Asked by: Amy Callaghan (Scottish National Party - East Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his timetable is for notifying organisations on whether their application to the Turing scheme has been successful.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
The Turing Scheme will provide funding for more than 40,000 participants from schools, colleges and universities to study and work across the globe during the 2021-22 academic year. 48% of these opportunities will be for disadvantaged participants.
Turing Scheme assessors received training early this year in preparation for bid assessment. The team that is processing applications and subsequent projects will receive ongoing training to support the delivery of the scheme.
All assessments on applications have been completed. All applicants have now been notified of the outcome of their application. A list of all funded organisations in higher education, further education and schools, as well as all destinations countries and territories, can be found on the Turing Scheme website at: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/project-community/funding-results/.
Asked by: Amy Callaghan (Scottish National Party - East Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether staff working for the Turing Scheme delivery partner continue to be in receipt of training on the processing and assessment of applications to the Turing Scheme.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
The Turing Scheme will provide funding for more than 40,000 participants from schools, colleges and universities to study and work across the globe during the 2021-22 academic year. 48% of these opportunities will be for disadvantaged participants.
Turing Scheme assessors received training early this year in preparation for bid assessment. The team that is processing applications and subsequent projects will receive ongoing training to support the delivery of the scheme.
All assessments on applications have been completed. All applicants have now been notified of the outcome of their application. A list of all funded organisations in higher education, further education and schools, as well as all destinations countries and territories, can be found on the Turing Scheme website at: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/project-community/funding-results/.
Asked by: Amy Callaghan (Scottish National Party - East Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment the Commission has made of the risk of covid-19 spreading in the House as a result of hon. Members and staff not wearing face coverings.
Answered by Pete Wishart - SNP Deputy Westminster Leader
The Commission is led by the current Government advice on the use of face masks and coverings.
The Covid Planning Group has assessed the potential merits of wearing face coverings. It considered the advice from Public Health England (PHE) which states that face coverings may be beneficial in places where it is hard to follow and maintain social distancing measures, e.g. on public transport. PHE advised that the only work on the estate that requires face masks for protection against the coronavirus is undertaken by the occupational health team. Face coverings are available for the security team to wear if they wish, whilst processing a person through search and screening, but they are not an essential risk control.
Face coverings are not a replacement for social distancing and regular handwashing which remain the most important actions. As hon. Members and staff can maintain social distancing and have easy access to handwashing facilities or hand sanitiser, it was concluded that face coverings were not necessary, though of course Members and staff are free to wear masks should they wish to.