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78894

registered interest
date	18/07/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Languages: Brighton
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will estimate the number of children who are studying a foreign language in the Brighton, Kemptown constituency; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
uin	206607
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2014 answer text <p>The Department for Education does not publish data on the number of children who are studying a foreign language in both primary and secondary schools.</p><p>The table below shows figures for pupils at the end of key stage 4 who were entered for at least one full modern foreign language GCSE in Brighton, Kemptown constituency. There are no equivalent figures for key stage 2.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4"><p><strong>Number of pupils<sup>1</sup> entered for at least 1 full GCSE Modern Foreign <br>Language <strong>qualification in Brighton, Kemptown constituency</strong></strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="4"><p>Year: 2012/13 (final)<sup>2,3</sup></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="4"><p>Coverage: England<sup>4</sup>, state-funded schools (including Academies and CTCs)</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="4"> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td><p>Number of eligible pupils<sup>1</sup></p></td><td><p>Number of pupils entered for at least 1 full <br>GCSE Modern Foreign Language qualification</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>E14000597</p></td><td><p>Brighton, Kemptown</p></td><td><p>556</p></td><td><p>161</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><em>Source: National Pupil Database (2012/13)</em></p><ol><li>Pupils at the end of key stage 4.</li><li>Figures for 2012/13 figures are based on final data.</li><li>From 2009/10 iGCSEs, accredited at time of publication, have been counted as GCSE equivalents and also as English &amp; mathematics GCSEs.</li><li>The figures in this table do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas.</li></ol><p>Maintained secondary schools are required to teach a modern foreign language to all pupils. Research [1] shows that the vast majority of primary schools across England are already teaching a modern foreign language in class time and, from September, it will become statutory for maintained primary schools to do so.</p><p>[1] CfBT Education Trust Language Trends 2013/14: The state of language learning in primary and secondary schools in England (<a href="http://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/britishcouncil.uk2/files/language-trends-survey-2014.pdf" target="_blank">www.britishcouncil.org/sites/britishcouncil.uk2/files/language-trends-survey-2014.pdf</a>)</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Mr Nick Gibb question first answered 22/07/2014 15:51:26 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

78895

registered interest
date	18/07/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Adoption and Foster Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to improve the support provided to adopters and foster parents; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
uin	206612
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Government is committed to improving support for adoptive families and foster carers. To improve adoption support, the Department for Education has committed £19.3 million to establish an Adoption Support Fund to make therapeutic support more accessible. This is currently being tested in 10 local authorities. We are piloting personal budgets for adoption support in these local authorities to give parents more choice and control over the support they receive. We have commissioned the British Association of Adoption and Fostering to develop a new tool for assessing families’ support needs. We are supporting local authorities to pilot AdOpt, a therapeutic parenting programme for adopters.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We have extended the Pupil Premium, priority school admissions and funded early education for 2-year-olds to children adopted from care. In addition, we have published the Adoption Passport, setting out information about entitlements to support, including adopters’ rights to improved adoption pay and leave from 2015.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are continuing to fund the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM). The IRM provides access to an independent body where services have decided not to approve an adopter or foster carer; are proposing changes to or have terminated a foster carer’s approval.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>To improve support for foster carers, the department has taken the decision to continue to fund Fosterline which provides confidential, free advice to foster carers. We are funding the development of a new programme for foster carers of babies and very young children and an adaptation of Multisystemic Therapy, an existing evidence based intervention, which will focus on supporting children to return home or find stability in long term care.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We continue to support the roll-out of evidence based interventions such as KEEP (Keeping Foster and Kinship Carers Safe and Supported) and MTFC (Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care) to help foster carers gain the confidence and skills to care for those with complex needs.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The department has recently become the government’s first foster-family-friendly employer, giving staff that foster extra support to balance their work and care responsibilities. Other government departments and some local authorities are now actively considering implementing similar policies.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We have developed training materials for professionals working in fostering and adoption and delivered regional train-the-trainer events to launch them. Some fostering services plan to offer this training to their foster carers too.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Mr Edward Timpson question first answered 22/07/2014 14:57:51 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

