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100015

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	UK Trade with EU
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the risk of the Eurozone returning to recession and the statement by the Chancellor of Exchequer that Britain could not be immune from any such event, they plan to encourage industry and commerce to diversify their markets and reduce their reliance on the European Union market.
	tabling member printed	Lord Stoddart of Swindon
	uin	HL2230
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>We have to recognise that the UK is not immune to problems elsewhere in the world. The UK has one of the most open economies in the world through trade and financial channels. In particular, growth in the euro area – our largest trading partner – is weak and we have to expect that to dampen our own recovery.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Since entering office, this Government has worked consistently towards a rebalancing of the UK economy and growing our trade with all parts of the world, including key emerging markets. Since 2010, for example, UKTI has increased the number of its overseas-based staff working outside the EU from 875 to 1060, reflecting the growing priority being given to non-EU markets; and, excluding aircraft, nearly all of the exports supported by UK Export Finance in recent years have been to markets outside the EU. Ministers continue to take an active role, including through the Chancellor-led annual Economic and Financial Dialogues with India and China, the most recent of which secured £2.4 billion in bilateral investment deals.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Deighton question first answered 03/11/2014 17:17:00 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
	tabling member	950 label Biography information for Lord Stoddart of Swindon

100019

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Ukraine
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Kramer on 15 October (WS33–35), whether the interim report concerning the crash of Malaysian Airways Flight MH17 indicates whether the aircraft was attacked by warplanes or a ground-based missile; and when the final report is likely to be produced and published.
	tabling member printed	Lord Stoddart of Swindon
	uin	HL2234
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Dutch Safety Board published its preliminary report on the crash of Malaysian Airlines on 9 September 2014. Based on its preliminary findings to date, there is no indication of any operational or technical issues with either the aircraft or its crew. The damage observed on the forward section of the aircraft appears to indicate that the aircraft was penetrated by a large number of high-energy objects from outside the aircraft. It is likely that it is this damage that resulted in the loss of structural integrity of the aircraft, leading to an in-flight break. The Dutch Safety Board is continuing with its investigation. There is no current indication when it will publish the final report.</p> answering member printed Baroness Kramer question first answered 03/11/2014 15:44:22 answering member 1557 label Biography information for Baroness Kramer
	tabling member	950 label Biography information for Lord Stoddart of Swindon

100059

	registered interest
	date	21/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Mental Health Services: Young People
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria they use when distributing grants to groups offering mental health support to young people.
	tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
	uin	HL2265
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>On 16 October the Department for Education published a national prospectus setting out the key activities the Department wishes to promote through organisations working with children, young people and families. Children and young people's mental health is one of the seven priority areas on which applications are sought. Within that area, the Department is looking to support projects which work with education providers and children’s services to improve prevention, early identification and access to specialist interventions.</p><p> </p><p>The detailed process and criteria for applications to the Prospectus can be found online at: <a href="https://online.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/Common/View%20Notice.aspx?site=1000&amp;lang=en&amp;NoticeId=1592512" target="_blank">https://online.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/Common/View%20Notice.aspx?site=1000&amp;lang=en&amp;NoticeId=1592512</a></p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 03/11/2014 17:59:44 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

