Education Secretary Damian Hinds has today (8 January) announced plans to fund 900 places on the Frontline children’s social work training programme up to 2021.

The social work charity, which has cross-party support, has secured £45 million in funding as it recruits growing numbers of trainees to the social work profession, helping to transform the lives of vulnerable children and families.

The announcement of additional funding comes as new Frontline-commissioned research, undertaken by ComRes, reveals that 44% of adults aged 18 – 34 are considering a change of career this year. The research also shows that a quarter of millennials would prioritise purpose over pay (25%).

Frontline, a top graduate recruiter, has already brought over 1,000 people onto its programme since 2013. Frontline is currently recruiting for its largest ever cohort of 452 trainees, with over 40 vacancies in the South West for the first time, and all trainees will benefit from generous bursaries of up to £20,000.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds said:

Social workers are heroes, often unsung, of our society – working on the frontline to offer care and support to some of the most vulnerable children and families in the country.

Children’s social care is only as good as the people who deliver it, which is why we want to recruit, retain and develop the best social workers, so they can continue to offer the much needed lifeline to those who need it most.

That’s why the Government is supporting Frontline with £45 million to continue their work in attracting and training bright graduates and career changers, who aspire for a rewarding career as a social worker.

Josh MacAlister, Frontline’s Chief Executive:

Every child deserves a safe and stable home. Today’s announcement means that Frontline can develop even more outstanding social workers to stand alongside those children and families who need them the most.

This year there has never been a better time to get into social work, with applications still open to join the Frontline programme for 2019.

Sally Hodges, Director of Children’s Services, Solihull:

We are proud to be working in partnership with Frontline to train the next generation of social workers. Social work is one of the country’s most important professions, and can make a life changing difference to those most in need.

Frontline’s participants, and the passion and talent they bring, have been an invaluable addition to our team at Solihull. We welcome today’s news and look forward to continuing our work together to deliver the best services for vulnerable children and their families.

The government is moving forward with plans to give police new powers to tackle drones misuse and abuse, with the publication of their response to the drones consultation today (7 January 2019).

Following over 5,000 responses to the consultation, new legislation will give police officers the additional power to land drones and require users to produce the proper documentation. The police will have the power to search premises and seize drones — including electronic data stored within the device — where a serious offence has been committed and a warrant is secured.

Drones video

The Home Office will also begin to test and evaluate the safe use of a range of counter-drone technology in the UK. This crucial technology will detect drones from flying around sensitive sites, including airports and prisons, and develop a range of options to respond to drones, helping to prevent a repeat of incidents such as that recently experienced at Gatwick.

Important safety proposals being taken forward include better protection for our airports by significantly extending the area around airports and runways in which drones are banned from being flown. This builds on the government’s changes to the law last year which made it illegal to fly a drone above 400 feet or within 1 kilometre of an airport.

The Transport Secretary Chris Grayling made a statement in the House of Commons this evening.

Aviation Minister, Liz Sugg said:

Drones have the potential to bring significant benefits and opportunities, but with the speed of technological advancement comes risk, and safety and security must be our top priorities.

That’s why we are giving the police powers to deal with those using drones irresponsibly. Along with additional safety measures these will help ensure the potential of this technology is harnessed in a responsible and safe way.

The police will also be able to issue fixed-penalty notices for minor drone offences to ensure immediate and effective enforcement of vital rules. Fines of up to £100 could be given for offences such as failing to comply with a police officer when instructed to land a drone, or not showing their registration to operate a drone

With permission Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement about the number of migrants trying to cross the English Channel in small boats and what the government is doing in response.

But before that, I know the whole House will want to join me in sending our thoughts and prayers to those injured in the attack at Manchester’s Victoria station on New Year’s Eve and to all those affected by this cruel and senseless act.

I would also like to thank the emergency services for their courageous response.

Thankfully Mr Speaker there were no fatalities.

And I am pleased to say that all three victims have now been discharged from hospital.

Mr Speaker, let me now turn to the issue of English Channel migrant crossings.

Over recent weeks, we saw a sharp increase in the number of migrants attempting to cross the Channel to the UK in small boats.

Over 500 migrants – mostly Iranian – attempted to travel to the UK on small vessels in 2018.

80% of them attempted this in the last three months of the year.

Around 40% of the attempts were either disrupted by French law enforcement or returned to France via French agencies.

Since 1 January, a further 25 have attempted to cross the Channel but they were disrupted.

In addition, just this morning, a dinghy was discovered along the Kent coast.

A number of individuals are now going through UK immigration procedures and 1 person has been arrested.

