Asked by: Gerry Sutcliffe (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of community schools in England have made their sports facilities available to members of the public outside school hours in each of the last five years.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Department for Education does not collect data on the number of community schools that have made their sports facilities available to members of the public outside of school hours. Schools are not required to report to the Department on how they use their sports facilities.
Asked by: Gerry Sutcliffe (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers at local authority community schools have achieved Learning Outside the Classroom accreditation in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by David Laws
The Learning Outside the Classroom accreditation is run by an independent organisation. The Department for Education does not collect information on which schools have achieved the accreditation or quality mark. Decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rightly rest with schools, individual teachers and heads, as they are in the best position to make judgements about their requirements to help their pupils achieve good outcomes.
Asked by: Gerry Sutcliffe (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2014 to Question 210574, what assessment his Department has undertaken to ensure that the Colombian army units receiving British military training have not committed and will not commit human rights abuses against Colombian civilians.
Answered by Mark Francois
Ministry of Defence (MOD) has clear guidelines in place to ensure that Colombian army units receiving British military training have not and will not commit human rights abuses against civilians. This includes carrying out Overseas Security and Justice Assistance assessments where applicable and liaising with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to ensure MOD's activity is in line with our international obligations. In addition we make regular representations to the Colombian government on human rights, reflecting the UK's deep commitment in this area. The former Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) and the Deputy Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr Clegg) both raised human rights with President Santos during their separate visits to Colombia in February 2014. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) also raised human rights with the Colombian government when he visited in June 2014. In all meetings the President's commitment to zero tolerance of human rights abuses was welcomed while also underlining the importance of taking action on threats to human rights defenders and trade unionists.
Asked by: Gerry Sutcliffe (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many hours of physical education training trainee teachers received in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by David Laws
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Gerry Sutcliffe (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pupils in England attended a residential outdoors education experience in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department for Education does not collect information on the number of pupils’ attending residential outdoors education experiences.
Asked by: Gerry Sutcliffe (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of pupils in England who have participated in outdoor school trips in each year since 2005.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department for Education does not collect information on the number of pupils’ participating in outdoor school trips.
Asked by: Gerry Sutcliffe (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the beneficial effects of the additional cycling activity generated as a result of the Cycle to Work scheme.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Department has not assessed the beneficial effects of the cycle to work scheme because the Department does not collect date on the uptake of the scheme. The Cycle to Work Scheme is an employee benefit covered by an exemption and therefore employers do not have to make an annual tax return regarding the benefit. The Government would like to see an increase in the numbers of people cycling and the number of trips made by bicycle as it is an environmentally friendly and healthy way to get around. The Government actively encourages sustainable travel including cycling to work, and works with local authorities and other stakeholders to ensure that the government’s sustainable transport objectives are met.
The Department has not assessed the beneficial effects of the Cycle to Work Scheme because the Scheme is administered by the Cycle to Work Alliance. The Alliance has published a number of research reports, based on extensive surveys of users that have focused on the sustainable transport and public health contribution of the scheme. The reports are available on their website as follows: www.cycletoworkalliance.org.uk.
Asked by: Gerry Sutcliffe (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will estimate how much of the PE and sport premium for primary schools has been spent on external providers since that scheme began.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Department for Education cannot provide an accurate estimate of how much of the physical education (PE) and sport premium schools have spent on external providers since funding began in 2013 because schools are not required to provide a breakdown of their spending to the Department.
Independent research has found that 67% of schools have used the premium to employ a new sports coach. 70% of schools reported making changes to staff who deliver curricular PE lessons. There has also been an increase in the number of schools employing specialist teachers from 22% to 54%.
Asked by: Gerry Sutcliffe (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the effect on public health and (b) other effects of increases in the number of people cycling as a result of the Cycle to Work scheme.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Department has not assessed the beneficial effects of the cycle to work scheme because the Department does not collect date on the uptake of the scheme. The Cycle to Work Scheme is an employee benefit covered by an exemption and therefore employers do not have to make an annual tax return regarding the benefit. The Government would like to see an increase in the numbers of people cycling and the number of trips made by bicycle as it is an environmentally friendly and healthy way to get around. The Government actively encourages sustainable travel including cycling to work, and works with local authorities and other stakeholders to ensure that the government’s sustainable transport objectives are met.
The Department has not assessed the beneficial effects of the Cycle to Work Scheme because the Scheme is administered by the Cycle to Work Alliance. The Alliance has published a number of research reports, based on extensive surveys of users that have focused on the sustainable transport and public health contribution of the scheme. The reports are available on their website as follows: www.cycletoworkalliance.org.uk.
Asked by: Gerry Sutcliffe (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers held the status of specialist primary school physical education teacher in each of the last two years.
Answered by David Laws
The information requested is not collected centrally.