Written Statements

Monday 30th November 2015 Written Statements

Monday 30 November 2015

National Reference Test Consultation

Monday 30th November 2015 Written Statements

[The Minister for Schools (Mr Nick Gibb)]

The statement is as follows:

Consultation on arrangements to implement the National Reference Test

Today, 30 November 2015, I am launching a public consultation on the introduction of secondary legislation to require selected schools to take part in the National Reference Test (NRT). The legislation will come into force on 1 September 2016 and the first full NRT will take place in March 2017.

The NRT is the next step in the Government’s reform agenda, which will deliver robust and rigorous qualifications for England’s students. Before 2010, pupils received successively higher grades at GCSE each year, but in international league tables England’s performance stagnated. Ofqual has halted this grade inflation through the use of comparable outcomes.¹

Ofqual is now introducing the NRT which will indicate if GCSE results should change from year to year. Over time, this will provide an additional method of measuring real changes in national performance at GCSE which is distinct from the use of international comparisons such as the PISA study.

This consultation is an opportunity for teachers, parents, pupils, and all those with an interest to provide their views, which will be taken into account when preparing the final legislation.

The National Reference Test

Each year, a different sample of 300 secondary schools, both in the state and independent sectors, will be selected to take part. Random samples of pupils from each selected school will take a test lasting about an hour. About 30 pupils will take the English language test and another 30 will take the mathematics test. Ofqual will publish information about overall test performance each summer when GCSE results are announced. The results will not be used for school accountability purposes and results will not be given to individual pupils. Instead, the NRT will provide Ofqual with additional evidence on year-on-year changes in performance.

Participation in the test will benefit both schools and pupils, as it will help to provide more direct evidence of improving school performance at the national level which can be reflected in the grades that are awarded at GCSE, ensuring higher-attaining cohorts are rewarded.

The proposed legislation would apply to maintained schools. It would also apply to most academies and free schools through an existing provision in their funding agreement that requires them to comply with guidance issued by the Secretary of State in relation to assessments. It would not apply to independent schools although pupils at independent schools will also be asked to take the test to ensure that the sample of pupils that take the test is nationally representative.

¹ For further information, see https://ofqual.blog.gov.uk/2015/08/05/gcse-marking-and-grading/

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Security Industry Authority

Monday 30th November 2015 Written Statements

[The Minister for Policing, Crime and Criminal Justice (Mike Penning)]

The 2014-15 annual report and accounts for the Security Industry Authority are being laid before the House today and published on https://www.gov.uk/.

Copies will be available in the Vote Office.

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Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting: Malta

Monday 30th November 2015 Written Statements

[The Prime Minister (Mr David Cameron)]

I attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Valletta, Malta, between 27 and 28 November. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), who has responsibility for the Commonwealth, Lord Maude, the Minister for Trade and Investment, and Baroness Verma, the Under-Secretary of State for International Development also attended.

Her Majesty the Queen opened the meeting in her role as Head of the Commonwealth. Her Majesty was accompanied by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, and Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.

The Government took office this May with a manifesto commitment to strengthen the Commonwealth’s focus on promoting democratic values and development. I believe firmly that the Commonwealth has unique strengths rooted in its global reach, its diversity and its shared legal systems, language and values. Combined with the 60% of the Commonwealth’s population under 30, these are foundations on which the Commonwealth can build as it takes on the challenges of a modern world.

The challenges have never been greater. This meeting provided an opportunity for leaders to discuss in particular extremism, climate change, the challenges faced by small states and sustainable development. Leaders were united in condemning the recent terrorist atrocities in Paris and elsewhere. They agreed that the Commonwealth has an important role to play in broadening international efforts to counter extremism, including by working through its civil society, youth and education networks to reduce the appeal of poisonous ideologies. To help the Commonwealth to take practical action, I announced that the Government would be committing £1 million each year for five years to establish and run a new Commonwealth unit dedicated to supporting efforts to counter the causes of radicalisation. A number of Commonwealth states face significant challenges and the unit will co-ordinate the sharing of expertise.

I also announced £200,000 of seed funding to expand a recently established European counter-radicalisation youth network to the countries of the Commonwealth. The initiative will support moderate youth voices in their efforts to counter violent extremist messaging.

Heads also met in a special session to discuss climate action. This was timely, coming just ahead of the UN climate conference in Paris. President Hollande, as host to the climate negotiations, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed Heads, as did His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. I spoke to encourage unity and ambition ahead of Paris and to set out UK priorities for a climate deal. Heads adopted a climate action statement setting out what they wanted the Paris climate negotiations to achieve.

