Dyslexia: Disabled Students’ Allowance

Lord Hughes of Woodside Excerpts

Monday 13th November 2017 Lords Chamber

[Lord Agnew of Oulton]

My Lords, once an assessment has been carried out, and there are 180 assessment centres in the country, they will produce a package that is relevant for the individual sufferer of the condition. There are four bands of assistance graded by the assessor when they meet the person needing the help.

[Lord Hughes of Woodside (Lab)]

My Lords, the Question is not about the different bands of assessment, but about why an assessment will cost some applicants money—they have to pay for the assessment—while others do not pay. A simple GP’s letter should be enough, as my noble friend suggests. Why does the Minister not answer that question?

[Lord Agnew of Oulton]

My Lords, the decision, as I mentioned, was to split special educational needs away from specific learning difficulties.

Schools: Religious Education

Lord Hughes of Woodside Excerpts

Thursday 30th June 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Nash]

We issued clear guidance in December on this matter and we do not recognise that point.

[Lord Hughes of Woodside (Lab)]

The Minister says that he disagrees with the judgment. Will he explain why the Government have reached that decision?

[Lord Nash]

Because the decision was based on a very narrow point, and Dr Juss’s interpretation gives it a much wider aspect. It was a very specific case about the content of GCSEs.

Childcare Ratios

Lord Hughes of Woodside Excerpts

Thursday 9th May 2013 Lords Chamber

[Lord Nash]

I am grateful for my noble friend’s question and confirm that we are considering the consultation.

[Lord Hughes of Woodside]

In the traffic this morning coming into the House, I happened to have the radio on and heard the very eminent professor who conducted the study on childcare. She said that she was totally opposed to the changes and the ratios recommended by Government. Will the Minister listen to her?

[Lord Nash]

We have had more than 1,000 replies to the consultation and will examine them all closely.

Education Bill

Lord Hughes of Woodside Excerpts

Monday 24th October 2011 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Whitaker]

My Lords, while I agree very much with what the noble Lord, Lord Cormack, said, I cannot think that in state-funded schools to have a collective act of worship of one faith is the way to implement that. It seems wrong that, again in state-funded schools, the collective assembly should be so devised that some children will be excluded. Worship is not inclusive: it is different for different faiths. Morality can be inclusive. Ethics can be inclusive. As the noble Baroness, Lady Flather, said, the way we live our lives must be included and must reach all children. It seems to me wrong that we should have arrangements that automatically exclude some children. Therefore I support the noble Lord’s amendments.

[Lord Hughes of Woodside]

My Lords, I apologise to your Lordships’ House for not being here at the beginning of the debate. I want to make a few remarks in response to the noble Lord, Lord Cormack.

No one is suggesting that the teaching of Christianity should be banned from school. That is not the point at all. The question is whether people should be required to take part in worship. It is all very well for the right reverend Prelate to say that pupils can be excluded, but being excluded puts them aside, apart from everyone else, and makes them feel outcasts. That surely cannot be the intention. One final point is that all sorts of things are taught in school—Greek mythology, for example—but nobody expects people to believe it.

[Lord Northbourne]

My Lords, perhaps the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, can help me. In his speech he mentioned the universal values that are common to mankind, and also the moral values of our civilisation. Can he tell me where I can find those values set down clearly? This is a very relevant issue. The various revealed religions of the world set out a set of values, whether you like them or not. I have been trying to find a clear definition of the responsibilities of parenthood. I cannot find it.

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Anderson of Swansea]

Perhaps I misunderstood my noble friend. I thought I heard her refer to the teaching of “one faith” as if it were just one among many. Surely the key point is that it is essential for us as British people to learn about our civilisation and history and about the intertwining of the religion that has been sometimes a cause of internecine conflict but always of late something that promotes tolerance and makes us perhaps some of the most tolerant peoples in the world. I hope that it will be recognised by the House that if children were to be deprived of what may be their only opportunity to learn an essential part of their history and of their very being as British people, it would be a very sad day.

[Lord Hughes of Woodside]

I do not know why my noble friend repeats the story that we are trying to stop people understanding the background, history and traditions of this country. Nothing is further from the truth. We are saying that of course one should be able to teach all faiths at any time; we have no problem with that. However, we should not insist on collective worship from which some people are excluded.

[Baroness Garden of Frognal]

Perhaps I may remind noble Lords of the rules on Report. Members may speak only once to an amendment.

[Lord Hughes of Woodside]

My Lords, I apologise.

[Baroness Butler-Sloss]

My Lords, I will say one thing briefly. It is important that we all remember that the Church of England is the established church of this country. That is why we have the Prayers that we have every day. It is appropriate that that should be recognised in schools.

Education: History

Lord Hughes of Woodside Excerpts

Thursday 8th July 2010 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hill of Oareford]

I was not aware of those remarks by Professor Ferguson, but I agree with the noble Lord that if the Government were to be lucky enough that academics of his distinction, or of the distinction of other historians with a different perspective, were able to help to shape thinking, that is something that one ought to welcome.

[Lord Hughes of Woodside]

My Lords, how can it be that the Minister does not know whether these two gentlemen have been consulted or not? Who is running his department? How long has this Question been on the Order Paper? Has he made no inquiries? It is ridiculous for a Minister to say that he does not know whether people have been consulted.

[Lord Hill of Oareford]

My Lords, the Secretary of State for Education runs the department. I did not say that I did not know: I said that so far as I was aware they have not been invited to take part in a review. That was what I said in my first Answer—and in my second, too.