Asked by: Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether construction budgets for studio schools include the cost of specialist teaching equipment related to the school's specialism.
Answered by Edward Timpson
Where appropriate, construction budgets for studio schools includes additional funding for specialist equipment but such funding is only provided in exceptional circumstances where equipment to support a school specialism is particularly high-cost and essential to curriculum delivery.
Asked by: Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the total annual average cost to the public purse of employing a school nurse.
Answered by Priti Patel
Approximately 1200 school nurses are employed by the NHS, and in 2013-14, the estimated average paybill per full time equivalent (FTE) school nurse was £41,061. This includes earnings plus the costs of employer pension and national insurance contributions.
Asked by: Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of whether Hamas has misused humanitarian aid.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We are not aware of reports that aid intended for humanitarian projects, such as rebuilding homes of Gazans, has been misused by Hamas. The UK has recently invested £0.5million in the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism (GRM), specifically a Materials Monitoring Unit, to ensure that any reconstruction materials made available to Gazans to repair their homes are closely tied to an assessment of needs and subjected to rigorous spot checks. This will safeguard against the risk of building materials being diverted towards building tunnels. The GRM was established in November as a temporary and tripartite arrangement between the UN, Palestinian Authority and Government of Israel. Through the mechanism, 700 Gazans have been able to purchase much needed construction material in order to start the rehabilitation of their homes.
Asked by: Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of a potential equity gap in UK venture capital sector.
Answered by Matt Hancock
I have asked the British Business Bank to publish its analysis of equity finance available to UK small business before the end of the year, which will include analysis on UK venture capital. The Department also published an economics paper in January 2012 on SME access to finance, which summarized the evidence at that time about the equity gap in UK venture capital. The paper is available at the following web address: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/32263/12-539-sme-access-external-finance.pdf
Asked by: Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to involve employers in devising vocational education; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Boles
Employers now have a vital role to play in designing and endorsing qualifications. From this September, ‘Employer recognition’ is required if a qualification is to count in school or college performance tables.
Asked by: Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the accountability of parish councils and their administration of burial plots.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
There has been no such recent assessment of the accountability of parish councils and their administration of burial plots. The underlying statutory duties for local (burial) authorities are outlined in the Local Authorities Cemeteries Order 1977. The associated guidance is overseen by the Ministry for Justice and is available at:
www.justice.govuk/downloads/burials-and-coroners/burial-ground-managers.pdf
Asked by: Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to ensure that superfast broadband is available for temporary construction sites as well as completed dwellings.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
Property developers and communications providers recognise the importance of superfast broadband provision in new builds, and that consumers' expectation is that these services will be available on the day they move in. DCMS, with the Department for Communities and Local Government, is working with house builders and communications providers to ensure that newly built residential properties have access to fixed line superfast broadband. For temporary construction sites, where it is not possible to provide fixed line services because of time constraints, wireless and satellite options are available.
Asked by: Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the motivation of Hamas in kidnapping three Israeli teenagers on 12 June 2014.
Answered by Hugh Robertson
We have made no assessment on this issue. We are encouraging Israel to continue to work with the Palestinian Authority in order to find the perpetrators. We will look very closely at any information about who is responsible.
Asked by: Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the adherence of Hamas to the Quartet Principles.
Answered by Hugh Robertson
The UK does not talk to Hamas. It remains the Government's position that Hamas must adhere to the Quartet Principles, by renouncing violence, recognising Israel, and accepting previously signed agreements. To date, 02 July, they have not.