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  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if she will take steps to increase maintenance loans for university accommodation in respect of (a) students in places with expensive accommodation costs and (b) other students.

    Greg Clark

    The Government announced an increase of 3.34% to maximum maintenance loans for the 2015/16 academic year earlier this year. This increase will apply to all rates of maintenance loan, including the higher rate loan for students living away from home and studying in London, where living costs (including those for accommodation) are generally higher.

    Decisions on student support arrangements for higher education courses are taken on an annual basis. The Government will review student support arrangements for the 2016/17 academic year in 2015.

  • Shabana Mahmood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Shabana Mahmood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Shabana Mahmood on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance (a) her Department and (b) Ofsted provides to Ofsted inspectors about the monitoring of school engagement with Prevent.

    Mr David Laws

    No guidance has been provided to Ofsted inspectors by the Department for Education about the monitoring of school engagement with Prevent as the training of inspectors is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector.

    Where relevant, Ofsted provides inspectors with appropriate briefing on the Prevent agenda and gives training to inspectors ahead of inspection.

  • Shabana Mahmood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Shabana Mahmood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Shabana Mahmood on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Ofsted inspections were carried out in the local education authority of Birmingham in (a) primary, (b) secondary, (c) straight-through, (d) nursery and (e) other schools in the academic years (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13 and (iii) 2013-14.

    Mr David Laws

    This question is a matter for Ofsted. I have asked Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, to write to the hon. Member. A copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Kevin Brennan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the responsibilities will be of the Minister of State in her Department, the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    The full list of Ministerial responsibilities will be published on www.gov.uk in due course.

    “

  • Heidi Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Heidi Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Alexander on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what checks the Education Funding Agency makes on the quality of auditors and others taking professional fees for services provided to academies.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    As companies and charitable trusts, academy trusts are required to appoint independent auditors to report on their financial statements. It is for the academy trust to manage the contract for their services.

    Auditors are qualified accountants and regulated by their professional institutes. The institutes undertake a programme of quality assurance visits to ensure firms are operating in accordance with expected professional standards. The outcomes of these reviews are publically available.

    The Education Funding Agency (EFA) supplements the various institute regulatory regimes with:

    · reviews of academy trusts’ audited financial statements, the associated audit reports on these and auditor management letters. The EFA follows up significant issues with individual trusts and their auditors;

    · regular attendance at sector training events and delivery of online presentations/webinars for auditors on the key issues arising from reviews, to help ensure they are aware of the requirements expected of them and key risk areas; and

    · responding to auditor queries received through the academy questions mailbox.

    Other professional services provided to academy trusts will also be regulated by their relevant institute body, e.g. the Law Society.

  • Heidi Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Heidi Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Alexander on 2014-07-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions her Department has had with (a) the Haberdashers’ Aske’s Federation Trust and (b) that Trust’s auditors on possible fraud within the Trust.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    The Trust reported to the Education Funding Agency (EFA) that a theft had occurred. The Trust undertook a full independent review, and the EFA monitored their response. The Department for Education’s most recent discussion with the Trust has been to confirm progress with the recovery of funds and the police investigation.

    The Department has not had recent discussions with the Trust’s auditors. The EFA reviewed the most recent audited accounts in early 2014.

    The Department does not hold a copy of the service level agreement between the Federation Trust and its schools.

  • Lord Stewartby – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Stewartby – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stewartby on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to ensure that cheques will continue to be available for those who wish to use them, including in particular charities and the elderly.

    Lord Deighton

    The Government took decisive action on this matter by reversing the 2009 decision by banks to phase out cheques.

    As well as this, the Government is bringing in legislation that will require banks to accept cheques in both paper and digital forms. This digital innovation will allow consumers, firms and charities to pay in cheques using only a smartphone image if they wish. It will increase the efficiency of the cheque payment system, making it more sustainable for banks and building societies to provide cheque services. Customers who wish to use paper cheques will continue to be able to do so.

  • Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Retail Ombudsman was given Cabinet Office approval to use the word ombudsman” in their title; on what date any such approval was given; and whether the Cabinet Office guidance on ombudsman schemes was followed.”

