Asked by: Baroness Hayman (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the reduction in numbers of children on the rolls of (1) primary, and (2) secondary, schools in inner London since January 2020; and what reduction in funding for affected schools will result from these reduced numbers.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The department publishes pupil numbers in the annual 'Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics' statistical release. The most recent figures for January 2021 are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.
Between January and October 2020 the number of pupils in state funded primary schools in Inner London decreased by 8,106 from 249,818 to 241,712. Over the same period the number of pupils in state funded secondary schools increased by 4,820 from 181,758 to 186,578. This gives an overall decrease across both phases of 3,286 pupils.
Core school funding increased by £2.6 billion in financial year 2020/21 and will increase by £4.8 billion and £7.1 billion in 2021/22 and 2022/23 respectively, compared to 2019/20. Schools in London will receive an additional £124.5 million this year, 2021/22, taking total funding to £6.7 billion. On average, schools in London will receive £5,914 per pupil this year, far greater than the national average of £5,228.
The schools national funding formula (NFF) continues to distribute this funding fairly, based on the needs of schools and their pupil cohorts. The vast majority of funding is distributed on the basis of pupil numbers and pupils’ characteristics, which ensures that resources are delivered where they are needed most. In addition, schools in more expensive areas, like London, have higher funding per pupil than other parts of the country to reflect the higher costs they face. All schools also attract a lump sum of £117,800, irrespective of their size.
The funding system is “lagged” - this means that schools’ allocations in any given year are based on pupil numbers from the previous autumn school census. The lagged funding system gives schools certainty over their budgets, as they know how many pupils they will receive funding for in the next year. This means that when pupil numbers fall, schools have time to respond before this starts to affect their budgets.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Greenpeace UK and WWF-UK report The Big Smoke, published on 26 May, what assessment they have made of the recommendation that legislation should be introduced before COP26 to require all UK-regulated financial institutions to adopt and implement a transition plan that is in keeping with the goal of limiting global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees C.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The UK was the first major economy to commit to Net Zero by 2050, and to achieve that ambition, we want to ensure that every financial decision takes climate change into account. This will require a drastic increase in the quantity, quality and comparability of climate-related disclosures, to provide the information necessary for everyone to make informed decisions.
That is why, in November 2020, the Chancellor announced the UK’s intention to make disclosures in line with the recommendations of the Task Force for Climate-related Financial Disclosures – including that firms must disclose how they identify, assess and manage climate-related risks – fully mandatory in the UK across the economy by 2025. This includes the financial services sector. This commitment is world-leading and significant progress towards achieving our ambition, including new requirements for premium-listed firms, has already been made.
We have also committed to implementing a green taxonomy that will establish a common definition for ’sustainable economic activities’ and improve understanding around the impact of firms’ activities and investments on the environment.
Together, these measures will ensure that firms across the whole economy are disclosing robust and comparable climate and sustainability-related information that is decision-useful for investors. This will help close the sustainability data gap, as well as preventing greenwashing and supporting the greening of the UK economy.
In addition to this work, ahead of COP26, the UK launched the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), a global net zero alliance for the whole financial sector to ensure credibility and generate momentum behind private sector commitments to reach net zero emissions by 2050. GFANZ will mobilise and elevate net zero ambition by motivating financial institutions to make credible net zero commitments by the time of Glasgow and beyond and establishing defined and agreed ways for all financial institutions to meaningfully commit to net zero by 2050.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the statement by Lord Agnew of Oulton on 11 November 2020 (HL Deb, cols 1115–28) on the future of financial services, what plans they have to publish details of the membership of the Green Technical Advisory Group; and when they estimate that Group will complete its work.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The Government has announced that it will be launching a Green Technical Advisory Group to provide independent advice on how to effectively implement a Green Taxonomy in the UK. This group will be made up of experts drawn from taxonomy users, academia, science, and NGOs. The Green Finance Institute will act as the secretariat for this group. As a first step, the GFI will provide independent advice, in consultation with industry, on the group’s membership and its work plan. we will provide more details on this in due course.
