Tag: Lord Smith of Leigh

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Smith of Leigh on 2016-03-16.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will support the establishment of a National Museum of Rugby League in the Northern Powerhouse area.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

There are a number of independent sporting museums in the UK based on individual sports including rowing, tennis and Rugby Union. Arts Council England supports a Subject Specialist Network for sporting museums that promotes and shares best practice and expertise in the field. There are currently no plans to fund a National Museum of Rugby League in the Northern Powerhouse area, however this Department is investing in the game of Rugby League, through the £17.5m that that Rugby League will receive from Sport England between 2013 and 2017 and the £100k support for a bid for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup; announced in the Budget.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Smith of Leigh on 2016-03-16.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will secure the skills necessary for students and businesses, and the improved productivity for the economy, given the pattern of delivery for 16–19 year olds through School Sixth Forms, Sixth Form Colleges and Further Education Colleges.

Lord Nash

We are ensuring that all 16-19 education institutions provide high quality academic and technical education through reforming A Levels and technical qualifications so that our standards match the best education systems in the world. A Levels are now linear, allowing more time for teaching and learning, and all approved technical qualifications now meet rigorous standards and are backed by employers. We are planning further reforms to technical education to simplify the 16+ skills system by providing clear progression routes into employment. These reforms will ensure that young people gain the skills and knowledge required by employers and universities.

The government will verify that post-16 provision is meeting the current and future needs of learners and employers by means of area reviews, which will be based on the best available evidence, including mapping current curriculum provision and the travel to learn patterns that show how all learners currently access learning. These area reviews will create a stronger educational offer whilst also ensuring there is a high quality and financially resilient set of colleges in each area of England. They will also show the role technology is playing, and help to improve understanding of the quality and relative costs of provision and the financial implications of potential options.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Smith of Leigh on 2016-03-16.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when all schools become academies, how they will ensure that the Department for Education has the capacity to respond quickly and positively to catastrophic events, such as the recent floods in Cumbria.

Lord Nash

We expect all schools, including academies, to have emergency management plans in place, drawn up in conjunction with their local authority, to deal with crises such as the recent floods. This is reinforced by the Department’s White Paper ‘Educational Excellence Everywhere’, published by the Secretary of State on 17 March 2016 that states that local authorities will continue to take a lead in crisis management and emergency planning for all schools in their area. Further details of the future role of local authorities will be announced in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Smith of Leigh on 2015-10-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they estimate is the cost to the NHS of bed-blocking by patients who have received all their medical treatment; and what steps they are taking to reduce this.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The Department has made no formal estimate of the costs of delayed discharge to the National Health Service. It is recognised that such delayed discharges do use resource which could be deployed elsewhere, and all parts of the NHS and those with responsibility outside it, are continually looking for ways in which to reduce the number of delays.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Smith of Leigh on 2015-10-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support the greater provision of respite places and care homes in order to reduce problems of bed-blocking.

Lord Prior of Brampton

Local authorities are responsible for commissioning care and respite placements and for ensuring that the provision of care and support meets the needs of local people. The Department is supporting local authorities to improve commissioning and ensure that their local markets are effective.