The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chuka Umunna on 2016-09-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many citizens of other EU countries work in (a) his Department and (b) agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible.
Mr John Hayes
The Department does not hold information on the citizenship status of all its staff. Staff are invited to self-declare their nationality on the staff system.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Conor McGinn on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the report by the National Audit Office, The economic regulation of the water sector, HC487; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that customers benefit from water companies’ unexpected financial gains.
Rory Stewart
We accept the recommendation that we should develop further our assessments of the affordability and cost-effectiveness of environmental improvements. The Environment Agency has recently published the most comprehensive cost-benefit appraisal ever conducted for improving the water environment in England.
The remaining recommendations of the report are for Ofwat, the independent economic regulator of the water sector. Its independence is crucial to ensure stable economic regulation to keep investment costs down and customer bills low. The Government does not intervene in any regulatory decisions made by the regulator.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Law on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have been employed in Dundee by the Government and its agencies in each year since 1990.
Mr Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2016 to Question 22118, what steps her Department is taking to tackle shortfalls of mathematics teachers in state-funded primary schools; and if she will make a statement.
Nick Gibb
The number of primary teachers in state funded primary schools in England is the highest on record, and we exceeded our target for primary postgraduate trainee teachers for 2015/16.
Excellent mathematics teaching in primary schools is a high priority for this government, and we have taken a number of steps to promote this.
We have established a national network of 35 Maths Hubs, backed by £11million of funding to raise standards in mathematics. These centres of excellence are helping schools to improve the quality of their mathematics teaching. Through the Maths Hub network we are making improvements via exchanges with Shanghai, as Hubs develop a deep understanding of the ‘mastery’ approach to mathematics teaching and trial its implementation within schools. We also fund good quality mathematics professional development opportunities for primary teachers through The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics.
In addition, we have encouraged the development of primary mathematics specialist and specialism initial teacher training (ITT) courses, to allow trainee primary teachers to specialise in the subject. Since 2013/14 we have provided an ITT bursary uplift for trainees on these courses. This means that trainees with a B grade at mathematics A level, or equivalent knowledge, receive a higher bursary than those who train on primary general courses. For courses starting in 2016/17 primary mathematics specialists with a 1st class, 2:1 or 2:2 degree will receive a £6,000 bursary, compared to the maximum £3,000 bursary for primary general trainees.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2016-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to ascertain the reason for a large number of whales becoming stranded on the east coast of the UK in 2016; and if she will make a statement.
George Eustice
Mass stranding events of whales are rare and ascertaining what causes them can be difficult. This is why Defra, in conjunction with the Devolved Administrations of Scotland and Wales, funds the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP). Although it is still too early to draw any conclusions on what may have caused the recent mass strandings of sperm whales in the North Sea, the CSIP will be working with stranding networks in Germany and the Netherlands over the coming months to try to identify the potential cause.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions a UK port was not manned by Border Force officials in 2015; and if she will make a statement.
James Brokenshire
There was 1 instance where a port with scheduled arrivals was unmanned by Border Force in 2015. In July 2015, Border Force Officers failed to meet a regular charter plane in Cambridge due to a road traffic accident preventing access to the airport. Checks on passengers were completed on the arrival of Border Force Officers.
In exercising their functions, Border Force officers are mandated to carry out full checks on all individuals entering the UK. Border Force has an established intelligence led approach and risk assessments regarding non-scheduled arrivals. This allows Border Force to provide effective border controls throughout the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the capital and revenue costs of free schools in Kirklees that (a) have been provided to date, (b) are to be provided in 2016-17 and (c) are projected to be provided between 2017 and 2020.
Edward Timpson
The Department for Education’s accounts show that the total capital spend on free schools up to the end of 2013-14 was £1.029bn; the accounts for following years will be published in due course. The capital costs of individual projects are published once contracts are finalised and are no longer commercially sensitive. They are published, along with the costs of sixteen projects in London and one project in Kirklees, on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/capital-funding-for-open-free-schools
The total pre- and post-opening revenue expenditure for free school projects that opened in 2011 to 2013 is also published on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/revenue-expenditure-for-free-schools
We plan to publish updated revenue expenditure for free schools that were opened in 2014 and 2015 within the next few weeks. This data will be updated annually each Autumn.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-05-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to prevent atrocities, such as the Gatumba massacre, from taking place in Burundi.
James Duddridge
The UK is playing a leading role in trying to build a strong and coherent international response to the crisis in Burundi. I visited Burundi in December 2015 and have consistently urged the Government of Burundi, in the strongest terms, to end the violence and engage in inclusive dialogue. Through the conflict, stability and security fund, we will be increasing our efforts on the ground which will include deploying a Burundi coordinator to Bujumbura.
DFID offices in Kigali and Dar Es Salaam have stepped up their analysis and coverage of the crisis to ensure they can respond to an evolving situation and increasing humanitarian assistance as necessary. My Hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development, Nick Hurd MP, has visited the Burundi refugee camps in Tanzania and DFID has provided £14.25 million in Tanzania and £6.9million in Rwanda to support refugees.
In March I addressed the UN Security Council and regional leaders of the Great Lakes, highlighting the need for urgent action in Burundi. British Ambassadors and High Commissioners across the region continue to lobby their host Governments on the importance of taking action to resolve the situation in Burundi.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsty Blackman on 2016-06-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the devolved administrations on implementation of the Apprenticeship Levy.
Nick Boles
We are working closely with the Devolved Administrations and Territorial Offices, regularly meeting with officials and Ministers on levy implementation. The last Skills Ministers meeting was in February.
We want to ensure the levy works for employers wherever they are in the UK and will be publishing further information later this month.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-09-12.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many letters his Department has sent to recipients of tax credits cancelling payments because of claims by HM Revenue and Customs that an unreported adult is living at the claimant’s property in the last year; and if he will make a statement.
Jane Ellison
Between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) stopped 57,961 tax credit awards following a decision that the claimant was living with an undeclared partner. Where HMRC identifies an undeclared partner, the single tax credits claim is ended. The customer is able to reclaim in the correct joint capacity if entitlement exists.