Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 1.37 of her Department’s White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, published in March 2016, when she plans to convene leading headteachers and other experts to design the new voluntary National Professional Qualifications for leadership roles.

    Nick Gibb

    To develop a reformed suite of National Professional Qualifications, which better prepare new leaders for the full range of leadership roles, the Department for Education anticipates convening a group of leading experts, including school leaders, in the coming months.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-05-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policy on the building of a nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point C of the finding of the UN Economic and Social Council in the Report of the Implementation Committee on its thirty-fifth session, page 21, that the UK is in non-compliance with its obligations to examine the potential adverse transboundary impacts of an accident at any new nuclear plant constructed in the UK.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Compliance with international obligations is something we take very seriously. The proposed recommendations published by the Implementation Committee are still subject to adoption by the Meeting of the Parties to the Espoo Convention at their next meeting which is due to take place in June 2017.

    We are confident that we have met the relevant international requirements in relation to Hinkley Point C, however we will consider the Implementation Committee’s report in advance of the meeting.

  • Vicky Foxcroft – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Vicky Foxcroft – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the Government’s strategy is for increasing the number of apprenticeships.

    Nick Boles

    The English Apprenticeships 2020 Vision document that we published in December outlines our plans to increase the quantity and quality of apprenticeships in England.

    Employer-led reforms are making it easier and more attractive for employers to offer apprenticeships. We have also set new expectations for the public sector and through public procurement.

    We announced a £10 million fund to help boost the number of degree apprenticeships that provide the high level skills our economy needs.

  • Chuka Umunna – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Chuka Umunna – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chuka Umunna on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many citizens of other EU countries work in his Department.

    Greg Hands

    Following her appointment on 13 July 2016 the Prime Minister established the Department for International Trade (DIT). The DIT aggregates UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), UK Export and Finance (UKEF), Trade Policy Units from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), as well as some new hires.

    Until such time as a transfer of functions order establishes the Secretary of State as a corporation sole, DIT remains a unified Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) department for accounting purposes.

    As DIT is currently being formed, details of the staff that the Department employs is being finalised, whilst employee transfers and recruitment are taking place.

  • Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to Interpol about providing better safeguards before approving Red Notices, in particular by protecting its database, being transparent about the criteria for such notices, and identifying governments that abuse the system.

    Lord Bates

    A senior representative from the National Crime Agency sits on the Interpol Management Board and has raised this issue with the Interpol President and Secretary General, and a Working Group has been set up by Interpol to examine the matter.

  • Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of education on the probability of illiterate offenders reoffending.

    Andrew Selous

    We need a new emphasis in prisons on rehabilitation. We want prisons to be places of rigorous education where offenders can get the skills to make a success of life on the outside. When so many entering custody lack basic skills in numeracy and literacy, it would be a travesty if we didn’t get them reading and writing when they are in our care. That is why the Justice Secretary has asked Dame Sally Coates to lead a review of education in our prisons.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Greater Manchester Combined Authority is legally required to consult the public on the sites identified in the draft Greater Manchester Spatial Framework Development Plan.

    James Wharton

    The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities is currently involved in the preparation of a Greater Manchester Spatial Framework Development Plan working with the 10 metropolitan councils in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s area. We understand that this is intended to become a joint development plan document.

    A local authority may arrange for the discharge of any of its functions by a committee, sub-committee, an officer or by any other local authority. The ten local authorities have delegated responsibility for the “coordination” of the Greater Manchester Strategic Framework to Association of Greater Manchester Authorities Executive Board, a committee of the Combined Authority. Under these current arrangements, it is for each individual authority to decide how to engage its members in the production of the document.

    Each local planning authority must also comply with section 18 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, which requires them to prepare a Statement of Community Involvement which should explain how they will engage local communities and other interested parties in producing development plan documents and determining planning applications. This should be published on the local planning authority’s website and it is the authority’s responsibility to ensure that any Development Plan Document is prepared in accordance with it.

    It would not be appropriate for me to meet to discuss the detail of a plan in preparation.

  • Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tristram Hunt on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) senior officials of her Department have had with representatives from the National Baccalaureate Trust since May 2015.

    Nick Gibb

    I am not aware of any discussions that have taken place with representatives from the National Baccalaureate Trust.

    The Department recently consulted on the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) asking for views on how schools will manage the challenges associated with implementing the commitment that the EBacc becomes the default position for all mainstream secondary pupils. The consultation closed on 29 January and we received 2,755 responses.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the amount of tax revenue lost due to the illicit trade in tobacco in each year for which data is available.

    Damian Hinds

    Estimates of tax revenue losses associated with illicit tobacco are published every year. The latest estimates, for the years 2006/7 to 2014/15, are published in ‘Tobacco Tax Gap estimates 2014-15’.

    This can be accessed via the GOV.UK website:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tobacco-tax-gap-estimates

    HM Revenue and Customs makes no other estimate of the value of the illicit tobacco trade.

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  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average class size is in existing free schools.

    Edward Timpson

    Data on the size of classes for free schools can be obtained from the underlying data of the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2015’ statistics available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2015

    Class sizes for free schools can be calculated using the spreadsheet.

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