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100966

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Academies
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the terms of the Academies Financial Handbook allow an academy chain to outsource all non-teaching staff to a profit-making provider.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
	uin	HL2422
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Academies Financial Handbook is not prescriptive about where academy trusts buy the services that they need. Trusts are free to choose, but in doing so they have important responsibilities. Paragraph 1.5.11 of the Handbook explains that trusts must exercise their discretion reasonably and in a way that commands broad public support. Paragraph 1.5.21 explains that the accounting officer is personally accountable for regularity, propriety and value for money in the trust’s financial conduct. Section 3.3 sets out that trusts must seek prior approval from the EFA for transactions that are novel or contentious.</p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 03/11/2014 14:16:55 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	3792 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

99991

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Altcourse Prison
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they are having with G4S Custodial and Detention Services about the findings of the report of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons on HM Prison Altcourse, published on 15 October, in respect of cells designed for one or two people holding an additional prisoner.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Stern
	uin	HL2206
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>All establishments within the prison estate are required to comply with the cell certification and occupancy requirements. This is reflected in the contract for the running of HMP Altcourse.</p><p> </p><p>The prison operator is finalising an action plan in response to H M Inspectorate of Prisons’ recommendations. The plan will be discussed, and progress in implementing the actions monitored, at the regular meetings between the Controller (representing the Secretary of State), who is based at the prison, and the prison’s Director.</p><p> </p><p>The action plan will also be discussed at the quarterly contract review meetings, which are attended by the Director and his team, the Controller and officials from the National Offender Management Service.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 03/11/2014 16:07:01 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
	tabling member	2475 label Biography information for Baroness Stern

99992

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Altcourse Prison
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they are having with G4S Custodial and Detention Services about the findings of the report of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons on HM Prison Altcourse, published on 15 October, in respect of the prison’s response at strategic and operational levels to rising levels of violence.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Stern
	uin	HL2207
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>Incidence of violence and associated trends are closely monitored by the Controller (the Secretary of State’s representative), who is based at the prison.</p><p> </p><p>The prison operator is finalising an action plan in response to H M Inspectorate of Prisons’ recommendations. The plan will be discussed, and progress in implementing the actions monitored, at the regular meetings between the Controller and the prison’s Director.</p><p> </p><p>The action plan will also be discussed at the quarterly contract review meetings, which are attended by the Director and his team, the Controller and officials from the National Offender Management Service.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 03/11/2014 16:06:27 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
	tabling member	2475 label Biography information for Baroness Stern

100626

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	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	BBC Media Action
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in each of the last ten years, what resources have been made available to BBC Media Action for the training in journalism and media skills of human rights activists and escapees from totalitarian regimes.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2357
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>Over the last ten years BBC Media Action has delivered many opportunities to build media skills including journalism training in Algeria, Iraq, Libya and Tunisia, pan-Arab debate shows and training, support to Syrian bloggers, and radio capacity-building in Jordan and Yemen. The Department for International Development is providing funding of £89.8m over five years (2011/12-2015/16) to BBC Media Action. Figures are not held specific to the training of human rights activists and escapees from totalitarian regimes.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 03/11/2014 14:17:52 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

100628

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	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	BBC Media Action: Asia
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of BBC Media Action’s work in Asia; whether they consider it has increased government accountability and enabled access to information there; how that work fits in with their Governance and Rights project; and why the Korean Peninsula is excluded from that approach.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2359
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>While there have not been assessments carried out specifically on work in Asia, the Department for Internal Development’s Global Grant to BBC Media Action has been assessed in 2012 and 2013. Both reviews assessed BBC Media Action to be exceeding expectations.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 03/11/2014 14:19:07 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

100627

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	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	BBC Media Action: North Korea
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to funding BBC Media Action to co-produce programmes with North Korean escapees (1) to enable them to broadcast via existing radio stations currently broadcasting into North Korea, (2) to help build the capacity of existing North Korean refugee broadcasters, or (3) to train North Korean refugees in journalism.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2358
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government has made no such consideration.<strong> </strong></p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 03/11/2014 14:18:21 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