100554

	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	Pre-school Education: Basic Skills
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to reduce attainment gaps in literacy and numeracy between boys and girls in pre-school education in the short and long term.
	tabling member printed	Lord Storey
	uin	HL2291
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the statutory framework for all early years providers [1]. The EYFS seeks to provide quality and consistency in all early years settings, so that every child makes good progress, attainment gaps are reduced and no child gets left behind. The EYFS specifies areas in which early years providers must support children to develop, including literacy and numeracy. It is the responsibility of early years providers to identify and meet the learning and development needs of the children attending their setting. The EYFS requires providers to carry out ongoing assessment of children’s development and needs and should address any learning and development needs in partnership with parents and/or carers, and any relevant professionals.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Education is increasing the level of required English and maths qualifications for members of the early years workforce. This will ensure that all those working with young children have the right skills to support all children to achieve appropriate levels of literacy and numeracy.</p><p> </p><p>1. We have published guidance on Teacher’s Standards (Early Years) which includes a requirement for Early Years Teachers to demonstrate a clear understanding of synthetic phonics and strategies for teaching early mathematics. The standards also require Early Years Teachers to plan and adapt education to cater for the needs of individual children, to make accurate assessments to inform children’s learning and development and to promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice.</p><p> </p><p>2. Early Years Teachers must pass the same professional skills tests as trainee school teachers and must have GCSE English and maths at grade C or above on entry to training courses.</p><p> </p><p>3. NCTL published new, more robust, criteria for level 3 qualifications in July 2013 – the “Early Years Educator” criteria. They set out the minimum requirements for the knowledge, understanding and skills which learners must demonstrate during assessment for their qualification to be considered qualified at level 3. The criteria include a requirement for qualifications to include a focus on recognising and meeting the individual learning and development needs of children.</p><p> </p><p>4. From 1 August 2014, Government funding of Level 3 Early Years Educator training courses through the Skills Funding Agency will require trainees to have GCSEs in English and maths, at grade C or above, on entry. The EYFS has been amended to require staff holding a new Early Years Educator qualification to have achieved GCSEs in English/English Language and maths, at grade C or above, in order to count in the staff ratios at level 3. From September 2014, GCSE English and maths, at grade C or above, will be required on exit from a level 3 early years apprenticeship. This is an interim measure to support the sector in reaching the higher standards required. From August 2015, the GCSEs in English and maths, at grade C or above, will be required on entry to an early years apprenticeship.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department is also working with experts in the voluntary sector and charitable organisations to support work in these key areas. We have funded English and Maths Champions programmes through the National Day Nurseries Association to spread good practice in teaching literacy and numeracy in the early years.</p><p> </p><p>We are investing £1.4m in the Early Language Development Programme – which has so far helped well over 100,000 parents and family members to spot problems and get support with their children’s speech and language. This work is being led by I CAN, the children’s communications charity. We are also investing almost £1m in the work of the Literacy Trust to develop a model to improve targeting and engagement of the most vulnerable families by staff in Children’s Centres and support volunteers to improve children's early literacy and language skills.</p><p> </p><p>[1] <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2</a></p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 03/11/2014 17:12:51 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

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

100617

	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	Sports: Primary Education
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the commitments made after the Olympic Games, what plans they have to increase the time allocated and resources spent per pupil on sport in all primary schools; and what additional resources will be allocated for that purpose.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hunt of Chesterton
	uin	HL2348
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>All maintained schools must teach a full programme of study for PE and it is up to schools to decide how much time they should devote to PE, or indeed to any other national curriculum subject. New research has shown that primary school pupils are now spending an average of more than two hours a week in PE lessons – an increase of 13 minutes since last year. Through the primary PE and sport premium we are providing over £450 million of ring-fenced funding across the three academic years beginning in 2013/14. The premium goes directly to primary schools to be spent on PE and sport; our research has shown that over 90% of schools have improved the quality of their PE lessons as a direct result of this funding.</p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 03/11/2014 17:15:50 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	2543 label Biography information for Lord Hunt of Chesterton

100621

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Self-employed: Pay
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were (1) the average annual gross earnings, and (2) the average gross hourly rate of pay, in the United Kingdom, both in nominal terms and adjusted for inflation, of those who were self-employed for each year or part-year since 1997 for which data available.
	tabling member printed	Lord Sharkey
	uin	HL2352
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.</p> answering member printed Lord Wallace of Saltaire question first answered 03/11/2014 17:31:14 answering member 1816 label Biography information for Lord Wallace of Saltaire attachment 1 file name lord sharkey HL2352 ONS letter.pdf title UK Statistics Authority Reply
	tabling member	4196 label Biography information for Lord Sharkey

100622

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Productivity
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how output per hour worked in the United Kingdom compares with output per hour worked in each of the other G7 countries for each year or part year since 1997 for which there are data are available.
	tabling member printed	Lord Sharkey
	uin	HL2353
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.</p> answering member printed Lord Wallace of Saltaire question first answered 03/11/2014 16:41:22 answering member 1816 label Biography information for Lord Wallace of Saltaire attachment 1 file name Lord Sharkey HL2353 ONS letter.pdf title UK Statistics Authority Response
	tabling member	4196 label Biography information for Lord Sharkey

100639

	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	Palestinians
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further steps they are taking to recognise Palestine as a state after the recent debate in the House of Commons.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ahmed
	uin	HL2370
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The UK’s position on Palestinian recognition has not changed and is clear: we reserve the right to recognise a Palestinian state at a time of our choosing and when it will best help bring about peace. The UK is a longstanding supporter of seeing a sovereign, democratic and viable Palestinian State living side by side in peace and security with Israel, and continues to be one of the largest donors to Palestinian state building efforts to that end.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 03/11/2014 15:37:46 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	3470 label Biography information for Lord Ahmed

100647

	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	Iran
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the Iranian authorities regarding Ghoncheh Ghavami.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
	uin	HL2378
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government has raised its concern at the detention of Ghoncheh Ghavami with the Iranian authorities on many occasions, including most recently on 23 October. Both the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), discussed her case with President Rouhani and Foreign minister Zarif respectively in September. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office continues to provide consular assistance to Ms Ghavami’s family at this difficult time.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 03/11/2014 15:38:31 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark