Baroness Penn: ...Lady Berridge, for bringing these amendments in Committee on his behalf. I acknowledge the dedication they have both shown to this issue. As my noble friend knows, the Government wholeheartedly share her ambition to support parents in caring for their children. Recently, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has confirmed that, subject to parliamentary approval, child benefit payments will...
Claire Coutinho: As the regulator for higher education in England, the Office for Students is an independent public body. Any investigations that they conduct are a matter for them and it is not for the department to provide comment. The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill includes a range of measures aimed at protecting and promoting freedom of speech and academic freedom in higher education in...
Lord Howarth of Newport: My Lords, the Chancellor who warned of a black hole has indeed consigned us to a dungeon. If the main drivers of inflation—the energy crisis, the pandemic and its effect on supply chains—are global, and we face recession, it is the wrong response to weaken our economy with a planned fiscal tightening of 2% of GDP. Falling real incomes and interest rate increases will amply reduce domestic...
Matt Western: It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Darlington (Peter Gibson). We have heard a great deal about the recent Budget—the last couple of Budgets, I suppose—and where we find ourselves, but we are not just talking about the events of recent weeks or what could be described as global headwinds. We have to understand what has been going on in the wider landscape—the energy price...
Claire Coutinho: Core schools' funding is £4 billion higher this year than last year, and the additional funding announced at the Autumn Statement means it will rise by another £3.5 billion, on top of that, next year. Taken together, that means a 15% increase in funding in two years. For those children with the most complex needs, the department announced in July 2022 that we would be increasing high needs...
Claire Coutinho: The department is committed to pupils with medical conditions being properly supported at school so that they have full access to education. The Children and Families Act 2014 introduced a new duty on schools to support pupils with all medical conditions. The department published statutory guidance on this for schools, which can be accessed at:...
Jeremy Hunt: In the face of unprecedented global headwinds, families, pensioners, businesses, teachers, nurses and many others are worried about the future, so today we deliver a plan to tackle the cost of living crisis and rebuild our economy. Our priorities are stability, growth and public services. We also protect the vulnerable, because to be British is to be compassionate and this is a compassionate...
Baroness Barran: My Lords, I would like to address the group of amendments relating to overseas funding. Amendments 63 and 64, tabled by my noble friend Lord Johnson of Marylebone, seek to amend the transparency measures concerning overseas income received by higher education providers. They would add tuition fees to the categories of overseas funding in scope and require the OfS to consider whether a...
Baroness Barran: My Lords, I shall now address the group of amendments that relate to the complaints scheme to be operated by the Office for Students. Amendment 58, from my noble friend, Lord Willetts, seeks to mandate the provisions set out in paragraph 5(2) of new Schedule 6A on what complaints can or should be ruled out of scope for consideration under the scheme. Amendment 59 seeks to mandate that the OfS...
Earl Howe: My Lords, as noble Lords have indicated, today and at Second Reading, the issue of the proposed new tort is one that has given rise to a number of doubts, questions and worries, which I shall do my best to address. Whether I can entirely assuage those concerns remains to be seen, but I hope that noble Lords find what I say to be helpful at this stage. Amendment 48 from the noble and learned...
Robert Halfon: The number of staff employed at the Office for Students (OfS) is a matter for the OfS and is not determined by the Secretary of State. Likewise, the recruitment of any additional staff at the OfS is a matter for the OfS. If the OfS determines that it needs additional staff to fulfil its workload, it can seek to recruit the staff that it requires. This includes any additional resource required...
Kirsty Blackman: ...reform. We cannot afford trickle-down economics. We cannot afford the UK’s xenophobic immigration policy. We cannot afford to keep people having no recourse to public funds, which is making some of the poorest people in the UK even poorer still. We cannot afford a UK Government who refuse to increase the minimum wage. We cannot afford to keep having our workers’ rights stripped. We...
Kelly Tolhurst: Regular attendance at school is vital for children’s education, wellbeing, and long-term development. The department’s priority is to reduce overall school absence and maximise the number of children who regularly attend school. The department’s home to school transport policy aims to ensure no child is unable to access education because of a lack of transport. Local authorities have a...
Kit Malthouse: This Government are committed to the protection of freedom of speech and academic freedom in universities. The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill will strengthen existing freedom of speech duties and introduce clear consequences for breaches as well as a duty on universities and colleges to promote the importance of freedom of speech and academic freedom.
Lord Sikka: My Lords, I would like to congratulate my noble friend Lady Drake on securing this vital debate. Opinion formers and mainstream media have latched on to the phrase “cost of living crisis”. In reality, it is a crisis of poverty, inequality, failed economic policies, an irresponsive state and democracy that is preventing millions of people from living a fulfilling life. The crisis has been...
Jim Shannon: I fully support that. I am probably of a greater age than nearly everybody in this Chamber, and I remember when we had not heard of insulation. We know about it today, and it is clearly part of having healthy homes. I thank the hon. Gentleman for that intervention, which sets the scene for what we need to do. I look to the Minister for a positive response. Energy efficiency, indoor air...
Felicity Buchan: ..., it is a highly topical issue. These taxes bring in some £35.5 billion to the Exchequer every year—money that is essential to fund high quality public services. That sum is worth about 4.3% of our total tax take, so it is critical. As the hon. Member for Bath said, the taxes have a crucial role to play in our transition to net zero, to which this Government are absolutely committed....
Eleanor Laing: With this it will be convenient to discuss the following: Government new clause 8—Injunctions in Secretary of State proceedings: power of arrest and remand. New clause 1—Guidance on locking on— “The Secretary of State must by regulations issue guidance to police forces about the protest technique of locking on, which includes— (a) examples of best practice, and (b) detailed guidance...
Andrea Jenkyns: The Office for Students (OfS) has a duty under the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 to have regard to being transparent, accountable, proportionate, and consistent, in line with the Regulators’ Code. The OfS performance, including its engagement, transparency and approach to regulation, as well as a range of other topics are discussed regularly by officials in the department and the OfS.
Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: My Lords, at 11 am today, sitting on the number 29 bus, I flicked over to my favourite live blog to follow the speech of our newly minted Chancellor, the fourth in four months. As was noted widely over the weekend, if you are looking for some good news, it is only two more Chancellors until Christmas. It was an historic event, but not in a good way—an emergency mini-Budget delivered not to...
