The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Reevell on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the geographical spread in the UK of the bacterium melissococcus plutonius.
Dan Rogerson
The bacterium is widespread across England and Wales. A recently completed two-year random survey of 4,600 apiaries estimated Melissococcus plutonius as being present in 1.6% in Year 1 (2009/10) and 1.3% in Year 2 (2010/11).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Weir on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many tonnes of carbon dioxide were displaced by onshore wind electricity generation in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) Scotland and (d) Wales in the latest year for which figures are available.
Michael Fallon
Provisional 2013 data show that 11.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide were displaced by onshore wind electricity generation in the UK. DECC does not publish a breakdown of electricity generated by onshore wind for each constituent country so carbon dioxide savings are only available for the UK as a whole.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he is taking to encourage the use of smart meters; and if he will make a statement.
Gregory Barker
The Government’s vision is for every home and smaller businesses in Great Britain to have smart electricity and gas meters by the end of 2020. In December 2012, the Department published the smart meter Consumer Engagement Strategy which sets out the approach to how domestic and non-domestic consumers will be encouraged to use smart meters to take control of their energy – helping them to save energy and money.
Energy suppliers will have the primary consumer engagement role as they are the main interface with consumers before, during and after installation. Supplier engagement will be supported by a programme of centralised engagement undertaken by a Central Delivery Body (CDB), which the larger energy suppliers were required to set up in June 2013.
The Department also has a continuing role in consumer engagement. For example, we are working with stakeholders, such as third-sector organisations, in engaging consumers, and ensuring that accurate information on smart meters is available online.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support he plans to give schools which have no kitchen facilities and are unable to build such facilities because of financial constraints, and which cannot have meals delivered from other local schools, to enable them to provide free school meals for infant children; and if he will make a statement.
Mr David Laws
The Government is providing £150 million capital funding in 2014-15 to support the introduction of universal infant free school meals, in addition to over £1 billion additional revenue funding over the two years 2014 to 2016. Local authorities are also free to use some of the capital they receive for general maintenance and improvement purposes to upgrade kitchen and dining facilities in schools, if that is a priority locally.
The pilots of universal free school meal provision which ran in Newham and Durham between 2009 and 2011 showed, however, that building new facilities is not the only way to increase school meal uptake.
To help schools to find solutions which meet their local circumstances, on 6 March we launched a national support service which consists of a telephone and online advice service for schools, local authorities and caterers, and a direct-support service for schools which need additional support. The service is being provided by school food experts, the Children’s Food Trust and the Lead Association for Catering in Education, in conjunction with a number of delivery partners. More information is available at: http://www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/Root/schools/schoolfoodplan
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2014, Official Report, column 789-90W, on special educational needs, what support his Department is providing to Nasen.
Mr Edward Timpson
The Department for Education is providing funding of £918,000 to Nasen over two years to develop a special educational needs (SEN) gateway. This will provide professionals with access to free high-quality SEN resources and training materials to support children with SEN and disabilities.
The gateway will be designed primarily for educational professionals in schools, colleges and other educational settings rather than for parents, although they will be able access the gateway. It is due to be launched in May 2014.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2014, Official Report, column 191W, on special edcuational needs, which local authorities will trial the First-Tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) pilots.
Mr Edward Timpson
We have not yet selected the local authorities for the pilot.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2014, Official Report, columns 789-90, on special educational needs, when he expects the special educational needs (SEN) gateway will be available for all parents of SEN children.
Mr Edward Timpson
The Department for Education is providing funding of £918,000 to Nasen over two years to develop a special educational needs (SEN) gateway. This will provide professionals with access to free high-quality SEN resources and training materials to support children with SEN and disabilities.
The gateway will be designed primarily for educational professionals in schools, colleges and other educational settings rather than for parents, although they will be able access the gateway. It is due to be launched in May 2014.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Gibb on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2014, Official Report, column 205W, on primary education: admissions, and of 6 March 2014, Official Report, column 904W, on academies, regarding primary school admissions from nursery schools, if he will make it his policy to reject the Chief Schools Adjudicator’s recommendation to issue further guidance for admission authorities and instead amend the admissions code to enable primary schools to create all-through primary schools that include the years prior to reception.
Mr David Laws
The School Admissions Code does not prevent a school from becoming an all-through primary school for children aged 2 or 3 to age 11. It does, however, prevent schools from giving priority for reception places to children who have been admitted to the nursery class unless they can do so fairly and without disadvantaging children whose parents choose other forms of early education.
Ministers are considering the Chief Schools Adjudicator’s recommendation that they issue further guidance for admission authorities so that there is fair access to schools for all children.
We take fair access very seriously but also want to explore the incentives for schools to use their expertise to enhance early years education.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Corbyn on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to publish statutory guidance on careers advice.
Matthew Hancock
The revised statutory guidance “Careers guidance and inspiration in schools” was published on 10 April.
Effective from September 2014, the guidance sets a clear framework for schools with a focus on preparation for work and high ambitions for every student. This important guidance will encourage schools to build links with employers to inspire and mentor pupils, helping them to develop high aspirations and realise their potential.
Non-statutory departmental advice has also been published containing examples of schools that already offer innovative careers guidance.
Copies of both documents have been placed in the House Library and can be found at www.gov.uk/government/publications/careers-guidance-for-young-people-in-schools
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the names and causes of death of all UK service personnel who died in the course of or in connection with operations in Northern Ireland between 1969 and 2007.
Mr Mark Francois
A definitive central list of those Service personnel who lost their lives on operations in Northern Ireland between 1969 and 2007 has not been formally produced to date, though the respective regimental or service histories and records are available, together with Defence’s central data and the Armed Forces Memorial lists maintained by the tri-Service Joint Casualty and Compassionate Cell. The Department intends to produce a single centrally collated document in due course, however, which will be made available through gov.uk once complete.