Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards the third category of registration with the Office for Students for smaller, specialist providers in support of accessing the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, including those offering Trinity College London’s Level 5 and 6 Professional Performing Arts Diploma.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The government is fully committed to delivering the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) as set out in the Autumn Budget 2024. From the LLE’s launch in January 2027, the Office for Students (OfS) will regulate all providers offering LLE-funded provision.
The OfS has made clear that they expect to restart work on registrations, degree awarding powers and university title in August 2025, although the changes will remain under review until then. We understand that the OfS will keep providers updated throughout this period about their plans, including confirming application arrangements from August onwards. The government supports the reasons for the temporary pause in order for the OfS to refocus their efforts on provider financial sustainability. As the independent regulator, it is for the OfS to process registrations in the manner they deem most appropriate.
The government will continue to engage closely with the OfS and providers to support timely transition arrangements for the launch of the LLE. The government, together with the OfS, will provide further information on the regulation of providers under the LLE in spring 2025.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with stakeholders regarding a proportionate route to registration with the Office for Students designed for smaller, specialist providers in support of accessing the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, including those offering Trinity College London’s Level 5 and 6 Professional Performing Arts Diplomas accredited by the Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The government is fully committed to delivering the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) as set out in the Autumn Budget 2024. From the LLE’s launch in January 2027, the Office for Students (OfS) will regulate all providers offering LLE-funded provision.
The OfS has made clear that they expect to restart work on registrations, degree awarding powers and university title in August 2025, although the changes will remain under review until then. We understand that the OfS will keep providers updated throughout this period about their plans, including confirming application arrangements from August onwards. The government supports the reasons for the temporary pause in order for the OfS to refocus their efforts on provider financial sustainability. As the independent regulator, it is for the OfS to process registrations in the manner they deem most appropriate.
The government will continue to engage closely with the OfS and providers to support timely transition arrangements for the launch of the LLE. The government, together with the OfS, will provide further information on the regulation of providers under the LLE in spring 2025.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to make fees under the Music and Dance Scheme exempt from VAT.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Performing arts schools that offer full-time education to children of compulsory school age and/or 16-19 year olds for a charge will remain in scope of this policy, this includes the Music and Dance Scheme. This is to ensure fairness and consistency across all schools that provide education services and vocational training for a charge. The Government has no plans to exempt further schools from this policy.
However, the Department for Education has decided to adjust its Music and Dance Scheme bursary contribution for families with a relevant income below £45,000 to account for the VAT that will be applied on fees, ensuring that the total parental fee contributions for families with below average relevant incomes remain unchanged for the rest of the 2024/25 academic year.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
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
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
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.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
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.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
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.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
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.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to abolish the distinction between the “true cohort” and “extra cohort” of EU citizens who have been awarded settled status.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK implemented the Withdrawal Agreement more generously than required by not testing whether EU citizens resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 were exercising a qualifying Treaty right in accordance with Directive 2004/38/EC.
This simplified the application process for the EU Settlement Scheme by avoiding the need for applicants to meet complex evidential requirements. No one has any lesser rights by virtue of their EUSS status than they are entitled to under the Withdrawal Agreement.
The UK has always sought to treat the same those who do meet the stricter eligibility requirements under the Withdrawal Agreement, and those who do not. Where minimal differences in treatment have arisen for pre-settled status holders as a result of litigation, we seek to minimise these through casework.
However, the UK cannot unilaterally expand the scope of the Withdrawal Agreement to bring such people within its scope.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Hanson of Flint on 24 October (HL Deb col 742) , whether they intend to introduce physical proof of immigration status for EU citizens living in the UK; and if so, when.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
eVisas are a key part of delivering a border and immigration system which will be more digital and streamlined by 2025, a change that will enhance the applicant’s experience, deliver excellent value, and increase the immigration system’s security and efficiency.
Successful EUSS applicants are given a UK Visas and Immigration account, which they can use to view and share their immigration status with others securely and in real-time. The Withdrawal Agreement explicitly allows for status to be provided in digital form. We will continue working towards a border and immigration system that is digital by default, and issuing immigration status in the form of an eVisa is part of this.
As with all such major change programmes, we are keeping our eVisa systems under review during the implementation period to identify and address any emerging issues.