Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Calum Kerr – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Calum Kerr – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Calum Kerr on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of the contribution of the horseracing industry to the economy in Scotland.

    Tracey Crouch

    A 2013 report from Deloitte for the British Horseracing Authority estimated that British racing has a Great Britain wide economic impact of £3.45 billion. Lastyear a public consultation on the potential structure and operation of the Horserace Betting Right was held, inviting views from across Great Britain. To inform our work to replace the current levy system and require offshore operators to make a fair financial contribution to racing alongside those based in Great Britain, I have commissioned an independent economic analysis of the costs and funding of racing. This will draw on information provided by betting and racing.

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

    Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to prevent the E-ACT Academy chain from dismissing community governors from its school governing bodies.

    Edward Timpson

    In a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT), individual academies are all under the control of the trust board, as the legal entity. A trust is allowed to exercise its choice about whether and how to construct its local governing bodies for each academy. The composition of those boards and the range of functions delegated to any such boards, are all a matter for the board to determine. In all cases the board remains accountable for all of the academies in the MAT. We expect Government bodies to drive strong governance so that standards remain high. We trust these boards to decide on the most appropriate arrangements for their trust. They may choose to delegate duties to local governing bodies, but trustees maintain overall responsibility. E-ACT has reviewed its governance arrangements and is planning to change its regional and local governance structure.

    The Secretary of State can intervene where a trust is in breach of its funding agreement due to a serious breakdown in governance.

    Fewer, higher quality and more highly skilled boards overseeing groups of schools is central to the Government’s strategy for improving the quality of school governance. It is also the key to schools realising a wide range of other educational and financial benefits.

  • David Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    David Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions her Department has had with social media providers on steps to combat cyber bullying.

    Edward Timpson

    The Government continues to work closely with social media companies to make sure they are committed to protecting children who use social media platforms. Ministers from the Department for Education, the Department for Culture Media and Sport, and the Home Office meet quarterly with social media providers and other key stakeholders at the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) executive board meetings, to discuss important issues relating to child safety online, including cyberbullying.

    Recently, Ofcom led a social media working group on behalf of UKCCIS, with representation from Twitter, Facebook, Google, Ask.FM, and MindCandy. The group developed best practice guidance aimed at encouraging responsible practice from industry to ensure children using their services are able to do so in a safe and protected way. The guidance was issued by UKCISS in December 2015 and can be found on their website.

    To help schools prevent and tackle bullying, we are providing £1.3m this year (2015-16) to anti-bullying charities to tackle all forms of bullying including cyberbullying, on top of the £4m provided in 2013-15. We are also providing £2m this year (2015-16) to organisations to specifically tackle homophobic bullying, which includes cyberbullying.

    We do not want to make any form of bullying a criminal offence as to do so would risk criminalising young people. In some circumstances that may be justified, but probably only in a limited number of very serious cases, for which there are already laws in place to protect people. Internet providers, schools and parents all have a role to play in keeping children and young people safe online.

    The Government Equalities Office is funding the UK Safer Internet Centre to produce advice for schools on how to keep children safe online. This is scheduled for publication this spring.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will publish the actual or potential conflicts of interest declared by the Pubs Code Adjudicator, Mr Paul Newby, prior to his appointment.

    Anna Soubry

    The appointment panel satisfied itself there were no conflicts of interest when they made recommendations to Ministers. In due course and as is usual practice, the Adjudicator’s office will publish a register of interests.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-04-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information he holds on what discussions have taken place between HM Revenue and Customs and former Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair or his advisers about (a) Mr Blair’s tax affairs and (b) charges brought in under the Finance Act 2006 as they relate to those tax affairs.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs does not divulge details about an individual’s tax affairs.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the Blue Badge concession to include off-street parking.

    Andrew Jones

    We have no plans to extend Blue Badge concessions to off-street parking. The scheme is designed to ensure that disabled people can find suitable parking on public roads – whether it be in bays, at meters or on yellow lines – close to where they need to go. Off-street parking is a completely different matter; these are often privately owned and their terms of use are a matter for the car park owners, but disabled parking bays are usually available.

  • Richard Fuller – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Richard Fuller – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Nursing and Midwifery Council about the adequacy of their disciplinary and enforcement powers; and what plans he has to reform their fitness to practice arrangements.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent body responsible for the regulation of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom. It is responsible for the way it discharges its statutory duties including in relation to fitness to practise investigations.

    The Department has been working with the NMC on a number of proposed legislative changes which will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its fitness to practise processes and officials have regular discussions with the NMC regarding its powers. The Department has recently consulted on these proposed changes and is currently considering the responses received.

    The Government is committed to ensuring that professional regulation continues to provide effective protection for patients.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the post-implementation review of the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010, when her Department plans to (a) gather evidence on the number of trainers operating at independent tracks and the conditions at those kennels and (b) publish its report.

    George Eustice

    Defra’s Post Implementation Review of the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 contained an assessment of standards at trainers’ kennels and found that more was needed to be done to safeguard welfare. As a result, the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) has agreed to work through the British Standards Institution and with other stakeholders, to develop a consensus standard for trainers’ kennels. The GBGB has also agreed to seek to extend its current United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accreditation to cover the enforcement of these new standards at the kennels of GBGB licensed trainers. During the Review process no evidence was submitted to Defra on the numbers of greyhound trainers operating solely at the four remaining independent tracks in England and the conditions at any such kennels. Therefore Defra are giving further consideration as to how best to gather this evidence, this includes a possible joint research project with the Dogs Trust. Any Defra research will be published on the Gov.UK website and any useful information found will be used in an Impact Assessment that would accompany any regulations for trainers’ kennels.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, how many incidents of (a) hacking, (b) viruses and (c) data breaches were reported to the Parliamentary Digital Service in the last 12 months.

    Tom Brake

    We do not comment on matters of digital or physical security. I understand the Director of the Digital Service has discussed the matter with the hon. Member.

  • John Mann – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    John Mann – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many school academies do not follow the national curriculum.

    Nick Gibb

    The Department for Education does not hold information on the number of academies that do not follow the national curriculum.

    Academies are not required to follow the national curriculum, but must teach a broad and balanced curriculum that includes English, mathematics, science and religious education.