Mr Deputy Speaker, I’m sure the House will want to join me in thanking all the law enforcement agencies and all those involved in the response for their tireless efforts over Christmas and the new year.

This includes: Border Force, Immigration Enforcement, the Coastguard, the National Crime Agency, and the RNLI many of whom I met in Dover last week.

I would also like to thank our French law enforcement partners for their efforts to date which have been collaborative, swift and thorough.

The English Channel contains some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world the weather conditions are often treacherous and the inflatable boats that are being used are woefully ill-equipped to make such dangerous journeys.

The migrants who choose to make the trip are putting their lives in grave danger and can, at times, also create dangerous situations for our rescue services.

The reasons behind the increased crossings are diverse – and in many cases, are outside of our control.

First, instability in the regions such as the Middle East and North Africa are driving people out of their homes in search of better lives in Europe.

Second, organised crime groups are preying on and profiting from these vulnerable and often desperate people.

They are falsely promising them safe crossings to the UK – even though the journey is one of the most hazardous and the most dangerous possible.

Third, strengthened security at the French / UK border has meant it has become increasingly difficult for stowaways to illegally enter the UK in trucks and cars leading to more reckless attempts by boat.

I have been very clear that robust action is needed to protect people, our borders and to deter illegal migration.

Over the festive period, I took the decision to declare the situation a ‘Major Incident’.

I appointed a dedicated Gold Command and I stepped up the UK’s response.

As part of joint action agreed with the French, I have ordered two UK Border Force boats to be redeployed from overseas to patrol the Channel.

This is in addition to the two already undertaking enhanced patrols in these waters.

This will mean 4 Border Force Cutters in total.

And this is in addition to the 2 Coastal Patrol Vessels currently operating and aerial surveillance of the area.

Last week, I also requested additional help from the Ministry of Defence while we await the return of the 2 boats currently overseas.

I am grateful that the Royal Navy has kindly offered the use of HMS Mersey which started patrols on Friday.

I am also continuing to discuss with the French, what more they can do to stop people from attempting to make these crossings from France in the first place.

I welcome the action plan that the French have outlined just this Friday which includes a commitment to increased surveillance and security in maritime areas prevention campaigns in French coastal areas to stop people from setting off in the boats in the first place and a reinforced fight against smuggling gangs.

I’m also pleased to say that The National Crime Agency has also redoubled its efforts.

Last week, two men were arrested on suspicion of the illegal movement of migrants.

In addition, we’re doing important work in the home countries of the would be migrants to reduce factors which compel them to make these dangerous journeys in the first place.

For example, we’re helping to create jobs, to build infrastructure, tackling modern slavery, providing education and delivering life-saving humanitarian assistance in response to conflicts and natural disasters.

We’re also doing important work to undermine organised crime groups and we’ve committed £2.7 billion to the humanitarian response in Syria making us the second biggest unilateral donor to the region.

We are also on track to resettle 20,000 refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria by 2020 as well as up to 3,000 of the most vulnerable people from the Middle East and North Africa, including children at risk of exploitation and abuse.

In 2017, the UK resettled more refugees under national resettlement programmes than any other EU state.

Let me reassure the House that I am continuing to monitor the issue of Channel crossings daily.

Rt Hon and Hon Members will know that these crossings have also provoked a debate.

But I’m not afraid to say that I think there are some legitimate questions that need to be asked.

Why, for instance, are so many people choosing to cross the Channel from France to the UK when France itself is a safe country?

The widely accepted international principle is that those seeking asylum should claim it in the first safe country that they reach – be that France or elsewhere.

Indeed, many asylum seekers do just this.

Domestic legislation from 2004 clearly states that if an individual travels through a safe third country and fails to claim asylum, it will be taken into account in assessing the credibility of their claim.

Following these recent events, I have instructed my officials to look at how we can tighten this further and ensure these provisions are working effectively.

Mr Deputy Speaker, Britain has a proud tradition of welcoming and protecting asylum seekers.

We also have a long history of accepting economic migrants too – people like my very own parents.

But all these routes need to be safe and they need to be controlled.

Getting in a rubber dinghy is not.

That is why I will not accept these Channel crossings as just a matter of a fact of life.

Safeguarding lives and protecting the UK border are crucial Home Office priorities.

And while we have obligations to genuine asylum seekers and we will uphold we will not standby and allow reckless criminals to take advantage of vulnerable people.

Encouraging people to dangerously cross the Channel to come here is not an act of compassion.

So I will continue to do all I can to stop these dangerous crossings.

I commend this statement to the House.

