The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Davis on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department made of the legality of US airstrikes in Libya before authorising use of RAF Lakenheath for airstrikes in Libya on 19 February 2016.
Michael Fallon
I confirmed in a statement on 19 February 2016 that I had authorised the request. Permission was granted once I was satisfied with the legality of the operation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Davis on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what procedure was followed before the authorisation of the use of RAF Lakenheath for airstrikes in Libya on 19 February 2016.
Michael Fallon
I confirmed in a statement on 19 February 2016 that I had authorised the request. Permission was granted once I was satisfied with the legality of the operation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Flint on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of his Department’s invoices for goods and services supplied by (a) private companies and (b) small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are completed on time; and what proportion of the (i) number and (ii) value of contracts between his Department and private companies are held by SMEs.
Mr Philip Dunne
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) aims to pay 80% of its invoices within five working days and payment performance is published on gov.uk at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence/about/procurement#ministry-of-defence-payment-performance. This shows that during the first three quarters of 2015-16, the MOD paid around 97% of its invoices within five days and 99.9% within 30 days. A comprehensive breakdown of the proportion of invoice payments made to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to private companies is not held.
Information on MOD contracting with SMEs is also published online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-industry-trade-and-contracts-2015. This shows that in 2014-15, the MOD placed around 440 new contracts directly with SMEs, with a collective value of around £320 million.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to prepare for RansomWare attacks on NHS facilities.
George Freeman
The Department, the Health and Social Care Information Centre and strategic partners, have created the Care Computer Emergency Response Team service (CareCERT).
CareCERT was launched in September 2015 and is a centre of excellence for Cyber Security advice and Security Incident Management.
The CareCERT service is available to provide specific advice and guidance to organisations that may become affected. CareCERT maintains links with the United Kingdom National Computer Emergency Response Team and the Communications Electronic Security Group, and is able to call upon the expertise of these organisations should a larger incident be identified.
CareCERT send regular alerts and advisories to every National Health Service organisation and local authority on a range of Cyber Security issues, three of which have, to date, contained information regarding ransomware.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to reply to the letter of 15 February 2016 from the Rt hon. Member for Birkenhead regarding free school meals.
Mr Sam Gyimah
The Secretary of State has received the Rt hon. Member for Birkenhead’s letter of 15 February 2016 about free school meals and will respond shortly, and within the normal timeframe for correspondence.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has plans to adjust the eligibility criteria for claiming free childcare so that it can be claimed from the child’s third birthday rather than from the next term date after the child turns three.
Mr Sam Gyimah
Three year old children become eligible for a government funded early education place from 1 September, 1 January or 1 April following their third birthday or the beginning of the autumn, spring or summer school term if this is later. These dates mirror those for compulsory school age, which is the beginning of the term following a child’s fifth birthday. This is intended to ensure that all three year old children can access two years of funded early education and/or maintained school reception provision before they reach compulsory school age.
The most disadvantaged two year olds are eligible for a government funded early education place from 1 September, 1 January or 1 April following their third birthday or the beginning of the autumn, spring or summer school term if this is later.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effect on teachers’ workloads of the new system for assessment of pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
Nick Gibb
We have made removing unnecessary workload a priority so that the efforts of teachers are focused on teaching. Our primary assessment reforms have been designed to put arrangements for the majority of classroom assessment back into the hands of the school and to reduce the tracking burdens that national curriculum levels encouraged. We believe schools are best placed to decide how to assess pupils in line with their curriculum and that over time this should lead to a reduction in teacher workload.
Following the introduction of the new national curriculum and the removal of levels, we have developed new forms of statutory assessment at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. The duty to report assessment at these points remains unchanged from previous years. We do recognise, however, that in this first year the new forms of assessment are used pupils and teachers will be adapting their approach. The best way to prepare pupils remains to focus on teaching the new national curriculum, which schools have been doing since September 2014.
Throughout the introduction of our important reforms to primary assessment, we have worked closely with teachers and head teachers and continue to listen to the concerns of the profession as the details of the new arrangements are finalised. We are working constructively with the teaching profession and their representatives to find solutions to some of the remaining issues.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to publish examination performance data for academy chains; and if she will make an assessment.
Edward Timpson
I refer the Honourable Member to my response to Question 26994, submitted to Parliament on Tuesday 23 February 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on the threshold for the number of coasting academies in an academy chain above which her Department plans to take action.
Edward Timpson
An academy will be considered coasting where data shows that over a three year period it has failed to ensure that pupils reach their potential. An academy will only be coasting if performance data falls below the coasting bar in all three previous years. Therefore, no academy will be identified as coasting until after the 2016 performance data is published and there is 3 years of data available for 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Regional Schools Commissioners will take action when any academy falls within the coasting definition and cannot demonstrate that it has a sufficient plan to improve rapidly without additional support.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Ofsted plans to inspect academy chains as well as individual academies; and if she will make an assessment.
Edward Timpson
Ofsted already inspects multi-academy trusts (MAT) through focused inspections of batches of academies within MATs. The published inspection outcome letters describe Ofsted’s assessment of the overall performance of the MAT, as well as a summary of the outcome of the individual academy inspections. The EFA provides assurance over the use of public funds and the MATs’ compliance with the accountability framework.