Tag: 2015

  • Tristram Hunt – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Tristram Hunt – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tristram Hunt on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the residence requirements are for (a) existing right-to-buy entitlements and (b) the proposed extension of right-to-buy to housing association tenants for (i) non-EU foreign nationals, (ii) EU foreign nationals and (iii) UK citizens.

    Brandon Lewis

    Before 2006 all applicants for Government supported home ownership had to have indefinite leave to remain in the UK. The last Labour Government changed these rules in 2006.

    Subject to EU Treaty negotiation, we will introduce a residency test for social housing, requiring European Economic Area nationals to have lived in the UK for 4 years. This means that European Economic Area nationals would not be eligible for Right to Buy until they had lived in this country for a minimum of seven years.

    A tenant must have had a public sector tenancy within the UK for three years before qualifying for Right to Buy.

  • Poulter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Poulter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Poulter on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take to require social landlords to improve the energy efficiency of their housing stock.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department for Communities and Local Government does not provide any specific guidance to private registered providers of social housing on energy efficiency of social housing stock. I would expect private registered providers to look at all opportunities for efficiencies.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how the construction of a new Royal Navy facility in Bahrain will further assist UK forces operating in the Middle East to resolve the conflicts there in which they are currently engaged.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The new National Support Facility at Mina Salman Port in Bahrain will provide a permanent expansion of the Ministry of Defence’s presence in the Gulf. The enhanced facilities will provide better support for ships on operations, training, equipment storage and multi-purpose accommodation for Service personnel. The agreement with Bahrain reflects the UK’s and Bahrain’s joint determination to maintain regional security and stability in the face of enduring and emerging regional challenges.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what representations the UK has made to other NATO member states on committing two per cent of their gross domestic product to defence.

    Michael Fallon

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell) to Question 13408 on 30 October 2015.

  • Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the time taken to introduce Education Health Care Plans; and if she will make a statement.

    Edward Timpson

    Special Educational Needs (SEN) advisers within the Department are in regular contact with local authorities, to provide them with support as they implement our reforms to the system for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

    These reforms were introduced in September 2014. Since October 2013, local authorities and parents have taken part in termly surveys, to provide their views on the preparation and implementation of these reforms. These surveys asked for feedback on various issues, such as the transition of children and young people with SEN statements; learning difficulty assessments (LDAs); Education, Health, and Care Plans; and the introduction of EHC Plans more generally.

    In response to this feedback, the Department announced a change to the transition arrangements on 10 July 2015. From 1 September 2015, a local authority has 18 weeks, following a notice period of two weeks, to conclude a transfer review, when considering whether to replace an SEN statement with an EHC Plan. This maximum time limit has been extended from 14 weeks. The Department has also provided support for local areas in managing this transition process: this support includes a series of regional workshops in September and October 2015, led by DfE SEN advisers.

    Local authorities have until 1 April 2018 to conclude transitions from SEN statements to EHC plans for all children in their area. Young people in further education and training who receive support as a result of an LDA can choose to request an EHC needs assessment. All young people who receive support as a result of an LDA, who will continue in further education or training beyond 1 September 2016, must have an EHC plan by that date, where one is needed.

    We continue to monitor progress with implementation.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to encourage school children to participate in rifle shooting (a) sports and (b) as part of armed forces cadet activities.

    Edward Timpson

    Physical education (PE) is a compulsory subject at all four key stages in the national curriculum for maintained schools in England. It sets out the expectation that pupils should be provided with opportunities to engage in a broad range of competitive sports and activities. Teachers have the flexibility to organise and deliver a range of activities; this can include rifle shooting where teachers have the specific expertise.

    The government announced in the summer that it was allocating £50m from LIBOR fines to support the cadet expansion programme. This will deliver the Prime Minister’s commitment to expand the number of cadet units to 500 across the UK by 2020.

    The Cadet Expansion programme is a joint MOD/DfE initiative. Cadet units aim to build character, discipline and leadership skills, particularly among disadvantaged young people, through military themed activities. Cadets will have the opportunity to experience rifle shooting as part of the cadet syllabus under the supervision of fully trained Cadet Force Adult Volunteers.

  • Jess Phillips – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many written complaints her Department received about academy brokers in each year since 2010.

    Edward Timpson

    All of the contractors offering specialist educational advice are now defined as ‘Education Advisers’. Some of the Education Advisers work as academy brokers but may undertake other functions. All complaints made against Education Advisers have been recorded centrally since June 2011.

    Since then, the Department has received 13 written complaints in total. Investigations have been concluded and resolved to the Department’s satisfaction; the majority were found to be without basis.

    In each case the complainant was given feedback on the investigation and was informed of how they could pursue their complaint further if they were not satisfied with the outcome. In two cases, complaints were partially upheld; and another was upheld.

    Providing further information about the nature of the complaints, and the grounds on which they were partially or fully upheld, would risk identifying individual cases and therefore jeopardise the confidentiality afforded to the complainant and subject, and be prejudicial to the effective conduct of public affairs.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to encourage economic development in rural areas within English metropolitan counties.

    Rory Stewart

    In August, the Secretary of State launched the Government’s Rural Productivity Plan. This sets out a series of measures to help rural communities and businesses reach their full potential and contribute to increasing national productivity.

    By investing in education and skills, increasing wages, improving infrastructure and connectivity, and simplifying planning laws for rural businesses and communities, this will help create thriving rural areas where generations of families can open and expand their businesses, buy a home and educate their children at first class schools.

  • Rob Marris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Rob Marris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the contribution of the energy sector to productivity between (a) 2005 and 2010, (b) 2010 and 2015 and (c) 2015 and 2020.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Information is available from the DECC UK energy sector indicators 20151 report on changes in the labour productivity of the energy sector; data from this report is presented in Table 1 below, covering the period 2005-2014. Projections to 2020 are not available.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-energy-sector-indicators-2015

    “

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for the Government’s nuclear non-proliferation strategy of the emergence of 3D printing technologies capable of constructing components for possible use in nuclear weapons.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Government keeps appraised of new technologies and their possible non-proliferation implications, both now and in the future. Although this technique could have some nuclear applications, currently there remain fundamental barriers to proliferation, such as the availability of fissile material.