1 211742 Biography information for Adam Afriyie Windsor Home Office Adam Afriyie 2014-10-23 2014-11-05T14:46:23.9636243Z Old Bexley and Sidcup James Brokenshire false 2014-11-05 Biography information for James Brokenshire <p>Net migration statistics are produced by the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS). In line with the internationally agreed UN definition, these statistics define a migrant as someone changing their normal place of residence for more than a year. This includes students in net migration in the same way as other migrants. Other countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand also include students in their net migration figures. <br><br>Net migration measures the difference between the number of peoplecoming the UK and the number leaving, so if students return home after<br>their studies, their impact on long-term net migration will be minimal. The ONS has recently improved its methodology so that it is possible to<br>better identify students in the emigration flows to give a more accurate measure of the contribution of students to overall net migration.In the last year, 124,000 non-EU students came to Britain to stay for more than 12 months, and the ONS estimates that only 50,000 left the country. <br><br>All migrants who are in the UK for 12 months or more have an impact on our communities, infrastructure and public services. Changing the way we measure migration would not make any difference to our student migration policy. There is no cap on the number of students who can come to the UK, and the county remains open to the brightest and the best.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> 1 Home Office Overseas Students To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his policy is on excluding foreign university students from net immigration targets. House of Commons false Home Office 26 Stockton North Home Care Services: Pay Alex Cunningham Biography information for Alex Cunningham To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department has taken to take account of the omission of (a) some workers paid below the lower earnings limit and (b) unpaid travel time from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings when using that survey to estimate non-payment of the national minimum wage among homecare workers. 2014-11-05T15:11:25.9412637Z East Dunbartonshire Jo Swinson false 2014-11-05 Biography information for Jo Swinson <p>The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) is an employer based pay survey and provides the most accurate information available from which we can derive non-compliance estimates. Estimates are based on a sample from pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) data and may not include some workers earning below the lower earnings limit. However, following the introduction of Real Time Information, ASHE now includes the majority of those earning below the lower earnings limit.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The HMRC paper “National Minimum Wage compliance in the social care sector” (November 2013) looked at, amongst other things, the issue of unpaid travel time in compliance. It found that unpaid travel time was not the main cause of non-compliance in the sector.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We take non-compliance in the care sector very seriously, and to proactively tackle non-compliance HMRC have collaborated with care sector representative bodies to improve understanding of compliance risks and design controls within payroll systems that prevent workers being underpaid the minimum wage.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to increasing compliance with minimum wage legislation and effective enforcement of it. Everyone who is entitled to the minimum wage should receive it. Individuals should contact the Pay and Work Rights Helpline on 0800 917 2368. HMRC investigates every complaint made.</p><p> </p> Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Business, Innovation and Skills 212198 1 false 2014-10-28 Business, Innovation and Skills Developing Countries: Females North West Leicestershire 2014-11-05T15:48:33.8662056Z Putney Justine Greening false 2014-11-05 Biography information for Justine Greening <p>Empowering girls and women is a top priority. The Strategic Vision for Girls and Women sets out the ambitious results we will deliver. Significant progress was made at the Girl Summit to tackle Child, Early and Forced Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation.</p><p> </p> International Development 1 false 905899 Department for International Development 20 International Development To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to put women and girls at the heart of the UK's development programmes. Biography information for Andrew Bridgen 2014-10-30 Andrew Bridgen Ministry of Defence 2014-10-13 210205 1 Biography information for Angus Robertson false Moray 2014-11-05T16:33:27.8370607Z Ludlow Mr Philip Dunne false 2014-11-05 Biography information for Philip Dunne Ludlow Mr Philip Dunne <p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 October 2014 to Question 210204. This can be found at the following link;</p><p>http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&amp;max=20&amp;questiontype=AllQuestions&amp;house=commons%2clords&amp;uin=210204</p> Defence Typhoon Aircraft 11 Defence To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the current service life in flight hours is of Typhoon aircraft. Angus Robertson 2014-10-30 International Development Mid Dorset and North Poole 1 Biography information for Annette Brooke 2014-11-05T15:49:30.1865796Z Putney Justine Greening false 2014-11-05 <p>The Government is advocating for a simple, inspiring, and relevant post-2015 development framework, centred on eradicating extreme poverty. We are actively working with international partners to ensure that access to education and quality of learning is at the heart of the post-2015 focus on education.</p><p> </p> Department for International Development false 20 Developing Countries: Education International Development 905901 Annette Brooke To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to seek international consensus on post-2015 education goals and targets. 1 North Ayrshire and Arran 29 Work and Pensions Biography information for Baroness Clark of Kilwinning Katy Clark 212537 2014-10-30 Work and Pensions 2014-11-05T14:59:19.7221632Z Forest of Dean Mr Mark Harper false 2014-11-05 Biography information for Mr Mark Harper <p /> <p>We are absolutely committed to improving performance and will continue to work to further reduce processing times and levels of work outstanding. Both providers have more than doubled the number of assessment reports they are returning to the Department since January, as shown in the official statistics published in September, and the number of decisions made has further increased over recent months.</p><p> </p><p>Departmental statisticians are continuing to develop measures around clearance times and waiting times to ensure they provide a rounded and representative picture of personal independence payment performance, improvement activity and the claimants’ experience. These statistics will be published when they are ready, with the release pre-announced in line with United Kingdom Statistics Authority release protocols.</p> Personal Independence Payment false Department for Work and Pensions To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2014 to Question 203682, whether the Government has met its expectation that no-one is waiting longer than 26 weeks for a personal independence payment assessment. 2014-10-23 false Biography information for Baroness Coussins 2014-11-05T15:51:51.0127173Z Baroness Anelay of St Johns false 2014-11-05 Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns <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.</p><p>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.