The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Ansell on 2016-05-18.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, who he plans to consult about the soft drinks industry levy; and when that consultation will be launched.
Damian Hinds
We will launch a formal consultation covering various aspects of the proposed levy this summer and we are developing the consultation questions now. The consultation will be open to anyone to respond.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Law on 2016-06-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether security staff working on mass deportation flights have accredited training in the use of force in the confined space of an aircraft.
James Brokenshire
Yes. All escorting staff employed on charter flights are required to undertake and pass training in the Home Office Manual for Escorting Safely (HOMES). This is an accredited training package which is provided by the National Offender Management Service for use in confined spaces, including aircraft. Escorting staff are required to undertake refresher training on a regular basis.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to discourage pregnant mothers from consuming alcohol during pregnancy.
Nicola Blackwood
We want women to make decisions about their health based on the best possible information.
The new United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ low risk drinking guidelines provide clear advice for women across the UK that for those who are pregnant, or could become pregnant, the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all. This is to keep any risk to the baby to a minimum.
Public Health England is working with relevant professional organisations in England to help midwives and health visitors educate and inform women about avoiding alcohol while pregnant.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to reach a decision on the possible expansion of Heathrow Airport.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Government’s position on airports capacity has not changed since the Airports Commission published their final report on 1 July 2015. Government is still reviewing all of the evidence before coming to any decisions.
The Prime Minister has said a decision will be made by the end of the year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Watson of Invergowrie on 2015-12-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many formal notices have been issued to the Academies Enterprise Trust or individual schools within that Trust; and what discussions they have had with the relevant Regional Schools Commissioner regarding that Trust.
Lord Nash
Pre-warning notices in relation to academies are subject to ongoing review and, where appropriate, intervention as part of the regular dialogue between the trust and Regional Schools Commissioners.
Details of all formal notices that have been issued are in the public domain and have been attached to this answer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-01-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase secondary school places in London.
Nick Gibb
Local authorities are responsible for planning and securing sufficient school places in their area, and supporting them to do so is one of this Government’s top priorities. This is why the Government is investing £23 billion overall in school buildings to create 600,000 new school places, open 500 new free schools and address essential maintenance needs.
Basic need funding is allocated to local authorities to help them to create new school places. This Government has allocated £960 million to local authorities in London for places needed between 2015 and 2018, including at secondary level. This is in addition to the £2 billion London received between 2011 and 2015, almost 40% of the total funding provided to local authorities to help create new places in this period.
This funding has helped to create 155,000 new school places between 2010 and 2014. Of these new places, over 30,000 have been created in 52 open free schools. There are over 60 approved new schools due to open in London in future academic years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress his Department has made on working with the EU Commission on extending the Public Lending Right to e-lending in local libraries.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Department and the Libraries Taskforce are working with representatives of authors, publishers, public libraries, the PLR office and others, to ensure library service users have access to remote e-book lending, without charge, and to consider options to appropriately remunerate authors and other rights holders.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-03-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2016 to Question 26338, on EU grants and loans, which organisations have received grants from the £71 million European Social Fund monies.
Mr Sam Gyimah
The European Social Fund provides support for young people aged 14-19 who were not in education, employment or training, or who were at risk of being so, for the period December 2013 to July 2015 (2007-2013 European Social Fund programme extended to 2015). This funding was awarded under contract following an open and competitive tendering process. The procurement process was administered by the Skills Funding Agency on behalf of the Education Funding Agency.
The list of organisations contracted to deliver this provision can be found here:
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-04-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government made to the Ombudsman of the Bahraini (a) Ministry of Interior and (b) authorities on that Ombudsman’s investigation into the alleged torture of Mohamed Ramadan.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The Government has raised Mohamed Ramadan’s case with the Bahraini authorities. I did so most recently when I met the Bahraini Ambassador to the UK, Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, on 8 March 2016. Embassy officials have been in direct contact with the Ombudsman, who has confirmed that whilst there have been a number of complaints raised with his office in the case of Mr Ramadan, there have been no allegations of mistreatment or torture.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jon Cruddas on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the report Three years on: an independent review of Local Council Tax Support Schemes by Eric Ollerenshaw OBE, published in March 2016, whether his Department plans to take steps to better understand the effect of Local Council Tax Support Schemes on individuals and councils.
Mr Marcus Jones
Eric Ollerenshaw’s independent report recognises the successful implementation of Local Council Tax Schemes by local government and makes a number of recommendations to improve their efficiency and effectiveness, whilst remaining a local discount. The Department for Communities and Local Government will consider these recommendations carefully.