Tag: 2016

  • Baroness Garden of Frognal – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Garden of Frognal – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Garden of Frognal on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the proposal in the report from the charity Sense, Making the case for play, that play be instated as part of the ministerial brief for the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Education and Childcare.

    Lord Nash

    I refer my Rt Hon. Friend to the answer given on 8 March to PQ 29735, which I have also set out below:

    The Department for Education recognises that play has an important role in supporting all young children to develop and prepare for later learning. The importance of play is already recognised within the early years legislation covered by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Childcare and Education’s portfolio.

    Play is covered in the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage framework and states: “Each area of learning and development must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity.”

    Staff working in early years settings as Early Years Educators (level 3) and Early Years Teachers (graduates) are required to have an understanding of different pedagogical approaches, including the role of play in supporting early learning and development. The criteria for the Early Years Educator and standards for Early Years Teacher Status qualifications are set by the department. However, it is the responsibility of early years settings to provide play opportunities for their children and pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.

    Ofsted registers childcare provision on the Early Years Register and the General Childcare Register and conducts a regular cycle of inspection to ensure that provision meets the required quality and safety standards.

    In judging the quality and standards of early years provision, Ofsted inspectors must assess the extent to which the learning and care provided by the setting meets the needs of the range of children who attend, including the needs of any children who have special educational needs or disabilities. At August 2015, 85 per cent of providers on the Early Years Register were rated good or outstanding for overall effectiveness. This is an increase of 11 percentage points since 2012.

  • Eilidh Whiteford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Eilidh Whiteford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants have been awarded employment and support allowance (ESA) under regulation (a) 29 and (b) 35 of the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008; and how many such claimants were originally in the ESA support group.

    Priti Patel

    Information on the outcomes of initial Employment and Support Allowance claims awarded under regulation 35 of the ESA Regulations 2008 can be found in Table 5 of the published statistics:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-claims-made-to-jun-2015-and-appeals-to-dec-2015.

    The rest of the information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

    “

  • Hywel Williams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hywel Williams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hywel Williams on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on (a) the mass arrest of members of the Baha’i community in Golestan province, Iran and (b) the length of their sentence of imprisonment.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We have had no specific reporting nor have we made representations on behalf of the group mentioned. However, we consistently raise our concerns about the treatment of the Baha’i community in Iran with the Iranian Government. We call on Iran to cease harassment of all religious minorities and to fulfil its international and domestic obligations to allow freedom of religion to all Iranians.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of differential rates of apprenticeship completion by sector; and if she will make a statement.

    Robert Halfon

    Apprenticeship achievement rates by sector subject area vary from 60.4% (Science and Maths) to 78.9% (Information and Communication Technology). With the exceptions of Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care, Arts, Media and Publishing and Science and Mathematics, the achievement rate for all Sector Subject Areas increased between the 2013/14 and 2014/15 academic years.

    Our reforms are improving the quality of all apprenticeships. We have insisted that they must all be paid jobs with substantial training, develop transferable skills and have a minimum 12 months’ duration. Ensuring that, at the end of their apprenticeship, apprentices have transferable skills and can progress their career will all help encourage people to complete their apprenticeship.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2016 to Question 45944, on Department for Exiting the European Union: Staff, how many offers of pro bono support from consultancy firms his Department has (a) been offered and (b) taken up.

    Mr Robin Walker

    The Department for Exiting the European Union has received a significant number of offers of support from individuals and businesses. To date, the department has utilised the services of seven consultancy firms on a pro bono or nominal (£1) basis.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many press and public relations staff are employed by (a) UK Trade and Investment, (b) FCO Services, (c) Wilton Park, (d) the British Council, (e) the Great Britain-China Centre, (f) the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission and (g) the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, (h) Government Communications Headquarters and (i) the Secret Intelligence Service; how many of those employees earn more than (i) £50,000 and (ii) £100,000; and what the total expenditure was on press and public relations by each of those organisations in the most recent year for which figures are available.

