Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions his Department has had with LINK on the interchange rate for ATMs.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government recognises that widespread access to cash remains extremely important to the day-to-day lives of many consumers and businesses in the UK. Government is continuing to engage with the regulators and industry, including LINK, on this issue.
LINK has cancelled its third interchange fee reduction, due in January 2020, and put on hold its fourth reduction, due in January 2021, pending further review.
The Payment Systems Regulator, who regulates LINK, has welcomed these adjustments, having stated that LINK must carefully review its decisions on interchange fees to reflect changing market conditions.
Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, where the new University Enterprise Zones announced in Budget 2018 will be; and by what process that decision was reached.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Government announced £5m towards University Enterprise Zones in the Budget. The locations of these have not yet been decided. The process for awarding funding is currently being developed by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the new business rates relief announced in Budget 2018 on local authority finances.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The Budget confirmed that local government will be fully compensated for the loss of income that results from changes to business rates announced in the Budget.
Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether local authorities that see a reduction in funding as a result of the change to business rates will receive additional funding from central Government.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The Budget confirmed that local government will be fully compensated for the loss of income that results from changes to business rates announced in the Budget.
Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what financial support further education and sixth form colleges receive for students who entered the UK via the Syrian Children's Resettlement Scheme.
Answered by Anne Milton
The government considers refugees, who entered the UK via the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme or the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme, eligible for funding on the same basis for 16-19 study programmes as all other eligible students.
In addition, the department provides a number of financial support programmes for economically disadvantaged 16 to 19 year olds, in particular the 16-19 bursary fund, to help with the education related costs associated with staying in post-16 education such as travel and course equipment. These programmes aim to enable 16 to 19 year olds to participate whatever their financial situation, and are available to refugee students who meet the qualifying criteria for each scheme.
Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) sixth forms and (b) further education colleges in the provision of education for refugees.
Answered by Anne Milton
Refugee students are eligible for funding, and they are funded on the same basis as all other 16 to 19 eligible students.
The 16 to 19 funding arrangements for school and college places include an element of disadvantage funding. This element of the funding is for providers to attract, retain and support disadvantaged students and to support students with lower-level special educational needs and disabilities. Disadvantage funding is provided to institutions either for students with low prior attainment or for students who live in the most disadvantaged areas, and refugee students may attract this funding. In the 2018/19 academic year, we have allocated around £510 million to 16 to 19 institutions to provide extra support for disadvantaged students.
In addition, the department provides a number of financial support programmes for economically disadvantaged 16 to 19 year olds. This support aims to help with the education-related costs associated with staying in post-16 education such as travel and course equipment. These programmes aim to enable 16 to 19 year olds to participate in education regardless of their financial situation. They are available to refugee students who meet the qualifying criteria for each scheme.
Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what financial support his Department provides to (a) further education colleges and (b) sixth forms for enrolled refugee students.
Answered by Anne Milton
Refugee students are eligible for funding, and they are funded on the same basis as all other 16 to 19 eligible students.
The 16 to 19 funding arrangements for school and college places include an element of disadvantage funding. This element of the funding is for providers to attract, retain and support disadvantaged students and to support students with lower-level special educational needs and disabilities. Disadvantage funding is provided to institutions either for students with low prior attainment or for students who live in the most disadvantaged areas, and refugee students may attract this funding. In the 2018/19 academic year, we have allocated around £510 million to 16 to 19 institutions to provide extra support for disadvantaged students.
In addition, the department provides a number of financial support programmes for economically disadvantaged 16 to 19 year olds. This support aims to help with the education-related costs associated with staying in post-16 education such as travel and course equipment. These programmes aim to enable 16 to 19 year olds to participate in education regardless of their financial situation. They are available to refugee students who meet the qualifying criteria for each scheme.
Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish a list of properties in Stoke-on-Trent that were considered as alternative locations for the Stoke-on-Trent Reporting Centre.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Our estates partners were commissioned to identify an alternative site for reporting functions in Stoke that provided adequate access to the public, security and accommodation that would enable us to provide a good level of service to the reporting population. Our partners were unable to locate any such suitable premises in the local area.
Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what length of journey to a reporting centre is deemed to be reasonable by the Home Office.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Individuals subject to reporting can be required to attend the nearest reporting centre or other specified location, including police stations, to their home address.
There is no upper limit to the distance which an individual may be required to travel in order to attend their nearest reporting centre. When deciding reporting conditions the Home Office will give due consideration to the young, elderly and those with medical issues and the potential impact of frequent travel over long distances which is considered to involve in excess of 2 hours’ journey time each way.
Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what options were considered when taking the decision to close the Stoke reporting and offender management centre.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The Home Office have been unable to find a suitable location in Stoke for staff and the reporting population so utilised police stations. Staffordshire Police have subsequently rationalised their estate and could not provide the Home Office with accommodation to conduct the full range of functions required.
In the absence of any suitable accommodation in the area, which also took into account security, safety of signers and staff, the reporting function was moved to Manchester reporting centre.