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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average time taken is for an academy school to be re-brokered to another academy sponsor.

    Edward Timpson

    Where an academy is not meeting the required standard or needs a change of sponsor, the Regional Schools Commissioner strives to ensure that this change happens as quickly as possible, with minimum impact to the school. The Department does not hold a central record of the time taken for re-brokerage.

    The Education and Adoption Act 2016 gives Regional Schools Commissioners powers to tackle underperformance in academies more quickly, by allowing them to terminate their funding agreement and re-broker an academy as soon as it is judged inadequate by Ofsted or identified as coasting.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department takes to vet directors of multi-academy trusts; and if she will make a statement.

    Edward Timpson

    Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) are responsible for appointing trustees with the right skills to deliver their functions effectively. Our model articles require MATs to ensure that both trustees and those serving on any local governing bodies at individual academies within the MAT have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. MATs’ Articles of Association also set out the circumstances by which someone is disqualified from being a trustee, including conviction of a criminal offence or bankruptcy. A trustee can be removed by the board under the Companies Act 2006.

    Regional Schools Commissioners check that the trustees of a MAT have the necessary skills and expertise before the funding agreement of an academy or free school joining the MAT is signed. We may also conduct checks to make an assessment of a MAT trustee’s suitability, where deemed necessary. The Secretary of State can bar a person from taking part in the management of a MAT under the Education Act 2008.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, to what extent NICE has involved external stakeholders and charities in reviewing how well the incremental cost effectiveness ratio is working in making new cancer medicines available to patients on the NHS.

    Nicola Blackwood

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has advised that it has not been asked to review how well the application of the cost effectiveness methodology is working in making new cancer medicines available to patients on the National Health Service.

    NICE periodically reviews its methods and processes for the development of guidance to ensure that they remain appropriate. NICE most recently consulted on changes to its methods for the appraisal of new cancer medicines in November 2015 as part of the consultation on the new operating model for the Cancer Drugs Fund.

  • Lord Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Lord Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones on 2016-10-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the £530 million loan to Airbus in 2000 to support production of the A380 aircraft, how many of those aircraft have been purchased by UK airlines.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The repayable investment to support the development of the A380 wing and fuel system in the UK has secured over 2,000 UK jobs since the aircraft entered service in 2007.

    Airbus has received 319 orders for the A380 from airline customers world-wide and have made 195 deliveries, 12 of which have been made to British Airways (part of IAG).

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has met vehicle manufacturers to discuss the availability of liquid petroleum gas vehicle models in the UK market and their potential effect on air quality.

    Andrew Jones

    As part of a consultation in 2014 on amendments to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) the department considered the potential benefits of biopropane in delivering GHG savings. In recognition of this, the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation was subsequently amended to increase rewards for suppliers of that fuel from April 2015.

    The department, working with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, have evaluated a range of options for tackling poor air quality; this formed the basis of the Government’s draft air quality plans that recently went to public consultation. Switching to LPG can provide air quality benefits but may not be easily deployed in all vehicle types.

    As part of the department’s 2014 Clean Vehicle Technology Fund (CVTF) grant scheme, Birmingham City Council were awarded £500,000 to enable the conversion of 80 older black cabs from diesel to LPG which will help improve air quality on some of the most polluted roads. There is a possibility of funding through the current CVTF grant scheme being used to support further LPG conversions in other areas.

    We are considering many competing priorities across Government as part of the Spending Review, including measures to tackle air quality pollutants and reduce other harmful emissions. The outcome of the Spending Review will be announced later in the autumn.

    The department regularly meets with motor manufacturers and their representative body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Discussions on how manufacturers can act to tackle poor air quality cover a range of measures.

  • Lord Rennard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Rennard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rennard on 2015-12-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated annual cost of their special advisers.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    I refer the Noble Lord to the Written Statement made on 17 December 2015, HLWS417, which I have attached for each of reference.

    The attached list of Special Advisers sets out the names of the Special Advisers in post as of December 2015, each special adviser’s pay band, and actual salary (where this is higher than the Senior Civil Service entry-level salary), together with details of the total pay bill for 2014-15 and the estimate for 2015-16. The cost has fallen from last year, and the cost represents just 0.08 per cent of the Civil Service pay bill.

  • Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Thomas-Symonds on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Attorney General, if he will review Norman James’ case as raised in the letter from the hon. Member for Torfaen of 15 June 2015 to take account of recent developments in that case.

    Robert Buckland

    My office has no plans to conduct a review into this matter. The specific allegations raised by Mr James are ones that would be more appropriate to the police to investigate rather than the Crown Prosecution Service for which I am answerable to this House and which in any event does not have any investigatory powers.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support the work of Taste of Ulster; and if she will introduce similar organisations throughout the UK to promote food products.

    George Eustice

    I fully support the excellent work that Taste of Ulster is doing to showcase the finest food and drink from Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland’s Year of Food and Drink is running concurrently with the Year of Great British Food, and we are working closely with colleagues from Northern Ireland which includes some food pioneers from Northern Ireland’s food industry to ensure that our shared message about the wonderful food and drink produced throughout the UK and the outstanding food heritage of our nation reaches the widest possible audience.

    This year’s celebrations of food include promoting Protected Food Names. I am delighted that there are three Protected Food Names from Northern Ireland: Armagh Bramley Apples, New Season Comber Potatoes and Lough Neagh Eels and that there are four more in the pipeline.

    Food NI and the Taste of Ulster campaign provides a strong model of the food sector taking the lead in forming a consortium to promote the excellence of Northern Irish food. Similar initiatives exist in other parts of the UK, and I strongly encourage and support their work.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2016 to Questions 26129 and 26130, how much community engagement funding to tackle female genital mutilation (a) was allocated in 2013-14 and (b) has been allocated for 2015-16 through schemes operated by (i) her Department and (ii) the Department for Communities and Local Government; how many and which community projects applied for funding in these years; and which such applications were (A) accepted and (B) rejected.

    Karen Bradley

    In 2014-15, the Government provided over £380,000 to community organisations through the Home Office’s female genital mutilation (FGM) Community Engagement Initiative and the Department for Communities and Local Government’s FGM and forced marriage prevention projects.

    A total of 179 applications were received, and 29 of these applications were funded. The Answer of 11 February 2016 to Questions 26129 and 26130 provides a list of the organisations whose applications were successful. The Government did not provide specific funding for FGM community engagement projects in 2013-14 or 2015-16.

    We know that changing attitudes within communities is key to ending FGM and we will continue to work with community organisations and survivors through the FGM Unit’s stakeholder group and ongoing outreach programme to drive this work forward.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department issues to jobcentre staff on the delivery of the Armed Forces Covenant.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The department takes its ongoing responsibilities under the Armed Forces Covenant very seriously. Pete Searle, the Strategy Director for Working Age Benefits, is DWP’s Armed Forces Advocate responsible for ensuring that the needs of service personnel, their families and veterans are properly catered for by the Department. This means ensuring that these groups are not disadvantaged as a result of military service, and providing special treatment where appropriate.

    Every Jobcentre district has an “Armed Forces Champion” to provide a level of expertise for Jobcentres on Armed Forces matters. This is backed up by guidance covering the special rules that are in place, such as ex-service personnel having early access to the Work Programme, and information on any particular challenges they may face, such as the impact on employment prospects of frequent changes in locations.