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  • Gerald Howarth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gerald Howarth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gerald Howarth on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance she has given to Ofsted on (a) respecting the religious ethos of faith schools and the legal framewirk governing them, (b) exemptions for faith schools under the Equality Act 2010 and (c) the requirements of the law governing assemblies and religious education.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    It is for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools to determine what advice or guidance inspectors need to inspect particular matters, drawing on relevant guidance that has been issued to schools by the Department for Education and on statutory requirements.

  • Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Arab Partnership Participation Fund will be used to help improve border security in Tunisia.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    In Financial Year 2015/16 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has widened the Arab Partnership Fund so that it will be possible to bid for funding for some rule of law projects in addition to those in the governance, participation and public voice areas. The funding bidding process for 2015/16 is currently underway and the final selection of projects will be determined by fair and open competition based on the relative merits of individual projects and the extent to which they support the delivery of the British Government’s policy in Tunisia. Government policy priorities in Tunisia include border security.

  • Gerry Sutcliffe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gerry Sutcliffe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gerry Sutcliffe on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers at local authority community schools have achieved Learning Outside the Classroom accreditation in each of the last 10 years.

    Mr David Laws

    The Learning Outside the Classroom accreditation is run by an independent organisation. The Department for Education does not collect information on which schools have achieved the accreditation or quality mark. Decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rightly rest with schools, individual teachers and heads, as they are in the best position to make judgements about their requirements to help their pupils achieve good outcomes.

  • Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what ministerial visits to Tunisia are planned for the coming 12 months.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), had been due to visit Tunisia in January 2015. His visit was postponed at the Tunisians’ request as they were still in the process of forming a government. We hope to visit at the earliest opportunity.

  • Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2014 to Question 217539, when he plans to publish (a) the Invitation to Quote for that contract including the Specification Requirements document, (b) details of the criteria against which suppliers were judged and (c) the invoice submitted for that work; and what the reasons are for the time taken to publish those documents.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The Cabinet Office contracted Engine Partners LLP to provide communications support work for the Scottish independence referendum. The relevant tender documents and contract are available on the UK Government’s transparency portal, Contracts Finder, on the following web page:

    https://online.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/Common/View%20Notice.aspx?site=1000&lang=en&NoticeId=1674856.

    Information about the costs of this work is already publicly available as part of our routine transparency publications at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-spend-data

    “

  • Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to increase the resources available to the United Kingdom Embassy in Tunis.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Staffing resources at our Embassy in Tunis have more than doubled since the 2011 revolution. An additional staff member is due to deploy later this year. We plan to focus programme resources on areas where the UK can offer unique comparative advantage, coordinating with other partners to maximise effect. Programme Fund budgets for future Financial Years are yet to be confirmed.

  • Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to devolve greater responsibilities to democratically elected county councils and county unitary authorities.

    Kris Hopkins

    The Government has always believed that local decision-making plays an essential role in building stronger local economies and communities and is open to discussions over possible offers from areas that are interested in greater devolution of powers. This basic principle of localism underpins the Government’s approach and is why programmes such as Growth Deals and Growing Places Fund have been made available to all local areas in England through Local Enterprise Partnerships.

    I also refer my hon. Friend to the Government’s publication, "The implications of devolution for England” (CM 8969) which outlines the views of both Coalition parties on the scope for greater decentralisation in England.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/implications-of-devolution-for-england

    “

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the call by the Prime Minister at the British Chambers of Commerce Conference on 10 February for salaries and wages in the private sector to be increased, whether they will now arrange for the caps on the salaries and wages of public sector employees to be lifted; and if not, why not.

    Lord Deighton

    The Chancellor announced at Autumn Statement 2011 that for the two years following the public sector pay freeze, public sector pay awards will average at 1 per cent. At Budget 2013 it was announced that awards in 2015-16 will be limited to an average of up to 1 per cent.

    The government has made no decisions on pay policy beyond 2015-16. Decisions on future pay policy will be made at the next spending round.

    Pay restraint is one of the many difficult choices the government has had to make to help put the UK’s public finances back on track. It is helping to protect jobs in the public sector and support the quality of public services.

  • and (4) the future of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.” – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    and (4) the future of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.” – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by and (4) the future of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.” on 2015-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the February 2015 meeting of the P5 Process”

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    I refer the noble Lord to the statement made on 12 February 2015 by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), which I repeated in the House of Lords, Official Report, column HLWS256; and to the attached joint statement issued by the P5 States after their conference in London on 4-5 February.

  • Tom Watson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Watson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2015 to Question 222434, what consideration his Department has given to deployment of the UK Reapers in storage for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance in Iraq.

    Mr Mark Francois

    As with all platforms and capabilities not deployed on operations, the deployment of additional Reaper aircraft currently in storage in the UK is kept under constant review.