The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-02-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the recruitment target for the Future Teaching Scholars programme is for 2015-16.
Nick Gibb
The Future Teaching Scholars programme is currently recruiting high achieving A level students, with the aim of securing up to 110 scholars to start the programme in the academic year 2016-17.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-02-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) level of use by single parents of the Jobcentre Plus Flexible Support Fund.
Priti Patel
The Department has not conducted any specific evaluation work on the use of Flexible Support Fund for single parents.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Attorney General, if he will take steps to ensure that at the point of sentencing all available information on previous offences committed by the person to be sentenced is made available to the court.
Robert Buckland
It is vital that all relevant available information on previous convictions and sentences (antecedents) is made available to the court that passes sentence. This allows the court to pass a sentence commensurate with the seriousness of the offence taking account the offender’s previous convictions. There are already procedures in place to ensure this
The Crown Prosecution Service, or other prosecuting authority in the case, obtains relevant antecedents and previous convictions from the police so that it is available for service on the court, with further copies being served on the defence and Probation Services. It is the responsibility of the prosecution advocate to ensure that the information required is made available to the court at any sentencing hearing.
The Criminal Practice Directions [2013] EWCA Crim 1631 prescribe minimum standards for the provision of antecedent information in the magistrates’ and Crown Court. There is an additional requirement in the Crown Court for brief details of convictions likely to be of interest to the court to be made available prior to sentence being imposed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-04-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many alternative provision free schools have been graded (a) outstanding, (b) good, (c) requires improvement and (d) inadequate in each year since 2012.
Nick Gibb
These are matters for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw. I have asked him to write to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-05-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to continue supplying Orkambi to cystic fibrosis patients currently receiving that drug as part of a clinical trial in the event of that drug not being approved for NHS use by the NICE.
George Freeman
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is currently appraising Orkambi (lumacaftor-ivacaftor) for the treatment of cystic fibrosis homozygous for the F508del mutation.
NHS England has advised that it has published policies that cover the different circumstances where a patient is on a clinical trial and where the drug is not subsequently approved for National Health Service use. In the circumstances of a commercially funded trial it is normally the responsibility of the manufacturer or the hospital to consider whether they wish to continue making it available to individual patients.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-09-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to include in the BBC Charter a commitment to broadcast a minimum of 10 hours of in-house Gaelic language programming on BBC ALBA each week.
Matt Hancock
During the BBC Charter Review public consultation we have listened to views across a range of issues in relation to the BBC, including Gaelic language broadcasting.
There is a successful partnership between the BBC and MG Alba for the delivery of Gaelic language broadcasting. The White Paper, published in May 2016, sets out the Government’s intention to require maintain a commitment to minority language broadcasting through the new Charter.
The level of funding dedicated to BBC ALBA and the number of hours of in-house Gaelic language programming broadcast are matters for the BBC Board to consider when fulfilling this requirement under the new Charter.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 19 September 2016 to Question 45930, on the Palestinian Authority, if she will place a copy of her Department’s formal assessment of the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to the Partnership Principles in the Library.
Rory Stewart
DFID does not routinely publish Partnership Principles assessments. These assessments are used to inform the annual dialogue between DFID and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Our assessment is that the PA continues to deliver on the Partnership Principles.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-10-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the Government plans to publish the outcome of its consultation on capping the fees charged to consumers by claims management companies.
Sir Oliver Heald
Information on the number of people who have lost more than 25 per cent of their financial claims compensation to the claims management company (CMC) handling their claim is not held centrally.
Our priority is to protect consumers who choose to use CMCs. We have consulted on proposals to cap the level of fees that CMCs providing financial claims services can charge consumers. These proposals aim to help consumers get more of the compensation due to them. We are carefully considering the consultation responses and the Government will publish its response in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-11-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will amend how the pupil premium is paid in order to reward schools that consistently improve results for all pupils while narrowing the attainment gap.
Mr Sam Gyimah
We have no plans to change the basis on which the pupil premium is distributed to schools.
Our school reforms are intended to deliver educational excellence everywhere so that every child, regardless of background, reaches their potential. This includes the new ‘progress 8’ performance measure for secondary schools, so that schools are recognised for the improved achievement of every child.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-01-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with (a) the police and (b) retailers on the sale of zombie knives in the UK.
Karen Bradley
The Government continues to work with the police and partners to ensure we reduce violence and knife crime, and in the year ending June 2015, knife crime recorded by the police was 17% lower than 2010. We are aware of concerns about zombie knives and we are currently considering representations including the letter of 13 January from the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for the West Midlands and on 21 January from the prospective mayoral candidate for London Zac Goldsmith. A reply will be sent shortly and we will offer to meet with the PCC.
We are currently considering what action to take against the prevalence of zombie knives on our streets. We are talking to retailers, including Amazon, about the action they can take. There are strict laws on the sale of knives to under 18s and on how knives can be marketed. We are concerned about any knives being carried in public especially if used to threaten and inflict violence. It is a criminal offence to possess a knife in public without good reason, and if a person is convicted a second time they now face a minimum mandatory custodial sentence following the introduction of this change by the Government in July 2015.