Category: Speeches

James Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Davies on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to encourage BT to improve (a) the information it provides online about broadband roll-out, (b) the accuracy of its communications to residents about when cabinets will come on stream and (c) information about support residents can access in the event of delays in roll-out.

Mr Edward Vaizey

On 25 February Ofcom published their initial conclusions for the Strategic Review of Digital Communications including a range of measures to improve the quality of service delivered by the whole of the telecoms industry, including Openreach, BT’s access network division.

Ofcom will work with industry to improve providers’ coordination and communication to benefit consumers, including detailed information about engineer visits for installation and fault repairs. Ofcom also plans to introduce tougher minimum standards of customer service for Openreach with rigorous enforcement and fines for underperformance. In addition, the regulator plans to publish annual performance data on all operators and will look to introduce automatic compensation for consumers and small businesses when service levels fall below minimum standards.

BT recently launched a new website providing more detailed and accurate information to the public on broadband service in any given area – http://www.superfast-openreach.co.uk/where-and-when/

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01/01/2023
Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) female and (b) other students are encouraged to take modules in entrepreneurship and business mentoring.

Mr Sam Gyimah

The government is committed to improving the extent and quality of the careers guidance and inspiration that all young people receive. This should begin with activities to enable children in primary school to explore the world of work. Primary Futures is an example of an initiative that helps primary age children to see a clear link and purpose between their learning and their futures.

The Department for Education has funded The Careers & Enterprise Company to take a lead role in transforming the provision of careers, enterprise and employer engagement experiences for young people aged 12 to 18 in England. This work includes ensuring that all students have access to high quality careers and enterprise provision, including interactions with employers. The Company helps employers, schools and colleges and other organisations to navigate their way through the existing landscape and find appropriate careers and enterprise organisations to partner with. An example of a successful initiative is the three-year industry-led Your Life campaign, which was launched by the Government in 2014. This aims to inspire young people, particularly girls, to study A level maths and physics as a gateway to an exciting and wide-ranging career.

Entrepreneurship education is an important component of high quality careers provision. The careers statutory guidance requires schools in England to offer pupils the opportunity to develop entrepreneurial skills and have access to advice on options available post-16 including entrepreneurship.

We are giving more young people access to a mentor to help raise aspirations, improve focus and attainment and help prepare them for the next stage in their lives. The Prime Minister announced on 14 March 2016 that the government will commit £12 million over this parliament for an investment fund to build capacity in the system to recruit and train a new generation of high-quality mentors, focussing on teenagers most at risk of under-achieving or dropping out of education. This will be supported by a national advertising campaign.

01/01/2023
Vernon Coaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2016-04-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland on the Government’s proposals to reform the UK human rights framework and its potential effects on policing in Northern Ireland.

Dominic Raab

We continue to engage with the devolved administrations to deliver a modernised and reformed human rights framework for the whole of the United Kingdom. We are committed to consulting fully on our proposals prior to the introduction of any legislation and will announce further details in due course.

01/01/2023
Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on the number of drop-in sexual health clinics in (a) Liverpool, Wavetree constituency, (b) Merseyside and (c) England operational in each year since 2010.

Jane Ellison

The Department does not collect this information. Since April 2013, local authorities have been responsible for commissioning most sexual health interventions and services as part of their wider public health responsibilities, including open access sexually transmitted infection services and contraception services for everyone present in their area.

01/01/2023
Peter Aldous – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Aldous on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with supported housing providers on future funding for that sector; and when the Government plans to announce the outcome of its review on the funding of that sector.

Gavin Barwell

My Department has had extensive discussions over the last few months with commissioners, providers and representatives of supported housing tenants.

The Government will make an announcement in the autumn setting out its plans for the future funding arrangements for the supported housing sector.

It will also set out our plans for working with the sector and other key stakeholders to ensure the safe transition to the new model.

01/01/2023

Heidi Alexander – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Alexander on 2016-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will provide a list stating the value of each grant that has been awarded by her Department to each academy sponsor matched to a school with an Academy Order; and what the average value is of those grants that have been made under the provisions of the Education and Adoption Act 2016.

Edward Timpson

As of 24 October 2016, there have been 33 grant payments made as a result of an Academy Order being issued under the provisions of the Education and Adoption Act 2016. They consist of the following:

Grants Paid	Total
1 part payment of grant of £45,000	£45,000
22 grants of £70,000	£1,540,000
2 grants of £80,000	£160,000
7 grants of £90,000	£630,000
1 grant of £110,000	£110,000
Grand Total	£2,485,000

This brings an average cost of £75,303 supporting these sponsored academies. The details of the grant amounts can be found on page 4 of the Sponsored academies funding Advice for sponsors document. This guidance is published online and can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/511128/sponsored_academies_funding_advice_for_sponsors.pdf

This does not include any award of sponsor capacity fund (SCF) which may previously have been made to relevant sponsors as part of their developing greater capacity to support schools.

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01/01/2023

Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-11-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government which organisations have received monies from the £1.12 billion that the UK has allocated to responding to the Syrian crisis since 2012, according to their 29 October Syria crisis response summary, and in what proportion.

Baroness Verma

As part of the Syria Crisis Response the UK is supporting a range of implementing partners working in Syria and neighbouring countries, including United Nations agencies, international Non-Governmental Organisations, the Red Cross and other international organisations. For security reasons, some of our INGO partners working in Syria remain undisclosed. The table attached provides details of the £1.12 billion allocated by the UK to date, broken down by implementing partner and country.

01/01/2023

Ian Mearns – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Mearns on 2015-12-03.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what total (a) gross and (b) net revenue has been collected by HM Revenue and Customs from companies in the tonnage tax scheme since 2000-01.

Mr David Gauke

The table below shows estimated tax liabilities due to tonnage tax for each year from 2000-01 to 2013-14 (the latest year for which data are currently available):

Tax	Tax Liabilities
Year	£m Rounded
2000-01	1.4
2001-02	2.3
2002-03	2.9
2003-04	3.1
2004-05	3.4
2005-06	3.9
2006-07	4.3
2007-08	4.3
2008-09	4.4
2009-10	4.6
2010-11	4.6
2011-12	4.4
2012-13	4.2
2013-14	3.6

Notes: 1. The latest data for 2013/14 are provisional and may be subject to change.

01/01/2023

Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has an official statement of the UK’s relationship with Bahrain and the Bahraini government.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We have a long and shared history with Bahrain. Our relationship with Bahrain is important for our respective security and prosperity. We will continue to work with Bahrain to support their reform agenda. Bahrain has made progress but we are clear more needs to be done.

01/01/2023
Lord Addington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Addington on 2016-02-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government where the criteria for standards in initial teacher training can be found, and whether there are any specific legislative instruments enforcing those criteria.

Lord Nash

The Teachers’ Standards were published in 2011 and apply to all teachers. They define the minimum level of practice expected of teachers. The document can be found on the GOV.UK website, and has been attached to this answer.

The standards refer to:
- Schedule 2 of The Education (School Teachers’ Qualifications) (England) Regulations 2003
- The Education (School Teachers’ Appraisal) (England) Regulations 2012
As such, the Teachers’ Standards apply to:
- Trainees working towards Qualified Teacher Status;
- All teachers completing their statutory induction period (newly qualified teachers [NQTs]); and
- Teachers in maintained schools, including maintained special schools, who are covered by the 2012 appraisal regulations.
The National College for Teaching and Leadership will use Part Two of the Teachers’ Standards, which relates to personal and professional conduct, when assessing cases of serious misconduct, regardless of the education sector in which the teacher works.
01/01/2023