Tag: Alex Cunningham

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the breadth of physical activity opportunities beyond sport available to children (a) in and (b) out of school.

Edward Timpson

We want all children to lead healthy and active lives. The government will publish a new sports strategy by the end of 2015. The strategy will set out how the government intends to support young people to participate in, and engage with sport and physical activity.

Schools can offer a variety of opportunities for children to be physically active. Physical education (PE) is a compulsory subject at all four Key Stages in the national curriculum for maintained schools. The curriculum sets out the expectation that pupils should be physically active for sustained periods of time. Teachers have the flexibility to organise and deliver a range of activities.

Through the Primary PE and Sport Premium, the government has committed over £450m of ring-fenced funding to primary schools to improve the quality of their PE and sport provision.

Other programmes focused on increasing physical activity include Change4Life Sports Clubs and the Young Ambassador Peer Leaders programme. Change4Life Sports Clubs aim to increase the physical activity, health and wellbeing of the least active children through healthy lifestyle activities. In May 2015, an independent evaluation on Change4Life Primary Clubs found that around 270,000 children participated in Change4Life Primary Clubs over the lifetime of the programme (2011/12 – 2014/15). Young Ambassadors are primary and secondary pupils who promote physical activity across their school and lead activities with their less active peers.

Outside of school, more than 385,000 families signed up to the Change4Life 10 Minute Shake Up summer campaign and over 700,000 children participated. The campaign encouraged children to team up with some of their favourite Disney characters and enjoy 10 Minute Shake Up activities to keep them healthy and physically active.

The government is also keen to encourage more pupils to walk to school. Statutory guidance for local authorities on travel and transport to school was published in July 2014. Local authorities have a duty to promote the use of sustainable travel and transport and to develop a strategy for sustainable local travel.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to Resolution 11.15 adopted by the Eleventh Conference if the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals in November 2014, what assessment she has made of the extent and type of poisoning risk from lead ammunition in the UK.

Rory Stewart

The Government is considering the independent Lead Ammunition Group’s report on the effect of lead shot on human and wildlife health and will respond as soon as possible.

The Food Standards Agency has produced advice on the consumption of lead shot game which can be accessed at https://www.food.gov.uk/science/advice-to-frequent-eaters-of-game-shot-with-lead.

“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the extension of Right to Buy on affordable housing supply.

Brandon Lewis

Under the 2012 reinvigorated Right to Buy, every additional home sold, as well as those homes sold to tenants through the voluntary agreement with the National Housing Federation and housing associations, will result in an additional home being provided. This will lead to an increase in overall housing supply.

The Government exceeded its affordable homes target over the last 4 years by 16,000 homes, delivering 186,000 new affordable homes.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for Rural Community Councils.

Rory Stewart

The Secretary of State discussed a range of issues with the Chancellor of the Exchequer as part of the Spending Review. The Chancellor announced the outcome of the Spending Review on 25 November.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-12-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if the Government will publish an updated Tobacco Control Plan for England.

Jane Ellison

This Government is committed to reducing the prevalence of smoking in England to further improve and protect the health of the nation. In line with this commitment Government plan to publish a new tobacco control strategy for England next year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-12-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Part 1 of the Education and Skills Act 2008, what assessment he has made of whether all armed forces personnel aged 16 and 17 are able to study for 280 guided learning hours per year towards accredited qualifications.

Mark Lancaster

The Armed Forces meet the requirement of Raising the Participation Age, as defined in the Education and Skills Act 2008.

In the Naval Service, all new recruits, whether Royal Navy or Royal Marines and irrespective of age, undertake a Level 2 accredited apprenticeship. This is as part of Phase 2 training for the Royal Navy and Phase 1 training for the Royal Marines.

The Army provides full-time training and education to all recruits aged 16 and 17, largely through the Junior Entry courses at Army Foundation College, Harrogate.

All non-commissioned Royal Air Force recruits, regardless of their age, are enrolled onto a Level 2, Level 3 or Level 4 accredited apprenticeship according to their Trade.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-01-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to publish sea bass landing data by metier for 2014.

George Eustice

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) publishes annual data which includes total landings by UK vessels for bass in the UK Sea Fisheries Annual Statistics Report 2014. In conjunction with this report, the MMO publishes two more detailed datasets online which show bass landings by, for example, year, month, port of landing, vessel nationality, gear category, over/under 10m, area and rectangle. This information is available at the link below.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/uk-sea-fisheries-annual-statistics-report-2014.

“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans he has to provide assistance to further education institutions which incur financial penalties as a result of triggering break clauses in the loan agreements they hold with banks resulting from his Department’s area reviews.

Nick Boles

As independent institutions colleges involved in an area review are responsible for their own financial arrangements with banks and other creditors. Area reviews are the mechanism through which post-16 institutions have the opportunity to work together to ensure that provision best suits local educational and economic needs. We expect that the recommendations of each review will lead to institutions that are financially sustainable.

The costs including any financial penalties arising from the recommendations of each review will be explored as part of the process. We expect the colleges, alongside local authorities and LEPs with devolved skills budgets, to consider how these costs can be met locally. Where there are costs that cannot be met, but which are essential to the successful implementation of the review, we have announced a facility for transitional funding to support this. We will provide more detail in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-02-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her speech at the Oxford Farming Conference on 6 January 2016, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on how responsibility for maintaining local watercourses will be shared.

Rory Stewart

Following discussions between Defra, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and the Somerset Rivers Authority, the Secretary of State for DCLG confirmed that authorities in Somerset will be able to raise extra funding via a shadow precept from April 2016.

The Government also provides funding to Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) to carry out their duties under the Flood and Water Management Act. As part of the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2016-17, the DCLG has proposed protecting LLFA funding in real terms over the life of this Parliament.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much has been paid out by local authorities to households in flood compensation payments that remains to be reimbursed to those authorities by his Department.

James Wharton

To date over £48 million has been paid out to local authorities through the Community and Business Recovery Fund and Council Tax and Business Rates discounts to assist households and businesses affected by the floods caused by Storms Desmond and Eva.

Local authorities have not notified the Department of any allowable costs not covered by the sums transferred. It is expected that further payments will be made shortly as flooded property numbers are confirmed and further funds requested.