Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an impact assessment of proposals to increase charges payable by independent schools for Ofsted inspections; and if so, whether they will publish that assessment.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The department launched an 8 week consultation on 25 September 2025 on the subject of reducing the subsidy for Ofsted inspection fees. The consultation document is publicly available and sets out how Ofsted-inspected private schools will be affected by the proposed fee increases.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on UK conservatoires of the proposal to introduce a levy on fees that higher education institutions charge overseas students, set out in the White Paper Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May (CP 1326).

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The international student levy will fund the reintroduction of targeted maintenance grants for disadvantaged students to break down the barriers to opportunity through the department’s Plan for Change.

We will set out further details on the international student levy and targeted means-tested maintenance grants at the Autumn Budget.

We are committed to engaging the sector on the design of the international student levy and want to understand specific concerns providers have as early as possible.

We have received representations from a group of specialist institutions regarding the impact of the levy on the creative industry, to which the government replied on 13 October.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have received about the impact on the UK's creative economy of the proposal to introduce a levy on fees that higher education institutions charge overseas students, set out in the White Paper Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May (CP 1326).

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The international student levy will fund the reintroduction of targeted maintenance grants for disadvantaged students to break down the barriers to opportunity through the department’s Plan for Change.

We will set out further details on the international student levy and targeted means-tested maintenance grants at the Autumn Budget.

We are committed to engaging the sector on the design of the international student levy and want to understand specific concerns providers have as early as possible.

We have received representations from a group of specialist institutions regarding the impact of the levy on the creative industry, to which the government replied on 13 October.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of state-funded schools had no applications for (1) GCSE music, and (2) A level music, in 2024.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The department does not hold information regarding the number of applications for individual subjects. However, the number of entries into each subject in each school and college can be downloaded from the Compare School and College Performance website: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/download-data.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Blake of Leeds on Thursday 16 October (HL Deb col 112GC), what options are being considered by officials in the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to ensure improved quality of and access to fracture liaison services; when the consideration of those options will be completed; and when they intend to publish a plan to implement the chosen option.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Fracture liaison services are commissioned by integrated care boards, which are well-placed to make decisions according to local need.

Officials continue to work closely with NHS England to explore a range of options to provide better quality and access to these important preventative services.

Our 10-Year Health Plan committed to rolling out fracture liaison services across every part of the country by 2030.