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  • David Mowat – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    David Mowat – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mowat on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department takes to audit or monitor the outcomes of successful applications to the Armed Forces Covenant (Libor) Fund.

    Anna Soubry

    The Ministry of Defence administers the £35 million LIBOR Fund on behalf of the Cabinet Office-led Covenant Reference Group. Successful projects are funded on the basis of a standard set of terms and conditions plus additional measures as appropriate. Those who receive funding are required to produce regular monitoring reports, and to retain financial data for audit purposes.

  • Vernon Coaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Vernon Coaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what changes have been made to the contracts of personnel moved from DE&S to the Navy Command from 1 April 2014 as part of the Defence Transformation Programme.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    No contracts of employment were altered or amended as a result of the transfer of the Naval Base Operating Centre from Defence Equipment and Support to Navy Command on 1 April 2014 as part of the Defence Transformation Programme.

  • Graeme Morrice – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Graeme Morrice – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graeme Morrice on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has any plans to end the employee trade union membership dues check-off system.

    Elizabeth Truss

    I refer the hon. Member to the response published 1 April 2014, Official Report, Column 632W.

  • Graham Stuart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Graham Stuart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Stuart on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2014, Official Report, column 86W, on schools: governing bodies, how many governors (a) have completed and (b) are expected to have completed National College for Teaching and Leadership training on dealing with performance related pay awards for teachers by 1 September 2014.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    From January to April 2014, 3,205 school governors completed the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) training on dealing with performance related pay awards for teachers; 7,200 are expected to complete the training by 1 September 2014.

    Governors have held school leadership to account for school performance, including the assessment of overall teacher performance, for some time. With the introduction of performance-related pay, governing bodies will have already approved revised pay policies that set out precisely how their schools will make performance and pay decisions.

    To support governors in exercising their responsibilities, the Department for Education issued advice on implementing the new pay arrangements. The NCTL is also providing these free training workshops for governors on performance-related pay and financial efficiencies. In addition, the National Governors Association (NGA) has published guidance on how governors should prepare to deal with pay appeals. We believe that, with this support, most governing bodies will have the knowledge and awareness of the key issues they need to address to ensure that robust evidence-based pay decisions are made this September.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Paul Blomfield – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many properties that were purchased or built with Sure Start Local Programme funding are now owned by NHS Properties.

    Elizabeth Truss

    Data on the ownership of assets funded by the Sure Start Local Programme is held by local authorities.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2014, Official Report, column 191W, on special educational needs, when the pilots will launch and finish; and when the findings of such pilots will be published.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    The Department for Education, in consultation with the Ministry of Justice and others, will in the near future be developing proposals for the review of redress and complaint arrangements for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, of which these pilots will form a part. We estimate that the pilots will begin in the spring of 2015 as the first appeals about the new Education, Health and Care plans begin to be heard and that the pilots will last for two years as they build up the evidence on which to base any recommendations. The Secretary of State for Education and the Lord Chancellor must lay a report on the outcome of the review before Parliament within three years of the any of the provisions of Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014 coming into force in September 2014. Interim findings from the pilots could be published before the final report on the review.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2014, Official Report, column 57W, on special educational needs, which organisations and charities have been consulted on the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    The consultation on a draft Special Educational Needs Code of Practice was an open consultation and any organisations or individuals could respond. The Department for Education received over 700 responses from a wide range of organisations and individuals including parents; young people; early years; schools; further education professionals; local authorities; health sector professionals and voluntary and community sector organisations, including many from the special educational needs and disability fields.

    A short, focused consultation is now being carried out on a revised draft, which takes account of responses to the public consultation and amendments to the Children and Families Bill during its passage through Parliament. A full response to the consultations on the Code of Practice will be published in the next few weeks and this will give details of organisations and charities who responded.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the performance of Local Safeguarding Children boards in assessing (a) health authorities and (b) the police and local authority performance in domestic abuse cases.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    Ofsted carry out inspections of local authorities under section 136 (2) of the Education and Inspections Act, 2006 (EIA). Since November 2013, these inspections include a review of the effectiveness of the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB).

    This review of the LSCB looks at how well the LSCB evaluates and monitors the quality and effectiveness of the local authority and other statutory partners, including health partners and the police. The functions of the LSCB include developing policies and procedures for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in their area. This includes participating in the planning of services to protect children from all forms of abuse.

    Ofsted has to date published 12 inspection reports under their new framework.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what research his Department has commissioned on a potential relationship between domestic abuse experienced by children and low educational attainment in later life.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    The Department for Education has not commissioned research on the possible relationship between domestic abuse and a child’s subsequent educational attainment. Reports published earlier this year by the Early Intervention Foundation and by Coordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse highlighted the impact on children’s wellbeing of exposure to domestic abuse. Though these reports did not focus on later educational attainment, they illustrated potential disruption to children’s lives that is likely to affect their education. The Government is committed to safeguarding children from any form of abuse.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the number of UK households which experience high risk domestic abuse; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such abuse on children.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    Information about the number of children at risk because of domestic abuse has been collected by local authorities as part of the Department for Education’s Children in Need census since April 2013. The first figures will be available from autumn 2014.