I also announced a number of practical initiatives demonstrating UK support for the Commonwealth’s small island developing states, many of which are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and have a major stake in the Paris conference. The initiatives I announced include £20 million to allow more small island states to access disaster risk insurance and to aid disaster risk contingency planning. I also pledged £5.6 million of technical assistance to help small island states develop their maritime economies, and a further £1 million for expert assistance to access development finance. I also highlighted: up to £400,000 from existing budgetary contributions to support a new Commonwealth climate finance access hub; UK support for a new working group within the Commonwealth to identify ways to lever private sector investment for green projects; and £50,000 to the Commonwealth small states offices in New York and Geneva.

Heads also observed, in line with the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, that good governance and respect for the rule of law are vital for stable and prosperous societies, as well as for efficient, effective and accountable public institutions. At the Foreign Ministers’ meeting, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs encouraged the Commonwealth, with its record of support for judicial independence, legislative capacity building and election monitoring, to make a strong contribution to goal 16. I also chaired a side meeting on anti-corruption, which provided welcome momentum ahead of the UK’s anti-corruption summit in 2016. Heads agreed to strengthen efforts to tackle corruption including through increased transparency and co-ordination between law enforcement agencies.

On the wider values agenda, Heads resolved, through the communiqué, to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms and to support the empowerment of women and girls. I spoke about the importance of the Commonwealth seeking to narrow its divisions on LGB&T issues and announced UK support for reconciliation and human rights in Sri Lanka, as part of a £6.6 million wider programme of support. I was also pleased, in this regard, to note that Northern Ireland will take on chairmanship of the Commonwealth Forum on National Human Rights Institutions, with our support. I welcomed the report of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) and the decision to put the Maldives under formal consideration, and to visit there in early 2016. The Commonwealth has an important role to play in helping its members adhere to its values. It is vital for the organisation’s integrity that it acts to uphold the values and principles of its charter.

I am grateful to Baroness Verma for attending the first ever Commonwealth Women’s Forum and for chairing a session on LGB&T issues at the pre-CHOGM People’s Forum, where she urged the Commonwealth to do more to defend LGB&T rights.

On business and trade, Heads agreed to advance global trade negotiations and in particular ratify the WTO trade facilitation agreement. Lord Maude and Mr Swire both spoke at the Commonwealth Business Forum. Mr Swire also spoke at an event to mark the Magna Carta’s presence in Malta, as well as an event to highlight the progress made to eradicate polio—where he drew attention to the UK’s £300 million contribution to the global polio eradication initiative since 2013. He also attended an event with Commonwealth scholarships alumni.

I congratulate Baroness Scotland on her appointment as Secretary-General. The UK wanted the strongest possible candidate to steer the Commonwealth through reform, to ensure that it has a voice on the most pressing global challenges and to unite its members behind the values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. I believe Baroness Scotland is the right person to do that and look forward to working with her in the years ahead.

Finally, leaders agreed the UK’s offer to host the next CHOGM in 2018, and welcomed Malaysia’s offer to host in 2020. In hosting CHOGM, I believe that we can build on the excellent progress made in Malta to continue to increase the Commonwealth’s stock and standing in the world.

Attachments can be viewed online at: http://www. parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2015-11-30/HCWS341/ .

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Fuel Tank Compliance

Monday 30th November 2015 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Andrew Jones)]

Further to the written statement given by the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Devizes (Claire Perry), 18 December 2014, Official Report, column 139, the Department for Transport has continued to work with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and industry to resolve an issue with fuel tankers manufactured and incorrectly certified in South Africa. Following a detailed investigation these tankers were found not to be in full compliance with internationally agreed regulations—the European Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road or the ADR.

Since the previous statement, around 60 new replacement tankers have entered into service, reducing the number that are not in full compliance to about 70 tankers, all built after the middle of 2010.

During this time the Department for Transport commissioned further research of around £0.5 million, the outcome of which, published today on the Department’s website https://www.gov.uk/dft, found no reason to extend further the use of the 70 tankers, which are to be withdrawn by 31 December 2015 as planned.

The research has also shown that improvements could be made to the international regulations and the standards referred to therein to enhance the safety of fuel tankers in the event of a collision or rollover incident. The Department is already developing proposals with other European countries, and working with HSE and the industry to prevent any similar issues of non-compliance.

