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  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many infraction proceedings the EU has initiated against his Department in each of the last 10 years; what the reasons were for each such proceeding being undertaken; and what the outcome was of each such proceeding.

    Mr David Lidington

    The information requested is publicly available on the website of the European Commission where the infringement cases for each member state can be found. This includes the infringement and the decision. These records go back to 2002 and can be found here: http://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringements-proceedings/infringement_decisions/?lang_code=en

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many infraction proceedings the EU has initiated against her Department in each of the last 10 years; what the reasons were for each such proceeding being undertaken; and what the outcome was of each such proceeding.

    George Eustice

    The information requested is publicly available on the website of the European Commission where the infringement cases for each member state can be found. This includes the infringement and the decision. These records go back to 2002 and can be found here: http://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringements-proceedings/infringement_decisions/?lang_code=en.

    “

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many infraction proceedings the EU has initiated against her Department in each of the last 10 years; what the reasons were for each such proceeding being undertaken; and what the outcome was of each such proceeding.

    Amber Rudd

    The information requested is publicly available on the website of the European Commission where the infringement cases for each member state can be found. This includes the infringement and the decision. These records go back to 2002 (though my department was only created in 2008) and can be found here.

    http://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringements-proceedings/infringement_decisions/?lang_code=en

    “

  • Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the effect of the potential exclusion of the contribution made to energy efficiency of the Warm Homes Discount Scheme on meeting the 2020 interim target on such efficiency using the fuel poverty efficiency rating methodology.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The fuel poverty energy efficiency rating used to measure progress towards the fuel poverty target in 2030 and interim milestones in 2020 and 2025 includes the contribution of the Warm Home Discount scheme towards that target as, whilst it is an energy bill rebate rather than an energy efficiency measure, this has a significant impact on the ability of a household to keep warm. We are currently consulting on the 2016/17 scheme and will be publishing our proposals for the design of the future Warm Home Discount scheme (from 2017 onwards) for consultation later this year.

  • Caroline Ansell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Caroline Ansell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Ansell on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to encourage the use of photovoltaic-generated electricity in Eastbourne constituency; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Government recognises the significant role that solar deployment under the Feed-in-Tariffs (FITs) has played in engaging non-energy professionals in the electricity market, and the role that small-scale generation can play in the future energy mix. We therefore decided to keep the FITs scheme open in order to support the solar industry on a path to subsidy-free deployment.

    Over 1,250 solar installations directly supported by FITs have been undertaken in the Eastbourne constituency, providing 4.4 MW of generating capacity.

    The new tariffs we’ve introduced will provide appropriate rates of return within a capped budget, encouraging further solar deployment whilst providing significantly better value for money to bill payers.

  • Caroline Ansell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Caroline Ansell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Ansell on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to support the solar industry in the South East; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Government recognises the significant role that solar deployment under the Feed-in-Tariffs (FITs) has played in engaging non-energy professionals in the electricity market, and the role that small-scale generation can play in the future energy mix. We therefore decided to keep the FITs scheme open in order to support the solar industry on a path to subsidy-free deployment.

    Some 91,000 solar installations directly supported by FITs have been undertaken in the South East, providing 425 MW of generating capacity.

    The new tariffs we’ve introduced will provide appropriate rates of return within a capped budget, encouraging further solar deployment whilst providing significantly better value for money to bill payers.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding was allocated to schools for supporting children with learning difficulties in (a) Corby constituency and (b) East Northamptonshire in each of the last three years.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Funding for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) is allocated to local authorities through the dedicated schools grant, which includes both funding to be delegated to mainstream schools, and funding for the additional costs associated with educating children and young people with high needs.

    Schools are funded through a formula set by their local authority, and local authorities are required to delegate funds to a level that enables schools to meet the additional cost of pupils with SEN up to £6,000 per annum. It is for individual schools to decide how they allocate their overall budget to ensure they meet the specific needs of children with learning difficulties.

    For those pupils whose additional support costs more than £6,000 the local authority pays top-up funding to the schools from their high needs budget. Top-up funding rates are for local authorities to agree with their schools.

    Northamptonshire County Council’s high needs allocation, within the dedicated schools grant, in each of the last three years was as follows:

    • 2013-14 – £64.37 million

    • 2014-15 – £65.74 million

    • 2015-16 – £66.32 million.

    We do not hold information on the total funding allocated by Northamptonshire County Council to schools in Corby and East Northamptonshire.

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many infraction proceedings the EU has initiated against her Department in each of the last 10 years; what the reasons were for each such proceeding being undertaken; and what the outcome was of each such proceeding.

    Nick Gibb

    The information requested is publicly available on the website of the European Commission where the infringement cases for each member state can be found. This includes the infringement and the decision. These records go back to 2002 and can be found here.

    http://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringements-proceedings/infringement_decisions/?lang_code=en

    “

  • Caroline Ansell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Caroline Ansell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Ansell on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers in the school system lacked Qualified Teacher Status in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

    Nick Gibb

    The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teachers without Qualified Teacher Status in service in state funded schools in England, November 2010 to 2014. November 2015 data will be available at the end of June.

    FTE number of teachers without QTS

    % of teachers without QTS

    2010

    16,700

    3.8

    2011

    16,100

    3.7

    2012

    16,000

    3.6

    2013

    16,600

    3.7

    2014

    20,300

    4.5

    Source: School Workforce Census

    Our recent White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, announced that we intend to replace the current arrangements for teacher qualification with a new, stronger accreditation that will be based on clear evidence of effective teaching practice. The new system will allow schools to employ as teachers individuals with appropriate qualifications and experience and put them on a pathway to full accreditation, recognising their proficiency in the classroom.

  • Caroline Ansell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Caroline Ansell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Ansell on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that schools make use of a broad curriculum in meeting their EBacc obligations under the new performance measures; and if she will make a statement.

    Nick Gibb

    All state-funded schools, including academies and free schools, must provide a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils. Ofsted inspectors examine whether schools are providing a broad and balanced curriculum which meets statutory requirements and the needs and interests of pupils.

    The EBacc has been designed to be limited in size to provide a rigorous academic core whilst leaving space in the curriculum for other subjects. On average, pupils in state-funded schools enter nine GCSEs and equivalent qualifications, rising to more than ten for more able pupils. For many pupils, taking the EBacc will mean taking seven GCSEs; and for those taking triple science, it will mean taking eight. This means that there will continue to be room for pupils to study other subjects.

    We set out our EBacc proposals in our consultation. We will respond to the consultation in due course.