Tania Mathias

Interest rates on student loans vary according to a number of factors, including a borrower's level of earnings, and whether they remain in contact with the Student Loans Company to ensure they are repaying when they are eligible to do so.

The maximum interest rate for the post-2012 system is the Retail Price Index (RPI) figure plus 3%. The maximum rate applies whilst the borrower is studying; is the maximum interest rate for those borrowers earning £41,000 and over; and is the default interest rate for those borrowers who fail to keep in touch with the Student Loans Company.

Once a borrower is due to repay, a variable rate of interest will be charged, which is dependent upon income. Borrowers with an income of £21,000 or less will accrue interest at RPI. For a borrower with income greater than £21,000, a real rate of interest will be tapered in, reaching a maximum of RPI plus 3% at an income of £41,000 or more.

The basis on which Chinese companies will invest in the Hinkley Point C project is set out in the strategic investor agreement agreed between EDF and CGN in October. The terms of this agreement are a matter for EDF.

Operators of new nuclear power stations are required to have a Funded Decommissioning Programme (FDP) approved by the Secretary of State before nuclear related construction can begin. The FDP sets out how a new nuclear operator will make secure financial provision for decommissioning their power station and managing and disposing of its waste without recourse to the taxpayer.

Operators of nuclear power stations are also required to put in place insurance or other financial security to meet their nuclear third party liabilities.

Certain provisions in the Equality Act 2010 – for example permitted exceptions from the age discrimination requirements for retail concessions to students and pensioners – are likely to be of particular benefit to single people.

Single status is not a protected characteristic in the Equality Act 2010. In the provision of goods and services we believe there is a balance to be struck between the interests of single people and the commercial considerations of business. The government, therefore, has no plans to change the Equality Act 2010.

The Government appreciates that some people find unsolicited mail a real nuisance. This is why we have made sure that there are preference services in place to help those people stop receiving unwanted mail.

By registering with both preference services offered by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and Royal Mail’s door-to-door opt-out service, the vast majority of unsolicited mail can be stopped. Registration is quick and free.

More information about these services can be found on the DMA’s Mailing Preference Service website (www.mpsonline.org.uk).

Good progress has been made. The industry is making extensive preparations in the areas of meter procurement; in building and testing their systems, and in staff recruitment and training. Consumers are already benefiting from the roll-out – around 1.5 million meters are operating under the Programme – putting consumers in control of their energy use, bringing an end to estimated bills, and helping people to save energy and money.

The Fundraising Preference Service, recommended by the Etherington reviewinto fundraising, will re-balancepower back to individuals and help them to press the 'reset' button on their relationship with fundraisers, giving them control over the fundraisingcommunications they receive from charities. It will stop people being inundated withrequests which they do not wish to receive and it will stop charities wasting resources oncommunicating with people that do not wish to hear from them. It also seeks to underwritepublic trust and confidence in charities which is vital to the sector’s work.

A working group involving charities is being established to develop the detailed plans for theimplementation of the service.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Sheffield, Heeley on 2 November 2015 to UIN: 13799.

I currently have no plans to issue a direction requiring HM Revenue and Customs not to pursue social care providers for arrears of pay or penalties relating to periods that pre-date amended Government guidance.

The Government considers that the date of birth of company directors is an important identifier for those searching the public companies register as it allows searchers to distinguish between individuals with the same, or similar, names.

Following feedback from company directors about the availability of their full date of birth on the public register, section 96 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 requires the Registrar of Companies to suppress the “day” element of a director’s date of birth.

This strikes an appropriate balance between ensuring that the information on the public register is of real practical use and reducing the risk that the information becomes a tool for abuse by exposing individuals to the risk of identity theft or fraud.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Government is considering all the recommendations made in Julie Deane’s independent review of self-employment and will respond in due course.

All export licence applications are carefully assessed on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking into account all relevant factors at the time of application. We draw on all available information, including checks using both open and classified sources, reports from non-government organisations and our overseas network, involving Desk and Post in the Foreign Office, when considering licence applications.

Foreign Office posts and departments in London monitor conditions in the respective countries – including human rights, regional tensions and the risk of exports being diverted to unintended end use – and advise on developments that might affect licensing policy.

