Asked by: Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the current framework, conditions and support for film and television producers headquartered outside London, including the application of Ofcom’s regional quotas for public service broadcasters in relation to companies which have a substantive base only outside London, in enabling the commissioning of programmes from every part of the UK.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to supporting the growth of the TV and film industry across the whole of the UK. As the Secretary of State has made clear, the television sector specifically is too centralised in London and the South East. That is why the Government has called on broadcasters to be more ambitious in growing the sector in other parts of the country, in order to spread its benefits to towns and cities across the UK. DCMS is taking forward work to understand the opportunities and challenges to further growing the television industry outside of London and the South East to enable commissioning and production activity across the UK. We are committed to working with the sector to ensure the right framework, conditions and support are in place for this to happen.
All public service broadcasters are subject to regional programme making quotas, which are set and monitored by the independent media regulator Ofcom, who also produce the associated guidance. Any changes to these quotas is similarly a matter for Ofcom.
On the matter of film, the Government maintains a UK-wide funding programme, including investment in infrastructure and tax reliefs to support independent British content. We fund the British Film Institute (BFI) to support the film sector through nationwide funding and initiatives. The BFI’s ten year strategy, Screen Culture 2033, sets out its core principle to reach across the full breadth of our nation. The BFI have sought to devolve funding, share power and support networks across regions. They have been awarded £9 million to enable seven Skills Clusters across the UK to identify skills gaps, coordinate local skills training, and develop clearer pathways to long-term employment in the sector.
We support the British Film Commission’s work and our funding has supported the growth of seven geographic production hubs across the UK, by investing in infrastructure and attracting global film productions that bring inward investment into the local and national economy.
The Government recently introduced the Independent Film Tax Credit to support homegrown talent, which will mean that productions with a budget up to £15 million will be eligible for a relief of 53% on qualifying expenditure, whilst films with a budget up to £23.5 million are also eligible and the relief will be tapered. We support independent content across the nations and regions through the £28 million UK Global Screen Fund. The Chancellor recently confirmed that UK Visual Effects costs in film and high-end TV productions will receive a 5% increase in Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit from 1 April 2025, for an overall rate of 39%.
Asked by: Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the appropriateness of Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel being employed as members of the Civil Service.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Navy has launched the RFA35 programme to determine the long-term future of the RFA, defining its purpose, size, function and optimal crewing model to meet future requirements. RFA35 will also consider options for the future status of RFA personnel. Negotiations on pay and other issues are ongoing to resolve the current dispute with trade unions and will provide a foundation for RFA35.
Asked by: Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Livermore on 21 October (HL1211) and the publication of the policy paper on applying VAT to private school fees on 30 October, what evidence they used to conclude that the impact of applying VAT to independent school fees will be smaller in Scotland than in England; and whether this will be case for all local authority areas in Scotland.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government has conducted thorough and detailed analysis of the impacts of this policy. A Tax Impact and Information Note (TIIN) has been published which sets out this comprehensive analysis. This can be found here: Applying VAT to private school fees - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
The government has also published a detailed response to the consultation conducted between July and September. This can be found here: Government Response to the Technical Note on Applying VAT to Private School Fees and Removing the Business Rates Charitable Rate Relief (publishing.service.gov.uk). Annexed to the consultation response is a detailed explanation of the costing methodology used, including the estimation of pupil movements resulting from the policy.
Alongside the technical consultation, government ministers and officials met with a wide range of stakeholders representing schools, local authorities and Devolved Governments.
The impacts of this policy may vary between different parts of the UK as a result of different local circumstances. Some areas of the UK have a higher concentration of private schools and a higher proportion of local pupils attending private schools; there are also variations in local state sector capacity.
Impacts in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will generally be smaller than in England because those nations have a lower proportion of pupils in private schools, but again there will be regional variation. National differences in education policy will also shape impacts.
Asked by: Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether providers offering Level 6 qualifications funded through the Dance and Drama Awards scheme will attract VAT.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Higher level qualifications, including Level 6, will remain exempt from VAT.
Asked by: Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they plan to measure whether the requirement for public service broadcasters to produce programmes outside London and across the nations and regions of the United Kingdom has been met; and whether they expect public service broadcasters to work towards population-based production quotas for each nation and region.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The television sector forms a critical part of the fabric of the creative industries and UK society, which is why it is important that programmes are made across the country.
