The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-07-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the economic benefits of maintaining freedom of movement between the UK and the EU.
Mr David Davis
Our economy is fundamentally strong, and the UK is open to business and investment. We will need to consider all factors carefully in implementing the decision of the British people.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of the selection processes used by faith schools on academic attainment in those schools.
Caroline Dinenage
Faith schools are amongst some of the highest performing in this country and are more likely to be rated good or outstanding by Ofsted as compared to non-faith schools. The department does not routinely collect information about individual schools’ admission arrangements. Schools designated with a religious character can choose to give priority to children on the basis of their faith, where the school is oversubscribed. It is though for the admission authority of the school to decide whether or not to prioritise some or all of their places on the basis of faith within their oversubscription criteria.
On 9th September the Prime Minister announced that we will remove the 50 per cent cap on new faith free schools and consult on a new set of much more effective requirements to ensure that new faith free schools are properly inclusive. The consultation document, ‘Schools that work for everyone’, is available at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/school-frameworks/schools-that-work-for-everyone
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-10-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to secure continued funding for the Short Breaks pathfinder initiative.
Edward Timpson
The Short Breaks pathfinder initiative was part of Aiming High for Disabled Children and ran in 21 local authorities from 2008. Since the pathfinder initiative, funding has been provided to support short breaks provision in all English local authorities. For example, between 2011-12 and 2014-15, short breaks were supported by £800m in the Early Intervention Grant. In 2011-12, and again in 2012-13, local authorities benefitted from an additional £40m per annum of capital funding for short break services.
Since 2011, local authorities have also been under a duty to provide a range of short breaks services and to publish a local Short Breaks Duty Statement showing what services are available; how they are responding to the needs of local parent carers; and how short breaks can be accessed, including any eligibility criteria. Local authorities are responsible for funding this short breaks provision.
This year, the Department for Education has awarded £250,555 to the Short Breaks Partnership (a consortium made up of Contact a Family, the Council for Disabled Children, Action for Children and KIDS) to provide information and advice to those involved in designing, commissioning, providing and taking up short breaks for disabled children.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2015-11-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Capacity Market does not favour any class of generators.
Andrea Leadsom
The Capacity Market is technology neutral, i.e. it does not seek to procure specific volumes of capacity from different types of technology. Before the start of pre-qualification for the auction, National Grid discounts the capacity available from each technology according to its historic reliability. These steps ensure that all types of eligible capacity are able to participate on an equal basis. The principle of technology neutrality allows the market to identify which technology type is cost efficient in delivering security of supply.
We are satisfied with the wide range of different technologies that have prequalified for the next Capacity Market auction, which will take place next month.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-01-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answers of 8 December 2015 to Question 18144 and 22 December 2015 to Question 19937 on Dupuytren’s contracture, what his Department’s timetable is for considering whether to add that condition to the list of industrial injuries disablement benefit discussions.
Justin Tomlinson
Work began in May 2014 following publication of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Committee’s report on Dupuytren’s Contracture. It is expected that a decision whether or not to add it to the list of prescribed diseases will be made early this year and will take account of the potential costs involved and other relevant factors.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Rural Payments Agency will inform all farmers who are expecting payments of the specific timings that those payments will be expected.
George Eustice
The Rural Payments Agency has already written to farmers whose claims are deemed more complex and who are unlikely to be paid by the end of January, giving an indication of the earliest point at which they will receive payments. As of 25 January the agency has paid around 61,100 farmers and is working on paying the remaining claims as soon as possible.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence Review 2015, when he expects to announce further details of the Government’s proposed armed forces families strategy.
Mark Lancaster
The UK Armed Forces Families’ Strategy 2016-2020 was published on 14 January 2016 and is available at the following website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-armed-forces-families-strategy
The Strategy will be supported by an action plan which we plan to publish in spring 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-03-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the closure of the Palestine Today news television channel in the West Bank and the arrest of three journalists.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities. However we are aware of reports of closure of the Palestine Today television channel and are investigating the background.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by MiDavies on 2016-04-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of protection within the National Planning Policy Framework for ancient woodland.
James Wharton
The existing protection for ancient woodland in the National Planning Policy Framework is strong. The Framework is clear that planning permission should be refused for development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats, including ancient woodland, unless the need for, and benefits of, the development in that location clearly outweigh the loss.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what her latest estimate is of the amount of solar PV that will be installed under the Feed-in Tariff scheme in 2016-17.
Andrea Leadsom
Detailed deployment projections (in terms of capacity and number of installations) for solar PV under the revised feed-in tariff scheme in 2016-17 are set out in Annex B of the impact assessment published alongside the FIT Review government response. This can be found at
“