The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-02-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what happens to gifts that ministers receive in their official capacity; where they are kept; and how they are eventually disposed of.
Lord Bridges of Headley
Gifts may be accepted in line with the provisions of the Ministerial Code
Retention and disposal arrangements are a matter for individual Departments. Departments may dispose of gifts after a suitable period of time has elapsed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-03-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whose responsibility it is to collect data on the number of home-educated pupils.
Lord Nash
Some local authorities maintain voluntary registers of children educated at home but as they have no statutory basis, they cannot be regarded as an authoritative source of data.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-05-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many schools are known to subsidise travel for students in year 12 and 13 out of their own budgets.
Lord Nash
The statutory responsibility for post 16 transport rests with local authorities who are required to publish a transport policy statement setting out the arrangements they make to support young people to travel to further education and training.
These arrangements do not have to include free or subsidised transport, but local authorities are expected to make reasonable decisions based on local needs, circumstances and resources. Discounts or concessions are also available from local transport companies and schools, colleges or other providers.
Local authorities are encouraged to develop a collaborative approach when developing their statements to provide a full picture of the transport and support available. But it is for local organisations to decide whether to provide support and what level of discounts and concessions to give. The department does not collect specific information on which local authorities, transport companies, or education and training providers give free or subsidised transport for students in years 12 and 13.
The 16 to 19 Bursary Fund is also available to help young people with the costs associated with attending education or training, and transport is the biggest single area of expenditure for which this fund is used. Schools and colleges are responsible for deciding how to distribute their bursary allocations to students, and for establishing what criteria to use.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-06-09.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total cost to the NHS of insurance premiums for clinical negligence; which Foundation Trust pays the highest amount as a percentage of its budget; and what percentage of its budget that cost represents.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The question has been interpreted to mean contributions to the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) which provides indemnity for National Health Service bodies. These are not insurance premiums.
The total cost for 2014-15, which is the last available published figure, is £1,037,742,810.
The information as to which NHS Foundation Trust pays the highest amount as a percentage of its budget is not held centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-06-28.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what training teachers preparing to work in prisons receive beyond their teaching qualification.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
In the majority of adult prisons in England education is delivered by Skills Funding Agency (SFA) Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) providers. Individuals wishing to be employed by OLASS providers to teach in prisons should meet the same standards as those preparing to teach SFA funded provision in the learning and skills sector in England.
In addition, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills grant funds the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) to deliver a specific programme of work to support teaching and learning in prisons, this includes activity to support the professional development of OLASS teachers. In 2016-17 we made available £0.6m to the ETF.
Training such as in health and safety is the responsibility of the Prison Governor and is arranged locally for OLASS staff by individual prisons.
There are also a number of privately managed prisons where the operator is responsible for providing education under their contract with the National Offender Management Service. The Directors of those prisons ensure that, beyond their teaching qualifications, teachers will attend a training course varying between three days and one week, depending on which prison they work at. This training is aimed at preparing them to work in the prison environment. A number of these prisons operate a further period where the new starter will observe and shadow existing staff, usually lasting two weeks.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-07-13.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultation took place (1) before the introduction of the English Baccalaureate in 2010, and (2) before the decision in 2015 to make the measure mandatory; and whether the results of those consultations will be published.
Lord Nash
The 2010 schools white paper, The Importance of Teaching, set out that the proportion of pupils achieving the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) would be published in the school performance tables.
The Government’s consultation on implementing the EBacc ran between 3 November 2015 and 29 January 2016. The Government response to the consultation will be published in due course.
Both papers can be found on GOV.UK and have been attached to this answer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-10-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what regulatory provision the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education makes to ensure that private higher education providers maintain minimum admission standards for undergraduate degrees and provide value for money.
Viscount Younger of Leckie
The UK Quality Code, which the Quality Assurance Agency’s Higher Education Review (Alternative Providers) uses to assess private providers, sets out the following expectations about recruitment, selection and admission to higher education:
“Recruitment, selection, and admission policies and procedures adhere to the principles of fair admission. They are transparent, reliable, valid, inclusive and underpinned by appropriate organisational structures and processes. They support higher education providers in the selection of students who are able to complete their programme.”
It is a condition of designation for student support that private providers maintain successful outcomes from these QAA reviews and annual monitoring. QAA’s Concerns Scheme investigates specific concerns about the management of academic quality and standards, including recruitment, selection and admissions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2015-11-24.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many transgender prisoners are gaoled in a prison for people of their previous gender designation.
Lord Faulks
This information is not held centrally. The Minister for Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation announced on 20 November that HM Government will publish data on the number of trans people in prison in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2015-12-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the 20 Miles More group’s campaign to extend HS2 to Liverpool.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The government recognises that Liverpool is a major city and a significant market. Evidence from Liverpool City Region has been assessed but no decision has yet been made on the Phase Two route other than the route to Crewe.
Liverpool will benefit from day one of HS2. Phase One will cut 28 minutes from the journey time between Liverpool and London. Accelerating the line to Crewe will reduce journeys by a further 14 minutes.
HS2 will ensure that it maximises the synergies with the Northern Powerhouse, to make the most of the two networks. In this way opportunities may be created for Liverpool to benefit still further.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-01-19.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many pupils have gone missing from school registers in the last 10 years in total, and in each year.
Lord Nash
The Government does not collect data on children who are not registered pupils at a school. Local authorities have a duty under s.436A of the Education Act 1996 to make arrangements to establish the identities of children who are not receiving a suitable education. This would include collecting as much information as necessary to establish the whereabouts of children who are potentially missing education and whether they are receiving suitable education.