Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will hold discussions with the government of the Irish Republic on the number of refugees likely to be settled in the Irish Republic who would be eligible to subsequently move to the UK.

    James Brokenshire

    There are no plans to hold discussions with the government of the Irish Republic on the number of refugees who would be eligible to subsequently move to the UK. Those recognised as refugees in the Republic of Ireland require a visa under the Immigration Rules to enter the UK.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what guidance his Department provides to service personnel on choosing state and private schools for their children’s education.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) Children’s Education Advisory Service (CEAS) provides information, advice and support to Service parents on all aspects of the education of their children. CEAS advice is free and impartial, and covers a range of issues including mainstream state schools and special state maintained schools, state boarding schools, the MOD’s Queen Victoria School Dunblane, and independent schools both day and boarding. CEAS also advise on MOD educational allowances, and the strict eligibility criteria that must be met.

    CEAS offer tailored support for Service parents who experience difficulty in obtaining the state school of their choice and where necessary support them through the appeal process. As well as help-lines and an email enquiry service, CEAS provide four dedicated peripatetic Parent Support Officers who are educational professionals and cover all locations within the United Kingdom.

    The guidance provided by the MOD was covered in some detail during a House of Commons Defence Committee Inquiry in 2013, and more detail is available in the Fourth Report of Session 2013-14: The Armed Forces Covenant in Action? Part 3: Educating the Children of Service Personnel, which is available in the Library of the House and at the following link:

    http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmdfence/586/58602.htm

  • Lord Browne of Belmont – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Browne of Belmont – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Browne of Belmont on 2016-01-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made with their adult apprenticeship schemes.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Final data show that there were 499,900 apprenticeship starts in the 2014/15 academic year. 374,000 of these were aged 19+, an increase of 16.6% on 2013/14.

    We have delivered 2.6 million apprenticeships starts since May 2010, 73% (1.9 million) of these were adults (aged 19+).

    We are committed to reaching 3 million new apprenticeship starts in England by 2020. Our 2020 Vision for English Apprenticeships sets out how we will increase apprenticeships numbers for people of all ages – working with employers and setting new expectations for public sector procurement.

    Apprenticeship reforms are being led by employers designing standards to meet their skill needs. Over 1300 employers are currently involved. 198 new standards have been published and more 150 are in development (including 60 Higher or Degree level). More Degree Apprenticeships are being developed, combining a high quality degree with an apprenticeship.

    Through the UK-wide apprenticeships levy, we are also giving employers control over funding apprenticeship training in England.

    We are establishing an independent employer-led Institute for Apprenticeships to regulate the quality of apprenticeships in England which will be fully operational by April 2017.

    We are doubling the annual level of spending on apprenticeships between 2010-11 and 2019-20 in cash terms to £2.5bn, including income from the new apprenticeship levy.

  • Steven Paterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Steven Paterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff make up the Defence Cyber Operations Group.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Defence Cyber Operations Group was designed to deliver cyber capability and mainstream cyber security throughout Defence by establishing a federation of cyber units. As this work matured it resulted instead in the formation of the Joint Forces Cyber Group in May 2013.

    The Joint Forces Cyber Group (JFCyG) plans and co-ordinates cyber operations, and develops new tactics, techniques and plans to deliver military capabilities to confront high-end threats. It comprises Joint Cyber Units at Cheltenham and Corsham, the Joint Cyber Unit (Reserve) and Information Assurance Units.

    I am withholding details on the JFCyG as their disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will issue guidance to schools and teachers on not using terminology that describes as failures children who do not reach the national standard grade under reforms to Key Stage 1.

    Nick Gibb

    No child under any circumstance should be described as a ‘failure’ in relation to their achievements at the end of Key Stage 1 (KS1). We expect teachers not to use such vocabulary.

    The standards for reporting children’s achievements at the end of KS1 have been carefully developed to avoid any negative connotations or suggestions of failure.

    Children who are assessed as not ‘working at the expected standard’ at the end of KS1 should either be awarded the ‘working towards the expected standard’, or working at the ‘foundations for the expected standard’.

