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  • Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy that parents will retain the right to remain anonymous from the school in question when they object to a schools admission arrangements under the School Admissions Code after the forthcoming review of that code.

    Nick Gibb

    Regulations allow the Schools Adjudicator to withhold the name and address of a person making an objection to a school’s admission arrangements from the other parties to that objection. We have no plans to change this.

  • Stephen Pound – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Pound – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Pound on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding is available for learners formerly on the Youth Contract after the closure of that programme on 31 March 2016.

    Nick Boles

    The Education Funding Agency (EFA) managed Youth Contract for 16 and 17 year olds which ended on 31 March 2016, was introduced as a time-bound programme to help reduce the proportion of young people Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET). It offered targeted extra support to help young people re-engage in education and training.

    In addition to the duty on local authorities to support young people, pathfinders to test Jobcentre Plus support for young people in schools have started and will be rolled out across England by March 2017. Improvements to careers education and guidance are underway with £90m to be invested over this Parliament – including £20m to increase the number of mentors to support those young people who need it most. Youth Engagement Fund and Fair Chance Fund projects are underway to help improve the prospects of 9,600 young people and an additional £105m was announced in the spending review to scale up Social Impact Bonds over the Parliament, to help deal with issues including youth unemployment.

    Local authorities continue to work with the Voluntary and Community Sector and local businesses to support young people and other support is available via European Social Fund provision and support for vulnerable groups such as care leavers. As part of the Government’s forthcoming life chances strategy, the Troubled Families Programme and National Citizenship Scheme will be expanded, both of which include support for young people.

  • Adam Afriyie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Adam Afriyie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase entrepreneurship and business education in schools.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Entrepreneurship and business education are important components of both high quality careers education and guidance as well as a broad education offer for pupils.

    The careers statutory guidance places a responsibility on schools in England to offer pupils the opportunity to develop entrepreneurial skills and have access to advice on options available post-16, including entrepreneurship. While it is for schools to decide how best to provide entrepreneurship education, we know that contact with entrepreneurs themselves and businesses more widely is essential. That is why we are funding The Careers & Enterprise Company to increase the number and quality of contacts between young people and businesses, including entrepreneurs.

    We have revised the business GCSE, so that from September 2017 there is greater depth and breadth and a clearer focus on the overall purpose, features and workings of businesses and how to apply this knowledge in a business context.

  • Michael Dugher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Michael Dugher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Dugher on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Key Stage 1 children in (a) Barnsley East constituency, (b) Barnsley and (c) Yorkshire and the Humber were in classes of more than 30 children in the academic year beginning September (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2013, (iv) 2014 and (v) 2015.

    Nick Gibb

    Information about the number of pupils in infant classes with more than 30 pupils is available at school level in the underlying data of the ‘schools, pupils and their characteristics’ statistics.[1]

    Information on class sizes for the academic year beginning September 2015 is not yet available and is due to be released in June 2016.

    [1] Data from January 2011 is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2011 in the file called ‘School_level_classes_2011’ within the underlying data download

    Data from January 2012 is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2012 in the file called ‘School_level_classes_2012’ within the underlying data download

    Data from January 2013 is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2013 in the file called ‘School_level_classes_2013’ within the underlying data download

    Data from January 2014 is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2014 in the file called ‘SFR15_2014_school_level_classes_UD’ within the underlying data download.

    Data from January 2015 is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2015 in the file called ‘SFR16_2015_Schools_Classes_UD’ within the underlying data download.

    “

  • Michael Dugher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Michael Dugher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Dugher on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Key Stage 1 children in (a) Barnsley East constituency, (b) Barnsley local authority area and (c) Yorkshire and the Humber were in classes of more than 35 children in the academic year beginning September (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2013, (iv) 2014 and (v) 2015.

    Nick Gibb

    Information about the number of pupils in infant classes with more than 30 pupils is available at school level in the underlying data of the ‘schools, pupils and their characteristics’ statistics.[1]

    Information on class sizes for the academic year beginning September 2015 is not yet available and is due to be released in June 2016.

