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100008

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to review the azure payment card for asylum seekers as a result of the new report by the British Red Cross on the humanitarian cost of the card.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL2223
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>The Azure card is issued to destitute failed asylum seekers who require support because they are temporarily unable to leave the United Kingdom and can be used at most of the main supermarket chains to purchase food and other essential items. The performance of the card is kept under regular review and the views of reputable partners such as the Red Cross are carefully considered but the Government is satisfied that it is an effective way of ensuring the individuals are able to meet their essential living needs and not left destitute.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 27/10/2014 12:15:07 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

99975

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Heathrow Airport
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to specify limits in the rules on the numbers of people who can be accommodated in each of the Heathrow short-term holding facilities; and when the rules will be published.
	tabling member printed	Lord Avebury
	uin	HL2190
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>We are currently exploring a range of measures as part of the rules governing Short Term Holding Facilities to balance the welfare of those people being held, with effective management of the facilities and immigration control. I welcome the noble Lord’s continued interest in this area and his views on the final content of these Rules.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 27/10/2014 12:14:17 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	1665 label Biography information for Lord Avebury

100354

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Teachers: Pensions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will provide funding for schools and colleges providing education for young people under the age of 19 to meet the additional costs arising from the (a) additional employer contribution as set out in the Teachers' Pensions (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2014 and (b) higher national insurance contributions which will be paid from 1 April 2016 as a result of the Pension Act 2014; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	211581
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>The Department for Education is asking schools, like other employers across the public sector, to contribute more towards their employees’ pensions to ensure that the cost of public sector pension schemes do not fall unfairly on taxpayers. Our protection of the core schools budget in real terms means that schools are well-placed to cope with changes in their costs in 2015-16. The Department has also deferred the introduction of the increase to September 2015, giving schools an additional five months to plan how they will meet the additional pensions cost.</p><p>In addition, the Chancellor confirmed that the next spending review will take into account the cost to employers of the reforms to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme and the implications for National Insurance.</p> answering member constituency Yeovil answering member printed Mr David Laws question first answered 27/10/2014 11:01:14 answering member 1473 label Biography information for Mr David Laws
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

100363

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Primary Education: Teachers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) male and (b) female teachers there are in state primary schools; and if she will take steps to increase the number of male teachers.
	tabling member constituency	Kettering
	tabling member printed	Mr Philip Hollobone
	uin	211461
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>The following table provides the full-time equivalent (FTE) number and proportion of male and female regular teachers in service (full-time head count of regular teachers and FTE of part-time regular teachers) in publicly funded primary schools in England, November 2010 to 2013.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td colspan="2"><p><strong>Male</strong></p></td><td colspan="2"><p><strong>Female</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total<sup>1</sup></strong></p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td><p>Number</p></td><td><p>%</p></td><td><p>Number</p></td><td><p>%</p></td><td><p>Number</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>27,200</p></td><td><p>14</p></td><td><p>169,000</p></td><td><p>86</p></td><td><p>196,300</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>28,100</p></td><td><p>14</p></td><td><p>171,000</p></td><td><p>86</p></td><td><p>199,300</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>29,200</p></td><td><p>14</p></td><td><p>174,700</p></td><td><p>86</p></td><td><p>204,200</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>30,600</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>179,200</p></td><td><p>85</p></td><td><p>209,900</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>1. Includes unspecified gender so will not equal the sum of the individual genders.</p><p>We value diversity in the workforce and want the best people in the classroom. The quality of teachers across the board is improving – the proportion of primary teachers with a 2:1 degree or better has increased from 62% in 2009/10 to 73% in 2013/14.</p><p>Nevertheless, we are keen to see more outstanding male teachers in primary schools and the trend is positive. The number of male teachers in primary schools has increased by 3,400 since 2010, whilst the proportion of male primary trainees starting programmes in 2013/14 is 21%, compared to 20% in 2012/13 and 19% in 2011/12. The proportion of male trainees starting School Direct (salaried) initial teacher training primary programmes is even higher at 28% in 2013/14, indicating that schools, when given the power to recruit their own trainees, are particularly successful in recruiting men.</p> answering member constituency Yeovil answering member printed Mr David Laws question first answered 27/10/2014 11:05:30 answering member 1473 label Biography information for Mr David Laws
	tabling member	1537 label Biography information for Mr Philip Hollobone

100469

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	House of Commons Commission
	answering dept id	18
	answering dept short name	House of Commons Commission
	answering dept sort name	House of Commons Commission
	hansard heading	House of Commons Commission
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, what funding was (a) allocated to the Commission in 2010 and (b) will be so allocated in 2015.
	tabling member constituency	Kettering
	tabling member printed	Mr Philip Hollobone
	uin	211644
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>The House of Commons Commission initially committed itself to a reduction in the Administration Resource Estimate in December 2009. The following year this was restated as an intention to reduce the Estimate to £210 million by 2014/15 from a baseline of £231 million for 2010/11.<sup>(a) </sup>Taking forecast inflation into account, this represented a reduction of 17% in real terms. In December 2013 the Commission agreed an Administration Estimate for 2014/15 of £201.3 million – allowing for transfers between Estimates and other adjustments, this was £2 million below the target set in 2010.</p><p>The Finance and Services Committee will, on Tuesday 28 October, be publishing its first report of the session, entitled <em>House of Commons Financial Plan 2015–16 to 2018–19, including draft Estimates for 2015–16</em> (HC 757), which provides further detail. I shall be approaching the Backbench Business Committee to request a debate on the report before the Committee gives its advice on the 2015/16 Estimate to the Commission in December. This would give all hon. Members a chance to discuss and contribute to the financial plan.</p><p>Note: (a) In December 2009 the Commission agreed an Estimate for 2010/11 of £258 million. However, having taken account of the transfer of staff to IPSA and various accounting adjustments, this was reduced to £231 million. Agreement of an initial, in-year savings package by the Commission in June 2010 meant that it actually laid an Estimate for 2010/11 of £219 million.</p> answering member constituency Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross answering member printed John Thurso question first answered 27/10/2014 10:29:27 answering member 1399 label Biography information for Viscount Thurso
	tabling member	1537 label Biography information for Mr Philip Hollobone

