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  • (2) shared temporary or longer-term ownership – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    (2) shared temporary or longer-term ownership – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by (2) shared temporary or longer-term ownership on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Sajid Javid, on 11 April (HC Deb, col 50) on the steel industry that they are looking at the possibility of co-investing with a buyer on commercial terms”

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Co-investment means offers of Government support on commercial terms. Examples of where private investment and public support have worked effectively include the Green Investment Bank and the British Business Bank. The formal process for the sale of Tata Steel’s remaining UK assets commenced on 11 April and we do not yet know what support any potential investor might require. The Government will consider all options to see steel making continue, and stands ready to engage with commercial investors on a package of support, on commercial terms, to help ensure the long term future of our steel industry.

    That is why on 21 April, the Government announced that a package of support worth hundreds of millions of pounds will be made available to potential buyers on commercial terms to support the ongoing operation and deliver long term investment in the future of the business. We will also consider support in other areas such as plant, pensions and power supply, and any other areas that potential buyers believe the Governments can provide support.

  • – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, with reference to the statement in their pamphlet Why the Government believes that voting to remain in the European Union is the best decision for the UK that the UK has secured a special status in a reformed EU”

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The settlement reached in February, as set out in the 22 February 2016 White Paper “The Best of Both Worlds: the United Kingdom’s Special Status in a Reformed European Union,” secures the UK’s objectives for reform. The settlement covers four key areas: economic governance; competitiveness; sovereignty; and welfare and free movement. It gives the UK a special status within the EU, as well as setting the EU as a whole on a path of long-term reform.

  • Lord Watson of Richmond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Watson of Richmond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Watson of Richmond on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the concerns highlighted by Fellows of the Royal Society and Cambridge academics about the impact on science if the UK were to leave the EU.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

  • Lord Watson of Invergowrie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Watson of Invergowrie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Watson of Invergowrie on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the concerns expressed by the National Farmers Union and the Country Land and Business Association regarding the prospective loss of funding and access to markets to British agriculture in the event of the UK leaving the EU; and whether they have planned any measures in such an event.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funding they have put in place to ensure that the parents of special needs students do not feel that home-schooling is their only option.

    Lord Nash

    The Government’s intention is to make sure that the education system offers every child or young person with special educational needs the support they need to achieve their full potential. The department allocates funding to meet the special educational needs of children and young people through the dedicated schools grant to local authorities, and equivalent funding to academies. Most of this funding goes to mainstream schools and academies: each local authority’s school funding formula takes into account the characteristics of the schools’ students, enabling schools to provide appropriate support to those who have special educational needs. Additional funding (£5.3 billion in 2016-17) is made available to enable local authorities to meet their responsibilities to secure suitable provision for children and young people with high needs. Most of this funding is allocated to mainstream and special schools.

    In addition, the department has invested heavily in practical and financial support for implementation of the reforms introduced by the Children and Families Act 2014, including an extra £80 million which is being made available in 2016-17. This includes support to help parents with the new arrangements, to make sure that they know what options are available to them, and can be involved in the assessment of their children’s needs and decisions about the provision to meet those needs. To ensure these new arrangements are working, from May 2016, all local areas (both local authorities and health providers) will be subject to inspection on support and provision for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disaibility by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to increase oversight of or the level of responsibility in home-schooling in the light of the 40 per cent rise in home-schooled students of secondary-school age over the last three years.

    Lord Nash

    I refer the Lord Storey to the answer to parliamentary question HL6799, submitted to Parliament on 14 March 2016, which states that:

    “Some local authorities maintain voluntary registers of children educated at home but as they have no statutory basis, they cannot be regarded as an authoritative source of data.”

    We continue to receive representations from local authorities and other stakeholders on this subject, but at present the responsibilities of parents and local authorities remain as in previous years.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what penalties are in place for higher education institutions that knowingly accept UK student fee status for students who hold British passports, but whose parents have not paid tax in the UK for past five years, and whose education is shown to have taken place overseas.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    Higher education institutions have discretion to charge a student who is not eligible for home fee status whatever fee they deem appropriate, including the same fee as they charge students who have home fee status.

    The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) allocates funding to HE institutions, to cover some of the teaching costs of students who are eligible for home fees status and studying high cost subjects. The Council monitors the student number data of all institutions, to ensure they receive only the funding to which they are entitled. HEFCE has powers to withhold funding from any institution which has received funding for which it is not eligible.

    Student Finance England is responsible for assessing students’ eligibility for financial support. It can only award support to students who satisfy the eligibility criteria in full. The fee a student is paying is not considered in this assessment.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what tools are available to the Inland Revenue to ensure that local employees at foreign embassies in London pay their tax, apart from individuals voluntarily registering for Self Assessment.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    HM Revenue and Customs have a specialist team to deal with the tax affairs of locally engaged staff employed at foreign embassies and International organisations in the UK. The team is tasked with ensuring that these employees pay the appropriate tax and National Insurance.

  • Baroness Rawlings – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Baroness Rawlings – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Rawlings on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what contingency plans they have to repatriate the British Art Collection from the European Parliament in the event that the UK votes to leave the EU.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

  • Lord Palmer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the The Lord Chairman of Committees

    Lord Palmer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the The Lord Chairman of Committees

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Chairman of Committees why the refurbishment of the toilets outside the Cholmondeley Room has not yet been completed; and when it is expected to be completed.

    Lord Laming

    The works are due to be completed before June 2016. Alternative facilities are available down the corridor, which are signposted. The refurbishment of these toilets includes replacement of worn and damaged fixtures, and addressing a number of issues including drainage and ventilation. The Administration and Works Committee is received regular updates on progress.