The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-02-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will require the Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations board to offer GCSE and A-level Gujarati examinations beyond September 2018; and if she will make a statement.
Nick Gibb
The exam boards are independent organisations, and the department continues to work closely with them to secure the future of all the existing language GCSEs and A levels, including Gujarati.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett on 2016-03-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the letter from Lord Bates on 21 March following the Report Stage of the Immigration Bill, which states that migrants who do not understand whether they may qualify for permission to rent may contact the Home Office to establish whether this is the case”
Lord Keen of Elie
Under the Right to Rent scheme, landlords must check the immigration status of those renting, to ensure they are here legally. Where a migrant’s documents are with the Home Office, landlords can confirm the right to rent through the Landlords Checking Service using the migrant’s case reference number.
In some limited circumstances, such as where there are genuine obstacles to them leaving, migrants here without leave may be afforded permission to rent although disqualified from renting. Where a migrant is unsure as to whether they qualify for permission to rent, they may contact the caseowner or team that is dealing with their case or ask when they attend the Home Office in compliance with reporting conditions.
Guidance on right to rent and when permission to rent may apply is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/landlords-right-to-rent-checks-guide. As I wrote recently, the Government is reviewing the guidance that has already been published and this will provide further detail on how migrants may make these enquiries.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Clegg on 2016-04-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the assets of community value scheme in protecting community pubs in (a) Sheffield and (b) England.
Mr Marcus Jones
The Department has made no specific assessment of the effectiveness of the scheme in protecting community pubs in Sheffield or in England, although my officials are undertaking a review of the implementation of the policy in relation to all assets across the country. They are engaging a broad range of stakeholders – local authorities, community groups, property owners – to listen to their reflections and experiences concerning the policy and any evidence on how the Community Right to Bid is working in practice. The Community Right to Bid is seen by many stakeholders as a powerful way for local people to send a clear signal to their local authorities and to owners of assets that they are keen to have say on the future of buildings which are central to their lives.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2016-06-13.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect on the UK economy of the increase in corporate debt in China.
Damian Hinds
The Treasury continuously monitors global economic developments, including in China, and their impact on the UK as part of the normal process of policy development. As one of the most open trading economies in the world with a large financial sector, we have to recognise that the UK is not immune to the continued problems being experienced in the world economy. Nonetheless, the Bank of England’s 2015 stress tests modelled a severe slowdown in commodities and emerging markets. No banks were required to submit revised capital plans following the stress tests. These results indicate that the UK banking system would have the capacity to continue to lend to the real economy, even under such a severe adverse scenario.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Amanda Solloway on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will ensure that the review of fair funding for early years education includes steps to close the attainment gap in children at age five.
Caroline Dinenage
This Government is committed to narrowing the gap in attainment between the most disadvantaged children and their peers, including in the early years. We will be investing over £1 billion more per year by 2019-20 to fund our commitments on the early years entitlements – this includes £300 million per year from 2017-18 for a significant increase to the hourly rate paid for the two, three and four year old entitlements.
The 2014-15 Early Years Foundation Stage Profile results tell us that the proportion of children achieving a good level of development continues to increase – 66% in 2015, compared to 60% in 2014 and 52% in 2013. A higher proportion of children eligible for free school meals are achieving a good level of development – 51% in 2015 compared to 45% in 2014.
We need to continue this improvement. This is why we propose an additional needs factor in our new early years national funding formula, to channel funding towards local authorities with a higher relative proportion of children with additional needs.
The Government already provides additional funding for the most disadvantaged three- and four-year olds through the Early Years Pupil Premium. This will continue as a separate funding stream, additional to the early years national funding formula.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the UK intends to maintain the EU ban on neonicotinoids after the UK leaves the EU.
George Eustice
As part of the preparation for EU exit, we are considering future arrangements for pesticides. Our highest priority will continue to be the protection of people and the environment.
The Government remains of the view that decisions on the use of neonicotinoids and other pesticides should be based on a careful scientific assessment of the risks. Pesticides that carry unacceptable risks to pollinators should not be authorised. The Government keeps the developing evidence on neonicotinoids under active review, advised by the Expert Committee on Pesticides.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2016-01-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to set a maximum limit on the length of time that an individual can be detained in immigration detention centres.
Lord Bates
It is not possible to detain someone indefinitely under immigration powers. In order to detain an individual pending removal there must be a realistic prospect of removal in a reasonable timeframe.
Each case is determined on its own merits. The introduction of an arbitrary time limit could lead to the release of foreign criminals and illegal immigrants even when their removal is imminent.
Home Office guidance is clear that detention should be used sparingly, and for the shortest period reasonably necessary to achieve its purpose. Published statistics show that, in the year to September 2015, over 90 per cent of individuals leaving detention had been detained for no longer than four months.
The Home Secretary commissioned Stephen Shaw CBE, the former Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales, to undertake an independent review of welfare in the immigration detention estate. His report and the Government’s response to the report were published on 14 January by means of a Written Ministerial Statement (WMS).
The Government’s response includes the implementation of a new approach to the case management of those who are detained, aligned with a new “adult at risk” policy to ensure more rigorous assessment of those entering detention through a new gate-keeping function, maintaining this rigour through the new removals plans process to maintain a strong focus on, and momentum towards, removal.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many civil society groups have raised with her Department concerns over breaches of the school admissions code since 2010.
Nick Gibb
It is the role of the Schools Adjudicator to consider concerns about school admission arrangements. Where a person or body has concerns that a school’s admission arrangements do not comply with the School Admissions Code, they may refer an objection to the Adjudicator. The Adjudicator must consider whether the arrangements comply with the Code and the law relating to admissions. It has only been possible for groups such as civil society organisations to refer objections since 2012.
The Schools Adjudicator reports annually to the Secretary of State and this report is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/osa-annual-report
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2016 to Question 26284, on what date NHS England took the decision to seek external consultancy support for the development of its clinical commissioning policies; whether the contract for external consultancy support for the development of NHS England’s clinical commissioning policies was competitively tendered; who in NHS England took the decision to award the contract to Deloitte; what discussions his officials have had with NHS England on the contract with Deloitte since 1 January 2016; what the subject of those discussions was; and which clinical commissioning policies are being developed by NHS England.
Ben Gummer
NHS England decided to seek external support to supplement in-house capacity to deliver its clinical commissioning policy programme for specialised services in early 2015. The recommendation for contract award followed consideration by the Efficiency Controls Committee, which is a subcommittee of NHS England’s Board. This was subject to ministerial sign off.
Following the completion and approval of a business case by NHS England’s Efficiency Controls Committee, a competitive tendering process was undertaken within the Department of Health’s Framework Agreement. A contract award was subsequently made in September 2015, following ministerial approval.
NHS England has not published a list of the clinical commissioning policies under development in 2015/16. However, individual clinical commissioning policy proposals are made available through NHS England’s website once they have met NHS England’s governance gateways and have been agreed as ready for public consultation, together with a range of supporting information including a clinical evidence review and impact assessment.
While the Department approved the initial procurement of these services, they have not been involved in official discussions with NHS England regarding the contract since 1 January 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mancroft on 2016-03-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether plans to introduce a hepatitis C improvement framework have been abandoned and, if so, why.
Lord Prior of Brampton
NHS England has been rapidly working on their plans for access to treatment during 2016/17 following enactment of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence technical appraisal guidance and has committed to produce an operational framework for the treatment of hepatitis C during 2016/17. This will set out NHS England’s commitment to improving outcomes in hepatitis C across England.