Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Andrew Turner – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andrew Turner – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Turner on 2014-06-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he has taken to support small and micro-businesses in creating new jobs.

    Nicky Morgan

    Support for small and micro businesses is part of the Government’s long term economic plan to back business and create jobs. From April this year, businesses can access a £2000 Employment Allowance. Over 90% of the benefit of this allowance will go to small businesses – reducing the cost of creating new jobs.

    In addition, from April 2015 we will abolish employer NICs for all under 21 year olds making it cheaper for businesses to employ young people.

  • Jeremy Corbyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jeremy Corbyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Corbyn on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to publish statutory guidance on careers advice.

    Matthew Hancock

    The revised statutory guidance “Careers guidance and inspiration in schools” was published on 10 April.

    Effective from September 2014, the guidance sets a clear framework for schools with a focus on preparation for work and high ambitions for every student. This important guidance will encourage schools to build links with employers to inspire and mentor pupils, helping them to develop high aspirations and realise their potential.

    Non-statutory departmental advice has also been published containing examples of schools that already offer innovative careers guidance.

    Copies of both documents have been placed in the House Library and can be found at www.gov.uk/government/publications/careers-guidance-for-young-people-in-schools

    “

  • Adrian Bailey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Adrian Bailey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adrian Bailey on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the age cohort achieved a A* to C grade in GCSE (a) mathematics, (b) English and (c) English literature by the age of (i) 19, (ii) 20, (iii) 21, (iv) 22, (v) 23, (vi) 24 and (vi) 25 years in each of the last 10 years.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    The following tables show the proportion of 18, 19 and 20 year-olds who had achieved A*-C grade in GCSE English and GCSE mathematics. The figures relate to academic age, that is age at the start of the academic year, so young people of academic age 18 are those turning 19 during the academic year. The figures cover young people who were in the state sector at academic age 15. The data source used for this analysis does not differentiate between English Literature and English Language so the figures for English include those that have A*-C in either subject. The Department does not hold information on the attainment of people older than academic age 20. The earliest data available is for the cohort that was academic age 18 in 2004/05.

    Proportion achieving A*-C grade in GCSE mathematics by academic age and cohort

    Academic age

    Cohort academic age 18 in

    18

    19

    20

    2004/05

    49.3%

    49.4%

    49.4%

    2005/06

    48.6%

    48.7%

    48.8%

    2006/07

    50.5%

    50.6%

    50.6%

    2007/08

    52.7%

    52.7%

    52.8%

    2008/09

    54.6%

    54.7%

    54.7%

    2009/10

    56.5%

    56.6%

    56.7%

    2010/11

    59.1%

    59.2%

    59.3%

    2011/12

    61.9%

    62.0%

    2012/13

    65.2%

    Source: DfE Young Person’s Matched Administrative Dataset.

    Proportion achieving A*-C grade in GCSE English by academic age and cohort

    Academic age

    Cohort academic age 18 in

    18

    19

    20

    2004/05

    55.9%

    56.0%

    56.0%

    2005/06

    56.7%

    56.8%

    56.9%

    2006/07

    57.3%

    57.4%

    57.4%

    2007/08

    58.9%

    58.9%

    59.0%

    2008/09

    60.1%

    60.2%

    60.2%

    2009/10

    61.2%

    61.3%

    61.4%

    2010/11

    63.2%

    63.3%

    63.3%

    2011/12

    65.4%

    65.5%

    2012/13

    69.0%

    Source: DfE Young Person’s Matched Administrative Dataset.

    “

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with UK companies to encourage them to take part in construction and development projects in the Falkland Islands.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The Honourable Member will be aware that responsibility for the promotion of business and trade opportunities in an Overseas Territory belongs to the government of that Territory: in this case the Falkland Islands Government (FIG). We understand that FIG is planning to revise its Economic Development Strategy in the coming months to provide for the future development of all sectors of the Falkland Islands economy, and that they actively welcome the interest of UK companies. FIG itself would be best placed to provide the Hon. Member with further details.

