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100694

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Classroom Assistants
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, in light of the announcement that a new set of standards is to be established for teaching assistants in England, what discussions she has had with her counterparts in the devolved administrations on ensuring consistency in standards for teaching assistants across the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Belfast North
	tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Dodds
	uin	211668
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p>School staffing policy is a matter for the devolved administrations. A review of teacher assistant standards for schools in England was launched recently. It is led by Kate Dethridge who is being supported by a panel of experts. A public call for evidence will be initiated shortly which will explore good practice across schools. The Department for Education also plans carry out a public consultation once the standards have been agreed by the expert panel. Use of the standards will be voluntary.</p> answering member constituency Yeovil answering member printed Mr David Laws question first answered 29/10/2014 12:53:16 answering member 1473 label Biography information for Mr David Laws
	tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

93541

	registered interest
	date	15/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Education: Standards
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to ensure greater consistency in educational outcomes (a) from each stage of provision and (b) across all regions.
	tabling member constituency	Belfast North
	tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Dodds
	uin	210718
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>This Government has introduced an ambitious, coherent programme of reforms to ensure greater consistency in educational outcomes across all stages and regions in England.</p><p>We are reforming assessment and the curriculum across the primary and secondary phases and general and vocational qualifications to ensure we have a system that prepares young people for life in modern Britain. We are reforming GCSEs and A levels to be robust and rigorous, to match the best education systems in the world and to keep pace with universities’ and employers’ demands. The new national curriculum, introduced from this school year, also sets out expectations for children at all four key stages that match the curricula used in the world’s most successful school systems.</p><p>We are improving the accountability framework to improve standards across the country. In addition, Ofsted has implemented a more rigorous inspection framework, with performance data being used to target inspections on the weakest schools and a recognition that any school rated less than ‘good' is not performing well enough.</p><p>Some schools are still not performing well enough. We issued revised statutory guidance[1] to local authorities in May that makes very clear our expectations that they should take swift and robust action when maintained schools are performing poorly. This includes our expectation that their assessment should include the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and that poorly performing schools should become sponsored academies.</p><p>In addition, the academies and free schools programmes are shifting power and responsibility to leaders of education, giving schools greater autonomy to drive improvements, within a strong framework of accountability. The growth in sponsored academies is raising standards by turning around some of the most disadvantaged and worst performing schools in the country. Increasingly, high performing schools are taking the lead as sponsors, sharing their expertise and experience to benefit others.</p><p>Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) are responsible for overseeing the performance of academies, free schools, university technical colleges and studio schools in their region. RSCs, along with their headteacher boards, are helping to build the capacity of the Department for Education to pick up local and regional soft intelligence which will contribute to the ability of the Department to oversee academies and free schools and hold them to account. The RSCs will be able to take decisions on academy issues whilst being immersed in the local context. This will enable them to make decisions based on the circumstances of the school(s) and sponsor(s) in question.</p><p>All of these reforms will also help raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the gap with their peers at every phase and in every region in England. In particular, the Government introduced the pupil premium in April 2011 – worth a total of £6.25 billion to date – to give schools the resources to raise the attainment of mainly economically disadvantaged pupils and those in care.</p><p>[1] <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-causing-concern--2" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-causing-concern--2</a></p> answering member constituency Yeovil answering member printed Mr David Laws question first answered 21/10/2014 13:48:27 answering member 1473 label Biography information for Mr David Laws
	tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

64873

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Apprentices
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department has taken to create synergies with the European Alliance for Apprenticeships in improving work opportunities for young people.
	tabling member constituency	Belfast North
	tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Dodds
	uin	203397
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2014 answer text <p>The UK recognises the value of learning from others by keeping abreast of developments in Europe and internationally. However, we believe that this can be achieved through less bureaucratic routes than a European Alliance for Apprenticeships. In England, we do not propose to participate but the devolved administrations are free to do so if they believe that the Alliance is the appropriate framework for sharing best practice.</p><p>We are already taking strong action to improve opportunities for young people by funding record numbers of apprenticeships, new traineeships and improved maths and English training. These actions, along with the record number of jobs, have contributed to the 32.8% fall in youth unemployment over the past year.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 08/07/2014 15:51:35 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

