The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-04-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy consultation document does not contain measureable targets for walking.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The draft Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy contains two objectives for walking.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what response her Department has made to the findings of Ofsted in its report of the inspection of Audenshaw School Academy Trust which took place on 23 and 24 February 2016 that approximately £120,000 of pupil premium funding has not been spent on pupils for whom that funding was intended.
Mr Sam Gyimah
The conditions of grant for the pupil premium make clear that its purpose is to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. School leaders are best placed to decide how to spend the pupil premium in line with this policy and the needs of their pupils. Schools are not prevented from using the pupil premium to fund capital projects or from carrying over funding between years.
The Department for Education supports schools to make evidence-based decisions through the work of the Education Endowment Foundation, established to identify and promote effective practice in raising the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. The Department does not monitor how Academies and maintained schools spend the pupil premium but instead holds them to account for the outcomes of eligible pupils through the publication of data in performance tables and Ofsted inspection.
Where concerns are raised about the performance of an academy then they are addressed by the Regional School Commissioner with responsibility for that area. The Department also takes seriously any concerns about the financial management of a school. We are aware of the findings of the Ofsted report on Audenshaw School relating to its use of the pupil premium, following an inspection in February 2016. We are also aware that the Hon. Member, Andrew Gwynne, has met the Regional Schools Commissioner for Lancashire and West Yorkshire, Vicky Beer, on a number of occasions to discuss his concerns about Audenshaw School Academy Trust. The Department has carefully reviewed all the information provided on this matter and has identified no grounds to take further action.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what dates the Regional School Commissioners Strategy Forum has met.
Edward Timpson
The minutes and agendas of the Regional School Commissioners (RSC) Strategy Forum are for internal use and are not published.
The RSCs meet monthly for the RSC Strategy Forum. The dates on which these meetings have taken place are as follows:
|
RSC Strategy forum dates |
|
16/09/2014 |
|
14/10/2014 |
|
11/11/2014 |
|
16/12/2014 |
|
06/01/2015 |
|
10/02/2015 |
|
10/03/2015 |
|
02/04/2015 |
|
21/04/2015 |
|
14/05/2015 |
|
23/06/2015 |
|
14/07/2015 |
|
18/08/2015 |
|
09/09/2015 |
|
06/10/2015 |
|
11/11/2015 |
|
09/12/2015 |
|
13/01/2016 |
|
10/02/2016 |
|
09/03/2016 |
|
06/04/2016 |
|
04/05/2016 |
|
08/06/2016 |
|
06/07/2016 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the finding in the report by the National Audit Office, The Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Programme, published in September 2016, that lack of access by resettled Syrians to personal independence payments and carer’s allowance may cause difficulties to some refugees and have a negative impact on their experiences.
Penny Mordaunt
The UK is a world leader in supporting vulnerable people fleeing conflicts around the world and, as such, we have established an effective system to accommodate and shelter resettled people.
Refugees and those who have humanitarian protection status, such as persons resettled under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Programme, are entitled to work and have access to some benefits upon arrival.
DWP has decided that the application of the Past Presence Test (PPT) should not apply to refugees for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and are currently considering how best to implement that change, including the impact to other benefits which use a similar PPT.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2016-01-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the overall effect of changes to housing legislation and housing-related benefits which have come into force since 2010.
Brandon Lewis
Government interventions are reinvigorating the housing market. The number of new homes delivered last year was up by 25 per cent on the previous year, the highest year on year rise for 28 years. Completions are up and housing starts at their highest annual level since 2007, with more than 277,000 affordable homes delivered since April 2010 .
We have announced a doubling of the housing budget to more than £20 billion over the next five years to support the largest housing programme by any Government since the 1970’s
Between 2000/01 and 2012/13, the Housing Benefit bill more than doubled to £24 billion and the cost to the taxpayer increased 50%.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of people who accumulate credit card debt after the Christmas period.
Harriett Baldwin
HM Treasury does not hold information on the number of people who accumulate credit card debt.
Publically available information on consumer credit, including credit card debt, is available up to Q4 2015 from the Bank of England. The most recent statistical release can be accessed at: http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/statistics/Pages/bankstats/2015/dec.aspx
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-03-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if his Department will publish the full list of Equivalent or Lower Qualification exempt subjects announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.