    As noted in the Overseas Territories White Paper of 2012, the UK is strongly committed to supporting British companies who wish to do business in the Territories. The investment opportunities in the Overseas Territories were highlighted in November last year as part of the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC), with a half day Investment Forum at which over 150 businesses attended. A similar event is planned as part of the JMC programme for this year.

  • Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2014-06-17.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the stability of the shadow banking sector.

    Andrea Leadsom

    When appropriately conducted, shadow banking can benefit the economy by increasing the availability of credit to a range of individuals or firms, and provide a valuable alternative to bank funding. It provides credit and liquidity to the real economy and can improve efficiency and drive innovation in the financial system through firms developing expert knowledge in a particular area.

    However, the Government is aware of the risks shadow banking activities pose to financial stability when things go wrong. The crisis showed that some shadow banking entities created pro-cyclical build-ups of leverage, did not fully transfer credit risk, were susceptible to rapid sell-offs, and were very complex. It also became clear that the shadow banking sector had very complex interconnections with the traditional banking system.

    Recognising the need to improve the transparency and supervision of the shadow banking sector, the Government has taken steps to improve the way shadow banking entities are regulated.

    Domestically, the Government has created new Financial Policy Committee (FPC) within the Bank of England to ensure emerging risks and vulnerabilities across the financial system as a whole are identified, monitored and effectively addressed. In September last year, the Committee agreed as one of its medium term priorities the identification and management of potential systemic risks from shadow banking.

    At the international level, the Government is actively supporting the effective regulation of the sector in EU policymaking, and the UK is instrumental in shaping the global regulatory response at the Financial Stability Board.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time is between the expiry of a visa and (a) the person voluntarily leaving the country and (b) the forcible removal of the visa holder.

    James Brokenshire

    The information requested is not available.

  • David Lammy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    David Lammy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent steps he has taken to speed up the planning system.

    Nick Boles

    We have reformed the planning system to make it simpler, more positive and faster to navigate. We have abolished top down regional planning and increased the types of development that benefit from permitted development rights. Where planning permission is required, we have stripped away unnecessary information requirements while retaining essential safeguards. The National Planning Policy Framework, and our recently published simplified planning guidance, provides a significantly clearer basis for making decisions than the confusing array of sometimes contradictory policy that we inherited; and we have taken steps to tackle under-performance by planning authorities where this occurs.

    The latest statistics show that these steps are having a significant impact. For example, district level planning authorities between January and March 2014 granted 76 per cent of major applications on time compared with 60 per cent in the same quarter in 2013.

  • Steve Rotheram – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Steve Rotheram – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Rotheram on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average cost to the (a) public purse and (b) prison service is of processing a complaint by a prisoner against a prison officer.

    Jeremy Wright

    The information requested is not available centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the annual cost in each school of setting up a new Combined Cadet Force detachment.

    Anna Soubry

    The cost of setting up a new Combined Cadet Force (CCF) unit under the Cadet Expansion Programme depends largely on the number of cadets in the unit.

    Decisions on opening new CCFs in schools are made jointly by the Department for Education and Ministry of Defence (MOD). The key criteria for deciding which schools can establish a new CCF are the ability of the school to fund the new unit and provide sufficient adult volunteers to run it. However, we are particularly interested in establishing CCFs in areas of deprivation.

    No assessment has been made of the effect of establishing new CCFs in state schools on recruitment to community cadet units. However, it should be noted that CCFs and community cadet units deliver different but complementary elements of the MOD’s youth engagement strategy.

  • Jim Murphy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jim Murphy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Murphy on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to emphasise the importance of education provisions and support for disabled children, their teachers and families in order to ensure that Millennium Development Goal 2 is attained.

    Justine Greening

    The UK Government’s programmes and partnerships are focused on ensuring better inclusion of children with disabilities. For example, the Girls’ Education Challenge is supporting over £9 million of disability-focused programmes.

    In September 2013 we announced two additional commitments to step up our support; ensuring all DFID funded education construction is fully accessible and improving data on children with disabilities.