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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Baroness Donaghy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Donaghy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Donaghy on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, when considering the form of teacher accreditation to be introduced in place of qualified teacher status, what account they will take of the possibility of integrating academic awards such as the PGCE within the initial training of teachers.

    Lord Nash

    Our recent White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, announced that we intend to replace the existing qualified teacher status with a new, more challenging accreditation that will be based on the demonstration of effective teaching in the classroom.

    Teaching is a graduate-level profession; all trainee teachers are required to have a degree or to achieve one as part of their initial training, and we have no plans to change that requirement.

    There is currently no requirement for qualified teacher status to be accompanied by an additional academic award such as a PGCE, and we do not intend to introduce such a requirement to accompany accreditation in future. We know, however, that many trainee teachers value the award of an academic qualification, and we fully expect that providers of initial teacher training – whether school or university-led – will continue to offer the types of award for which there is demand.

    The White Paper also set out the importance of on-going professional development for teachers, and we are keen to support the development of continuity between initial training, early-career support, and on-going professional development. The new accreditation, coming at a point following the completion of initial teacher training, will give schools the opportunity to tailor a package that recognises teachers’ achievements and promotes progression.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the prevalence of smoking among pregnant women.

    Jane Ellison

    In 2015, figures showed smoking prevalence rates in adults and 15 year olds in England to be at 18% and 8% respectively. The most recent quarterly information on prevalence of smoking among pregnant women, published in March, show this to be 10.6%.

    Smoking prevalence is at its lowest ever level with official figures showing that the Government met each of the targets set out in its Tobacco Control Plan – Healthy Lives, Healthy People. A new Tobacco Control Plan is currently being developed.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department has conducted on potential links between rates of stillbirth and exposure to high levels of air pollution.

    George Freeman

    The Department has not conducted or commissioned specific research on this topic.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to continue to participate in the European Environment Agency after the UK leaves the UK.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    While the UK remains a member of the EU we are required to fully participate in the European Environment Agency (EEA) as an EEA member country.

    As we start the process of leaving the EU, we will aim to deliver a stable and clear legislative framework for the environment, including maintaining standards that underpin trade and deliver on our international commitments. It is within this framework that we will plan our future participation in the EEA.

  • John Baron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Baron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Baron on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what system of accountability NHS England will establish for clinical commissioning groups’ work on improving one year cancer survival rates from June 2016.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England is committed to reworking the clinical commission group (CCG) assurance framework for 2016-17 to reflect the triple aim of closing the gap on health inequalities, improving the quality of care and achieving financial sustainability, in addition to the themes of the Five Year Forward View: prevention; patient and community engagement; clinical priorities; and development of new care models.

    Cancer has been identified as one of these clinical priorities, and metrics will be selected which reflect the strategic priorities laid out by the independent Cancer Taskforce, including early diagnosis and supporting people to live well, with, and, beyond cancer.

    The assessment framework brings together the assurance framework and key metrics, and will incorporate future transformation as well as current performance. It will drive improvement rather than just assure and assess.

    CCGs will receive an overall annual rating and, within the framework, will be rated for six clinical priorities of: cancer, dementia, diabetes, mental health, maternity, and learning difficulties.

    CCGs will be rated on the same four point scale used by the Care Quality Commission: outstanding, good, requires improvement, or inadequate. The ratings for the clinical priority areas will be made by independent expert committees.

    The metrics are currently in development and NHS England expects to publish a set for consultation in December 2015, at around the same time as the planning guidance, with a final version in March 2016. The assessment framework will come in to operational effect from 1 April 2016 and initial ratings in the six clinical priority areas will be published in June 2016.

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

    John Mann – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the connectivity of the proposed High Speed 2 station in South Yorkshire to other Sheffield city region train and bus stations.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    In March 2012 HS2 Ltd published Options for Phase Two of the High Speed Rail Network setting out the route and station options for Phase Two of HS2.This report sets out the connectivity proposals around the recommended South Yorkshire station at Meadowhall.

    In addition to this local areas are aware of the unique opportunity that HS2 presents to deliver a step change in local growth on and around the route, and have developed plans to capitalise on this. These plans include the creation of integrated proposals for improved local and sub-regional connectivity to HS2.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the Government’s proposal to sell the Green Investment Bank (GIB) will include provision for the (a) sale of all GIB assets and (b) future of the GIB team.

    Anna Soubry

    It is the Department’s intention to sell GIB as a going concern. The assets and staff are an inherent part of that company.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the amount of wind energy that will be generated in each of the next five years.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The table below sets out total estimated wind energy generation to the nearest terawatt hour, from 2015/16 to 2020/21. These estimates include both onshore and offshore wind generation and are consistent with LCF spend projections published in November 2015 and updated renewable capacity projections, published alongside updates to the Feed in Tariff Scheme in December 2015.

    Generation (TWh)

    2015/16

    2016/17

    2017/18

    2018/19

    2019/20

    2020/21

    Total Wind

    36

    44

    53

    60

    66

    71

    Source:

    http://cdn.budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/EFO_November__2015.pdf

    Breakdown of LCF spend projections up to 2020 is set out in fiscal supplementary table 2.7 at http://cdn.budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/Fiscal__Supplementary__Tables_November__2015.xls;

    Updated renewable capacity projections https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486285/20151217_Estimated_capacity_by_technology_2020-21.pdf;

    FiTs projections

    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-a-review-of-the-feed-in-tariff-schemev

    “

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the finding of the Chief Schools Adjudicator concerning the clarity of schools’ admission arrangements, and what steps they intend to take as a result.

    Lord Nash

    The Department is giving careful consideration to the findings in the Chief Schools Adjudicator’s annual report for 2014-2015 as part of our current review of the School Admissions Code. We will be conducting a full public consultation in due course.

  • Lord Mancroft – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Mancroft – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mancroft on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether patients who meet the eligibility criteria for NICE-approved medicines for hepatitis C will have access to treatment in line with their rights under the NHS Constitution in 2016–17, even if more than 10,000 patients have already been treated.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England’s approach paces the roll-out of hepatitis C treatment in accordance with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommendation for prioritisation and the modelling assumptions which informed the NICE recommendations. These are in line with patients’ rights under the NHS Constitution.