As announced today (27 March) the Department for Transport has granted a Direct Award to Northern for 22 months and is working with them to ensure rolling stock is available for a phased rollout of electric services between Liverpool and Manchester from the December 2014 timetable.<\/p>
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The Department takes account of availability of electric rolling stock in its decisions and the stock for this route will be modern, cascaded stock from other routes.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1557", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Kramer"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Kramer"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-03-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-03-27T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of their plans to introduce new electrified railway lines between Manchester and Liverpool in December, whether they have taken into account the availability of electric trains as part of their negotiations to procure rolling stock.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2483", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Bradshaw"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Bradshaw"} ], "uin" : "HL6000"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42945", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42945/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
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Border Force is, through its Operating Mandate, required to undertake checks on the passports of all passengers who enter the United Kingdom at the Primary Control Points. Border Force undertakes electronic checks on most outbound passengers and physically checks passports on a strictly targeted basis. The Government and the Civil Aviation Authority work closely with air carriers in the UK to ensure that proper checks are in place. The Government is further committed to introducing exit checks on all modes by 2015.<\/p>
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<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3787", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Taylor of Holbeach"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Taylor of Holbeach"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-04-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-04-02T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the passports of everyone arriving in and leaving the United Kingdom are properly checked.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2235", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Swinfen"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Swinfen"} ], "uin" : "HL6010"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42951", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42951/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
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The deduction of Trade Union subscriptions from payroll through check-off is a matter delegated to individual Departments in the Civil Service. <\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1816", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Wallace of Saltaire"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Wallace of Saltaire"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-03-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-03-24T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have asked departments to end the system of check-off for trade union subscriptions for civil servants.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4159", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town"} ], "uin" : "HL6016"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42964", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42964/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Raising the attainment of disadvantaged pupils is a top priority for this Government. That is why we have invested in the pupil premium for schools, which has risen from £625 million in 2011-12 to £2.5 billion in 2014-15, giving schools the additional resources they need to raise disadvantaged pupils' attainment, and give them a better start in life.<\/p>
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We have extended eligibility for funding over the last three years, as well as raising the per-pupil funding rate. When the pupil premium was introduced in April 2011, schools received £488 for each pupil who was registered for free school meals or looked after by the local authority for six months or more. From April 2014, the funding will be £1,300 per primary aged pupil, £935 per secondary aged pupil and £1,900 for each pupil who is looked after for one day or more; or who left care through adoption or a Special Guardianship Order on or after 30 December 2005, or via a Residence Order.<\/p>
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Headteachers are held accountable for the impact of this additional funding in three different ways. Firstly, the performance tables set out the attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils and the gap between them and their peers. Secondly, Ofsted inspects the achievement of all pupils in a school. Where disadvantaged pupils are making insufficient progress, inspectors are likely to grade a school as requiring improvement and will recommend that the school undertakes a pupil premium review. Thirdly, schools are required to publish online how much pupil premium funding they receive, how they have used this funding and an evaluation of the impact that it has had.<\/p>
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Our EBacc is driving up the number of pupils leaving school with the subjects most prized by employers and universities. Already, our introduction of the EBacc has seen the number of children studying at least 5 of the essential subjects rise.<\/p>
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The free schools programme is another powerful way to ensure greater opportunity for more disadvantaged children. 174 free schools are open, 45% of which were set up in the 30% most deprived areas of the country; communities often poorly served for generations.<\/p>
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Some of our most disadvantaged schools are seeing the improvements brought about by successful academy sponsors. 26.3% of pupils in secondary sponsored academies are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average for secondary schools of 15.1%, yet results in sponsored academies continue to improve faster than in local authority schools.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4270", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Nash"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Nash"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-04-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-04-04T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what they are doing to ensure that children from less privileged backgrounds are not disadvantaged at school.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1796", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Taylor of Warwick"} ], "uin" : "HL6029"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42983", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Deputy Prime Minister"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42983/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
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All Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have received funding, based on their levels of under-registration, to support local activities to maximise registration, as part of the transition to Individual Electoral Registration. EROs are best placed to decide how to improve the completeness and accuracy of their registers.<\/p>
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Performance Standard one of the Electoral Commission's framework encourages EROs to use local data sources to build understanding of local challenges and to identify potential new electors. The Electoral Commission monitors and reports on the performance of EROs against the performance standards. All EROs met performance standard one in 2012 and the Commission will report on the 2013 performance shortly. <\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1578", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Greg Clark"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Tunbridge Wells"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Greg Clark"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-03-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-03-20T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "58"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Deputy Prime Minister"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Deputy Prime Minister"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether his Department's funding of £3.6 million to improve electoral registration will be given to local authorities which have not used local government databases to improve electoral registration in the individual electoral registration dry run.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/534", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Ruane"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Vale of Clwyd"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chris Ruane"} ], "uin" : "192118"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42984", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Deputy Prime Minister"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/42984/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "