Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in respect of the Student Loan Company’s loan book of pre-Brexit qualifying loans to EU, EEA and EFTA students, of those loans, how many and to what total value (1) have been permanently written off; and (2) are currently deemed non-performing.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
EU students are required to repay their UK government student loans on the same terms as UK citizens, whether resident in the UK or overseas.
In respect of EU, European Economic Area (EEA) and European Free Trade Association students with pre-Brexit qualifying loans that have been permanently written off, the total count of students is 21,914. The vast majority of the 21,914 total count of write-offs can be attributed to automated trivial balance write-offs. Trivial balance write-offs occur if there is a positive or negative balance on an account of £25 or less and no contact can be established with the borrower. The total amount written off is £3,929,619.45. As repayments are income contingent, neither the department nor the Office of National Statistics have a recognised definition for a 'non-performing’ student loan.
This data has been supplied by the Student Loans Company. The data is for EU and EEA domiciled borrowers eligible for tuition fee support only. The data includes student loan accounts for the 2020/21 academic year and earlier. EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals stopped being eligible for UK student loans for courses starting in the 2021/22 academic year.
Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to reducing the costs of improving the energy efficiency of listed properties with respect to (1) planning fees, (2) professional support, (3) materials, and (4) labour.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to supporting all homeowners in installing energy efficiency measures to drive down bills and reduce our overall energy consumption. Many of these measures will support listed buildings. In November 2024, the Government announced the Warm Homes Plan which has committed £3.2 billion of investment for energy efficiency across 2025 to 2026, including an increased budget for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
Historic England is Government’s statutory adviser on the historic environment. It has resources available online to support owners of listed buildings in installing appropriate energy efficiency measures. Last summer, Historic England updated their advice note on Adapting Historic Buildings for Energy and Carbon Efficiency to provide clarity and support consistent decision-making to reduce carbon emissions and improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings.
Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to require acute trusts to report on numbers of sepsis cases and outcomes.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is a lack of reliable estimates of the incidence and prevalence of sepsis cases due to inconsistency in the definitions used to describe sepsis, and differences in the coding between professionals and organisations in the United Kingdom. The Department continues to work with NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency to improve our understanding of sepsis data and to monitor trends in infection incidence and deaths from sepsis, which are complex and multifactorial.
Although it is not the main purpose of NHS England’s dataset, the data NHS England currently collects provides information on the number of admissions and discharges for sepsis, as well as the number of deaths. At this time, there are no plans to require trusts to report on the number of sepsis cases and outcomes.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes data on the number of death registrations where sepsis was the underlying cause of death, and where sepsis was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, in England and Wales between 2001 and 2023. The copy of the published ONS data for deaths involving sepsis in England and Wales between 2001 and 2023 is attached.
Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 19 December 2024 (HL2929), how many apprenticeship places in each year since 2010 have been (1) made available, and (2) filled, in (a) thatching, (b) stonemasonry, (c) lead work, and (d) the use of lime mortars, to support employers and learners in the heritage sector to develop the skills they need.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The table below provides details of Level 2 Stonemason apprenticeship vacancies that were advertised on the Find an Apprenticeship (FAA) service on GOV.UK since the 2020/21 academic year. There have been no vacancies for the Level 2 Thatcher standard, which will be available for starts once a suitable end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) has obtained Ofqual recognition, or the Level 4 Stained Glass Craftsperson standard advertised on the FAA service.
The department encourages employers to advertise on FAA to maximise engagement with their vacancies and to ensure that they are accessible to all potential apprentices, but not all choose to use the service. Employers may choose to recruit apprentices through their own channels, for example via their own websites, which the department does not monitor. The figures below therefore may not represent the total number of vacancies advertised.
Level 2 Stonemason apprenticeship vacancies on FAA by year*
Academic Year | Number of positions |
2020/21 | <5 |
2021/22 | 30 |
2022/23 | 20 |
2023/24 | 10 |
* Numbers rounded to nearest 10.
The table below provides apprenticeship starts on the Level 2 Stonemason apprenticeship and the Level 4 Stained Glass Craftsperson apprenticeship as published in the ‘Apprenticeships statistics’ publication. The Level 2 Stonemason standard was approved for delivery in June 2021 and the Level 4 Stained Glass Craftsperson standard was approved for delivery in February 2023.
There have been no starts on the Level 2 Thatcher apprenticeship standard, which was approved for delivery in February 2024.
