The Government, through the Cabinet Office chaired Accessibility of Elections Working Group, has taken a number of steps to remove barriers that people with a learning disability face in registering to vote and voting at elections. These include:

(a) Facilitating direct engagement between the Royal Mencap Society and political parties through the Westminster Parliamentary Parties Panel on the benefits and timings of producing Easy Read versions of party manifestos, to assist people with a learning disability to make an informed decision when voting at elections.

(b) Introducing on the Register to Vote homepage an ‘Easy Read’ guide produced in partnership with the Royal Mencap Society, to enable people with learning difficulties to apply online without difficulty.

(c) Improving training materials for polling station staff, including the Electoral Commission and the Royal Mencap Society producing videos setting out the voting experience of people with a learning disability at the polling station. A disabled voter can be assisted to vote in the polling booth to mark their ballot paper by the presiding officer or their companion.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

The Department is doing everything appropriate to prepare for leaving the European Union. We want to reassure patients that our plans should ensure the uninterrupted supply of medicines and medical products, including dornase alfa, once we have left the EU.

The Department, as part of our EU exit preparations, is implementing a multi-layered approach to mitigate potential disruption to supply, which consists of stockpiling where possible, securing freight capacity, changing or clarifying regulatory requirements, procuring additional warehousing, working closely with industry to improve trader readiness and putting in place the National Supply Disruption Response to manage potential shortages. Further details can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/medicines-and-medical-products-supply-government-updates-no-deal-brexit-plans

All prescription only medicines and pharmacy medicines imported from or via the EU/European Economic Area are within scope of the continuity of supply programme. All suppliers of these medicines, including suppliers of dornase alfa, have been asked to stockpile medicines and make other preparations as set out in our communications to suppliers.

​We are currently finalising the department’s spending plans for 2020-21 and the Adoption Support Fund is being considered as part of this work. In March 2019, ahead of budgets being finalised, we put in place transitional funding for families whose recommended packages of support ran into 2020-21 so they could continue to access therapy for up to 9 months at a time. Funding for the Adoption Support Fund beyond 2021 will be considered as part of the full Spending Review planned in 2020.

The Department for Transport has no plans to review the affordability of the Dart Charge. The current charges for the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing were set in 2014, following an impact assessment, which took account of benefits and disadvantages to business and personal users, prior to a public consultation. The charges exist to manage demand and congestion at the Crossing

The charge levels and concessions available take account of local people’s need to use the Crossing. Residents of the Boroughs of Dartford and Thurrock can pay £10 for 50 crossings, plus 20p for each additional crossing or £20 a year for unlimited use. Disabled users who are exempt from vehicle tax are also exempt from paying the Dart Charge, if they are using the same vehicle. Any Crossing user can set up an account that will allow automatic payment for each trip and a prepaid account also offers users a discount of up to 20 per cent.

The National Health Service website provides information for patients and the public on a wide range of conditions, including lipoedema.

To support clinicians in identifying and treating lipoedema, in May 2014, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) worked in partnership with the charity Lipoedema UK to develop and publish an e-learning module for GPs on the diagnosis and management of lipoedema. The module was endorsed by the Royal College of Nursing and updated in 2018.

In May 2017 Wounds UK, an organisation that provides guidance, education and training in wound and skin management, published best practice guidance on diagnosing and treating lipoedema. The guidance can be found at the following link:

www.lipoedema.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/WUK_Lipoedema-BPS_Web.pdf

DfT, alongside other government departments, continues to keep no deal planning assumptions up to date, including those relating to HGV traffic around the port of Dover. Planning assumptions have been shared with relevant stakeholders, such as the Kent Resilience Forum.

Our assessment considers the extent to which new border processes, and the readiness of businesses to comply with these, could constrain flow on crossings from the port of Dover and the Channel Tunnel to France, and the implications for queueing HGV traffic approaching the port and Channel Tunnel terminal.

Electoral Fraud is unacceptable on any level. We have processes in place to defend against electoral fraud and there is ongoing work with electoral administrators and Royal Mail to implement these. In response to the Pickles report on electoral fraud, the Government accepted recommendations to strengthen the postal vote system and, in line with our manifesto commitment, we are working to reform postal voting to ensure our elections are secure.

Cabinet Office coordinates cross-Government work to protect and secure our democratic processes and ensure those involved in delivering our elections receive cyber, physical and personnel security advice from experts at the National Cyber Security Centre and the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure.

Teachers must be able to adapt teaching to the needs of all their pupils. Teachers must also have an understanding of the factors that can inhibit learning and how best to overcome them.

The 2015 Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice sets out high expectations of schools and colleges about how they identify and meet the needs of pupils with SEND. It covers both those who have Education, Health and Care plans with more complex needs and the much larger group of pupils whose needs can be met without a statutory plan, that is, those on SEND support.

The Government is supportive of developing the shale gas industry in the UK in a safe and sustainable way. It is not yet known how much of the UK shale gas resource will ultimately be recoverable, or what rates of extraction, deliverability or reliability could be assumed if shale sources are found to be viable. Therefore the likely impact on UK natural gas imports and exports is not yet known.

The Government will continue to work with responsible companies prepared to invest in this industry as they proceed with the exploration process, to test the size and value of the potential reserves. We monitor the progress of the shale gas industry and will revise our estimates, as appropriate, as the industry develops.

The table below shows the per pupil funding allocated to Kent from the schools block of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) in 2018-19 and 2019-20:

These figures do not include funding allocated through the growth, premises, or mobility factors of the national funding formula, which are not distributed on a per pupil basis but total £28.9 million in Kent in 2018-19, and £29.9 million in 2019-20.

