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  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel concerning the right of return of Syrian refugees who were originally displaced from their homes in Palestine when the state of Israel was formed.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have not had any discussions with the Israeli authorities on this issue. It is the British Government’s policy that a final status agreement between the two parties should include a just, fair and agreed settlement for refugees.

  • Baroness Garden of Frognal – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Garden of Frognal – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Garden of Frognal on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the proposal in the report from the charity Sense, Making the case for play, that play be instated as part of the ministerial brief for the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Education and Childcare.

    Lord Nash

    I refer my Rt Hon. Friend to the answer given on 8 March to PQ 29735, which I have also set out below:

    The Department for Education recognises that play has an important role in supporting all young children to develop and prepare for later learning. The importance of play is already recognised within the early years legislation covered by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Childcare and Education’s portfolio.

    Play is covered in the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage framework and states: “Each area of learning and development must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity.”

    Staff working in early years settings as Early Years Educators (level 3) and Early Years Teachers (graduates) are required to have an understanding of different pedagogical approaches, including the role of play in supporting early learning and development. The criteria for the Early Years Educator and standards for Early Years Teacher Status qualifications are set by the department. However, it is the responsibility of early years settings to provide play opportunities for their children and pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.

    Ofsted registers childcare provision on the Early Years Register and the General Childcare Register and conducts a regular cycle of inspection to ensure that provision meets the required quality and safety standards.

    In judging the quality and standards of early years provision, Ofsted inspectors must assess the extent to which the learning and care provided by the setting meets the needs of the range of children who attend, including the needs of any children who have special educational needs or disabilities. At August 2015, 85 per cent of providers on the Early Years Register were rated good or outstanding for overall effectiveness. This is an increase of 11 percentage points since 2012.

  • Baroness Garden of Frognal – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Garden of Frognal – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Garden of Frognal on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for highlighting play as a key strand of the Government’s policy on parenting and life chances.

    Lord Nash

    I refer my Rt Hon. Friend to the answer given on 9 March to PQ 29736, which I have also set out below:

    The Department for Education recognises that play has an important role in supporting all young children to develop and prepare for later learning.

    Play is integral in the early years and is covered in the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage framework which states: “Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, to think about problems, and relate to others.” The framework is attached [for your attention].

    The Government’s forthcoming Life Chances Strategy will set out a comprehensive plan to fight disadvantage and extend opportunity. Within this, we are considering how we can support early years and parenting to give children the best start in life.

  • Lord Smith of Leigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Smith of Leigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Smith of Leigh on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will support the establishment of a National Museum of Rugby League in the Northern Powerhouse area.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    There are a number of independent sporting museums in the UK based on individual sports including rowing, tennis and Rugby Union. Arts Council England supports a Subject Specialist Network for sporting museums that promotes and shares best practice and expertise in the field. There are currently no plans to fund a National Museum of Rugby League in the Northern Powerhouse area, however this Department is investing in the game of Rugby League, through the £17.5m that that Rugby League will receive from Sport England between 2013 and 2017 and the £100k support for a bid for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup; announced in the Budget.

  • Lord Smith of Leigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Smith of Leigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Smith of Leigh on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will secure the skills necessary for students and businesses, and the improved productivity for the economy, given the pattern of delivery for 16–19 year olds through School Sixth Forms, Sixth Form Colleges and Further Education Colleges.

    Lord Nash

    We are ensuring that all 16-19 education institutions provide high quality academic and technical education through reforming A Levels and technical qualifications so that our standards match the best education systems in the world. A Levels are now linear, allowing more time for teaching and learning, and all approved technical qualifications now meet rigorous standards and are backed by employers. We are planning further reforms to technical education to simplify the 16+ skills system by providing clear progression routes into employment. These reforms will ensure that young people gain the skills and knowledge required by employers and universities.

    The government will verify that post-16 provision is meeting the current and future needs of learners and employers by means of area reviews, which will be based on the best available evidence, including mapping current curriculum provision and the travel to learn patterns that show how all learners currently access learning. These area reviews will create a stronger educational offer whilst also ensuring there is a high quality and financially resilient set of colleges in each area of England. They will also show the role technology is playing, and help to improve understanding of the quality and relative costs of provision and the financial implications of potential options.

  • Lord Smith of Leigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Smith of Leigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Smith of Leigh on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when all schools become academies, how they will ensure that the Department for Education has the capacity to respond quickly and positively to catastrophic events, such as the recent floods in Cumbria.

    Lord Nash

    We expect all schools, including academies, to have emergency management plans in place, drawn up in conjunction with their local authority, to deal with crises such as the recent floods. This is reinforced by the Department’s White Paper ‘Educational Excellence Everywhere’, published by the Secretary of State on 17 March 2016 that states that local authorities will continue to take a lead in crisis management and emergency planning for all schools in their area. Further details of the future role of local authorities will be announced in due course.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the financial difficulties of G4S will have an impact on any government security contracts.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    G4S is a listed company, active in over 110 countries. Information on G4S’s financial performance is publicly available. As one of Government’s Strategic Suppliers Cabinet Office undertakes regular analysis of G4S’s performance and financial standing in line with the Strategic Supplier Risk Management Policy, to monitor any possible risks to Government contracts.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there is sufficient funding in the navy budget to enable full manning, provision of spares and logistics support, and the appropriate training necessary for the new ships, aircraft and equipment being delivered to the Royal Navy in the next five years.

    Earl Howe

    As set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review, Spending Review 2015 provided the investment necessary to deliver the most modern navy in the world. This programme has sufficient funding in the budget to enable full manning, provision of spares and logistics support, and appropriate training for the next five years.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the risk of civilian drones being used to carry out terrorist attacks and of accidental collisions, whether they are considering (1) introducing a mandatory registration system for civilian drones, and (2) introducing mandatory geo-fencing technology to prevent drones from flying over high-risk areas.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    I refer my Noble Baroness to my answer of the 16 March, UIN HL6659.

  • Lord Turnberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Turnberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Turnberg on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Health Foundation report A Perfect Storm: an impossible climate for NHS Providers’ Finances? which reports a shortfall in NHS funding of £2.8 billion in 2015–16 and predicts a widening gap between demand and funding levels despite proposed efficiency savings.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Government has listened and responded to what the NHS has said about the profile of investment it needs to deliver the Five Year Forward View, and that is why we are investing an additional £10 billion that the NHS has said it needs to implement its own plan for the future – with £6 billion frontloaded over 2015-16 and 2016-17.

    For next year (2016-17) we have created the Sustainability and Transformation Fund that will give the NHS the resources it needs to transform and create sustainable services for years to come.

    Delivering the Five Year Forward View, including proposed efficiencies, will put the NHS on a financially sustainable footing by enabling the NHS to live within its means, eliminating organisational deficits and ensuring a balanced NHS budget in each year. We are putting the right measures in place to help spend taxpayer’s money more efficiently, and reduce variation and waste.