100000

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	Central African Republic
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their current commitment, bilaterally and multilaterally, to the United Nations Level 3 Emergency Situation in Central African Republic.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Berridge
	uin	HL2215
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>In December 2013 the UN declared a Level 3 crisis in CAR which is in effect until December 2014. The UK welcomed the UN declaration which more accurately reflected the severity of the situation on the ground and brought much needed attention and resources from across the UN system to respond to the crisis.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The UK has been closely monitoring the situation and has committed a total of £18 million in humanitarian funding to CAR in 2014 to help hundreds of thousands of people, along with £7 million in Cameroon and Chad to assist CAR refugees. The funds are going towards the protection of civilians, urgent medical assistance, and to food security and livelihoods assistance through UN agencies, the Red Cross and NGOs. In 2014, the UK is the third largest bilateral humanitarian donor to CAR after the USA (£87 million) and the EU (£39 million). The UK’s combined bilateral and multilateral contributions (through the EU and the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund) to the CAR crisis total £27 million in 2014.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Northover question first answered 03/11/2014 11:56:42 answering member 2539 label Biography information for Baroness Northover
	tabling member	4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge

100001

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	Central African Republic
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will review the level of humanitarian aid given bilaterally to the Central African Republic.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Berridge
	uin	HL2216
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The UK has been closely monitoring the situation in CAR and has committed a total of £18 million in humanitarian funding to CAR in 2014 to help hundreds of thousands of people, along with £7 million in Cameroon and Chad to assist CAR refugees. In 2014, the UK is the third largest bilateral humanitarian donor to CAR after the USA (£87 million) and the EU (£39 million). DFID officials conduct quarterly visits to CAR in order to meet with partners and review the response.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Northover question first answered 03/11/2014 11:58:34 answering member 2539 label Biography information for Baroness Northover
	tabling member	4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge

100608

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Civil Servants: Languages
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many diplomatic staff and civil servants from each department or government agency have received or are receiving language training at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Language School.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL2339
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>Since the Language Centre opened on 19th September 2013 a total of 45 different languages have been studied there either full or part-time by 813 students. Of those students, 779 are Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff and 34 are from other government departments (OGDs) (including staff from the following departments: Ministry of Defence, Cabinet Office, the Department for Business, Innovation &amp; Skills, Home Office, Ministry of Justice, UK Trade and Investment, the Department for International Development, HM Revenue and Customs, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, and the House of Commons). An additional 60 FCO staff have trained at the Institut Francais. Staff across the Civil Service can also access the FCO Language Centre library to continue to develop their own language skills outside formal study and 58 OGD staff have taken advantage of this offer so far. <br><br>It is important to note that when more appropriate, staff from OGDs also receive language training outside of the FCO Language Centre through use of the Civil Service-wide contract with Language Services Direct (the company that run the FCO Language Centre) or at the Institut Francais if French is required. Since September 2014, 113 OGD students have received language training on their own premises via the FCO contract. <br><br>The table below provides a breakdown of the languages that have been taught at the FCO Language Centre :<br><br>Albanian 2 <br>Arabic 186 <br>Azeri 1 <br>Bosnian 1 <br>Bulgarian 3 <br>Burmese 1 <br>Cambodian 1 <br>Czech 1 <br>Danish 2 <br>Dari 5 <br>Dutch 5 <br>Farsi 33 <br>Finnish 1 <br>French 14 <br>Georgian 1 <br>German 40 <br>Greek 4 <br>Hebrew 1 <br>Hindi 20 <br>Indonesian 4 <br>Italian 23 <br>Japanese 33 <br>Korean 8 <br>Macedonian 1 <br>Mandarin 93 <br>Norwegian 1 <br>Pashto 5 <br>Polish 3 <br>Portuguese 47 <br>Romanian 3 <br>Russian 84 <br>Serbian 3 <br>Sinhalese 1 <br>Slovak 1 <br>Slovene 1 <br>Spanish 153 <br>Swedish 3 <br>Tajik 1 <br>Thai 2 <br>Tigrinya 1 <br>Turkish 11 <br>Turkmen 1 <br>Urdu 4 <br>Uzbek 2 <br>Vietnamese 2 <br>Total 813</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 03/11/2014 15:37:02 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

100969

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Class Sizes
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest calculation of the number of infant classes of over 30 pupils in schools in England.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
	uin	HL2425
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>As of January 2014, there were 2,985 infant classes with over 30 pupils in schools in England.</p><p> </p><p>This data is taken from the January 2014 School Census, published online at: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2014" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2014</a></p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 03/11/2014 17:38:59 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	3792 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Whitchurch