Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the guidance 'How to be a white ally', published by Imperial College London; and whether they intend to take steps in response to review that institution’s funding.
Answered by Baroness Barran
Universities are autonomous institutions and as such have control over what they publish on their own websites.
Decisions about funding for individual higher education providers are made by the Office for Students, rather than the department.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help farmers maximise cereal production for export to offset global supply shortages due to the war in Ukraine.
Answered by Lord Benyon
To support our farmers we are bringing forward half of this year's BPS payment as an advance injection of cash to farm businesses and have delayed changes to the use of urea fertiliser until at least spring 2023. Farmers will be further supported through new slurry storage grants as of this year, helping meet the Farming Rules for Water and reducing dependence on artificial fertilisers by improving storage of organic nutrients.
UK cereals are mainly produced for the domestic market, and whilst the UK is 88% self-sufficient in domestically produced cereals, we do also export. It is not for the Government to dictate to famers, who are free to react to market signals, what crops to plant, or where that produce should be sold or exported.
We continue to keep the market situation under review through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group, which monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade and recent developments. We have also increased our engagement with industry to supplement our analysis with real-time intelligence and to identify where mitigations are available.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made on the development of a Men’s Health Strategy.
Answered by Lord Kamall
Although the Department does not have any current plans to develop a men’s health strategy, we have measures in place to address specific health issues which disproportionately affect men. This includes commitments in the NHS Long Term Plan to reduce stroke and heart attacks and the forthcoming new Tobacco Control Plan and significant investment in suicide prevention.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 23 March (HL Deb col 955), whether the remit of the Children’s Commissioner’s Family Review includes action to prevent family breakdown.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Children's Commissioner for England's independent review on family life explores how to improve the way public services understand the needs of children and families, so every child has the best start in life and the opportunity to reach their full potential.
The review involves extensive engagement with children and families from different backgrounds and locations across England, to understand their lives and what they value in family life. It will look at families' experiences, how they seek and gain support and look to better understand the prevalence of familial breakdown and how best to support children and families going through this. The review will also engage with local services, communities and other key stakeholders.
The Office of the Children's Commissioner aims to publish a report on the review by Spring 2023.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have plans to publicise findings from the SIREN study, and data from this and other studies about the protective effects against reinfection and serious illness of infection-acquired immunity (unboosted by vaccination).
Answered by Lord Kamall
Scientific papers and reports from the SIREN study are being publicised online through the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and in scientific journals. In addition, the study’s participant retention programme includes regular webinars, newsletters and videos to share its results and findings.
On 22 July 2022, the UKHSA published SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and variants under investigation in England Technical briefing 44 with data on trends in primary infections and reinfections. A copy of the technical briefing is attached.
The Office for National Statistics’ COVID-19 Infection Survey publishes analysis on re-infections and the associated risk factors and symptoms. An updated assessment, Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey, characteristics of people testing positive for COVID-19, UK: 20 July 2022. Characteristics of people testing positive for COVID-19 from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey, was published on 20 July 2022. A copy of the assessment is attached.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Women's Health on 20 July, what evidence they have to support the claim that that there is a “gender health gap” adversely affecting women and the Government needs to “ensure women receive the same standards of care as men”, given that men die younger than women and are more likely to die from heart disease, suicide, COVID and diabetes.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The Women’s Health Strategy for England found that although on average women in the United Kingdom live longer than men, women spend a quarter of their lives in ill-health and disability compared to approximately one fifth of men. Disability-free life expectancy has reduced at almost twice the rate for women in England compared to men. A copy of the Women’s Health Strategy for England is attached.
The call for evidence which informed the Women’s Health Strategy received approximately 100,000 responses from individuals and over 400 written responses from organisations with expertise in women’s health. The Results of the ‘Women’s Health – Let's talk about it’ survey found that women have been under-represented in research studies, including clinical trials, therefore there is less understanding of how general health conditions and disabilities such as cardiovascular disease and mental health conditions can affect women and men differently. Respondents also reported that there is insufficient understanding of conditions which solely impact women, such as endometriosis or the menopause. A copy of the Results of the ‘women’s health – let's talk about it survey is attached.
The responses received to the call for evidence from organisations and experts in women’s healthcare also highlighted the need for improved education and training in women’s health conditions for healthcare professionals. Respondents also reported a lack of awareness of women’s health issues among some healthcare professionals, including the causes of infertility and treatment for gynaecological conditions. A copy of the Results of the of the written evidence submitted by organisations and experts is attached.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to publicise the illegality of driving under the influence of cannabis; and what evidence is available of the effectiveness of this messaging.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
THINK! is the government’s flagship road safety campaign, playing a vital role in tackling the attitudes and behaviours that lead to road casualties.
A £1M drug drive campaign ran in February 2015 to support the introduction of new legislation and raise awareness of the new laws amongst drivers. The campaign ran again in 2016, with a £1.3M investment, including a reminder to drivers on the presence of roadside testing. Some additional social media communications, focused on festival goers, ran in the summer of 2017.
