Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Naz Shah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Naz Shah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Naz Shah on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much his Department spent on access to the arts in Yorkshire and Humber region between (a) May 2015 and February 2016 and (b) May 2010 and April 2015.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government continues to support the fantastic range of arts in the culture in Yorkshire and the Humber through its public investment in the arts, distributed by Arts Council England, as well as investment in cultural projects and programmes including £1.5 million for the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull to support its redevelopment and £1 million to support the Yorkshire Festival which will celebrate the region’s culture this summer.

    The Arts Council has provided the following funding to Yorkshire during the dates specified:

    Funding Year

    Total

    2015/2016: 1st April – 8 Feb 2016

    £46,399,085

    Funding Year

    Total

    2010/2011

    £36,013,760

    2011/2012

    £47,661,513

    2012/2013

    £64,126,617

    2013/2014

    £46,717,549

    2014/2015

    £53,628,743
  • Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tristram Hunt on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Prime Minister’s oral contribution of 2 March 2016, Official Report, column 943, what the evidential basis is for the statement that there are 36,500 fewer pupils in overcrowded schools than in 2010.

    Edward Timpson

    I refer the Honourable member to my response to question 29204 submitted to Parliament on Friday 4 March 2016. The answer shows that the total number of primary and secondary pupils in excess of capacity has reduced by 47,513 between 2010 and 2014.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of potential savings to his Department’s budget that will arise from the closure of its Sheffield office at St Paul’s Place other than by reduction in headcount.

    Joseph Johnson

    The proposed closure of the Sheffield office would result in permanent savings from reduced travel, rents and overnight accommodation. The Department estimates the current annual cost of these at £500k (travel), £890k (rent) and £150k (hotel stays). These savings would be independent of any decision on headcount reductions, on which we are still consulting. All savings would be net of any one-off transitional costs. There would also be non-cashable efficiency savings resulting from closer working, and more collaborative and flexible teams.

  • Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the levels of community infrastructure levy levied by each local planning authority in England.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    This information is not centrally collected by Government. Community Infrastructure Levy charging authorities are required to publish their levy rates in a Charging Schedule and make this available on their website. Community Infrastructure Levy rates must be based on local viability evidence and are subject to two public consultations and independent examination. Draft charging schedules, relevant evidence and the recommendations of the independent examiner are also published.

  • Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of the options for new forms of economic relationships with countries outside the EU.

    Greg Hands

    Leaving the EU offers us an opportunity to forge a new role for ourselves in the world: to negotiate our own trade agreements and to be a positive and powerful force for free trade.

    My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has established the Department for International Trade to promote British trade across the world and ensure the UK takes advantage of the huge opportunities open to us. We are exploring a range of options to maximise the opportunities for the UK’s future trading relations.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 19 September 2016 to Question 45930, on the Palestinian Authority, if she will place a copy of her Department’s formal assessment of the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to the Partnership Principles in the Library.

    Rory Stewart

    DFID does not routinely publish Partnership Principles assessments. These assessments are used to inform the annual dialogue between DFID and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Our assessment is that the PA continues to deliver on the Partnership Principles.

  • Nigel Huddleston – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Nigel Huddleston – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Huddleston on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of further restrictions on the use and sale of fireworks.

    Anna Soubry

    Restrictions on the sale and use of fireworks already exist under the Fireworks Regulations 2004 and the Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2015. The majority of people have a sensible and responsible attitude to fireworks and, on balance, I do not believe that further restrictions on their use would be necessary or proportionate.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessments he has made of the future security needs of Ministry of Defence (MoD) establishments in the UK; whether responsibility for guarding any MoD sites, assets and infrastructure will be transferred from the MoD Police to the Armed Forces in the next five years; how and when such changes might be decided upon and implemented; and if he will make a statement.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence has several organisations that provide policing and guarding across the defence estate. Our policy is to deploy the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) at those sites where constabulary powers are needed. We also use Regular Service Personnel or the specialist Military Provost Guard Service who have the ability to be armed where required.

    As part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, we are reviewing how we provide our policing and guarding at some sites.

  • Baroness Crawley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Crawley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Crawley on 2016-01-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what the terms of reference are for the HMRC pilot of the tobacco industry’s Codentify system for product authentication; how long that pilot will last; on what tobacco products that pilot is being undertaken; and with which tobacco companies that pilot is taking place.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    HMRC is piloting the Codentify system, a product authentication tool that is currently used on tobacco packaging.

    The objectives of HMRC’s pilot are to use and test Codentify as a product authentication tool that could help tackle illicit tobacco.

    There is currently no specified end date to the pilot but HMRC will review its use of Codentify within 2016.

    Codentify is being used to authenticate cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco that carry the code, which are those produced by Phillip Morris International, Japan Tobacco International, Imperial Tobacco and British American Tobacco.

    No discussions have taken place with these companies on the scope or format of HMRC’s planned review.

  • Caroline Nokes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Caroline Nokes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Nokes on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to make sex and relationship training mandatory for all the teachers.

    Edward Timpson

    This Government believes that all children should have the opportunity to receive a high quality and appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE). SRE is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools and many primary schools also teach it in an age-appropriate way. The Government also expects academies and free schools to deliver SRE as part of their provision of a broad and balanced curriculum.

    Any state-funded school teaching SRE must have regard to the Secretary of State’s SRE guidance (2000). The Department does not collect data about the number of schools that follow the guidance. The Department has received requests about updating the existing SRE guidance which we will carefully consider.

    Ofsted does not inspect individual curriculum subjects. However, aspects of Personal Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education and SRE will inform its judgment on personal development, behaviour and welfare. Inspectors must also consider the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. Schools have responsibility for acting upon the inspection reports they receive and any weaknesses will be considered when the school is next inspected.

    Initial Teacher Training is currently determined by the Teachers’ Standards, which all trainee teachers must be able to demonstrate by the end of their training. The Standards set out the key principles of good subject pedagogy and the importance of subject knowledge development across the curriculum. Schools and headteachers are best placed to determine which staff learning activities will be most beneficial for their schools and we expect them to lead the personal development of their teachers to improve the quality of all round teaching.

    The Department supports schools’ efforts to improve PSHE teaching, by drawing schools’ attention to a range of high quality PSHE education teaching resources, including quality resources, lesson plans, a programme of study, factsheets and case studies. These resources are kite-marked by the PSHE Association to ensure that schools can trust the materials they use and improve their teaching.