The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-11-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of references of families to the Troubled Families programme have been the result of schools expressing concerns that children are not receiving sufficient food at home since April 2015.
Greg Clark
My Department does not hold this information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) social and (b) affordable housing tenants who will be affected by planned caps on housing benefit in the social sector in (i) 2018-19, (ii) 2019-20 and (iii) 2020-21.
Justin Tomlinson
The introduction of Local Housing Allowance limits to social sector tenants in receipt of Housing Benefit or the Universal Credit houisng element will only apply from April 2018, where new tenancies have been taken out or renewed after April 2016.
Tenants who take on a new tenancy or renew a tenancy will have the opportunity to consider whether they can afford to take on the property before committing to it. Because of the element of choice is it not possible to accurately estimate the number of (a) social and (b) affordable housing tenants who will be affected by this measure.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2015-11-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many faults have been found aboard HMS (a) Astute, (b) Ambush and (c) Artful since it left dry dock.
Mr Philip Dunne
The process for reporting and assessing deficiencies against the material state of a submarine does not use the definition of a fault. The material state of a submarine is formally assessed at the end of each maintenance period. In the time in between maintenance periods, Ship’s Staff report changes to this assessed material state using the Operational Defect reporting process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Lewis on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which individual ships will fulfil the roles currently carried out by HMS Ocean when she is withdrawn from service; and what numbers of (a) amphibious forces and (b) helicopters are carried by (i) HMS Ocean and (ii) the substitute ships.
Mr Philip Dunne
As stated in the Strategic Defence and Security Review (Cm9161), we will enhance a Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carrier to support our amphibious capability. Together with existing amphibious ships of the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, this will provide the capacity and capability to deploy our amphibious forces.
HMS OCEAN can carry up to 690 Embarked Military Forces (EMF) – Royal Marines and Aviation Group personnel – in addition to her ship’s company. She can deploy a variety of helicopter types in multiple combinations as required by her mission and role.
The QEC aircraft carriers can embark up to 900 EMF, in addition to their ship’s company, in support of their missions and tasks and a flexible mix of helicopters subject to the operational tasking.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many non-compliant cases the Child Support Agency has closed under its 1993 and 2003 statutory schemes’ closing process.
Priti Patel
As at October 2015, 110 non-compliant cases have been closed as part of the CSA case closure programme.
Notes:
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the history curriculum in state schools is comprised of British history.
Nick Gibb
All young people should, as part of a broad and balanced education, acquire a firm grasp of the history of the country in which they live, and learn how different events and periods relate to each other. That is why the history curriculum, taught in maintained schools for key stages 1 to 3 from September 2014, sets out, within a clear chronological framework, the core knowledge that will enable pupils to know and understand the history of Britain from its first settlers to the development of the institutions that help to define our national life today.
The new GCSE content criteria require a minimum of 40 per cent British history, an increase from the 25 per cent required under the previous GCSE. The A level content criteria require a minimum of 20 per cent British history. The new GCSE will be taught from 2016, with first examination in 2018. The new A level has been taught since September 2015, with first examination in 2017.
Alongside geography, history is one of the two subjects in the humanities pillar of the EBacc. The EBacc consists of the core group of subjects that provide a rigorous academic education and the government’s goal is that, in time, 90 per cent of pupils will enter GCSEs in the EBacc subjects. The numbers studying GCSE history had been stagnant for a decade before the introduction of the EBacc. With the introduction of the EBac performance measures the proportion of the cohort entered for history in state fundedschools has risen from 30 per cent of pupils in 2010 to a provisional figure of 40 per cent in 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2015-11-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 10 November (HL3150) about littering, when they expect to (1) start, and (2) complete, the process of seeking the views of local authorities about the size of the fine, the form and content of the penalty notice and exemptions to the keeper’s liability, and other details that need to be finalised before they implement section 54 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
As set out in our manifesto, we will review the case for increasing the fines for littering, and will begin a consultation on this later this year. The outcome of this work will inform the potential level of any civil penalty for littering from a vehicle.
We plan to begin working with councils early next year to understand better their current enforcement practices and resources, and the barriers to effective enforcement. This will help us to consider the practicalities of implementation of any new regulatory approach (including any necessary exemptions to keepers’ liability). It will also help us to assess the new burdens on councils that would be associated with establishing a new civil penalties regime. Appropriate funding to cover any new burdens would have to be agreed before any regulations can be made.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with representatives of the shipping industry on the proposed referendum on membership of the EU.
Mr David Lidington
The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation of the UK’s EU membership. We have been keeping Parliament informed of our progress and engaging with a range of stakeholders, including business. We are not aware of any approaches made directly from shipping industry representatives.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the action that could be taken to assist freedom of expression in Egypt and Turkey; and what assessment they have made of whether fair criticism would improve the economy and the quality of government in each country.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
More political progress is essential for Egypt’s long-term stability. This includes freedom of the press, as well as freedom of expression in all its forms. We also want to see better protection of Egyptians’ constitutional rights and more space for non-governmental organisations and civil society. Ministers and officials regularly raise our concerns with their Egyptian counterparts. When the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), met President Sisi on 5 November they spoke about the need for political progress in Egypt as the essential foundation for Egypt’s long-term stability. For further details of our assessment I am attaching relevant extracts from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s 2013 and 2014 Human Rights and Democracy Reports.
We regularly underline the importance of all fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression,with the Turkish government. The EU’s 2015 Annual Progress Report on Turkey highlighted that the high turnout in elections this year were a clear sign of the strength of Turkish democracy, and that the Turkish economy is well advanced, while recognising that Turkey needs to do more to meet EU standards through continuing to reform, particularly in the areas of fundamental rights and rule of law. Active and credible accession negotiations remain the best way for Turkey to make further progress.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure there are enough neonatal nurses to enable neonatal units to meet markers of good practice 2.2.5, 2.2.6 and 2.2.7 in the Toolkit for High Quality Neonatal Services, published by the NHS and his Department in October 2009.
Ben Gummer
A key standard set out within NHS England’s service specification for specialised neonatal critical care is that hospitals trusts who do not meet the staffing levels recommended by the British Association of Perinatal Medicine, must be working towards an agreed plan with their respective Regional Specialised Commissioning Teams to meet and maintain the nurse staffing levels in line with the Department’s Toolkit for High Quality Neonatal Services.
The increasing demand for neonatal care has resulted in additional challenges for some trusts in meeting the recommended nurse to patient ratios. However, 71 (54%) of the 131 neonatal critical care services now meet required staffing ratios and NHS England Regional Specialised Services Commissioning Teams continue to work with their respective hospital trusts to improve this situation.