- The 2016 campaign achieved good levels of recognition (73% awareness), driven by the “Paranoia” film, and overall recognition was higher than in 2015
- The “Paranoia” film communicated a general anti-drug drive message, while the online and print elements complemented this by showing the roadside swab which acted as a deterrent and improved credibility
- Knowledge of drug driving penalties increased over the campaign period, and these practical aspects were deemed more concerning than the emotional repercussions of being caught and convicted of drug driving
- As drug driving is perceived as a niche behaviour (with less of the audience knowing someone who drug drives when compared with other road safety behaviours), the campaign continued to lack relevance among some young male drivers
There are a number of issues and behaviours that warrant communications investment and spend is prioritised according to the following key principles:
- The scale of the issue
- Ability of communications to influence behaviour
- Public priorities
- Value for money
- Policy priorities and changes in supporting legislation
- Wider trends, for example the impact of the pandemic
THINK! communications for the next three -year period are currently being planned and will include a review on the status of drug driving within that planning and prioritisation process.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take, if any, to increase the number of care leavers at high tariff higher education institutions.
Answered by Baroness Barran
We have published guidance for higher education (HE) providers, setting out areas where care leavers are likely to need additional support, including examples of the types of additional support that have been put in place, drawing on best practice from across the sector. We have also introduced the Care Leaver Covenant, which enables organisations, including HE providers, to make offers of support to care leavers.
The National Network for the Education of Care Leavers has developed the Quality Mark: a developmental accreditation process for universities and colleges to demonstrate their support for the inclusion and success of care experienced students. The Quality Mark has a focus on getting the right information to students on academic and pastoral support available to them, along with tailored mentoring and financial advice.
As autonomous bodies independent from government, HE providers are responsible for their own admissions decisions. However, the department encourages HE providers to put the interests of students at the heart of their decision-making, including providing the appropriate support for care leavers.
All HE providers in the approved (fee cap) category of the Office for Students’ (OfS) register are required to have an access and participation plan (APP) agreed by the Director for Fair Access and Participation at the OfS. In order to be approved, APPs must represent a credible, ambitious strategy to reduce gaps in access, participation and attainment for disadvantaged and under-represented groups.
As care leavers are underrepresented within HE, APPs will often address specific interventions by the provider for improving equality of opportunity for care-experienced individuals. This may take the form of targeted outreach, additional pastoral, accommodation or financial support while studying, or support through mentorship or buddy schemes.
Care leavers attending HE courses are treated as independent students when their entitlement to living costs is assessed. This means that in nearly all cases they will qualify for the maximum loan for living costs. Care leavers undertaking HE also qualify for a £2,000 HE bursary from their local authority. Additional bursaries are offered by some HE providers for care leavers in higher education.
The enclosed attachment contains the department’s analysis of the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record showing the number of care leavers who entered courses at English HE providers in each academic year from 2018/19 to 2020/21. Coverage refers to entrants domiciled in England prior to study and care leavers are defined as codes 01 and 04 in the HESA care leaver collection documentation. Further information can be found here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/collection/c20051/a/careleaver.
The summary table below shows the number of care leavers who entered courses at high tariff[1] English HE providers in each year, along with total care leavers entering courses at all HE providers. A full breakdown by institution can be found in the attachment.
Academic year | Care leavers entrants at high tariff providers | Care leavers entrants at all providers |
2018/19 | 435 | 3,570 |
2019/20 | 505 | 3,895 |
2020/21 | 580 | 4,290 |
We will take account of the recommendations from the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, which is due to report shortly, when assessing what further support can be provided to increase the number of care leavers who attend university.
[1] The tariff grouping used here is the same as that which the Office for Students defined in Annex A (pg 20) of their technicaly guidance, available here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/6591e671-624a-4ebf-a5fb-1be904a5eb9f/technical-gudiance-to-accompany-provider-modelling-finalforweb.pdf.
They are based on the average UCAS tariff score of their young (aged under 21) UK-domiciled undergraduate entrants in the 2012-13 to 2014-15 academic years. Providers in the top third of the ranking by average tariff score form the ‘High tariff’ group.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what data they collect on the average level of educational attainment for looked after children (1) at Key Stage 5, and (2) in post-16 education.
Answered by Baroness Barran
The department does not hold information centrally on the types of qualifications looked-after children study and complete beyond key stage 4. The department does hold and publish information on pupils who were at the end of key stage 4 in the 2018/2019 academic year and reports on their destinations in the following academic year (2019/2020).
The figures show in the 2019/20 academic year, 5,450 children looked after were in a sustained education destination in the year following the end of key stage 4. Of these, 2,910 were in further education, 860 were in a school sixth form or sixth form college and 1,240 were in some other form of education. The full figures can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/d583af1d-ad7d-4f1f-990b-2b27586d6c69.
The department does not hold information on the educational attainment of looked after children beyond key stage 4.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many looked after children (1) started, and (2) completed, A-Level courses in each of the last three years for which the data are available.
Answered by Baroness Barran
The department does not hold information centrally on the types of qualifications looked-after children study and complete beyond key stage 4. The department does hold and publish information on pupils who were at the end of key stage 4 in the 2018/2019 academic year and reports on their destinations in the following academic year (2019/2020).
The figures show in the 2019/20 academic year, 5,450 children looked after were in a sustained education destination in the year following the end of key stage 4. Of these, 2,910 were in further education, 860 were in a school sixth form or sixth form college and 1,240 were in some other form of education. The full figures can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/d583af1d-ad7d-4f1f-990b-2b27586d6c69.
The department does not hold information on the educational attainment of looked after children beyond key stage 4.