Tag: 2016

  • 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 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the statistical or other criteria are which her Department plans to apply in assessing which providers are to be given a multi-year allocation of initial teacher training places.

    Nick Gibb

    As set out in our recent White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, we plan to introduce ‘Centres of Excellence’ in Initial Teacher Training which will receive multi-year allocations. We are currently engaging the sector and working to establish the criteria for determining which providers will be designated as a ‘Centre of Excellence’. At this stage, no firm decisions have been taken.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the retaking of Sirte on Daesh; and what steps his Department is taking to help restore stability to that city.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Daesh is losing in Libya, as they are in Iraq and Syria. I welcome the courage of the Libyan forces who have faced them and are fighting Daesh in Benghazi, in Sirte, and elsewhere. This is a clear signal to Daesh from the Libyan people: Daesh is not wanted in Libya, they are not welcome, and they will be defeated.

    The conflict in Sirte is not over and fighting there is continuing. After months of conflict the humanitarian situation in Sirte is expected to be serious, as it is across Libya. In addition to the humanitarian aid the UK is already providing to Libya, the UK has contributed $1m and a UK stabilisation adviser to the UNDP Stabilisation Facility, an initiative of the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA), supported by UNDP and the international community. The Facility will support the Libyan GNA to restore critical infrastructure destroyed by conflict and improve basic service delivery. This is a facility for all Libya and will benefit municipalities in the East, West and South of the country.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2016 to Question 44023, on poultry: animal welfare, if she will make it her policy to extend the ban on unenriched battery cages for laying hens to quail egg production.

    George Eustice

    The welfare of quail raised for egg production, is protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which makes it an offence to fail to provide satisfactorily for welfare needs and by the general provisions of the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007. We have no current plans to introduce new legislation specifically to ban unenriched cages for egg laying quail.

    Once we leave the EU, we have an opportunity to make sure all our policies are delivering for the UK, including for animal welfare.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department allocated for asbestos removal for schools in each year from 2010 to 2016.

    Nick Gibb

    The Education Funding Agency (EFA) does not hold a breakdown of funding information, in the format requested, in relation to the removal of asbestos or renovation of school buildings.

    Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, the primary responsibility for managing asbestos lies with the person or persons responsible for the maintenance or repair of a building. For schools, this will be the local authority, school governors or academy trust.

    The table below summarises the capital budgets from 2011-12 to 2016-17 that were provided for school maintenance, refurbishment and rebuilding, including where appropriate the removal and/or safe containment of asbestos-containing materials. As these works are covered by the capital funding programmes listed below, the Department does not allocate a separate budget for this purpose; and there are no plans to do so in future years.

    The Department does not hold directly comparable allocation or expenditure data on prior years.

    (All values £m)

    2011-12 Budget

    2012-13 Budget

    2013-14 Budget

    2014-15 Budget

    2015-16 Budget

    2016-17 Budget

    School Condition Allocations (funding provided to local authorities and voluntary-aided schools)

    1,054

    861

    749

    699

    690

    661

    Devolved Formula Capital (funding provided direct to schools)

    185

    162

    149

    138

    134

    130

    Funding for academies, multi-academy trusts, state-funded special schools and other specialist providers for state-funded pupils (including DFC).

    161

    376

    504

    562

    576

    617

    Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP) (delivered by central government)

    0

    0

    90

    603

    999

    1,050

    Total

    1,400

    1,399

    1,492

    2,002

    2,399

    2,458

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2016-01-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 13 January (HL4703 and HL4704), whether the decisions not to transfer records to the National Archive were in each case in accordance with the advice given by the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives, and in each case what that advice was.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Yes, all decisions were made in accordance with the advice by the Advisory Council.

  • Andrew Murrison – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Andrew Murrison – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Murrison on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) rural and (b) urban public libraries have closed in (i) Wiltshire and (ii) England in each year since 2000.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Department does not commission information relating to the closure of rural and urban libraries. Data relating to public libraries is collected and published annually by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. My Rt Hon Friend will note that the number of library service points in the Wilshire Library Authority has increased from 34 in 2000, to 36 in 2015. Meanwhile, in Labour-run Wales, the number of library service points in the same period dropped from 321 to 274.

    31 March

    Total service points open ten hours or more per week, including mobile libraries, in England

    Total service points open ten hours or more per week, including mobile libraries, in Wiltshire Library Authority

    2000

    3,501

    34

    2001

    3,497

    34

    2002

    3,504

    34

    2003

    3,510

    35

    2004

    3,524

    35

    2005

    3,474

    35

    2006

    3,500

    36

    2007

    3,494

    36

    2008

    3,469

    37

    2009

    3,451

    37

    2010

    3,428

    37

    2011

    3,393

    37

    2012

    3,243

    37

    2013

    3,181

    36

    2014

    3,142

    36

    2015

    3,076

    36

  • Lord Falconer of Thoroton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Falconer of Thoroton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 2016-03-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many years’ worth in sentences have been handed out to offenders brought back to the UK from Spain under a European Arrest Warrant under Operation Captura.

    Lord Faulks

    This information is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

    The National Crime Agency publishes statistics on the operation of the European Arrest Warrant. These can be found on their website.

  • Gavin Newlands – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gavin Newlands – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Newlands on 2016-04-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he expects his Department’s review of airside VAT-free shopping to be published.

    Mr David Gauke

    On 31 December 2015, the Chancellor announced a review of the tax treatment of airside retail sales, with a view to identifying options for passengers to receive more of the direct benefits. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has completed its initial fact finding.

    The Government is keen to identify options that provide overall best value for travellers. This means fully understanding the potential impacts of possible changes on travellers, retailers and airports, and I have asked HMRC to explore these thoroughly. Once this work has been completed, decisions on the best way forward will be made in the autumn.

  • Jonathan Edwards – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jonathan Edwards – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Rural Payments Agency and the Welsh Government on delays in paying Basic Payments Scheme cheques to cross-border farmers.

    George Eustice

    The Rural Payments Agency has regular discussions with the Welsh Government and they are working together to get Basic Payment Scheme claims paid to cross-border farmers.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2016 to Question 22462, if he will place in the Library a copy of NHS England’s report on individual funding requests for palivizumab.

    George Freeman

    NHS England has advised that it is assessing the effect of individual funding requests for palivizumab on premature babies at risk of severe complications from respiratory syncytial virus. It will report its findings in July 2016.