Tag: 2016

  • Clive Efford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Clive Efford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Efford on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to his Answer of 5 January 2016 to Question 20987, what discussions representatives of the British Embassy have had with the Columbian government on the detention of Professor Miguel Angel Beltran; whether they have raised concerns with that government on his current state of health; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We work closely with the Colombian Government as part of our joint efforts to improve Colombia’s human rights situation. We regularly raise human rights concerns, including the treatment and conditions of imprisoned Human Rights Defenders, with our Colombian counterparts. During Dr Beltran’s trial on 25 January, the Supreme Court of Justice transferred the complaint on the conditions of Dr Beltran’s imprisonment to the Colombian National Prisons Authority and to the Offices of the Inspector General and Ombudsman. Officials in our Embassy in Bogota will continue to monitor Dr Beltran’s case and to raise our concerns with Colombian officials.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what training taxi and private hire drivers are required to complete to support blind and partially sighted passengers.

    Andrew Jones

    Whilst no national mandatory requirements exist to provide training, we strongly encourage licensing authorities to consider requiring their taxi and private hire drivers to undergo training, ensuring that every passenger can be provided with a first class service.

    Well-designed disability awareness training, provided by the local authority, can help drivers to understand their legal duties and to equip them with the knowledge and skills to assist a range of passengers, including those who are visually impaired.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to allow Parliament to vote on (a) whether to remove the current 50 per cent cap on religious selection in free schools and (b) other changes to the schools admissions code.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Department is currently consulting on proposals to remove the 50% cap on faith admissions in new faith free schools. The outcome of the consultation and government response will be presented to Parliament. The consultation document, ‘Schools that work for everyone’, is available at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/school-frameworks/schools-that-work-for-everyone

    Any changes to the Schools Admissions Code are subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.

    “

  • Clive Efford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Clive Efford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Efford on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will request that Southeastern Trains and Network Rail explain the reasons for disruption to services at London Bridge on 4, 5 and 6 January 2016; and if he will publish the responses of those organisations to that request.

    Claire Perry

    Network Rail has informed me that problems with signalling equipment caused delays to some Southeastern services via London Bridge on 4, 5 and 6 of January. On the morning of 4th January, a track circuit failed near Cannon Street. On the evening of 5th January a track circuit failed on the line to Charing Cross and Network Rail was not able to rectify the fault until the morning of the 6th.

    Network Rail and Southeastern worked together to ensure the issues were rectified as quickly as possible and passenger disruption was minimised.

    I remain committed to ensuring disruption is kept to a minimum while we continue the vital Thameslink Programme works to improve capacity and reliability through one of the busiest rail routes in Europe.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the lifetime cost to the public purse of Army Air Corps and Fleet Air Arm Augusta Westland AW159 Wildcat helicopters.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The forecast costs of the AW159 Wildcat aircraft programme, including the development, acquisition, training and in-service support of the aircraft, is £5.2 billion.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much and what proportion of his Department’s overseas development assistance budget his Department spent was subject to the International Development Act 2002 in each of the last three years.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    Ministry of Defence (MOD) expenditure on overseas development assistance is governed by the Supply and Appropriation Acts.

    MOD spending on overseas development assistance over the last three calendar years has been £3.0 million in 2013 and £2.2 million in 2014. The 2015 figure is currently undergoing an assurance process and is scheduled to be published on 1 April 2016. This expenditure has mainly been on humantarian assistance and defence education.

  • Baroness Morgan of Huyton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Morgan of Huyton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Morgan of Huyton on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the new technical curricula will be launched; and how the information on any new qualifications will be disseminated to schools and colleges planning for September 2016.

    Lord Nash

    In 2012 the government introduced reforms that ensure that only high quality technical qualifications, that meet rigorous criteria, will be reported in performance tables. The government introduced Technical Awards for 14-16 year olds, and Tech Levels, Applied General Qualifications and Technical Certificates for 16-19 year olds. All qualifications offer progression to further study or a direct route to employment.

    Schools and colleges have already been made aware of the technical qualifications that have been approved for teaching from September 2016 for reporting in the 2018 performance tables. The lists of approved qualifications for 14-16 and 16-19 year olds are available on GOV.UK.

    The Department for Education will update these published lists in due course and schools and colleges will be informed through communications on the department’s website and social media as well as their member organisations and other routes.

    We are also planning further reforms to technical education to raise standards. These reforms, which will be driven by employers, will simplify the 16+ skills system by providing clear progression routes into employment. They will ensure that young people gain the skills and knowledge demanded by employers and universities. An independent panel, chaired by Lord Sainsbury, is developing proposals in this area and will report to government in due course.

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

    Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve the quality of data that it holds about the mental health of looked-after children.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department collects Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) scores for children looked-after for at least 12 months. In March 2015, The Department for Education and Department of Health strengthened the statutory guidance ‘Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked after children'[1] to include information on how Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires should be used. The Department wrote to local authorities in 2014 and 2015 to remind them about the purpose and importance of SDQs. Ahead of this year’s data collection (published in September 2016), the Department will also write to Virtual School Heads and Independent Reviewing Officers about the use of SDQs for looked-after children. In addition we are considering how to utilise best practice from local authorities that have had consistently good return rates for SDQ scores in their annual children looked-after data returns.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-the-health-and-wellbeing-of-looked-after-children–2

    “

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department’s policy is on media appearances of officials of his Department; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    All officials working in the Department are expected to adhere to the Civil Service code, which sets out the values and behaviours expected of civil servants, including integrity, honesty, and objectivity. Where it is appropriate for very senior officials to undertake media activity, they must at all times uphold these values, as well as taking account of the ethical standards governing particular professions.

  • Tania Mathias – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tania Mathias – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) models and (b) criteria his Department is using to make a cost and benefit analysis of the effect of the proposed Northwest runway at Heathrow Airport on economic growth and the environment.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Airports Commission shortlisted three airport expansion schemes, two at Heathrow and one at Gatwick. The Government accepted the Commission’s shortlist in December 2015 and is considering all of the evidence very carefully before reaching a view on its preferred scheme. The Government is not providing a running commentary on this work and nor would it be appropriate to outline specific pieces of evidence before an announcement on its preference. Any work to inform an announcement will be set out in subsequent publications and associated consultation.