Tag: Craig Whittaker

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that school (a) staff and (b) pupils are protected from violence in schools.

Edward Timpson

Any violence in schools is deplorable. The Department issues health and safety advice designed to help schools meet their statutory obligations. The employer in a school has the overall responsibility of ensuring that reasonable steps are taken to ensure staff and pupils are not being exposed to risks to their health and safety, including making the school secure.

We have appointed Tom Bennett, an expert in behaviour, to look at improving training for new teachers, to deal with school disruption and more widely at what needs to be done to improve behaviour in schools.

Schools should be safe and secure environments. Combined figures relating to the number of exclusions for physical assault against pupils and adults and verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against pupils and adults show a decrease for fixed period exclusions in recent years. We have given powers to schools to search pupils and confiscate inappropriate items. Schools continue to be vigilant and I expect that they will take all the necessary steps to ensure staff and pupils are appropriately protected.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-11-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much his Department spent on educational materials for prisons in 2014-15.

Nick Boles

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills funds the Skills Funding Agency to administer and deliver education in the majority of adult prisons in England via the Offenders’ Learning and Skills Service (OLASS).

The OLASS budget for 2014-15 was £145.6m. This figure includes funding for the National Careers Service in custody. It excludes a number of private prisons where the operator is responsible for providing education under their contract with the National Offender Management Service.

The OLASS budget includes funding to cover the provision of educational materials. The costs of those materials are not collected separately.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-12-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the economic benefits to the Calder Valley of the award of the new Northern rail franchise.

Andrew Jones

The Calder Valley route between Manchester and Bradford will see more trains and faster journeys, with the weekday service frequency between Bradford and Manchester being enhanced by 50% (from two to three trains per hour), a significant increase in evening services, a doubling of Sunday service frequency from one to two trains per hour, and new direct links from Bradford to Manchester Airport and from Bradford to Liverpool.

Add this to the withdrawal of all Pacers by the end of 2019, an investment of £400 million in 281 brand newcarriages (some of which will operate on the new Bradford-Manchester Airport and Bradford-Liverpool services), and the refurbishment of the rest of the Northern fleet, we expect these enhancements to result in very substantial economic benefits for the area.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential benefit to the local economies of North, East, South and West Yorkshire of a devolution deal.

James Wharton

The specific details of any devolution deals agreed with North, South, East or West Yorkshire would be contingent on the outcome of engagement between the Government and local leaders.

The benefits to areas that have agreed devolution deals with the Government will be significant and far-reaching. Local leaders will be given direct control over the levers of growth in their economies, with the most ambitious deals including new powers over adult skills and transport budgets, and substantial, long-term investment funds. By providing local partners with greater control over key policies and resources, devolution deals offer places more of the tools they need to drive forward growth for the benefit of the whole local economy.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-03-07.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the use of money laundering services abroad by UK citizens.

Harriett Baldwin

The Government believes that money laundering is a critical enabler of both terrorism and serious and organised crime. This is why the UK’s own anti-money laundering regime contains controls and supervisory mechanisms which aim to make the UK financial system a hostile environment for illicit finances, whilst minimising the burden on legitimate businesses and reducing the overall burden of regulation.

The Government expects UK citizens to comply with anti-money laundering regulations both at home and abroad and works hard, particularly through the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), to improve global standards and combat money laundering.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what provisions his Department has put in place as part of the rail franchise package for the Calder Valley rail line to improve rolling stock on that line.

Andrew Jones

The new Northern franchise will introduce at least 140 additional new DMU vehicles by the start of 2020. The new trains will be capable of operating at 100mph, be fitted with CCTV, fully air conditioned and have Wi-Fi fitted. These trains will operate on Northern Connect services including those on the Calder Valley route. In addition, over 600 existing vehicles will be fully refurbished to include improved seating, repainted interiors, Wi-fi, real time passenger information screens and improved lighting.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-05-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many gambling licenses were issued for premises in (a) Calderdale and (b) West Yorkshire in each year between 2005 and 2016.

David Evennett

The requested information is not held centrally. Local authorities are responsible for the issuing of gambling premises licences in accordance with the Licensing Objectives and their own Statement of Licensing Policy. Local Authority license registers listing the number of licences in each borough are available to access by the public. More information from Calderdale Council can be found at http://www.calderdale.gov.uk/business/licences/gambling-act/index.html

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-07-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of trends in home ownership in Calderdale since 2005.

Gavin Barwell

The department collects information on home ownership via the English Housing Survey (EHS). The size of the EHS sample does not permit us to produce local authority estimates. England figures going back to 1980 can be found in AT1.1 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/501068/2014-15_Section_1_Households_tables_and_figures_FINAL.xlsx

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of the UK’s aid assistance to the Palestinian Territories.

Rory Stewart

As I have recently taken up my new role, I am conducting an examination of DFID’s support to the Occupied Palestinian Territories to ensure UK taxpayers’ money is spent in the right places and in the right way. The UK remains committed in its support for a negotiated settlement leading to a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what guidance her Department provides to local authorities on reducing energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.

Andrea Leadsom

The Department of Energy and Climate Change provides the following guidance and support to Local Authorities: a Model Energy Performance Contract and guidance note to assist public sector organisations carry out energy efficiency retrofits and a Guide to Financing Energy Efficiency in the Public Sector. The Department also requested the Committee on Climate Change to produce a guidance note for local authorities on reducing their carbon emissions in 2012.

A number of schemes run by the Department also provide guidance as part ofwider support to public sector organisations, such as the Salix Finance public sector energy efficiency loan scheme which provides interest-free capital and the RE:FIT scheme which provides a streamlined procurement framework for energy efficiency retrofit work.