Tag: Lord Storey

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-06-29.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funding contingencies are in place in the event that the UK exiting the EU results in a drop in foreign nationals studying in Britain and Northern Ireland.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

We remain an EU member until the time we complete successful exit negotiations, with all the rights and obligations that derive from this. The UK has, and will continue to have, a world-class education system that attracts students from across the world including the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-07-06.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funding (1) the National Youth Theatre, (2) the National Youth Orchestra, (3) the National Youth Dance Company, and (4) the Youth Music Theatre UK, receive from (a) the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and (b) the Department for Education.

Lord Ashton of Hyde

Government funding between 2014/15 and 2015/16 to the National Youth Theatre Great Britain, the National Youth Orchestra, the National Youth Dance Company, and the Youth Music Theatre UK is set out in the table. Youth Music Theatre UK and the National Youth Orchestra receive funding as National Youth Music Organisations, which is jointly funded through the Department for Education and Arts Council England lottery money.

These figures include total funding provided through Grant in Aid and Lottery funding.

	DFE	DCMS
Organisation	Grant in Aid 2014/15 – 2015/16	Grant in Aid 2014/15 – 2015/16	Lottery Funding 2014/15 – 2015/16	*Grants for the Arts 2014/15 – 2015/16
National Youth Theatre of Great Britain	£611,538
National Youth Orchestra**	£500,000		£44,441
Sadler’s Wells Trust Ltd. (National Youth Dance Company specific)***	£650,000	£200,000
Youth Music Theatre UK**	£300,000			£37,250

* Grants for the arts is the Arts Council’s Lottery-funded grant programme for individuals, arts organisations and other people who use the arts in their work. Grants are available for activities carried out over a set period and which engage people in England in arts activities and help artists and arts organisations in England carry out their work

**National Youth Music Organisation funding

*** The funding is paid to Sadler’s Wells as the grant recipient for use specifically for National Youth Dance Company activities

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-10-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the salaries paid to chief executives of multi-academy trusts in the last academic year for which figures are available.

Lord Nash

Information about the salaries of chief executives is not held. However, academy trusts’ financial statements disclose the number of employees whose remuneration (including any termination payments) exceed £60,000, in £10,000 bandings. The financial statements also disclose trustees’ remuneration, which may include the chief executive. The financial statements are published online by the Department for Education (available by searching “Department for Education” AND “Compare school and college performance”) and at Companies House (available by searching “Companies House service”).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2015-11-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how the religious character of a faith school will be maintained if the school is converted into an academy.

Lord Nash

When a faith school becomes an academy it retains its religious character by virtue of Section 6 of the Academies Act 2010. The academy’s religious character is protected through provisions within the academy’s funding agreement with the Secretary of State and the academy trust’s articles of association. Once a faith school becomes an academy any change to its religious character would only take place with the consent of the relevant religious body and the Secretary of State.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2015-12-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps an academy school is legally required to take if it has a budget deficit.

Lord Nash

An academy trust is required by its funding agreement with the Secretary of State to balance its budget from each academy financial year to the next. Where the board of trustees of an academy is formally proposing to set a deficit budget for the current financial year, which it is unable to address after unspent funds from previous years are taken into account, it must notify the Education Funding Agency (EFA) within 14 days.

The EFA may issue a trust with a Financial Notice to Improve (FNtI) in cases of a deficit or projected deficit, setting out the actions it requires the trust to take. The trust must comply with all the terms of the FNtI which would include a requirement to implement a recovery plan to secure financial stability.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-01-14.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether North Wales is to be included in the Northern Powerhouse.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

The Northern Powerhouse presents a once in a generation opportunity to redress the North-South economic imbalance. North Wales is an integral part of the Government’s Northern Powerhouse vision.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-01-28.

To ask the Chairman of Committees how many people are employed by the House of Lords on zero-hours contracts.

Lord Laming

The House of Lords does not employ any staff on zero-hours contracts on an exclusive basis. It employs 21 staff on zero-hours contracts in the Catering and Retail Services department, primarily for banqueting events. These are roles where staffing demands vary significantly week to week and are often unpredictable. The House also employs 23 freelance Hansard reporters.

Zero-hours staff employed by the House of Lords are free to turn down shifts offered by the House. They have equivalent employment rights to full-time staff including pension and holiday pay entitlements, which are better than those of most agency staff. All staff in the House of Lords, including those on these contracts, are paid at least the London Living Wage.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-02-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Evans of Bowes Park on 26 January (HL5024), what systems are in place to ensure that a standardised approach is taken by higher education institutions in relation to dealing with cheating, and to encourage best practice relating to plagiarism.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

Higher education institutions are independent and autonomous bodies and are required to comply with the UK Quality Code for Higher Education, which requires that ‘assessment is equitable, valid and reliable’. As such, institutions are expected to have clear policies on cheating and plagiarism.

As part of its cyclical review of UK universities and colleges, the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) reports publicly on its findings, including if there are concerns relating to plagiarism.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-03-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children were educated at home in the UK in the academic year 2014–15.

Lord Nash

The department does not collect data relating to the number of home educated children in England. Home education elsewhere in the United Kingdom is the responsibility of the devolved administrations.

It is unacceptable for any child of compulsory school age not to be receiving a suitable education. We recognise parents may choose to home school their children and many do a good job, but that education must be of a suitable quality.

We are taking steps to ensure the system is as robust as it can be when it comes to protecting young people, while at the same time safeguarding the rights of parents to determine how and where to educate their children.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-04-27.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the decision by the First-Tier Tribunal (Information Rights) in Gabriel Webber v the Information Commissioner (EA/2015/0194) on 22 March, whether they will now release claims made, with supporting receipts, of public duty costs allowances paid to former Prime Ministers, and if so, when.

Lord Bridges of Headley

The Public Duties Cost Allowance (PDCA) was introduced to assist former Prime Ministers, still active in public life, with the costs of continuing to fulfil public duties. The PDCA is set in line with the annual Parliamentary Staffing Allowance allocated to Members of Parliament as determined by IPSA. In addition, former Prime Ministers are entitled to claim a pension allowance to contribute towards the pension costs of their staff. This is limited to a maximum of 10% of their staff salary costs.

The Government is currently considering the decision of the First-Tier Tribunal.