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Tag: 2015

  • Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2015-10-27.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will introduce legislative proposals to prevent UK tax rules allowing companies to avoid paying tax in developing countries.

    Mr David Gauke

    The UK, like most countries, has a territorial tax system that focuses on taxing profits generate from economic activity in the UK. It is not possible to use the UK tax system to prevent companies from avoiding paying tax in other countries. Our corporate tax system is designed to protect the UK’s tax base, not those of other countries.

    The key issue is ensuring that developing countries have the assistance required to develop their own rules to protect their tax bases. The UK has set up a specialist Tax Capacity Building Unit in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which deploys HMRC staff to developing countries to provide technical expertise. Earlier this year, we committed to doubling our funding for tax projects in developing countries.

    The UK is also at the forefront of global efforts to address tax avoidance by multinational companies through the OECD-G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project. Over 60 countries have been involved in this work, including developing countries.

    The BEPS project was completed on 5 October, and the focus is now on implementation. The UK is chairing a group of over 90 countries, including developing countries such as Zambia, who are working together to develop a multilateral instrument (MLI) to update the global network of tax treaties in line with the BEPS project outcomes. The MLI will help developing countries whose tax treaty negotiation expertise may be more limited than in governments of developed economies.

  • Rebecca Pow – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Rebecca Pow – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Pow on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that sixth form colleges provide students with a high quality education.

    Nick Boles

    We are introducing reforms to ensure that sixth form colleges are providing high quality academic and technical education. We are reforming A levels and technical qualifications to ensure that young people are gaining the skills and knowledge they need to progress into employment, apprenticeships or further study.

    We want A levels and technical qualifications to be robust and rigorous, so that they match the best education systems in the world and keep pace with universities’ and employers’ demands. A levels are therefore being reviewed to ensure that the qualifications equip students for higher education and to make them linear (i.e. with the exam at the end of two years), allowing more time for teaching and learning. In addition, all technical qualifications approved for inclusion in 16-19 performance tables now meet rigorous standards and are backed by employers.

    The government has recently announced an ambitious plan for reforming technical and professional education which will simplify the skills system and work with employers to ensure that young people develop the skills most needed for the economy. To deliver the reforms, the Government will work closely with an independent panel, headed by Lord Sainsbury, former Minister of Science and Innovation.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what response he has made to the findings of the report by the National Audit Office of January 2015 on the Superfast (Rural) Broadband Programme: update, that BT had overstated its claims for the costs of rolling out superfast broadband by 38 per cent.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The National Audit Office (NAO) report of January 2015 showed that in September 2014, BT had spent at least 25% less than its contracted forecast cost once work in progress was taken into account. Our contract with BT has ensured that any underspend at the end of project delivery will be available for local authorities to make further investment in broadband networks. This positive outcome has been praised by the Major Projects Authority, which concluded in autumn 2014 that BDUK’s open book accounting process to keep BT’s costs in check was an exemplar of best practice.

  • Baroness Donaghy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Donaghy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Donaghy on 2015-11-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many primary phase students were recruited in 2015–16 to initial teacher training courses delivered through (1) core university provision, (2) school-centred initial teacher training provision, (3) School Direct salaried, and (4) School Direct fee-paying provision, compared to the total number of training places allocated to each of those routes.

    Lord Nash

    For the academic year 2015 to 2016 we recruited 13,034 initial trainee teachers to primary programmes (compared to 12,872 in 2014 to 2015) and 15,114 to secondary programmes (compared to 12,971 in 2014 to 2015). These figures are for postgraduate only and include Teach First and forecasted trainees. This represents 116% and 82% against the Teacher Supply Model (TSM) target respectively. The target is higher this year compared to academic year 2014 to 2015.

    We allocated a total of 13,962 postgraduate places in primary and 22,800 postgraduate secondary programmes, against TSM targets of 11,245 and 18,541 respectively.

    We allocate more ITT places than we require trainee teachers, and the extent to which we over-allocate differs by route. When assessing recruitment overall we measure the number of trainee teachers recruited against the number required, rather than against the proportion of allocated places that are filled.

