Asked by: Lord Fearn (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many schools and colleges have been (1) closed, and (2) amalgamated, in Sefton during the last five years to date.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
In the last five years to date, one school (St Ambrose Barlow Catholic College) has closed without replacement provision. There has been one amalgamation/merger (Hugh Baird College and South Sefton College) which resulted in the closure of South Sefton College.
There have also been five academy conversions in this time.
Details are outline in the table below.
Establishment Name | Reason Establishment Closed | Close Date |
St Thomas Church of England Primary School | Academy Converter[1] | 31/10/2017 |
Stanley High School | For Academy[2] | 31/08/2017 |
Hillside High School | For Academy | 28/02/2015 |
Litherland High School | For Academy | 28/02/2015 |
St Ambrose Barlow Catholic College | Closure | 31/08/2016 |
St Michael's Church of England High School | For Academy | 31/10/2014 |
South Sefton College | Result of Amalgamation/Merger* | 01/12/2017 |
This data was obtained from Get Information About Schools (GIAS). The responsibility for updating GIAS is shared between the Department for Education, local authorities and schools. It changes each day as data is removed and uploaded therefore we are unable to guarantee complete accuracy.
*Merged with Hugh Baird College
[1] ‘Academy Convertor’ is a previously Ofsted rated ‘outstanding’ maintained school that has voluntarily converted to an Academy.
[2] ‘For Academy’ refers to schools which have closed to become academies following the issue of a Direct Academy Order in response to an ‘inadequate’ Ofsted rating.
Asked by: Lord Fearn (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when was HM Prison Liverpool inspected in (1) 2016, and (2) 2017.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie
HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) undertook an Inspection of HMP Liverpool on 4-15 September 2017. The report of that inspection was published on 19 January 2018. We take the views of our independent scrutiny bodies very seriously. We published the action plan in response to the report published on 19 January 2018 on the same date and will ensure that agreed recommendations are implemented swiftly.
There was no Inspection of HMP Liverpool by HMIP in 2016.
Asked by: Lord Fearn (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what legal autonomous operation of aircraft is allowed during which a remotely piloted aircraft is operated without pilot intervention in the management of the flight.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) policy regarding autonomy in relation to unmanned aircraft is contained in its unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) guidance document, CAP722 (www.caa.co.uk/cap722). To date, the CAA has not received any applications to conduct autonomous UAS operations. Any application received would be extensively investigated and assessed to assure safety before any permissions to fly are issued.
Asked by: Lord Fearn (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what legislative quotas have existed for women on UK boards since 2010.
Answered by Lord Henley
No legislative quotas have existed for women on UK boards since 2010. The Government is strongly committed to increasing the number of women on public and private sector boards and believes that the most effective way of effecting this change is through a voluntary approach, including non-legislative targets. The Government is supportive of the Hampton-Alexander Review into FTSE Women Leaders which has set a target of 33% female representation across FTSE 350 boards by 2020.
Asked by: Lord Fearn (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many academies have been established in the North West of England in each of the last two years to date.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
As of 1 October 2017, a total of 148 academies, free schools, studio schools and University Technical Colleges (UTCs) have opened in the past two years in the North West region of England - 76 opened in the 2016 calendar year and 72 have opened in the 2017 calendar year to date. The breakdown of these is as follows:
North West | 2016 | 2017 | Total |
Academy Converter | 51 | 47 | 98 |
Sponsor Led Academy | 16 | 20 | 36 |
Free School | 6 | 3 | 9 |
Studio school | 1 | 2 | 3 |
UTC | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Grand Total | 76 | 72 | 148 |
As at 1 October 2017 a total of 1942 academies, free schools, studio schools and UTCs have opened in the past two years in England. The breakdown of these is as follows:
England | 2016 | 2017 | Total |
Academy Converter | 681 | 662 | 1343 |
Sponsor Led Academy | 228 | 256 | 484 |
Free School | 44 | 47 | 91 |
Studio school | 4 | 3 | 7 |
UTC | 11 | 6 | 17 |
Grand Total | 968 | 974 | 1942 |
Asked by: Lord Fearn (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many signal failures there have been on the West Coast Main Line in 2017 to date.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
This an operational matter for Network Rail; the Department for Transport does not hold this information.
