Tag: Lord Stoddart of Swindon

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-11-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 9 November (HL3057), whether they will now answer the additional questions asked about whether planning consent is required for farmers to erect notices advertising receipt of EU grants; and whether they will require all such advertising notices to include information about the ratio of UK contributions to the EU budget and the sums returned by way of grants to farmers and others.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

Local planning authorities can provide advice on whether consent is required for a notice in a specific location and decide whether such advertisements fall within any of the classes of advertisements that do not require express consent. General advice on advertisement consent is set out in national planning guidance on the GOV.UK website.

There is no requirement to include information about the ratio of UK contributions to the EU budget and the sums returned by way of grants to farmers and others.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-01-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether charities in receipt of donations from the Government, or other public institutions and bodies financed wholly or partly by taxpayers, will be debarred from campaigning in the EU referendum.

Lord Bridges of Headley

Under charity law, political activity by charities is subject to strict rules. In addition, there is a prohibition, in the 28 days ending with the referendum, on certain publications relating to the referendum by bodies whose expenses are met wholly or mainly out of public funds.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-02-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether student unions are in receipt of public funds, and whether all university students are obliged to join unions.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

Individual students’ unions are principally funded through their university/college on either a per capita or a block grant basis, alongside funds raised through their commercial activities.

The Government does not provide funding to student unions directly, but student unions may receive some public funding indirectly through payments made by their establishment. .

The Education Act 1994 requires publicly-funded universities to take reasonable steps to ensure that their students’ union observes the right for students to opt out of membership. Students who exercise this right cannot be unfairly disadvantaged with regard to the services at the university. The university must draw up a code of practice setting out how these requirements will be put into effect.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-04-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it remains their policy to put the UK at the heart of the EU and if so, how this will be achieved outside the Eurozone.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

At the February European Council the Government negotiated a new settlement giving the UK special status in a reformed EU. The Government’s position is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU. The settlement protects the UK’s rights as a country outside the Eurozone, and makes it clear that the UK is not committed to any future political integration.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-09-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government at what stage of the process of leaving the EU they will invoke the Vienna Accord on the denunciation of treaties.

Lord Bridges of Headley

The Treaty on the European Union contains provision for withdrawal in Article 50. It is this process which accordingly applies and has to be followed for the United Kingdom to leave the EU in accordance with international law.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-11-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action, if any, they plan to take to ensure that sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996 are complied with between now and 2017 to ensure that lessons and discussions relating to the UK membership of the EU are balanced and impartial.

Lord Nash

My earlier response to Lord Stoddart‘s PQ HL 521 refers:

‘Schools are aware of their duties regarding impartiality and treatment of political issues. Sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996 require maintained schools to prevent political indoctrination and secure the balanced treatment of political issues. This duty is reflected in the model funding agreement for academies and free schools.

In Citizenship education, pupils are taught about local, regional and international governance and the United Kingdom’s relations with the rest of Europe, the Commonwealth, the United Nations and the wider world. Pupils will be equipped with the skills to think critically and debate political questions.’

School governing bodies and academy trusts are responsible for considering if a member of staff has acted improperly in presenting their own views or beliefs to pupils.

The Department’s ‘Teacher Misconduct: the prohibition of teachers’ advice is used by those involved in the teacher regulatory process, professional conduct panels and NCTL officials, to identify factors that should be taken into account when considering whether prohibition is appropriate. This advice makes clear that in considering the seriousness of a teacher’s behaviour it is important to consider the influential role that a teacher can play in the formation of pupils’ views and behaviours. A teacher’s behaviour that is judged to promote extremist political or religious views or actions should be viewed very seriously in terms of its potential influence on children and young people and as a possible threat to the public interest, even if no criminal offence is involved.

This advice can also be used to indicate to teachers the sorts of behaviour that could constitute serious misconduct, and so lead to prohibition and to help employers make a judgement on which cases should be referred to the NCTL.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-01-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Faulks on 10 December 2015 (HLWS380), whether they will continue to oppose common EU standards relating to online hate speech and insist that such a matter is for decision by the Member States.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Yes. This is a decision for individual member states.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-02-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Bates on 2 February (HLWS495), whether they intend to resist any proposal to allow the EU border guard to intervene directly in member states; and what assessment they have made of whether such an extension of EU powers would be made by way of treaty change and a UK referendum.

Lord Bates

The proposal for a European Border and Coast Guard builds on provisions of the Schengen agreement in which the UK does not participate; the UK will not therefore be bound by the new regulation.

The UK is supportive of steps to increase the security of the external Schengen border – we have a strong interest in effective management of the Schengen external border, not just in combating illegal migration, and cross-border crime but also as part of the EU-wide counter-terrorism effort.

In the Commission’s view there is sufficient basis in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) to take forward the clause which allows for intervention, without change to the Treaty.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-04-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 22 March (HL6812) about state benefits, why they have not made an assessment of the percentage of food poverty or insecurity that is caused by state benefits being used for purposes other than to provide necessities; and whether they will now carry one out.

Lord Freud

Food poverty is the inability of individuals and households to obtain an adequate and nutritious diet, often because they cannot afford healthy food or there is a lack of shops in their area that are easy to reach. There is no single commonly agreed method for accurately measuring the extent of food poverty. Given these challenges we do not think that it would be worth the Department commissioning such research.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-09-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK’s departure from the EU is not delayed by general or presidential elections in other EU countries.

Lord Bridges of Headley

The Prime Minister has been clear that we will not be triggering Article 50 before the end of 2016, and the detailed work now underway to prepare for our negotiation over exit is complete. Once we have triggered Article 50, a clear process and timeline then applies. We intend to work closely with other Member states to deliver a smooth and orderly departure in line with that process.