Tag: Lord Grocott

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Grocott on 2016-05-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Nash on 3 May (HL Deb, col 1308), how many allegations of fraud in respect of academies and free schools were made to the Education Funding Agency in each financial year from 2012–13 to date.

Lord Nash

EFA does not classify allegations into fraud or other forms of irregularity until they have been investigated. The number of fraud allegations cannot therefore be isolated from other allegations of irregularity. After investigation EFA concluded that only 10 of the allegations received in respect of academies and free schools since 2012-13 were probable fraud. This shows that there are low levels of fraud within the 5,685 academies in the sector. Where fraud or other irregularity is identified EFA takes swift action which may include conducting its own investigations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Grocott on 2016-05-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 10 May (HL8227), how many allegations of fraud in respect of academies and free schools there were in (1) 2013–14, and (2) 2014–15.

Lord Nash

As stated in the answer to PQ HL8227, the Education Funding Agency does not classify allegations into fraud or other forms of irregularity until they have been investigated. The number of fraud allegations cannot therefore be isolated from other allegations of irregularity.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Grocott on 2016-06-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action, if any, they have taken during the last 12 months in relation to the fraud allegations at the Haberdashers’ Aske’s Federation academy chain.

Lord Nash

During the last 12 months, the fraud allegations at the Haberdashers’ Aske’s Federation academy trust chain have been reviewed as a criminal investigation since first reported to the police in October 2012 by this multi-academy trust. The criminal case against the perpetrator of the fraud began week commencing 6 June at Woolwich Crown Court.

The Education Funding Agency (EFA) has engaged with the Trust from the outset and immediately requested that the Trust assess financial systems and risks. The Trust carried out an independent and thorough review of its internal control procedures and reported on this to the EFA. The Trust has taken all the appropriate action since the issue was first identified and the remaining key actions now rest with the Police and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Academies and free schools face tighter financial scrutiny than local authority maintained schools. They must publish annual, independently-audited accounts, of which there is no equivalent requirement on maintained schools. We take swift action whenever we identify financial irregularities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Grocott on 2015-10-29.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they define (1) a fatal, and (2) a non-fatal, motion, or amendment to a motion, relating to a statutory instrument.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston

The Companion to the Standing Orders distinguishes between amendments to approval motions whose effect is to withhold the agreement of the House to an affirmative instrument, and amendments or motions that do not prevent approval of the instrument (Companion to the Standing Orders, Para. 10.14). The terms “fatal” and “non-fatal” do not appear.

The amendments in the name of Baroness Meacher and Baroness Hollis of Heigham passed by the House on 26 October withheld the House’s agreement to the Tax Credits (Income Thresholds and Determination of Rates) Regulations 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Grocott on 2015-10-29.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 26 October (HL2541), whether they will publish the latest figures on the number of members of each party in the House, and the ratio of government to opposition members, including all those peers whose introduction has been scheduled.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston

Including all those peers whose introduction or retirement has been advertised in House of Lords Business, and assuming no other changes to the membership of the House, as of 19 January 2016 there will be 249 members on the Conservative benches, 212 members on the Labour benches, and 112 members on the Liberal Democrat benches. This means that there will be 75 more peers on the benches of the largest two opposition parties than on the Government benches.

That will be 29 more peers than at the end of the 2009-10 session, when there were only 46 more peers on the benches of the largest two opposition parties than on the Government benches.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Grocott on 2015-11-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 27 October (HL2665), how much of the 2015 Common Agricultural Policy budget has been, or will be, spent in support of United Kingdom agriculture.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

In 2015, the UK has been allocated around 7% of the total CAP budget, equivalent to a total of €4 billion.

In pounds sterling, based on the average European central Bank exchange rate for September used for calculating direct payments, this equates to a total of £2.9 billion. Of this amount, £2.3 billion is allocated to Pillar 1 direct payments and £620 million to Pillar 2 rural development.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Grocott on 2015-11-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stowell of Beeston on 12 November (HL3120), on which occasions since 2010 the House has withheld its agreement to an affirmative instrument.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston

The House of Lords has withheld its agreement to an affirmative instrument on two occasions since 2010: on 3 December 2012 (Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Amendment of Schedule 1) Order 2012) and on 26 October 2015 (Tax Credits (Income Thresholds and Determination of Rates) Regulations 2015).

Prior to 2010, the House had withheld its agreement to an affirmative instrument on three occasions since World War II.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Grocott on 2015-12-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 3 December (HL3732), when were the three occasions on which the House withheld its agreement to an affirmative instrument between World War II and 2010, and which instrument was not agreed to on each occasion.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston

The three occasions on which the House withheld its agreement to an affirmative instrument prior to 2010 were on 18 June 1968; 22 February 2000; and 28 March 2007. The instruments not agreed to were the Southern Rhodesia (United Nations Sanctions) Order 1968; the Greater London Authority (Election Expenses) Order 2000; and the Gambling (Geographical Distribution of Casino Premises Licences) Order 2007, respectively.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Grocott on 2015-12-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 12 November (HL3121), how many members there were in the House of Lords of (1) the government party, or parties, and (2) the official opposition party, in each year since 1997.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston

For each of the sessions requested, I have set out below the number of those peers eligible to take part in the work of the House of Lords sitting on the Government benches and those of the benches of HM Official Opposition.

Year	Governing Party/Parties	HM Official Opposition
97-98	Lab: 176	Con: 478
98-99	Lab: 193	Con: 484
99-00	Lab: 201	Con: 232
00-01	Lab: 195	Con: 225
01-02	Lab: 190	Con: 217
02-03	Lab: 185	Con: 210
03-04	Lab: 201	Con: 202
04-05	Lab: 199	Con: 205
05-06	Lab: 212	Con: 208
06-07	Lab: 217	Con: 202
07-08	Lab: 214	Con: 199
08-09	Lab: 212	Con: 189
09-10	Lab: 211	Con: 185
10-12	Con: 214 Lib Dem: 90	Lab: 235
12-13	Con: 212 Lib Dem: 89	Lab: 222
13-14	Con: 220 Lib Dem: 99	Lab: 218
14-15	Con: 226 Lib Dem: 103	Lab: 216
15-16 (as at 21/12/15)	Con: 251	Lab: 213

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Grocott on 2015-12-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many life peerages have been created since the 2010 election, and how many of those were (1) Conservative, (2) Liberal Democrat, (3) Labour, and (4) Crossbench, peerages.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston

Peerages created since the 2010 election are listed below:

Conservative: 109

Labour: 55

Liberal Democrat: 51

Crossbench/Independent/other: 30

Of the peers appointed since the 2010 election 22.4 per cent have taken the whip of her majesty’s official opposition. This compares to 15.7 per cent of those created between the 1997 and 2010 general elections.