Category: Speeches

  • William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to increase the number of cadet units in state schools.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Government has committed £50 million from LIBOR fines to increase the number of cadet units in UK state schools through the Cadet Expansion Programme. The joint Ministry of Defence/Department for Education programme is targeting schools in less affluent areas and we have had a substantial number of applications to establish new units. This demonstrates the interest that schools around the country have in the programme.

    The expansion programme is well on track to achieve its target of 500 cadet units parading in schools across the UK by 2020. As at June 2016, 350 units were parading and on 4 October 2016 the Secretary of State announced the next wave of 25 new units in state schools which have been approved.

    The list of 25 new schools which have been approved is as follows:

    Arnold Hill Academy – Nottinghamshire

    Askham Bryan College – North Yorkshire

    Bedlingtonshire Community High School – Northumberland

    Bishop Challoner Girls School – London

    Broadgreen International School – Liverpool

    Cardinal Griffin Catholic College – Staffordshire

    Carr Hill High School and Sixth Form Centre – Lancashire

    Central Foundation Boys’ School – London

    Chichester Free School – Chichester

    Ernest Bevin College – London

    Gravesend Grammar School – Kent

    Hugh Baird College – Merseyside

    Khalsa Secondary Academy – Buckinghamshire

    Kings Leadership Academy Liverpool – Liverpool

    Medway UTC – Kent

    Newton Rigg College – Cumbria

    Nova Hreod Academy – Swindon

    Quintin Kynaston Academy – London

    Rockwood Academy – Birmingham

    South Shields Community School – Tyne and Wear

    South Wiltshire UTC – Salisbury

    St Thomas More Catholic School – Tyne and Wear

    The JCB Academy – Staffordshire

    Tudor Grange Samworth Academy – Leicestershire

    West Midlands Construction UTC – Wolverhampton

  • Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-10-27.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average duration of a claim for tax credits was in the most recent (a) 12 and (b) 24 months for which data is available.

    Damian Hinds

    The information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Laurence Robertson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what her policy is on the future of the Warm Home scheme; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government announced in the Spending Review on 25 November 2015 that the Warm Home Discount scheme would be extended to 2020/21 at current levels of £320m per year, rising with inflation, to help households who are at risk of fuel poverty with their energy bills.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many women in Preston constituency who were born in November 1954 have been notified of changes in the age at which they will receive the state pension; and when his Department notified each such person.

    Justin Tomlinson

    We do not have the information requested at this level.

    I can confirm that in February 2012, 375,000 letters explaining the State Pension age changes were sent to men and women (across Great Britain and Overseas) with a date of birth in the range 06/10/1954 to 05/04/1955.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has been approached by (a) Stockport local authority, (b) Tameside local authority and (c) Greater Manchester combined authority to approve the removal of protected school land for development under Schedule 14 of the Education Act 2011 in the last three years.

    Edward Timpson

    Since January 2013, the Secretary of State for Education has received:

    • 1 application from Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, this is currently being considered.
    • 4 applications from Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council, all have been approved.
    • 19 applications from the Greater Manchester combined authority, 1 is being considered and the other 18 have been approved.

    These figures include applications in those local authorities relating to land held by Academy Trusts under a lease from the local authority.

    The Education Act 2011 requires that the Secretary of State must give consent prior to the disposal of land which has been used for any school or academy in the last eight years. Secretary of State consent is also required under section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 where local authorities wish to dispose of playing field land that has been used by a school in the last ten years. A key consideration for the government is whether the land proposed for disposal could be suitable for use by a new school.

    There are a range of reasons for these disposals. Some disposals are leases from the academy trustees back to the local authority, which allow a children’s centre on site to continue or which provide land for another school. A substantial number of consents refer to local authority maintained school sites for outright disposals where the school has closed or relocated to a new build site.

  • Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeffrey M. Donaldson on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on the Gateway Project for armed forces veterans; and what plans he has to include Northern Ireland within the scope of that project.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence has explored options for the development of a veterans gateway service to provide a single cross-sector point of access for all veterans. The Armed Forces Covenant Reference Group has recently directed that the Covenant Fund prioritise funding for a pilot project to set up a 24 hours a day single point of contact veterans gateway service in financial year 2016-17 and this will be formally announced shortly. The project’s reach will extend across the UK, including Northern Ireland.

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

    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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  • FALSE – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    FALSE – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, with reference to their pamphlet entitled Why the Government believes that voting to remain in the European Union is the best decision for the UK and in the light of their statement that we will keep our own border controls”

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The UK is not part of the Schengen border-free zone – we control our own borders which gives us the right to check everyone, including EU nationals, arriving from continental Europe.

    Free movement is not an unrestricted right. Where an EEA national poses a threat, they can and will be refused entry or deported from the UK. The UK’s settlement with the EU will strengthen our ability to protect the UK public from those who pose a threat. We have refused entry to over 6500 EEA nationals at the UK border since 2010.

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what ministerial representation there will be at the CITES Conference of the Parties in September 2016.

    Rory Stewart

    We understand that the South African Government is intending to host a ministerial-level segment to open the 17th Meeting of the Conference of Parties (CoP17) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa from 24 September to 5 October 2016.

    We are still considering UK Ministerial attendance so I am not able to confirm this at the current time. I am however keen for the UK delegation to play an active role at CoP17 in securing positive outcomes for endangered species at risk of over-exploitation as a result of international trade.

  • Shabana Mahmood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Shabana Mahmood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Shabana Mahmood on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that there are sufficient resources at a local level to manage the needs of (a) asylum seekers and (b) local residents using the same services as asylum seekers in Birmingham.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Home Office maintains active partnerships with local authorities across the UK and funds regional Strategic Migration Partnerships (SMPs) to plan the dispersal of asylum seekers across the regions. The partnerships consider the impact on communities and local services so that adjustments can be made where appropriate. This ensures that community cohesion, social welfare and safety issues are properly considered.

    SMPs act as a focal point, allowing the sharing of expertise and vital information between the Home Office, its asylum accommodation providers, local government, health, education and the police. This coordinated planning ensures leadership on asylum dispersion and assesses its impact on the requirements of local government duties towards the resident population.