Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy not to amend the (a) status of existing grammar schools and (b) right of local areas to operate academic selection.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
There are 163 grammar schools in England that are located across 35 local authority areas. The government does not plan to allow any new grammar schools to open nor to legislate to remove the right of existing grammar schools to select by ability.
Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have met (i) Dale Vince and (ii) representatives of Ecotricity since 5 July 2024.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Details of Ministers’ and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
Published declarations include the purpose of the meeting and the names of any additional external organisations or individuals in attendance.
Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate her Department has made of the percentage of designated Green Belt in each constituency to be re-classified Grey Belt under the changes proposed to the National Planning Policy Framework.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In our consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, it was suggested that grey belt land be defined as Green Belt land which makes a limited contribution to the Green Belt’s purposes, as set out in paragraph 143 of the current NPPF.
The government is proposing that assessments of what land is identified as grey belt be undertaken by local planning authorities themselves, informed by relevant guidance. As such, the Department is unable to provide the estimate requested.
Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the decision to stop implementation of the Higher Education (Free Speech) Act 2023, whether she received representations that informed that decision (a) on the potential impact of that Act on universities' (i) operations and (ii) revenues in non-democratic states and (b) from academics or academic groups on matters relating to academic freedoms; and if she will publish the (A) minutes of meetings and (B) written representations received relating to that matter.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The decision to pause the implementation of the Higher Education (Free Speech) Act 2023 took account of views from across the higher education (HE) sector, including universities and academics, who felt that the Act is disproportionate, burdensome and damaging to the welfare of students and that it would expose HE providers to costly legal action, and that the fear of sanction could push providers to overlook the safety and wellbeing of minority groups.
The government does not routinely publish details of meetings and correspondence that inform policy making, as this risks undermining the ability of Ministers to hear free-spoken views.
Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of violent disorder cases were heard by (a) district judges and (b) lay magistrates in August.
Answered by Heidi Alexander - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department will take steps to support children who receive bursaries and scholarships at independent schools who are adversely affected by the introduction of VAT on such schools.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is not expecting these changes to have a significant effect on bursaries across the private school sector as a whole. The department expects that charitable schools across the UK will want to continue to demonstrate wider public benefit through the provision of means-tested bursaries and through partnerships with state-funded schools after these changes are made.
Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to provide trade unions with a role on the board of GB Energy.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As stated in Great British Energy’s Founding Statement, trade unions will have a voice and representation within Great British Energy. When deciding upon the composition of the board, GBE will follow best practice in its governance and structures, including around its relationships and engagement with trade unions and its workforce.
Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what his policy is on the potential creation of new unabated gas power plants.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
To ensure security of supply, the electricity system requires generating capacity that can dispatch power in the event of high peak demand, unexpected outage or during periods of low renewable output. As we transition to clean power the government will work with the private sector to ensure flexible technologies such as hydrogen, long duration electricity storage and power with carbon capture and storage are deployed. Unabated gas will increasingly move to a backup role as low carbon alternatives deploy. We will continue to develop our strategy to enable a transition away from unabated gas whilst maintaining security of supply.
Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have met with the owners of the Grangemouth oil refinery.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Details of Ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to extend the lifetime of existing unabated gas power stations.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
To ensure security of supply, the electricity system requires generating capacity that can dispatch power in the event of high peak demand, unexpected outage or during periods of low renewable output. As we transition to clean power the government will work with the private sector to ensure flexible technologies such as hydrogen, long duration electricity storage and power with carbon capture and storage are deployed. We will continue to utilise unabated gas generating capacity, which will increasingly move to a backup role as low carbon alternatives deploy. TheGovernment is considering the policies required to maintain security of supply.