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  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to introduce independent and impartial advice from qualified professionals into careers advice and guidance.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    All maintained schools have a legal duty to secure access to independent careers guidance for year 8-13 pupils. Guidance secured under the duty must be delivered in an impartial manner.

    The duty gives schools the flexibility to commission a broad range of support for pupils – from careers advisers but also from employers, mentors and coaches, who can give young people real-life insight into the world of work. This allows schools to identify their own priorities and configure their careers education and guidance offer to meet the needs of their pupils. The Careers & Enterprise Company is taking a lead role in transforming the provision of careers, enterprise and employer engagement experiences for young people to inspire them and prepare them for the world of work.

    Careers professionals can play an important role in supporting pupils as one element of a varied careers programme. The careers statutory guidance is clear that schools should include consideration of the role that careers professionals can play in supporting pupils. The statutory guidance provides information about the register of careers professionals, developed by the Career Development Institute, which schools can use to search for a career development professional who can deliver a particular service or activity.

    Ofsted has given higher priority to careers guidance in school inspections – and destination measures help schools and colleges to be held to account locally and inform choices by parents and students.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what requirements are placed on the building of new academies to demonstrate (a) local need and (b) parental demand.

    Edward Timpson

    When applying to set up a new mainstream or 16-19 free school, applicants must demonstrate that there is a need for the school. They could do this by showing that there is either a projected shortage of school places in the relevant phase in the area where the school is proposed; a need for more high quality school places; or a need for greater local choice and diversity.

    Applicants applying to set up special or alternative provision free schools must demonstrate that they have a commitment from commissioners that they will purchase places at the free school.

    In relation to demand, all applicants must demonstrate that the proposed school will be popular and fill to capacity. To do this, applicants must provide evidence that they have effectively marketed the school to a cross-section of the local community and parents.

    The department publishes guidance for applicants on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/opening-a-free-school

    “

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the press release entitled Nicky Morgan unveils new vision for the education system, published on 17 March 2016, whether religious education will continue to be a statutory subject in state schools in England.

    Nick Gibb

    Religious education (RE) remains compulsory for all state funded schools, including academies and free schools, at all key stages. The Government firmly believes in the importance of RE. High quality RE can develop children’s knowledge of the values and traditions of Britain and other countries, and foster understanding among different faiths and cultures.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to introduce guidance to link the salaries of CEO’s of multi-academy trusts to the performance of schools within that trust.

    Edward Timpson

    As our White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, sets out, we will publish some ‘design principles’ outlining how successful multi-academy trusts (MATs) have been established and grown, as well as the basis on which Regional Schools Commissioners will approve new MATs. The White Paper also sets out our intention to launch new accountability measures for MATs and publish new performance tables to show how well MATs are leading their schools, in addition to individual school-level inspection results and performance data.

    Academy trusts are free to run their organisations as they see fit to improve educational outcomes. Securing good leadership is central to this and it is for academy trusts to decide how to employ and reward staff. Academy trusts operate under a robust accountability system which holds them to account for the results they achieve and their use of resources. This includes a requirement to publish audited accounts each year with details of the salaries of school leaders, allowing the wider public the chance to hold academy trusts to account to help ensure that funds are spent on improving pupil outcomes.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the (a) scientific and (b) economic basis was for her Department’s proposal to move the cement industry into a 75 per cent tier of free allocation in the EU Emissions Trading System; and what account her Department took in developing that proposal of the difficulty of abating process emissions.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government supports reform to strengthen the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) whilst providing continued support for the competitiveness of British businesses as they decarbonise. Sectors at greatest risk of carbon leakage have high carbon costs and are highly exposed to international trade. The proposed tiering scenarios, which are indicative and do not represent a confirmed Government position, are intended to demonstrate how support could be differentiated between sectors at different levels of risk. We recognise the barriers to decarbonisation in the cement sector due to its high proportion of emissions from chemical processes. We will continue to work with the UK cement industry to ensure that its circumstances are reflected in Phase IV of EU ETS.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what consideration her Department has given to the exclusion of irreducible process emissions in applying the reduction under the EU Emissions Trading System.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government supports the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) as a market-based approach to achieve least-cost decarbonisation and maintain a level playing field across the EU. The total cap on greenhouse gas emissions in the EU ETS does not discriminate between different sources of emissions. However, the Government recognises the large proportion of process emissions within some industrial sectors, such as cement. We have engaged with the cement and other sector bodies to understand the enablers and barriers to deep decarbonisation, including through the joint industry-Government decarbonisation roadmaps. The Government supports the proposal that the EU ETS, in future will provide funding for innovation and demonstration projects to overcome technological barriers to long-term emission reduction by industry.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what account she took of her Department’s Industrial Decarbonisation Roadmap for the cement industry in bringing forward proposals with France for tiering under the next phase of the EU Emissions Trading System.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government supports the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) as a market-based approach to achieve least-cost decarbonisation and maintain a level playing field across the EU. A tiered approach to free allocation of EU ETS allowances targets the available allowances to the sectors that need them most and provides greater certainty for sectors about their allocation, reducing risk and boosting investor confidence. In determining the impact of different tiered scenarios, the Government took account of the decarbonisation roadmap, which considered the wider policy context and technological barriers to decarbonisation and innovation. The proposed tiering scenarios are indicative and do not represent a confirmed Government position.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions she has had with her counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive on applying lessons learned from statistics on low energy bill debts.

    Andrea Leadsom

    DECC officials have meetings with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive on a regular basis to discuss market issues.

    I welcome the use of smart technology, such as the introduction of keypad electricity prepayment meters in North Ireland, to help consumers manage their bills and reduce energy debt. The rollout of smart meters across Great Britain has the potential to transform customers’ experience in a similar way.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of officials of her Department resigned in each of the last six years.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The number of leavers in each financial year from 2011/12 is show in the following table. Leavers data for the full year 2010/11 is not available as data prior to 1 November 2010 is not held on the current HR database.

    All figures include Core DECC and the Oil and Gas Authority Agency. Headcount figures include Permanent staff, Fixed Term and Short Term appointments.

    Year

    No of Leavers

    % of Headcount

    2011/12

    42

    3%

    2012/13

    41

    3%

    2013/14

    63

    4%

    2014/15

    90

    5%

    2015/16

    57

    3.3%
  • Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions she has had with the Department for Transport on the proposal to the International Maritime Organisation to develop a work plan to define the shipping industry’s fair share in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions ahead of the meeting on 18 to 22 April 2016.

    Andrea Leadsom

    All countries agreed in Paris in December to limit global temperature increases to well below 2°C, and to pursue efforts towards 1.5°C. Action on international shipping will be an important part of this. The international nature of shipping emissions means that the best place to reach a credible solution is at the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

    Negotiations on how the global shipping sector can contribute to Paris goals are at an early stage. The Department for Transport leads on these negotiations for the UK. The Department of Energy and Climate Change will continue to support the Department for Transport on this issue.