    The table below shows the total postgraduate trainees by secondary subject and primary phase. The total includes 1,584 Teach First and 379 forecast trainees. The table also includes trainees and allocations by route.

  • Tim Loughton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tim Loughton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she expects to report on her review into the use of special guardianship orders; and which experts will assess submissions to that review.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department for Education expects to report on the review into the use of special guardianship orders by the end of the year.

    The findings of the review have been discussed extensively with an expert advisory group whose membership includes representatives from voluntary agencies for adoption, fostering and kinship care, local authorities, academics, ADCS and CAFCASS.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-11-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the joint investigation by the British Medical Journal and The Times which found that contracts made by the Clinical Commissioning Groups with providers could financially benefit board members of the group.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) have legal duties under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to manage conflicts of interests when deciding which health services to procure. CCGs must manage any actual or perceived conflicts in a way that is transparent, fair, and protects the integrity of their decision making.

    NHS England publishes guidance for CCGs on their responsibility to manage conflicts of interest. CCGs must have regard to this.

    Monitor must ensure that CCGs follow National Health Service regulations on procurement, patient choice and competition, and have powers of investigation if these are not followed.

    In their recent report ‘Managing conflicts of interest in NHS clinical commissioning groups’ (a copy of which is attached) the National Audit Office found that CCGs generally had arrangements in place to manage conflicts of interest to reduce the risk of commissioners’ decisions being improperly influenced.

    The NAO made recommendations to the Department, NHS England, Monitor and CCGs to strengthen current arrangements and we would expect the bodies concerned to consider these carefully and take appropriate action in response.

    Action is already being taken by NHS England including:

    ‒ strengthening its CCG assurance processes;

    ‒ commissioning an independent audit of conflicts of interest management in ten primary care co-commissioning arrangements, with a review to using the learning to strengthen current arrangements;

    ‒ providing training to CCG lay members on management of conflicts of interest in 2015, with more training planned for next year; and

    ‒ reviewing its own internal rules on conflicts of interest and the statutory guidance it issues to CCGs on management of conflicts of interest to ensure that arrangements are robust.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to promote wildlife-friendly farming practices.

    George Eustice

    Agri-environment schemes play a major role in the conservation of wildlife in England. More than £900 million will be available for Countryside Stewardship for 2014 to 2020.

    Biodiversity is one of the main objectives of Countryside Stewardship. The Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package options within the scheme will be of particular benefit to wild pollinators, farmland birds and other species. The package will play a key role in supporting Defra’s National Pollinator Strategy.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of government funding for translational research programmes; and if he will make a statement.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Government’s Productivity Plan in July set out our ambition that UK Universities will continue to increase their collaborations with industry to drive the translation and commercialisation of research and broader knowledge exchange. Universities’ external income from engagement with business and the community reached £3.93 billion in 2013-14, up by 27% from 2009-10. The World Economic Forum ranks the UK among the top four nations in the world for university-industry collaboration in R&D. The recent Research Excellence Framework 2014 has demonstrated the breadth and extent of economic impact arising from university research, with 84% of submissions assessed as outstanding or very considerable by expert and academic peer review.

  • Lord Crisp – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Crisp – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Crisp on 2015-11-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the potential contribution of British scientists and institutions to the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.

    Baroness Verma

    Effective disaster risk reduction management is critical to sustainable development.

    Science has a key role to play in helping us to better understand disaster risks and developing more robust DRR approaches. It can help us to better predict and respond to a range of natural hazards such as floods and storms, droughts, extreme temperatures, health epidemics and pandemics.

    The new framework will help encourage greater engagement from and with the scientific community in order to reduce disaster risk and build resilience. British scientists already play a significant role in helping the UK prepare for and respond to disasters. While we expect British scientists and institutions to play an important role, we are still assessing the full implications of the Sendai Framework.

  • Joan Ryan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Joan Ryan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2015-11-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment the Financial Conduct Authority has made of the regulatory implications of use of the financial services messaging system Symphony.

    Harriett Baldwin

    This is an operational matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), who are operationally independent from Government.

    The question has been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to the Rt Hon Joan Ryan by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.