Tag: Bill Wiggin

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-05-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the average length of time between an application for free school status being made and a successful applicant school opening; and what plans he has to reduce the time taken.

Mr Edward Timpson

In cases where there is no existing school, the average length of time between an application for a free school being made and a brand new school opening is approximately eighteen months. There are instances where a free school is able to open in a shorter amount of time, for example, in the case of an existing independent school that wants to join the state sector.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-05-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress he has made on making the process for school leaving local education authority control to become free schools easier.

Mr Edward Timpson

Free schools are a type of academy, established either as new provision or by independent schools joining the state sector. Maintained schools cannot become free schools, but they can convert to become academies, which enjoy broadly the same freedoms as free schools. The Department for Education is continually refining the academy conversion process. Guidance has been shortened, documentation simplified and standardised, including a ‘plain English’ version of the funding agreement, and an online application form introduced in March, saving schools time in submitting information to the department.

The number of converter academies continues to increase, with 2,795 converter academies open as of May 2014.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-05-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications for free school status from applicants which already have premises have been refused.

Mr Edward Timpson

The Department for Education does not hold the information in the form requested.

Whether applicants already have premises for their proposed school, and who provides those premises, are not, on their own, material factors in the decision to approve or reject a free school application. Rather, that decision is based principally on an assessment of the need for the school, the strength of the applicants’ education plans and their ability to deliver a school that is financially viable and likely to be judged “good” or “outstanding” by Ofsted.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2014, Official Report, columns 67-8W, on the press, whether he has set a date for meeting victims of press abuse and their representatives.

Mr Edward Vaizey

These arrangements are currently being finalised.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on the Mobile Infrastructure Project in Herefordshire.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Work has been ongoing in Herefordshire to search for appropriate locations for potential masts, and for each mast to: come to an agreement with a landlord, find an option to transmit signal back into the existing mobile networks, and ensure that the mast can be connected to a source of electricity

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Mobile Infrastructure Project in Herefordshire is on course to be delivered on schedule.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Mobile Infrastructure Project has faced challenges in finding ways to connect signal from masts back into the existing networks, and DCMS officials are assessing the impact of these challenges on overall progress and schedules.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-05-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on (a) the number of companies that provide indemnity insurance for nurses and midwives and (b) the policies that are available for this.

Dr Daniel Poulter

The Department does not hold information on the number of companies that provide indemnity insurance for nurses and midwives or details on the policies that are available for this. In National Health Service organisations, it is not necessary for individual employees to take out their own indemnity insurance, unless they also undertake private work, because their employing organisation is, in law, vicariously liable for any negligence arising out of and in the course of their employment. All NHS trusts in England are members of the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts operated on behalf of the Secretary of State by the NHS Litigation Authority.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the criteria are by which Arqiva assesses notspot data.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Notspot data is compiled and held by Ofcom, with information provided by the Mobile Network Operators. In areas where coverage is thought to be marginal, or there is uncertainty over coverage, DCMS officials have commissioned drive testing to check the level of coverage.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-05-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assistance his Department provides for small independent schools making applications for free school status; and if he will take steps to increase such assistance.

Mr Edward Timpson

The Department for Education provides comprehensive guidance for all free school applicants on the criteria that successful applications need to meet. The Department also provides a grant to the New Schools Network to provide free expert support to applicants to develop their free school application.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the process was by which Arqiva arrived at its decision not to proceed with the proposed Fownhope mast.

Mr Edward Vaizey

DCMS officials provided Arqiva with the latest data on notspots, updated by Ofcom for 2014 with information from the Mobile Network Operators. This shows that coverage has improved in Fownhope since the inception of the project. The Mobile Infrastructure Project can intervene in areas where there is no mobile coverage from any operator, and where the cost of the build of a mast, considered alongside the numbers of premises that would benefit from the additional coverage, provides value for money. Unfortunately this is no longer the case for the proposed mast location in Fownhope, and Arqiva made a recommendation to officials to not proceed.