Mr Speaker, with permission, I would like to make a statement about the NHS Long Term Plan.

The plan sets out how we will guarantee the NHS for the future. It describes how we will use the largest funding settlement in the history of the NHS to strengthen it over the next decade, rising to the challenges of today and seizing the opportunities of the future.

It’s worth taking a moment to reflect on when the NHS was first proposed from this dispatch box by Churchill’s Government in 1944.

When even after the perils of war, infant mortality was nearly 10 times now, when two-thirds of men smoked and life expectancy was just 66.

Ten years before we knew the structure of DNA, 4 decades before the first MRI.

The NHS has throughout its history led the world. But one constant has been that core principle set out by the national government – that the NHS should be available to all, free at the point of use, according to need, not ability to pay.

Mr Speaker, as last year’s 70th anniversary celebrations proved, the NHS is one of our proudest achievements.

We all have an emotional connection to it, our own family story, and we all owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the people who make the NHS what it is, and work so hard, especially during the winter months when the pressures are greatest.

Because we value the NHS so much, the new £20.5 billion funding settlement announced by the Prime Minister in June provides the NHS with funding growth of 3.4% a year in real terms over the next 5 years.

This means the NHS’s budget will increase in cash terms by £33.9 billion, rising from £115 billion this year to:

• £121 billion next year
• £127 billion in 2020 to 2021
• £133 billion in 2021 to 2022
• £140 billion in 2022 to 2023
• and then £148 billion in 2023 to 2024

This rise of over , over £1 billion more in cash terms than proposed in June, delivers on our commitment to the NHS and will safeguard the NHS for the long term.

This will help address today’s challenges. The NHS is facing unprecedented levels of demand. Every day, the NHS treats over 1 million people.

Last year, NHS staff carried out 2 million more operations and saw over 11 million more outpatients compared to 2010.

Despite record demand, performance was better this December than last.

As well as addressing today’s challenges, the NHS Long Term Plan sets the NHS up to seize the opportunities of the future.

At the heart of this plan is the principle that prevention is better than cure.

In the future, the NHS will do much more to support people to stay healthy, rather than just treat them when ill.

So, first, the biggest increase in funding – at least £4.5 billion – will go to primary and community care, because GPs are the bedrock of the NHS.

That means patients will have improved access to their GPs and greater flexibility about how they contact them.

Better use of community pharmacists, better access to physiotherapists, and improving the availability of fast and appropriate care to help communities keep people out of hospital altogether.

Next, the principle is that organisations across the NHS, local councils, innovators, and the voluntary sector, will all work more closely together so that they can focus on what patients need.

Next, there will be a renewed clampdown on waste so we can ensure every penny of the extra money goes towards improving services and giving taxpayers the best possible return.

Mr Speaker, ultimately staff are the heart of the NHS – the people who work in the NHS. And the Long Term Plan commits to major reforms to improve working conditions for NHS staff, because morale matters.

Staff will receive better training and more help with career progression. They will have greater flexibility in their work, be supported by the latest technology that works for them, and be helped more with their own mental health and wellbeing.

This already happens in the best parts of the NHS and there’s been a huge amount of work to support the people who work in the NHS. But I want to see it happen evrywhere.

We will bring in training, mentoring and support to develop better leadership in the NHS at all levels.

We will build on work already going on to recruit, train and retain more staff so we can address critical staff shortages.

The plan published today is the next step in our mission to make the NHS a world-class employer and deliver the workforce the NHS needs.

To deliver on these commitments, I have asked Baroness Dido Harding to chair a rapid programme of work, which will engage with staff, employers, professional organisations, trade unions, think tanks and others to build a workforce implementation plan that puts NHS people at the heart of NHS policy and delivery.

Baroness Harding will provide interim recommendations to me by the end of March on how the challenges of supply, reform, culture and leadership can be met, and final recommendations later in the year as part of the broader Implementation Plan that will be developed at all levels to make the Long Term Plan a reality.

Mr Speaker, that is the approach we will be taking to support the NHS over the next decade, but what does it mean for patients and the wider public?

It means patients receiving high-quality care closer to home.

Supporting our growing elderly population to stay healthy and independent for longer.

More personalised care, more social prescribing, empowering people to take greater control and responsibility over their own health through prevention, and personal health budgets.

It means access to new digital services to bring the NHS into the 21st century.

More support for mothers by improving maternity services, more support for parents and carers in the early years of a child’s life so we can be the best place in the world – and this country can be the best place to be born, in every sense.