99781

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	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	Broadband: Rural Areas
	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 he is taking to encourage competition in the rural broadband market.
	tabling member constituency	Aberconwy
	tabling member printed	Guto Bebb
	uin	211122
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>Almost 100 publicly funded contracts to provide superfast broadband to rural communities have gone out to tender following an Open Market Review. As well as BT a number of smaller suppliers are now delivering projects in rural communities. In addition, 8 suppliers have been appointed to run pilot projects to assess the feasibility of providing superfast broadband to the hardest to reach areas.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 27/10/2014 11:46:05 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
	tabling member	3910 label Biography information for Guto Bebb

99794

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	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	Direct Marketing
	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 he is taking to tackle nuisance telephone calls; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Woking
	tabling member printed	Jonathan Lord
	uin	211118
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>Tackling nuisance telephone calls is a priority for the Department. A range of options for reform are being pursued, which includes both legislative and non-legislative measures that will protect consumers more effectively.</p><p> </p><p>Our Nuisance Calls Action Plan of 30 March 2014, included proposals to enable the Office of Communications (Ofcom) to share information more easily with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) about companies who may be breaching the regulations. We made this measure effective on 15 July 2014 and it will help ICO to take enforcement action against companies deliberately breaching the rules.</p><p> </p><p>We are also soon to consult to lower the legal threshold, making it easier for ICO to take more enforcement action, including issuing monetary penalties to companies who currently manage to avoid having action taken against them. Work on improving the ability of communication service providers to trace calls is underway and led by Ofcom, with our encouragement. Consent and lead generation issues including how telephone numbers are captured and sold on, are also being considered by the Taskforce led by Which? that will report to the Department by the end of this year. Further details about the full range of measures outlined in our Action Plan can be viewed at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nuisance-calls-action-plan-unveiled%20" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nuisance-calls-action-plan-unveiled</a></p><p> </p><p>Steps taken to date include the Department having improved signposting and information about whom to contact when needing to report nuisance calls, a simpler complaints process, and greater use by regulators of their powers, including the ICO and Ofcom having to date issued monetary penalties totalling more than £2.2 million for nuisance telephone calls and SMS text messages. We will continue to work with regulators, consumer group representatives and the industry to deliver improved protection for the benefit of consumers.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 27/10/2014 11:44:55 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
	tabling member	4090 label Biography information for Mr Jonathan Lord

99795

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	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	Arts: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what oversight he has of the allocation of the Arts Council England's funding to other organisations.
	tabling member constituency	Colne Valley
	tabling member printed	Jason McCartney
	uin	211088
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>Funding decisions are made by Arts Council England, without Government input. Ministers establish the strategic priorities for ACE’s spending in each Spending Round and regularly meet with Arts Council England.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 27/10/2014 11:44:13 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
	tabling member	3953 label Biography information for Jason McCartney

99796

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	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	Mobile Phones
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with Ofcom on the merits of passive infrastructure sharing in partial not-spots; and what information he has on the changes that would be required to the upgrade and sharing elements of the electronic communications code to enable this.
	tabling member constituency	Aberconwy
	tabling member printed	Guto Bebb
	uin	211165
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government is committed to improving mobile coverage for all consumers, and is currently in discussions with Ofcom and relevant Mobile Network Operators. We have been looking at a number of options for improving coverage in partial not-spot areas, including passive infrastructure sharing and national roaming. We are also considering the impact of reforms to the Electronic Communications Code, in the broader context of supporting communications infrastructure in an effort to improve mobile network coverage. The Government is aware that reforms will need to balance the interests of all stakeholders involved.</p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of State is considering his position on Code reform and will outline plans shortly. The Government is committed to ensuring the UK has world-class mobile coverage.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 27/10/2014 11:45:29 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
	tabling member	3910 label Biography information for Guto Bebb

99953

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Affordable Homes Bill
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the oral contribution by the Minister of State for Disabled People of 5 September 2014, Official Report, column 554, what the evidential basis is for his statement that the Affordable Homes Bill would cost about £1 billion of public expenditure.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Yardley
	tabling member printed	John Hemming
	uin	211139
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The calculation of the £1 billion cost of the Affordable Homes Bill was made on Thursday 4<sup>th</sup> September by Departmental Officials following an assessment of the potential effects of the provisions set out in the draft Bill at Second Reading.</p><p> </p><p>The potential cost was estimated using administrative data (Single Housing Benefit Extract) and the department’s policy simulation model.</p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey question first answered 27/10/2014 11:36:09 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
	tabling member	1483 label Biography information for John Hemming