Baroness Verma Portrait

Baroness Verma

Conservative - Life peer

Became Member: 2nd June 2006


EU External Affairs Sub-Committee
13th Sep 2016 - 23rd Apr 2020
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for International Development)
12th May 2015 - 17th Jul 2016
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Energy and Climate Change)
6th Sep 2012 - 7th May 2015
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
11th May 2010 - 6th Sep 2012
Lords Spokesperson (Department of Business, Innovation and Skills)
5th Sep 2011 - 6th Sep 2012
Lords Spokesperson (Home Office) (Equalities and Women's Issues)
13th Oct 2010 - 6th Sep 2012
Lords Spokesperson (Department for International Development)
11th May 2010 - 5th Sep 2011


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Baroness Verma has voted in 439 divisions, and 1 time against the majority of their Party.

28 Feb 2022 - Nationality and Borders Bill - View Vote Context
Baroness Verma voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 6 Conservative Aye votes vs 141 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 237 Noes - 154
View All Baroness Verma Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Lord Bethell (Conservative)
(23 debate interactions)
Baroness Penn (Conservative)
Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
(8 debate interactions)
Lord Greenhalgh (Conservative)
(8 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department of Health and Social Care
(23 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(14 debate contributions)
Home Office
(12 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Domestic Abuse Bill 2019-21
(2,221 words contributed)
Elections Act 2022
(1,205 words contributed)
Finance Act 2020
(1,032 words contributed)
Coronavirus Act 2020
(948 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Baroness Verma's debates

Lords initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Baroness Verma, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.


1 Bill introduced by Baroness Verma

Introduced: 3rd March 2011

To consolidate the Charities Act 1993 and other enactments which relate to charities.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 14th December 2011 and was enacted into law.

Baroness Verma has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 3 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
21st Sep 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what further plans they have to stop radicalisation within faith schools.

All children must be safe wherever they are educated, and the department is committed to ensuring that children are safe from extremism and radicalisation.

The Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 introduced a statutory duty for education providers to have 'due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism'. The full act is available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/6/contents. Faith schools are subject to the same duty and responsibilities as non-faith schools. To comply with the 'Prevent duty', providers must demonstrate that they have effective policies and procedures in place to safeguard individuals susceptible to radicalisation.

In addition, every school, including faith schools, should actively promote the ‘fundamental British values’ (FBVs) of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs. Promoting these values is a way of building pupils’ resilience to radicalisation and enabling them to identify and challenge extremist views.

The department has taken a number of steps to prevent extremism from gaining a foothold in our schools across the country, including:

  • Guidance on the promotion of FBVs so that schools have a clear understanding of what is required and how best to practically deliver these.
  • Powers to take action against individual teachers or governors who act in a way which undermines FBVs.
  • Working with Ofsted to strengthen their inspection frameworks, requiring inspectors to assess how well schools protect pupils from the risks of extremism and radicalisation, and how they promote FBVs.
  • A counter-extremism helpline and online referral form to ensure those working in the sector and the public can report extremism concerns directly to the department to be investigated where appropriate.
  • The Educate Against Hate website, providing advice, support, and resources for parents, teachers, and school leaders to help them protect young people from extremism and radicalisation. The website is available here: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/resources/hackney-shared-values-toolkit/.
  • Working closely with a network of Prevent Education Officers based in local authorities and the department’s Regional Prevent Coordinators who work directly with education settings and local authorities to implement the Prevent duty.

The department keeps its work under regular review to ensure we continue to provide effective support to the sector. This includes implementing the recommendations of the Independent Review of Prevent, which was published on the 8 February 2023. As part of this response, the government published updated statutory guidance for the Prevent duty in September 2023, providing further clarity and good practice for the education sector. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
21st Sep 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address religious extremism in faith schools.

All children must be safe wherever they are educated, and the department is committed to ensuring that children are safe from extremism and radicalisation.

The Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 introduced a statutory duty for education providers to have 'due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism'. The full act is available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/6/contents. Faith schools are subject to the same duty and responsibilities as non-faith schools. To comply with the 'Prevent duty', providers must demonstrate that they have effective policies and procedures in place to safeguard individuals susceptible to radicalisation.

In addition, every school, including faith schools, should actively promote the ‘fundamental British values’ (FBVs) of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs. Promoting these values is a way of building pupils’ resilience to radicalisation and enabling them to identify and challenge extremist views.

The department has taken a number of steps to prevent extremism from gaining a foothold in our schools across the country, including:

  • Guidance on the promotion of FBVs so that schools have a clear understanding of what is required and how best to practically deliver these.
  • Powers to take action against individual teachers or governors who act in a way which undermines FBVs.
  • Working with Ofsted to strengthen their inspection frameworks, requiring inspectors to assess how well schools protect pupils from the risks of extremism and radicalisation, and how they promote FBVs.
  • A counter-extremism helpline and online referral form to ensure those working in the sector and the public can report extremism concerns directly to the department to be investigated where appropriate.
  • The Educate Against Hate website, providing advice, support, and resources for parents, teachers, and school leaders to help them protect young people from extremism and radicalisation. The website is available here: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/resources/hackney-shared-values-toolkit/.
  • Working closely with a network of Prevent Education Officers based in local authorities and the department’s Regional Prevent Coordinators who work directly with education settings and local authorities to implement the Prevent duty.

The department keeps its work under regular review to ensure we continue to provide effective support to the sector. This includes implementing the recommendations of the Independent Review of Prevent, which was published on the 8 February 2023. As part of this response, the government published updated statutory guidance for the Prevent duty in September 2023, providing further clarity and good practice for the education sector. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
27th Jul 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to allow local authorities to use the remaining funds allocated to support businesses at the start of the COVID-19 lockdown to support businesses that are facing second or local lockdowns.

The Government has always been clear that underspend from the initial grants schemes for businesses could not be used for other purposes.

Once all?grant monies have been paid out,?local authorities?will need to?carry out a reconciliation exercise?with Government to ensure that they receive the correct amount of funding to meet the cost of grant payments to eligible businesses.

Ministers will continue to consider the need for further responses to second or local lockdowns, recognising that significant support has already been provided to businesses through grants, loans and easements.