Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government when the funding for Priority Education Investment Areas will be announced.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)

The Schools White Paper: Opportunity for all, published in March 2022, announced that Priority Education Investment Areas will receive a share of around £40 million of funding to address local needs.

The department will publish the distribution of funding in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether funding for Priority Education Investment Areas is intended to provide an element of continuity funding to some of the previous Opportunity Areas; and whether they plan to distribute this funding in time to enable activity to continue during the current academic year.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)

The Schools White Paper: Opportunity for all, published in March 2022, announced that Priority Education Investment Areas will receive a share of around £40 million of funding to address local needs.

The previous Opportunity Areas make up 12 of the 24 Priority Education Investment Areas. They will receive funding to support targeted interventions to improve attainment in literacy and numeracy at key stage 2 and 4, in line with the priorities for each area. Delivery of this support will commence this academic year.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce legislation on decent homes standards which includes the private rented sector, and on what timescale.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

We will legislate to introduce a Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector at the earliest opportunity.

Found: Noakes 55 Proposal 24: Letter from Lord Aberdare and Lord Birt 57 Proposal 25: Letter from Baroness Valentine

Found: COMMITTEE PROPOSALS The following members presented their special inquiry proposals: • 10.05am Baroness Valentine

Found: Chair) Lord Kestenbaum Lord Palmer of Childs Hill Lord Rooker Lord Stevenson of Balmacara Baroness Valentine

Found: Baroness Valentine: Could someone touch on the safeguards that you have in place within HMRC?

Found: government can work across departments with local stakeholders to deliver on levelling up (Baroness Valentine

Found: Leigh of Hurley (The Chair); Lord Altrincham; Lord Palmer of Childs Hill; Lord Roborough; Baroness Valentine

Found: Altrincham; Lord Palmer of Childs Hill; Lord Roborough; Lord Rooker; Lord Stevenson of Balmacara; Baroness Valentine

Found: Baroness Valentine: Good morning.

Found: Members present: Lord Leigh of Hurley (The Chair); Lord Palmer of Childs Hill; Lord Rooker; Baroness Valentine

Found: Members present: Lord Leigh of Hurley (The Chair); Lord Palmer of Childs Hill; Lord Rooker; Baroness Valentine

Found: Committee will discuss the shortlisted proposals with the following members: At about 10.05am Baroness Valentine

Found: Altrincham; Lord Palmer of Childs Hill; Lord Roborough; Lord Rooker; Lord Stevenson of Balmacara; Baroness Valentine

Found: Altrincham; Lord Palmer of Childs Hill; Lord Roborough; Lord Rooker; Lord Stevenson of Balmacara; Baroness Valentine

Found: Foulkes of Cumnock 52 Proposal 26: Letter from Lord Foster of Bath 53 Proposal 27: Letter from Baroness Valentine

Found: Committee on Regenerating Seaside Towns and Communities: Lord Bassam of Brighton, Lord McNally, Baroness Valentine

Found: Baroness Valentine, I sense that you have a question.

Found: Seaside Towns and Communities Committee—members present: Lord Bassam of Brighton; Lord McNally; Baroness Valentine

Found: Seaside Towns and Communities Committee—members present: Lord Bassam of Brighton; Lord McNally; Baroness Valentine

Found: Holbeach Former chairman of the visitor econ omy sub group and of the midl ands engine APPG Baroness Valentine

Found: BARONESS VALENTINE BARONESS HAYMAN OF ULLOCK LORD STUNELL 57_ After Clause 5, insert the following

Found: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill 10 Clause 2 LORD STUNELL BARONESS PINNOCK BARONESS VALENTINE

Found: Clause 2 LORD STUNELL BARONESS PINNOCK BARONESS VALENTINE 32_ Clause 2, page 2, line 37, at

Found: House of Parliament resolves not to approve it. 58/3 HL Bill 84(u) After Clause 5 BARONESS VALENTINE

Found: Baroness Valentine asked which Government Departments share responsibilities for those not in education

The Industry and Regulators Committee is launching a short inquiry into the regulation of property agents. 