Asked by: Lord Fearn (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
Her Majesty's Government how many sea defence areas have been established during the last 10 years in North-West England; and where each such area is located.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The following schemes, resulting in improved protection from flooding and/or erosion for over 20,000 properties, have been, or are currently being, undertaken since 2007 in the North West of England:
Item | Defences | Location | Date |
1 | Morecambe coast protection scheme phases five and six | Lancashire | 2007 |
2 | Crane Wharf tidal river defences | Chester | 2007 |
3 | Thornton-Cleveleys phases two and three coast protection scheme | Wyre | 2008 |
4 | Hesketh Outmarsh West | Lancashire | 2008 |
5 | Lower Lancaster tidal Flood Alleviation Scheme phases one and two | Lancaster | 2009 |
6 | Stanah) sea defence improvements | Poulton-le-Fylde, Wyre | 2009 |
7 | West Kirby coast protection scheme | Wirral | 2009 |
8 | Cleveleys sea defence improvement works phase four | Wyre | 2010 |
9 | River Wyre embankment stabilisation works | Fleetwood, Wyre | 2010 |
10 | Cleveleys groyne works | Wyre | 2010 |
11 | Blackpool Central Area Scheme | Blackpool | 2011 |
12 | Cleveleys beach recharge works | Wyre | 2011 |
13 | Dubb Mill Point highway coast protection works | Allonby, Cumbria | 2011 |
14 | Eskmeals highway coast protection works | Cumbria | 2012 |
15 | Hightown dune restoration works | Sefton | 2012 |
16 | Teal Bay shingle management (groyne) works | Morecambe Lancashire | 2013 |
17 | River Mersey Warrington tidal flood risk management scheme phase 1 | Cheshire | 2013 |
18 | Sunderland Point coast protection works | Lancashire | 2013 |
19 | Whitehaven Harbour emergency works | Cumbria | 2014 |
20 | West Shore Park coast protection scheme | Barrow | 2014 |
21 | Knott End sea defence replacement | Wyre | 2014 |
22 | Starr Hills sand dune management | Blackpool | 2016 |
23 | Anchorsholme coast protection scheme | Blackpool | 2016 |
24 | Hesketh Outmarsh East managed realignment | Lancashire | 2016 |
25 | Rossall coast protection and sea defence scheme phases one and two of three | Lancashire | 2018 |
26 | Morcambe sea defence improvement works | Lancashire | 2019 |
In addition, there are dune restoration programmes on the Fylde Peninsula and the Sefton coast.
Asked by: Lord Fearn (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
Her Majesty's Government how many academies there are in North-West England.
Answered by Lord Nash
As at 1 July 2017 there were 566 academies, free schools, studio schools and University Technical Colleges (UTCs) in the North West region of England. The breakdown of these is as follows:
| North West |
Academy Converter | 361 |
Sponsor Led Academy | 151 |
Free School | 39 |
Studio School | 6 |
UTC | 9 |
Total | 566 |
As at 1 July 2017 there were 6,925 academies, free schools, studio schools and UTCs in England
| England |
Academy Converter | 4,615 |
Sponsor Led Academy | 1,878 |
Free School | 346 |
Studio School | 38 |
UTC | 48 |
Total | 6,925 |
Asked by: Lord Fearn (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Leader of the House how many of the current members of the House of Lords have attended the House on an average of two days per week during full sitting weeks during the last year for which figures are available.
Answered by Lord McFall of Alcluith
We do not keep figures in a way that makes it possible to compare attendance in a weekly pattern without incurring disproportionate cost. A usual sitting week is 4 days long. So a member who attends 50% of sittings would attend an average of about two days per week spread over a year. In the year ended 21 October 2016 there were 535 current members who attended more than 50% of sittings and 275 who attended 50% or fewer sittings. These percentages do not take account of members on leave of absence, suspended from participating in the House or disqualified from sitting in the House.
Asked by: Lord Fearn (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government by how much the Mersey Forest was extended during (1) 2014, (2) 2015 and (3) 2016 to date; and where new woodland was created as part of that forest.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Following a refresh of the Mersey Forest Plan in 2014, a boundary change increased the area of the Mersey Forest by 167 km2 from 1,203 km2 to 1,370 km2, an increase of 13.9%.
The Mersey Forest is supported by Cheshire West and Chester Council, Halton Borough Council, Knowsley Council, Liverpool City Council, Sefton Council, St Helens Council and Warrington Borough Council.
It has reported woodland creation within its boundaries as 17.10ha in the 2013-14 planting season and 25.86ha in the 2014-15 planting season. No figure has been published for the 2015-16 planting season.
The Forest’s web site can be viewed here: www.merseyforest.org.uk/.