Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which Commissioner would make the decision in a case where a multi academy trust operating in one region wished to expand by adding a school in another region.

    Edward Timpson

    The National Schools Commissioner allocates a lead Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) to Multi Academy Trusts (MATs) and sponsors who are operating across more than one region.

    The lead RSC ‘owns’ the relationship with the MAT, and is responsible for negotiating any strategic decisions, such as expansion, which has an impact on multiple regions.

    Where a MAT wants to operate across more than one region, the lead RSC would meet with the trust and agree to the expansion in principle. The formal decision concerning the individual academy or free school joining the MAT is taken by the RSC for the region in which the school is located. The decision is informed by the lead RSC’s view of the MAT’s capacity and capability.

    For national trusts, that have a relationship with the National School Commissioner, decisions by RSCs about MAT expansion are informed by the views of the National Schools Commissioner who has a national view of the trust’s capacity.

    This information is publicly available and can be found in the RSC decision-making framework on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/517565/RSC-Decision-Making-Framework.pdf

    “

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy to provide equipment and training support to the army of the Kurdistan regional government; and if he will make a statement.

    Mike Penning

    Since 2014 UK Service personnel have been deployed to the Kurdish region to train and support the Peshmerga in their fight against Daesh. In addition, the UK has gifted some 50 tonnes of non-lethal support, 40 heavy machine guns and over a million rounds of ammunition, with the most recent shipment delivered in July 2016.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the number of people who have undertaken full-time volunteering over the last (a) 12 months, (b) three years and (c) five years.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    DCMS does not hold this information.

    However, through the annual youth social action survey we do know that 42% of 10 to 20 year olds have participated in some form of social action in the past year. Full-time volunteering is one of many opportunities for young people to participate in meaningful social action.

  • Chris Leslie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Leslie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Leslie on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse was of benefit fraud in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2013-14; and what proportion of total expenditure on housing benefit that cost represented in each of those years.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Overpayments in the benefit system have fallen to a record low of 1.8% for 2014-15.

    In 2013-14 total benefit expenditure excluding housing benefit was £140bn, of which the cost of benefit fraud was £0.77bn (0.55%). Similarly, Housing Benefit expenditure was £24.2bn, of which the cost of benefit fraud was £0.43bn (1.78%).

    In 2014-15 total benefit expenditure excluding housing benefit was £144bn, of which the cost of benefit fraud was £0.71bn (0.49%). Similarly, Housing Benefit expenditure was £24.3bn, of which the cost of benefit fraud was 0.59bn (2.43%).

  • Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to introduce planning and building regulations to ensure that within public and private buildings the concentrations of atmospheric pollutants do not exceed safety standards.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    There are already strong protections in place to safeguard people from unacceptable risks from air pollution. National planning policy in England is clear that new development should be appropriate for its location, taking proper account of the effects of pollution on people’s health, and building regulations require adequate means of ventilation for people in buildings. This requirement applies when new buildings are constructed or work is carried out on existing buildings.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many council homes were built in England in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    For completeness the numbers of local authority dwellings built in England over the last 15 years are shown in the table below.

    2000/01

    2001/02

    2002/03

    2003/04

    2004/05

    2005/06

    2006/07

    2007/08

    England

    180

    60

    200

    190

    100

    300

    250

    220

    2008/09

    2009/10

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    England

    490

    370

    1,140

    1,960

    1,360

    910

    1,360

    Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. These statistics are published both annually and quarterly.

    More comprehensive statistics on affordable housing, including private registered provider (housing association) houses, are published in the Department’s live tables 1006, 1006a, 1007 and 1008, at: http://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply

    “

  • Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Eagle on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what metrics of performance he used to measure the performance of the Government’s Productivity Plan, entitled Fixing the foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation, published in 2015.

    Joseph Johnson

    Ultimately, delivering robust productivity growth is the key outcome of the Productivity Plan. Productivity, measured as output per hour worked, grew by 1.3% in the third quarter of 2015 compared to a year earlier. In the latest Inflation Report, the Bank of England increased both its 2016 and 2017 forecasts of productivity growth by 0.25 percentage points.

    In addition, many of the measures included in the Productivity Plan have their own individual delivery targets, such as the commitment to 3 million apprenticeships starts this Parliament.

    The select committee on Business, Innovation and Skills’ report into the Productivity Plan, published on the 1 February 2016, made a number of recommendations including on the use of measures of success. The Government will respond to the Committee at the end of March 2016.

  • Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which (a) serving and (b) former Ministers in his Department have used the Freedom of Information Act to seek information from the Department since that Act was brought into force.

    Matthew Hancock

    Due to the nature of the way FOI requests are recorded it is unfortunately not possible to identify the number of requests from all former and existing Cabinet Office Ministers or honourable members except at disproportionate cost.

  • Corri Wilson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Corri Wilson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Corri Wilson on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he expects to answer Question 26017, tabled by the hon. Member for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock on 5 February 2016.

    John Penrose

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 11 April 2016.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the statistical or other criteria are which her Department plans to apply in assessing which providers are to be given a multi-year allocation of initial teacher training places.

    Nick Gibb

    As set out in our recent White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, we plan to introduce ‘Centres of Excellence’ in Initial Teacher Training which will receive multi-year allocations. We are currently engaging the sector and working to establish the criteria for determining which providers will be designated as a ‘Centre of Excellence’. At this stage, no firm decisions have been taken.