Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to re-introduce student maintenance grants; and if so, whether a student in receipt of a grant would also be eligible for a maintenance loan.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The department recognises that UK higher education (HE) creates opportunity, is an engine for growth in our economy and supports local communities. We are determined that the HE funding system should deliver for our economy, for universities and for students, and the government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university. We have already started reviewing options to deliver a more robust HE sector but it will take time to get it right.
We will be announcing further details on HE student finance for the 2025/26 academic year in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to start charging interest on student loans from the end of a student's studies rather than on receipt of the loan.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The department recognises that UK higher education (HE) creates opportunity, is an engine for growth in our economy and supports local communities. We are determined that the HE funding system should deliver for our economy, for universities and for students, and the government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university. We have already started reviewing options to deliver a more robust HE sector but it will take time to get it right.
We will be announcing further details on HE student finance for the 2025/26 academic year in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to extend the deadline of 1 August for implementation of the provisions of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, given that the Office for Students has yet to publish guidance on the new complaints scheme relating to freedom of speech.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The main provisions of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 will come into force on 1 August 2024. Provisions surrounding the new regulatory framework and overseas funding will come into force on 1 September 2025. There is currently no intention to delay the commencement of these provisions, the department will lay the required secondary legislation to meet these implementation dates.
The department will work in collaboration with the Office for Students (OfS) to implement the Act, to allow time for the sector to update their policies and codes of practice. The department meets regularly with OfS to understand progress.
The OfS have already launched three consultations related to:
The proposed guidance is intended to help providers, constituent institutions and students’ unions to navigate the new free speech duties that the OfS expects to regulate from 1 August 2024. The department understands that the OfS intends to publish the final version on or before 1 August 2024.
A provisional implementation timetable is available on the OfS website: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/quality-and-standards/freedom-of-speech/changes-to-regulation/.
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the Office for Students will provide guidance on the complaints scheme under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 in a timely manner, in compliance with the provisions of the Act.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The main provisions of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 will come into force on 1 August 2024.
The Office for Students (OfS) has already carried out consultations related to the regulation of students’ unions and new complaints scheme rules in December 2023. The department meets regularly with OfS to understand its progress on the implementation of the Act.
The OfS also launched a consultation on 26 March 2024 on its proposed approach, regulatory advice and guidance on the duties related to freedom of speech and academic freedom.
The proposed guidance is intended to help providers, constituent institutions and students’ unions to navigate the new free speech duties that the OfS expects to regulate from 1 August 2024. The department understands that the OfS intends to publish the final version on or before 1 August 2024.
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many Afghans currently in the UK and awaiting implementation of the family reunion scheme for those who supported British personnel in Afghanistan have wives and children in Pakistan who are in danger of being returned to Afghanistan.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government remains committed to providing protection for vulnerable and at-risk people fleeing Afghanistan. This includes eligible immediate family members of those being resettled under both the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).
Data on the number of Afghans in the UK who are awaiting a route for separated families to be reunited is unavailable at this time.
Public data on the number of Afghans in Pakistan who are eligible to join family members already resettled under both the ARAP and ACRS is unavailable. However; the latest published statistics, summarised at Afghan Resettlement Programme: operational data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), show that, at the end of December 2023, 14,423 people have been relocated to the UK under the ARAP so far, and a further 10,520 have been relocated under ACRS.
The Government is aiming to bring eligible persons (EPs) to the UK from Pakistan and other third countries as soon as reasonably practicable and has so far relocated over 3000 people since October.
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the Ministry of Defence's Annual Report and Accounts 2022 to 2023, what was Project Bodywork.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Shadow Minister (Defence)
BODYWORK was a project to procure bespoke Explosive Ordnance and Disposal equipment. The BODYWORK contract was closed in June 2021 as a more suitable solution to Defence’s requirement was found.
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the family reunification route for Afghans in the UK, under Pathway 1 of the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme, will open; and what assessment they have made of the level of danger faced by the spouses and children who remain in Afghanistan of those who have resettled in the UK with indefinite leave to remain.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government remains committed to providing protection for vulnerable and at-risk people fleeing Afghanistan. The situation continues to be complex and presents significant challenges, including how those who are eligible for resettlement in the UK can leave the country.
For those evacuated from Afghanistan under Pathway 1 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) without their immediate family members, the Home Secretary has committed to establishing a route for separated families to be reunited in the first half of this year. Further details will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the Ministry of Defence's Annual Report and Accounts 2022 to 2023, what was Project GRACE.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Shadow Minister (Defence)
Project GRACE relates to an infrastructure project in Northern Ireland which was cancelled owing to a change of requirements.