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Retail Ombudsman has been set up independently of Government and is a non-statutory organisation aiming to provide alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in the retail sector. While anyone is free to set up a business providing ADR, ‘ombudsman’ is a sensitive word whose use in a company or business name requires prior approval by the Secretary of State. No approval has yet been given to the Retail Ombudsman to use this word.

    Companies House and BIS are updating their procedures to ensure that the approval process deals with private sector applications to use this word.

  • Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government under what circumstances and with what conditions access to any prison by a journalist would be permitted.

    Lord Faulks

    The External Communications team at the Ministry of Justice receives a significant number of requests by local and national media for access to prisons. For operational reasons and resource implications it is not possible to facilitate all requests.

    Each request is considered on its own merit, with careful thought over the subject area, resource and security implications, victim impact, and value to the taxpayer. In a similar way to the police or the NHS, there are operational considerations to be made when filming or reporting in prisons. When facilitating media access we must ensure that the needs of victims are met, which may involve concealing identities, carrying out relevant checks and liaising directly with victims about the access request. We must also ensure that media access does not breach any security restrictions, for example filming keys or locks. Consideration is also given to protecting the identities of prisoners and staff.

    We are committed to providing open and transparent access to prison and regularly provide access to journalists for news items, features and documentary programmes. We aim to provide a range of access to different journalists covering both print and broadcast media, local, national and online media.

    Since the beginning of January 2015 we have provided access to a range of media outlets, a few examples are listed below:

    • The Guardian were given access to HMP New Hall – http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jan/30/new-hall-womens-prison-inmates-equals
    • BBC and the Sun were giving access to HMP Coldingley
    • Regional BBC were giving access to HMP Northumberland (Sodexo run prison)
    • Telegraph and Heart Radio were giving access to HMP Drake Hall
    • Evening Standard and regional BBC were giving access to HMP Thameside (Serco run prison)
    • BBC Radio 4 were giving access to HMP Prescoed/HMP Cardiff
    • Sky Sports were giving access to HMP Feltham
    • National BBC, regional ITV and the Manchester Evening News were giving access to HMP Styal
    • Evening Standard and London Live were giving access to HMP Isis
    • East Anglia Daily Times and regional BBC radio were giving access to HMP Hollesley Bay
    • Sky News were given access to HMP Ranby
    • ITV were given access to HMP Norwich
  • Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the justification for the Ministry of Justice’s refusal to permit visits to any prisons by a reporter from The Guardian.

    Lord Faulks

    The External Communications team at the Ministry of Justice receives a significant number of requests by local and national media for access to prisons. For operational reasons and resource implications it is not possible to facilitate all requests.

    Each request is considered on its own merit, with careful thought over the subject area, resource and security implications, victim impact, and value to the taxpayer. In a similar way to the police or the NHS, there are operational considerations to be made when filming or reporting in prisons. When facilitating media access we must ensure that the needs of victims are met, which may involve concealing identities, carrying out relevant checks and liaising directly with victims about the access request. We must also ensure that media access does not breach any security restrictions, for example filming keys or locks. Consideration is also given to protecting the identities of prisoners and staff.

    We are committed to providing open and transparent access to prison and regularly provide access to journalists for news items, features and documentary programmes. We aim to provide a range of access to different journalists covering both print and broadcast media, local, national and online media.

    Since the beginning of January 2015 we have provided access to a range of media outlets, a few examples are listed below:

    • The Guardian were given access to HMP New Hall – http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jan/30/new-hall-womens-prison-inmates-equals
    • BBC and the Sun were giving access to HMP Coldingley
    • Regional BBC were giving access to HMP Northumberland (Sodexo run prison)
    • Telegraph and Heart Radio were giving access to HMP Drake Hall
    • Evening Standard and regional BBC were giving access to HMP Thameside (Serco run prison)
    • BBC Radio 4 were giving access to HMP Prescoed/HMP Cardiff
    • Sky Sports were giving access to HMP Feltham
    • National BBC, regional ITV and the Manchester Evening News were giving access to HMP Styal
    • Evening Standard and London Live were giving access to HMP Isis
    • East Anglia Daily Times and regional BBC radio were giving access to HMP Hollesley Bay
    • Sky News were given access to HMP Ranby
    • ITV were given access to HMP Norwich