Written Ministerial Statements
Monday 27 April 2009
Children, Schools and Families
Personal Social Health and Economic (PSHE) Education
The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (Ed Balls): In October 2008, following reviews of sex and relationships education and drugs and alcohol education, I announced that I proposed to give PSHE education statutory status, subject to formal consultation. To prepare for that consultation, I invited Sir Alasdair Macdonald, headteacher of Morpeth secondary school in London, to conduct an independent review of how statutory status might be achieved in practice and what other steps should be taken to improve the consistency and quality of PSHE education so that all children and young people benefit.
Following widespread consultation with stakeholders, Sir Alasdair has completed his report, which I am publishing today. Copies are being placed in both Houses. The report contains a number of important recommendations and I am grateful to Sir Alasdair for these and for the open way in which he has conducted his review.
This statement sets out the Government’s response and the next steps.
Sir Alasdair has recommended that PSHE education should become part of the national curriculum at both primary and secondary levels. I am attracted to this approach for the reasons set out in the report. The recommendation will be subject to formal consultation alongside that on Sir Jim Rose’s review of the primary curriculum.
Sir Alasdair has made a number of other recommendations which I accept in principle, subject to formal consultation. These are that at secondary level the existing non-statutory programmes of study should be carried forward and that at primary level the relevant parts of the proposed new programme of learning “Understanding Physical Development, Health and Wellbeing” should form the core PSHE entitlement; that governing bodies should retain the right to determine their school’s approach to SRE, to ensure that this can be delivered in line with the context, values and ethos of the school but that this must be consistent with the core entitlement to PSHE education; that governing bodies should retain the duty to maintain an up-to-date SRE policy, which is made available to inspectors, parents and young people and that they should involve parents and young people (in the secondary phase) in developing that policy; that DCSF should seek the opinions of stakeholders and the wider public on whether to change the name of PSHE education within the secondary national curriculum; and that legislation should seek to exclude PSHE education from the requirement to have statutory levels of attainment but that the DCSF should work with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to find appropriate and innovative ways of assessing pupil progress in PSHE education.
Sir Alasdair also recommended that the existing right of parental withdrawal from sex and relationships education (SRE) should be maintained. The report also stresses that the notion of a common entitlement to all aspects of PSHE education for all children and young people is central to the recommendations of the review and to the future of statutory PSHE education. In the light of this, I accept the recommendation, but propose that we will keep the issue under review to ensure this entitlement is met.
Sir Alasdair’s report makes a number of other recommendations about improving teaching and learning in PSHE education. I propose to make an early start on implementing them.
The full list of recommendations, and the Government’s response, is attached.
Defence
Defence Intelligence Estate (PRIDE)
The Minister for the Armed Forces (Mr. Bob Ainsworth): This statement follows on from the one that I made on 13 December 2007, Official Report, column WS55. I am pleased to announce the approval of the plan to collocate intelligence facilities at RAF Wyton under the Programme to Rationalise and Integrate the Defence Intelligence Estate, known as PRIDE. PRIDE (Wyton) will deliver new, purpose built, accommodation for some key defence intelligence capabilities that will enhance our operational effectiveness and our ability to work in joint operations with our allies. PRIDE (Wyton) will relocate key intelligence units from RAF Brampton, Feltham, Denison Barracks in Hermitage and Ayrshire Barracks in Monchengladbach, Germany, to RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire. This will form a hub for our intelligence collection capability and will enable the organisations to deliver more effective support to front-line operations. Additionally, the moves will allow the disposal and sale of RAF Brampton, in Cambridgeshire, further contributing to our wider aim to reduce the MOD estate and drive down support costs.
In parallel to this final approval being reached, I can announce the award of the contract for the major construction work to Skanska UK plc at a cost of approximately £150 million. This is further good news for the construction industry and will secure a significant number of jobs over the coming four years.
This project constitutes only one part of the PRIDE programme. The second element is the relocation of the Royal School of Military Survey and the Defence School of Languages from Hermitage and Beaconsfield respectively. A future location for these units is still being determined but their resultant moves should allow for the disposal of the Hermitage and Beaconsfield sites. I expect to announce the approval for this project in the autumn of 2010.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
EU Environment Ministers (Informal Meeting) 14-15 April 2009
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Hilary Benn): My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and I met with Environment Ministers from EU member states, candidate countries, and the European Commission, at an informal ministerial meeting in Prague, Czech Republic on 14 and 15 April. The theme of the informal Council was climate change adaptation and the international climate change negotiations.
On the first day of Council, the European Commission presented the EU’s White Paper on Adaptation which had been published the week before Council. The presentation was followed by informal discussions on adaptation to climate change.
The UK expressed support for the EU Commission’s proposed approach in the EU White Paper and spoke about the steps being taken in the UK. The UK believes that the EU must lead the way by embedding adaptation in its own policies and programmes. The UK welcomed the idea of establishing an impact and adaptation steering group (IASG) as a way of sharing best practice. Furthermore, it highlighted the need to communicate in a language that resonated with the public, demonstrating that adaptation was about living with climate change which cannot be avoided and that it was about practical steps such as redesigning buildings, resurfacing roads, flood defence and helping people in heat waves.
There was also a strong recognition of the importance of conserving water among member states, but there was not agreement to make it a special case or to have a sectoral approach.
There was also recognition that transboundary issues will need a higher level of governance. There was no general support for new legislation.
The second day of Council focused on the state of play of the international climate change negotiations.
Discussions were held on climate financing and the EU’s negotiating strategy going forward to Copenhagen. The UK emphasised the need for further movement in the next set of June Councils on options for mechanisms to generate finance and on the institutional structure for delivering and governing finance,. The latter was an area the EU had not yet addressed so needed urgent attention. The UK’s view on topics for further work was well received, though there was little consensus on timing.
There was also little clarity on how we could feasibly address some of the difficult issues raised in the recent spring Council processes—for example how any financial burden from any of these or other mechanisms should be shared within the EU and with other non-EU countries. Ministers agreed to consider these issues further and recommended a joint meeting of senior Environment and Finance Ministry officials before the June Councils to help coordinate its position for the next set of UNFCCC negotiations.
Health
Health and Social Care (Age Discrimination)
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Phil Hope): The Government are today publishing the Equality Bill. The Bill outlaws unjustifiable age discrimination against people aged 18 and over by those providing services and exercising public functions. Secondary legislation under the Bill will allow conduct that does not contravene the ban to be specified and the ban can be brought into force at different times in different sectors.
To support delivery of the Equality Bill’s age provisions in health and social care, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has asked Sir Ian Carruthers, chief executive of the south-west strategic health authority, and Jan Ormondroyd, chief executive of Bristol city council, to lead a national review from the south west region. The review will provide the Secretary of State with advice and recommendations in the form of a published report in October 2009, which will set out
what it will mean in practice to implement the ban in health and adult social care and what actions need to be taken. In the light of these recommendations and the Government’s desire to implement the ban as soon as practicable, the review will set the date(s) from which the provisions relating to age in health and social care should commence.
A national joint implementation unit will also be hosted by the south-west region.
The review will work in a transparent and collaborative manner, drawing on the expertise of a wide range of stakeholders including third sector organisations.
The Secretary of State has also asked Sir Ian and John Dixon, immediate past president of the association of directors of adult social services, jointly to chair the Department of Health Advisory Group on Age Discrimination, which was announced in a written statement on 11 November 2008. The group will support the review.
The review will support the Government’s broader aspiration to deliver high quality care for all, including by means of more personalised, age-appropriate services.
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