We will improve how the NHS cares for children and young people with learning disabilities and autism by ending inappropriate hospitalisation, reducing over-medicalisation, and providing quality care in the community.

The NHS will tackle unacceptable health inequalities by targeting support towards the most vulnerable in areas of high deprivation.

And to help make a reality of the goal of parity of esteem between mental and physical health, we are going to increase mental health service budgets not by £2 billion, but £2.3 billion a year.

For the first time ever, we will introduce waiting time targets for community mental health so that people get the treatment they need when they need it.

And we will expand services for young people to include people up to the age of 25.

Mr Speaker, the Long Term Plan focuses on the most common causes of mortality, including cancer, heart disease, stroke and lung disease.

The health service will take a more active role in helping people to cut their risk factors: stopping smoking, losing weight and reducing alcohol intake.

The NHS will improve the quality and speed of diagnosis and improve treatment and recovery so we can help people to live well and manage their conditions.

And we will upgrade urgent care so people can get the right care more quickly.

All in all, Mr Speaker, the NHS Long Term Plan has been drawn up by the NHS: by over 2,500 doctors, clinicians, staff, and patients.

It will continue to be shaped and refined by staff and patients through an implementation plan framework in the spring, with events and activities across the country to help people understand what it means for them and their local NHS services.

The experts who wrote the plan say it will lead to 150,000 heart attacks, strokes and dementia cases prevented, 55,000 more people surviving cancer each year – in all, half a million lives saved over the next ten years. Funded by taxpayers, designed by doctors, delivered by this government.

It’s an important moment in the history of the NHS.

Our Long Term Plan will ensure the NHS continues to be there, free at the point of use, based on clinical need, not ability to pay, better resourced with more staff.

Newer technology with new priorities, fit for the future, so it is always there, in our hour of need.

And I am proud to commend this statement to the House.

A new interim chair has been appointed at the Leasehold Advisory Service, the government has announced today (7 January 2019).

Wanda Goldwag will lead LEASE, an executive body that provides impartial advice to people in leasehold properties and park homes.

She will provide support to the organisation’s Chief Executive, Anthony Essien, and its staff for a period of up to 18 months.

Wanda is also currently Chair of the Office for Legal Complaints, the board which controls the legal ombudsman service for England and Wales, and she brings extensive leadership experience and an in-depth knowledge of the legal advice sector to her new role.

Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Heather Wheeler MP, said:

LEASE has an important role in supporting leaseholders and helping them resolve problems, and I am pleased to appoint Wanda Goldwag as chair.

She will bring a level of expertise and knowledge from her previous roles which will be of real benefit to leaseholders.

The government is working hard to reform leasehold practises and ensure that the reality of home ownership can live up to the dream for those who purchase a leasehold home.

Wanda Goldwag said:

I am delighted to be able to help LEASE in this time of renewal of the organisation’s aims.

I hope to ensure that LEASE is the first port of call for leaseholders, potential leaseholders and park home owners in England and Wales and that the organisation provides high quality information and initial advice to lay people.

Anthony Essien, Chief Executive of LEASE, said:

It is a testament to the standing of LEASE that someone of Wanda’s calibre and experience sought, and has been appointed, to the role of interim Chair. We are all looking forward to working with Wanda as we move forward on the next step of LEASE’s journey.

Wanda will lead LEASE over the next year and a half, helping to continue to improve the service provided by the organisation and ensuring effective delivery of leasehold advice to leaseholders.

She will also work with LEASE, as well as the department and ministers, to shape and influence the future agenda for the provision of advice and support to leaseholders, and on the development and implementation of the government’s ongoing leasehold reforms.

Wanda has a portfolio of non-executive roles and has held a number of public appointments. She is a lay member of the Queen’s Counsels appointments panel, Chair at the Legal Ombudsman, and a non-executive director of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, amongst others.

Her previous roles include being a Civil Service Commissioner. She holds a BSc (Econ) from the London School of Economics.

Wanda Goldwag has been appointed for a term of up to 18 months, commencing on 7 January 2019 and ending on 6 July 2020.

A photo of Wanda is available on request.

LEASE is an executive, non-statutory non-departmental public body which provides initial, impartial advice to leaseholders and park homes owners in England and Wales. It has also been given additional responsibilities to assist leaseholders affected by building and fire safety concerns.

It is sponsored and majority-funded by Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government although it also receives a small amount of funding from the Welsh government to support the provision of advice to Welsh leaseholders and park home owners.

It provides its services through the internet, by email and letter, by telephone and face-to-face, and by outreach surgeries in the field.

Further information about LEASE is available on its website: www.lease-advice.org/.