In 2018, the Government began engaging on the design of HS2 Phase 2b with local communities along the route, via the publication of the Working Draft Environmental Statement.<\/p>
<\/p>
In June 2019, we published a Design Refinement Consultation which announced eleven possible changes to the Phase 2b route. These consultations represent significant milestones in preparing the HS2 Phase 2b hybrid Bill.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4460", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wealden"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Ms Nusrat Ghani"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-18T16:12:35.523Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-07-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "High Speed 2 Line: Hybrid Bills"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "What progress he has made on introducing a hybrid Bill to secure the powers to deliver phase 2b of High Speed Two; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4447", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maggie Throup"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Erewash"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Maggie Throup"} ], "uin" : "912041"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1129140", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1129140/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Survivors of officers who were members of the 2006 and 2015 police pension schemes are, since 2006, paid survivor pensions for life.<\/p>
On 18 January 2016, the Police Pensions Regulations 1987 and the Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006 were amended to allow widows, widowers and civil partners of police officers in England and Wales who have died on duty and who qualified for a survivor pension after 1 April 2015 to continue to receive their survivors\u2019 benefits for life. Successive governments have been clear that there is a general presumption against making retrospective changes to public service pension schemes. However, the Government believes the arguments for making a limited exception for the widows of police officers who died on duty are sufficiently compelling in this case.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1561", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Nick Hurd"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-10T15:25:00.61Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Police: Pensions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that widows of deceased police officers are not discriminated against upon remarrying in relation to their entitlement to a survivor\u2019s pension.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4447", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maggie Throup"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Erewash"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Maggie Throup"} ], "uin" : "259292"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123499", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123499/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
There is a significant body of evidence that demonstrates that systematic phonics is a highly effective method for teaching early reading. According to the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), phonics approaches have been consistently found to be effective in supporting younger readers to master the basics of reading, with an average impact of an additional four months\u2019 progress. Research suggests that phonics is particularly beneficial for younger pupils (four to seven year olds) as they begin to read. Teaching phonics is more effective on average than other approaches to early reading (such as whole language or alphabetic approaches), though it should be emphasised that effective phonics techniques are usually embedded in a rich literacy environment for early readers and are only one part of a successful literacy strategy[1].<\/p>
In 2018 there were 163,000 more six year olds in England on track to become fluent readers compared to 2012. This represented 82% of pupils meeting the expected standard in the phonics screening check, compared to just 58% when the check was introduced in 2012.<\/p>
The Department is investing £26 million in a national network of English hubs to support local schools in developing their teaching practice, with a focus on systematic phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure. There are now 34 such hubs, based in primary schools across England.<\/p>