Category: Speeches

  • MiDavies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    MiDavies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking in schools to help young people spot the signs of mental illness.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Good mental health and wellbeing is a key priority for this Department. Young people have told us they would like to have opportunities to support each other and help to do this effectively.

    We recently launched a suite of peer support activities, which include a call for evidence for stakeholders and children and young people and funding of up to £1.5m including a new digital innovation fund, to develop reliable, engaging and trusted advice online to help them understand both their own, and their friends mental health.

    We will also be working with a core steering group, and wider advisory group of sector experts, including headteachers, youth leaders and charities, to look at what works in peer support, and how young people can strengthen their own networks.

  • 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 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evidence her Department holds on the relationship between the A-level grades achieved by prospective teachers and their later performance in the classroom.

    Nick Gibb

    Evidence, including a seminal McKinsey study from 2007 (How the world’s best-performing schools come out on top), shows that teacher quality and impact cannot be predicted by a single factor such as A-Level grades, but result from a complex combination of factors including academic achievement combined with characteristics and attributes such as communication skills, willingness to learn and motivation to teach.

    The Teachers’ Standards, developed by a group of leading teachers and heads, clearly define the core elements of effective teaching – including strong subject knowledge and the promotion of scholarship, as well as skills such as classroom management. All new teachers must demonstrate that they are meeting the standards at the end of their initial training.

    It is important that providers of initial teacher training are able to select and recruit candidates on the basis of their potential and their academic achievement to date; this is why we are giving schools much greater say in recruiting and training candidates who can be successful in the classroom. This year, over half of all postgraduate trainees are coming through school-led routes.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what annual reserves the Maritime and Coastguard Agency accrued in fees from ship survey and inspection work in each year since 2000-01.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The income the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has received for marine surveys in each year since 2000-01 is shown below:

    Financial Year

    £’000

    2000/01

    3,685

    2001/02

    3,455

    2002/03

    3,663

    2003/04

    3,708

    2004/05

    3,953

    2005/06

    4,115

    2006/07

    4,634

    2007/08

    4,669

    2008/09

    5,193

    2009/10

    5,513

    2010/11

    5,537

    2011/12

    5,260

    2012/13

    5,046

    2013/14

    5,519

    2014/15

    4,322

    2015/16*

    5,085

    * Draft Figure (Subject to Audit)

    Note that the income earned through fees is used to cover the costs of the work and surpluses are not accrued. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency, as a Government Agency, does not hold annual reserves.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many students on (a) nursing, (b) midwifery and (c) Allied Health Professional courses benefitted from the NHS Bursary maternity award in the last five years for which figures are available.

    Ben Gummer

    The following table shows the number of students on nursing, midwifery and Allied Health Professional courses who were in receipt of the NHS Bursary maternity award in each of the last three academic years and those who have subsequently returned to their studies following a period of maternity leave. Information prior to 2013/14 is not available.

    Academic Year1

    Professional Group

    Students in receipt of the NHS Bursary maternity award

    Students returning from a period of maternity leave

    2013/14

    Allied Health Professional

    55

    49

    Midwifery

    99

    92

    Nursing

    633

    558

    2013/14 Total

    787

    699

    2014/15

    Allied Health Professional

    50

    40

    Midwifery

    80

    56

    Nursing

    581

    444

    2014/15 Total2

    711

    540

    2015/16

    Allied Health Professional

    56

    6

    Midwifery

    72

    4

    Nursing

    473

    59

    2015/16 Total2

    601

    69

    Grand Total

    2,528

    1,702

    Source: NHS Business Services Authority

    Notes

    1 Standard academic year (i.e. September to the following August)

    2 The count for these academic years is as at 14 June 2016. There are likely to be further students who commence, or return from a period of maternity leave after this date

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which of the recommendations made by the Ollerenshaw Review of Local Council Tax Support the Government plans to take forward; and when such recommendations will be implemented.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Sir Eric Ollerenshaw’s independent review recognised the successful implementation of local council tax support schemes by local government and made a number of recommendations which the government is now considering.

  • David Crausby – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Crausby – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time for a final decision on a spouse visa application was in each of the last five years.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The average processing time for resolving spouse visa applications in each of the last five years is contained in the attached table:

    Year Resolved

    Average Days to Resolved

    2011

    40.97

    2012

    41.47

    2013

    45.59

    2014

    60.41

    2015

    34.91

    Visit visas defined as those endorsements in the endorsement categories Family Partner and Family Partner Immediate Settlement.

    Data only includes applications with a destination of UK or UK(BIVS).

    Data extracted on 19 October 2016.

    These statistics have been taken from a live operational database. As such, numbers may change as information on that system is updated. The latest quarterly Home Office immigration statistics on entry clearance visas are published in ‘Immigration Statistics, available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-statistics

  • Owen Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Owen Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of the cost associated with the introduction of universal credit to date.

    Priti Patel

    In ‘Universal Credit at Work’ published in October 2014, we stated that the total cost of implementation is £1.8bn, of which a third (c£0.6bn) has been spent.

  • Richard Burgon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Richard Burgon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burgon on 2015-12-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the book value of the UK Asset Resolution’s Granite portfolio was last calculated prior to the sale of Cerberus on 13 November 2015.

    Harriett Baldwin

    In line with UK Asset Resolution (UKAR)’s reporting cycle, the book value of the Granite portfolio was last calculated at 30 September 2015 as part of the Interim Financial Results process.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to announce details of the responsibilities to be imposed on the five cities in which clean air zones will be introduced.

    Rory Stewart

    We will be working closely over the coming months with the five cities in which Clean Air Zones are to be introduced to develop the detail of the actions required. An impact assessment of the proposals for Clean Air Zones will be published later this year alongside a consultation on a framework for Clean Air Zones and the secondary legislation to be introduced.

  • The Lord Bishop of Durham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The Lord Bishop of Durham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Durham on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that those refugees from Burundi now living in camps in neighbouring countries do not become politicised and radicalised.

    Baroness Verma

    We are aware of allegations of recruitment into armed groups. We continue to emphasise to the Government of Rwanda and UNHCR the importance of maintaining the civilian nature of refugee camps, and of supporting a political solution in Burundi. We are addressing the issue of potential radicalisation by supporting protection work in the refugee camps, in particular Mahama Camp in Rwanda, focusing particularly on vulnerable children and youth. This includes funding two additional UNHCR protection officers to be based in Mahama camp, the creation of more child and youth-friendly spaces, and increased provision of psycho-social support and case management services.