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  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 3.35 of Educational excellence everywhere, Cm 9230, what powers she has to require local authority maintained schools to provide details of everyone involved in governance for a new database; and when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to bar unsuitable individuals from being governors of maintained schools.

    Edward Timpson

    The Education Act 2002 gives the Secretary of State the power to give guidance to maintained schools governing bodies about their constitution. She also has a number of other information gathering powers in legislation. We expect to use this combination to make provision for the database by 1 September 2016. We also intend to bring forward legislation on barring unsuitable individuals from being governors of maintained schools at the earliest opportunity.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 3.35 of Educational excellence everywhere, Cm 9230, if she will issue guidance on levels of remuneration for non-executive academy trust directors.

    Edward Timpson

    Academy trusts are independent charities and must comply with charity law. This means that trust directors can only receive payment for carrying out trustee duties with Charity Commission authorisation.

    The Charity Commission will only authorise payment to academy trustees where it has been clearly shown to be in the charity’s interests. They will consider issues such as the reasons for payment, whether conflicts of interests are managed appropriately, whether the Principal Regulator (for academies this is the Secretary of State for Education) is agreeable and whether payment of any trustees is in the longer-term interests of the charity. These arrangements are set out in the Department’s Governance Handbook, available on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/governance-handbook. It is up to trusts to decide on the level of any such remuneration.

    Academy trusts operate under a robust accountability system which holds them to account for the results they achieve and their use of resources. This includes a requirement to publish audited accounts each year allowing the wider public chance to hold academy trusts to account to help make sure that spend is securing better outcomes for pupils.

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  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 3.30 of Educational excellence everywhere, Cm 9230, when she plans to amend the academy articles of association models to remove the requirement for new academy trusts and school governing boards to elect parent governors; and if she will take steps to enable existing academies to make that change.

    Edward Timpson

    The model articles of association give multi-academy trust (MAT) boards the freedom to appoint a local governing body. The board is also free to decide on what, if any, governance functions they delegate to subsidiary governance structures at the level of either individual schools or clusters of schools. Whatever arrangements MATs use, they must set out and publish on their website their chosen arrangements in a clear scheme of delegation.

    The White Paper Educational Excellence Everywhere outlines our intention to place a new expectation on all academies to put in place specific arrangements to engage with all parents in a meaningful way to listen to their views and feedback. To enable a move to fully skills-based governance, the White Paper also announces an end to our requirement on new and existing trusts to reserve places on the board for elected parents.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Ministry of Defence Police stations there were in each of the last six years.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) do not have any designated police stations as defined by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.The MDP work collaboratively with Home Office forces, Police Scotland and Police Service Northern Ireland in locations where the force is deployed.

    The MDP has regularly collaborated to provide support to national police operations. However the information requested will take time to collate and I will write to the hon. Member shortly.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with which suppliers his Department has contracted to provide steel for construction of the Successor submarine.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    BAE Systems (BAES) is the prime contractor for the majority of the Successor programme. As prime contractor, BAES will sub-contract suppliers of steel and related services.

    Separately, Missile Tubes for the Common Missile Compartment are being produced jointly with the US and steel procurement will be carried out by US contractor General Dynamics Electric Boat.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support Air Cadet Unit: 6 Romford Squadron and ensure it is not adversely affected by the reduction in the number of volunteer gliding squadrons; and what steps he is taking to provide adequate resources to volunteer gliding squadrons and ensure the increase in cadet units under their control does not result in a reduction in gliding training time per unit.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    6F (Romford) Squadron Air Training Corps will continue to be affiliated to 614 Volunteer Gliding Squadron (VGS) .

    I refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave on 18 April 2016 to oral Question 904503 to the hon. Member for Southend West (Sir David Amess).

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to secure the long-term sustainable future of the Air Cadet Organisation and to encourage active participation in air cadet organisations.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    The RAF remains fully committed to the Air Cadet Organisation and have pledged funding in the region of £300 million over the next 10 years. This demonstrates the RAF’s full and continued support to this world class youth organisation.

    All Air Cadet gliding was suspended in 2014 as a result of serious concerns over safety in the fleet. Following this extended pause, the Air Training Corps is restructuring Air Cadet Gliding, refocusing the resource on investing for the future Volunteer Gliding Squadrons and Air Experience Flights as well as building a much improved infrastructure. Where cadets have to travel longer distances, investment is being increased to include good quality residential accommodation for both cadets and staff allowing weekends and camps to take place. Glider experience will also be complemented by increased simulator opportunities on part task trainers.

    Air Cadet gliding will emerge more resilient in the long run thanks to this reorganisation, and we will get back to a position where all cadets across the country have flying and gliding opportunities every year. Furthermore, the Air Training Corps is engaged in the Cadet Expansion Programme which seeks to increase the number of cadet units in schools by March 2020.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to encourage interest in aviation and the Royal Air Force among young people.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    The Royal Air Force (RAF) engages in a number of ways to encourage interest in aviation and the RAF among young people including through its investment in the Air Cadet Organisation. In addition, the RAF Youth Engagement Programme is designed to raise awareness of aviation and aerospace, and their relevance to RAF career choices which require STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) qualifications. The programme runs a number of STEM days in schools and at cadet gatherings all over the country. In addition there are a number of residential placements for students and cadets that bring together hands-on engineering projects with face-to-face engagement with real-life aviators and engineers in the RAF.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the drop out rate for army recruit training was in 2015.

    Mark Lancaster

    The average rate of those leaving the Regular Army during recruit training in 2015 was 28%. This figure is for untrained Regular Army personnel only, and therefore excludes Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service, Mobilised Reserves, Army Reserve and all other Reserves.

    For information relating to Army Reserve training rates, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Reserves (Mr Brazier) on 8 March 2016 to Question 29128 to the hon. Member for Islington South and Finsbury (Ms Thornberry).

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress has been made on the construction and procurement of HMS Prince of Wales and the accompanying aircraft for both Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The construction, test and commissioning of HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and HMS PRINCE OF WALES continues in Rosyth. Around 80% of the structure of HMS PRINCE OF WALES has been built, and she will be structurally complete this summer. Aircraft will continue to be purchased incrementally, as part of a coherent build-up of capability, and we remain on track to deliver an Initial Operating Capability in the Carrier Strike role from 2020.