Topics

The FBSC would welcome written evidence on the two topics set out below:

Taxation of Partnerships

The first relates to the schedule in the draft Bill which makes provision in relation to partnerships (Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Schedule). The FBSC invites evidence on the specifics of this draft legislation.

The FBSC wishes to consider more generally the legislation in relation to the taxation of partnerships. Evidence is invited on whether the approach of the legislation is appropriate or whether the provisions such as those in the draft Finance Bill 2014 are a symptom of underlying problems with that approach.

The FBSC expects the report on the taxation of partnerships which the Office of Tax Simplification will publish shortly to provide an important input to its inquiry, and also invites evidence on the conclusions in that report.

New approach to Tax Policy Making

It is now over three years since the Government announced its new approach to tax policy making with the aim of bringing about a clearer, more stable and predictable tax system with better tax legislation and more effective scrutiny of tax changes.

The FBSC now invites evidence on the extent to which the new approach has been implemented and is delivering the objectives set out for it.

To the extent that the new approach has not been fully implemented in particular areas or on specific topics, the FBSC invites evidence on why there is this variability.

The Finance Bill Sub-Committee conducted an inquiry into aspects of the draft Finance Bill 2016. The FBSC concentrated its inquiry on whether the measures proposed in the draft Bill contributed to the simplification of the personal tax system and their impact on the compliance burdens of individual taxpayers.

The FBSC focused on three topics:

• the reforms to taxation of savings and dividends;
  
• the introduction of simple assessments; and
  
• the Office of Tax Simplification.
  

• Press release for report

The Sub-Committee examined in detail clauses in the draft Finance Bill that make tax digital for small businesses and the self employed. These changes will affect 1.6 million companies, 2.4 million self-employed individuals, and 900,000 residential landlords.

The Committee agrees that the digitalisation of tax is to be welcomed. But it concludes that the roll-out of the scheme is being rushed, imposing unnecessary burdens on small businesses, and will yield little benefit to the Government.

'Making Tax Digital for Vat' report finds that HMRC has failed to adequately support small businesses with the introduction of Making Tax Digital for VAT and recommends that the Government’s introduction of mandatory Making Tax Digital for VAT be delayed by at least one year.

'The Powers of HMRC' report concludes that recent powers provided to HMRC undermine the rule of law and hinders taxpayers' access to justice.

The Industry and Regulators Committee is launching an inquiry into the work of Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority. The Committee will consider Ofwat’s performance against its statutory objectives and whether it has the powers and resources needed to meet those objectives. The Committee will also consider the regulator’s relationship with the Government and other regulators

The Finance Bill Sub-Committee is appointed annually by the Economic Affairs Committee to consider the draft Finance Bill from a tax administration, clarification, and simplification point of view.

The inquiry will scrutinise whether the statutory duties of the OfS are clear and examine its performance against those duties since its establishment. The inquiry will look at how the OfS’ regulatory framework has developed since its inception, its independence from and relationship with the Government, and whether it has the necessary expertise and resources to carry out its functions.

Follow-up to the Industry and Regulators Committee's inquiry into the work of Ofwat.

The Finance Bill Sub-Committee is appointed annually by the Economic Affairs Committee to consider the draft Finance Bill from a tax administration, clarification, and simplification point of view.

The Industry and Regulators Committee is launching an inquiry into UK regulators, with a focus on their roles, remit, independence and accountability.

The Industry and Regulators Committee has launched an inquiry into skills policy, focusing in particular on apprenticeships and training, and in the context of the skills the UK workforce needs for the future. The inquiry will examine whether the UK’s current systems and policies for apprenticeships and in-work training are working and, if not, how they should be reformed. In doing so, the inquiry will consider the responsibilities of government, employers, training providers, and individuals, and the incentives facing these groups.