The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2016-05-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he plans to publish the responses received by the review on secondary ticketing as required by section 94 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
David Evennett
The plan is to publish responses to the Call for Evidence in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if his Department will fund the NextGen Skills Academy higher apprenticeships in order better to support games employers.
Nick Boles
We are introducing a UK-wide levy for all larger employers to help fund the increase in quantity and quality of apprenticeship training in England. The levy will put employers in charge of how and where apprenticeship budgets are spent by creating a fund which they can use to pay for external training for their apprentices.
As part of the apprenticeship reforms, employer-led Trailblazers are designing new apprenticeships to meet their skills needs. Over 1300 employers – including in the Digital Industries and Visual Effects sectors, such as Framestore – are currently involved in designing new apprenticeship standards. These include apprenticeships in occupations at a range of levels such as Digital & Technology Solutions Professional (L6); Software Developer (L4); Junior 2D Artist (Visual Effects) (L4); Games Quality Assurance Technician (L4) and Assistant Technical Director (Visual Effects) (L4).
The NextGen Skills Academy links to Amersham and Wycombe College and was awarded £2.7m of Employer Ownership Pilot funding for a 3 year project focusing on the VFX, animation and games industry in September 2014. The project is now led by Framestore and managed by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2015-12-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the level of (a) current imaging capacity within the NHS and (b) imaging capacity required to meet the Independent Cancer Taskforce’s recommendation that all GPs have direct access to investigative tests by the end of 2015; and if he will make a statement.
George Freeman
The extension of direct access to diagnostic tests for primary care is an issue for clinical commissioning groups and local commissioners. Although the Independent Cancer Taskforce report did estimate that some additional diagnostic capacity was needed, it did not consider possible increases in capacity required specifically as a result of increasing general practitioner (GP) direct access to testing.
The Taskforce’s five-year strategy recommends improvements across the cancer pathway, with the aim of improving survival rates, and we will work with the NHS, charities and patient groups to deliver it. We have already announced funding of up to £300 million a year by 2020 to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the new target that patients will be given a definitive cancer diagnosis, or the all clear, within 28 days of being referred by a GP.
In addition, the recently updated National Institute for Health and Care Excellence referral guidelines for suspected cancer also recommend GPs refer direct-to-test in a number of different circumstances. The guidance is available at:
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many deaf students achieved three A* to A grades or better in their A-levels in 2015.
Edward Timpson
Information regarding the attainment of students with special educational needs (SEN) in England is broken down by type of SEN and published in the “Phonics screening check and key stage 1 assessment: England 2015”[1], “National curriculum assessments at key stage 2: 2015”[2] and “GCSE and equivalent results in England: 2015”[3] statistical first releases.
A wider summary of available SEN information is provided in “Special educational needs – an analysis and summary of data sources”[4]
Information on the average points score of students with a hearing impairment or the number that achieve three A* to A grades or better at A level is not held by the Department. The Department also does not hold information on the number of students with a hearing impairment who have not achieved a level 2 qualification in English by the age of 19.
Currently, there are no plans for the Department to publish A-level data split by type of special educational need or to collect additional data on the outcomes achieved by students who have a disability but not an identified special educational need, although this is reviewed every year as part of the collection process.
[1] Phonics and KS1 assessments for 2014/15: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/phonics-screening-check-and-key-stage-1-assessments-england-2015
[2] KS2 for 2014/15: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-curriculum-assessments-at-key-stage-2-2015-revised
[3] KS4 for 2014/15: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/revised-gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england-2014-to-2015
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to announce national minimum fostering allowances for 2016-17.
Edward Timpson
The recommended national minimum allowance rates for fostering for 2016-17 will be published before the end of the financial year on GOV.UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2016-05-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he plans to lay the report relating to secondary ticketing before Parliament as required by section 94 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
David Evennett
My Rt. Hon Friends, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport intend to lay the report shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions his Department has had with its UN and EU member counterparts on the reform of Standard Industrial Classification codes in order more accurately to measure the growth of the video games industry.
Mr Edward Vaizey
Opportunity to review how the ONS SIC code system captures the computer games industry only occurs when the UN considers revising the overall SIC system. The UN last considered a revision in 2015, and decided against it.
DCMS is working with trade bodies across the Creative Industries, in particular with Ukie and Nesta, to build the case for change when the next opportunity to review the SIC codes arises in 2017. DCMS also continues to work with ONS to lobby for these changes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2015-12-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to recommendation 85 in the Independent Cancer Taskforce’s report entitled, Achieving world-class cancer outcomes, a strategy for England 2015 to 2020, published in July 2015, what plans he has to recruit internationally to address workforce deficits.
Jane Ellison
NHS England is currently working with partners across the health system to determine how best to take forward the recommendations in the independent Cancer Taskforce’s report, Achieving world-class cancer outcomes: a strategy for England 2015 to 2020, and has appointed Cally Palmer CBE as NHS National Cancer Director to lead on managing implementation. She is currently setting up a new Cancer Transformation Board to lead the roll-out of the recommendations of the new strategy, including on workforce, and a Cancer Advisory Group, chaired by Dr Harpal Kumar, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, will oversee and scrutinise their work.
We announced in September that Health Education England (HEE) is developing a new national training programme for an additional 200 staff to get the skills and expertise to carry out endoscopies by 2018. The content of the next mandate from the Government to HEE is currently being determined.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2016-02-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to publish the small schools taskforce’s report on the support needed for small schools for universal infant free school meals provision.
Mr Sam Gyimah
The majority of the findings from the small schools taskforce report are already in the public domain following the publication of the toolkit for small schools which is available at http://www.thegreatschoollunch.co.uk/media/169570/CFT-SmallSchoolToolkit.pdf
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2016-04-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many times the Adoption Leadership Board has met since its creation in 2014.
Edward Timpson
As of 14th April 2016, the Adoption Leadership Board has met 11 times since its creation.
Information about the Adoption Leadership Board is readily available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-leadership-board-quarterly-data-reports.
Information can also be found on the website of the Consortium of Voluntary Adoption Agencies.
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