    Teachers of Key Stage 1 pupils are required to provide a report to parents before the end of the summer term, covering the pupil’s achievements, general progress and attendance record.

  • Louise Ellman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Louise Ellman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Ellman on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information (a) his Department and (b) the Vehicle Certification Agency holds on Vehicle Certification Agency staff who have left to join vehicle manufacturers in the last 10 years.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Any staff who left the Vehicle Certification Agency to join vehicle manufacturers in the last 10 years should have done so in accordance with the Business Appointment Rules. There is no requirement under those rules, for the Central Department and the Vehicle Certificate Agency to keep record of Vehicle Certification Agency Staff leaving to join vehicle manufacturers within that time frame.

    The Business Appointment Rules outline that for staff at Senior Civil Service Pay Band 1 and below, a Business Appointment Rules application is required only if one or more of the criteria at paragraph 13 applies.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-05-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 25 April (HL7390), what assessment the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has made of how the currently stated aim of research licence R0152 to improve outcomes of ART for the treatment of infertility” relates to any reasonably foreseeable applications of nuclear transfer that accord with the statutory tests and the originally stated purpose of the proposed research in the initial application for that licence; and on what grounds the HFEA Licence Committee was “content that the revised objectives and lay summary were consistent with the activities and purposes for which the product was licensed”.”

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that research project R0152 has a number of aims, which are summarised in the HFEA inspection report for July 2015, a copy of which is attached. One of the aims of the research project R0152 is to improve outcomes of assisted reproduction technologies (ART) for the treatment of infertility. This relates to gaining a better understanding of the cellular and molecular events occurring during pre-implantation development in vitro, and to determine how these are affected by the routine laboratory procedures, for example the vitrification process to enable storage.

    The aim that refers to nuclear transfer does not specifically relate to the aim of improving outcomes of ART for the treatment of infertility.

    As stated in my Written Answer of 25 April 2016 (HL7390), in 2015 the HFEA Licence Committee was satisfied that the activities licensed were necessary or desirable for the purposes, specified in Schedule 2, Paragraph 3A(2) to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, as amended, and was, therefore, content with the revised objectives and lay summary.

  • John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2016-06-27.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to ensure that his Department’s purchasing policies support British (a) industry and (b) agriculture.

    Harriett Baldwin

    In 2013, HM Treasury outsourced the majority of its procurement and commercial services to Crown Commercial Service.

    All procurement activity is undertaken reflecting policy direction communicated via Procurement Policy Notes as issued by Cabinet Office, as well as the Public Contract Regulations 2015.

  • Jonathan Edwards – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Jonathan Edwards – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate his Department has made of the number of agreements that will need to be renegotiated if the UK is no longer a member of the single market; and which trade agreements those agreements are.

    Greg Hands

    A full list of all EU trade agreements can be found on the European Commission’s website (http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/agreements/index_en.htm).

    We recognise the need for a smooth transition as the UK leaves the EU which minimises disruption to our trading relationships. We will engage fully with all stakeholders over the coming weeks and months as we prepare for the negotiation with the EU and beyond.

    “

  • Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to her Department’s summary of its work in Indonesia 2011-15, published in June 2013, how many hectares of natural forest have been saved since the programme to protect forests in that country started.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    Our programme with Indonesia helps it to achieve low carbon growth and reduce poverty by managing its forests, land and natural resources in a sustainable way, and assists the country to meet its emissions targets. As part of this the UK supported the development of a Provincial Spatial Plan in Papua which was agreed in 2013. The spatial plan commits to preserving 90% of forest cover by 2100. The UK is providing support to the Papua Provincial Government to ensure effective implementation and monitoring of the Spatial Plan. If this target of 90% is realised, the spatial plan will preserve around 28 million hectares of natural forest. As with all projects, performance against indicators is published on an annual basis. Multilateral forest programmes, which the UK supports through the World Bank, and a centrally-managed programme, which assists the Indonesian government to tackleillegal logging, also contribute towards efforts to halt deforestation in Indonesia.