The below Parliamentary question was asked by Flick Drummond on 2016-05-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects the invitation to tender to be issued for the franchise currently held by South West trains.
Claire Perry
The Department is finalising the specification for the South Western franchise so that it offers the best possible proposition for passengers. I expect to issue the Invitation to Tender later this month.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Crawley on 2016-06-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of (a) rape and (b) sexual abuse have been reported in detention centres in each of the last three years.
James Brokenshire
All complaints made by detainees are investigated by the relevant supplier in accordance with Detention Services Order 03/2015 ‘Handling complaints’. Any allegations of serious misconduct made by a detainee against staff are also referred to the Home Office Professional Standards Unit (PSU) for investigation. Where a detainee, or someone on behalf of a detainee, alleges that a member of staff has committed a sexual offence against them the police will automatically be notified, even if the detainee does not wish the matter to be reported or to make a formal complaint.
Management information shows that there have been six allegations of sexual assault made by detainees against staff at Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre between 2013 and 2015. Of these six allegations, one was made in 2013, three in 2014 and two in 2015.
In the same period there have been two Home Office PSU investigations into allegations of sexual assault made by detainees against staff in other immigration removal centres. Both allegations were made in 2015. There have been no allegations of rape made by a detainee against staff at any immigration removal centre during this period.
This is provisional management information that is subject to change. It has not been assured to the standard of Official Statistics.
Information on the number of women who have been deported following an allegation of sexual abuse or rape while in detention is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-09-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many fixed-wing jet trainees are projected to graduate from the Ascent Flight Training programme between 2016 and 2019; and when the programme is due to be fully up and running.
Earl Howe
It is anticipated that 118 fixed wing jet trainees will graduate from the Ascent Flight Training programme between 2016 and 2019. All elements of the recently contracted UK Military Flying Training System are due to be fully up and running by April 2019.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-10-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has for the number of full-time equivalent staff to be in the benefit cap processing team when the lower benefit cap is implemented; and what estimate he has made of the cost of those staff to the public purse.
Caroline Nokes
The implementation funding for additional benefit cap processing is circa £1.4m to provide an additional 44 FTE staff in steady state for Universal Credit and current benefit claimants.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2015 to Question 14454, what (a) funding and (b) other support the Government has offered UNHCR to identify people for resettlement to date.
Richard Harrington
We recognise that the scaling up of the Vulnerable Persons Relocation scheme is placing additional demands on UNHCR and have offered them additional support in the form of funding, equipment and seconded personnel, to help with upscaling their resettlement operations. We are currently finalising a support package and will publish details of this once agreed.
This assistance is in addition to £122 million we have already allocated to UNHCR’s work in Syria and the region since the start of the crisis.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-12-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people applied for British passports through the passport section of the British embassy in Dublin in the last 12 months.
James Brokenshire
Her Majesty’s Passport Office Belfast commenced the repatriation of application processing for customers residing in the Republic of Ireland on 20th January 2014 and the decommissioning of passport processing at the British Embassy in Dublin was completed by 31st March 2014. Therefore, no applications for British passports will have been dealt with or issued by the British Embassy Dublin after 31 March 2014.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-01-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of what the primary sources of finance for Daesh are; and what steps the Government is taking to disrupt those sources.
Mr Philip Hammond
Daesh has two main sources of funding. About 40% comes from extorting communities living in territory it controls; and around 40% from selling oil. It also gets a small amount of funding from selling looted antiquities and donations from individuals in the region and around the world.
Tackling Daesh financing is a key element of our comprehensive strategy. This involves military action, enforcement of sanctions and engagement with international partners.
The RAF carried out 15% of the airstrikes in the Global Coalition’s recent offensive targeting Daesh oil facilities. Since this offensive began, the Coalition has destroyed 25% of the Daesh daily oil production capability, which equates to approximately 10% of their total income.
The UK has led efforts to create and enforce an international legal regime to cut off support for Daesh, including UN and EU sanctions against Daesh. This regime is underpinned by UN Security Council Resolutions 2178, 2199, 1267 and 2253. We are expanding existing work with regional partners to ensure implementation of these sanctions and hamper Daesh’s ability to trade outside the formal financial system, and to stop smuggling.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2016-02-05.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total value is of the bills government departments have paid to private businesses more than 60 days after the date the invoice was received since 2010-11.
Matthew Hancock
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to her on 5 February 2016 to UIN: 25347.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2016-03-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that local authorities have the (a) financial and (b) other capacity to deliver free childcare to those people who are most deprived.
Mr Sam Gyimah
Since September 2014 around 40% of disadvantaged two-year-olds have been entitled to an early education place. In 2012 the Government contracted ‘Achieving 2-year-olds’ to support local authorities in expanding the two-year-old entitlement. This support is working, and data from the latest voluntary survey of local authorities shows that an estimated 182,000 children were funded during the seven week period in the autumn of 2015, as take-up of the entitlement has increased to 72% of eligible children. This is building on local authorities’ successful delivery of 15 hours of early education per week to all three- and four-year olds, with 99% of four-year-olds and 94% of three-year-olds taking up a place.
The Government is investing in childcare at record levels, and total Government spend on childcare will increase from £5 billion in 2015-16 to over £6 billion by 2019-20. This includes almost £4 billion for the current free entitlement for three- and four-year-olds, disadvantaged two-year-olds and the early years pupil premium for three- and four-year-olds, as well as funding for the extended entitlement for working parents of three- and four-year-olds. The funding also includes £300 million for a significant uplift to the rate paid for the two, three and four-year-old entitlements, including for children from deprived backgrounds.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett on 2016-03-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the importance of strategic local approaches to play, and what plans they have to require authorities to submit regional play strategies to the Department for Education.
Lord Nash
I refer the noble Baroness to the answer given on 8 March to PQ 29737, 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: “Each area of learning and development must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity.”
The staff working in early years settings as Early Years Educators (level 3) and Early Years Teachers (graduates) are required to have an understanding 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.
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.
Local Authorities provide and offer Continuous Professional Development and training to early years settings; some of which may include training on play. However, it is not a requirement for local authorities to deliver regional play training as it is already a requirement in the Early Years Foundation Stage to cover play in a setting.