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, how the Government plans to include Ministers of the Scottish Government in its negotiations on fisheries with the EU.
George Eustice
We will be holding discussions with all devolved administrations to determine how we will approach negotiations on fisheries with the EU.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on who took the decision not to use a professional heavy vehicle recovery operator to recover the bus which was trapped in floodwater in Dailley, Ayrshire, in December 2015.
Rory Stewart
These decisions would have been taken by the Scottish Government, as flooding is a devolved matter.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Addington on 2016-02-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are aware of any evidence that being taught by teachers trained in inclusive pedagogy is of benefit to pupils both with and without special educational needs.
Lord Nash
In order to be awarded qualified teacher status (QTS), trainees must satisfy the Teachers’ Standards, which include a requirement that they have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with SEN, and are able to use and evaluate distinctive teaching approaches to engage and support them. The most important factor, as recognised by Ofsted, in supporting the best outcomes for all pupils with and without SEND, is the quality of teaching. All students benefit from high quality teaching supported by rigorous monitoring and good assessment, with specialist teachers where required.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-03-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 23 February (HL6333), whether they have had specific discussions with the government of Bahrain on past and pending deprivations of citizenship, and on potential discrimination against the Shia Scholars Council and the Al Wefaq Party; and if so, with what results.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), discussed human rights and political reform with the Bahraini Ambassador on 8 March. We use the strength of our relationship and engagement to encourage reform. We continue to encourage the Government of Bahrain to meets its human rights obligations and honour all conventions to which it is a party – including on citizenship rights. We also urge all sides to engage in constructive political dialogue.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-04-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of local authority areas in which the Safe Places scheme is used.
Mr Marcus Jones
The Department has made no estimate of the number of local authority areas in which the Safe Places scheme is used.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-05-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what evidence his Department holds on the effect of the number of roadside drug testing on the number of traffic accidents; and what assessment he has made of improvements in road safety since the introduction of roadside drug testing.
Andrew Jones
The Department has contracted a researcher to evaluate the effect and impact on road safety of the new section 5A offence, which will include the use of roadside testing. We expect to publish their final report in 2017. The effectiveness of the recent THINK! 2016 drug drive spring campaign which refers to the use of roadside drug testing will also be evaluated and a report will be published in the summer 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-07-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to allow people who have recently been granted refugee status and have not yet received a refugee integration loan to remain in asylum accommodation.
Mike Penning
We are working towards achieving more integrated communities and creating the conditions for everyone to live and work successfully alongside each other.
Those who are granted refugee status are given access to the labour market, mainstream benefits and housing assistance from their local authority. There are therefore no plans to allow refugees to stay in asylum support accommodation.
The Home Office offers integration loans to recognised refugees. The loan is designed to help refugees integrate into UK society by offering financial support towards housing costs, employment and training.
The Home Office also funds strategic migration partnerships which provide coordination and support services for those organisations working with migrants and refugees in local communities.
Earlier this year the Government announced that £20 million of additional funding for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses would be introduced in October 2016. This funding will reach the most isolated communities in the UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mc Nally on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will commit the UK to voting in support of the closure of domestic ivory markets at forthcoming international conferences.
Dr Thérèse Coffey
At the Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) that took place from 24 September to 5 October, proposals on the closure of domestic ivory markets where they contribute to poaching or illegal trade were agreed by all Parties by consensus. The UK supported this outcome, negotiating on the basis of a common EU and Member State position.
The agreement at CITES should form a strong basis for a global position on this important issue, which the UK will continue to support. It will not be revisited in the CITES context before the next Conference of Parties, which will take place in 2019. The UK will continue to comply with our EU treaty obligations, including our duty of sincere cooperation, until we formally leave the EU.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy that there will be no further emergency authorisations of the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.
George Eustice
EU legislation provides for Member States to authorise limited and controlled use of a pesticide on an exceptional basis in emergency situations to “control a danger which cannot be contained by any other reasonable means”. Emergency authorisations are not granted automatically and applications must be based on evidence relating to the need for the pesticide and possible harmful effects.
Emergency authorisations are granted for a maximum of 120 days and those issued for neonicotinoids in 2015 have now expired. Any future applications will be considered by the Chemicals Regulation Directorate of the Health and Safety Executive, against strict criteria.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2016-02-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government for each government-approved tenancy deposit scheme for assured shorthold tenancies, what is the average time taken to (1) return deposits, and (2) resolve disputes regarding deposits; what proportion of cases of dispute remain unresolved after (1) three months, (2) six months, and (3) 12 months; what proportion of deposits are (1) returned in full, and (2) not returned at all, and of those what proportion are not disputed; and what is their estimate of the proportion of tenancies in which a deposit is not protected.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
The Tenancy Deposit Schemes in England currently protect over 3 million deposits on behalf of tenants, helping to raise standards in the private rented sector and ensuring that tenants are treated fairly at the end of the tenancy.
At the end of September 2015, over 11.5 million deposits had been protected by the tenancy deposit schemes and less than 1.5 per cent of these had gone to adjudication. Tenancy deposit schemes are required to deal with disputed cases within 28 days. An adjudicator’s decision is final and can only be challenged through the courts. Information is not collected on such court cases. A breakdown by scheme of the average time taken to return deposits, resolve disputes and the award of decisions are set out in the attached table.
My Department has not made an assessment of the proportion of tenancies in which a deposit is not protected.