Tag: Helen Jones

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2015-11-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to encourage more teachers with qualifications in English and mathematics to take up posts in further education colleges.

Nick Boles

Our Further Education Workforce Strategy[1] published in 2014 sets out the steps government has already taken to encourage more teachers with qualifications in English and Mathematics to take up posts in further education colleges.

Since 2013, bursaries of up to £25,000 have been available to attract new graduates with relevant degrees to teach English and Mathematics, and to specialise in teaching students with SEN within the FE sector. To date, over 950 bursaries have been provided to graduates. The government is committed to supporting the development of the teaching workforce in FE and has invested over £30m since 2013 to fund a range of programmes and incentives to improve the quality of leadership, teaching and support staff in the sector – with a priority on English and Maths.

Furthermore, 3,800 existing FE teachers have benefited from enhancement programmes designed to improve teacher confidence and knowledge of new GCSE English and Maths qualifications.

Further information on Further Education teacher training can be found in the ‘Get into Teaching’ website[2] and FE advice websites[3].

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-education-workforce-strategy

[2]https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/

[3] https://www.feadvice.org.uk/

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to allocate two unique reference numbers to schools which have designated provision within the school for the purpose of differentiating results for that provision and the whole school.

Edward Timpson

We have no plans to allocate two unique reference numbers to schools which have designated provision within the school. Disaggregating the results of children in designation provision from the results of children in mainstream schooling in performance data would be at odds with the principle of inclusivity.

I refer the Right Honourable MP to my response to PQ 23155, submitted to Parliament on Friday 22 January 2016, in which I explained that disaggregating results in this way would create incentives to place children in designated provision regardless of whether or not that was in their best interest.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many pupils in the North West have received funding from the European Regional Development Fund; and what the total investment from that fund in that region has been in each year since 2000.

James Wharton

The European Regional Development Fund does not provide funding to pupils.

The total investment for the Fund 2000-06 programme period in the North West was equivalent to just under £1.5 billion.

The figures for the 2007-13 European Regional Developement Fund programme, where investment commenced in 2009, are as follows:

Year	Annual expenditure (£m)	Cumulative expenditure (£m)
2009	168.2	168.2
2010	56.3	224.5
2011	63.2	287.7
2012	60.8	348.5
2013	81.2	429.7
2014	123.8	553.5
2015	56.9	610.4

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the annual costs incurred in clinical negligence legislation due to the failure of the NHS Litigation Authority to (a) properly investigate claims early in the process and (b) offer a realistic settlement at the earliest possible time; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Gummer

The role of the National Health Service Litigation Authority (NHS LA) is to deal efficiently and effectively with clinical negligence cases against the NHS as set out in the framework agreement with the Department.

The NHS LA discharges its functions by:

― paying justified claims promptly and appropriately;

― defending claims without merit;

― undertaking appropriate and proportionate risk management activities with its members with a view to assisting them to minimise their claims and thus improve patient and staff safety; and

― ensuring that the lessons learned from claims and the other activities of the NHS LA are appropriately shared in order to help reduce adverse incidents in the future.

A review of NHS LA by the Department, published in July 2015, concluded that it is a well-led and efficient organisation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on finalising the route for the second stage of High Speed 2; and when he expects to announce the decision on that route.

Mr Robert Goodwill

In November last year the Secretary of State confirmed plans for accelerating construction of Phase Two from the West Midlands to Crewe so that it opens in 2027, six years earlier than planned.

We are developing our plans for the rest of Phase Two and we intend to make a decision on the rest of the route in autumn 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received on behalf of local independent pharmacies in Warrington on their future funding.

David Mowat

We have received representations from individuals, including the hon. Member and from a number of organisations representing pharmacies, pharmacists and patients in Cheshire, on our proposals for community pharmacy in 2016/17 and beyond.

We have also received representations from the National Pharmacy Association and Pharmacy Voice, of which the Association is a member. These include written communications and official meetings.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the change in the number of jobs in each region attributable to changes to feed-in tariffs.

Andrea Leadsom

Our consultation on the feed-in tariff review reflects the need to balance sector support whilst keeping bills down for consumers. We strongly welcomed evidence from the sector during this review consultation, which ended on 23 October, and we asked a question about the impact on the wider economy, including jobs, in the consultation. We will respond in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to issue guidance that staff employed by contract cleaning companies in government departments should not be disciplined for seeking a living wage; and if he will include this in future contracts.

Matthew Hancock

We are the first Government ever to deliver a National Living Wage. From April 2016, every employer in the country will pay the National Living Wage, including all Government contractors, for workers aged 25 and above.

Consequently, we have no plans to issue the specified guidance.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will estimate the number of homes in (a) Warrington and (b) Warrington North constituency which were sold under Right to Buy legislation and which have subsequently become privately rented properties.

Brandon Lewis

No estimate has been made as to how many homes sold under the Right to Buy have become private rented properties.

What a Right to Buy owner chooses to do with their property after they’ve bought it is up to them, just as it is for other home buyers on the open market. Mortgage providers and landlords may place restrictions on letting in the terms of the sale.

Under Right to Buy there are financial restrictions in place for re-sale within 5 years, and councils have the right of first refusal to buy back the property for up to 10 years at market value.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the expected capacity margin of the National Grid during winter 2015-16.

Andrea Leadsom

National Grid has recently published their Winter Outlook Report with a capacity margin of 5.1% for winter 2015-16.

National Grid continually assesses the risks to security of supply and system stability across GB. They have confirmed they have all the tools they need to manage the system this winter.