Baroness Humphreys: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the Ofsted report of September 2013 Going in the Right Direction? Careers Guidance in Schools from September 2012.
Baroness Humphreys: I thank my noble friend for his reply. Ofsted reported that in more than three-quarters of the schools visited, “the new arrangements for careers guidance were not working well”. What specific guidance have the Government given to schools on what constitutes a comprehensive careers guidance strategy, which was recommendation 1 in Ofsted’s report? How will that ensure that all pupils...
Baroness Humphreys: I thank my noble friend for her reply. Given the degree of reassurance she has given me, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment 165B withdrawn. Schedule 10 agreed. Clauses 76 and 77 agreed. Schedule 11 agreed. Clauses 78 and 79 agreed. Clause 80: Commencement Amendment 166 not moved. Amendments 167 and 168 Moved by Lord De Mauley 167: Clause 80, page 124, line 5, leave out...
Baroness Humphreys: My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to move this amendment and, in so doing, refer noble Lords to the interest I have already declared as a trustee of the Crafnant Trust. The trust has responsibility for Lake Crafnant, a small reservoir in north Wales. The amendment seeks to clarify the definition of duty properties as they appear in Section 101A of the Water Industry Act 1991 where...
Baroness Humphreys: My Lords, may I add my thanks to my noble friend Lord Lang for initiating this debate and say how grateful I am for the opportunity of making a contribution to it? It is also a great pleasure to speak after the noble Lord, Lord Horam, and to associate myself with many of the comments made by the noble Lord, Lord Soley. As one of the final speakers in this lengthy debate, I am very aware that...
Baroness Humphreys: My Lords, I declare an interest as a trustee of the Crafnant Trust, which has responsibility for Lake Crafnant—a small reservoir above the Conwy valley in north Wales which I do not own. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate and to note that, although the Bill applies to both England and Wales, it gives Welsh Ministers powers in relation to the whole area served by water...
Baroness Humphreys: My Lords, I am pleased to hear the Minister agree that we are all anxious to improve the social mobility of pupils. Indeed, the open access scheme purports to do that, but it is a heavily means-tested scheme, which relies on taking the very brightest pupils and the funding that comes with them into the private sector. Does the Minister not agree that this could be a scheme that is tantamount...
Baroness Humphreys: My Lords, I thank the Minister for his Statement. For many years I worked as a teacher in Wales, so it was with a great deal of sadness and disappointment that I read the PISA results for Wales today. Wales performed worse than the OECD average in all measures: maths, science and reading. Since 2009, Welsh pupils have slipped from 40th to 43rd in maths, from 30th to 38th in science, and from...
Baroness Humphreys: My Lords, I thank my noble friend for initiating this debate and for allowing me the opportunity to make my first contribution to proceedings in your Lordships’ House, presenting me with the occasion to express, most sincerely, my thanks for the warmth of the welcome I have received from noble Lords on all sides of the House. I thank, in particular, my supporters, my noble friends Lord...
