Neil O'Brien MP: written questions
300 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Children in Care: Undocumented MigrantsDepartment for EducationTabled 15 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14490More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of looked after children were unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in each local authority area in 2024.
Answer: Information on the number and proportion of looked after children, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, is submitted to the department on an annual basis. This was recently published on 14 November 2024 at local authority level in our statisti...
Answered 25 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATDepartment for EducationTabled 15 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14488More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support state schools as pupils transfer from their independent school to a state school as a result of the Government’s introduction of VAT on private school fees.
Answer: HM Treasury (HMT) is responsible for VAT policy. HMT has published its assessment of the impacts of removing the VAT exemption that applied to private school fees, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-f...
Answered 20 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: Special Educational NeedsDepartment for EducationTabled 15 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14487More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the policy paper entitled Applying VAT to private school fees, published on 30 October 2024, what the direct cost of pupils with SEND moving from private schools to state schools as a result o
Answer: HM Treasury (HMT) is responsible for VAT policy. HMT has published its assessment of the impacts of removing the VAT exemption that applied to private school fees, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-f...
Answered 20 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: Special Educational NeedsDepartment for EducationTabled 15 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14486More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the policy paper entitled Applying VAT to private school fees, published on 30 October 2024, what assessment she has made of the number of pupils with SEND that will move from the private educ
Answer: HM Treasury (HMT) is responsible for VAT policy. HMT has published its assessment of the impacts of removing the VAT exemption that applied to private school fees, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-f...
Answered 20 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: Special Educational NeedsDepartment for EducationTabled 15 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14465More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the policy paper titled Applying VAT to private school fees, published on 30 October 2024, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of the expe
Answer: HM Treasury (HMT) is responsible for VAT policy. HMT has published its assessment of the impacts of removing the VAT exemption that applied to private school fees, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-f...
Answered 20 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational NeedsDepartment for EducationTabled 12 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13835More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan have a named school on their education, health and care plan.
Answer: As at January 2024, 446,448 children and young people with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, had a school (including mainstream schools, special schools, alternative provision or pupil referral unit) named as the setting on their EHC plan. This re...
Answered 18 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordMigrant Workers: Social ServicesHome OfficeTabled 12 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13811More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to review the treatment of migrant workers in the care sector.
Answer: The Government is deeply concerned by reports of unethical practices relating to international recruits within the adult social care sector. UK Visas and Immigration continue to investigate and take action, alongside partners, where evidence of abuse is f...
Answered 18 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPublic ExpenditureTreasuryTabled 11 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13493More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the official statistics entitled Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2024, CP 1131, published on 30 July 2024, if she will publish by Department the data provided in Table 6.5.
Answer: Underlying data for table 6.5 will become available on 28 November when the Annual OSCAR Transparency Release is published on GOV.UK. As an alternative, economic category data based on departmental budgets (PESA table 2.1) are available from the “Public S...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordEmployers' Contributions: Public SectorTreasuryTabled 8 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13234More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost of employer National Insurance Contributions was for (a) central Government, (b) local government and (c) the whole of government in each of the last five financial years; what estimate she has made of
Answer: The Treasury does not collect spending information on this basis. However, as set out in the Autumn Budget, the government has set aside funding to support the public sector with employer National Insurance Contributions. The amounts are £4.7bn in 2025-26...
Answered 13 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordApprentices: Employers' ContributionsDepartment for EducationTabled 8 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13233More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.40 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the increase in the rate of employer National Insuranc
Answer: To repair public finances and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance.The government recognises the need to protect the smallest emplo...
Answered 15 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordEducational Institutions: Employers' ContributionsDepartment for EducationTabled 8 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13232More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.40 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the increase in the rate of employer National Insurance Co
Answer: My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, made an announcement at the Autumn Budget 2024 setting out changes to Employers National Insurance Contributions policy. Alongside this, she announced funding to the public sector to support them with...
Answered 5 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Education: Employers' ContributionsDepartment for EducationTabled 8 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13231More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.40 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the increase in the rate of employer National Insurance Co
Answer: My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, made an announcement at the Autumn Budget 2024 setting out changes to Employers National Insurance Contributions policy. Alongside this, she announced funding to the public sector to support them with...
Answered 5 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordStudents: Fees and Charges and LoansDepartment for EducationTabled 6 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12987More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Office of Budget Responsibility on increasing (a) university tuition fees and (b) maximum maintenance loan levels.
