Tag: 2015

  • Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assistance her Department provides to children with special educational needs (SEN) in cases where there are no available places at SEN specialist schools.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department has put in place a statutory framework which provides assistance to children with special educational needs (SEN).

    This framework requires local authorities to assess children’s needs and to keep provision under review in their area so that they provide appropriate placements for children with SEN. Local authorities must also publicise the support they provide through a local offer of services and they must review their local offer regularly, involving parents and children.

    Since September 2014, when a child has more complex needs, an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan may be issued. Local authorities have a statutory duty to make the special educational provision set out in EHC plans. Where parents ask for a preferred educational setting to be named within a plan, that setting is under a duty to admit the child unless it is unsuitable for the child’s age, aptitude, ability and special educational needs, or placing the child at the school would be incompatible with the efficient education of others or the efficient use of resources.

    The Department has made it possible for local authorities to commission a range of specialist SEN provision including special units and resourced provision in mainstream schools and special schools (including special academies). Local authorities may also use placements in non-maintained and independent special schools.

    The Department has created the opportunity for applicants to apply to open Special Free Schools under the Free Schools programme, where there is real, local demand from parents for a new or different type of education to benefit local children and their families. There are currently 19 Special Free Schools open.

  • Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Ofsted in improving standards in schools; what data she uses to make that assessment; and if she will publish that data.

    Nick Gibb

    Responsibility for improving standards in schools lies with head teachers. Ofsted inspection is one of a range of measures which support accountability and school improvement.

    Ofsted has recently introduced new school inspection arrangements and has increased the proportion of inspectors which are current school leaders. Ofsted will monitor the impact of these changes.

  • Mark Menzies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Mark Menzies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that new housing developments are powered by renewable energy sources.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Building Regulations set demanding energy performance targets for new buildings, but without prescribing the materials or technologies to be used. This approach gives builders the freedom to innovate and to choose the most practical and cost-effective solutions for individual projects.

    The standards were strengthened most recently in April 2014, to a level that means builders increasingly have to consider the use of renewable technologies in their designs. These could be solar panels, or they could be other types of renewable such as heat pumps and combined heat and power (CHP) boilers – which might be more acceptable in conservation areas.

  • Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department made prior to laying the Flood Reinsurance (Scheme Funding and Administration) Regulations 2015 of whether the scope of the definition of home insurance in the regulations covered only those home insurers who explicitly protected against flood risk.

    Rory Stewart

    We consulted widely and worked very closely with the Association of British Insurers to ensure that the Flood Reinsurance (Scheme Funding and Administration) Regulations 2015 reflect the intended policy position. As set out in the Regulations, Flood Re will assess whether an insurer is liable for levy payments (and the amount of levy they are due to pay) based on the amount of domestic property insurance an insurer covers in the UK market.

  • Christina Rees – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Christina Rees – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christina Rees on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will implement proposals put forward by the World Wildlife Fund in its 2015 Forest Campaign to ensure that the UK timber market deals in 100 per cent sustainable timber by 2020.

    Rory Stewart

    Defra is committed to tackling the trade in illegal timber. We implement the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), which makes it an offence to place illegally logged timber on the EU market for the first time, and the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Regulation, which aims to combat illegal logging and improve the supply of legal timber to the EU. The EU FLEGT Regulation establishes Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) between the EU and timber producing countries. Once VPAs have been agreed, timber producing countries will issue exports with a ‘FLEGT licence’ which verifies the timber’s legality.

    The Government’s Timber Procurement Policy also requires Government Departments, Executive Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies to procure timber and timber products that are both legal and sustainable.

    It is positive that UK companies and other bodies are making similar commitments to trade in both legal and sustainable timber by signing up to WWF’s Forest Campaign.

  • Vicky Foxcroft – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Vicky Foxcroft – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that same-sex marriages are recognised in all Commonwealth countries; and what (a) meetings and (b) correspondence he has had on this issue.

    Mr David Lidington

    Our High Commissions continue to lobby at the highest levels on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) rights, particularly in countries where same-sex relations are criminalised. The UK wants the Commonwealth to do more to ensure that same-sex marriages are recognised across all member states. This has been a contentious issue for Commonwealth members, but we believe progress is fundamental to the Commonwealth’s ability to improve the lives of its people and develop peaceful societies.

    Commonwealth members share a collective responsibility to live up to the values of the Commonwealth Charter and we will continue to be clear in pressing them to embrace these values. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) wrote to the Commonwealth Secretary General in March and raised the importance of implementing the aims and aspirations of the Charter.

    Last month, The Minister of State, my noble Friend, the right hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE, met the US Special Envoy for the Rights of LGBT persons to discuss how the UK could work with likeminded partners, including in the Commonwealth, to strengthen the work of civil society organisations and all those fighting to end discrimination.

  • Andrew Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of progress of the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration process in the Central African Republic.

    Grant Shapps

    The signing of the agreement on disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation by the transitional government and armed groups at the Bangui Forum in May was an important step towards strengthening security in the Central African Republic. The recent violence in Bangui has demonstrated that it is critical for the agreement to be applied and for international forces to make progress with disarmament.

  • Nigel Adams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Nigel Adams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Adams on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many women under 25 have been diagnosed with cervical cancer in each of the last five years.

    Mr Rob Wilson

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

  • Liam Byrne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Liam Byrne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost to the UK of alcoholism.

    Jane Ellison

    We do not have reliable estimates of the specific cost of alcoholism but the estimated cost of broader alcohol-related harms to society is £21 billion.

    The £21 billion figure is from a 2012 estimate, which formed part of the Department’s written evidence to the Health Select Committee on 19 July 2012.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department spent on seasonal influenza vaccination public awareness campaigns in 2014-15; and how much it plans to spend on such campaigns in 2015-16.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England’s annual seasonal flu vaccination programme campaign to educate the population about the risks of catching flu, the benefits of having a flu vaccination and promoting uptake of the flu vaccination, cost £1.6 million in 2014-15.

    For 2015-16, a joint campaign between Public Health England and NHS England launched on 15 October. This is part of a wider piece of activity to raise awareness of winter services, including flu messaging. £1 million is allocated to flu vaccination messaging.