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  • Lady Hermon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lady Hermon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many veterans are in receipt of war disablement pension; and what steps his Department takes to notify recipients of changes in the level of that pension.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    As at 31 March 2015, there were 116,049 disablement pensioners in receipt of a War Pension administered by Veterans UK. Whenever there is a change in an individual’s rate of war pension, Veterans UK will write to inform them. For 2016, Veterans UK elected not to issue an annual uprating letter to individuals as there was no change to payment levels. Instead, an alternative communication plan was put in place utilising automated messages on the Veterans UK helpline, letters to Third sector organisations for publication, and articles in Veterans World magazine, the Armed Forces pension newsletter, social media and on the gov.uk website.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2016 to Question 34910, how many Guided Learning Hours are required for recruits to complete a (a) GCSE and (b) Level 2 in numeracy or literacy.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Ministry of Defence has no established policy relating to time allowed to deliver GCSEs and Level 2 functional skills. Armed Forces Training Establishments follow the Guided Learning Hours (GLH) guidance provided by Education Awarding Bodies. The GLH as identified by the course governing body are used as a starting point when teaching functional skills. Our aim is to provide our trainees with a framework to achieve the qualification with the best possible support, not to achieve it within a certain period of time.

    The Royal Navy normally allocate three weeks for guided learning functional skills courses delivered as part of longer professional skills development training. The GLH for each qualification in the Army is 45 hours; however this can vary depending on individual needs and other factors such as location. Time allocated to functional skills training in the RAF will depend on the establishment delivering the training with some schools allocating between 45 and 64 hours.

    GCSEs are treated as elective courses for Service Personnel and time allocated for GCSEs is dependent on the individual and varies between four weeks for an intensive course and up to 16 weeks for a part time course. Army Personnel can undertake GCSEs or IGCSEs through evening classes run by the Army Education Centres and there will be a set programme linked to the GLH which is usually a minimum of 125 hours. The RAF and Navy offer courses which can be intensive or delivered over an extended period of time delivered by external providers.

    All Armed Forces Training Establishments have the ability to deliver functional skills training and GCSEs flexibly and time allocated is dependent on the individual and their needs as reflected in each individual’s learning plan.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2016 to Question 34910, what the completion rate is for recruits who start on an apprenticeship.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is able to provide the following information on completion rates for Level 2 and Level 3 Apprenticeships in the Armed Forces by Academic Year for 2011-12 and 2012-13. For information on completion rates for apprenticeships in 2013-14 and 2014-15, I will write to the hon. Member shortly.

    Level 2 Apprenticeships – 1 August 2011- 31 July 2012

    Level 2 Apprenticeships – 1 August 2012- 31 July 2013

    Level 3 Apprenticeships – 1 August 2011- 31 July 2012

    Level 3 Apprenticeships – 1 August 2012- 31 July 2013

    Army

    4,507

    3,116

    1,682

    1,763

    Royal Navy

    2,182

    2,006

    339

    334

    Royal Air Force

    764

    693

    665

    618

    Total

    7,864*

    5,891*

    3,134*

    2,893*

    *total numbers include apprenticeships completed by Service personnel and MOD civilian staff.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what guidance there is for briefing relatives following Boards of Inquiry which take place when there has been an in-service death; and if he will make a statement.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Boards of Inquiry were replaced in 2008 by Service Inquiries. The policy on Service Inquiries, which includes support to families, is laid out in Ministry of Defence Joint Service Publication (JSP) 832, Guide to Service Inquiries.

    Further, JSP 751, Joint Casualty and Compassionate Policy and Procedures, provides the framework and direction on casualty management, from which the single Services develop and deliver their support for bereaved families. No distinction is made between operational and non-operational deaths.

    Although JSPs 832 and 751 lay out the overarching policy and processes, the single Services may involve different organisations in supporting bereaved families according to individual need and local circumstances.

