Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the impact on teaching and learning of modern foreign languages of the decision to withdraw funding from state schools for the International Baccalaureate.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
All institutions will still be able offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) and receive normal funding per student supported by this government’s very significant investment into 16 to 19 education.
The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in the 2025/26 academic year, up over 5% on last year. However, to make this funding work hard, we have announced that from 2026/27 we will focus large programme uplift (LPU) funding, which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include mathematics, further mathematics and other high value A levels. Other programmes, such as the IB, will no longer attract this uplift.
The department is giving transitional protection funding in the 2026/27 academic year so, for institutions that will lose a significant amount of LPU, the reduction will be spread over two years.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the costs savings achieved by the withdrawal of funding from state schools for the International Baccalaureate, and over what period of time those savings will be made.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
All institutions will still be able offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) and receive normal funding per student supported by this government’s very significant investment into 16 to 19 education.
The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in the 2025/26 academic year, up over 5% on last year. However, to make this funding work hard, we have announced that from 2026/27 we will focus large programme uplift (LPU) funding, which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include mathematics, further mathematics and other high value A levels. Other programmes, such as the IB, will no longer attract this uplift.
The department is giving transitional protection funding in the 2026/27 academic year so, for institutions that will lose a significant amount of LPU, the reduction will be spread over two years.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the impact on educational inequality of the decision to withdraw funding from state schools for the International Baccalaureate.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
All institutions will still be able offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) and receive normal funding per student supported by this government’s very significant investment into 16 to 19 education.
The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in the 2025/26 academic year, up over 5% on last year. However, to make this funding work hard, we have announced that from 2026/27 we will focus large programme uplift (LPU) funding, which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include mathematics, further mathematics and other high value A levels. Other programmes, such as the IB, will no longer attract this uplift.
The department is giving transitional protection funding in the 2026/27 academic year so, for institutions that will lose a significant amount of LPU, the reduction will be spread over two years.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the rationale for the decision to withdraw funding from state schools for the International Baccalaureate.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
All institutions will still be able offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) and receive normal funding per student supported by this government’s very significant investment into 16 to 19 education.
The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in the 2025/26 academic year, up over 5% on last year. However, to make this funding work hard, we have announced that from 2026/27 we will focus large programme uplift (LPU) funding, which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include mathematics, further mathematics and other high value A levels. Other programmes, such as the IB, will no longer attract this uplift.
The department is giving transitional protection funding in the 2026/27 academic year so, for institutions that will lose a significant amount of LPU, the reduction will be spread over two years.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether their assessment of the Investor-State Dispute Settlement in the Colombia-UK Bilateral Investment Agreement has changed in the light of the legal challenge from investors in the Whitehaven Mine in Cumbria, and if so, how.
Answered by Lord Leong - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK-Colombia Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) includes binding investment protection provisions which protect both UK and Colombian investors against unfair and discriminatory treatment, and expropriation without adequate compensation.
The Government maintains that it has acted consistently with domestic and international law obligations in the case of the legal challenge. In view of the ongoing proceedings, it would be inappropriate for the Government to comment further at this stage.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support mining companies headquartered or incorporated in the UK in complying with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, in the light of reports of human rights abuses resulting from the mining of key minerals.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK supports voluntary human rights due diligence by UK businesses across their operations and supply relationships, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises. In mineral supply chains, the Government supports the OECD's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains which promotes responsible operation in conflict-affected and high-risk areas. The UK is Chair of the multi-stakeholder Voluntary Principles Initiative on Security and Human Rights that guides companies on security operations while respecting human rights. Several UK headquartered and incorporated mining companies are members of the initiative.
The UK's new Critical Minerals Strategy will help secure the supply of critical minerals vital for the UK's economic growth and clean energy transition whilst promoting responsible and transparent supply chains.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the work of the Global Tailings Management Institute.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK strongly welcomed the launch of the Global Tailings Management Institute in Johannesburg earlier this year. The Global Tailings Management Institute was established by the International Council on Mining and Metals, the United Nations Environment Programme and the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2019 to make mine tailings facilities safer. We are considering how best to support the Institute as part of our international approach under the new strategy.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, including through their embassies, to support environmental defenders, human rights defenders and indigenous communities who are at risk of violence due to their opposition to mining operations by companies headquartered or incorporated in the UK.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK recognises the essential role that civil society and human rights defenders play in promoting and protecting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Our Embassies and Missions support those at risk, including by monitoring cases, observing trials and raising issues with host governments. We encourage delivery partners to incorporate lived experience into programme design and delivery in an ethical and meaningful way. The UK government works to promote responsible business practices and greater value-addition in developing countries' critical minerals supply chains through several ODA-funded initiatives working with governments, investors and civil society, including support to the Extractives Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI).
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure consultation of civil society stakeholders who may be affected by proposed mining operations in the review of the UK Critical Minerals Strategy.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
The Department for Business and Trade will publish a Critical Minerals Strategy this year that will refine our approach to promoting responsible and transparent practices in critical mineral supply chains, both across the UK and globally. We are engaging a range of stakeholders to gather expertise and insights to shape our approach, including civil society, standards-setting organisations and other key environmental, social and governance (ESG) stakeholders to inform our approach to the strategy.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the new promotional leaflets and posters about the Victims' Code in languages other than English.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede
The materials that are part of the ‘Victims’ Code: Understand Your Rights’ campaign are available in English, Welsh, Arabic, Bangla, Chinese, French, Gujarati, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Spanish, Tamil, Turkish and Urdu. These reflect the fifteen most spoken languages in the UK, in addition to English and Welsh. They are available at Victims' Code posters and leaflet translated - GOV.UK.