Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of local authorities licensing young performers absent from schools for performing engagements; and of how that licensing regime will be impacted under the provisions of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is concerned with strengthening child employment legislation. The department’s proposed measures will offer children greater opportunities for meaningful, suitable employment whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development and education. It will not change the length of time children are able to work per week, but it will provide greater flexibility on when those hours are taken.
The child employment measures in the Bill will work alongside, but are distinct from, existing legislation related to child performance. The current regulatory framework for child performance ensures that a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling. Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding all children in their area and are therefore responsible for licensing. A licence will only be granted once the local authority is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and that the conditions of the licence will be observed.
The requirement in the Bill to introduce compulsory registers of children not in school in every local authority in England and Wales would include young performers if they were not on the school roll, if they were part of a flexi-schooling arrangement, or using unregistered alternative provision. The registers will support local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas and to take action if they are not receiving a safe or suitable education.
Both existing child performance regulation and the department’s proposed child employment measures in the Bill have children’s needs at their heart and seek to balance access to opportunities, safeguarding and a high-quality education.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that young performers are safeguarded under the proposed registration requirement in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is concerned with strengthening child employment legislation. The department’s proposed measures will offer children greater opportunities for meaningful, suitable employment whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development and education. It will not change the length of time children are able to work per week, but it will provide greater flexibility on when those hours are taken.
The child employment measures in the Bill will work alongside, but are distinct from, existing legislation related to child performance. The current regulatory framework for child performance ensures that a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling. Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding all children in their area and are therefore responsible for licensing. A licence will only be granted once the local authority is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and that the conditions of the licence will be observed.
The requirement in the Bill to introduce compulsory registers of children not in school in every local authority in England and Wales would include young performers if they were not on the school roll, if they were part of a flexi-schooling arrangement, or using unregistered alternative provision. The registers will support local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas and to take action if they are not receiving a safe or suitable education.
Both existing child performance regulation and the department’s proposed child employment measures in the Bill have children’s needs at their heart and seek to balance access to opportunities, safeguarding and a high-quality education.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of provisions in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill on the ability of young performers to request absences from school for performances.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is concerned with strengthening child employment legislation. The department’s proposed measures will offer children greater opportunities for meaningful, suitable employment whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development and education. It will not change the length of time children are able to work per week, but it will provide greater flexibility on when those hours are taken.
The child employment measures in the Bill will work alongside, but are distinct from, existing legislation related to child performance. The current regulatory framework for child performance ensures that a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling. Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding all children in their area and are therefore responsible for licensing. A licence will only be granted once the local authority is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and that the conditions of the licence will be observed.
The requirement in the Bill to introduce compulsory registers of children not in school in every local authority in England and Wales would include young performers if they were not on the school roll, if they were part of a flexi-schooling arrangement, or using unregistered alternative provision. The registers will support local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas and to take action if they are not receiving a safe or suitable education.
Both existing child performance regulation and the department’s proposed child employment measures in the Bill have children’s needs at their heart and seek to balance access to opportunities, safeguarding and a high-quality education.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to manage the sharing of information regarding children who perform as part of the process of ensuring compliance with regulatory restrictions.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is concerned with strengthening child employment legislation. The department’s proposed measures will offer children greater opportunities for meaningful, suitable employment whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development and education. It will not change the length of time children are able to work per week, but it will provide greater flexibility on when those hours are taken.
The child employment measures in the Bill will work alongside, but are distinct from, existing legislation related to child performance. The current regulatory framework for child performance ensures that a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling. Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding all children in their area and are therefore responsible for licensing. A licence will only be granted once the local authority is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and that the conditions of the licence will be observed.
The requirement in the Bill to introduce compulsory registers of children not in school in every local authority in England and Wales would include young performers if they were not on the school roll, if they were part of a flexi-schooling arrangement, or using unregistered alternative provision. The registers will support local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas and to take action if they are not receiving a safe or suitable education.
Both existing child performance regulation and the department’s proposed child employment measures in the Bill have children’s needs at their heart and seek to balance access to opportunities, safeguarding and a high-quality education.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how safeguarding provisions for young performers absent from school for work will operate following the enactment of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is concerned with strengthening child employment legislation. The department’s proposed measures will offer children greater opportunities for meaningful, suitable employment whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development and education. It will not change the length of time children are able to work per week, but it will provide greater flexibility on when those hours are taken.