In addition, the research, in going beyond the scope of the normal inspections required by legislation, found a fuel tanker properly certified in the UK to contain defects of a lesser significance than those in the tankers found not to be in full compliance with regulations. A full scale test of the tanker undertaken during the research found that the safety of the tanker was not compromised by these defects, which due to the research are being addressed by the manufacturer.

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HS2 and the Northern Powerhouse

Monday 30th November 2015 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr Patrick McLoughlin)]

The statement is as follows.

HS2 and the northern powerhouse

Good strategic transport links are central to the success of our country. This Government, more than any before, committed to making sure we have the infrastructure we need to deliver economic growth and rebalance the country’s economy, not just in the immediate future, but for the long term.

I am therefore making announcements today on how transport is continuing to deliver the northern powerhouse through HS2 and the northern transport strategy.



HS2

HS2 is a key part of the future of our country’s railways. Last week’s spending review announcement confirmed the Government’s commitment to the scheme. This is a big step forward for HS2 and the creation of a northern powerhouse. This gives funding certainty to HS2. It also gives more certainty to the towns and cities that would be served by HS2 that they can plan for its arrival, and to the private sector that there will be future investment opportunities.

HS2 will not be a separate, standalone railway. It will be the new backbone of our national rail network, with HS2 services running from London and Birmingham to cities in the north of England including Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle and on to Scotland. It will not only deliver significant journey time savings, but also much needed additional capacity and increased connectivity. Private sector companies will be able to bid to run HS2 services, and will also be able to use this capacity to offer a wider range of services.

We are making good progress with HS2 phase 1, from London to Birmingham. The hybrid Bill for this part of the railway is proceeding through Parliament and we are aiming to achieve Royal Assent by the end of 2016, so that construction can begin in 2017.

In his reports, “HS2 Plus” (March 2014) and “Rebalancing Britain” (October 2014), Sir David Higgins recommended that we seek to build the section of the route to Crewe more quickly to deliver further benefits to the North sooner. We agree that we should realise the benefits of HS2 as soon as possible. I am therefore announcing today my decision on the section of the route from Fradley in the West Midlands to Crewe, now referred to as “phase 2a”. We intend to accelerate phase 2a so that it opens six years earlier than planned, in 2027. This will bring more capacity and faster HS2 services to the north west of England, including Crewe, Liverpool, Manchester and Scotland much sooner than originally planned. Our plans will help to support growth and deliver jobs more quickly.

Powers to build this section of the route will be sought through a separate hybrid Bill which I intend to introduce to Parliament in 2017. HS2 Ltd has now procured professional services consultants (PSCs), for the purposes of supporting the hybrid Bill development.

In the light of my decision on the HS2 route from the West Midlands to Crewe, I am also today issuing safeguarding directions for that part of the route, having considered responses to the November 2014 consultation on this. The directions will ensure that new developments in this corridor do not affect the ability to build or operate phase 2a or lead to excessive additional costs. Safeguarding also triggers the statutory blight regime. Qualifying owner occupiers whose property is within the safeguarded zone will have the right to ask the Government to buy their property by serving a blight notice. We are committed to assisting people affected by HS2. All those living within the safeguarding zone will receive a letter informing them about potential entitlements. I am also today launching a consultation on a wider package of assistance measures for owner occupiers, which go well beyond what we are required to do by law, for those living along this section of the route, as we have already done for phase 1.

We set out our initial preferred route for phase 2 of HS2 in January 2013 and later that year conducted a public consultation exercise seeking the public’s views on the route. Today, we have published the independent analysis by Ipsos MORI of all the responses to the 2013 phase 2 route consultation. My route decision on Phase 2a takes account of the consultation responses regarding that section of the route; and the Command Paper also responds to the cross-cutting issues raised.

We continue to progress plans for the rest of the HS2 Phase Two route. I welcome the way local authorities, most recently those in Leeds, the Northern Gateway Partnership and the East Midlands, have come together to support HS2 plans in their areas. Further work is needed on the remainder of the Phase Two route before a decision can be taken. I intend to make a decision in autumn 2016, but today I can update the House on my thinking as follows:

Leeds: We have now received Sir David Higgins’ report on Leeds station, which is also published today. It recommends an integrated design for the HS2 station, while maintaining a southerly route into the city. I am minded to agree with Sir David’s proposal.