Joseph Johnson
Part time students studying for a second degree in subjects allied to medicine; biological sciences; veterinary sciences, agriculture and related subjects; physical sciences; and mathematical sciences will be eligible for a tuition fee loan from the 2017/18 academic year. These are in addition to the exemption for part time technology, computer science and engineering degrees introduced in 2015/16. Subject lists below these broad headings are published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency at https://www.hesa.ac.uk/component/content/article?id=1787
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-04-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Pendle have found lasting work through the Work Programme.
Priti Patel
The information held by the department relates to the number of Work Programme job outcomes by various geographies and this can be found at:
http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/WorkProg/tabtool.html
Guidance for users can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applicants there were for the Northern fund for academy sponsors by the deadline of 22 February 2016; and if she will list the trusts which were approved for funding.
Edward Timpson
In 2015-2016, the Department ran three competitions for academy sponsors to apply for the Northern Fund. The Northern Fund is designed to support the expansion of sponsors in some of the most challenging regions of the country in terms of school performance and rural and urban deprivation. The funding enables sponsors to increase their capacity to take on and improve underperforming schools.
A total of 85 applications were received by the third and final competition deadline of 22 February 2016. A total of 65 trusts were approved for funding and the names of these trusts are listed in the table below:
|
Sponsor Name |
|
Abbey Multi Academy Trust |
|
Ad Astra Academy Trust |
|
Airedale Academies Trust |
|
Albany Learning Trust |
|
Beckfoot Trust |
|
Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust |
|
Bright Tribe Trust |
|
Brighter Futures Academy Trust |
|
Carillion Academies Trust |
|
Carmel Academy Trust |
|
Chester Diocesan Academies Trust (CDAT) |
|
Cidari Multi Academy Trust |
|
Community First Academy Trust |
|
Consilium Academies Trust |
|
Cranmer Educational Trust |
|
Education Partnership Trust |
|
Feversham Education Trust |
|
Focus Academies Trust |
|
Fylde Coast Academy Trust |
|
Gawthorpe Community Academy |
|
Great Academies Education Trust |
|
Great Schools Trust |
|
Holy Family Catholic Multi Multi Academy Trust |
|
Innovation Enterprise Academy |
|
Interserve Academies Trust Limited |
|
L.E.A.D Multi Academy Trust |
|
Lydiate Learning Trust |
|
Moor End Academies Trust |
|
New College Pontefract |
|
Ormiston Academies Trust |
|
Outwood Grange Academies Trust |
|
Pendle Education Trust |
|
Rainbow Education Multi Academy Trust |
|
REAch4 Academy Trust |
|
SHARE Multi Academy Trust |
|
Southmoor Academy Trust |
|
St Paul’s (Astley Bridge) CofE Primary School |
|
St Simon and Jude CofE Academy Trust |
|
Stockport Learning Trust (South Manchester Learning Trust) |
|
Tauheedul Education Trust |
|
The Aldridge Foundation |
|
The Dean Trust |
|
The Dioceses of Liverpool Joint Catholic and CofE Academy Trust |
|
The Dunham Trust |
|
The Education Alliance |
|
The Enquire Learning Trust |
|
The Gosforth Federated Academies Ltd |
|
The Harmony Trust |
|
The Heath Family Trust |
|
The Inspire Trust |
|
The Keys Federation |
|
The Rowan Learning Trust |
|
The Shotton Hall Learning Trust |
|
The Three Saints Academy Trust |
|
Tollbar Multi Academy Trust |
|
Trinity Academy Halifax (TAH) |
|
United Learning Trust |
|
Wakefield City Academies Trust |
|
Wardle Academy Trust |
|
Waterton Multi Academy Trust |
|
Wellspring Academy Trust |
|
Whitehill Community Academy |
|
Wirral Academy Trust |
|
WISE Academies |
|
Zest Academy Trust |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-07-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of the closure of the SSI site in Redcar on (a) the natural environment and (b) Teesmouth national nature reserve.
Rory Stewart
Currently, the SSI site is being maintained in a ‘steady state’ which prevents any potential contaminants from entering the natural environment as well as keeping the public safe and the site secure. Teesmouth National Nature Reserve is not directly affected by the closure of the SSI site.
Natural England and the Environment Agency are working together with local business leaders, the Tees Valley Combined Authority and a range of non-government organisations, to explore and identify how existing operations, new economic developments and a series of ambitious environmental enhancements can be taken forward in combination with each other on the estuary. Any future uses of the site would readily be included in this approach.