Tag: Lord Storey

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.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government further to the Written Answer by Lord O’Neill of Gatley on 12 May (HL8031), what percentage of diplomatic missions in the UK issued with the annual letters on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office requesting staff lists with details of all locally engaged staff and private servants replied with full information in 2015.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Embassy team issued 279 letters to the various Embassies and their different sections requesting staff lists for the 2014-15 tax year in September 2015. The requests also ask for details of private addresses and Remuneration. As a result of that letter we received 24 responses. That is an 8% return.

Article 10 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR) outlines a mission’s responsibility to keep the host State informed of the arrival and departure of staff. Embassies therefore only have a legal obligation to notify HM Government of their leavers and new starters so we rely greatly on the goodwill of Embassies to supply us with this additional information.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what level of check by the Disclosure and Barring Service is required for someone to work in a school as a non-teaching staff member.

Lord Nash

The School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009, The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2014 and The Non-maintained Special Schools (England) Regulations 2011 require schools to carry out specific checks before they may appoint an individual to work in a school.

For non-teaching staff members, the school must obtain an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service certificate and where relevant a check of the children’s barred list. A check of the barred list is required for staff engaging in regulated activity if as a result of their work they:

• Will be responsible, on a regular basis in a school or college, for teaching, training instructing, caring for or supervising children; or

• Will carry out paid, or unsupervised unpaid, work regularly in a school or college where that work provides an opportunity for contact with children; or

• Engage in intimate or personal care or overnight activity, even if this happens only once.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what additional qualifications are required to teach Careers Education in schools.

Lord Nash

We want schools to build the skills and expertise required to plan strategically for the provision of careers education and guidance, embedding careers and employability skills in the curriculum and engaging external partners in the delivery of high quality, inspirational support. The careers strategy, to be published later this year, will set out further details of how we will support schools to achieve this. The strategy has been developed in consultation with key partners across the education and careers sectors.

Pupils can gain confidence and motivation from the opportunity to explore career ideas through individual, face-to-face discussions with a range of people. The careers statutory guidance sets out the main qualifications for careers professionals: the Qualification in Career Guidance (QCG) (which replaced the earlier Diploma in Careers Guidance) and the Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance and Development. The statutory guidance also provides information about the register of careers professionals, developed by the Career Development Institute, which schools can use to search for a career development professional who can deliver a particular service or activity.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-10-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of students in receipt of publicly-funded bursaries studying at the Greenwich School of Management for degrees validated by Plymouth University did not attend their examinations in the academic years 2014–15 and 2015–16.

Viscount Younger of Leckie

Information on the proportion of students attending examinations at Higher Education Providers is not held centrally.

Progression rates are not produced separately for those students receiving student support.

Published statistics in respect of Alternatives Providers, including the Greenwich School of Management, are available in the Experimental Statistical First Release ‘Higher education student enrolments and qualifications obtained on undergraduate designated courses at alternative providers in England 2014/15’. This can be found at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/15-06-2016/sfr235-alternative-providers

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the age profile of the total number of apprentices in 2013–14 and 2014–15.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

In the 2013/14 academic year there were 851,500 government funded apprentices. Of these, 185,800 were aged under 19, 308,900 were aged 19-24 and 356,900 were aged over 25.

Over the 2014/15 academic year there were 871,800 government funded apprentices. Of these, 194,100 were aged under 19, 315,000 were aged 19-24 and 362,600 were aged over 25.

Information on Apprenticeship participation by age in 2013/14 and 2014/15 is published as part of a Statistical First Release:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/learner-participation-outcomes-and-level-of-highest-qualification-held

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether governors of maintained schools are allowed to agree a budget deficit.

Lord Nash

Governors are responsible for agreeing the budget of a school under the arrangements set out in their Local Authority’s Scheme for Financing Schools, which may preclude any planning for deficits; or it may allow schools to plan for deficits only in certain approved circumstances.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the requirements for a city which decides to return from a mayoral form of governance to a Leader of the Council model, when the decision to have a mayor was made by the council itself and not through a referendum.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

Where a council has established mayoral governance following a council resolution but without a referendum, it may change that governance model once 5 years has elapsed from the initial resolution.

A referendum on whether to move away from the mayoral governance model may be held at any time after this point, if the council resolves to hold such a referendum or if it is petitioned by 5% or more of the local electorate. The council must meet the cost of the referendum.

If the referendum takes place within the five years following the council resolution, but a second mayoral term of office has begun during those five years, the governance change will take place on the third day after the next ordinary election of a mayor.