The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to support successful multi-academy trusts in collaborating and sharing best practices with other such trusts.
Edward Timpson
The Department supports successful Multi-Academy Trusts in collaborating with other such trusts and I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided for question 42232 on 13 July 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Carmichael on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the funding provided by the Government to the BBC or to bodies co-funded by the BBC for Gaelic language television programming was in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16; and what her Department’s forecast is for the future level of such funding.
Matt Hancock
There is a successful partnership between the BBC and MG Alba for the funding and delivery of Gaelic language broadcasting through the BBC Alba television channel. Decisions about the levels of licence fee funding and number of hours for individual nation’s services are editorial matters for the BBC.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-11-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.
Karen Bradley
The previous Government signed the Istanbul Convention in June 2012 and this Government remains committed to its ratification.
The UK already complies with the vast majority of the articles through our comprehensive work to protect women and girls from violence, including criminalising forced marriage as required by the Convention.
However, primary legislation will be required to comply with the extra-territorial jurisdiction provisions in Article 44 of the Convention before ratification. The Government is liaising with the devolved administrations about ratification, including any further legislative steps necessary.
The Government takes its international commitments very seriously and will only commit to such ratification when we are absolutely satisfied that we comply with all articles. We will continue to lead efforts to tackle violence against women and girls, end Female Genital Mutilation and combat early and forced marriage, both at home and abroad.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2015-11-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2015 to Question 13838, how many schools with whom her Department is discussing its STEM international recruitment programme have expressed an interest in recruiting teachers through that programme.
Nick Gibb
The Department for Education discusses international recruitment with a number of schools and does not keep a list of the schools with which such discussions take place.
The department does not monitor individual schools’ recruitment activities. This is a matter for schools.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department has assessed or commissioned on potential links between male infertility and diabetes or heart disease.
George Freeman
The Department has not commissioned nor assessed specific research on this topic.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-01-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much vehicle owners have been fined for failing to pay for their vehicle tax since October 2014.
Andrew Jones
The table below shows the amount of revenue collected in fines and penalties for failure to pay vehicle excise duty since October 2014:
|
1 October 2014 – 31 March 2015 |
|
|
Late Licensing Penalties |
£3.9m |
|
Out of Court Settlements |
£4.6m |
|
Wheelclamping fees |
£3.6m |
The figures for 1 April 2015 to 31 December 2015 are interim figures and have not yet been audited so are not shown.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an assessment of the variation in the number of teaching hours provided to and fees paid by university students.
Joseph Johnson
No such assessment currently exists. However, in our Green Paper: “Fulfilling our potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice,” we proposed that the new Teaching Excellence Framework could consider information about levels of teaching intensity and contact hours. We will be setting out our response to the Green Paper in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-03-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of representations that NHS England should conduct a national autism mortality review.
Alistair Burt
The National Health Service is taking action to increase the health checks and cancer screening programmes for people with learning disabilities, including those who also have autism. In 2015, NHS England commissioned the world’s first Learning Disability Mortality Review Programme to support local areas to review deaths of people with learning disabilities and to use the information to improve service provision so that physical and mental health problems can be identified and addressed. This programme is currently being piloted and will be rolled out more widely in due course.
We would expect that the work of the mortality review as a whole is likely to generate new information on the causes of premature mortality in all people with learning disabilities including many who will also have had autism spectrum disorder.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2016-04-19.
To ask the Leader of the House, what progress has been made on plans for the complete renovation of the Palace of Westminster; and if he will make a statement.
Chris Grayling
The Joint Committee on the Palace of Westminster, co-chaired by the Leader of the House of Commons and the Leader of the House of Lords, was established on 16 and 20 July 2015 to examine the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster. The Committee is considering evidence from a wide range of experts, Parliamentarians and stakeholders and will report in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-05-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the health and safety requirements for operators of rickshaws.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
In England and Wales, excluding London, rickshaws (in the form of pedal-powered vehicles for carrying passengers, often also referred to as pedicabs) are regulated as taxis. They are therefore required to meet a local licensing authority’s taxi licensing conditions and any applicable byelaws. Under the different legislation that applies to London, they fall outside the scope of taxi regulation. The police have some limited powers to address inappropriate behaviour such as obstructing footways or driving in a reckless manner. The Government has recently announced its intention to introduce legislation to enable Transport for London to regulate pedicabs in London.