    In the case of a Defence Safety Authority Service Inquiry, next of kin are offered a personal brief from the Inquiry President on the findings before they are published.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to tackle political instability in east Africa.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Ministry of Defence does not directly tackle political instability. As part of the United Kingdom’s policy of countering shared threats in the region, supporting democratic and accountable governments, and promoting sustainable development, the Department works with other parts of Her Majesty’s Government in assisting the countries of East Africa, as well as the United Nations and the African Union, to maintain security and to conduct peace support operations.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding was allocated to schools for supporting children with learning difficulties in (a) Mid Sussex constituency and (b) West Sussex in each of the last three years.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Funding for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) is allocated to local authorities through the dedicated schools grant, which includes both funding to be delegated to mainstream schools, and funding for the additional costs associated with educating children and young people with high needs.

    Schools are funded through a formula set by their local authority, and local authorities are required to delegate funds to a level that enables schools to meet the additional cost of pupils with SEN up to £6,000 per annum. It is for individual schools to decide how they allocate their overall budget to ensure they meet the specific needs of children with learning difficulties.

    For those pupils whose additional support costs more than £6,000 the local authority pays top-up funding to the schools from their high needs budget. Top-up funding rates are for local authorities to agree with their schools.

    West Sussex County Council’s high needs allocation, within the dedicated schools grant, in each of the last three years was as follows:

    • 2013-14 – £67.69m

    • 2014-15 – £70.53m

    • 2015-16 – £71.64m

    We do not hold information on the total funding allocated by West Sussex County Council for supporting children with learning difficulties to schools in the Mid Sussex constituency or in the West Sussex county area.

  • Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of selection related to religious beliefs in school admissions on the integration of pupils from different socio-economic, ethnic and religious or non-religious backgrounds in schools; and what steps she is taking to improve such integration.

    Nick Gibb

    It is for the admission authority of each school to set their own admission arrangements, according to their local circumstances. Admission authorities for all state-funded schools, including schools with a religious designation, must ensure their admission arrangements comply with the mandatory provisions of the School Admissions Code and other admissions law.

    The Code requires that all admissions arrangements must be fair, comply with equalities legislation, and not disadvantage unfairly a child from a particular social or racial group or a child with a disability or special educational needs. If an objection is made to the Schools Adjudicator, and the arrangements are found to be unfair or fail to comply with the Code, the admission authority must make changes to ensure their arrangements are compliant without undue delay.

    The Equality Act requires public bodies, including maintained schools and academies, to have due regard to the need to foster good relations across all protected characteristics. All schools are legally required to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of their pupils and their effectiveness in this is assessed through inspection. In assessing schools’ effectiveness, inspectors take account of the extent to which pupils have an understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures within school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain.

    The School Admissions Code is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-code–2

    “

  • Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what processes her Department has in place to ensure that determinations issued by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator are acted on by schools.

    Nick Gibb

    Where the Schools Adjudicator determines that a school’s admission arrangements do not comply with the School Admissions Code, the admission authority has a statutory duty to revise its admission arrangements to give effect to the Adjudicator’s decision within two months of the decision or by 28 February following the decision, whichever is sooner, unless an alternative timescale is specified by the Adjudicator.

    An Adjudicator’s decision is binding and enforceable by the Secretary of State.

  • Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the levels of awareness among parents of the (a) School Admissions Code and (b) ability to object to a school’s admission arrangement through the Office of the Schools Adjudicator; and what steps she plans to take to increase that awareness.

    Nick Gibb

    The School Admissions Code imposes requirements on local authorities and school admission authorities. Local authorities are responsible for providing parents with the information they require about the admissions process. It is available at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-code–2

    Information about how to object to the Schools Adjudicator is available here: www.gov.uk/guidance/schools-adjudicator-make-an-objection-appeal-or-referral#objections-to-and-referrals-about-determined-school-admission-arrangements

    “

  • Nick Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nick Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Smith on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of dairy products procured for her Department was sourced from British producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

    Nick Gibb

    As of March 2016, the Department for Education sources approximately 90% of its dairy products from British producers.