78896

registered interest
date	18/07/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Female Genital Mutilation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps her Department has taken to tackle female genital mutilation; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
uin	206613
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2014 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Gentleman to my Answer of 15 July 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, col 636W.<br><br></p><p>On 22 July 2014, the Government will be making a series of announcements related to tackling female genital mutilation at the Girl Summit, which will be co-hosted by the Prime Minister and UNICEF.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Mr Edward Timpson question first answered 22/07/2014 16:01:59 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

78898

registered interest
date	18/07/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions Ministers in her Department have had with local authorities on special educational needs provision in their areas; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
uin	206610
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>In recent months I have discussed special educational needs provision, and in particular the implementation of the Children and Families Act 2014, with Directors of Children’s Services, Chief Executive and Lead Members from a number of local authorities.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>On 10 July I spoke to the annual conference of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services about reforms to the special educational needs system.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In addition, on 8 April I wrote to all local authorities about implementing the SEND reforms. A copy of my letter was published online:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/special-educational-needs-and-disabilities-send-reform-letters" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/special-educational-needs-and-disabilities-send-reform-letters</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Mr Edward Timpson question first answered 22/07/2014 16:15:10 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

78899

registered interest
date	18/07/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Languages: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage the study of foreign languages in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
uin	206608
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2014 answer text <p>The new national curriculum introduces the teaching of a foreign language to Key Stage 2 (ages 7 to 11) from September 2014, which will increase the uptake of foreign languages in both primary and, over time, secondary schools. By starting languages earlier, pupils will have longer to develop their skills to a high level before continuing with language learning in secondary school. The English Baccalaureate is already encouraging more young people to take a language at GCSE level. Take up of a modern foreign language by Key Stage 4 pupils in England increased by over 20% between 2012 and 2013.</p><p>The independent Expert Group, chaired by a leading primary headteacher, has provided links to useful resources that specifically support the introduction of a compulsory foreign language at Key Stage 2. These resources are hosted on the website of the Association for Language Learning. We are also making extensive use of social networking, including using high profile headteachers and others to raise the profile of the new curriculum, including for languages, through podcasts, webchats and blogs.</p><p>We are also providing at least £350,000 to support training on the new national curriculum for teachers of modern foreign languages in primary and secondary schools. In addition, we have already allocated £1.9 million to teaching schools to lead curriculum change across and within their teaching school alliances. Some 46 of the projects being supported involve languages.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Mr Nick Gibb question first answered 22/07/2014 15:52:43 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

78900

registered interest
date	18/07/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Sports
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress she has made on improving PE and sports provision in primary schools; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
uin	206609
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Government is providing more than £450 million of ring-fenced funding for primary PE and sport through the primary PE and sport premium in the three academic years to 2015/16. We are working across government and with PE and sport organisations to support schools to spend the funding effectively and sustainably. We have received positive reports about how schools have been spending the funding in its first year. Schools have provided professional development for teachers, deployed specialist coaches to support new activities, promoted physical activity amongst less active children, and increased the amount of competitive sport played.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department for Education has also created a programme to train primary PE specialists. The first cohort of 120 teachers is due to start working in schools from this September. They will provide expert teaching in their school, and take a lead in promoting PE in their local area. The programme has been extended for another year, increasing the number of PE primary specialists to 240 by September 2015. It is hoped that from September 2015 many more teaching schools in the country will be able to offer this specialist course.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Further work across government is also improving PE and sport in primary schools. Over 17,000 primary and secondary schools across the country are taking part in the Sainsbury’s School Games. Under Primary Spaces, a National Lottery-funded programme, more than 600 schools have been awarded up to £30,000 to improve outdoor spaces for PE and sporting activities. New facilities will be installed in the first 100 schools this summer.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>PE remains a compulsory subject at all four key stages in the new national curriculum, which comes into force from September 2014. There is a greater focus on competitive sport in PE lessons and swimming, and water safety remains compulsory at primary levels.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Mr Edward Timpson question first answered 22/07/2014 15:02:11 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

