Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has taken steps to disseminate the findings of the study, The impact of classroom design on pupils’ learning, by Professor Barrett of Salford University, published in July 2015, to (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools and (c) sixth form colleges.

    Nick Gibb

    The Department continuously monitors literature published on the built environment as it relates to schools. Where relevant, the findings from this literature inform the development of the Department’s guidance on design and maintenance[1]. The Department uses this guidance to communicate with contractors, designers, schools and sixth form colleges about the standards in class room design.

    Professor Barrett has met with officials from the department to discuss the findings of his research. Professor Barrett’s recommendations regarding daylight, temperature and air-quality in schools reinforce those already made in the Education Funding Agency’s (EFA) Building Bulletins and the requirements in EFA’s Facilities Output Specification, used in procuring many new school buildings.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/school-building-design-and-maintenance

    “

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he expects the next NATO-Russia Council to take place.

    Mr David Lidington

    NATO is continuing to discuss options for a potential meeting of the NATO-Russia Council. For the UK, we would need to be convinced that any discussions are in the security interests of the Alliance and do not mark a return to business as usual.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the criteria are for listing specific days in mandatory flag flying days in the list published by his Department on the gov.uk website.

    David Evennett

    The designated days for flying the Union Flag on Government buildings have been set specifically to mark special occasions by command of Her Majesty the Queen and on the advice of Government.

  • Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 12 May 2016 to Question 36796, when she expects to publish the updated country information and guidance on handling asylum claims made by Eritrean nationals.

    James Brokenshire

    We intend to publish revised country information and guidance on handling claims made by Eritrean nationals in the near future.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of excluding agency workers from the pay bill when determining a company’s liability for paying the Apprenticeship Levy due to such workers’ ineligibility for apprenticeships.

    Mr David Gauke

    Where an employment agency supplies labour to a client and pays Class 1 secondary National Insurance contributions for those workers, they will be liable to pay the levy, providing their annual pay bill exceeds £3million.

    The government recognises the important contribution that contingent labour makes to the economy, however, excluding agency workers would create adverse incentives to hire all staff off-payroll.

    The government will support all employers in using the levy funds to invest in apprenticeships and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills is working with employers to create apprenticeships across all sectors.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-10-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the claim by the Intergenerational Foundation that high house prices increased segregation in society.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    We accept that our failure for many years not to build enough homes has serious consequences. House prices have risen faster then incomes; while renters are paying, on average 50 per cent of their income in rent which makes saving for a deposit all the more difficult. This means that the dream of home ownership is further away for younger people today when compared to previous generations.

    This Government is committed to solving the housing crisis by every means possible. That means taking action to ensure that we build more homes in this country. We have doubled the housing budget to almost £20 billion over the next five years, including £8 billion to deliver over 400,000 affordable homes by 2021.

    We have also taken steps to help people on the path to home ownership. Our Help to Buy: Equity Loan has helped over 91,000 households to buy a new-build home since the scheme was introduced in 2013. 81 per cent of these sales have gone to first-time buyers.

    But we recognise the need to go further. That’s why we launched the £3 billion Home Building Fund that will help deliver 225,000 badly-needed new homes on sites throughout England. Further measures will be included in a Housing White Paper later this autumn.

  • John Pugh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    John Pugh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many heads of academies are paid more than the Prime Minister.

    Nick Gibb

    The data provided to the Department by schools in the November 2014 School Workforce Census shows that 52 head teachers in academy schools in England were paid a salary of £142,500 or more.

    Of the other roles within the scope of the School Workforce Census, there were fewer than five teachers in academies receiving a salary of £142,500 or more.

  • Lord Ahmed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Ahmed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ahmed on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the incidence of domestic violence and rape against wives from Asia, and whether in making that assessment they have identified any trend.

    Lord Bates

    This government is committed to tackling violence against women and girls. We want victims to have the confidence to report these crimes, knowing they will get the support they need and that everything will be done to bring offenders to justice.

    The 2014/15 Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) estimates that 6.1% of adults aged 16 to 59 experienced any form of domestic abuse in the last year, down from 8.9% in the 2004/05 survey. While the latest estimate is not statistically significantly different from recent years, it is the lowest since these questions were first asked in 2004/05.

    The 2014/15 CSEW also estimates that 0.3% of adults aged 16 to 59 had been a victim of rape (including attempts) in the last year. Due to the low number of respondents to the survey that have been a victim of this crime, it is not possible to say whether this estimate differs from surveys conducted in other years. However, prevalence of less serious sexual assault has fallen from 2.3% in the 2004/05 CSEW to 1.5% in the 2014/15 survey.

    Data from the CSEW cannot be disaggregated by ethnicity, nor by the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent bleach and other ineffective treatments advertised as miracle cures being used to treat autism.

    Alistair Burt

    The Department is aware of the development of sodium chlorite being marketed as Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS) as a cure for autism. MMS is not a cure for autism.

    The Food Standards Agency has issued advice previously, first in 2010, that MMS is not safe and should not be sold as a supplement. Since then it has been working with local authorities across the country to share knowledge, and to investigate and prevent the sale of MMS and similar products.

  • Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Susan Elan Jones on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans she has to review the UK Bioenergy Strategy.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The UK Bioenergy Strategy was published by the previous government in 2012 and provides principles that provide a framework to guide policy development for bioenergy. Those principles remain relevant and so a review of the Strategy is not currently considered a priority for the Department.