Starts by academic year*
Apprenticeship standard | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 |
Stonemason | <5 | 70 | 50 | 30 |
Stained Glass Craftsperson | - | - | 0 | <5 |
* 0 indicates a true zero value and '-' indicates data not applicable.
* Source is the Individualised Learner Record.
* Apprenticeships, Academic year 2023/24 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK
More broadly, employers are encouraged to take working on heritage buildings into account when designing or revising construction occupational standards. Apprenticeship standards which may also support the heritage sector include the Level 2 Bricklayer standard and the Level 3 Craft Carpentry and Joinery apprenticeship standard.
Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 19 December 2024 (HL2929), how many high quality apprenticeships in the level 2 stonemason apprenticeship standard have been (1) made available and (2) filled, to support employers and learners in the heritage sector to develop the skills they need, in each year since 2010.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The table below provides details of Level 2 Stonemason apprenticeship vacancies that were advertised on the Find an Apprenticeship (FAA) service on GOV.UK since the 2020/21 academic year. There have been no vacancies for the Level 2 Thatcher standard, which will be available for starts once a suitable end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) has obtained Ofqual recognition, or the Level 4 Stained Glass Craftsperson standard advertised on the FAA service.
The department encourages employers to advertise on FAA to maximise engagement with their vacancies and to ensure that they are accessible to all potential apprentices, but not all choose to use the service. Employers may choose to recruit apprentices through their own channels, for example via their own websites, which the department does not monitor. The figures below therefore may not represent the total number of vacancies advertised.
Level 2 Stonemason apprenticeship vacancies on FAA by year*
Academic Year | Number of positions |
2020/21 | <5 |
2021/22 | 30 |
2022/23 | 20 |
2023/24 | 10 |
* Numbers rounded to nearest 10.
The table below provides apprenticeship starts on the Level 2 Stonemason apprenticeship and the Level 4 Stained Glass Craftsperson apprenticeship as published in the ‘Apprenticeships statistics’ publication. The Level 2 Stonemason standard was approved for delivery in June 2021 and the Level 4 Stained Glass Craftsperson standard was approved for delivery in February 2023.
There have been no starts on the Level 2 Thatcher apprenticeship standard, which was approved for delivery in February 2024.
Starts by academic year*
Apprenticeship standard | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 |
Stonemason | <5 | 70 | 50 | 30 |
Stained Glass Craftsperson | - | - | 0 | <5 |
* 0 indicates a true zero value and '-' indicates data not applicable.
* Source is the Individualised Learner Record.
* Apprenticeships, Academic year 2023/24 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK
More broadly, employers are encouraged to take working on heritage buildings into account when designing or revising construction occupational standards. Apprenticeship standards which may also support the heritage sector include the Level 2 Bricklayer standard and the Level 3 Craft Carpentry and Joinery apprenticeship standard.
Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the case for permitted development rights for listed properties to be extended to the installation of solar panels not visible from street level.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We have no such plans at present. However, we will keep the matter under review as we develop our planning policy on heritage matters.
Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to allow the owners of listed buildings to install electric vehicle chargers within the curtilage of their property without the need for listed property or planning permission.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We have no such plans at present. However, we will keep the matter under review as we develop our planning policy on heritage matters.
Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have monitored unauthorised alterations to listed buildings since the removal of the zero rating of VAT in 2012.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government does not monitor unauthorised alterations to listed buildings. This is a matter for individual local planning authorities.
Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to fund and promote the training of apprentices in (1) thatching, (2) stonemasonry, (3) lead work and (4) use of lime mortars, as well as to grow and improve other skills in the heritage sector.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
High-quality apprenticeships, including the level 2 Stonemason apprenticeship standard, are available to support employers and learners in the heritage sector to develop the skills they need.
To support more high-quality apprenticeship opportunities, the department pays full training costs for young apprentices aged 16 to 21 at small employers and it pays £1,000 to employers when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18, or aged 19 to 24 who are care leavers or have an education, health and care plan.
The department also continue to promote apprenticeships through its ‘Skills for Life’ campaign.
Asked by: Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they made to the President of China regarding that country's sanctions on nine UK citizens, including parliamentarians, at the recent G20 Summit in Brazil.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
China's retaliatory sanctions, including against Parliamentarians and UK citizens, are unwarranted and unacceptable. The Prime Minister raised this issue during his meeting with President Xi at the G20 summit in Brazil on 18 November. The Foreign Secretary has similarly raised sanctions at every meeting he has had with his counterpart Foreign Minister Wang Yi.