78901

registered interest
date	18/07/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	English Baccalaureate
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage the uptake of Ebacc subjects for GCSE; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
uin	206611
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2014 answer text <p>The publication of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) measure as part of the Department for Education performance tables since 2010 has encouraged schools to enter growing numbers of pupils for GCSEs in these core academic subjects. The proportion of pupils entering a combination of subjects amounting to the EBacc has increased from 22% in 2010 to 35% in 2013. In the same period the proportion of pupils achieving the EBacc has risen from 15% to 23%.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Mr Nick Gibb question first answered 22/07/2014 15:54:44 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

78902

registered interest
date	18/07/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Mathematics: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage the uptake of mathematics in post-16 education; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
uin	206615
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2014 answer text <p>We are reforming mathematics in post-16 education and have set out our ambition for the majority of young people in England to study mathematics to at least age 18 by 2020. In addition, students without at least a grade C in mathematics GCSE are now required to continue to study this vital subject within 16-19 education until they gain this valuable qualification.</p><p> </p><p>We are reforming A level maths to provide a better stepping stone to mathematical study at university, and we are expanding the Further Maths Support Programme to support and enhance A level teaching. From 2017 Level 3 maths will count in the 16-19 schools and college performance tables and in the TechBacc measure from 2016. This will recognise schools and colleges that deliver maths to age 18 effectively and ensure that maths education receives the priority it deserves.</p><p> </p><p>We are also introducing ‘Core Maths’ qualifications from 2015 for post-16 students who achieve at least a C at GCSE, but do not progress to A level or AS level. These qualifications will help young people think mathematically, logically and analytically. We expect large numbers of students to elect to take these qualifications, which will be valued by employers and universities. Almost 200 schools and colleges have signed up to take part in the programme already.</p><p> </p><p>We have recently created a network of Maths Hubs, supported with £11 million over their first two years, to raise standards of maths education from the early years to age 19. One of the main responsibilities of Maths Hubs will be to support increased participation in maths to age 18 in their area.</p> answering member constituency Yeovil answering member printed Mr David Laws question first answered 22/07/2014 15:58:25 answering member 1473 label Biography information for Mr David Laws
tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

78956

registered interest
date	18/07/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Accident and Emergency Departments
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to take action to improve accident and emergency unit waiting times, in the light of reported missed targets over the last year.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL1273
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2014 answer text <p>National Health Service accident and emergency (A&amp;E) departments are measured against a standard that at least 95% of patients should be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours of arrival. The standard applies to all types of (A&amp;E) departments, including major (A&amp;E) departments, minor injury units, and walk-in centres.</p><p> </p><p>This standard was met in all four quarters and for the whole of 2013-14, with performance at 95.7% for the year. It has been met for the first quarter (April to June) of 2014-15, with performance at 95.1%.</p><p> </p><p>There were 21.8 million attendances at (A&amp;E) departments in 2013-14 compared to 20.5 million in 2009-10, and in the face of rising demand not all patients are receiving care within the standard. NHS England, the NHS Trust Development Authority and Monitor are working with the most challenged providers and commissioners. £400 million has been made available this year to ensure local urgent and emergency care services are sustainable and prepared for winter.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 22/07/2014 16:29:07 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

78977

registered interest
date	18/07/2014
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Government Departments: Meetings
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is their policy to refuse to meet or to veto certain individuals when agreeing to meetings with Members of either House or law-abiding members of the public.
tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
uin	HL1294
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2014 answer text <p>There is no such policy approach. Holders of Public Office conduct themselves in accordance with the Seven Principles of Public Life.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Wallace of Saltaire question first answered 22/07/2014 16:44:32 answering member 1816 label Biography information for Lord Wallace of Saltaire
tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark