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  • Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress has been made on the consideration of the Greater Essex Combined Authority bid.

    Andrew Percy

    We are encouraging all areas to come forward with locally led devolution proposals. If Greater Essex takes the decision to proceed with a combined authority and consults on those proposals, as statue provides, we will consider whether the creation of a combined authority is likely to improve the exercise of statutory functions in that area and lead to more effective and convenient local government.

    We look forward to discussing with Greater Essex any proposals they have to form a combined authority.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what (a) funding and (b) guidance his Department provides to local authorities to enable people who have recently been granted refugee status to benefit from rent deposit schemes if they are not considered to be in priority need for housing.

    Gavin Barwell

    Any person, including those granted refugee status, who is not in priority need is eligible for homelessness assistance. Local authorities have a duty to provide advice and information on homelessness, free of charge, to anyone seeking help. Wherever possible local housing authorities will try to stop households from facing the stress and upheaval of a homelessness crisis by taking steps to prevent their homelessness. That is why government has maintained and protected homelessness prevention funding for local authorities, totalling £315 million by 2019/20.

    Statutory guidance does not mandate the use of specific preventative tools but sets out a wide range of options so that local authorities can meet the specific needs of an individual on a case by case basis. Rent deposit and rent bond schemes are included within this guidance and the majority of local authorities will operate one.

    Since 2010 local authorities have prevented homelessness for over 1.1 million households. We have committed to work with local authorities, homelessness charities and across departments to consider options, including legislation, to put prevention at the centre of our approach to tackling homelessness.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many businesses in (a) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency and (b) Liverpool City Region do not have access to high speed broadband.

    Karen Bradley

    There is a substantial commitment by national government for superfast broadband rollout and £5.46 million of central government funding has been allocated to the Merseyside Connected project. This has led to 39,216 additional homes and businesses now being able to access superfast broadband as a result of the local project, with the aim to have 42,204 additional premises by the end of the project. This will bring superfast coverage in Merseyside to 99% of premises.

    The Department does not hold data specifically for businesses. The table below shows estimates of the number of premises (both residential and business) without access to superfast broadband in all of the Merseyside and Liverpool City Region constituencies.

    Constituency

    Number of Premises

    Premises Without Access To Superfast Broadband

    Birkenhead

    44,111

    458

    Bootle

    47,396

    304

    Garston and Halewood

    45,355

    836

    Halton

    44,739

    1,098

    Knowsley

    48,681

    596

    Liverpool, Riverside

    54,717

    9,022

    Liverpool, Walton

    43,483

    157

    Liverpool, Wavertree

    41,345

    215

    Liverpool, West Derby

    40,579

    0

    Sefton Central

    37,979

    792

    Southport

    43,576

    1,209

    St Helens North

    45,188

    1503

    St Helens South and Whiston

    49,194

    2,410

    Wallasey

    42,239

    562

    Wirral South

    33,425

    760

    Wirral West

    32,212

    816
  • Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will respond to the findings of the Human Rights Watch report, Saudi Coalition Airstrikes Target Civilian Factories in Yemen, on remnants of UK-manufactured weapons found at three strike sites in that country.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Ministry of Defence analyses allegations of International Humanitarian Law violations arising from air strikes in Yemen conducted by the Saudi-led Coalition. Allegations are identified from a range of sources, including reports published by Non-Governmental Organisations such as Human Rights Watch.

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what functions his Department carries out centrally which he plans to add to the functions of Defence Business Services; and what the timescale for any such transfer of functions is.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently examining options for the future of Defence Business Services (DBS) as part of the Future DBS Programme. Decisions concerning whether more work is transferred into DBS may be made where this makes sense for DBS and MOD in terms of efficient and effective delivery of supporting services and, ultimately, value for money. But, at this stage, no final decisions have been made and there are no firm plans or timescales for any such transfers.

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any future corporate services integration and innovation provider for Defence Business Services will be permitted to bid for contracts for direct service delivery within the future Defence Business Services contract.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence is currently examining options for the future of Defence Business Services (DBS) as part of the Future DBS Programme. No final decisions have been taken on whether any elements of DBS’ current operations will be outsourced. Decisions on whether any future Corporate Services Integration and Innovation Service supplier could bid for service delivery contracts in DBS would be made in line with the procurement legislation and regulations that applied at the time.

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what footprint and locations within Defence Business Services his Department is planning for inclusion in the corporate services integration and innovation provider contract.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence is currently examining options for the future of Defence Business Services (DBS) as part of the Future DBS Programme. No final decisions have been taken on whether any elements of DBS’ current operations will be outsourced and therefore which locations might be affected.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students in English state schools took at least one GCSE in a foreign language at the end of Key Stage 4 in 2014-15; and whether her Department made an estimate of the number of students expected to take at least one GCSE in a foreign language under the planned 90 per cent English Baccalaureate target.

    Nick Gibb

    The number and percentage of pupils in English state-funded schools who were entered for a foreign language GCSE in the 2014/15 academic year is published as part of the key stage 4 school performance tables.[1]

    To enter the EBacc, pupils must enter an approved qualification at key stage 4 in either an ancient or a modern foreign language. This means that when 90% of pupils are taking the EBacc, at least 90% of pupils will enter at least one language qualification.

    [1] https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/download-data?currentstep=datatypes&regiontype=all&la=0&downloadYear=2014-2015&datatypes=ks4

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  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the subjects most likely to be affected by a reduction in the number of people taking them in the event of a significant proportion of young people required to take a foreign language GCSE.

    Nick Gibb

    In implementing the EBacc, the Government remains fully committed to ensuring all pupils receive a well-rounded education. All state-funded schools are required to provide a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils. We expect all schools to continue to offer a wide range of options beyond the EBacc, so that pupils have opportunities to study subjects that reflect their individual interests and strengths.

    The EBacc has been designed to be limited in size to provide a rigorous academic core whilst leaving space in the curriculum for other subjects. On average, pupils in state-funded schools enter nine GCSEs and equivalent qualifications, rising to more than ten for more able pupils.[1] For many pupils, taking the EBacc will mean taking seven GCSEs; and for those taking triple science, it will mean taking eight. This means that there will continue to be room for pupils to study other subjects.

    We set out our EBacc proposals in our consultation on implementing the English Baccalaureate. We will respond to the consultation in due course.

    [1] https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/schools-by-type?step=phase&geographic=all&region=0&phase=secondary&for=Key%20stage%204%20performance&basedon=Exam%20entries&show=All%20pupils&&schoolTypeFilter=allSchools

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  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Schools of 4 July 2016, Official Report, column 210WH, what the evidential basis is for the statement that 77 per cent of UK employees say that they need more employees with foreign languages.

    Nick Gibb

    The figure to which I referred on 4 July was derived from a survey by the Confederation of British Industry’s Education and Skills Survey 2015[1] which found that only 23% of businesses said they had no need for foreign language skills among their employees.

    [1] http://news.cbi.org.uk/reports/education-and-skills-survey-2015/

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