The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley on 2015-12-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of GCSE and A-level exams that were changed after challenges this summer.
Lord Nash
This is a matter for the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) and I have asked its Chief Regulator, Glenys Stacey to write directly to the noble Baroness. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House of Lords Library.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley on 2015-12-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of driverless car technology.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government recognises the transformative potential that Connected and Automated Vehicles technologies have for mobility and our transport system, and the significant opportunities that exist for UK industry in their development and commercialisation. The Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles was established in July 2015 between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Transport, to lead on this agenda.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley on 2015-12-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the law to protect vulnerable people from phone phishing and other communication scams.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
The Government is cracking down on nuisance calls. Over the last five years the average fine issued has increased from around £5000 to £85000, we have strengthened the law to make it easier to clamp down on companies who break the rules and have increased the maximum fine to £500,000.
The Government takes all types of fraud extremely seriously. We are working closely with the City of London Police (CoLP), the national lead force for fraud, to help local forces and partners deliver protective advice to the public on fraud, including phone scams. CoLP operates Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, to ensure that the public has the information they need to protect themselves from telephone fraud. Action Fraud, for example, places an alert on its website when a serious threat or new type of fraud is identified – which members of the public can sign up to receive by email.
We are also working with Financial Fraud Action UK and the British Bankers’ Association who issue advice to consumers on how to protect themselves from phone scammers. Ofcom work with the Metropolitan Police Service, Action Fraud and landline providers to prevent criminals exploiting phone lines to defraud members of the public.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-12-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to take steps to ensure that Turkey does not repatriate any genuine refugees, following the recent EU–Turkey financial agreement.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK cooperates closely with Turkey on migration and Turkey has consistently confirmed that their borders remain open to genuine refugees. We commend Turkey’s generosity in hosting over 2.2 million refugees from the crisis in Syria and Iraq. Enhanced cooperation between the EU and Turkey is critical to resolving the current migration crisis. At the EU-Turkey summit on 29 November, the EU agreed €3billion of additional support to Turkey to help ease its refugee burden and prevent further irregular migration to the EU. Turkey and the EU also agreed to activate the migration action plan. As part of this action plan, Turkey committed to accelerate procedures in order to readmit smoothly irregular migrants who are not in need of international protection, whilst ensuring that vulnerable people continue to be identified and taken care of.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-12-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussion, if any, they have had with the government of Turkey and the UNHCR about urgent plans for the return home of Yazidi refugees, currently in a camp near Diyarbakir.
Baroness Verma
The UK Government is not aware of plans to return Yezidi refugees to their homes from Diyarbakir. The UK works with the Government of Turkey, the United Nations and the international community to support the rights of all minorities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-12-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 8 December (HL4152), how many refugees have applied for family reunion in Britain (1) from France, and (2) from other countries, since 1 January 2013; and how much of the funding provided by the UK under the Joint Declaration of 20 August has so far been (1) spent, and (2) committed to be spent.
Lord Bates
For the period January 2013 to September 2015, internal management information (not quality assured to National Statistics standards) indicates there were 11 entry clearance visa family reunion applications made from France and 17,292 from other countries.
Under the Joint Declaration of 20 August 2015, the UK has committed to providing €5 million (£3.6 million) per year for two years to help manage the migrant population in Calais by providing support and facilities elsewhere in France, the first of these two payments is currently being processed. This is in addition to €750,000 (£530,000) which has been paid to fund a project to identify and protect vulnerable people in the camps in Calais.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hutton of Furness on 2015-12-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice has been given to UK banks regarding business and personal financial transactions between UK individuals or UK-registered companies and Cuban counterparties based in Cuba.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
Cuba has previously been subject to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)’s on-going Global AML/CFT Compliance Process due to concerns over strategic deficiencies in its systems for anti-money laundering (AML) and combatting terrorist financing (CTF). HM Government notifies the financial sector of FATF’s decision to list countries and the risks associated with transactions with identified countries. In October 2014, the UK welcomed Cuba’s significant progress in improving its controls and noted that Cuba was no longer subject to the FATF’s monitoring process. This was also communicated to industry.
There are no UK, EU or UN sanctions regimes restricting transactions between the UK and Cuba. The US has economic sanctions against Cuba. EU legislation (Council Regulation (EC) No 2271/96) provides protection against and counteracts the effects of the extra-territorial application of US Cuba sanctions within the EU. The Government does not provide advice on sanctions regimes outside UK jurisdiction and does not intervene in the decisions of banks or other financial firms when made on the basis of their internal risk assessments.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-12-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the performance of sponsored academies compares to that of maintained schools when grouped by prior results at achieving five A*-C grade GCSEs, including English and Maths, broken down per decile, over (1) the last year, (2) the last two years, and (3) the last three years.
Lord Nash
The figures for overall achievement of 5 A*-C Grade GCSEs including English and maths are provided by school type from 2011 to 2015 (provisional results) in Table 24 in the main text of the department’s publication, “Provisional GCSE and equivalent results in England, 2014 to 2015”, as attached to this answer. We do not hold the information grouped by prior results and broken down into deciles.
Interpreting trends in achievement in schools over time is complex with changes being driven by a wide range of influences and different circumstances that may exist between schools.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by would be identified as coasting on their (a) 2014 on 2015-12-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, on the current definition of coasting”
Earl of Courtown
No school can be defined as coasting under the government’s proposed coasting definition until after the 2016 results are available. The definition of coasting is determined by performance over a three year period.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by and (4) more than 30 on 2015-12-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, on the current definition of coasting”
Lord Nash
No school can be defined as coasting under the government’s proposed coasting definition until after the 2016 results are available. The definition of coasting is determined by performance over a three year period.
Progress 8 results for 2015 will be published as part of the key stage 4 performance tables in January 2016 for schools which chose to opt-in early. Progress 8 was not used as an accountability measure in 2014, and does not form part of the government’s proposed definition for coasting in that year.