The public service remit for television requires that public service broadcasters (PSBs), taken together, make an appropriate range and amount of their programmes outside the M25. It is a matter for Ofcom, the independent media regulator, to consider whether the public service remit for television has been fulfilled.
To help ensure this, Ofcom has powers to include quotas in individual PSB licences, requiring them to make a minimum proportion of their programmes, and spend a minimum proportion of their commissioning budgets, outside London. Any changes to these quotas is similarly a matter for Ofcom.
The Secretary of State has made clear that she wants broadcasters to be more ambitious in commissioning programmes from every part of the UK. The Government has committed to working with the sector to ensure the right framework, conditions and support are in place for this to happen.
Asked by: Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the Scottish Government, and with any other education providers in Scotland, regarding the impact on the state education sector of charging VAT on independent school fees from 1 January 2025.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has engaged extensively with all the devolved Governments, including the Scottish Government, on this issue.
Whilst developing these policies, the Government has carefully considered the impact that they will have on pupils and their families across both the state and private sector, as well as the impact they will have on state and private schools. This consideration includes the impacts of these changes across all four nations of the UK.
Following scrutiny of the Government’s costing by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, the Government will confirm its approach to these reforms at the Budget on 30 October, and set out its assessment of the expected impacts of these policy changes in the normal way.
Asked by: Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to levy VAT on fees for (1) students training at the 20 Centres for Advanced Training supported by the Music and Dance Scheme, and (2) children attending independent schools that are members of the Choir School Association.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Where parents or families are paying fees for their child to attend a private school, they will pay VAT on those fees following this change.
Whilst developing these policies, the government has carefully considered the impact that they will have on pupils and their families across both the state and private sector, as well as the impact they will have on state and private schools. Following scrutiny by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), details of the Government’s assessment of the expected impacts of these policy changes will be published at the Budget on 30 October in the usual way.
Asked by: Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of levying VAT on independent school fees on the schools listed in the Music and Dance Scheme in England and the schools supported by the Scottish Government's Aided Places Scheme.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Where parents or families are paying fees for their child to attend a private school, they will pay VAT on those fees following this change.
Whilst developing these policies, the government has carefully considered the impact that they will have on pupils and their families across both the state and private sector, as well as the impact they will have on state and private schools. Following scrutiny by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), details of the Government’s assessment of the expected impacts of these policy changes will be published at the Budget on 30 October in the usual way.
Asked by: Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of levying VAT on independent school fees on children in receipt of a bursary from the Government’s Choir School Scholarship Scheme.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Where parents or families are paying fees for their child to attend a private school, they will pay VAT on those fees following this change.
Whilst developing these policies, the government has carefully considered the impact that they will have on pupils and their families across both the state and private sector, as well as the impact they will have on state and private schools. Following scrutiny by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), details of the Government’s assessment of the expected impacts of these policy changes will be published at the Budget on 30 October in the usual way.
Asked by: Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many children with special educational needs and disabilities do not receive an education, health and care plan within the legal time limit of 20 weeks from the initial request; and what potential measures for improvement they have identified.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The department publishes information on education, health and care (EHC) plans annually at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans, which includes a section titled “Timeliness – EHC plans issued within 20 weeks”. Here and attached you can see information on how many EHC plans were issued within 20 weeks, both where this is the statutory time limit and where statutory exceptions to that time limit apply.
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) introduced a strengthened area special education needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection framework in January 2023, which led to a greater emphasis on the outcomes being achieved for children and young people. It is the primary tool to maintain a focus on high standards in the SEND system across all partners.
The department is working to monitor, support and challenge local authorities as needed, working closely with NHS England to tackle any weaknesses that sit with health partners. Where a council does not meet its duties, including the 20 week timeliness, the department will offer a range of universal, targeted and intensive support through managed programmes, such as the Sector Led Improvement Partners, which provides peer-to-peer tailored support. Councils identified as having issues with the 20 week timelines are subject to additional monitoring by the department. Where the department has concerns about their capacity to make the required improvements, it will secure specialist SEND advisor support to help identify barriers and improve the service.
The department does not hold data on how many children with SEND are currently not able to be placed in a suitable school.