The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Attorney General, how much his Department received from the European Social Fund between 2007 and 2014; and how much his Department further received from the European Social Investment Fund from 2014 to the last month for which data is available.
Robert Buckland
The Law Officers’ Departments have not received any such funding.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2016-04-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effects of any inconsistencies in deadlines for the ratification of concluded and signed EU trade agreements established by the European Commission under the auspices of Economic Partnership Agreements.
Lord Price
I am not aware of inconsistencies in deadlines for the ratification of Economic Partnership Agreements between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific partners. EU Regulation 1528/2007 of 20 December 2007 states that ratification of the agreements should take place “within a reasonable period of time.”
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-05-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many visits (a) by Ministers and (b) officials from her Department were made to Coventry in each of the last five years.
Nick Gibb
The table below shows the total number of visits made by Department for Education ministers to Coventry for each of the last five years.
|
Year |
Total Number of Visits by Ministers |
|
2011-2012 |
3 |
|
2012-2013 |
3 |
|
2013-2014 |
1 |
|
2014-2015 |
1 |
|
2015-2016 |
3 |
We do not hold data centrally on the number of visits made by civil servants to particular locations. This could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Flint on 2016-07-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a minimum safety standard for staff in public and privately-run prisons.
Mr Sam Gyimah
The level of violence in our prisons is unacceptable. I am clear that safety in prisons is fundamental to the proper functioning of our justice system and a vital part of our reform plans.
There are a number of factors including the availability of psychoactive substances in prisons which must be tackled. It will take time to address there long-standing problems. I am determined to make sure our prisons are safe and places of rehabilitation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional resources are being provided for post-16 students who are required to resit English and mathematics GCSEs.
Robert Halfon
Funding for the study of English and maths, including GCSE resits, is provided through the 16-19 national funding formula. The formula incorporates disadvantage funding for providers including a funding uplift of up to £960 per full time student per year to provide for the additional costs incurred for teaching students who have low prior attainment, as indicated by not achieving English and/or maths GCSEs at grade C or above by the end of year 11 (typically age 16). This additional funding is not intended to solely fund maths and English qualifications, but to fund support for students to achieve their learning goals, including maths and English.
For the past three years the Government has also invested in programmes to support improvements in the teaching of maths and English in Further Education (FE) settings. This year, funding will provide up to 13,000 training opportunities for FE practitioners to improve their subject knowledge and confidence in their teaching of maths or English, fund bursaries for 300 graduates to train to become maths or English teachers in FE settings and further build evidence on evidence of what constitutes effective delivery and teaching of English and maths for students aged 16 to 18 that have not yet achieved level 2 English and maths.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2015-10-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the Competition and Markets Authority is undertaking an investigation into defeat devices used by Volkswagen in emissions tests.
Anna Soubry
The Competition and Markets Authority has been considering this issue carefully since it first emerged, including in liaison with government and other agencies nationally and internationally. It has not opened a formal investigation, but is continuing to assess in cooperation with government and other agencies what action it would be appropriate to take and who would be best placed to take it.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-11-24.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recourse or right of appeal is available to a member of the public removed from, or prevented from working with, a local healthwatch by the contractors.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The Department currently has no plans to undertake an investigation in to the performance of local Healthwatch organisations. In March 2015 the Department published a report commissioned from the King’s Fund – Local Healthwatch: Progress and promise – which set out the progress that local Healthwatch have made since being established in 2013. Transparency about the performance of local Healthwatch organisations is provided through the annual reports which they are required to publish. Reports on how the local Healthwatch network as a whole is operating and the nature of the support needed to deliver their activities effectively are discussed at quarterly public meetings of the Healthwatch England Committee.
Arrangements for ensuring local Healthwatch statutory activities are delivered in each area are a matter for local authorities. The Local Government Association has published guidance to support local Healthwatch and local commissioners in putting in place good governance arrangements, which includes clarity about the roles of all parties involved.
Neither the Department nor Healthwatch England are aware of local Healthwatch contractors refusing to engage with the public in their area. Where Healthwatch England is made aware of concerns in relation to local Healthwatch around governance or local relationships with specific individuals or organisations, it seeks to provide support to resolve these where appropriate. Members of the public are able to raise concerns though the complaints process of the local Healthwatch or the commissioning local authority.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-01-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the performance of Capita in the recruitment programme to the Regular and the Reserve Forces; what progress has been made in such recruitment; and if he will make a statement.
Penny Mordaunt
Since March 2013 the Army has been delivering its recruiting operations with Capita through the Recruiting Partnering Project (RPP). Both the Army and Capita are investing to improve recruiting performance, and over 14,000 Regular and Reserve personnel have joined in the last 12 months.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Kinnock on 2016-02-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) provide information to and (b) consult the (i) local community and (ii) local authority on plans to establish a reception centre for asylum seekers in Goytre.
James Brokenshire
My officials intend to provide further information to the local authority shortly. This will build on the information which has already been provided and will include any plans for consultation.
Should the COMPASS provider elect to progress this option, we will work with the Local Authority to ensure that the appropriate consultation with the statutory agencies and local community is undertaken.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) policy and (b) other responsibilities are of each special adviser in her Department.
Karen Bradley
The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers sets out the role of special advisers and describes the range of activities they may undertake. Copies of the Code of Conduct are available in the Libraries of the House and on-line at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/468340/CODE_OF_CONDUCT_FOR_SPECIAL_ADVISERS_-_15_OCTOBER_2015_FINAL.pdf