Category: Speeches

  • Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to reduce teacher workload and maintain pupil well-being when new Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 assessments are introduced.

    Nick Gibb

    Primary schools already carry out assessments at the end of key stages 1 and 2. We have developed new forms of assessment to align with the new National Curriculum. We recognise that in this first year of the new the assessments pupils and teachers will be adapting to the change, but the best way to prepare pupils remains to focus on teaching the new National Curriculum, which schools have been doing since September 2014.

    The removal of unnecessary workload is a priority for this Department. Our primary assessment reforms have been designed to put arrangements for the majority of classroom assessment, between key stages, back into the hands of schools and to reduce the tracking burdens that national curriculum levels encouraged. We believe schools are best placed to decide how to assess pupils in line with their curriculum and that over time this should lead to a reduction in workload for teachers so that their efforts can focus on teaching.

    As previously, schools should encourage high attainment among all pupils to but we do not recommend that they devote excessive preparation time for assessment and certainly not at the expense of a pupil’s wellbeing. We trust teachers to administer tests in a way that does not put undue pressure on pupils. Schools are also required to provide continuous and appropriate support as part of a whole school approach to supporting the wellbeing and resilience of pupils.

    While we have set a more challenging expected standard to reflect our high aspirations for children, the new statutory assessments still measure the same range of attainment as previously. In addition, statutory assessments only form part of the broader assessments that teachers make on an ongoing basis. Schools should continue to put statutory assessment outcomes in the context of pupils’ overall achievements and progress. We expect schools to ensure that assessment is reported in an appropriate and proportionate manner.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support Turkey joining the EU, and what pre-conditions they believe should attach to such admission.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Government supports the process of Turkey’s EU accession, which remains the most effective means of encouraging reform, stability and democracy in Turkey. But as the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), has made it clear that the question of Turkey actually joining the EU is ‘not remotely on the cards’, indeed that he does not believe it will happen ‘for decades’. Every Member State has a veto, at every stage of the process.

    Turkey would need to undergo substantial reform before we could consider Turkish accession to the EU, particularly in terms of rule of law, freedom of speech, and socio-economic convergence with EU standards. Furthermore, the Government will not agree to any further EU enlargement without new arrangements for transitional controls on freedom of movement. We do not want to take the risk, as we did in 2004, of very large movements of people after a new accession. Under the European Union Act 2011, any new Accession Treaty would require parliamentary approval by primary legislation before it could be ratified.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with governments of other EU countries on the rights of residence of British citizens resident in EU countries.

    Mr David Jones

    The rights retained by EU nationals here and British citizens in other EU states once the UK has left the European Union will be agreed during the course of negotiations. The Government fully expects that the legal status of EU nationals in the UK will be properly protected when we leave the EU. We also expect the same for British nationals in other EU Member States.

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with non-governmental organisations on tackling the taboo around women’s periods and its effect on women in refugee camps.

    James Wharton

    DFID is working with our partners to ensure that sexual and reproductive health needs of girls and women affected by crises are prioritised. This includes their right to experience menstruation with dignity. In 2015 alone, UK funding to UNFPA supported their efforts to distribute almost 60,000 menstrual hygiene kits to women and girls living in conflict situations. The UK has committed that, in humanitarian crises, DFID calls for proposals will require the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls to be considered. The UK also supported a joint statement led by UNFPA, highlighting the importance of sexual and reproductive rights in crises, at the World Humanitarian Summit in May this year.

    DFID is working globally with a network of civil-society organisations, private sector companies, donors, academics, and international agencies to address stigma and increase access for all women and girls to the education, support, products and services they need to manage menstruation with dignity.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Turkish counterpart on concluding the trial of five men accused of murdering three Christian missionaries in 2007.

    Mr David Lidington

    Her Majesty’s Government has previously condemned this shocking attack in Malatya and welcomed the Turkish Government’s determination to bring the perpetrators to justice. We continue to monitor this case and human rights developments in Turkey closely, including through regular bilateral discussions with our Turkish counterparts.

    We continue to encourage Turkey to work towards meeting EU standards on all human rights, especially in the areas of freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and minority rights, including tackling hate crimes. We also fund a number of projects with minority groups in Turkey, including religious communities, aimed at promoting their inclusion.

  • Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will estimate the proportion of people in London who will be able to afford to (a) rent and (b) buy a home in 2016.

    Brandon Lewis

    My Department does not produce estimates on the proportion of people who will be able to afford to rent or to buy a home in London.

    The Spending Review doubled investment in housing to more than £20 billion over the next five years to support the largest housing programme by any Government since the 1970’s, including:

    • £4 billion for 135,000 Help to Buy: Shared Ownership homes, which will allow people to buy a share in their home and increase that equity over time;
    • £2.3 billion towards delivering 200,000 new Starter Homes, which will be available at 20 per cent discount to young first time buyers;
    • £1.6 billion for 100,000 affordable homes for rent;
    • £12 billion of additional housing investment to provide thousands more homes, including expanding Help to Buy in London where the scheme will increase equity loans up to 40% instead of the standard 20% to support thousands of aspiring homeowners in the capital.
  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in how many employment tribunals mental health was a contributing factor in each year since 2010.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    This information is not held.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people in employment earn (a) the national minimum wage rate which will apply from 1 April 2016 and (b) between that rate and one per cent above that rate.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 65 of the Budget 2016, how much he has allocated to establish the new Broadband Investment Fund in (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18, (c) 2018-19 and (d) 2019-20.

    Greg Hands

    At Budget 2016 the Government announced an intention to establish a Broadband Investment Fund. No decision has yet been made on the amount that will be invested. The next stage of the process will see the Government procure a fund manager to raise and manage the fund.

  • Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Wolverhampton South West of 24 February 2016 on Game Farming in the UK, case reference ZA3022.

    George Eustice

    The letter from the hon. Member for Wolverhampton South West of 24 February 2016 on Game Farming in the UK was replied to on 18 April 2016.