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  • Lord Richards of Herstmonceux – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Richards of Herstmonceux – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Richards of Herstmonceux on 2016-07-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to terminate the contract with CarillionAmey for service family accommodation, and if so, what plans they have for the service to be provided in-house.

    Earl Howe

    In response to the ‘Get Well Plan’ agreed with the Secretary of State for Defence in February, CarillionAmey’s performance has improved. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is now seeking assurances that the performance improvements made are sustainable over the life of the contracts for which CarillionAmey is responsible. The MOD will continue to prepare contingency plans, for potential termination, in the event that sustained improvements are not made.

  • Lord Richards of Herstmonceux – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Richards of Herstmonceux – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Richards of Herstmonceux on 2016-07-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the report by Sir John Chilcot on the Iraq War, whether they have any plans to reform the decision-making process within the Ministry of Defence and place the Armed Forces under the command of the Chief of Defence Staff.

    Earl Howe

    We are studying the report of the Iraq Inquiry in detail to identify how further to improve our structures, policies, procurement and training. Since 2010, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has implemented wide-ranging reforms to how it is structured and managed. This has clarified responsibilities, strengthened accountability and empowered the single Services. The Defence Secretary confirmed to the Defence Select Committee on 19 July that he has established a team to go through the report and make sure that the proper lessons are learned. This team will identify all of the areas where MOD needs to take action to improve its performance in the light of Sir John Chilcot’s findings.

  • Biography information for Lord Steel of Aikwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Biography information for Lord Steel of Aikwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Lord Steel of Aikwood on 2016-07-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the comments by Lord Mance in the Supreme Court’s judgment in R (on the application of Bancoult (No 2)) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [2016] UKSC 35 that a refusal to allow resettlement of the Chagos Islands could be judicially reviewed as potentially irrational

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    In the last Parliament, the Cabinet asked for further detailed work to understand the uncertainties around cost and demand for resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence, have refined uncertainties around costs, and a 12 week public consultation was carried out to clarify demand. The results of the consultation were published in January 2016. Officials are now carrying out remaining work on the options available before the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), takes a final decision on the policy. There is no date yet when an announcement on possible resettlement will be made. Developments will be announced to Parliament and the public in due course.

  • Lord Steel of Aikwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Steel of Aikwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Steel of Aikwood on 2016-07-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will support the resolution from Mauritius at the forthcoming UN General Assembly calling for the matter of the resettlement of Chagos islanders to be referred to the International Court of Justice.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are not aware of any plans by Mauritius for a resolution at the next UN General Assembly regarding the resettlement of Chagos islanders to be referred to the International Court of Justice (ICC). On 17 May the Prime Minister of Mauritius expressed to the Mauritian Parliament his intention to seek a referral by the UN General Assembly to the ICC this autumn, in order to obtain an advisory opinion in relation to sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). We would not support any such resolution as we are in no doubt about British sovereignty over BIOT.

  • Lord Steel of Aikwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Steel of Aikwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Steel of Aikwood on 2016-07-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in order to welcome tourists to Scotland and the North of England, they plan to instruct the Border Agency to reduce its processing time of vehicles at Newcastle arriving off the ferry from Amsterdam.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    Border Force has carried out a significant transformation programme at Port of Tyne to improve border security and customer service. Joint investment with the port operator in new infrastructure has significantly reduced passenger processing times and the port operator has confirmed a noticeable improvement compared to previous years.

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

    Lord Wills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wills on 2016-07-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to including Design and Technology as a science option within the English Baccalaureate.

    Lord Nash

    Design and Technology (D&T) is a subject that can inspire and equip young people for further study and careers in a range of design and engineering fields. Our reforms to the D&T curriculum and qualifications move the subject on from its craft-based routes to be aligned with high-tech industry practice.

    The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) has been designed to be limited in size to provide a rigorous academic core whilst leaving space in the curriculum for pupils to study other subjects of their choice. On average, pupils in state-funded schools enter nine GCSEs and equivalent qualifications, rising to more than ten for more able pupils. As the EBacc covers up to eight GCSEs, this leaves room for other choices, including D&T.

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

    Lord Wills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wills on 2016-07-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government in how many schools Design and Technology is not part of the curriculum.

    Lord Nash

    Design and Technology (D&T) is part of the national curriculum, and is therefore a compulsory subject in maintained schools for pupils aged 5 to 14. The national curriculum is a benchmark of an excellent, academically rigorous education that academies can use and improve upon. The Department does not collect information on how many schools do not include D&T as part of their curriculum.

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

    Lord Wills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wills on 2016-07-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have applied to study Design and Technology in teacher training colleges.

    Lord Nash

    The latest published data, from 30 June 2016, shows that 1,370 applications have been submitted for Design and Technology ITT courses, either to a university or a school-led route.

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

    Lord Wills – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wills on 2016-07-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the contribution of Design and Technology studies to the UK economy.

    Lord Nash

    Science, technology, engineering and mathematics are vital subjects in our modern economy and there is a widespread demand for employees with knowledge and skills in these subjects. That is why we have worked closely with key organisations in the sector, such as the James Dyson Foundation, the Design and Technology Association and the Royal Academy of Engineering to ensure the content of Design and Technology curriculum and qualifications set out the knowledge and skills sought by leading engineering employers and are aligned with high-tech industry practice. The new GCSE and A level begin to be taught from September 2017.

  • Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville on 2016-07-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are aware of any situations where trustees of community land trusts who are also members of parish councils have been prevented from carrying out their duties due to their interests being inaccurately declared as personal and prejudicial, and if so, what advice they plan to provide to all involved to resolve such situations.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    Community Land Trusts (CLTs) are non-profit local organisations set up and run by local people to develop and manage homes and other community assets. They will be regulated according to the specific legal form they have decided is appropriate for their objectives. Consequently, the Department does not retain any central records on CLTs or their trustees.