Category: Speeches

John Pugh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many fines for their child’s non-attendance at school have been levied on parents in England in each year since 2005.

Nick Gibb

The number of penalty notices issued to parents for offences relating to Section 444(1) of the Education Act 1996 in each academic year since 2004/05 is set out online here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/parental-responsibility-measures-academic-year-2012-to-2013.

The most recent data published by the Department for Education is for the academic year 2012/13. The department does not collect data regarding fines issued by the courts on this matter.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on criminal justice system outcomes by offence in England and Wales. This information can be viewed at the following link under the offence category “112A Education Acts”:

www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2014

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01/01/2023
Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-11-23.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Answer by Baroness Altmann on 19 November (HL Deb, col 265) promising to look at the gender pay gap for older women, whether they will also look into the gender pay gap between men and women under 35 years of age.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

We are pleased with the progress made towards eliminating the gender pay gap women working full time under the age of 40, but we are not complacent. To encourage young women to consider a wide range of career options, we have revised statutory guidance for schools on careers to raise aspirations; established a new Careers and Enterprise Company to encourage greater collaboration between employers and schools to inspire young people; supported the ‘Your Life’ campaign to encourage more young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM); and published the ‘Your Daughter’s Future’ guidance for parents.

01/01/2023

John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2016-01-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the costs and benefits of ending the paper vehicle tax disc.

Andrew Jones

The changes to the administration of vehicle excise duty are expected to save the public purse £13.8m per year. These savings are made up of the elements shown in the table below:

No longer having to print or store tax discs.	£1.3m pa
No longer having to post tax discs to customers.	£7.9m pa
No longer having to process applications for vehicle excise duty refunds (which are now paid automatically without the need for an application) or handle enquiries about lost or missing tax discs.	£1.2m pa
Reduction in Post Office Ltd costs as they no longer issue paper tax discs, but offer an assisted digital service instead.	£3.4m pa

Business will also save an estimated £8.6m per year from the changes. The savings arise from leasing companies no longer having to post tax discs to customers or businesses having to apply for refunds of vehicle excise duty and paying to replace lost or stolen tax discs.

There are also one-off costs of £5.7m made up of the elements shown in the table below:

DVLA IT and systems changes/updates,	£4m
Familiarisation costs to the General Public and Business in understanding the changes	£1.7m

01/01/2023

Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of available gas reserves that need to be left in the ground to ensure that global warming is kept to within two degrees.

Andrea Leadsom

The Department has not made its own estimates of the proportion of fossil fuel reserves that are unburnable under a scenario that limits warming to 2°C. However, others have made estimates such as the International Energy Agency who have suggested that around a third of current proven global fossil fuel reserves could be burned under a 2°C scenario before 2050. Different fossil fuels emit varying amounts of CO₂ per unit of energy released on combustion, so calculating the proportion of proven global gas reserves within this global fossil fuel mix depends on the quantities of other fossil fuels combusted.

This Government remains committed to the Climate Change Act and to meeting our climate change target of an 80% emissions reduction by 2050 on 1990 levels. This will mean reducing the amount of fossil fuels we use – through improved energy efficiency and increased supplies of low carbon energy – as well as reducing other sources of emissions. As part of our efforts to reduce emissions I have already announced that the Government will consult on proposals to end coal power generation by 2025 and restrict its use from 2023.

01/01/2023

Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects each of the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigates to be withdrawn from service.

Mr Philip Dunne

Current planning assumptions are:

Ship	Out of Service Date
HMS Argyll	2023
HMS Lancaster	2024
HMS Iron Duke	2025
HMS Monmouth	2026
HMS Montrose	2027
HMS Westminster	2028
HMS Northumberland	2029
HMS Richmond	2030
HMS Somerset	2031
HMS Sutherland	2032
HMS Kent	2033
HMS Portland	2034
HMS St Albans	2035

01/01/2023

Baroness Morgan of Huyton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Morgan of Huyton on 2016-03-21.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government which university technical colleges are operating in the 2015–16 academic year; and how many students in years 10, 11, 12, and 13 were (1) enrolled in each institution at the date of the October 2015 census, and (2) included in the budget forecast return submitted by each college to the EFA in June 2015.

Lord Nash

There are 39 University Technical Colleges (UTCs) open in this academic year, 2015/16.

The Department for Education does not hold the information requested as budget forecast returns submitted to the Education Funding Agency do not include student numbers on roll. However, each October, the Department publishes the number of pre-16 pupils funded in UTCs which were open as of the start of that financial year. This data is attached and can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/466234/Annex_A_-_Schools_block_Allocations_data_file_2015-16.xlsx

Data for UTCs which opened after the start of the 2015-16 financial year is due to be published in October 2016.

The number of post-16 pupils funded in each UTC for the academic year 2015/16 is attached and also available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/468295/YP_FASS_Published_Allocation_Dataset_2015_to_2016-1.xlsx

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01/01/2023
Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-04-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in Shropshire have been converted into academies.

Edward Timpson

Twenty-five schools in Shropshire have been converted into academies. This information is publically available on GOV.UK at: http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/index.html

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01/01/2023
Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tommy Sheppard on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to recommendation 8 of the report of the Foreign Affairs Committee, The UK’s role in the war against ISIL following the cessation of hostilities in Syria in February 2016, published on 24 March 2016, what representations he has made to his Turkish counterpart on seeking a negotiated, peaceful and democratic solution to the conflict in predominantly Kurdish areas of Turkey.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The ongoing violence in the predominantly Kurdish areas of south-east Turkey is extremely concerning. We believe Turkey has a legitimate right to defend itself against the PKK, whose attacks we condemn as we condemn all terrorism. Our thoughts are with the victims of these attacks, and the civilians who have been caught up in the violence. As in any conflict, civilian casualties should be avoided and human rights need to be fully protected. PKK violence must end and the peace process be resumed. We stand ready to help in any way we can. The Foreign Secretary and Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Turkey have emphasised to the Turkish government the need to respect human rights, avoid civilian casualties and return to the peace process.

01/01/2023
Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-07-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it is the Government’s policy that the airport that is awarded an extra runway must meet the costs of any surface access works required by that expansion.

Mr John Hayes

The government has been clear that we expect the promoter of any airport expansion scheme to meet the full cost of any surface access schemes that are required as a direct result of airport expansion and from which they will directly benefit.

01/01/2023
Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-10-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) financial and (b) childcare support is offered to young women who work as apprentices in the (i) engineering, (ii) manufacturing, (iii) hospitality, (iv) IT, (v) transport and (vi) science sectors.

Robert Halfon

An apprenticeship is a paid job. As an apprentice, an individual can acquire skills much-valued in the labour market without having to contribute to the costs of their learning. The benefits system treats an apprentice in the same way as any other employee regardless of the sector they are working in. As an employee aged 18 or over, an apprentice may be entitled to the usual in-work benefits, such as Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credits.

If an apprentice has children, or is aged 16 or over and does paid work of at least 16 hours a week, they could qualify for tax credits, unless they are already earning £25,000 or more per year. Further information can be found on the tax credit section of the HMRC website.

The Apprentice National Minimum Wage applies equally to all apprentices regardless of gender. Most apprentices receive more than the apprentice minimum rate of £3.40 per hour. The latest Apprenticeship Pay Survey (2014) estimates that the median hourly pay for Level 2 and Level 3 female apprentices across Great Britain is £6.36. For males it was £6.19. Differences in pay may be related to the proportion of males and females in higher and lower paid apprenticeship occupations.

01/01/2023