The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-09-06.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much HM Revenue and Customs paid into the public purse from receipts from its 0845 telephone helpline number in each year before 2014; and what those funds so received were spent on.
Jane Ellison
HM Revenue and Customs did not receive any revenue from 0845 telephone helpline numbers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will place in the Library the correspondence she had with Judge Goddard asking for her to appear before the Home Office committee after her resignation as chair of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse.
Sarah Newton
On 6 October 2016, Mark Sedwill, Permanent Secretary at the Home Office, wrote to Dame Lowell Goddard, former chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, to pass on a request from the Home Affairs Select Committee that she appear before the Committee. The Committee has published the text of this letter on its website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-01-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with her ministerial colleagues on improving the quality of sex and relationship education in schools.
Nick Gibb
The Government believes that all children should have the opportunity to receive a high quality and appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE).
SRE is compulsory in maintained secondary schools. Primary schools can choose to teach SRE in an age-appropriate way. All schools providing SRE, including academies and primary schools, must have regard to the Secretary of State’s Sex and Relationship Education Guidance (2000).
While the Secretary of State regularly discusses such matters with her colleagues, there have been no formal meetings recently about improving the quality of sex and relationship education in schools.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to address the exclusion of mothers’ names on marriage certificates.
James Brokenshire
There is agreement that the names of both parents should be included in the marriage entry. The Home Office has, therefore, been working with all interested parties to consider the most efficient and effective way to achieve this. Doing so is likely to require additional funding and changes to legislation, IT systems and administrative processes. A timetable will be confirmed for changes as soon as there is an opportunity to legislate on this matter.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of recent trends in the number of people under 19 completing apprenticeship programmes.
Nick Boles
In England, 71,100 apprenticeships were achieved by under 19 year olds in the 2014 to 2015 academic year. This is 5,700 more than in the 2013 to 2014 academic year and 10,300 more than in the 2012 to 2013 academic year.
We supported over 600,000 apprenticeships starts for 16-18 year olds during the previous parliament.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the year 7 catch-up premium in raising pupil attainment at GCSE level.
Mr Sam Gyimah
Since 2012 we have provided £500 per pupil funding to secondary schools for year 7 pupils who did not meet the expected standard in reading or mathematics at primary school. This funding enables schools to deliver additional support, such as individual tuition or intensive support in small groups, for those pupils that most need it.
It is not possible to make an assessment of the effectiveness of the year 7 catch-up premium in raising pupil attainment at GCSE level, as the first cohort of pupils to benefit from this funding in 2012 will now be in year 10 and have not yet entered GCSEs.
We provide advice and guidance to schools on how they should use their funding and have published guidance on literacy and numeracy catch-up strategies which schools can consult when making decisions on how to spend their funding. Schools must publish details of how they spend their year 7 catch-up premium funding on the school website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Prisk on 2016-04-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons the exemption for the railway sector from the provisions of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 has been extended until October 2016.
Claire Perry
Last year we consulted on an exemption from certain provisions of the Consumer Rights Act for rail, aviation and maritime transport. We have listened to the views we have received, and have decided not to seek a permanent exemption for these sectors.
The temporary exemption for rail only, which will last for one year until October 2017, will allow the industry time to move to a more consistent compensation scheme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2016-06-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many applications for brain tumour research were made to the National Institute for Health Research in the last 24 months; and how many of those applications were successful.
George Freeman
In the last 24 months, 12 brain tumour research applications have been submitted to National Institute for Health Research programmes and fellowship schemes. Three are under review and nine have been rejected.
I am convening a Task and Finish Working Group on Brain Tumour Research to bring together clinicians, charities and officials to discuss how, working together with research funding partners, we can address the need to increase the level and impact of brain tumour research.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Marion Fellows on 2016-09-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with the International Olympic Committee and the British Olympic Association on ensuring that British athletes who placed behind athletes found guilty of doping in competitions have their medals and awards upgraded.
Tracey Crouch
The Government is supportive of the International Olympic Committee’s Agenda approach that honours clean athletes by awarding an Olympic medal following a positive doping case. Formal medal ceremonies are arranged for medal-winners who receive their Olympic medal following the disqualification of a competitor. There is absolutely no place for drug cheats in sport and it is completely right that clean athletes receive medals when tests have proven doping violations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish Dame Louise Casey’s review into opportunity and integration without alteration or delay.
Sarah Newton
Dame Louise Casey’s independent review on boosting opportunity and integration in isolated and vulnerable communities will report to the Prime Minister and be published in due course.