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  • Viscount Ridley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Viscount Ridley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Viscount Ridley on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the finding of the report An Unholy Mess, published by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association last year, that a significant number of religiously selective schools have not conducted proper consultations on their admission arrangements, and in many cases have not published any information about their arrangements.

    Lord Nash

    Many of the findings of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and British Humanist Association echo those reported by the Chief Schools Adjudicator in her Annual Report for the 2013/14 school year.

    Admission authorities for all state-funded schools, including schools with a religious designation, are required to comply with the mandatory provisions of the School Admissions Code and other admissions law.

    Where an objection is made to the Schools Adjudicator, if the arrangements are found to be unfair or fail to comply with the Code, the admission authority must make changes to ensure their arrangements are compliant. Where an admission authority fails to implement decisions of the adjudicator, the Secretary of State may direct the admission authority to do so.

    We continue to keep the Code under review, and, where we consider any changes are necessary to make the admissions system work more effectively for parents, these will be subject to a full public consultation.

  • Viscount Ridley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Viscount Ridley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Viscount Ridley on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the finding of the report An Unholy Mess, published by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association last year, that a number of religiously selective schools have asked parents for information about their occupational, marital, and financial status as part of the admissions process, and whether they consider this to be acceptable.

    Lord Nash

    Many of the findings of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and British Humanist Association echo those reported by the Chief Schools Adjudicator in her Annual Report for the 2013/14 school year.

    Admission authorities for all state-funded schools, including schools with a religious designation, are required to comply with the mandatory provisions of the School Admissions Code and other admissions law.

    Where an objection is made to the Schools Adjudicator, if the arrangements are found to be unfair or fail to comply with the Code, the admission authority must make changes to ensure their arrangements are compliant. Where an admission authority fails to implement decisions of the adjudicator, the Secretary of State may direct the admission authority to do so.

    We continue to keep the Code under review, and, where we consider any changes are necessary to make the admissions system work more effectively for parents, these will be subject to a full public consultation.

  • Lord Lansley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Lansley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lansley on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they intend to make permanent the restriction on HGVs overtaking between Junctions 9 and 10 of the M11, following the trial.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    There are currently no restrictions on HGVs overtaking between Junctions 9 and 10 of the M11 and there are no plans to introduce restrictions. A permanent overtaking restriction on the uphill sections of the M11 between Junctions 8 and 9 is planned to be implemented in late 2016/17 subject to the completion of statutory processes and the availability of funding.

  • Lord Lansley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Lansley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lansley on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many local authorities with a social care responsibility have made local authority-funded care available for those with less than substantial care needs, in each of the last five years.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The following table shows where local authorities set their local eligibility criteria within the eligibility framework set out in the statutory guidance Prioritising Need in the Context of Putting People First: A whole system approach to eligibility for social care.

    Critical

    Substantial

    Moderate

    Low

    2010/11*

    –

    –

    –

    –

    2011/12

    3

    121

    25

    3

    2012/13

    3

    127

    19

    3

    2013/14

    3

    130

    16

    3

    2014/15**

    –

    –

    –

    –

    Source: ADASS Budget Survey

    * Data not collected

    ** Data not published

    The Care Act 2014 provides the power for Secretary of State to set national eligibility criteria. The national criteria are set out in the Care and Support (Eligibility Criteria) Regulations 2015, which were implemented in April 2015. The national eligibility threshold is set at a level where an adult’s needs have a significant impact on their wellbeing. Local authorities cannot tighten eligibility above this threshold, but they can choose to meet needs below this threshold.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Leader of the House when was the most recent time that she gave guidance to the Northern Ireland Office on the importance of answering parliamentary written questions in full, providing all the information requested.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    As Leader of the House, I regularly stress to departments the importance of giving full and timely answers to Questions for Written Answer. The content of each answer is a matter for the Minister concerned, and each Minister is responsible to the House for the answers they provide. That direct accountability is important: that is why Ministers in this House must provide personally signed answers to members.

    The Ministerial Code says that “It is of paramount importance that Ministers give accurate and truthful information to Parliament”. It also makes clear that “Ministers should be as open as possible with Parliament and the public, refusing to provide information only when disclosure would not be in the public interest”. In addition, there is a longstanding rule of this House that all answers should be complete and comprehensible. I shall continue to make this guidance clear to all Ministers.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government on how many occasions information has been requested under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 concerning meetings of the North/South Ministerial Council Secretariat set up as a result of the Belfast Agreement 1998; whether each request was granted, and if not, why not.

    Lord Dunlop

    The Northern Ireland Office has not received any Freedom of Information requests concerning meetings of the North/South Ministerial Council Secretariat set up as a result of the Belfast Agreement 1998.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what meetings under the Belfast Agreement 1998 can be attended by members of the public.

    Lord Dunlop

    Meetings between the UK Government, Irish Government and Northern Ireland political parties, such as those which took place that led to the Fresh Start Agreement, are held in accordance with the three-stranded approach established by the Belfast Agreement. Such political talks are held in private but are attended by representative politicians.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what occasions the government of the Republic of Ireland reported on its implementation of the Belfast Agreement 1998 in the areas of human rights, equality and parity of esteem in the Republic; what were the dates of those occasions; where any such meetings took place; who attended those meetings; and what conclusions were reached.

    Lord Dunlop

    The UK and Irish Governments meet regularly at ministerial and official level to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern. These include matters relating to the implementation of the Agreements which underpin the political settlement in Northern Ireland.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether, under the Belfast Agreement 1998, which underlined equality and parity of esteem for Irish and Ulster Scots languages, both languages are treated in an equal way, and of the causes of any inequalities that that assessment has identified.

    Lord Dunlop

    Her Majesty’s Government has not made an assessment of whether, under the Belfast Agreement, both Irish and Ulster Scots languages are treated in an equal way. The Northern Ireland Executive has responsibility for issues relating to Irish and Ulster Scots in Northern Ireland under the terms of the devolution settlement.

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in devolving transport powers to local authorities, it is their intention also to grant authorities the power to implement part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 so that they become responsible for tackling rising congestion and poor air quality or urban roads, and to promote more efficient bus operation.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Government will continue to work with local authorities to consider whether there are powers that would be appropriate to devolve as part of their devolution deals.