Tag: 2015

Natalie McGarry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Natalie McGarry on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) Glasgow and (d) Glasgow East constituency are in receipt of both the state pension and carer’s allowance in the 2015-16 financial year.

Justin Tomlinson

The information as requested for 2015/16 is not available.

However information on the number of people in receipt of both the State Pension and Carer’s Allowance is published by the Department on a quarterly basis. The latest data available is February 2015 which can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dwp-statistics-tabulation-tool

Information for Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Department for Social Development. Northern Ireland statistics can be found at:

http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/stats_and_research/benefit_publications.htm

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January 1, 2023
Lord Rana – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rana on 2015-12-02.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to spend the £1 billion pledged for post-war reconstruction in Syria.

Baroness Verma

The UK has been at the forefront of the international response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria. We have committed over £1.1 billion to date, making us the second largest bilateral donor to the international response.

We have planned for the endgame since the beginning of the conflict and during the Geneva process. We are now updating our planning to reflect the timeline envisaged in the Vienna process and are asking others to do the same. The initial priorities for Syria post-conflict will be protection, security, stabilisation and confidence building measures, including meeting basic needs and helping displaced people to return. Over time the focus will shift to longer-term re-building of Syria’s shattered infrastructure, harnessing the expertise of the UN, International Financial Institutions and the private sector. On 26 November, the Prime Minister announced at least £1 billion for Syria’s reconstruction. We anticipate that we would allocate reconstruction funds against a plan agreed between a new, inclusive Syrian government and the international community, once the conflict has ended.

January 1, 2023
Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of his Department’s policies of providing bursaries and mathematics enhancement programmes to teaching staff in the further education sector on the total number of mathematics teachers in that sector; and on what evidential basis he made the decision to offer bursaries and mathematics enhancement programmes to teaching staff in the further education sector.

Nick Boles

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) began offering bursaries to graduates to train to teach maths in the academic year 2013/14. 61 and 136 people took up such bursaries in 2013/14 and 2014/15, respectively. It is estimated that 167 maths bursaries will be taken up in 2015/16.

The maths enhancement is a joint BIS/Department for Education supported programme and commenced in the academic year 2013/14. During 2013/14 and 2014/15 over 2,450 existing further education teachers participated in the maths programmes. During 2015/16 we are continuing to support access to a pipeline programme to enhance the maths skills of existing teachers. This is being delivered by the Education and Training Foundation. We have not made an estimate of the number of programmes that will be taken up in 2015/16.

Emerging findings from the evaluation of the further education (FE) workforce programmes have shown a positive impact on the confidence and effectiveness of FE teachers delivering maths either as a core subject or in vocational context. The evidential basis for intervention in maths teaching was based on the clear need to raise the Maths attainment rates of students in further education; and improve the quality of Maths teaching as identified by Ofsted inspection reports.

January 1, 2023
Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2015-12-02.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bridges of Headley on 10 June (HL56), whether they will provide updated statistics for the tables entitled Growth in the UK Muslim Population, to show the most recent figures available.

Lord Bridges of Headley

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

January 1, 2023
Peter Bone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Bone on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits for his Department of merging the Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland Offices to make a Department for the regions.

Stephen Crabb

I would start by reminding my honourable Friend that Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are nations, not regions.

Since my appointment as Secretary of State for Wales, I have taken action to drive down costs within the Wales Office by collaborating with other Government Departments and sharing services.

At the present time I believe the nations are best served by strong Secretaries of State representing their interests around the Cabinet table.

January 1, 2023
Nigel Adams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Adams on 2015-12-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential overlap between contributors to the construction industry training levy and the proposed employer apprenticeship levy; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the construction industry of that proposed levy in drawing up those proposals.

Nick Boles

All employers with a pay bill greater than £3,000,000 will be in scope of the apprenticeships levy, including those in the construction and engineering construction sectors. We are working with the Industry Training Boards to understand how their existing arrangements will be affected. They will be consulting with their members in advance of the introduction of the apprenticeships levy on whether they should continue to pay the industry levy and if so, how it should be combined with the national apprenticeship levy. We are also working with other sectors, where there are existing collective training arrangements about what the apprenticeships levy means to them.

January 1, 2023
Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Turkey about the arrests of the senior editors of Nokta, and of journalists from Bugun and Milliyet.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We continue to monitor these specific cases and regularly underline the importance of freedom of expression and all fundamental freedoms as part of our broader dialogue with the Turkish government. We welcomed the EU Commission’s Annual Progress Report on Turkey, released on 10 November, which highlighted the need for further reforms from Turkey in these areas. Freedom of expression must be respected and all media outlets must be allowed to report freely without intimidation.

January 1, 2023
Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the level of the National Minimum Wage for people aged (a) 16 to 17 years, (b) 18 to 20 years and (c) 21 to 24 years in each year until 2020.

Nick Boles

The Government has not made an estimate of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates for these age groups for each year until 2020.

The Government asks the Low Pay Commission to make NMW rate recommendations each year based on maximising the wages of the low paid without damaging employment opportunities. The Low Pay Commission will recommend the October 2016 NMW rates and indicative rates for 2017 by the end of February 2016.

January 1, 2023
Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-11-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they made to the government of Israel concerning the right of Palestinian Christians from the West Bank to visit Jerusalem for Christmas worship.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We have not specifically raised the issue of access for Palestinian Christians with the Israeli authorities. However the Government remains deeply concerned about restrictions on freedom of movement between the West Bank and East Jerusalem. It remains difficult for Palestinians, of all religions, to enter East Jerusalem for work, education, medical treatment or religious worship. Through our Embassy in Tel Aviv, we regularly lobby the Israeli authorities on this matter and encourage them to lift access restrictions.

January 1, 2023
Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-12-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) funding of horseracing and (b) effect of Race Fields legislation in Australia.

Tracey Crouch

To inform work to replace the current levy system, we have commissioned an independent economic analysis of the costs and funding of horseracing. This economic analysis work will also examine relevant comparable models, including the Australian system, however any reform of the Levy will need to comply with EU law.

January 1, 2023