Schools also receive funding through several other sources, such as the high needs block of the DSG, from which Kent was allocated £200.8 million in 2018-19; and the Pupil Premium, through which schools in Kent received £57.7 million in 2018-19.

To provide stability for schools, local authorities will continue to be responsible for designing the distribution of funding in their areas in 2018-19 through to 2020-21. Because of this, the actual per pupil amount that schools receive may be different from the amount they are attracting through the national funding formula.

FCO Ministers have discussed support for south eastern Ukraine with EU counterparts on a number of occasions. I did so most recently at the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 18 February. My officials have also discussed the provision of such support with the European External Action Service and European Commission in Brussels, and with the EU Delegation in Kyiv. In January, the EU led a scoping visit to south eastern Ukraine, including the city of Mariupol, to assess what further actions might be required, including to improve infrastructure. As part of on-going donor coordination efforts, UK officials frequently discuss with other international donors and the Ukrainian government how best to support Ukraine's infrastructure needs.

Preparatory infrastructure works have been conducted by Highways England on the M20 and M26 in Kent as part of contingency traffic management measures, known as Operation Brock. Operation Brock has been designed to ensure that, unlike Operation Stack, the M20 will be kept open and traffic will continue to flow in both directions at times of cross-Channel disruption. As part of this, implementing the contraflow queuing system between Junctions 8 and 9 on the M20 will cost approximately £30 million to build and operate. The works to prepare the M26 for the potential use as a temporary HGV storage area are in the region of £5 million. The costs of these works will fall within the financial year 2018/19.

The UK is a major donor to Ukraine. In 2019/20 the British Government will provide more than £35 million in support for Ukraine, which includes assistance to combat corruption and support reform as well as vital humanitarian support and peacebuilding activities. The allocations are made on an annual funding cycle.

The Department is committed to improving regular services between Maidstone and the City as soon as possible. The industry is currently finalising the May 2019 timetable before developing further changes, with the next being in December 2019. I will provide an update in advance of December 2019 once these changes have been finalised.

At this crucial stage of the Crossrail project, it is essential that Government remains focused on the full delivery of the current agreed scheme as its priority.

The promoters of the Crossrail to Ebbsfleet scheme have recently submitted a Strategic Outline Business Case to Government which is being considered. Any extension to the Elizabeth line would require a strong business case with a detailed evidence base that demonstrates the scheme would be both technically feasible and offer value for money, and also include the identification of funding.

Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) provide a vital service for many disabled people. However, as of March last year, only 38% of licensing authorities required drivers to complete disability awareness and equality training; I would urge the remainder to use their existing licensing powers to ensure that all taxi and PHV drivers have the knowledge and skills necessary to provide every passenger with the assistance they require.

This year we intend to consult on revised best practice guidance for taxi and PHV licensing authorities which will recommend that authorities require drivers to complete disability awareness and equality training and take robust action against those found to have discriminated against disabled passengers.

Ministers are also considering the recommendations made in the report of the Chair of the Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing, including the introduction of mandatory disability equality and awareness training. A Government response will be issued in due course.

The Department has introduced two waiting time standards for children and young people and are on track to meet both of these standards. The first aims for 95% of children (up to 19 years old) with eating disorders to receive treatment within a week for urgent cases and four weeks for routine cases by 2020/21. 81.3% of children and young people’s eating disorder patients started urgent treatment within one week and 80.2% of patients started routine treatment within four weeks in April to June 2018. The second aims for 50% of patients of all ages experiencing a first episode of psychosis to receive treatment within two weeks of referral. Nationally, the National Health Service is exceeding the target, with 76.2% of patients started treatment within two weeks in November 2018.

West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group, working with North East London Foundation Trust, continues to embed new service modelling and transform services for children and young people in Kent. The new model provides a Single Point of Access along with clear and seamless pathways to support ranging from Universal ‘Early Help’ through to highly specialist care with better transition between services. During the initial six months the service underwent significant changes designed to address access and treatment waiting times. This included the provision of a Crisis Service with additional capacity, digital therapy access offers and national and local recruitment campaigns to increase capacity and resource.

The Department has introduced two waiting time standards for children and young people and are on track to meet both of these standards. The first aims for 95% of children (up to 19 years old) with eating disorders to receive treatment within a week for urgent cases and four weeks for routine cases by 2020/21. 81.3% of children and young people’s eating disorder patients started urgent treatment within one week and 80.2% of patients started routine treatment within four weeks in April to June 2018. The second aims for 50% of patients of all ages experiencing a first episode of psychosis to receive treatment within two weeks of referral. Nationally, the National Health Service is exceeding the target, with 76.2% of patients started treatment within two weeks in November 2018.

West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group, working with North East London Foundation Trust, continues to embed new service modelling and transform services for children and young people in Kent. The new model provides a Single Point of Access along with clear and seamless pathways to support ranging from Universal ‘Early Help’ through to highly specialist care with better transition between services. During the initial six months the service underwent significant changes designed to address access and treatment waiting times. This included the provision of a Crisis Service with additional capacity, digital therapy access offers and national and local recruitment campaigns to increase capacity and resource.

The Department is working with Highways England and other key stakeholders to finalise the Operation Brock plans. Operation Brock consists of three phases, involving a contraflow queuing system on the M20, and holding areas at Manston Airport and finally, and only if necessary, on the M26.

The initial assessment made by Highways England is that the M26 could potentially accommodate up to 2300 HGVs if all running lanes on both carriageways were utilised, subject to the necessary health and safety risk assessments.