrepreneurship.
What steps she is taking to help support people on lower incomes in High Peak constituency.
The government is focused on improving living standards across the country, which is why economic growth remains a top priority. If Real Household Disposable Income per capita had grown at the same rate between 2010 and 2023 as it did from 1997 to 2010, it would be over £4,000 higher today.We are committed to ensuring economic stability, by keeping inflation and energy bills as low as possible. To do this, we need to fix the foundations and rebuild Britain, so we can make every part of our country better off. That is why we will soon outline plans to improve energy efficiency across the UK’s housing stock, helping to reduce energy consumption, emissions, and household bills. Further details will be outlined in the upcoming Spending Review.A new Ministerial Taskforce has been established to develop a comprehensive strategy to reduce child poverty. We have updated the remit of the Low Pay Commission to take to account of the cost of living when making recommendations on the National Living Wage. We will collaborate with Claire Ward, the East Midlands Mayor, and the Combined County Authority, to develop an ambitious, long-term Local Growth Plan for the area, including High Peak and Derbyshire. This plan will address local strengths and barriers to growth in the East Midlands, aiming to drive economic growth, narrow inequalities, and support delivery of the national industrial strategy.
What steps her Department has taken to improve children's oracy skills in High Peak constituency.
The department recognises the importance of oracy. Communication skills are essential throughout life, and the foundations of these skills are developed during the early years and the first part of primary school. Delayed development of communication skills can have serious consequences for children’s learning, and there is good evidence that spoken language skills are strongly associated with children’s literacy, numeracy and educational attainment. This government will fund evidence-based early-language interventions in primary schools, so that every child can find their voice. In July 2024, the department announced that funded support for the 11,100 schools registered for the Nuffield Early Language Intervention programme would continue for the 2024/25 academic year. Spoken language is already part of the national curriculum for English for 5 to 16 year olds and is delivered in a number of different ways. The government has established an independent review of curriculum, assessment and qualification pathways, covering Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 5. This will be chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE, an expert in education policy, including in curriculum and social inequality. The Review will seek to deliver, amongst other things, a curriculum that ensures children and young people leave compulsory education ready for life and ready for work, building the knowledge, skills and attributes young people need to thrive. This includes embedding digital, oracy and life skills in their learning. English Hubs support early language through the delivery of Medium Level Support, which is a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) offer that includes targeted support, CPD programmes and workshops. English Hubs deliver the universal early language CPD programme to schools over six sessions. So far, over £90 million has been invested in the English Hubs programme overall, with a further £23 million committed for the 2024/25 academic year. High Peak’s local English Hub is St Wilfrid’s. More information about the Hub is available here: https://stwenglishhub.co.uk/.
How many mental health support teams there were in (a) High Peak constituency, (b) Derbyshire and (c) London in each year since 2010.
A table showing the number of operational and mobilising Mental Health Support Teams in London and Derbyshire, each year from 2018/19 to May 2023, is attached. Precise numbers may be subject to slight variation due to local mergers, as well as recruitment in the case of later years. The information is only available at an integrated care system level.
How many and what proportion of children in schools in High Peak constituency are learning a musical instrument at school.
The department does not collect information from schools about the number or proportion of their pupils learning a musical instrument at school. Schools can seek the support of their local Music Hub in providing music education, including support for instrumental teaching. Arts Council England is the fundholder for the Music Hubs programme and collects and publishes information about the activity of each of the Music Hubs. This information is about the music education activity or support the Hubs provide and does not include information on what schools provide without the support of the Hub. The High Peak constituency is served by Derbyshire Music Education Hub, which provides opportunities to learn an instrument, including through whole class ensemble teaching across the local authority areas of Derby and Derbyshire. In 2022/23, 47.4% of state-funded schools across Derby and Derbyshire were supported with whole class ensemble teaching. The Hub also delivered or supported lessons to 2,244 pupils in small group tuition, 5,447 pupils in individual lessons, and 6,149 pupils as part of large group lessons. In addition, 1,577 pupils participated in Hub-led or Hub-supported ensembles and group activity, and instruments were loaned to 302 schools during 2022/23. The 2022/23 data was published on 20 May 2024 and can be accessed on the Arts Council’s website, which is available here: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/MusicEducationHubs/music-education-hubs-survey-and-data#t-in-page-nav-2.
What steps her Department is taking to improve the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of teachers in High Peak 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 (FTE) teachers in state-funded schools in England, but the department must do more to ensure it has the workforce needed to provide the best possible education for every child. 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, and teachers receive the pay they deserve. This is why the department 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 providing schools with almost £1.1 billion in additional funding in the 2024/25 financial year to support schools with overall costs. This matches what the department has calculated is needed to fully fund, at a national level, the teacher pay award and the support staff pay offer in the 2024/25 financial year, over and above the overall available headroom in schools’ existing budgets. Alongside teacher pay, financial incentives are one of the most effective ways to increase teacher supply, and the department is continuing to support teacher trainees with tax-free bursaries of up to £28,000 and scholarships of up to £30,000 in shortage subjects. To help with retention, new teachers of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing also receive retention payments if working in disadvantaged schools in the first five years of their careers. In the 2023/34 academic year, five schools in the High Peak constituency were eligible for these retention payments. To further help teachers stay and thrive in the profession, the department is addressing teacher workload and wellbeing, and supporting schools to introduce flexible working practices. The Flexible Working Ambassador Multi-Academy Trusts and Schools Programme offers support to schools across every region in England to help implement flexible working. Schools in High Peak that are interested in receiving tailored peer support can either approach the dedicated Ambassador for the East Midlands region or contact the national delivery provider to be matched with specialist support. The department has also established Teaching School Hubs across the country, which provide high-quality professional development to teachers at all stages of their careers. Potentia Teaching School Hub and Spencer Teaching School Hub are centres of excellence supporting teacher training and development across Amber Valley, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, High Peak, North East Derbyshire, Derby, Erewash and South Derbyshire.
How many hours of (a) mathematics, (b) English, (c) sciences and (d) modern foreign languages were taught in secondary schools in High Peak constituency by teachers without a relevant (i) A-level and (ii) higher level qualification in the last full year for which data are available.
Information on the school workforce, including subjects taught in state-funded secondary schools, is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england. National estimates of the total number of hours taught for each subject are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/b9970602-8643-43bd-ba9c-08dcafcfd634. The proportion of those hours that were taught by teachers without a relevant post A-level or higher level qualification are available nationally at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/5bbdd9e0-77ad-49e2-ba9d-08dcafcfd634. Timetabled teaching is reported for a typical week in November, as determined by the school. It does not cover an entire year of teaching. If there are variations in timetabling across the year, this is not covered in the data available to the department. Subject taught is only collected from secondary schools that use electronic timetabling software that can produce data in the format required. Data is then weighted to provide national estimates. Breakdowns by local authority and parliamentary constituency are, therefore, not available.
What the average staff-to-student ratio was in secondary schools in (a) England and (b) High Peak constituency in (i) 2019, (ii) 2020, (iii) 2021 and (iv) 2022.
Information on the school workforce, including the pupil to adult and pupil to teacher ratios at national, regional, local authority and individual school level, is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication, which can be found...