The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s press release, UK to step up NATO maritime commitment, of 10 February 2016, which Type 45 Destroyers he expects will be deployed to NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 1 in October 2016.
Penny Mordaunt
I refer the hon.Member to the answer I gave her on 29 February 2016 to Question 28003.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what contractual standards have been set for Maximus Health and Human Services Ltd for the number of completed work capability assessments.
Priti Patel
Centre for Health Disability Assessments, a MAXIMUS Company, has a target of 1,170,000 completed assessments in 2016/17.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if the Government will continue to pay for training to enable apprentices to achieve Level 2 or GCSEs in English and mathematics, as required, once the Apprenticeship Levy has been introduced.
Nick Boles
Apprentices have to meet a minimum standard in both English and maths up to Level 2. There are specific qualifications they must achieve. If an apprentice does not already have these, they may need to do an English or maths course. We will pay providers directly, for the Level 1 and 2 English and maths training they provide to apprentices.
Further information on the amount that will be paid for English and maths training for apprentices who require it, will be published provisionally in June 2016 and confirmed in October 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Davis on 2016-06-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has demonstrated the capability of Certified Predator B for the duration of the Protector programme.
Mr Philip Dunne
Following an extensive Assessment Phase, the Department has concluded that the GA-ASI Certified Predator B is the only platform capable of meeting the Protector Programme’s Key User Requirements. Certified Predator B is a modification of the highly successful Predator B platform which incorporates a number of safety and capability enhancements.
The Demonstration Phase of the Programme, which will follow approval of the Programme’s Main Gate Business Case, will subject Certified Predator B to a comprehensive Test and Evaluation Plan to demonstrate the system’s ability to meet the Department’s requirements for the capability through its expected in-service life.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-09-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was spent on advertising the attendance allowance scheme in 2015-16.
Penny Mordaunt
2015/16 advertising costs for the Attendance Allowance scheme are not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-10-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to take advantage of new technologies such as activity and exercise tracking to improve childrens’ fitness and physical literacy in schools.
Edward Timpson
We want all pupils to be healthy and active, and have given schools the freedom to deliver a diverse and challenging PE curriculum that best suits the needs of their pupils.
PE is a compulsory subject at all four key stages in the national curriculum. The programme of study sets the expectation that schools should provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way that supports their health and fitness. Through the primary PE and sport premium, primary schools have already received over £450 million of ring-fenced funding to provide additional and sustainable improvements to their PE and sport provision. In an independent evaluation, 84% of schools reported an increase in pupil engagement in PE during curricular time and in the levels of participation in extra-curricular activities.
Schools can decide how best to use this funding, and may elect to bring in additional resources and technologies if they feel this would provide additional and sustainable improvements to their PE and sport provision. The Government has committed to doubling the funding to £320 million a year from September 2017 using revenue from the soft drinks industry levy.
In the new Sport Strategy, the Government has committed to support children and young people to develop the confidence and skills to take part and to be positive about sport and activity. As part of this work, we will be exploring how to further increase physical literacy standards in primary schools and considering how we can track levels of physical activity to help support children to have healthy and active lives.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2016-01-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will simplify the fishing licence regime to expand fishing as a sport.
George Eustice
The Environment Agency is currently undertaking a number of activities to modernise the current rod licence service. This includes a proposal to change the licence structure and associated charges. The proposed new licence structure includes a number of changes such as a full year rolling licence rather than a fixed single season; a licence for a maximum of three rods rather than the current two and a free junior licence for anglers under the age of 16. The Environment Agency will consult on these proposals in the spring.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-01.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect of the patent box tax arrangement on the economy.
Mr David Gauke
The information is not held in the form requested. The estimated amounts of Patent Box relief can be found at the link below:
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) publications, (b) consultation documents and (c) circulars her Department has issued since August 2012; and what the title was of each such publication, consultation document or circular.
Nick Gibb
Since August 2012 the Department for Education has issued: 997 publications[1] and 121 consultation exercises. Since 2012 a digital-by-default policy has applied to departmental publications and consultations. These are available on GOV.UK.
The department no longer uses the term circulars as a publication type. The department issues emails to schools and local authorities periodically to draw their attention to information and guidance that has been published on GOV.UK. 321 such email newsletters were issued in the period in question. These are referenced by the date issued and audience, and so there is no list of titles available.
Attachment A shows the titles of DfE publications since August 2012.
Attachment B shows the titles of DfE consultations carried out since August 2012.
[1] This information has been sourced from GOV.UK. It is possible that some records may be incomplete for the period prior to the migration to GOV.UK (August 2012 to August 2013).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many outstanding (a) employment and support allowance and (b) personal independence payment assessments for Scottish claimants there were in each of the last four quarters for which information is available.
Justin Tomlinson
The number of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) initial work capability assessments still in progress in Scotland as at the dates below were:
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Source: Data is derived from administrative data held by the DWP and assessment data provided by the healthcare provider.
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) clearance levels are within expectations. The number of cases in progress in Scotland as at the dates below were:
30 April 2015 6,100
31 July 2015 6,800
31 October 2015 8,900
31 January 2016 13,000
Source: Data taken from the PIP computer system management information