Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of protests in Peru following the dismissal of President Castillo; and whether they (1) have made, and (2) will make, representations to the government of Peru about the 46 deaths related to the protests.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK supports the Peruvian Government and constitutional order. We welcome initiatives to strengthen democracy, as well as dialogue to calm the ongoing protests. In light of reports of abuses and the deaths of protestors, it is important that the Peruvian Government does all it can to protect lives, and that there is greater transparency of how the Peruvian Government is ensuring the protection of rights. Our Embassy in Lima has raised this with senior Peruvian Government politicians. Minister Rutley also raised concerns in my meeting with the Peruvian ambassador recently on the 25th January 2023, as did our trade minister in his recent meeting with the Peruvian Minister of Finance.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much of the £1.8 million for Political Declaration of Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) priority countries they announced will be given to Columbia to develop its Women, Peace and Security 1325 National Action Plan.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
A significant delegation from Colombia attended the recent PSVI Conference in London, and I [Lord Ahmad] and the Minister for Development and Africa [Minister Mitchell] met with the delegation leader, Vice Foreign Minister, Laura Gil. The Minister for the Americas and Caribbean [Minister Rutley] also discussed PSVI with Foreign Minister Leyva on his recent visit to Colombia and met victims of sexual violence. The UK Government is committed to supporting the development of Women, Peace and Security National Action Plans across the world, including Colombia as they develop their first National Action Plan, given their track record of championing the meaningful participation of women in their own peace process. The UK is in discussions with the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on next steps.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their commitments in the Political Declaration of Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) Conference 2022, what support they will give to Columbia to develop its Women, Peace and Security 1325 National Action Plan.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
A significant delegation from Colombia attended the recent PSVI Conference in London, and I [Lord Ahmad] and the Minister for Development and Africa [Minister Mitchell] met with the delegation leader, Vice Foreign Minister, Laura Gil. The Minister for the Americas and Caribbean [Minister Rutley] also discussed PSVI with Foreign Minister Leyva on his recent visit to Colombia and met victims of sexual violence. The UK Government is committed to supporting the development of Women, Peace and Security National Action Plans across the world, including Colombia as they develop their first National Action Plan, given their track record of championing the meaningful participation of women in their own peace process. The UK is in discussions with the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on next steps.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have provided any experts to assist the government of Columbia and civil society organisations that are part of the Columbian National Commission on Security Guarantees on issues related to the dismantling of illegal armed groups.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Through our role as pen-holder at the UN Security Council, as well as through our Embassy in Colombia, the UK supports the Government of Colombia and civil society organisations on security issues, including the activities of illegal armed groups. To date, we have spent over £74 million through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) to support the implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia and improve stability and security. We will continue to work with Colombia, including through the UNSC, and encourage the Colombian Government to strengthen the institutions that can improve the security of citizens and investigate and prosecute the criminal actors responsible for violence.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Columbia to ensure that indigenous people and other civil society organisations are able to participate in the formulation of its Women, Peace and Security 1325 National Action Plan.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK consistently calls on the Colombian Government to ensure that all groups, including indigenous groups and civil society, are able to participate in the proper implementation of the Peace Process and their National Action Plan. Successive UK-drafted UN Security Council press statements have called for the Colombian Government to work closely with civil society. In the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State's (Americas and the Caribbean) high level dialogue with Foreign Minister Leyva during his visit to Colombia in November, he reiterated the UK's commitment to continuing to support the peace process.
To date, we have spent over £74 million through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) to support the implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia and improve stability and security. We will continue to work with Colombia, including through the UNSC and encourage the Colombian Government to strengthen the institutions that can improve the security of all its citizens and investigate and prosecute the criminal actors responsible for violence.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the invitation to tender for the new contract for provision of court and tribunal spoken word interpreters will be issued.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice has been assessing options for tendering the new contract for provision of spoken word interpreters. Our plans remain commercial in confidence at this time. Information will be published to the market in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the full independent review of qualifications and standards for court and tribunal spoken word interpreters, announced by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar on 12 January (HL Deb, col 1151), has been completed; and if so, when it will be published.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
This review is ongoing alongside a wider and comprehensive review of language service requirements which is currently being undertaken within my Department. We will, of course, publish the outcome of that review once it is complete.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the regional breakdown of successful applications to the Turing Scheme from (1) schools, (2) further education, and (3) universities.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The success rate of schools applying to participate in the Turing Scheme over the two years the scheme has operated are:
The Turing Scheme is demand-led and competitive. There has been significant interest in the Turing Scheme this year, with many more applications than last year. All successful applications received funding, but may not have received their full requested budget due to high demand.
Successful applications are required to score at least 50 marks out of 100, and at least 50% in each of four qualitative criteria which are:
All applications were independently assessed by sector experts, who ensured all successful projects met the quality standards required. 70 applications failed on the levelling up criterion. Others had less well-developed projects. This could be due to some of those applicants having less experience in designing projects of this type and securing funding for them. 67% of applicants for the 2022/23 academic year were new applicants, and 71% of applicants that failed were new applicants.
The Turing Scheme has a strong focus on supporting levelling up by providing opportunities for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. In the 2021/22 academic year, 48% of 41,000 approved placements for all sectors, which includes schools, further education/vocational education and training, (FE/VET) and higher education (HE), were for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. 52% of 38,000 approved placements for all sectors in the 2022/23 academic year are for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Turing Scheme uses a range of measures based on sector standards across the UK to define what we mean by participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. These are listed in full on the Turing Scheme website: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/about/widening-access/.
