Tag: 2016

  • Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effect on Africa’s development needs of the recent downward revision of economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa by the World Bank.

    Justine Greening

    Our assessment highlights a mixed picture: the slowdown in aggregate economic growth for SSA is dominated by a few large economies affected by the fall in commodity prices (e.g. Nigeria), but growth remains robust among some other DFID priority countries (e.g. Tanzania). DFID’s programme and policy support to African countries is designed to address the economic and human development challenges these countries face.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to provide for (a) mothers’ names to be added on marriage certificates and (b) a marriage registration system that takes account of different family circumstances where there may not be a mother and a father; and if she will make a statement.

    James Brokenshire

    The Marriage Registration Reform Bill, introduced by my Right Honourable Friend the Member for Meriden (Caroline Spelman) in the previous Parliamentary session, would have enabled the details of both parents of the couple to be included on the marriage certificate.

    The Home Office is continuing to develop proposals that will allow mothers’ names to be recorded on marriage certificates.

  • William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to Terrence Higgins Trust’s report Shh.No Talking, published in July 2016, what steps she is taking to ensure that sufficient resources are given to local authorities and schools to ensure that sex and relationships education lessons are properly resourced and teachers are trained.

    Edward Timpson

    High quality sex and relationship education is a vital part of preparing young people for life in modern Britain. It should also help young people to make informed choices, stay safe and learn to respect themselves and others.

    Our statutory Sex and Relationship Guidance is clear that young people, whatever their developing sexuality or identity, should feel that sex and relationship education is relevant to them and sensitive to their needs.

    Sex and relationship education is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools and many primary schools also teach it in an age appropriate manner. Decisions relating to resources and teachers’ professional development rest with schools, headteachers, and teachers themselves, as they best know the needs of their staff and pupils.

  • John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, approximately how many (a) British and (b) non-British nationals are employed cleaning the Westminster estate of her Department.

    Caroline Dinenage

    All Government Departments are bound by legal requirements concerning the right to work in the UK and, in addition, the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

    Evidence of nationality is checked at the point of recruitment into the Civil Service as part of wider pre-employment checks, but there is no requirement on departments to retain this information beyond the point at which it has served its purpose.

    More broadly, the Government will be consulting in due course on how we work with business to ensure that workers in this country have the skills that they need to get a job. However, there are no proposals to publish lists of the number or proportion of foreign workers.

  • Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that demand for school places in Solihull is met.

    Edward Timpson

    Local authorities are responsible for planning and securing sufficient school places in their area, and supporting them in doing so is one of this Government’s top priorities. That is why this Government is investing £23 billion in school buildings to create 600,000 new school places, open 500 new free schools and address essential maintenance needs.

    Basic need funding is allocated to local authorities to help them to create new school places. Solihull has been allocated £17 million of basic need funding for the period 2015-18. Solihull also received £4 million between 2011 and 2015.

    Information on basic need allocations can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/basic-need-allocations-2015-to-2018

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of new claims for universal credit were paid within 42 days of a claim being made in the most recent 12 months for which data is available.

    Priti Patel

    The information you have requested is currently not available.

    The department does not hold information on time taken to make a payment for jobseeker’s allowance, or employment and support allowance.

    Additional breakdowns will be included in the Universal Credit official statistics as quality assurance of data from the Universal Credit systems progresses during 2016.

  • – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2016-03-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking in response to the findings of the 2015 Annual Report of the Chief Schools Adjudicator, and in particular its conclusion that the application of fair access protocol procedures for children with special needs mostly works effectively. However

    Lord Nash

    The Department is giving careful consideration to the findings in the Chief Schools Adjudicator’s annual reports published in December 2014 and November 2015 as part of our current review of the School Admissions Code. We will be conducting a full public consultation in due course.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what effect the withdrawal of service providers from the Transforming Rehabilitation Programme has had on the projected numbers of prisoners able to take part in that programme.

    Andrew Selous

    No Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) has withdrawn from the Transforming Rehabilitation Programme. As part of the Transforming Rehabilitation reforms, CRCs are required to deliver the services set out in their contract. CRCs can decide to contract with other organisations to deliver some of those services. If these sub-contractors decide to no longer provide services, the CRC will decide whether to re-tender or provide the service themselves. This should not affect the number of offenders able to access the services.

    We are not restarting the tendering process for probation providers. CRCs are in the process of finalising their supply chains. Contract Management Teams closely monitor arrangements to ensure consistency of service provision and that prime and sub-contractors comply with the terms of an Industry Standard Partnering Agreement set out in the original tender documents.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) children under 18 years of age and (b) young people aged 18 to 24 received (i) social welfare, (ii) family, (iii) immigration, (iv) debt and (v) housing legal aid funding in each year since 2009-2010.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    This information is due to be released as part of the pre-announced annual statistics bulletin for the LAA on the 30th June 2016.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the UK’s representatives on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance were appointed and to whom they report.

    Alok Sharma

    The UK delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance is currently led by Sir Eric Pickles, the UK Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues, appointed in September 2015, who reports to the Minister for Human Rights in the Foreign Office and also to the Prime Minister. There is no formal process for appointing members of the UK delegation. Representatives are drawn from a range of UK non-government organisations and academic institutions, covering Holocaust education, remembrance and research. Delegates are expected to play an active part in the IHRA’s various working groups and committees, including taking part in discussions between formal meetings, and fund their own travel costs. We always welcome expressions of interest from organisations interested in being represented.