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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what advice her Department has received from experts on the reintroduction of grammar schools in the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

    Nick Gibb

    The Department has reviewed a wide range of external research and evidence on the impact of academic selection, including research on the impact of selection on the educational attainment of disadvantaged pupils.

    The evidence shows that grammar schools provide a good education for those who attend them. Grammar school pupils outperform those of similar ability in comprehensive schools and they also make more progress than other pupils with similar primary school results. Nearly 78 per cent of high ability pupils achieve the English Baccalaureate at grammar school, compared to just over 52 per cent at comprehensive schools, and the attainment gap for disadvantaged students in grammar schools is practically eliminated

    This evidence is based on the existing system of grammar schools. We are proposing significant changes to the requirements placed on selective schools to ensure that they raise standards for all pupils as part of a diverse schools system.

    Our proposals will help deliver a school system that works for all children and offers parents genuine choice by increasing the number of good and outstanding school places.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2015 to Question 14816, how much funding was allocated to local authorities for road resurfacing in 2014-15.

    Andrew Jones

    For 2014/15, the Department for Transport allocated £1.133 billion of funding to local authorities in England for highways maintenance, comprising maintenance block funding, block funding top-up and the pothole repair fund, plus the winter weather repair fund which was allocated in March 2014 but where most of the money would have been spent in 2014/15. This sum represents record funding over the two Parliaments from 2005/06 to 2014/15 for local roads maintenance. (Note that in the figure above London is not allocated maintenance block funding). It is for local authorities to determine how this money is spent, according to local priorities. This includes road resurfacing, as well as other work on the highways network, which includes roads, street lighting and bridges.

  • Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of statutory PSHE education for the health of school pupils; and if she will make a statement.

    Edward Timpson

    We want all children to lead healthy and active lives. Schools have a key role to play in supporting this; the new national curriculum sets the expectation that pupils are taught, across a variety of subjects, about the importance of leading healthy and active lives.

    Schools and teachers already recognise the importance of good PSHE education and know that healthy, resilient, confident pupils are better placed to achieve academically and to be stretched further. In the introduction to the national curriculum, we have made clear that all schools should make provision for PSHE, drawing on examples of good practice.

    The Secretary of State for Education has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Health about children’s health and the role schools can play in tackling childhood obesity.

  • Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans he has to organise a high-level trade mission to Bangladesh.

    Anna Soubry

    Over one hundred UK companies already operate in Bangladesh and I would like to see more exporting to the country. Bangladesh has taken impressive economic strides over the past decade leading to increased opportunities for UK and Bangladeshi companies to work meaningfully together for the benefit of both economies. We are currently exploring a visit to Bangladesh in the coming months by my noble friend, Lord Maude of Horsham, including the possibility of an accompanying trade delegation

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, for what reasons the process for including Citizens Advice as the statutory consumer watchdog differs for changes to Crown post offices outside compared with those within the Crown Transformation Programme.

    George Freeman

    The arrangements in place for the Crown Transformation Programme were specific to this significant programme which encompassed the entire Crown network and which was a directly government funded investment programme. How Post Office handles business as usual changes to its branch estate is an operational matter for it. Post Office has a Code of Practice for changes to the network (such as relocations of branches) and this includes a role for Citizen’s Advice.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stunell on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they propose to publish the next biennial review of progress in sustainable building regulations required by the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The Government will publish the next biennial review of progress in sustainable Building Regulations in early 2017, as required by the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004.

  • Jon Trickett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jon Trickett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jon Trickett on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the proportion of local government procurements that have been spent on small and medium-sized businesses in each of the last five years.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government is committed to ensuring there is a simple and consistent approach to procurement across the public sector so that small businesses can gain better and more access to public sector contracts – either directly or as sub-contractors.

    The Government produced guidance as part of the reforms included in the Public Contract Regulations 2015 which aim to make public contracts more accessible to businesses and in particular to small and medium enterprises. The reforms included the abolition of pre-qualification questionnaire for low value tenders; simplification of the pre-qualification questionnaire for high value tenders; advertising all local authority contracts of £25,000 or over (or the authority’s standing order limit if higher) on Contracts Finder; and paying down the supplier chain in 30 days.

    The Local Government Transparency Code 2015 requires all local authorities to publish details of contracts exceeding £5,000 including information on whether or not the supplier is a small or medium sized enterprise and/or a voluntary or community sector organisation.

    However, the Department has made no assessment of the amount or proportion of local government procurement spend going to small and medium sized businesses.

  • Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when the Government plans to publish its response to the December 2015 HM Revenue and Customs’ consultation on increasing VAT for domestic solar.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The UK has applied a reduced rate on 11 different types of energy saving materials since 2001. That remains in place and remains unchanged.

    HMRC are currently considering the responses to their consultation on energy saving materials and they will respond in due course.

  • Calum Kerr – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Calum Kerr – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Calum Kerr on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will ensure the UK’s participation in the Digital Single Market during negotiations for UK withdrawal from the EU.

    Mr David Davis

    While the UK remains a member of the EU it will continue to play an active role in the development of the Digital Single Market.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answers of 12 September 2016 to Questions 45151 and 45154, on Iraq: Genocide, whether the character and scope of the campaign to hold Daesh to account for its crimes have been established; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    ​Over the next few months, we will be working with our international partners, in particular the Government of Iraq, to bring forward a proposal at the UN to put the campaign into action. Our intention is that this campaign will be UN-led with survivors, and groups that work with them, at its heart. This must be about justice for all Daesh’s victims, the Sunni and Shia Muslims in Iraq and Syria, minority groups they have targeted, and the victims of its terrorist attacks around the world. One area we already agree needs urgent attention is gathering and preserving evidence. The campaign will focus exclusively on Daesh. The question of accountability for other actors in Syria, Iraq, Libya and elsewhere should continue to be pursued through other efforts. Success will require patience and resolve. But, together, we must see justice done and ensure that our values of unity, compassion and tolerance triumph over Daesh’s remorseless efforts to stoke division and hate.