Tag: Ian Austin

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-12-14.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment on whether businesses in Dudley North constituency will be at a competitive disadvantage to businesses in Scotland when the Scottish Government halves the Air Passenger Duty for all flights leaving from Scotland.

Damian Hinds

The government is currently undertaking a consultation into options to support regional airports from the impacts of air passenger duty devolution. We are carefully considering the evidence we have received from stakeholders and will respond in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-01-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to prevent children from purchasing knives and other weapons online.

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.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-02-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of pupils who achieved five A* to C grades at GCSE in 2015 received no higher than a C grade in any subject.

Nick Gibb

Of those pupils[1] achieving five A* to C grades at GCSE[2] in 2015:

• 4.5% received no higher than a C grade in any subject

• 32.8% received no higher than a B grade in any subject

[1] Based on pupils at the end of key stage 4 in the 2014/15 academic year

[2] Based on those pupils entering single award GCSEs only

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2015 to Question 16115, if he will make it his policy to collect centrally data on Flexible Support Funding spent on childcare support.

Priti Patel

The Flexible Support Fund is used at the discretion of Jobcentre Plus District Managers and Work Coaches to support people back into work. Given this is a localised, discretionary fund we do not, and do not have plans to, create additional bureaucratic reporting on how the fund is spent.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2016 to Question 26338, on EU grants and loans, on what the £71 million European Social Fund monies have been spent.

Mr Sam Gyimah

For the period December 2013 to July 2015 (2007-2013 European Social Fund programme extended to 2015), European Social Fund monies were used to support young people aged 14-19 who were not in education, employment or training or, who were at risk of being so to remain in or, re-engage in education, employment and training.

Providers who were contracted to deliver support to young people were required to do so through delivery of activities designed to help young people gain a greater understanding of their own abilities, learning needs and the range of opportunities available with the establishment of clear progression routes for the young people concerned. Providers were also required to deliver innovative programmes to give young people experience of success in learning and, increase their commitment and motivation to achieve.

The Skills Funding Agency which administered the funds on behalf of the Education Funding Agency is currently undertaking an evaluation of the above European Social Fund programme. The evaluation will be published later this year and will provide greater detail on the activities undertaken by young people.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the estimated cost to the public purse is of her Department’s comparative studies on reception baseline assessments.

Nick Gibb

Costs are not yet finalised and we cannot provide the information until the study is complete.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the estimated cost to the public purse of developing the reception baseline assessment policy implemented in September 2015 (a) was in 2014-15 and (b) is expected to be in 2015-16.

Nick Gibb

The expenditure in 2014/15 was£82,507.81.

Costs for 2015/16 cannot be released until finalised.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools which signed up to the reception baseline providers that were subsequently not approved by her Department will have their costs reimbursed by her Department.

Nick Gibb

On 3 July 2015, the Department for Education contacted schools which had selected suppliers that were not approved by the department. This communication confirmed that, should the school continue to use that supplier, no costs would be reimbursed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if the costs to schools of administering the reception baseline assessment will be funded by her Department in each year of the current Parliament.

Nick Gibb

The Department for Education is currently considering all spending, as part of the ongoing spending review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what advice his Department issues to local authorities on advising private rented sector tenants subject to court orders for possession on the steps they should take to find accommodation.

Brandon Lewis

The statutory Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities includes advice and guidance to authorities on the actions they can take to prevent homelessness where a person is at risk of eviction from a property. This includes negotiation with landlords or with help to address rent arrears for example. It also explains how authorities should carry out their homelessness duties where eviction takes place.

We have also introduced protections for tenants against “retaliatory eviction”. Where a tenant makes a genuine complaint about the condition of their property that has not been addressed by their landlord, their complaint has been verified by a local authority inspection, and the local authority has served either an improvement notice or a notice of emergency remedial action, a landlord cannot evict that tenant for 6 months using the ‘no-fault’ eviction procedure (a section 21 eviction). A ‘no fault’ eviction is one where the tenant does not have to have done anything wrong, for example not paying the rent, to be asked to leave. The landlord is also required to ensure that the repairs are completed. These rules, set out in the Deregulation Act 2015, apply to all new assured shorthold tenancies that start on or after 1 October 2015. A guidance note is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/465275/Retaliatory_Eviction_Guidance_Note.pdf

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