Stephen Mosley

We are actively promoting female role models on our new ‘Women in Enterprise’ web page (http://www.greatbusiness.gov.uk/women-in-enterprise/ ) and as part of our Great Business campaign. We have invested £1.9m in the Get Mentoring project, which recruited and trained over 6000 mentors to specifically support female entrepreneurs. We announced earlier this month that we would build on this programme by holding a series of ‘Meet a Mentor’ events for women in venues across the UK.

I regularly discuss with ministerial colleagues the Government’s commitment to the protection and advancement of women’s rights both domestically and overseas. In the summer we hosted two global events – a summit with a focus on preventing sexual violence in conflict which generated strong international support; and a girl summit. The Girl Summit brought together a range of international stakeholders to accelerate momentum in tackling child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation and to rally a global movement to end the practices everywhere within a generation.

We are also strong supporters of a stand-alone goal on gender equality and women’s empowerment in the post-2015 development framework.

The attached table provides the headcount number and percentage of all regular teachers in service in primary schools in each constituency in England with a degree in a science subject in November 2013. This is the latest information available.

The requested information is provided in the following table.

The table below gives the number and proportion of pupils who achieved at least eight full GCSEs (GCSE and equivalents) at B grade or above in (a) City of Chester constituency and (b) Cheshire West and Chester council area in (i) 2009 and (ii) 2013. A national figure has been included as an appropriate comparator.

On November 4^th, we published the National Pollinator Strategy, a 10 year plan to help pollinators thrive involving farmers, major landowners and the public. Bees and other pollinators are vital for our £100bn food chain and are worth £400m to the economy.

We have made strong progress in cleaning up our rivers. They are now in far better health than 20 years ago. For example, pollution from sewage works has gone down significantly; phosphate pollution will fall by a further fifth and ammonia by a further sixth by 2015. Overall, this government has improved over 15,000 kilometres of rivers – equivalent to the length of the Amazon and Nile combined – but we know more needs to be done.

Biodiversity policy is a devolved matter. In England, our Biodiversity 202 strategy includes a wide range of policies aimed at protecting, restoring and creating wildlife habitats, and halting the decline in plant and animal species. Central to delivering this ambition are our agri-environment schemes, which help farmers to manage their land in an environmentally friendly way. Over £3.1 billion will be spent on environmental objectives under our schemes between 2014 and 2020.

Since December 2013, over half a million refugees have fled South Sudan to Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda. £58.9 million has been committed by my Department to support these refugees through provision of nutrition, water, medical services and protection. We continue to closely monitor the situation.

Almost half a million South Sudanese refugees have fled from the conflict in South Sudan to Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda. £42.5 million has been committed by my Department for support to these refugees through UN agencies and we are closely monitoring the situation.

The UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) is currently monitoring the ceasefire and humanitarian situation in Western Sahara which is stable at present. There remain large numbers of refugees from the Western Sahara in refugee camps in Algeria, and humanitarian agencies report high levels of malnutrition among the refugee population.

The UK provides protection and support to refugees in Algeria through its core contributions to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

A number of routes in the North West are in the process of being electrified.

Network Rail is considering potential projects for the next funding Control Period through the refresh of its national electrification Route Utilisation Strategy.

Final decisions on further schemes will take into account the recommendations of the Task Force of northern MPs and Council Leaders set up to explore the priorities for future electrification in the North.

The Secretary of State would be happy to discuss these matters with the Secretary of State for Wales when they next meet.

We regularly receive reports on the human rights situation in Western Sahara from a number of sources including the Moroccan National Human Rights Council, UN Special Rapporteurs, international human rights organisations and civil society groups.

We have no plans to introduce new regulations at this stage. Gold, unlike scrap metal such as lead, is sold through many different outlets including antique shops, jewellers, pawnbrokers and shops offering cash for goods. Any new regulation would potentially be both complex and expensive to implement and enforce.

The crime prevention panel that we have set up in the Home Office is looking at new ways to prevent the theft of gold. This includes a review of an existing voluntary code of practice on the sale of gold that has been developed by police in collaboration with the National Pawnbrokers Association, the British Jewellers’ Association, the National Association of Goldsmiths and others.
Shops signing up to this code of practice agree to follow a number of guidelines, including asking for proof of identity when gold is offered for sale and maintaining detailed records of goods purchased. We expect this work to be completed in early 2015.

The Ministry of Defence supports the Department for International Development led effort in Sierra Leone. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence, has just returned from Sierra Leone where he has seen for himself the great work being undertaken by the Ministry of Defence to assist those affected by the outbreak.

We have deployed around 1,200 personnel over the last six months which represents our largest current overseas deployment and the second largest contribution to the fight against Ebola after the US.

We have overseen the construction of six Treatment Centres to deliver specialist care to Ebola patients, one of which – Kerrytown – includes a specialist unit staffed and managed by UK military personnel; we have constructed an Ebola Training Academy and trained over 4,000 local nationals in a variety of Ebola related roles; we have deployed the extremely capable RFA ARGUS and its three Merlin helicopters to increase our logistical capability; and we have engaged widely with our international partners to ensure the response in West Africa is – as it should be – a global effort.

Of the £160 billon ten year investment that will be detailed in the Equipment Plan, £70 billion is investment in new equipment, funding cutting edge capabilities such as the new aircraft carriers, Astute class submarines, the Type 26 Frigates, the F35 Joint Strike Fighter, the A400M Atlas transport aircraft and the Scout armoured vehicle.

This information relates to a devolved matter and is not held by the UK Government. I have therefore written to the Minister for Education and Skills in the Welsh Government seeking the information requested.

I will write to the hon Gentleman when further information is received, and place a copy in the Library of the House.

This information relates to a devolved matter and is not held by the UK Government. I have therefore written to the Minister for Education and Skills in the Welsh Government seeking the information requested.

I will write to the hon Gentleman when further information is received, and place a copy in the Library of the House.