Tag: 2016

  • Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there was any prior consultation before the decision was taken to end the post transaction valuation check and PAYE health check currently provided by HMRC with effect from 31 March 2016 and, if not, why not.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has been consulting representative bodies through the Valuation Fiscal Forum over the last 18 months.

    HMRC has not withdrawn valuation services that are most relevant to employee share ownership schemes.

    HMRC has withdrawn valuation checks for income tax and PAYE as in most cases acceptable valuations were submitted, and therefore the service offered was not of sufficient value.

  • Sue Hayman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Sue Hayman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sue Hayman on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his oral evidence to the House of Lords Select Committee on Secondary Legislation Scrutiny on 19 January 2016, Question 7, under what circumstances government departments are permitted not to publish equality analyses which are referred to in government consultation documents.

    Mr Oliver Letwin

    The Public Sector Equality Duty requires Departments to pay due regard to equality aspects of decisions. It is up to each Department to decide whether to publish their analysis.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2016 to Question 37744, on property: ownership, on what date (a) his Department will begin to consult on the detail of the policy and (b) that consultation will end.

    Anna Soubry

    My Department is currently developing the policy detail to be included within the consultation, which we plan to publish later this year. I am not able to commit to a specific date for the consultation at this point.

  • Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish a list of all secondees to his Department from (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) KPMG and (e) other consulting firms in the last three financial years; and what the role was of each of those secondees.

    Mark Lancaster

    Fewer than five employees from PwC, Deloitte, Ernst and Young, KPMG and other consulting firms were seconded to the Ministry of Defence within the last three years. Due to the low numbers involved, a breakdown of companies and job roles has not been provided.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications her Department has received from grammar schools proposing to expand since the introduction of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.

    Nick Gibb

    The records that are held and maintained by the department indicate that since April 2012 there have been 17 grammar schools that have applied to extend their school. These figures relate to grammar schools that have converted to academy status. We are not able to verify the records for expansions at selective academies before 2012. Maintained grammar schools would apply to their local authority when seeking to expand and this data is not held by the department.

  • Lord Ouseley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Ouseley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ouseley on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance they give to academies about having education, health and care plans in order to stop them from turning away children with special needs.

    Lord Nash

    It is vital that young people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) are supported throughout their education so that they develop the knowledge and skills they need to fulfil their potential.

    The School Admissions Code ensures that academies operate a fair admissions policy for all children with SEND. Section 1.8 of that Code requires admission authorities to ‘ensure that their arrangements will not disadvantage unfairly, either directly or indirectly, a child from a particular social or racial group, or a child with a disability or special educational needs.’ These provisions apply to admission authorities for all state-funded mainstream schools, including academies.

    Once a school (of any type) is open, anyone can object to the Schools Adjudicator if its admission policy breaches these requirements. This is in addition to their right to seek redress through the courts for any breach of equalities legislation, since disability is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. Parents also have the right to refer disability discrimination cases to the First Tier Tribunal (SEN & Disability) to seek redress if their issues cannot be resolved locally.

    In addition, all schools, including academies, must adhere to the statutory guidance, the ‘Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0-25 years’.

    The Code of Practice is clear that parents are asked to express a preference for a school, as part of the process for agreeing an education and health care (EHC) plan for their child. The local authority must name the parents’ preferred school in the EHC plan, unless it is unsuitable for the child’s age, aptitude, ability and special educational needs; or if placing the child at the preferred school would be incompatible with the efficient education of others or the efficient use of the authority’s resources. The local authority must consult the school before naming it in the EHC plan.

    If an academy is named in an EHC plan, it is obliged to admit that child or young person.

  • Jonathan Lord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jonathan Lord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Lord on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to promote the development of brownfield land.

    Brandon Lewis

    We are creating a £2 billion long term housing development fund to unlock housing on brownfield land. We will also require local authorities in England to maintain registers of brownfield land that is suitable for housing. In addition we are consulting on whether it would be beneficial to strengthen national planning policy on the development of brownfield land for housing. The consultation closes on 22 February.

  • Geoffrey Clifton-Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Geoffrey Clifton-Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Clifton-Brown on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if the new national curriculum can be taught in primary schools to mixed-age classes.

    Nick Gibb

    Schools can choose to teach pupils of different year groups together.

    Maintained schools are required to cover the whole of the programme of study for each national curriculum subject by the time pupils reach the end of the key stage period. In planning how best to teach the curriculum, schools should consider all relevant circumstances, including the needs of their pupils, and make decisions accordingly.

    The programmes of study for primary English, mathematics and science are set out on a year-by-year basis to provide a guide as to the pace that the material should be taught in these key subjects.

    The national curriculum focuses on the essential knowledge that must be taught, allowing teachers to take greater control over the wider curriculum in schools and how it is taught. Teachers are free to use their professional judgement and take account of local circumstances in deciding how best to organise their classes, including whether it would be suitable to teach mixed age pupils together. The Department has no involvement in these decisions.

  • The Earl of Clancarty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The Earl of Clancarty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Clancarty on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many individuals took Art and Design GCSE in each year since 2011 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland combined, and what percentage of the total number of GCSEs this constitutes.

    Lord Nash

    The Department for Education produces statistics on England only.

    The table below shows the total number of pupils attempting Art and Design and the percentage this represents of all pupils attempting GCSEs at the end of key stage 4 for the years requested. This information is published in the “Revised GCSE and equivalent results in England: 2014 to 2015” Statistical First Release available on GOV.UK.

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    Number of pupils attempting Art and Design

    155,724

    151,601

    156,482

    164,648

    170,783

    Pupils[1] attempting GCSE[2] Art and Design as a percentage of all pupils attempting GCSEs

    25.4

    25.0

    25.3

    27.1

    28.5

    [1] Pupils at the end of key stage 4.

    [2] GCSE only.

  • Nick Clegg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Nick Clegg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    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 information he holds on the number of community pubs with assets of community value status that have been closed or that no longer operate as a pub.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Department for Communities and Local Government does not collect this information.