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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the planned local government reorganisation on the continuance of the funding for arts, cultural and heritage projects and facilities which is currently provided by district and borough councils.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The funding of local cultural services and organisations is a matter for individual local authorities, but the Government strongly supports their doing so, not least because of the significant economic, social, and wellbeing benefits cultural organisations deliver. The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024–25 makes available up to £64.7 billion for local authorities — an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £4.5 billion or 7.5% in cash terms on 2023–24. This above-inflation increase demonstrates the Government’s commitment to supporting local authorities. The majority of this funding is not ring-fenced, so local authorities can consider how best to balance their local priorities.

As set out in the Government’s guidance on proposals for unitary local government, areas should consider issues of local identity and cultural and historic importance in working up plans that are in the best interests of the whole area.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many businesses with three employees or fewer are still paying back Government-backed loans provided during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what consideration they have given to cancelling the remainder of what is owed by those businesses.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government does not hold data on the number of businesses with three employees or less who have taken out a Covid support loan.

There is no specific repayment policy relating to businesses with three employees or less.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of setting up the UK Soft Power Council; how much it will cost to run per year; and whether board members will receive a salary.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The budget for the Soft Power Council will be minimal, sufficient to cover only the basic costs of running its four meetings per year. Board members will not receive a salary.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to exclude international students from the net migration statistics.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.

Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician

The Earl of Clancarty

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

4 March 2025

Dear Lord Clancarty,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking whether there are any plans to exclude international students from the net migration statistics (HL5079).

We are aware of stakeholder interest in an alternative measure of net international migration excluding students and are currently seeking user feedback on the requirement for this, as well as views on proposed options for how this could be estimated. We expect to report on the outcome of this process in early May 2025.

Currently, international students are included in official estimates of immigration if they meet the UN definition of a long-term international migrant, by residing in the UK for 12 months or more. Students staying long-term contribute to population change, as well as to society and the economy more broadly. Therefore, it is important to include them in the migration estimates as these feed into the calculation of official population estimates. Additionally, not all international students emigrate at the end of their studies, with many transferring into work or remaining in the UK for family or other reasons. Of the non-EU+ nationals who arrived in the UK on a study-related visa in the year ending June 2021, 48% had transitioned onto a different visa type by year ending June 2024.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

https://data.un.org/Glossary.aspx?q=long-term%20migrant

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 12 February (HL Deb col 1326), on what basis granting rights to all foreign performers would cost £5.9 million to the UK recorded music sector, and how the figure of £5.9 million was reached.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

This figure is the estimated equivalent annual net direct cost to business (EANDCB) over the period 2025-2034, were UK law to grant public performance rights to all foreign performers, relative to the option implemented by the Government. The basis for this is contained in the revised economic impact assessment that accompanied the Government’s response to the Intellectual Property Office consultation on the extension of public performance rights to foreign nationals, published on 5 November 2024. The figure corresponds to the difference in EANDCB between Option 0A (the option implemented by the Government) and Option 1 in that impact assessment.

Found: Letter dated 26/02/2025 from Baroness Twycross to the Earl of Clancarty regarding issues raised during

Found: Letter dated 24/02/2025 from Baroness Smith of Malvern to the Earl of Clancarty regarding a question