Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their policy regarding the structural conversion of maintained schools to academy status where conversion is directed or mandated by a diocesan authority rather than initiated by a school’s governing body.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government recognises that faith schools operate within governance arrangements that require the consent of the relevant foundation, trustees or religious authority to voluntarily join an academy trust. However, under the Academies Act 2010, a voluntary application for academy status is made by the school's governing body.
The governing body must consult appropriately before conversion takes place. The department publishes guidance for schools about academy conversion which explains the statutory requirements around consultation.
The department has not conducted a specific comparative assessment of the financial resilience, per-pupil funding allocations, administrative overheads or academic performance of voluntary aided Catholic schools and Catholic schools within Catholic multi-academy trusts.
Academy trusts are required to publish annual accounts and the latest published data shows that 96% of academy trusts are operating with a cumulative surplus. Multi-academy trusts can realise efficiencies through economies of scale when delivering services across a group of schools.
Information on school and academy performance is published annually and is available through the department's performance data publications.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what (1) statutory guidance, and (2) requirements, apply to public and parental consultations conducted prior to a Catholic voluntary aided school converting to academy status under a diocesan-wide plan.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government recognises that faith schools operate within governance arrangements that require the consent of the relevant foundation, trustees or religious authority to voluntarily join an academy trust. However, under the Academies Act 2010, a voluntary application for academy status is made by the school's governing body.
The governing body must consult appropriately before conversion takes place. The department publishes guidance for schools about academy conversion which explains the statutory requirements around consultation.
The department has not conducted a specific comparative assessment of the financial resilience, per-pupil funding allocations, administrative overheads or academic performance of voluntary aided Catholic schools and Catholic schools within Catholic multi-academy trusts.
Academy trusts are required to publish annual accounts and the latest published data shows that 96% of academy trusts are operating with a cumulative surplus. Multi-academy trusts can realise efficiencies through economies of scale when delivering services across a group of schools.
Information on school and academy performance is published annually and is available through the department's performance data publications.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) financial resilience, (2) per-pupil funding allocation, and (3) administrative overheads, of voluntary aided Catholic schools compared to those operating within Catholic multi-academy trusts.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government recognises that faith schools operate within governance arrangements that require the consent of the relevant foundation, trustees or religious authority to voluntarily join an academy trust. However, under the Academies Act 2010, a voluntary application for academy status is made by the school's governing body.
The governing body must consult appropriately before conversion takes place. The department publishes guidance for schools about academy conversion which explains the statutory requirements around consultation.
The department has not conducted a specific comparative assessment of the financial resilience, per-pupil funding allocations, administrative overheads or academic performance of voluntary aided Catholic schools and Catholic schools within Catholic multi-academy trusts.
Academy trusts are required to publish annual accounts and the latest published data shows that 96% of academy trusts are operating with a cumulative surplus. Multi-academy trusts can realise efficiencies through economies of scale when delivering services across a group of schools.
Information on school and academy performance is published annually and is available through the department's performance data publications.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what comparative data they hold on the Ofsted outcomes of Catholic primary and secondary schools operating as Voluntary Aided schools and those operating as academies within Catholic Multi-Academy Trusts in each of the past five years.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked Sir Martyn Oliver to write directly to the noble Lord, Lord Alton of Liverpool, and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what comparative analysis they have conducted on Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4 academic performance between Voluntary Aided Catholic schools and Catholic schools that have converted to academy status within Catholic Multi-Academy Trusts over the last five years.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government recognises that faith schools operate within governance arrangements that require the consent of the relevant foundation, trustees or religious authority to voluntarily join an academy trust. However, under the Academies Act 2010, a voluntary application for academy status is made by the school's governing body.
The governing body must consult appropriately before conversion takes place. The department publishes guidance for schools about academy conversion which explains the statutory requirements around consultation.
The department has not conducted a specific comparative assessment of the financial resilience, per-pupil funding allocations, administrative overheads or academic performance of voluntary aided Catholic schools and Catholic schools within Catholic multi-academy trusts.
Academy trusts are required to publish annual accounts and the latest published data shows that 96% of academy trusts are operating with a cumulative surplus. Multi-academy trusts can realise efficiencies through economies of scale when delivering services across a group of schools.
