Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in rolling out the "Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) 100" approach to every police force in the country.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
As part of this Government's ambitious goal to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade, we have committed to use every tool available to protect more women and girls from harm, to relentlessly target perpetrators including via methods used to tackle terrorism and serious organised crime, and other measures to improve the police response to VAWG.
Working closely with the National Police Chiefs' Council and the College of Policing, the Home Office is overseeing the development of a new national approach for the use of data-driven tools and algorithms to identify and pursue offenders involved in domestic abuse, sexual assault, harassment, and stalking. Recognising the range of applicable technologies already in use across police forces in England and Wales, the new framework will support forces to meet their local need while standardising the use of these tools, ensuring those who pose the greatest threat are identified and managed through the criminal justice system or community-based, multi-agency interventions.
In February, we announced £13.1 million funding to launch a new National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection to improve the policing response to VAWG and child sexual abuse. Centralising policing expertise to tackle these crimes will drive national coordination. The creation of the Centre is a key step in delivering on the Government's public protection priorities through bringing together expertise to drive organisational change and improve practice, and work on the use of data-driven tools in VAWG policing is central to this.
Later this year we will publish a cross-government VAWG strategy, unpinning the ambitious agenda to halve VAWG and tackle the most prolific and harmful perpetrators.
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to change the system of immigration health surcharges for students so that, if they have to leave the UK and return home in their first year, they could receive a refund on four- or five-year health surcharge that they have had to pay upfront.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
There are no such plans at present, but the Government keeps all aspects of the Immigration Health Surcharge under regular review.
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they are making in amending the criteria against which people rough sleeping are counted so that women are more accurately counted, and so that more appropriate provision can then be made for them.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected. We must address this and deliver long term solutions. We recognise that women sleeping on the streets have different experiences and needs to men, particularly relating to experience of violence and abuse, and that services may need to be delivered differently to meet the needs of women.
MHCLG encourages local authorities to consider taking part in the Women’s Rough Sleeping Census, led by Solace and Single Homeless Project. The Census collects data on women experiencing rough sleeping or insecure housing and encourages closer collaboration between local support agencies so that more women can be supported into safe accommodation.
The Government will look at these issues carefully as part of our wider work to develop a new cross-government strategy, working with mayors and councils across the country to get us on back on track to ending homelessness.
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 (Minister for Women and Equalities)
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 (Minister for Women and Equalities)
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.