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  • Lord Sharkey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Sharkey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Sharkey on 2016-06-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received about the summary and non-appealable closure by UK-based banks of accounts belonging to Muslims or Muslim organisations; from whom they received those representations, if any; and what response they made.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The withdrawal of banking services from certain sectors, including NGOs and community-based organisations, is unfortunately one instance of a global problem of de-risking affecting many countries and a number of sectors. The Government is concerned about the growth of this trend and the implications it has for NGOs, economic growth, financial inclusion and financial stability. That is why the Government continues to work closely with those affected in the UK to better understand their experiences and encourage dialogue with the banking sector. The Government also encourages banks to take a risk-based approach in their activities, to ensure that the measures they take are effective and proportionate, and that they mitigate the risks they face.

    Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations and have meetings with a wide variety of organisations and individuals as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

    Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available on the gov.uk website.

  • Lord Shinkwin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Shinkwin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Shinkwin on 2016-06-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government on how many occasions (1) in the last tax year for which figures are available, and (2) for each of the tax years since the introduction of Gift Aid, HMRC reclaimed or recovered Gift Aid from an individual because they had mistakenly made a Gift Aid declaration to a charity or had not paid sufficient tax to cover the Gift Aid.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Around £1.3bn of Gift Aid was paid to charities in 2015/16, the highest year of Gift Aid payments since the scheme began. During 2015/16, HMRC contacted 2,580 individuals where a shortfall was identified in the tax needed to cover the donation. Individual donors are responsible for ensuring they have paid sufficient tax to cover any Gift Aid reclaimed in their donation. No statistics are available for earlier years.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-06-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to ensure widespread access to reasonably priced accommodation for students in London and other metropoles.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The Government recognises the need for a diverse housing stock, providing students with a choice of accommodation to suit their individual needs. Our national planning guidance encourages local authorities to plan for sufficient student accommodation whether it consists of communal halls of residence or self-contained dwellings, and whether or not it is on campus.

    The key to improving affordability is to build more homes. We are working to increase supply by accelerating the development of a new market for private renters, including our £1 billion build to rent fund and the £3.5 billion private rented sector debt guarantee scheme.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-06-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the difference between the academic performance of adopted children and that of their peers in (1) GCSEs, and (2) A-levels, over the last five years.

    Lord Nash

    Estimates of GCSE attainment of former looked after children who have been adopted were published for the first time this year. The statistics were published as experimental statistics because we estimate that they are based on around 30% of all children adopted from care[1]. The estimates show that 22.8% of former looked after children who have been adopted achieved 5 or more A*-C GCSEs or equivalent, including English and mathematics in 2015. This information is published on GOV.UK in the statistical first release “Outcomes for looked after children by local authorities in England: 31 March 2015”[2].

    Nationally, 57.1% of children in state funded schools achieved 5 or more A*-C GCSEs or equivalent, including English and mathematics in 2015. These figures are published on GOV.UK in the statistical first release “Revised GCSE and equivalent results in England, 2014 to 2015”[3].

    Information on attainment at Key Stage 5 for former looked after children who have been adopted is not available.

    [1] These figures were based on children who are identified as adopted (requiring declaration by the parents) in the school census, matched to key stage 4 data

    [2] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/outcomes-for-children-looked-after-by-las-31-march-2015

    [3] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/revised-gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england-2014-to-2015

    “

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-06-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funding contingencies are in place in the event that the UK exiting the EU results in a drop in foreign nationals studying in Britain and Northern Ireland.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    We remain an EU member until the time we complete successful exit negotiations, with all the rights and obligations that derive from this. The UK has, and will continue to have, a world-class education system that attracts students from across the world including the EU.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-06-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what level of check by the Disclosure and Barring Service is required for someone to work in a school as a non-teaching staff member.

    Lord Nash

    The School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009, The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2014 and The Non-maintained Special Schools (England) Regulations 2011 require schools to carry out specific checks before they may appoint an individual to work in a school.

    For non-teaching staff members, the school must obtain an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service certificate and where relevant a check of the children’s barred list. A check of the barred list is required for staff engaging in regulated activity if as a result of their work they:

    • Will be responsible, on a regular basis in a school or college, for teaching, training instructing, caring for or supervising children; or

    • Will carry out paid, or unsupervised unpaid, work regularly in a school or college where that work provides an opportunity for contact with children; or

    • Engage in intimate or personal care or overnight activity, even if this happens only once.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-06-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they maintain data on the number of primary-school pupils who are (1) bilingual, and (2) trilingual.

    Lord Nash

    The Department only collects data on pupils’ first language spoken which is not an indicator of proficiency in English or other languages. The Department does not hold information on the number of pupils who are bilingual or trilingual.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-06-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the implications for small businesses of the UK leaving the EU.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    There will be no immediate changes to the UK’s relationship with the EU, in the way goods can move or services can be sold. The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK remains open for business and continues to grow and thrive.

    The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is engaging with small businesses about the issues, risks and opportunities arising as a result of the decision to leave the EU. The Government is working to ensure that the UK remains one of the best places in the world to start and grow a business.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-06-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the study by Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business that gender diversity benefits do not materialise in organisations where internal competition is prevalent.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    We are grateful to Lord Taylor for raising this; officials are considering the findings within the wider evidence base on women in business. We know that supportive workplace cultures are an important factor in progressing female career development.

    Our voluntary initiative Think, Act, Report promotes gender equality at work and has created a vast community of best practice on maximising female talent in the workplace. 300 businesses representing organisations of all sizes and sectors across Britain are signed up to the principles it embodies; collectively they employ over 2.5 million people.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-06-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the relationships between Norway and the EU, and Switzerland and the EU, could be used as models for the UK’s relationship with the EU after leaving that Union.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Government provided an assessment of alternative models that the UK could pursue in its paper "Alternatives to membership: possible models for the United Kingdom outside the European Union", which was presented to Parliament in March this year. It will be for the next Prime Minister to determine, along with their Cabinet, the right approach to take and the right outcome to negotiate.