Asked by: Baroness Blower (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Barran on 20 February (HL5425), why they do not collate statistical data on the proportion of children with (1) special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), or (2) an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP), receiving their education from unregistered providers.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does collect information on pupils in local authority placements who are placed with unregistered providers in the alternative provision (AP) census and, since 2022, arrangements made by schools via the schools’ census. This includes whether a child has an education, health and care (EHC) plan.
The department collects the number of sessions that children spend in their current placement during a reference week for the school and (AP) censuses, but not how much time in each location over a full academic year.
Asked by: Baroness Blower (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Barran on 20 February (HL5424), why they do not collate statistical data on the proportion of children’s education spent with unregistered providers.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does collect information on pupils in local authority placements who are placed with unregistered providers in the alternative provision (AP) census and, since 2022, arrangements made by schools via the schools’ census. This includes whether a child has an education, health and care (EHC) plan.
The department collects the number of sessions that children spend in their current placement during a reference week for the school and (AP) censuses, but not how much time in each location over a full academic year.
Asked by: Baroness Blower (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the potential (1) costs, and (2) savings, that could be achieved for the public by bringing the delivery of prison education into the public sector.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Prison Education is delivered by a range of education suppliers (including public, private and third sector). We are focused on ensuring education meets prison learner needs, provides value for money and teaches the skills needed for prisoners to get employment on release. We are currently engaging with the market to develop the best model to deliver education when current contract arrangements end for the Prison Education Framework, which will focus on both quality and value for money. We fully recognise the value of prison education, but have not sought to quantify that in precise financial terms.
Asked by: Baroness Blower (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the annual report The UK's future nuclear deterrent: the 2022 update to Parliament will be published; and what is the reason for the delay in its publication.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The scheduled annual update to Parliament on the United Kingdom's future nuclear deterrent is undergoing final clearance procedures and will be published in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Blower (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in respect of information gathered in the last School Census, how many children that were excluded from school were placed in an unregistered alternative provision for (1) any part of their education, (2) a majority of their education, or (3) all of their education.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department collects information on pupils in local authority placements who are placed with unregistered providers in the alternative provision census and, since 2022, arrangements made by schools via the schools census.
As of January 2022, there were 35,600 pupils in local authority placements, of which 2,800 were placements in unregistered providers. Data broken down by how many children were placed in these settings for any part of their education, a majority of their education, or all of their education is not available.
Asked by: Baroness Blower (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the 2022 School Census, how many children (1) who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), or (2) are classified as Children In Need, were placed in unregistered alternative provision for (a) any part of their education, (b) a majority of their education, or (c) all of their education.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department collects information on pupils in local authority placements who are placed with unregistered providers in the alternative provision census and, since 2022, arrangements made by schools via the schools census.
As of January 2022, there were 35,600 pupils in local authority placements, of which 2,800 were placements in unregistered providers. Data broken down by how many children were placed in these settings for any part of their education, a majority of their education, or all of their education is not available.
Asked by: Baroness Blower (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the 2022 School Census, how many children were placed in unregistered alternative provision by a local authority or a school for (1) any part of their education, (2) a majority of their education, or (3) all of their education.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department collects information on pupils in local authority placements who are placed with unregistered providers in the alternative provision census and, since 2022, arrangements made by schools via the schools census.
As of January 2022, there were 35,600 pupils in local authority placements, of which 2,800 were placements in unregistered providers. Data broken down by how many children were placed in these settings for any part of their education, a majority of their education, or all of their education is not available.
Asked by: Baroness Blower (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government under what circumstances police officers are permitted to be in possession of (1) PAVA spray, and (2) TASER, when they are off duty.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Decisions around the equipping of police officers with PAVA spray and TASER are operational matters for Chief Constables.
Asked by: Baroness Blower (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve outcomes for young people receiving social care; and how their plans fit within the levelling up agenda.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Local authorities have access to £54.1 billion core spending power this financial year to deliver their services, including for children and young people. This is £3.7 billion more than in 2021/22 and includes a £2.35 billion social care grant.
The department is also investing an additional £200 million in funding for the Supporting Families programme by 2024/25, taking planned investment across the next three years to £695 million.
In June 2021 the department extended the duties of Virtual School Heads to include all children with a social worker, backed by £16.6 million of new funding, which will continue in the 2022/23 financial year. This delivers a key recommendation of the Children in Need Review and now means there is a local champion for Children in Need in every local authority across England. Since May 2020 we have also made £26.6 million available to help boost the educational outcomes of children with a social worker and keep them safe from harm, including up to £20.3 million to place social workers in schools in 21 local authorities to support teachers to spot signs of abuse and neglect more quickly.
Asked by: Baroness Blower (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce legislation to implement the recommendations in The independent review of children’s social care: final report, published on 23 May.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is now considering the recommendations of the Independent Review of Children’s Social care carefully with those with care experience and all interested stakeholders. We will publish an implementation strategy later this year, which will set out how the department will improve children’s social care. This will include establishing a National Implementation Board that includes people with their own experience of the care system.
In the meantime, the department is taking action, which includes:
As the department develops its implementation strategy, it will consider where legislation might be required.