The Government is required to make Technical Screening Criteria (TSC) for climate change mitigation, and climate change adaptation no later than 1 January 2023. These TSC will be subject to appropriate, open consultation prior to making.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by Lord Agnew of Oulton on 11 November 2020 (HL Deb, cols 1115–28) on the future of financial services, what plans they have to consult industry and other interested parties on the technical screening criteria for the UK’s ‘green taxonomy.’
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The Government has announced that it will be launching a Green Technical Advisory Group to provide independent advice on how to effectively implement a Green Taxonomy in the UK. This group will be made up of experts drawn from taxonomy users, academia, science, and NGOs. The Green Finance Institute will act as the secretariat for this group. As a first step, the GFI will provide independent advice, in consultation with industry, on the group’s membership and its work plan. we will provide more details on this in due course.
The Government is required to make Technical Screening Criteria (TSC) for climate change mitigation, and climate change adaptation no later than 1 January 2023. These TSC will be subject to appropriate, open consultation prior to making.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the National Institute for Health Research about commissioning research into how many people with terminal illnesses die as a result of suicide per year.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR is not currently funding any specific research into how many people with terminal illnesses die as a result of suicide per year, but welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made based on the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.
The Office for National Statistics is unable to collect data on suicide where a terminally ill person has taken their own life, as information on the deceased’s terminal illness is not generally recorded
Asked by: Baroness Hayman (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Office for National Statistics about commissioning research into how many people with terminal illnesses die as a result of suicide per year.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR is not currently funding any specific research into how many people with terminal illnesses die as a result of suicide per year, but welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made based on the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.
The Office for National Statistics is unable to collect data on suicide where a terminally ill person has taken their own life, as information on the deceased’s terminal illness is not generally recorded
Asked by: Baroness Hayman (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to undertake a “deep dive” study into drug-related deaths and suicides in order to establish the number of people with terminal illnesses who die as a result of suicide.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR is not currently funding any specific research into how many people with terminal illnesses die as a result of suicide per year, but welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made based on the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.
The Office for National Statistics is unable to collect data on suicide where a terminally ill person has taken their own life, as information on the deceased’s terminal illness is not generally recorded
Asked by: Baroness Hayman (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what help and support they are providing to authorities in Norfolk dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak at a meat processing plant in Watton.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Regional officials worked closely with the local and district authorities, the Director of Public Health for Norfolk and the company in Watton to support the Incident Management Team’s (IMT) meetings and facilitate the deployment of mobile testing units (MTU) to enable testing of the workforce to take place.
The outbreak was escalated by the Norfolk local authorities to the Joint Biosecurity Centre Regional Lead for the East of England and to the Escalation and Response Unit.
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs set up an animal welfare cell as part of the IMT to mitigate the impact of the public health measures on animal welfare where possible. The factory is being supported to participate in the lateral flow testing scheme. This will allow the company to carrying out routine testing and help reduce the risk of further workforce outbreaks at the factory.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with coroners about the number of people with terminal illnesses who die as a result of suicide per year.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar - Shadow Attorney General
The Ministry of Justice oversees the legal framework that governs the coronial system but does not have operational responsibility for coroner services. Ministers and officials meet with the Chief Coroner, individual coroners and local authorities from time to time to discuss a range of issues including suicide. We have not had recent discussions on the issue or the number of people with terminal illnesses who take their own lives.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the High Court judgment in R (Jackson and Simpson) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2020] EWHC 183 on 7 February 2020, when they intend to lay the Remedial Order to remove the incompatibilities from the legislation governing Bereavement Support Payment by extending that benefit to cohabitees with children.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott - Opposition Whip (Lords)
We intend to take forward a Remedial Order to extend eligibility for Bereavement Support Payment to cohabitees with children.
We are currently considering the detail and implementation of the policy and will update the House once we have a confirmed laying date.