UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: The Earl of Dundee

  • The Earl of Dundee – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The Earl of Dundee – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Dundee on 2015-12-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of studies which conclude that there is a correlation between early direct maternal care and adult stability.

    Lord Nash

    Research, such as the Early Years Learning and Development Literature Review 2009, and the January 2013 WAVE Trust report on early years, suggests that children need secure attachments with adults in order to feel safe and happy. Good home care can provide this support, which is a real benefit to children as they learn and develop.

    The Department has extensively assessed the impact of formal early education compared to home care, through its longitudinal research programme Effective Pre-School, Primary & Secondary Education Project (EPPSE). EPPSE followed both groups of children through preschool and school ages, examining their cognitive and social behavioural development up to their AS and A Level exam results in 2015. The EPPSE results show that young children benefit from formal childcare, go on to have better GCSE results and, as a result, are more likely to enter A Level exams.

    In recognition of the crucial role that parents and carers play in children’s development, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) requires childcare settings to form strong partnerships with parents. The EYFS also requires settings to allocate each child a key worker to help ensure that every child’s learning and care is tailored to meet their individual needs.

  • The Earl of Dundee – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The Earl of Dundee – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Dundee on 2015-12-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of studies which show that children benefit most from home care provided by close family members rather than from that available in children’s day centres.

    Lord Nash

    Research suggests that children need secure attachments with adults in order to feel safe and happy[1]. Good home care can provide this support, which is a real benefit to children as they learn and develop.

    There is also a wide body of evidence, including evidence from abroad, which demonstrates that early education delivered by childcare providers can play an important role in children’s early development and later attainment. For instance, the Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education (EPPSE 3-16) Project showed that children who had experienced a good home learning environment and attended a good quality childcare setting went on to obtain better grades in English and maths, and to earn more than those who received little or no pre-school experience.

    Additionally, the ongoing Study of Early Education and Development (SEED) shows that the chances of disadvantaged children becoming high achievers by the end of primary school were doubled when they had attended any pre-school, compared to those of disadvantaged children who had not attended pre-school.

    In recognition of the crucial role that parents and carers play in children’s development, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) requires childcare settings to form strong partnerships with parents. The EYFS also requires settings to allocate each child a key worker to help ensure that every child’s learning and care is tailored to meet their individual needs.

    [1] Early Years Learning and Development Literature Review 2009, and WAVE Trust report ‘Conception to age 2: the age of opportunity’ January 2013.

  • The Earl of Dundee – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The Earl of Dundee – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Dundee on 2015-12-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to provide at least three years’ financial assistance, where such subsidy is independent of paid work, for maternal care in the home.

    Baroness Altmann

    There are currently no plans to provide at least three years’ financial assistance, where such subsidy is independent of paid work, for maternal care in the home.

  • The Earl of Dundee – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The Earl of Dundee – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Dundee on 2015-09-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of potential measures to reverse the recent decline in the number of overseas students coming to the United Kingdom to study or work, in particular those from India.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    The Government values the contribution that international students make to the UK’s economy, and to making our education system one of the best in the world. According to the OECD’s Education at a Glance we remain, by some way, the second most popular destination in the world for international higher education students.

    The UK India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) aims to enhance mutually beneficial educational links between India and the UK. Both Governments have agreed to continue this highly successful programme into a third phase to begin in 2016.

    BIS has established a regular tripartite dialogue with colleagues from the Home Office and the Indian High Commission.

    The British High Commission in Delhi (BHC) and the British Council in Delhi are also working hard to promote the message that the UK is open to all genuine students and that there is no limit on the number of international students who can study at our world leading universities. For example, through the GREAT campaign we have a strong digital and social media campaign with a focus on the employability of Indian students who have graduated from UK HEIs and on countering common visa myths.

  • The Earl of Dundee – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The Earl of Dundee – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Dundee on 2015-09-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how frequently, and in what way, they monitor and compare their performance in attracting overseas students to study and work in the United Kingdom with that of other countries; and following such analysis, whether they plan to make adjustments to their current policies.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    Overseas students are welcome in the UK and there is no cap on the number of such students. The OECD’s Education at a Glance, published annually, compares our performance with that of other countries. In 2012, the UK was estimated to have a 13% share of the international student market (OECD, 2014), second only to the US. The Government is committed to increasing education exports from £18bn in 2012 to £30bn by 2020and our International Education strategy is helping to achieve that.

  • The Earl of Dundee – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The Earl of Dundee – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Dundee on 2015-09-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what comparisons they have made between their current and previous schemes to encourage foreign students to prolong their studies and take up employment with United Kingdom business and industry; and whether, as a result, they plan to amend their current scheme.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    Prior to 2012 international students who successfully completed a degree at a UK institution could apply for permission to work in the UK for two years. This Post-Study Work route was closed from 6th April 2012 as it granted unrestricted access to the UK labour market for two years to non-EEA nationals at a time when a large number of British graduates were unable to find work. The route was also found to be heavily abused with many people taking up low-skilled work rather than the intended graduate level roles. There are no plans to reintroduce this scheme.

