Tag: 2016

  • Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure there are sufficient safeguards to respect individual privacy in place in respect of intelligence gathered by GCHQ.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    GCHQ’s intelligence gathering powers are authorised under legislation, including the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act 2014, and the Intelligence Services Act 1994. Its work, including its respect for privacy, is scrutinised by the Intelligence and Security Committee, the Interception of Communications Commissioner and the Intelligence Services Commissioner.

  • 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 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2016 to Question 29389, on how many occasions and on what dates since the Convention on Cluster Munitions came into force the Government has (a) raised the issue of the use of cluster munitions with Saudi Arabia and (b) encouraged Saudi Arabia to accede to that Convention.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We are aware of reports of the alleged use of Cluster Munitions by the Coalition in Yemen. We have raised this issue with the Saudi Arabian authorities and, in line with our obligations under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, continue to encourage Saudi Arabia, as a non-party to the Convention, to accede to it.

  • Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to introduce driving tests for drivers who have previously passed that test (a) who are over 70 year old and (b) every 20 years.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department for Transport considers that medical fitness and practical competence, not age, are the relevant factors in deciding if a driver can continue to hold a licence. The rules for drivers renewing a license at the age of 70 are designed to be fair and proportionate, and there are no plans to change them.

  • 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 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.28 of the White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, published in March 2016, with which (a) individuals, (b) organisations and (c) universities she has had discussions regarding the establishment of centres for excellence in initial teacher training.

    Nick Gibb

    The Government’s White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, confirmed that we intend to use a new set of quality criteria to determine how initial teacher training (ITT) places are allocated to training providers in future, ensuring that training is concentrated with the highest-quality providers. On the basis of these criteria, which will include factors such as the quality of trainees recruited, the quality of the training programmes, and the quality of outcomes for trainees, we will designate some providers as Centres of Excellence. We expect to set out further details of the quality criteria that will apply for the 2017/18 training year, and which providers will be designated as Centres of Excellence, when we confirm the methodology for allocating places, which is currently under discussion.

    The Department for Education has actively been engaging the ITT sector in discussions about the proposals in the White Paper, including the establishment of ITT Centres of Excellence. Engagement to date has included a series of roundtable discussion events for university- and school-led providers and their representative bodies, such as the Universities’ Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET) and the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT).

    We expect to confirm the allocations methodology for 2017/18 after further consultation with providers and their representative organisations over the summer, in time for the start of recruitment in the autumn term.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what his policy is on access to the single market for services; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Robin Walker

    Our economy is fundamentally strong, and the UK is open to business and investment. The Government has been consulting, and will continue to consult, with a broad range of stakeholders and we will need to consider all factors carefully in implementing the decision of the British people. This is clearly a very important issue for UK business and we will want the strongest possible economic links with our European neighbours.

  • Seema Malhotra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Seema Malhotra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of schools are currently in debt; and to whom such schools are in debt.

    Nick Gibb

    The financial reporting requirements of academy trusts and maintained schools differ and therefore are not directly comparable. In the 2014/15 academic year, 113 academy trusts reported a cumulative revenue deficit in the August Accounts Return. This represents 4% of trusts submitting a return. At the end of the 2014-15 financial year, local authorities reported 944 LA-maintained schools with a deficit revenue balance. This represents 5.3% of such schools.

    Further information on the financial position of these schools can be found in the financial statements of the academy trusts or for maintained schools the Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR) returns.

  • Lord Faulkner of Worcester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Faulkner of Worcester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Faulkner of Worcester on 2015-12-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to encourage clubs in the Football League to comply with the Sports Grounds Safety Authority’s Accessible Stadia guide.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    We would encourage the Football League to make a similar commitment to that made by the Premier League that all clubs in that league willcomply with the measures set out in the Accessible Stadia Guide within an agreed timescale.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which external agency is carrying out his Department’s assessment of the demand and capacity outcomes of HLOS1; what the cost is to his Department of that assessment; and what progress his Department has made on developing options for evaluating the benefits of HLOS2.

    Claire Perry

    The assessment of demand and capacity outcomes for HLOS1 (2009-14) is being undertaken in-house by the Department based on information provided by the rail industry. The cost is primarily the use of existing staff. The benefits of HLOS2 (2014-19) are being appraised on a project by project basis at present, with wider data also being gathered for a review when the five year investment period has concluded in 2019.

  • John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Glen on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans NHS England has to involve NICE in the specialised commissioning policy development process.

    George Freeman

    NHS England is in discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in relation to two areas of potential support to its clinical commissioning policy development process for directly commissioned specialised services from 2016/17.

    The first is the delivery of rapid evidence reviews (systematic reviews of the available evidence of clinical effectiveness for particular treatments and indications). The second is the production of commissioning support documents for licenced drugs which NHS England commissions directly.

  • Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to implement an adult hearing screening programme; and if he will recommend to the National Screening Committee that it undertakes a public health campaign on deafness and hearing loss.

    Alistair Burt

    The UK National Screening Committee recommended in 2015 that screening for hearing loss in adults should not be offered because:

    – although hearing loss in older adults is a serious public health problem the evidence is too limited to establish the type of screening test to be used, the severity of hearing loss to target, the age of the population to be screened and the frequency of screening;

    – uncertainty on the effectiveness of the long term use of hearing aids and on the effectiveness of additional interventions aimed at improving the duration of hearing aid use; and

    – the absence of randomised controlled trials of screening in the general population. Screening has not been shown to provide any hearing related improvement in quality of life in comparison to hearing loss identified in other ways.

    There are currently no plans by Public Health England to run an awareness campaign on adult hearing loss.