    [1] Data from January 2011 is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2011 in the file called ‘School_level_classes_2011’ within the underlying data download

    Data from January 2012 is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2012 in the file called ‘School_level_classes_2012’ within the underlying data download

    Data from January 2013 is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2013 in the file called ‘School_level_classes_2013’ within the underlying data download

    Data from January 2014 is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2014 in the file called ‘SFR15_2014_school_level_classes_UD’ within the underlying data download.

    Data from January 2015 is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2015 in the file called ‘SFR16_2015_Schools_Classes_UD’ within the underlying data download.

    “

  • Geraint Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Geraint Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geraint Davies on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the (a) timescale and (b) terms of reference are of the review referred to in paragraph 6.69 of the Educational excellence everywhere White Paper, Cm 9230, of what is happening in practice for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

    Edward Timpson

    The White Paper Educational Excellence Everywhere set out an intention to review what is happening in practice for all children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), not only those with statutory plans, and to review what more can be done to improve these children’s attainment, outcomes and experiences.

    This work is being taken forward internally and is informed by our ongoing dialogue and close working relationship with stakeholders.

  • Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Shuker on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to encourage the establishment of co-operative schools.

    Nick Gibb

    The Government’s ambition is to provide an excellent education for all, through an autonomous, self-improving system. Good co-operative schools with strong governance are and will continue to be a part of this system.

    As increasing numbers of schools are opting to become academies, we have worked with the Society for Co-operative Schools (SCS) to update our model articles of association for co-operative trusts. This will ensure that co-operative schools are able to convert to academy status and form multi-academy trusts (MATs) using a model based on robust governance structures that also reflects co-operative principles.

    The new co-operative model articles will be published shortly.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department’s definition is of a cyber act of war.

    Penny Mordaunt

    There is no set definition for an act of war, cyber or otherwise.

    An "act of war" and "armed conflict" are not defined within the Geneva Conventions. It is a matter of interpretation as to whether the threshold (within the context of surrounding circumstances) between a skirmish and a state of armed conflict has been crossed. Most cyber activity is criminal in nature. A key requirement to determining if there is an armed conflict taking place would be the deliberate intervention of members of a state’s armed forces.

    In determining if ‘cyber’ activity constitutes an armed attack, the UK view is that cyber-attacks can be considered as armed attacks if their consequences are essentially the same as those of a conventional kinetic attack. For example, theft of intellectual property would generally be considered to be a criminal act. However, if cyber-activity was performed on a scale which had sufficiently serious consequences for a developed economy, many States – including the UK – would likely regard this as an "armed attack".

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which of his Department’s contracts in the last five years used the largest proportion of British steel.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The largest defence equipment procurement project during this period has been the construction of the two Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers. Updated figures show that the vast majority of structural steel used, some 95,000 tonnes, was manufactured in the UK.

    In the main, defence requirements for steel are sourced by our prime contractors taking into account cost, time and quality. UK suppliers have made a significant and valuable contribution to the supply of steel for our major defence programmes. New Government guidelines, which have been implemented in the Ministry of Defence, will also help them compete for future defence projects.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what opportunities his Department offers to trainee soldiers aged under 18 to resit GCSEs as part of their elective personal development.

    Mark Lancaster

    Army junior entry training provides for educational opportunities up to the equivalent of AS level. The Army is ensuring that it remains aligned with ongoing changes in the state education sector and balancing these with the career development needs of its people and capability development requirements. All junior soldiers undertake a substantial education programme irrespective of their previous attainment and will progress in their functional skills, to be prepared better for employment whilst in service and beyond. In addition to its comprehensive provision of functional skills education, the Army is looking at the future provision of GCSE mathematics and English re-takes for those junior soldiers who narrowly miss the new Level 4 standard (currently A-C on the existing qualifications and credits framework), as well as other options to fulfil the academic potential of those already at the national GCSE standard.

    Opportunities to resit full GCSE qualifications while in standard entry initial training for under 18s are limited as the programme is intensive. However, within their training programme individuals do undertake functional skills, a programme of learning in English, mathematics and information and communication technology at either Levels 1 or 2 as appropriate.

    Following training, elective personal development opportunities are actively encouraged by the Army, including academic qualifications such as GCSEs, for which employer funding is available through the standard and enhanced learning credits schemes.