The child employment measures in the Bill will work alongside, but are distinct from, existing legislation related to child performance. The current regulatory framework for child performance ensures that a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling. Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding all children in their area and are therefore responsible for licensing. A licence will only be granted once the local authority is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and that the conditions of the licence will be observed.
The requirement in the Bill to introduce compulsory registers of children not in school in every local authority in England and Wales would include young performers if they were not on the school roll, if they were part of a flexi-schooling arrangement, or using unregistered alternative provision. The registers will support local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas and to take action if they are not receiving a safe or suitable education.
Both existing child performance regulation and the department’s proposed child employment measures in the Bill have children’s needs at their heart and seek to balance access to opportunities, safeguarding and a high-quality education.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they intend to ensure that the provisions of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill do not prevent young performers from contributing to the creative industries.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is concerned with strengthening child employment legislation. The department’s proposed measures will offer children greater opportunities for meaningful, suitable employment whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development and education. It will not change the length of time children are able to work per week, but it will provide greater flexibility on when those hours are taken.
The child employment measures in the Bill will work alongside, but are distinct from, existing legislation related to child performance. The current regulatory framework for child performance ensures that a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling. Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding all children in their area and are therefore responsible for licensing. A licence will only be granted once the local authority is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and that the conditions of the licence will be observed.
The requirement in the Bill to introduce compulsory registers of children not in school in every local authority in England and Wales would include young performers if they were not on the school roll, if they were part of a flexi-schooling arrangement, or using unregistered alternative provision. The registers will support local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas and to take action if they are not receiving a safe or suitable education.
Both existing child performance regulation and the department’s proposed child employment measures in the Bill have children’s needs at their heart and seek to balance access to opportunities, safeguarding and a high-quality education.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to providing special compensation to the Royal Horticultural Society to to continue its environmental and scientific research for its estimated £6 million financial loss since the improvement works to Junction 10 of the M25 began in 2023.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
National Highways is funded by the public purse and provides compensation as established in legislation across all its projects and schemes, to ensure appropriate use of taxpayers’ money. While there are compensation arrangements for permanent adverse impacts, it is a generally held principle that the public purse does not compensate business for loss of earnings during temporary road works. National Highways will continue to work with RHS Wisley on this important project and are determined to complete the work as soon as possible.
As the project nears completion, National Highways’ communications approach will progressively highlight aspects of the scheme as they are opened to traffic. National Highways will involve RHS Wisley, and neighbouring stakeholders in design of communications to highlight how the improved junction will provide safer access and support the local community. The completed scheme will incorporate a full suite of signs that will direct road users to RHS Wisley.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage members of the public return to the Royal Horticultural Society Garden Wisley once the improvement works to Junction 10 of the M25 have been completed; and what support is available to the Royal Horticultural Society Garden Wisley in this regard.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
National Highways is funded by the public purse and provides compensation as established in legislation across all its projects and schemes, to ensure appropriate use of taxpayers’ money. While there are compensation arrangements for permanent adverse impacts, it is a generally held principle that the public purse does not compensate business for loss of earnings during temporary road works. National Highways will continue to work with RHS Wisley on this important project and are determined to complete the work as soon as possible.
As the project nears completion, National Highways’ communications approach will progressively highlight aspects of the scheme as they are opened to traffic. National Highways will involve RHS Wisley, and neighbouring stakeholders in design of communications to highlight how the improved junction will provide safer access and support the local community. The completed scheme will incorporate a full suite of signs that will direct road users to RHS Wisley.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to extend to dentists and other primary care providers the National Insurance relief already offered to hospitals.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government will provide support for departments and other public sector employers for additional employer National Insurance Contributions. Dentists and primary care providers are independent contractors and therefore will not be exempt from these changes.
Every year the Government consults with each sector both about what services they provide, and the money providers are entitled to in return under their contract. DHSC will confirm funding for primary care for 2025/26 as part of the usual contract processes later in the year, including through consultation with the sector.
The Government has increased funding for the NHS in England. Resource spending for the Department of Health and Social Care is set to increase by £22.6 billion in 2025-26 compared to 2023-24 outturn, providing a real-terms growth rate of 4% for the NHS, the largest since before 2010 excluding Covid-19 years. This includes funding to support the NHS to deliver the first step of an extra two million NHS operations, scans, and appointments a year in England.
The Government keeps all taxes under review.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to set a firm deadline for rolling out a new NHS dental contract, and if so, when this deadline will be.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to National Health Service dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
There are no perfect payment systems, and careful consideration needs to be given to any potential changes to the complex dental system so that we deliver a system better for patients and the profession.