</p><p>The table below provides a breakdown of the languages that have been taught at the FCO Language Centre:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Albanian</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Arabic</p></td><td><p>186</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Azeri</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bosnian</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bulgarian</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Burmese</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cambodian</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Czech</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Danish</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dari</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dutch</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Farsi</p></td><td><p>33</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Finnish</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>French</p></td><td><p>14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Georgian</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>German</p></td><td><p>40</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Greek</p></td><td><p>4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Hebrew</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Hindi</p></td><td><p>20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Indonesian</p></td><td><p>4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Italian</p></td><td><p>23</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Japanese</p></td><td><p>33</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Korean</p></td><td><p>8</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Macedonian</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mandarin</p></td><td><p>93</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Norwegian</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pashto</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Polish</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Portuguese</p></td><td><p>47</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Romanian</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Russian</p></td><td><p>84</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Serbian</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sinhalese</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Slovak</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Slovene</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Spanish</p></td><td><p>153</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Swedish</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Tajik</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Thai</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Tigrinya</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Turkish</p></td><td><p>11</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Turkmen</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Urdu</p></td><td><p>4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Uzbek</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Vietnamese</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>813</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> Foreign and Commonwealth Office HL2340 Baroness Coussins House of Lords To ask Her Majesty’s Government which languages have been studied by civil servants and diplomatic staff at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Language School; and how many civil servants and diplomatic staff have studied each language. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Civil Servants: Languages 2 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 16 16 HL2341 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2014-10-23 Baroness Coussins 2 Foreign and Commonwealth Office To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they expect to see an increase in the numbers of United Kingdom civil servants capable of fulfilling the language requirements for applications to the European Civil Service; and if so by how many, and by when. false Foreign and Commonwealth Office Civil Servants: Languages 2014-11-05T15:54:59.7503661Z Baroness Anelay of St Johns false 2014-11-05 <p>The Government is working to increase the number of applicants to the European Civil Service and to increase civil service language training. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) supports all UK applicants, including civil servants, through the EU recruitment process, including advice on how to pass the recruitment tests in a foreign language. The European Fast Stream programme has been re-structured for 2014 and the training updated. As part of this, the language training provided to participants has been revised and tailored to offer more effective preparation for the Commission’s entry exam known as The Concours. There is also language training offered to civil servants through the FCO language centre. Some Government Departments also offer training in-house in different languages.</p><p> </p> HL2342 2 16 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2014-11-05T15:56:28.9626879Z Baroness Anelay of St Johns false 2014-11-05 Full-time language training is available to all staff on appointment to one of the 674 designated ‘speaker’ roles based across the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)’s network of posts overseas. Appointment is made following an advert, application and selection by interview for a position. All positions (including speaker roles) in the Senior Management Service are also advertised across the Civil Service. A number of positions (including speaker roles) in the delegated grades are also advertised across the Civil Service via ‘Interchange’. All FCO staff (or staff from other governmental departments (OGDs) if on Interchange) and their spouses/partners posted to non-speaker roles in a foreign country also have the option of taking up language training to reach a basic level (Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) – A2 Confidence foreign language proficiency) to help settle into a new posting overseas. FCO staff who wish to develop skills in a foreign language can also attend a rolling programme of part-time lunchtime or evening classes in 12 languages. Where there is space in these classes, OGD staff are offered places based on language learning needs analyses by Departments. Language Services Direct (the company who run the FCO Language Centre) also provide part-time classes to a number of OGDs (the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Cabinet Office, the Department for Energy and Climate Change, the Department for International Development, Members of Parliament, UK Hydrographic Office) on their own premises or at Language Services Direct premises (HM Revenue and Customs). Language Services Direct also run a bespoke training package for staff from both the FCO and across the Civil Service wishing to apply for positions within EU institutions. A number of OGDs also appoint staff, following their own internal appointment processes, to their own ‘speaker’ roles overseas and are able use the Language Centre for training, or receive training at their own premises from Language Services Direct. To-date over 130 OGD staff have been trained either full-time or part-time at the Centre or at their own premises. Baroness Coussins To ask Her Majesty’s Government how civil servants from all departments with the wish or the potential to benefit from a course at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Language School are identified. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Civil Servants: Languages false Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2014-10-23 Church Schools 2014-10-27 HL2440 2014-11-05T17:55:38.8428136Z Lord Nash false 2014-11-05 Biography information for Lord Nash <p>The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 do not require the active promotion of the protected characteristics in the Equality Act.</p><p> </p><p>The Regulations require that schools actively promote principles which encourage respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics. This is a crucial distinction. It is right to respect other people, even if one does not agree with them or their way of life. This is a fundamental part of preparation for life in modern Britain.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is absolutely clear that the changes make no difference to the existing legal obligations that schools have under the Equality Act 2010. All schools are already required to abide by the Act and their obligations are not altered by the changes to the standards. The changes do not fetter the views of individual teachers or censor the discussion of relevant matters. A teacher who, for instance, disagrees with same-sex marriage because of their Christian faith will not be prevented from expressing that view by these changes. Since the changes make no difference to schools’ existing legal obligations under the Equality Act there is no question of the ability of schools to teach traditional Christian values being overridden.</p><p> </p> Biography information for Baroness Eaton To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the implementation of the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) (Amendment) 2014, requiring the active promotion of protected characteristics as set down in the Equality Act 2010, what provision will be made to enable Christian schools to teach traditional Christian values and views about marriage; and what measures they have taken to ensure that any such provisions are not overridden. Baroness Eaton Education Department for Education 2 false 60 Education 10 168 1 0