    Mr David Lidington

    The number of press and public relations staff employed in each organisation is
    as follows:

    FCO Services: 0.5 full-time equivalent
    Wilton Park: 0
    The British Council: 7
    The Great Britain-China Centre: 0
    The Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission: 0
    The Westminster Foundation for
    Democracy: 0

    i) The number of press and public relations employees who
    earn more than £50,000 in each organisation is as follows:

    FCO Services: 0
    Wilton Park: 0
    The British Council: 1
    The Great Britain-China
    Centre: 0
    The Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission: 0
    The Westminster
    Foundation for Democracy: 0

    ii) No press and public relations employee
    earns more than £100,000 in any of the organisationslisted above.

    iii)
    The total expenditure on press and public relations by each organisation in
    2014/15, excluding staff costs, is as follows:

    FCO Services: £21,312

    Wilton Park: Nil
    The British Council: £126,041
    The Great
    Britain-China Centre: Nil
    The Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission: Nil

    The Westminster Foundation for Democracy: Nil

    It is long standing government policy not to publish Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ) and Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) expenditure or staff figures to the requested level of detail. However, other data on the intelligence agencies’ expenditure and staff numbers are normally published in the annual reports of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.

    Across Government the government communications profession saved £330 million for taxpayers last year compared to 2009 to 2010 – by making its campaigns more cost effective. This means the government reduced communications spending by a total of £1 billion during the last Parliament.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions his Department has had with local businesses and LEPs on the economic effect of the area reviews for further education.

    Nick Boles

    Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP) have a central role to play in supporting area reviews and are contributing to the analysis of the current and future economic and educational needs of their area. They are also supporting the review process through their wider economic development role and use of their potential resource leverage including capital funding and other related funding streams like European Social Funding. Being impartial and economically driven, LEP involvement is allowing the business voice to feature largely in discussions and to ensure there is a full understanding of employer demand.

    There is regular contact with the LEP network and with individual LEPs through the local steering group arrangements. In addition local employers are being actively engaged in each area review through the wide range of stakeholder engagement taking place.

    LEPs and the British Chamber of Commerce are also represented on the National Area Review Advisory group which is influencing how the area reviews are taken forward.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-02-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 15 February 2016 to Question 26319 on the national minimum wage, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increase in the arrears identified between April 2015 and November 2015; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government takes the enforcement of National Minimum Wage very seriously. Any worker who believes that they are being paid below the minimum wage should make a complaint to the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) respond to every complaint that is referred to them by the Acas helpline. Additionally, HMRC collate and analyse data from various sources in order to identify those employers who are potentially more likely to be underpaying National Minimum Wage, so that they can undertake targeted enforcement against those employers.

    The Government has increased annual funding of National Minimum Wage enforcement by nearly 60% since 2013/14, providing a budget of £13.2m in 2015/16. This has enabled a significant expansion of resources dedicated to enforcing the minimum wage; there are currently 237 staff in HMRC’s National Minimum Wage teams, up from 151 at the start of 2013/14. HMRC have also reviewed their ways of working to ensure a more efficient and effective service for workers.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will call for the inclusion of women in the peace negotiations between the government of Burma and the ethnic armed political groups to ensure that the issue of rape and sexual violence in conflict is properly addressed.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are clear that women should have a critical role in the Burmese peace process, not only to ensure that the use of sexual violence is addressed but also so that women’s voices are heard in what is a key element of the country’s transition to peace and democracy. Several lead negotiators are women, including the head of the Senior Delegation of Ethnic leaders, Naw Zipporah Sein, and we encourage all sides to ensure equitable representation in the peace process. We welcome the inclusion of explicit provisions in the National Ceasefire Agreement, signed last October, prohibiting, ‘…any form of sexual attack on women, including sexual molestation, sexual assault or violence, rape and sex slavery’.

  • Baroness Bakewell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Bakewell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Bakewell on 2016-04-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which institutions and postholders are prohibited by law from expressing views on the EU referendum and the UK membership of the EU.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    For the final 28 days ending with the date of the poll, section 125 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (as applied by the European Union Referendum Act 2015) restricts publication of material giving general information about the referendum, dealing with any issues raised by the question, encouraging voting or putting an argument for or against either answer. The restriction applies to material published by or on behalf of “any Minister of the Crown, government department or local authority”, “the Government of Gibraltar, or any Gibraltar government department” or “any other person or body whose expenses are defrayed wholly or mainly out of public funds or by any local authority.” Specific exception is made for the Electoral Commission, the BBC, Sianel Pedwar Cymru and the Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation. Section 125 also sets out a number of general exceptions to the restriction, such as the issuing of press notices, and making material available to people in response to specific requests.

    Under charity law, charities can undertake campaigning, including campaigning at the EU referendum, and political activity where it is in support of their charitable purposes, and where the trustees consider it is in the interests of the charity. When doing so, charities must not engage in any party political activity, and must take care to protect the charity’s independence and reputation.