Tag: 2016

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many businesses in (a) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency and (b) Liverpool City Region do not have access to high speed broadband.

    Karen Bradley

    There is a substantial commitment by national government for superfast broadband rollout and £5.46 million of central government funding has been allocated to the Merseyside Connected project. This has led to 39,216 additional homes and businesses now being able to access superfast broadband as a result of the local project, with the aim to have 42,204 additional premises by the end of the project. This will bring superfast coverage in Merseyside to 99% of premises.

    The Department does not hold data specifically for businesses. The table below shows estimates of the number of premises (both residential and business) without access to superfast broadband in all of the Merseyside and Liverpool City Region constituencies.

    Constituency

    Number of Premises

    Premises Without Access To Superfast Broadband

    Birkenhead

    44,111

    458

    Bootle

    47,396

    304

    Garston and Halewood

    45,355

    836

    Halton

    44,739

    1,098

    Knowsley

    48,681

    596

    Liverpool, Riverside

    54,717

    9,022

    Liverpool, Walton

    43,483

    157

    Liverpool, Wavertree

    41,345

    215

    Liverpool, West Derby

    40,579

    0

    Sefton Central

    37,979

    792

    Southport

    43,576

    1,209

    St Helens North

    45,188

    1503

    St Helens South and Whiston

    49,194

    2,410

    Wallasey

    42,239

    562

    Wirral South

    33,425

    760

    Wirral West

    32,212

    816
  • Alistair Burt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Alistair Burt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Burt on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that 16 to 18 year-olds take up apprenticeships.

    Robert Halfon

    Apprenticeships are paid jobs that give young people the chance to reach their potential; acquire transferable skills much valued in the labour market and the apprentice does not have to contribute to the costs of their learning.

    We are encouraging a wide range of people into apprenticeships – our ‘Get In Go Far’ campaign is aimed at 14-24 year-olds, their parents, teachers and employers. This major four-year campaign aims to influence public perceptions, awareness and attitudes towards apprenticeships as a route into a successful career, encouraging more young people to apply and more employers to offer apprenticeship opportunities.

    From May 2017, we have proposed giving employers and providers a cash payment each of £1,000 when they train a 16-18 year old, and we will fund 100 per cent of apprenticeship training costs for small employers with fewer than 50 staff when they employ 16-18 year old apprentices.

    The National Careers Service provides independent, professional advice on careers, skills and the labour market, including on the benefits of apprenticeships and how to apply for vacancies.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Sharon Hodgson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many deaf students had not achieved a level 2 qualification in English by the age of 19 in 2015.

    Edward Timpson

    Information regarding the attainment of students with special educational needs (SEN) in England is broken down by type of SEN and published in the “Phonics screening check and key stage 1 assessment: England 2015”[1], “National curriculum assessments at key stage 2: 2015”[2] and “GCSE and equivalent results in England: 2015”[3] statistical first releases.

    A wider summary of available SEN information is provided in “Special educational needs – an analysis and summary of data sources”[4]

    Information on the average points score of students with a hearing impairment or the number that achieve three A* to A grades or better at A level is not held by the Department. The Department also does not hold information on the number of students with a hearing impairment who have not achieved a level 2 qualification in English by the age of 19.

    Currently, there are no plans for the Department to publish A-level data split by type of special educational need or to collect additional data on the outcomes achieved by students who have a disability but not an identified special educational need, although this is reviewed every year as part of the collection process.

    [1] Phonics and KS1 assessments for 2014/15: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/phonics-screening-check-and-key-stage-1-assessments-england-2015

    [2] KS2 for 2014/15: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-curriculum-assessments-at-key-stage-2-2015-revised

    [3] KS4 for 2014/15: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/revised-gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england-2014-to-2015

    [4] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/472575/Special_educational_needs-_an_analysis_and_summary_of_data_sources.pdf

    “

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 February 2016 to Question 26148, on roads: investment, which two projects are not progressing on or ahead of schedule; and when those projects are now expected to be completed.

    Andrew Jones

    The two projects referred to in Question 26148 are:

    A63 Castle Street: this has a commitment to be complete by March 2021 but the current forecast is for August 2021.

    The decision to defer was to avoid construction taking place during the year of culture.

    A30 Temple to Carblake

    This is being delivered by Cornwall County Council: This was originally due to Open for traffic in December 2016, although we understand from Cornwall County Council that current forecast is February 2017.

  • Lord German – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord German – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 14 March, how the £63 million which will be still outstanding when the Severn Bridges return to public ownership at the end of the concession is broken down.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Most of the cost estimated to have been incurred outside of the concession relate to expenditure between 1992 and 2014, on capital (17%), operations including maintenance (50%) and administration (15%). The remainder was incurred before 1992 or is forecast to be spent between 2015 and 2018. More than half of the operations and maintenance expenditure was to investigate and correct cable corrosion.

  • Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the UK Anti-Corruption Summit being held in London in May 2016.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    In addition to regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues in relation to the Summit, DFID is represented in the Inter-Ministerial Group on Anti-Corruption. This Group is tasked with overseeing the government’s work to tackle corruption domestically and internationally, and specifically at this time the planning for the Summit and implementation of its conclusions.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Education Cannot Wait fund for education in emergencies enhances the capability and effectiveness of existing bodies such as the UNHCR and the Emergency Education Cluster and does not duplicate their work.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    Education Cannot Wait is designed to bring together the expertise, energy and capabilities of different actors, to work together more effectively on education in emergencies and protracted crises. A diverse range of organisations were involved in the development of the fund – including UN agencies, donors, recipient countries and civil society – through a consultative process co-chaired by the UK and Canada. The fund is intended to enable agencies to do more of what they currently do well in the sector, for example through providing support to strengthen the humanitarian education cluster at a global and local level. The UK will continue to engage closely during Education Cannot Wait’s inception phase, to ensure that this objective is fully reflected in its final design and finance mechanisms, and that a wide range of organisations are represented through the fund’s governance structure.

  • William Cash – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    William Cash – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the financial cost will be to other electricity generators of the proposed supplementary balancing reserve and Black Start payments made to Fiddlers Ferry and Drax power plants.

    Jesse Norman

    Details of charges and how they are applied are available through National Grid’s website: http://www2.nationalgrid.com/bsuos/. However National Grid does not provide a public breakdown of the costs of individual Black Start and SBR contracts.

    “

  • Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy that UK recipients of EU fisheries and other scientific funding receive the same level of funding as part of the UK’s negotiations on leaving the EU.

    George Eustice

    Defra officials will be working with the Department for Exiting the EU to look at future policies for fisheries. We will continue to work closely with relevant industry and other key stakeholders to develop these new arrangements which will consider existing support provided to the fisheries community.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will meet representatives of High Arcal Academy in Dudley to discuss its Condition Improvement Fund bid for a new sports hall.

    Edward Timpson

    Applications to the Condition Improvement Fund closed on 16 December 2015 and we can confirm that The High Arcal School’s application for a new sports hall has been received. Applications are now being assessed against our published criteria to ensure that those with the greatest need receive funding. In the interests of fairness to all applicants in what is a competitive process, my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools will be unable to meet school representatives during assessment.

    We expect to notify all schools of their bid outcomes by the end of March and my noble Friend will ensure that The High Arcal School is contacted.