Information on school and academy performance is published annually and is available through the department's performance data publications.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of allegations that Sheffield Hallam University halted the research of Professor Laura Murphy in 2025 and that University College London removed Professor Michelle Shipworth from teaching a course in 2024, what action they have taken to protect academic freedom and free speech on university campuses.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This government is absolutely committed to freedom of speech and academic freedom. The department commenced provisions from the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 on 1 August 2025 that strengthen provider duties on free speech, including a requirement to put in place free speech codes of practice, and a requirement for the Office for Students (OfS) to promote free speech. The OfS has issued extensive guidance to higher education providers on commencement of their duties, which makes it explicitly clear that universities should not tolerate attempts by foreign states to suppress academic freedom.
We are collaborating with universities, including vice chancellors, through a series of events to discuss risks and work together on plans to develop the sector’s resilience. We have also announced a £3 million investment package and a new Academic Interference Reporting Route to support the sector to access expert advice to help institutions identify vulnerabilities.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the comment of the universities Minister, Baroness Smith of Malvern, that UK education has become "a prime target for foreign states", whether they will publish the details of the threats posed by foreign states to UK universities, and how individual universities have responded to those threats.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It is the long-standing policy of successive UK governments not to comment either on individual cases or operational intelligence.
The world-class reputation of our universities makes them a prime target for foreign states and hostile actors, who seek to erode that reputation by promoting, shaping or censoring what universities can offer.
We are working together across government and with universities themselves to defend the UK’s thriving academic environment. By working together and sharing information, we will foster the confidence needed to stand strong in the face of foreign pressure.
To tackle this enduring threat, MI5 and cyber security services delivered a rare briefing to over 70 Vice Chancellors. The government is also investing £3 million to bolster existing support and access to expert advice on national security risk management, including a new Academic Interference Reporting Route and new guidance.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they received a warning from MI5 of a threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party to British universities; and what action they have taken in response to that warning.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It is the long-standing policy of successive UK governments not to comment either on individual cases or operational intelligence.
The world-class reputation of our universities makes them a prime target for foreign states and hostile actors, who seek to erode that reputation by promoting, shaping or censoring what universities can offer.
We are working together across government and with universities themselves to defend the UK’s thriving academic environment. By working together and sharing information, we will foster the confidence needed to stand strong in the face of foreign pressure.
To tackle this enduring threat, MI5 and cyber security services delivered a rare briefing to over 70 Vice Chancellors. The government is also investing £3 million to bolster existing support and access to expert advice on national security risk management, including a new Academic Interference Reporting Route and new guidance.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking in response to the warning by MI5's director general that hostile states are shaping research and teaching content, including the use of professional networking sites and financial incentives to form relationships with academic staff and students; and whether they plan to introduce a public register of corporate and personal financial interests of universities and staff.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government is investing £3 million to bolster existing support for higher education providers and access to expert advice on national security risk management, alongside a new Academic Interference Reporting Route and new guidance.
The Office for Students has already been clear universities should resist any external state threats to academic freedom, and they have extensive powers to require information from providers and investigate any breach.
We keep all our protections under review, working closely with universities to assess existing approaches to managing foreign interference, to ensure that any new requirements are proportionate and add value to existing protections.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to the King's College London report The China question: managing risks and maximising benefits from partnership in higher education and research, published in March 2021, what action they have taken to reduce risks to intellectual property, academic freedom and financial stability; and what plans they have to improve management of those risks.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We must distinguish between allegations of foreign interference and the positive impact that partnership and students from China bring to our higher education (HE) sector, economy and society as a whole.
HE providers are autonomous bodies, independent of government, and we expect the sector to be alert to security risks when collaborating with international partners, ensuring their compliance with relevant legislation and regulations.
Providers must also continue to make the appropriate financial decisions to ensure their long term sustainability, with the Office for Students (OfS) monitoring the risk of over reliance on overseas income at a sector level.
The department commenced strengthened duties on providers and on the OfS in relation to free speech and academic freedom. These duties have been in effect since 1 August 2025, and the Office for Students has also issued extensive guidance to HE providers on what they should do to ensure they effectively protect and promote free speech and academic freedom as per these duties.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology provides robust support to the UK's research sector on managing the risks of collaboration, including tailored advice from the Research Collaboration Advice Team, and the National Protective Security Authority and National Cyber Security Centre’s ‘Trusted Research’ guidance.