Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will make it her policy for the UK to reduce its actual greenhouse gas emissions by 61 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030.

    Andrea Leadsom

    This Government remains firmly committed to the Climate Change Act, and to meeting our climate change target of an at least 80% emissions reduction by 2050. We are clear that this must be done while keeping our energy supply secure and low cost.

    Discussions on the fifth carbon budget (2028-2032) are continuing and we will make an announcement as soon as possible.

  • Brendan O’Hara – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Brendan O’Hara – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Brendan O’Hara on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many staff worked for the Defence and Security Organisation on 1 April 2016; and what the budget for that organisation is for 2016-17.

    Dr Liam Fox

    At 1 April 2016 the UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation had 122 staff-in-post, with a 2016-17 budget of £9.73M NET.

  • Peter Dowd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Peter Dowd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Dowd on 2016-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it the Government’s policy to ensure that schools are open to pupils from a range of different religious and non-religious backgrounds.

    Caroline Dinenage

    We want all parents to have a real choice about which school their children attend irrespective of their background. It is also important that all schools: promote inclusivity; enhance understanding of other faiths and those with no faith; promote community cohesion; and prepare children and young people for life in modern Britain. Regardless of whether or not they have a religious character, schools should enable pupils of all faith and of no-faith to play a full part in the life of the school.

    We are currently consulting on proposals to enable more high quality providers of schools, including faith schools, to establish new schools which, alongside our investment in the free schools programme, will improve choice for all.

    The consultation document is available at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/school-frameworks/schools-that-work-for-everyone

  • Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much has been spent on publicising the changes to the basic state pension to date.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The government has spent £661,493 in 2014/2015 to raise public awareness ahead of the introduction of the new State Pension on April 6, 2016. Total costs for 2015/2016 have not been finalised.

  • Baroness Wolf of Dulwich – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Wolf of Dulwich – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Wolf of Dulwich on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance, if any, they give to local authorities and London boroughs about conducting consultations with neighbouring authorities or boroughs before making an Experimental Traffic Management Order.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    We have not issued any guidance that specifically advises how consultation should be carried out with neighboring authorities or boroughs before making an Experimental Traffic Management Order.

    However, under regulation 6 of the Local Authorities’ Traffic Orders (Procedure)(England and Wales) Regulations 1996, before making an experimental order, traffic authorities are obliged to consult other authorities where the order relates to, or might affect traffic on, a road for which another authority is the highway authority or the traffic authority.

  • Baroness Jolly – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Baroness Jolly – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jolly on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial remuneration the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst has received from the training of nationals of (1) Bahrain, (2) Kuwait, (3) Oman, (4) Qatar, (5) Saudi Arabia, and (6) the United Arab Emirates, in each year between 2005 and 2016.

    Earl Howe

    Defence has a long and proud tradition of training overseas military and civilian personnel at its training establishments throughout the UK and this is an essential ingredient of Defence Engagement. Training establishments such as Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) offer international students prestigious courses which remain highly prized. Courses currently undertaken by foreign nationals are the Commissioning Course, the Army Reserve Commissioning Course, the Professionally Qualified Officer Course and the International Trainer Development Course.

    These courses expose international partners to UK policy, and promote concepts of accountability, human rights and transparency. They are important in building skills which enable other countries to deal appropriately with their own internal problems, thereby contributing to regional security. The courses are paid for by a combination of self and UK funding. Information on the number of foreign nations in receipt of training at RMAS is provided in the attached table.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve the quality of early years education.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the standards for the provision of learning, development and care for children from birth to age five, which all early years providers must follow. All three- and four-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours a week of quality early education, free of charge, to prepare them for school and improve their life chances. 94% of three- and 99% of four-year-olds are taking up the current free entitlement.

    The latest Early Years Foundation Stage Profile data reveal that an increasing proportion of children are achieving a good level of development at age five: 66% in 2015, compared to 52% in 2013. This is an impressive increase in the last two years.

    The quality of the workforce is key to the quality of early years provision and to the positive outcomes it delivers for children’s long term life chances. In group full day care settings, 87% of the workforce has a relevant qualification at level 3. Many of the workforce are qualified beyond level 3. Since 2007, over 16,000 individuals have achieved Early Years Professional Status and Early Years Teacher Status.

    We will continue to grow a high quality workforce to drive improvement across the sector through our Workforce Strategy. The strategy will consider how career progression in the sector can be improved to attract and retain quality staff and how effective continuing professional development can help settings to deliver the best quality provision they can.

    The government is committed to supporting parents with high childcare costs and is investing in childcare at record levels. By 2019-20 we will be spending more than £6 billion on early years and childcare. The Childcare Bill is delivering the government’s election manifesto commitment to giving families where parents are working an entitlement to 30 hours of free childcare for their three- and four-year-olds.

  • Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to seek agreement on a comprehensive package of party funding reform, as outlined in the Cabinet Office single departmental plan: 2015 to 2020, and what cross-party discussions they are holding to that end.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    We remain committed to seeking a comprehensive cross-party reform agreement. No cross-party discussions are currently taking place.

  • Clive Betts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Clive Betts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Betts on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what further steps he plans to take to ensure that local government pension scheme members are consulted on proposed guidance on the ability of local government to account for non-financial factors in pension scheme investment decisions; and what steps he plans to take to ensure that that proposed guidance will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government’s response to the consultation, which will set out our next steps in relation to these issues, will be published shortly.

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will estimate the amount of funding that will be made available to each part of the UK for rural development purposes through EU schemes in the post-2020 Multi Annual Financial Framework.

    George Eustice

    No decisions on post-2020 funding have been taken yet. The post-2020 Multi Annual Framework negotiations will be led by HMT.