The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-03-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will place a summary of how the UK’s energy interconnectors are funded in the Library.
Andrea Leadsom
Yes, I will be placing a copy in the Libraries of the House.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-03-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect of absorbing the EU emissions trading system tax on fossil fuels into the UK’s carbon price support tax for fossil fuels.
Amber Rudd
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.
The UK supports the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) as the best means of achieving the EU’s emissions reduction targets to 2030 and beyond at least cost for business and consumers, through a market-based approach. Emissions trading works better at the European level, creating a larger and more liquid market and a level playing field between Member States. The UK has been a consistent champion of the EU ETS and first piloted a national cap-and-trade scheme in 2002 before its launch. The UK has been at the forefront in securing recent measures to reform and strengthen the EU ETS, including securing EU agreement in September 2014 to a Market Stability Reserve to address the surplus of allowances in the system.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-03-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will commission independent research on the (a) economic, (b) environmental and (c) technical viability of building ultra-supercritical coal fired power stations in the UK.
Andrea Leadsom
Coal is the most carbon intensive form of electricity generation. I have no plans to commission independent research on the viability of building ultra-supercritical coal fired power stations in the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gerald Kaufman on 2016-03-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she intends to answer the letter dated 18 January 2016 from the Right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs M. Duran.
Nick Gibb
My Rt Hon Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, replied to the Rt Hon Member on 1 February 2016. I have arranged for a copy of the letter to be re-sent to his office.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that all primary school children are IT literate by the end of Key Stage 2.
Nick Gibb
The new computing curriculum, introduced in September 2014 and compulsory for ages 5-16, has a greater focus on how computers work including the basics of computer science as well as covering digital literacy and the application of information technology. In primary school, pupils will be looking at topics such as: creating and debugging programs; using technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content; and using technology safely, respectfully and responsibly. Through studying these topics, pupils are gaining insight into how the digital technologies that they use every day actually work, allowing them to become active creators, not just passive consumers.
The Government has spent more than £4.5 million over the past three years to support schools in delivering high quality computing teaching. This includes £3 million for Computing At School to build a national network of over 10 regional university centres and 300 ‘Master Teachers’ in Computer Science whom schools can commission to provide training for their teachers. A further £1 million was given to Computing At School to create online resources (Barefoot Computing) targeting primary school teachers specifically to help develop their computing subject knowledge, deliver in-school workshops, and set up computing self-help groups.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-03-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of how many schools in (a) rural and (b) non-rural areas will be unable to provide free school meals to qualifying children as a result of the discontinuation of the universal infant free meals small school support grant.
Mr Sam Gyimah
To help small schools with the transition to universal infant free school meals (UIFSM), we have paid them an extra £32.5m over two years, on top of general spending on the policy which amounts to around £600m a year. In the recent Spending Review we also protected funding for UIFSM at £2.30 a meal. We are not aware of any school that is unable to meet its statutory obligations to provide free school meals either to its infants or to older children in receipt of qualifying benefits.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-03-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2015 to Question 13645, whether she plans to include young people in her Department’s direct consultation with stakeholders on PSHE and SRE.
Edward Timpson
The Department regularly speaks to a wide range of interested parties and will continue to do so regarding personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education and sex and relationship education (SRE), including those who represent the views of young people.
The Secretary of State wrote to the ESC in February 2016 stating that the Department will continue to keep the status of PSHE in the curriculum under review. We will continue to work with headteachers, PSHE practitioners and other experts to identify further action the Government can take to ensure that all pupils receive high quality, appropriate PSHE and SRE.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-03-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to ensure that adequate ring-fenced funding is provided to local authorities so they can successfully deliver the Government’s childcare provision targets.
Mr Sam Gyimah
We have already announced over £1bn more for the early years entitlements within the ring-fenced Dedicated Schools Grant by 2019-20, which includes £300m to uplift the funding rate to providers. The increase to the funding rate is based on robust evidence from the Review of the Cost of Childcare. We have made clear our commitment to maximise the amount of this funding which reaches front line childcare providers, and will consult on proposals for achieving this as part of our consultation on early years funding reform later this year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2016 to Question 27312, what proportion of children whose Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire score has suggested that there may be a problem have subsequently been assessed further.
Edward Timpson
The Department for Education and Department of Health strengthened the statutory guidance Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked after children[1] in March 2015 to include information on how Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQs) should be used. The Department wrote to local authorities in 2014 and 2015 to remind them about the purpose and importance of SDQs. Ahead of this year’s data collection (published in September 2016), the Department will also write to Virtual School Heads and Independent Reviewing Officers about the use of SDQs for looked-after children. In addition we are considering how to utilise best practice from local authorities that have had consistently good return rates for SDQ scores in their annual children looked after data returns to the Department.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2016 to Question 27312, what steps she has taken to reduce the proportion of children and young people entering the care system who have not had their Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire score submitted.
Edward Timpson
The Department for Education and Department of Health strengthened the statutory guidance Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked after children[1] in March 2015 to include information on how Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQs) should be used. The Department wrote to local authorities in 2014 and 2015 to remind them about the purpose and importance of SDQs. Ahead of this year’s data collection (published in September 2016), the Department will also write to Virtual School Heads and Independent Reviewing Officers about the use of SDQs for looked-after children. In addition we are considering how to utilise best practice from local authorities that have had consistently good return rates for SDQ scores in their annual children looked after data returns to the Department.
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