UKPOL.CO.UK

Category: Speeches

  • Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to extend the classification criteria of brownfield sites for housebuilding.

    Brandon Lewis

    Brownfield land is defined as previously developed land in the National Planning Policy Framework. We are consulting on whether it would be beneficial to strengthen national policy on the development of brownfield land for housing. The consultation closes on 22 February.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department has allocated to the Future Teaching Scholars programme for the 2016-17 cohort.

    Nick Gibb

    Funding for the Future Teaching Scholars programme is allocated by financial year rather than by cohort. £1.3m has been allocated for financial year 2016-17. This covers the £15,000 financial incentive to Scholars, continued marketing expenditure, and all programme delivery costs.

  • Baroness Lister of Burtersett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Lister of Burtersett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    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.

  • Bernard Jenkin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Bernard Jenkin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bernard Jenkin on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of all activity related to promoting the Government’s policy of remaining in the EU, including staff costs and the writing and publishing of documents and web pages by the date of the EU referendum.

    John Penrose

    The Government published details of the cost of the production, distribution and publication of its EU Referendum leaflet and associated website on 6th April 2016. The Government continues to take forward its policy on the full range of European business, including the Referendum, as part of the normal work of Departments. Departments will account for expenditure in the normal way, through Annual Report and Accounts.

  • Baroness Manzoor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Manzoor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Manzoor on 2016-06-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many civil servants involved in the delivery of Universal Credit have left the Department for Works and Pensions in each of the last five years; how large is the team working on Universal Credit delivery; and how many people involved in the delivery team when it was originally created remain within the department.

    Lord Freud

    Universal Credit rollout started in April 2013. At the same time the Universal Credit Directorate was established within Operations, to deliver Universal Credit with 80 paid employees.

    AT 31st March 2016, the Universal Credit Directorate consisted of 4,295 paid employees.

    The numbers of Universal Credit Directorate employees who have left DWP since April 2013 are as follows:

    Leaving Period

    Number of Employees who left DWP

    April 2013 to March 2014

    5

    April 2014 to March 2015

    46

    April 2015 to March 2016

    357

    Of the original 80 employees who were part of Universal Credit Directorate in April 2013, 67 are still employed by DWP.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-09-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to respond to the concluding observations and recommendations of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on the UK’s sixth periodic report in relation to fiscal policy, corporate tax, inheritance tax and domestic and global tax abuse; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    In paragraph 73 of the UN recommendations, the UN requested that the UK submits its next period report under the Covenant (inclusive of a response to all the recommendations from this year’s examination) by 30 June 2021; it would therefore not be appropriate to pre-empt this report by anticipating what we, or indeed a future UK Government in 2021, might say.

    The government is committed to a competitive and fair tax system and to tackling tax evasion and avoidance by multinational companies. The UK has played a leading role in the development and implementation of the G20/OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project, which is aimed at ensuring that tax is paid on profits in the country in which they are generated. On tax evasion, the UK has also led on the development of the new global standard for the automatic exchange of information between countries on offshore accounts. All of the UK’s Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies have signed up to this new Common Reporting Standard and will begin exchanging information with the UK this month.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the construction of solar farms in the West Bank on settlement land, and the protection for Palestinians’ solar installations.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    While we have not made any representations on this issue to the Israeli authorities, the UK’s position on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and all construction within, is clear. They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace and take us further away from a two state solution.

    On the issue of Palestinian solar installations, we continue to urge the Government of Israel to develop improved mechanisms for zoning, planning and permitting in Area C for the benefit of the Palestinian population, including by facilitating local Palestinian participation in such processes.

  • Ben Bradshaw – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ben Bradshaw – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support his Department provides to people with inflammatory arthritis to help them to stay in work.

    Jane Ellison

    We are aware that a high proportion of people with inflammatory arthritis are of working age. Inflammatory arthritis is a major cause of sickness absence.

    Treatment for inflammatory arthritis has improved dramatically with the development of new drugs. It is essential for people with relevant symptoms to present early to their general practitioner and for the condition to be diagnosed promptly. Ensuring that people have access to the best possible treatment and support provides the greatest scope to enable people with inflammatory arthritis to stay in work.

    The newly formed Work and Health Unit is a joint endeavour between Department of Health and Department for Work and Pensions. The Unit has been established to lead the drive for improving work and health outcomes for people with health conditions and disabilities, as well as improving prevention and support for people absent from work through ill health and those at risk of leaving the workforce.

    In the Spending Review the Government has provided at least £115 million of funding for the Unit including a Work and Health Innovation Fund.

  • Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether their representatives in any UK embassies are banned from making representations concerning capital punishment in any country or countries.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    No such bans exist. On the contrary, the pursuit of the abolition of the death penalty is part of what the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has called the “every day work” of our missions in countries which continue to implement the death penalty.

  • Steven Paterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Steven Paterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what Government departments and agencies are represented on the board of directors of the Centre for Cyber Assessment.

    Matthew Hancock

    The CCA was avowed in June 2015. We do not comment on security matters.