The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential risks to undersea internet and telephony cables; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Government continually assesses a range of possible risks to the UK’s infrastructure, and arrangements are in place across Government and industry to ensure the ongoing resilience and availability of services.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2015-12-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, on how many occasions a special adviser in her Department accompanied a Minister on an overseas trip since May 2015.
Mr Desmond Swayne
Special advisers have accompanied a DFID Minister on an overseas visit 9 times since May 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will use his powers under clause 2, section 10 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 to appoint a crown servant to act as governor of the Medway Secure Training Centre.
Andrew Selous
Kent Police and Medway Council’s child protection team have launched an investigation into the allegations made about Medway Secure Training Centre (STC). The Ministry of Justice and Youth Justice Board will do everything we can to assist and support the investigation. Our immediate priority has been to make sure that the young people in custody at Medway are safe, which is why HM Inspectorate of Prisons and Ofsted visited the STC last week.
The YJB have ceased placements into the STC with immediate effect. They have also increased their own monitoring at Medway and that of the independent advocacy service provided by Barnardo’s.
We are currently considering how we can best ensure young people at Medway are in a safe, secure and rehabilitative environment and any further decisions will be announced in the normal way.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-02-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many women have taken their own lives in the first year after the birth of their child in each of the last five years.
Alistair Burt
This information is not collected centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-03-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister for Schools of 22 October 2015, Official Report, column 457WH, what plans her Department has to consult on a revised Building Bulletin 100.
Edward Timpson
It has not yet been decided what further review or consultation is necessary on the revised Building Bulletin 100 (Fire Safety in Schools) before publication.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-04-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with her Greek counterpart on the implementation of human rights safeguards for refugees under the EU-Turkey deal.
James Brokenshire
Ministerial discussions continue to take place at EU meetings on implementation of the EU-Turkey deal.
More detailed discussions at official level are taking place with Greece on a regular basis. These are ensuring that the deal is carried out in accordance with all international and EU law including human rights safeguards.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-05-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) employment and support allowance and (b) personal independence payment appeals his Department conceded prior to their being heard at the First-Tier Tribunal in the last 12 months.
Justin Tomlinson
The requested information could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-07-06.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to improve teenage literacy, in the light of the 2016 OECD report Building skills for all: A review of England, which stated that the UK has the lowest literacy rates among 16 to 19 year-olds out of 23 developed countries.
Lord Nash
We are pleased that the OECD recognises in their review the changes we have made in recent years to ensure that all young people leave full-time education with a high standard of English.
The primary National Curriculum emphasises the teaching of early reading through systematic phonics and the importance of accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar. At secondary school pupils are expected to read a wide range of texts fluently and with good understanding.
We have reformed GCSEs to ensure they are more stretching and provide greater assurance of core literacy than the old GCSE. We are also taking action to improve the rigour and relevance of English Functional Skills qualifications, which are taken by many students and apprentices aged 16 and over.
To ensure all young people have every opportunity to secure proficiency in English, since 2014 we have required every 16-19 year old not holding a good pass in GCSE English and mathematics to continue to study these subjects as part of their 16-19 study programme. We have also embedded English and mathematics into our work-based training programmes such as apprenticeships and traineeships.
Last summer’s GCSE results show that over 4,000 more students aged 17 and over secured GCSE English at grades A*-C than the previous year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-09-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which local authority children’s services departments subject to improvement notices have been visited by Ministers of her Department in each of the last six years.
Edward Timpson
Since my appointment in September 2012, as the relevant minister, I have visited and/or met with councillors and/or officers from 15 local authorities that were subject to Improvement Notices and/or Statutory Directions. I have also visited and/or met with councillors and or/officers from nine local authorities that have been subject to intervention since 2010. A list of these appointments is in the attached document.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-11-09.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 November 2015 to Question 14749, if his Department will estimate the number of families whose income will be reduced as a result of proposed changes to tax credits.
Damian Hinds
This Government is committed to moving from a high welfare, high tax, low wage economy to a lower welfare, lower tax, higher wage society. As the Chancellor has made clear, the Government will set out at Autumn Statement how we plan to achieve the same goal of reforming tax credits, saving the money we need to save to secure our economy, while at the same time helping in the transition.