In November 2016 the Government Office for Science published a report “Artificial intelligence: opportunities and implications for the future of decision making” which gives an overview of ways in which AI could change the nature of some areas of work. We have recently asked Jérôme Pesenti and Professor Dame Wendy Hall to undertake a review on artificial intelligence, to contribute to the development of the Government’s Industrial Strategy. As set out in the Industrial Strategy​ green paper, published January 2017 and the Digital Strategy, published March 2017, Government recognises that the rapid pace of technological change means digital techniques and technologies will change quickly so we are looking at ways to support people throughout their working lives.

We are taking forward a range of legislative measures to tackle nuisance calls, which will increase consumer protection and choice by strengthening the Information Commissioner's Office's (ICO) ability to take enforcement action against organisations that break the law. Specific actions include; strengthening the ICO's direct marketing guidance by giving it statutory status; a proposal to extend the ICO’s powers of compulsory audit to more of the organisations that generate nuisance calls; and exploring the options for enabling the ICO to hold company directors to account for breaches of the direct marketing rules.

As previously stated in the House of Commons, Government is reviewing the situation and I hope to announce details of a review in due course.

We will publish the Government response to the consultation on the implementation of the English Baccalaureate in due course.

The Secretary of State has a duty to make an academy order for all local authority maintained schools that are judged by Ofsted to be inadequate. If an academy is judged to be inadequate, the Secretary of State has the power to transfer it to a stronger academy trust. In both cases, these academies will generally be inspected as new schools in their third year of operation.

We believe it is right in these cases to allow the new academy trust the opportunity to turnaround what was a previously failing school before it is inspected by Ofsted.

However, Ofsted will inspect schools at any time where information that they hold or receive causes sufficient concern.

Departmental funding rules require full time students with prior attainment of a D to work towards achieving a C grade or higher in GCSE English and maths. Students who achieve lower than a D grade at 16 may study other qualifications such as Functional Skills as a ‘stepping stone’ towards GCSE.

For those opting to retake their GCSE(s) or being required to do so due to having previously attained a grade D, there is no requirement for them to repeatedly re-sit the GCSE exam. Schools and colleges have the freedom to determine when a student is ready to re-sit their GCSE. This is because our 16-19 English and maths requirements relates to enrolments rather than exam entries. This provides a school or college the flexibility to determine when best for a student to be entered for and sit an exam. For some students that might be the following November, while other students may require

a year, or two years study and tuition before they are ready to re-sit the exam.

If students resit their GCSE part way through their programme and fail to gain a grade C then they are expected to continue studying for the GCSE.

Funding for the study of English and maths, including GCSE resits, is provided through the 16-19 national funding formula. The formula incorporates disadvantage funding for providers including a funding uplift of up to £960 per full time student per year to provide for the additional costs incurred for teaching students who have low prior attainment, as indicated by not achieving English and/or maths GCSEs at grade C or above by the end of year 11 (typically age 16). This additional funding is not intended to solely fund maths and English qualifications, but to fund support for students to achieve their learning goals, including maths and English.

For the past three years the Government has also invested in programmes to support improvements in the teaching of maths and English in Further Education (FE) settings. This year, funding will provide up to 13,000 training opportunities for FE practitioners to improve their subject knowledge and confidence in their teaching of maths or English, fund bursaries for 300 graduates to train to become maths or English teachers in FE settings and further build evidence on evidence of what constitutes effective delivery and teaching of English and maths for students aged 16 to 18 that have not yet achieved level 2 English and maths.

We are committed to providing the high-quality, affordable childcare that working families need.

To enable the successful implementation of 30 hours of free childcare, we are investing £1billion of additional funding per year, including £300million per year to increase our national average funding rates.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministerial colleagues on a range of issues, including on air quality.

Our air quality plans have always followed the best available evidence. We are currently working on the next steps needed to revise the national air quality plan for nitrogen dioxide. We will set out further measures in 2017.

The Government has no plans to amend the Environmental Protection Act as suggested because it considers that aircraft noise is best managed through aviation policy.

Under the Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations, businesses are required to ensure that all packaging shall not exceed what is needed to make sure that the products are safe, hygienic and acceptable for both the packed product and for the consumer. These Regulations apply to those responsible for packing or filling products into packaging and those importing packed or filled packaging into the UK from elsewhere.

No.

In October 2014, Defra commissioned the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) project on biodegradable plastic carrier bags – solutions through innovation. The project is contracted to the plastic packing manufacturer Aquapak Polymers Ltd, and is due to report in December this year. The project is testing the biodegradability of a hydrophilic polymer under simulated composting and anaerobic digestion conditions, and in experiments simulating natural conditions, and testing the impact on aquatic life.