The tables below show the percentage of placements allocated for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds, by sector, for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years.
Table 1: Placements by sector for the 2021/22 academic year
Sector | HE | FE/VET | Schools | Totals |
Total no. of participants | 28,997 | 6,888 | 5,139 | 41,024 |
No. of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 13,817 | 3,843 | 2,053 | 19,713 |
% of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 47.6% | 55.8% | 39.9% | 48.1% |
Table 2: Placements by sector for the 2022/23 academic year
Sector | HE | FE/VET | Schools | Totals |
Total no. of participants | 23,986 | 9,605 | 4,721 | 38,312 |
No. of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 12,356 | 5,554 | 2,022 | 19,932 |
% of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 52% | 58% | 43% | 52% |
A full regional breakdown of schools, FE/VET, and HE is provided on the Turing Scheme website: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/funding-results-2022-23/. Data is subject to change until grant agreements are in place.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the success rate of applications to the Turing Scheme by disadvantaged pupils and students from each (1) sector of the education system, and (2) region.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The success rate of schools applying to participate in the Turing Scheme over the two years the scheme has operated are:
The Turing Scheme is demand-led and competitive. There has been significant interest in the Turing Scheme this year, with many more applications than last year. All successful applications received funding, but may not have received their full requested budget due to high demand.
Successful applications are required to score at least 50 marks out of 100, and at least 50% in each of four qualitative criteria which are:
All applications were independently assessed by sector experts, who ensured all successful projects met the quality standards required. 70 applications failed on the levelling up criterion. Others had less well-developed projects. This could be due to some of those applicants having less experience in designing projects of this type and securing funding for them. 67% of applicants for the 2022/23 academic year were new applicants, and 71% of applicants that failed were new applicants.
The Turing Scheme has a strong focus on supporting levelling up by providing opportunities for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. In the 2021/22 academic year, 48% of 41,000 approved placements for all sectors, which includes schools, further education/vocational education and training, (FE/VET) and higher education (HE), were for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. 52% of 38,000 approved placements for all sectors in the 2022/23 academic year are for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Turing Scheme uses a range of measures based on sector standards across the UK to define what we mean by participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. These are listed in full on the Turing Scheme website: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/about/widening-access/.
The tables below show the percentage of placements allocated for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds, by sector, for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years.
Table 1: Placements by sector for the 2021/22 academic year
Sector | HE | FE/VET | Schools | Totals |
Total no. of participants | 28,997 | 6,888 | 5,139 | 41,024 |
No. of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 13,817 | 3,843 | 2,053 | 19,713 |
% of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 47.6% | 55.8% | 39.9% | 48.1% |
Table 2: Placements by sector for the 2022/23 academic year
Sector | HE | FE/VET | Schools | Totals |
Total no. of participants | 23,986 | 9,605 | 4,721 | 38,312 |
No. of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 12,356 | 5,554 | 2,022 | 19,932 |
% of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 52% | 58% | 43% | 52% |
A full regional breakdown of schools, FE/VET, and HE is provided on the Turing Scheme website: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/funding-results-2022-23/. Data is subject to change until grant agreements are in place.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the success rate of schools applying to participate in the Turing Scheme.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The success rate of schools applying to participate in the Turing Scheme over the two years the scheme has operated are:
The Turing Scheme is demand-led and competitive. There has been significant interest in the Turing Scheme this year, with many more applications than last year. All successful applications received funding, but may not have received their full requested budget due to high demand.
Successful applications are required to score at least 50 marks out of 100, and at least 50% in each of four qualitative criteria which are:
All applications were independently assessed by sector experts, who ensured all successful projects met the quality standards required. 70 applications failed on the levelling up criterion. Others had less well-developed projects. This could be due to some of those applicants having less experience in designing projects of this type and securing funding for them. 67% of applicants for the 2022/23 academic year were new applicants, and 71% of applicants that failed were new applicants.
The Turing Scheme has a strong focus on supporting levelling up by providing opportunities for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. In the 2021/22 academic year, 48% of 41,000 approved placements for all sectors, which includes schools, further education/vocational education and training, (FE/VET) and higher education (HE), were for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. 52% of 38,000 approved placements for all sectors in the 2022/23 academic year are for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Turing Scheme uses a range of measures based on sector standards across the UK to define what we mean by participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. These are listed in full on the Turing Scheme website: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/about/widening-access/.
The tables below show the percentage of placements allocated for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds, by sector, for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years.
Table 1: Placements by sector for the 2021/22 academic year
Sector | HE | FE/VET | Schools | Totals |
Total no. of participants | 28,997 | 6,888 | 5,139 | 41,024 |
No. of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 13,817 | 3,843 | 2,053 | 19,713 |
% of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 47.6% | 55.8% | 39.9% | 48.1% |
Table 2: Placements by sector for the 2022/23 academic year
Sector | HE | FE/VET | Schools | Totals |
Total no. of participants | 23,986 | 9,605 | 4,721 | 38,312 |
No. of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 12,356 | 5,554 | 2,022 | 19,932 |
% of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 52% | 58% | 43% | 52% |
A full regional breakdown of schools, FE/VET, and HE is provided on the Turing Scheme website: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/funding-results-2022-23/. Data is subject to change until grant agreements are in place.