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many times since 2015 ministers have asked to forego a ministerial salary, either full or in part; and who were those ministers.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
The number of ministerial salaries available to the government at any one time is 109. This is a statutory limit governed by the Ministerial and Other Salaries Act 1975.
It is routinely the case that some ministers will be asked to serve in an unpaid capacity given the statutory limitations on the number of available salaries. A list of ministers who are currently serving in an unpaid capacity are as follows:
Richard Holden MP, Minister of State (Minister without Portfolio) in the Cabinet Office (receives a salary from the Conservative Party)
The Rt Hon John Glen MP, Minister of State and Paymaster General, Cabinet Office
The Lord Johnson of Lainston CBE, Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade.
The Baroness Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG, Minister of State at the Cabinet Office.
The Earl of Minto, Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence.
The Rt Hon. the Earl Howe, Minister of State and Deputy Leader of the House of Lords.
The Rt Hon. the Lord Benyon, Minister of State, jointly at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Andrew Griffith MP, Minister of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
The Baroness Barran MBE, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Education and Government Equalities Spokesperson in the Lords.
The Lord Douglas-Miller OBE, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The Lord Markham CBE, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care.
The Lord Bellamy KC, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice
The Viscount Camrose, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
The Lord Offord of Garvel CVO, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business and Trade.
The Lord Cameron of Lochiel, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Scotland Office.
The Lord Roborough, Lord in Waiting (Government Whip)
The list of all government ministers on GOV.UK is updated following each reshuffle. The current government list is on gov.uk at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers.
It would be a significant undertaking to calculate the exact number of unpaid ministers since 2015, especially given some ministers have dual roles (where they are paid in one role but not in another) such as if they hold more than one ministerial position. We can estimate however that over the last decade, this number has been approximately 10-20 at any given time.
It is ultimately for the Prime Minister to decide how to organise the executive and which ministers are paid a salary. While the Cabinet Office provides advice to the Prime Minister on the number of salaries available, the department does not decide the allocation of salaries.
Ministers are continuing to voluntarily waive part of their salaries, foregoing any pay increase to their Ministerial salaries. This means ministers in the Commons’ salaries have not increased since 2010; and ministers in the House of Lords have received frozen salaries since 2019. Further information is published on GOV.UK at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-salary-data.
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many times since 2015 ministers have been asked to forego a ministerial salary; and what were the reasons for those requests.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
The number of ministerial salaries available to the government at any one time is 109. This is a statutory limit governed by the Ministerial and Other Salaries Act 1975.
It is routinely the case that some ministers will be asked to serve in an unpaid capacity given the statutory limitations on the number of available salaries. A list of ministers who are currently serving in an unpaid capacity are as follows:
Richard Holden MP, Minister of State (Minister without Portfolio) in the Cabinet Office (receives a salary from the Conservative Party)
The Rt Hon John Glen MP, Minister of State and Paymaster General, Cabinet Office
The Lord Johnson of Lainston CBE, Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade.
The Baroness Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG, Minister of State at the Cabinet Office.
The Earl of Minto, Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence.
The Rt Hon. the Earl Howe, Minister of State and Deputy Leader of the House of Lords.
The Rt Hon. the Lord Benyon, Minister of State, jointly at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Andrew Griffith MP, Minister of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
The Baroness Barran MBE, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Education and Government Equalities Spokesperson in the Lords.
The Lord Douglas-Miller OBE, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The Lord Markham CBE, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care.
The Lord Bellamy KC, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice
The Viscount Camrose, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
The Lord Offord of Garvel CVO, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business and Trade.
The Lord Cameron of Lochiel, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Scotland Office.
The Lord Roborough, Lord in Waiting (Government Whip)
The list of all government ministers on GOV.UK is updated following each reshuffle. The current government list is on gov.uk at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers.
It would be a significant undertaking to calculate the exact number of unpaid ministers since 2015, especially given some ministers have dual roles (where they are paid in one role but not in another) such as if they hold more than one ministerial position. We can estimate however that over the last decade, this number has been approximately 10-20 at any given time.
It is ultimately for the Prime Minister to decide how to organise the executive and which ministers are paid a salary. While the Cabinet Office provides advice to the Prime Minister on the number of salaries available, the department does not decide the allocation of salaries.
Ministers are continuing to voluntarily waive part of their salaries, foregoing any pay increase to their Ministerial salaries. This means ministers in the Commons’ salaries have not increased since 2010; and ministers in the House of Lords have received frozen salaries since 2019. Further information is published on GOV.UK at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-salary-data.