    The UK has an excellent offer for overseas students graduating from UK universities wishing to remain in the UK. Those with an offer of a graduate-level job, paying a salary of at least £20,800, can take up sponsored employment for up to six years. In 2014 some 11,000 international students switched to skilled work. PhD students can stay in the UK for an extra year, under the Tier 4 Doctorate Extension Scheme, to look for work or start their own business. Graduate entrepreneurs can stay on for up to two years to develop their business in the UK. The Government has also made provisions for graduates wishing to undertake a period of professional training or a corporate internship related to their qualifications, before pursuing a career overseas.

  • The Earl of Dundee – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Earl of Dundee – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Dundee on 2014-03-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what current plans they have to enhance stability and democracy in Bosnia Herzegovina.

    Baroness Warsi

    The United Kingdom continues to be deeply committed to enhancing stability and democracy in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The UK is a strong supporter of European Union Force (EUFOR) Operation Althea’s maintenance of the safe and secure environment in BiH, and is proud of its contributions in theatre, and through a reserve company, 1 Scots. Our support for BiH’s policing has led to our contributing to establishing a trilateral Police Cooperation Centre (PCC) in Trebinje, resulting in more efficient and effective actions being taken between law enforcement agencies in the region. UK Ministers and officials have made clear to BiH’s leaders their responsibility for ensuring that their public rhetoric is not inflammatory or ethnically divisive.

    Following the recent protests, we have made clear to BiH’s leaders that they need to respond to the population’s legitimate desire for change, most recently when the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), met the BiH Presidency and Foreign Minister on 27 March. During his recent visit the Foreign Secretary met representatives of civil society and plenums and expressed our support to widen the political space in BiH so as to allow citizens to hold politicians to account.

    Part of our work to widen the political space is the recent British BiH Fellowship Programme. A one-month residential programme in the UK designed to equip BiH’s future leaders with the skills and experience to lead positive change in their country.

    The Foreign Secretary also announced continuing UK assistance for BiH’s path towards EU membership, in the form of new funding to foster democratic governance in Bosnia by strengthening the judiciary, civil society organisations, governance and supporting BiH’s EU accession process. Specific examples include political and financial support focused on strengthening the State Court and State Prosecutor’s Office, which will improve the operation of Rule of Law systems in BiH.

    In addition, the UK supports the activities of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), whose work in BiH has focused on equipping local non-governmental organisations with the skills they need to provide effective evidence for parliamentary committees. WFD has done valuable work with BiH’s Parliament to raise awareness of the value of such committees. This has influenced positively the formation of legislation, and opened up the process of law-making to public scrutiny, while promoting citizen participation in the democratic process.

  • The Earl of Dundee – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Earl of Dundee – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Dundee on 2014-03-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Plenum movement within Bosnia Herzegovina in providing a constructive and peaceful catalyst towards constitutional reform.

    Baroness Warsi

    The protests and plenums are focussing primarily on socio-economic issues, demonstrating the frustration of the population with Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) leaders’ failure to implement reforms on issues which matter most to ordinary Bosnians. The UK views these grievances as being rooted in a wider frustration with the functionality of the state, and as indicative of a broader malaise within BiH, which includes the Constitution. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), visited BiH on 27-28 March, and emphasised to BiH’s leadership the importance of their engaging fully with the population’s legitimate calls for change, which will include broader reforms. The UK has made clear, bilaterally and within the EU, that it stands ready to assist BiH’s leaders in implementing a wide range of changes, should BiH’s leaders demonstrate their commitment to engage fully with protesters, and summon the political will to make reforms.

  • The Earl of Dundee – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Earl of Dundee – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Dundee on 2014-03-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for international intervention or guidance to assist the efforts of the Plenum movement to reduce corruption and financial irregularities in Bosnia Herzegovina.

    Baroness Warsi

    The recent protests and work of the plenums are evidence of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) political stalemate and economic malaise. We are making clear to BiH’s leaders that the onus is on them to respond to the socio-economic grievances expressed by protesters and the plenums, most recently in the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague)’s meetings with the Presidency and the Foreign Minister on 27 and 28 March. We see an opportunity also for the international community, particularly the EU, to support reform ahead of October’s elections. This includes assistance through new initiatives on economic reform and anti-corruption announced by EU Commissioner Fule, and the EU Special Representative’s planned ‘Compact for Growth’. We support these efforts to develop and build popular support for concrete reforms in economic governance, transparency and anti-corruption.