Answer: The department publishes forecasts annually for higher education and further education student loans in England. The published forecasts include assumptions that fee caps and maintenance loans will increase annually by RPI All Items Index Excl Mortgage In...
Answered 15 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordStudents: LoansDepartment for EducationTabled 6 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12986More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increasing the maximum level of maintenance loan that students can take out on public sector net (a) debt and (b) financial liabilities.
Answer: The department publishes forecasts annually for higher education and further education student loans in England. The published forecasts include assumptions that fee caps and maintenance loans will increase annually by RPI All Items Index Excl Mortgage In...
Answered 15 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordStudents: Fees and ChargesDepartment for EducationTabled 6 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12985More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of an increase in university tuition fees have on public sector net (a) debt and (b) financial liabilities.
Answer: The department publishes forecasts annually for higher education and further education student loans in England. The published forecasts include assumptions that fee caps and maintenance loans will increase annually by RPI All Items Index Excl Mortgage In...
Answered 15 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordChildcare: Employers' ContributionsDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12804More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made on the impact that the national insurance increase will have on the cost of paid-for childcare.
Answer: As announced at Budget, the department expects to provide £8.1 billion for early years entitlements in the 2025/26 financial year, which is around a 30% increase compared to 2024/25, as the department continues to rollout the expansion of the entitlements...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordChildcare: Employers' ContributionsDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12803More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.40 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing funding rates for (a) public and (b) privat
Answer: As announced at Budget, the department expects to provide £8.1 billion for early years entitlements in the 2025/26 financial year, which is around a 30% increase compared to 2024/25, as the department continues to rollout the expansion of the entitlements...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordChildcare: Employers' ContributionsDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12802More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.40 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the rise in the rate of employer national insurance contri
Answer: As announced at Budget, the department expects to provide £8.1 billion for early years entitlements in the 2025/26 financial year, which is around a 30% increase compared to 2024/25, as the department continues to rollout the expansion of the entitlements...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordCadets: SchoolsDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12801More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2024 to Question 11294 on Armed Forces: Cadets, what discussions she had with the Minister for Veterans and People on the School staff instructor grant.
Answer: The department works closely with the Ministry of Defence on delivery of the Cadet Expansion Programme (CEP). The CEP is run jointly by the departments and funding decisions are discussed and shared with ministers from both departments in that context.The...
Answered 13 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordEmployers' Contributions: Public SectorTreasuryTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12749More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the note entitled Allowance for impact on public sector organisations in Table 5.1 on page 118 of Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC 295, if she will publish this information by D
Answer: The Government will provide support for departments and other public sector employers for additional Employer National Insurance Contributions costs only. This funding will be allocated to departments, with the Barnett formula applying in the usual way.Th...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordSocial Security BenefitsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11630More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2024 to Question 11035 on Social Security Benefits, if her Department will resume its annual publication entitled Nationality at point of National Insurance number r
Answer: Decisions regarding the development and publication of Official Statistics are the responsibility of the Chief Statistician. There are no plans to resume publication of ‘Nationality at point of National Insurance number (NINo) registration of DWP working ...
Answered 4 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordSocial Security BenefitsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11629More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2024 to Question 11035, on Social Security Benefits, for which benefit lines the Department holds data on the nationality of claimants at the point of National Insur
Answer: Information on the nationality of claimants at the point of National Insurance number (NINo) registration is not used for benefit purposes so is not held on any benefit lines. As detailed in the background information and methodology, the administrative d...
Answered 4 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordArmy Cadet Force: CostsMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11295More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse was of the Army Cadet force in each year since 2019; and what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of the Army Cadet force in 2024-2025 and 2025-2026.
Answer: Due to the way financial data for the Army Cadet Force is captured and managed, it is taking time to collate all the relevant information. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as practical and will place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House....
Answered 31 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordCadets: SchoolsDepartment for EducationTabled 28 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11294More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment the Government has made of the potential impact of the ending of support payments on the provision of combined cadet forces in state schools.
Answer: The government, through the Ministry of Defence, provides in the region of £180 million to support cadets schemes. The Department for Education has contributed up to £1.1 million annually since the academic year 2021/22. This has provided some additional ...
Answered 5 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordJobseekers AllowanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 24 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11041More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people claiming Jobseekers Allowance were (a) born and (b) not born in the UK.
Answer: The Department does not routinely collect data on the country of birth of individuals claiming any benefits. DWP policy responsibility lies in establishing a customer’s eligibility to claim benefits. An individual’s specific country of birth does not play...
Answered 29 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
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