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100107
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WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
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answer
unstar this property answer text <p>This Government is committed to a competitive tax regime and has introduced a range of measures to reduce the burden of National Insurance Contributions (NICs), as part of our long term economic plan to back business and create jobs.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Employment Allowance, introduced in April this year, means that around 450,000 employers– one third of all employers – are expected to be taken out of paying employer NICs altogether in 2014-15 and from April 2015, employer NICs for under 21 year olds will be abolished, helping to support jobs for almost 1.5 million young people currently in employment.</p><p> </p> more like this
100150
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WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
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unstar this property answer text <p>The Department for Education is committed to recruiting high-quality graduates into teaching. The latest data published by UCAS on 25 September 2014 in its ‘UCAS Teacher Training statistical releases’[1], indicates that there will be an increase in computing trainees commencing initial teacher training (ITT) this year, although this will not be certain until the 2014/15 ITT census is published.</p><p>For computing trainees starting their training in 2015/16, we have increased bursaries to up to £25,000 tax-free. We are also funding a prestigious scholarship scheme for computing trainees worth £25,000 tax-free and offering a range of professional benefits. Additional funding has also been made available to schools offering School Direct (salaried) places in computing to boost starting salaries; computing trainees will be able to earn over £21,000 nationally and £25,000 in inner London.</p><p>There are a range of other incentives in place to attract high quality computing trainees into the teaching profession, including:</p><ol><li>The delivery of a targeted marketing campaign to encourage high-quality computing graduates and potential career changers to consider a career in teaching.</li><li>The offering of tailored support for graduates and career changers interested in teaching computing, including access to a School Experience Programme.</li><li>Funding of computing subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) programmes, which prepare applicants for teacher training by building up or refreshing their existing knowledge. 31% of computing applicants who accepted an ITT place for 2013/14 accessed a SKE course.</li></ol><p>[1] <a href="http://www.ucas.com/data-analysis/ucas-teacher-training-statistical-releases" target="_blank">www.ucas.com/data-analysis/ucas-teacher-training-statistical-releases</a></p>
100141
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WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
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answer
unstar this property answer text <p>It is for local authorities to determine the support they arrange, including any specialist education services for children and young people with low incidence needs. The importance of making appropriate provision for children with low incidence needs and local authorities including information about specialist support in their local offer is set out in the new 0-25 special educational needs and disability code of practice. Under Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014, local authorities have a duty to keep under review the educational provision, training provision and social care provision made in their area for children and young people who have special educational needs.</p> more like this
100143
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WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
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answer
unstar this property answer text <p>The number and proportion of pupils at the end of key stage 4 with a hearing impairment who achieved 5 or more GCSE A* to C grades (or equivalent) in a) England, b) the South West and c) Plymouth in 2013 can be found in the table below.</p><table><tbody><tr><td rowspan="2"> </td><td colspan="3"><p><strong>Pupils with a hearing impairment</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Number of eligible pupils<sup>1</sup></p></td><td><p>Number of pupils achieving 5 or more <br>A*-C GCSE grades (or equivalent)</p></td><td><p>Percentage of pupils achieving 5 or more <br>A*-C GCSE grades (or equivalent)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>England</p></td><td><p>1390</p></td><td><p>1024</p></td><td><p>73.7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South West</p></td><td><p>125</p></td><td><p>82</p></td><td><p>65.6</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Plymouth</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>x</p></td><td><p>x</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Source: National pupil database</p><ol><li>Figures are based on pupils at the end of key stage 4 and do not include those pupils recently arrived from overseas.</li></ol><p>x = Figures not shown due to 1 or 2 pupils not achieving 5 or more A*-C GCSE grades (or equivalent). This suppression is to protect pupil confidentiality and consistent with the Department for Education’s statistical policy[1].</p><p>[1] <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/standards-for-official-statistics-published-by-the-department-for-education" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/standards-for-official-statistics-published-by-the-department-for-education</a></p><p> </p>
100249
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WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
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answer
unstar this property answer text <p /> <p>The Government is committed to making sure that the Information Commissioner has sufficient resource to carry out its statutory duties.</p><p> </p><p>The Ministry of Justice works closely with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to keep its enforcement powers under review.</p><p> </p><p>Further information about the ICO’s enforcement powers can be found on its website - www.ico.org.uk.</p> more like this
100168
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WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
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unstar this property answer text <p>We have been monitoring events in Hong Kong closely over recent weeks including, in particular, through regular reports from our posts in Hong Kong and Beijing. We also continue to meet regularly at senior level with both the Chinese authorities and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to discuss the situation. I met Hong Kong Justice Secretary Rimsky Yuen on 14 October. <br><br>We have consistently called on all sides to ensure that the demonstrations are peaceful and in accordance with the law, including in my response to a Westminister Hall Debate on 22 October, in my Written Ministerial Statement of 13 October, and in a Foreign and Commonwealth Office statement on 2 October on the question of constitutional reform. We encourage all parties to engage in dialogue and work towards a consensus that allows a significant step forward for democracy.</p> more like this
100169
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WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
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answer
unstar this property answer text <p>The UK and Taiwan enjoy a strong trading relationship. In 2013 total bilateral goods trade between the UK and Taiwan was £4.59bn. UK exports of goods to Taiwan increased 7.8% year-on-year to £1.16bn, the second highest level in history. Trade in services have been increasing over the last decade reaching £958m in 2012 (figures for 2013 will be available in November).</p><p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) in Taipei promote the trading relationship through engagement with industry, trade missions and trade visits, for example, the visit of the Lord Mayor of the City of London in January to promote financial services collaboration, and the bilateral trade talks in July.</p> more like this
100172
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WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
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answer
unstar this property answer text <p>Whilst the UK does not take a position on underlying sovereignty claims to the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, we have a clear interest in maintaining regional peace and stability. We regularly discuss East Asian regional security issues with our international partners.</p> more like this
100210
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WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
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unstar this property answer text <p>The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre is responsible for assessing a range of terrorist threats facing the UK, including terrorist use of cyber space, and keeps such threats under regular review. The threat from international terrorism, regardless of the methodology employed, is currently assessed as SEVERE, meaning that an attack is highly likely.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> more like this
100083
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WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
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answer
unstar this property answer text <p>The table below shows the proportion, expressed as a percentage, of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of the total number of exporters UK Export Finance (UKEF) has supported broken down by UKEF product for the last five financial full years.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>2009/10</p></td><td><p>2010/11</p></td><td><p>2011/12</p></td><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>2013/14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Buyer Credit</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>11%</p></td><td><p>7%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bond Support Scheme*</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>67%</p></td><td><p>78%</p></td><td><p>91%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Export Insurance Policy</p></td><td><p>20%</p></td><td><p>75%</p></td><td><p>75%</p></td><td><p>54%</p></td><td><p>63%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Export Working Capital Scheme*</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>83%</p></td><td><p>100%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Letter of Credit Guarantee Scheme</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>50%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Supplier Credit Facility</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>50%</p></td><td><p>29%</p></td><td><p>33%</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>*Products launched in 2011/12</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>SMEs are defined by the EU as companies that have fewer than 250 employees, and either a turnover of less than €50m or a balance sheet total of less than €43m.</p><p> </p><p>Information on UKEFs Bond Support Scheme has been included given that it was introduced specifically to support to smaller exporters, especially SMEs.</p><p> </p>