Tag: Bridget Phillipson

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has had discussions with representatives of Japanese businesses operating in the UK on the memorandum presented by the Japanese government to the Prime Minister at the recent G20 Summit.

Alok Sharma

Ministers and senior Government officials have held regular discussions with Japanese investors operating in the UK since the referendum in June. This continued after the Japanese Government published their memorandum on 2 September. I met representatives of Japanese business on 8 September at Asia House and I spoke to individual investors in Tokyo and Osaka during my visit to Japan from 26 to 29 September. Japanese investment in the UK has been a huge success story and as we plan our exit from the European Union we will continue to listen to the voices of Japanese business.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 12 October 2016 to Question 47489, whether, during the course of negotiations for the UK to leave the EU, his Department plans to hold discussions with its Japanese counterparts.

Mr David Jones

Ministers and officials from across the Government are working closely with the Government of Japan and Japanese companies operating in the UK to reinforce the importance of a close relationship between our countries. They will continue to do so, including through our embassy in Tokyo.

The Department for Exiting the EU will continue to support this work.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to improve the retention of students who have the potential to succeed in higher education but face financial difficulties.

Joseph Johnson

Continuation rates for students in publicly-funded institutions are at a record high, with 94.3% of young full-time first degree entrants to higher education in English HEIs in 2012/13 continuing after their first year and, 90.0% of full-time first degree starters of all ages in English HEIs in 2012/13 were expected to receive an award or transfer. Improvements in these areas have come at a time of considerable expansion in student numbers and increasing diversity in the backgrounds of students.

Institutions wishing to charge higher fees must agree access agreements with the independent Director of Fair Access. In these, institutions set out what more they will do to attract students from disadvantaged backgrounds and help them to complete their studies and progress to post-graduate study or employment. In 2016/17, institutions expect to spend £425m on financial support through their access agreements.

The Higher Education Green Paper set out further steps to encourage universities to improve retention rates, including for students from disadvantaged and under-represented groups, through a Teaching Excellence Framework.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure a level transition for people moving from tax credits to universal credit in terms of the amount of benefits received; and if he will make a statement.

Priti Patel

We have put transitional protections in place to ensure that people on existing tax credits whose circumstances remain the same do not lose out in cash terms when they are transferred on to Universal Credit.

We will introduce regulations to give effect to these provisions in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2016 to Question 24228, on public transport: North East, what his Department’s role is in finalising monitoring arrangements.

James Wharton

The Government is working with local partners in the North East to design an implementation plan for the North East devolution deal. Officials based in Cities and Local Growth team will work with local places to monitor the progress of implementation. When the necessary statutory instruments are in place, the Mayor will decide how to monitor the area’s transport policy, and will be directly held to account by local constituents.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2016-05-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department plans to publish its response to its public consultation on housing benefit reform and supported housing.

Justin Tomlinson

In conjunction with the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department for Work and Pensions has recently conducted an evidence-based review of supported accommodation in GB and we expect to publish the report shortly. Alongside this work, as part of our policy review, we will continue to work with and listen to all relevant stakeholders, including the supported housing sector in order to develop a workable and sustainable funding regime.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied child refugees are in the process of seeking asylum to be reunited with family members who are already in the UK, under the terms of the Immigration Act 2016.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Between 12 May and 1 October 2016 over 50 children who meet the criteria in Section 67 of the Immigration Act were accepted for transfer. Over 35 have already been transferred to the UK and many more are in train.

The Government can only give figures for those who have been accepted for transfer to the UK; the number of unaccompanied child refugees in the process of seeking asylum in other Member States is a matter for that Member State.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 October 2016 to Question 47490, whether during those discussions concerns were raised by Japanese investors and representatives of Japanese businesses about the UK’s decision to leave the EU; and whether any conditions were placed on continued Japanese investment in the UK.

Alok Sharma

During my discussions, Japanese investors and business raised issues broadly in line with those set out in the Japanese government’s paper of 2 September. As we prepare to negotiate our exit from the European Union, it would be wrong to set out our unilateral position in advance of these negotiations, or provide a running commentary on our discussions with individual companies. We will continue to work closely with Japanese investors and business to ensure we support an open and thriving economic partnership in the future.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2015-11-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2015 to Question 12715, what steps his Department plans to take to increase the number of (a) pupils from state-funded schools and (b) pupils from state-funded schools who receive free school meals who enter higher education.

Joseph Johnson

We have already taken significant steps to widen participation in higher education. In particular, from 2015/16, we have removed the cap on student numbers, enabling more people than ever before to benefit from higher education. We have also established a stronger framework with increased responsibility placed on providers to widen access. The Director of Fair Access has agreed 183 Access Agreements for 2016/17 containing an estimated £745m to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds – up from £404m in 2009/10.

The Green Paper Fulfilling our Potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice, CM 9141 sets out additional steps the Government plans to take to increase the proportion of students from disadvantaged background entering higher education including through the new guidance that we plan to issue to the Director of Fair Access, and through the social mobility taskforce being set up by Universities UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December 2015 to Question 18232, if he will make it his policy to include the monitoring of the use of public transport and investment in the North East’s bus and rail networks as part of the process of monitoring the North East Devolution Deal.

James Wharton

Monitoring arrangements for the North East Devolution Deal are still subject to ongoing discussions, and once agreed will form part of the North East Combined Authority’s Implementation Plan.