Tag: 2016

  • Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons her Department acquired the land for the new Nishkam School site in West London before planning permission for that school was granted; and whether the valuation of that land was based on an assumption that planning permission would be granted.

    Edward Timpson

    The Syon Lane site was acquired by the Department for Communities and Local Government on behalf of the Education Funding Agency (EFA) as a permanent site for Nishkam School West London. When full, the school will provide 1,400 places for local children.

    Where possible, sites for new free schools are secured with exchange subject to planning approval. The decision to proceed with the purchase was taken following confirmation from Hounslow Local Planning Authority that the proposal to develop a school on the site would be consistent with local planning policies, so an argument could be made for such a development.

    The land valuation undertaken to inform the purchase took account of its designation as Metropolitan Open Land and an estimation of the value of the land should its planning status change to permit the construction of a school building.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what powers she has to prevent multi-academy trusts from expanding faster than their capacity to maintain a strong record on school improvement.

    Edward Timpson

    Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) take decisions in the name of the Secretary of State. RSCs are responsible for intervening where there is underperformance and for the creation of new academies.

    When schools are converting to academy status as part of a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) or joining an existing MAT, it is the RSC’s role to decide whether to approve or decline the application. The RSC, supported by their headteacher board, will want to be assured that the governance and leadership of the MAT is clear and robust; and that the MAT has the capacity to drive improvement across all schools within it.

    The RSC will reassess MATs at key milestones throughout the academic year (such as following exam results) and at key stages of their growth to consider their capacity to support and enable the academies within their MAT to improve.

    This information is publically available and can be found in the RSC decision-making framework on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/517565/RSC-Decision-Making-Framework.pdf

    “

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what child protection steps have been taken to prevent self-employed adults with violent or sexual convictions providing extracurricular activities for children when no governing body exists for that sport or activity.

    Edward Timpson

    Schools are aware of their responsibilities in ensuring that any self-employed individual who is providing extra-curricular classes or sessions on their behalf has been subject to the necessary and appropriate checks, which could include checking individual status with the relevant sports or activity governing body.

    If those checks reveal convictions for violence the school will then determine the appropriateness or otherwise of allowing that individual to continue to provide classes or sessions.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent estimate she has made of the number of civilians (a) who have fled and (b) who remain in Mosul.

    Rory Stewart

    According to the UN, over 7,000 people (as of 24 October) are currently displaced and in need of humanitarian assistance as a result of Mosul operations. Population movements are fluctuating as the front lines move, including people returning to their homes following improved security conditions in the immediate area. UN figures indicate up to 1.5 million civilians continue to live in Mosul. The UK is working closely with the Government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government, the United Nations, and the international community to support an effective Iraqi–led humanitarian response in Mosul.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-01-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to press the government of the Maldives for the unconditional release of former President Mohamed Nasheed for medical treatment in the UK.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), visited the Maldives on 17 and 18 January. He met key members of the Maldives government, including President Yameen and reiterated our call for the release of all political prisoners. The UK welcomed the Maldivian government’s decision on 18 January to allow former President Nasheed to travel overseas for medical treatment.

  • Geoffrey Clifton-Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Geoffrey Clifton-Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Clifton-Brown on 2016-02-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason trade statistics are collected on a different basis by HM Revenue and Customs and the Office for National Statistics; and what plans the Government has to align the collection of such data.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is required to collect trade in goods statistics by EU legislation. This legislation sets out the detail and frequency of the data to be collected and provided to the EU Commission.

    Council Regulation (EC) No 471/2009 and Commission Regulations (EU) No 92/2010 and No 113/2010 set out the requirement for HMRC to collect trade in goods statistics between the UK and non-EU countries. Council Regulation (EC) No 638/2004 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1982/2004 sets out the requirement to collect the corresponding statistics between the UK and other EU Member States.

    HMRC provides trade in goods data to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). As required by the sixth edition of the International Monetary Fund’s Balance of Payments Manual (BPM6) and the European System of Natural and Regional Accounts (ESA 2010), National Accounts and Balance of Payments also include trade in services. The ONS collects this data.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-03-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made at the UN Security Council in drafting a new Resolution on sanctions against North Korea, in particular to require that (1) in stemming the flow of illicit goods, UN member states conduct mandatory inspections of all cargo passing through their territory to or from North Korea; (2) member states freeze the assets of North Korean entities linked to Pyongyang’s nuclear or missile programmes; and (3) the opening of new branches or offices of North Korean banks, or the engagement with North Korean banks, is prohibited.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2270 on 2 March 2016 in response to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) nuclear test of 6 January 2016 and subsequent satellite launch, which used ballistic missile technology, of 7 February 2016.

    The Government welcomes this Resolution, which was agreed unanimously. This is a clear demonstration that the international community is prepared to take tough measures in response to the North Korea’s repeated violations of UN Security Council Resolutions.

    The Resolution contains a comprehensive set of measures aimed at tackling DPRK’s illicit proliferation. These include a ban on the export of coal, titanium, gold and other specialist metals which finance North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. In addition to this, all states are now required to conduct inspections of DPRK flagged vessels, and small arms and light weapons are included in the arms embargo.

    UN Member States are obliged to freeze the assets of companies and entities linked to North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programme. The Resolution also bans DPRK banks and their subsidiaries from opening new branches overseas and prohibits financial institutions from establishing any joint ventures with these banks.

    We urge all states to ensure these measures are implemented and all obligations under previous UN Security Council Resolutions are enforced.

  • Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne-Marie Trevelyan on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many school-aged pupils there are with at least one parent who is a national in another EEA member state in households with a total income within the threshold for pupil premium eligibility.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Pupil premium eligibility in 2015/16 is based on whether pupils are known to have been looked after by the local authority; have left care through adoption, a special guardianship, child arrangements or residence order; or if a pupil has been registered as eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years. It is not determined through a household income threshold.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure that proposed Ofsted local area inspections include a requirement that Local Offers should contain clear information about local play opportunities and entitlements.

    Edward Timpson

    The Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to develop and publish a Local Offer setting out the support they expect to be available for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities in their local area. The Local Offer must include information about leisure activities which may include information about play opportunities.

    The Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections will consider how effectively the local area identifies, meets the needs of and improves the outcomes of the wide range of different groups[1] of children and young people who have special educational needs or disabilities as defined in the Act and described in the Code of Practice.

    Ofsted and CQC will draw on a range of sources, including the local offer, to identify key lines of enquiry and to support assessment of the effectiveness of the local area.

    Ofsted and CQC will publish an inspection report that will outline the evidence that inspectors reviewed and provide a summary of key findings including the local area’s strengths and areas requiring further development.

    The inspection framework and handbook are available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-area-send-inspection-framework

    [1] These groups of children and young people are detailed in Part 2 of the ‘Handbook for the inspection of local areas’ effectiveness in identifying and meeting the needs of children and young people who have special educational needs and/or disabilities’.

    “

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the report The lawfulness of the authorisation by the United Kingdom of weapons and related items for export to Saudi Arabia in the context of Saudi Arabia’s military intervention in Yemen by Professor Philippe Sands QC and others, published on 11 December 2015.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of all relevant factors at the time of the application.

    A licence will not be issued, for any country, if to do so would be inconsistent with any provision of the mandatory Criteria, including where we assess there is a clear risk that it might be used in the commission of a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law. The Government is satisfied that extant licences for Saudi Arabia are compliant with the UK’s export licensing criteria.