South Yorkshire: Sheffield Meadowhall was the Government’s preferred station location in the phase 2 route consultation. The evidence continues to suggest that this is likely to be the best way of serving the wider South Yorkshire region and we are working with the National Infrastructure Commission and Transport for the North on the possible interfaces with northern powerhouse rail. However, we acknowledge there are arguments in favour of a city centre location and continue to examine relevant analysis.

East Midlands: Sir David Higgins has confirmed that HS2 Ltd recommends a hub station should be located at Toton. Toton is also supported by the East Midlands local authorities who are united behind this proposed location. The Government therefore continues to support Toton as the best location for an East Midlands hub. Last week the Chancellor announced growth funding to allow the area to start its planning for HS2. Part of this will be released this year, and the remainder would be released when a decision is made.

Manchester: Manchester Piccadilly continues to look like the right location for HS2’s Manchester terminus. To maximise its potential to support economic growth in the region, it will be important to ensure effective co-ordination with the development of northern powerhouse rail to transform east-west links across the north of England. We are continuing our work through Transport for the North, and with the National Infrastructure Commission, to explore synergies and integration between the schemes, in order to develop the right rail infrastructure that delivers growth across the whole of the north of England.

We also remain of the view that a Manchester Airport station is likely to be the right option, subject to agreeing an appropriate third party funding contribution to the costs.

In 2014, Sir David Higgins recommended that HS2 serve a north-west hub station at Crewe. While I am not taking decisions on Crewe hub today, I do support the vision for a Crewe hub. Work is ongoing. I intend to make further announcements in 2016, and any Crewe hub scheme will be subject to consultation. To support the work that the Northern Gateway Partnership is doing to develop growth and regeneration plans ahead of a decision I am releasing part of this funding this year.

I have asked HS2 Ltd to explore options for how we might best serve Stoke and Macclesfield, including through classic compatible trains via Handsacre Junction. Handsacre Junction is part of phase 1 and will allow HS2 trains to serve Stafford.

Scotland will benefit from reduced journey times as soon as phase 1 opens, 3 hours 56 minutes from London to Glasgow, compared with a typical journey time of 4 hours 31 minutes at present. Accelerating delivery of phase 2a between the West Midlands and Crewe will further reduce the journey time from London to Glasgow to 3 hours 43 minutes. The full “Y” network will provide faster services from London to both Glasgow, 3 hours 38 minutes and Edinburgh, 3 hours 39 minutes. The UK Government and the Scottish Government are working closely together to consider options to further reduce journey times. We hope to make a statement on the next steps in the new year.

I have not taken any decision on the remainder of the phase 2 route. We will respond in full to consultation responses relating to the rest of the phase 2 route when a route decision is taken in 2016.

Copies of the Command Paper: “High Speed Two: East and West - The next steps to Crewe and beyond” and other accompanying documents have been made available in the libraries of both Houses and can be found on the Department’s website at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hs2-phase-two-from-the-west-midlands-to-leeds-and-manchester

The cost of HS2 has not changed since the spending review 2013. The spending review 2015 confirmed an overall budget of £55.7 billion in 2015 prices. This is consistent with the £50.1billion, in 2011 prices, set in 2013, but has been uprated to take account of inflation.

Transport for the North and the Northern Transport Strategy

Today, jointly with Transport for the North, we are publishing a progress report on the northern transport strategy, which includes updates on our progress across the full range of the strategy, including international connectivity, freight, smart and integrated ticketing, strategic roads and northern powerhouse rail. The fast, frequent, reliable and comfortable rail service we plan will underpin the northern powerhouse economy. Copies of the report “The Northern Transport Strategy: Autumn Report” have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and can be found on the Department’s website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ department-for-transport

The Government have also taken steps to support the development of Transport for the North as an organisation that represents the whole of the north of England and can speak to Government with one voice on the region’s transport priorities.

Last week’s spending review committed £50 million of funding over this Parliament to help Transport for the North drive forward plans to transform the north’s transport links and build a single regional economy.

Today, I am delighted to announce, jointly with Transport for the North, the appointment of John Cridland as the new independent Chair of the Transport for the North Partnership Board. Together with his Chief Executive, David Brown, John Cridland will have the responsibility for delivering the northern transport strategy, working closely in partnership with Lord Adonis and the National Infrastructure Commission.

Following advice from the National Infrastructure Commission in March 2016, schemes such as northern powerhouse rail will have access to a brand new £300 million national transport development fund.

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