78640

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	New Businesses
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to support employed people who wish to start their own business.
	tabling member constituency	Belfast North
	tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Dodds
	uin	206554
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/09/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Small businesses are vital to the economy and this Government is supporting people to start up a business in a number of ways.</p><p> </p><p>The website <a href="http://www.greatbusiness.gov.uk/" target="_blank">www.greatbusiness.gov.uk</a> provides general support and advice for entrepreneurs starting out; specific support available in Northern Ireland is available at <a href="http://www.investni.com/" target="_blank">www.investni.com</a> . We recognise that a key issue for many start-ups is accessing affordable finance. The British Business Bank recently published “<em>The Business Finance Guide: A Journey from Start-Up to Growth</em>” which is available on the British Business Bank Website. It is a unique guide that sets out the main things to consider and outlines sources of finance available to businesses – ranging from start-ups to growing businesses.</p><p> </p><p>For those looking for start up finance and advice there are Start-Up Loans: 24 loans worth over £100, 000 have been drawn down in Belfast since the scheme began in 2012.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 02/09/2014 16:54:35 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

78717

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the UK's policy is on EU negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership; and what consultation his Department has had with the devolved administrations in formulating this policy.
	tabling member constituency	Belfast North
	tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Dodds
	uin	206552
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Securing significant progress on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations is a top priority for the Government’s trade agenda. We are pushing for a broad agreement that eliminates the vast majority of tariffs on trade between the two markets and reduces other unnecessary barriers to trade.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Ministers in the Scottish and Welsh Governments and the Northern Ireland Executive, through regular Joint Ministerial Committee meetings, have an opportunity to input into the UK position, where appropriate, and Ministers have been kept abreast of development. Officials from the Devolved Administrations are also invited to frequent cross-Whitehall meetings on TTIP, and are in regular contact with trade policy officials in Whitehall.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 03/09/2014 16:33:41 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

92126

	registered interest
	date	26/09/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Foreign Investment: Colombia
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he has taken to ensure that the forthcoming UK-Colombia bilateral investment treaty includes adequate protection for UK investors.
	tabling member constituency	Belfast North
	tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Dodds
	uin	209779
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/10/2014 answer text <p>The UK-Colombia Bilateral Investment Treaty was negotiated in 2008-09. It aims to protect investors from discriminatory treatment. The agreement includes Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions to enable investors to claim compensation through independent international arbitration if they believe the standards of protection set out in the treaty have been breached whilst protecting the ability of the host government to regulate in the public interest in areas such as the environment.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 14/10/2014 16:28:28 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

65316

	registered interest
	date	02/07/2014
	answering body	Department for Culture Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Mass Media: EU Grants and Loans
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which media organisations in the UK have received funding from the European Parliament to promote coverage of EU-level decision-making in the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Belfast North
	tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Dodds
	uin	203566
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2014 answer text <p>Information published by the European Parliament indicates that no UK media organisations received funding in 2011, 2012 or 2013.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 09/07/2014 14:04:05 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
	tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

65318

	registered interest
	date	02/07/2014
	answering body	Department for Culture Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	European Union: Cultural Heritage
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding the UK has contributed to the European Parliament's House of European History Project to date.
	tabling member constituency	Belfast North
	tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Dodds
	uin	203567
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2014 answer text <p>The UK Government has not provided any direct support for this project but the House of European History Project is funded by the wider European Parliament budget.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 09/07/2014 14:04:48 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
	tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

78393

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2014
	answering body	Department for Culture Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	World War I: Anniversaries
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to encourage community organisations to take up EU funding offered by the Europe for Citizens Programme and similar schemes in order to commemorate the centenary of World War I through exchanges and visits.
	tabling member constituency	Belfast North
	tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Dodds
	uin	206181
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2014 answer text <p>During the passage of the European Approval Act 2013 I took great care to emphasise the opportunities the Europe for Citizens Programme offers for commemoration of the First World War. The Government will deliver a four year programme to mark the First World War centenary through a package of funded activity worth over £125m. Alongside the UK centenary programme, the Europe for Citizens programme will provide opportunities to develop a greater understanding of the period between those who were both allies and adversaries at the time</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 22/07/2014 13:42:29 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
	tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

93490

	registered interest
	date	15/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Culture Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Writers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what statistics his Department holds on trends in the number of people who work full time as writers; and if he will take steps to encourage people to pursue careers as writers.
	tabling member constituency	Belfast North
	tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Dodds
	uin	210715
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2014 answer text <p>The Office for National Statistics regularly publishes information on the numbers of people working in different occupations in the United Kingdom. The most recent update shows that, between April and June 2014, the number of ‘authors, writers and translators’ working full-time was 47,000. Arts Council England funds organisations nationwide including National Portfolio Organisations offering high quality creative and professional training to writers, particularly aimed at emerging talent and funds and supports individual writers/literature via the Grants for the Arts funding scheme.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 22/10/2014 10:53:27 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
	tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn