Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the suggestion that money habits are set by the age of seven.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) is an arm’s length body of the Department for Work and Pensions and has a statutory duty to coordinate the UK strategy for financial wellbeing. This strategy includes a goal to ensure that two million more children and young people in the UK are receiving a meaningful financial education by 2030. To support the provision of financial education, MaPS undertakes and promotes research to improve their understanding of children and young people’s financial education needs and their financial wellbeing. MaPS’ assessment of the evidence is that the skills, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours that help people to manage money and achieve good financial wellbeing begin to develop from an early age and continue to develop throughout childhood and the teenage years. MaPS’ published research can be found here: https://maps.org.uk/en/publications/research.
Financial education is currently taught through the national curriculum for mathematics at key stages 1 to 4 and citizenship at key stages 3 and 4. Together this covers personal budgeting, saving for the future, managing credit and debt and calculating interest. Primary schools are free to teach financial education within citizenship. The non-statutory primary citizenship programme of study at key stages 1 and 2 equip pupils to look after their money and realise that future wants and needs may be met through saving.
The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which seeks to deliver an excellent foundation in core subjects, including mathematics, and a rich, broad and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work.
The Review group will publish an interim report in early spring setting out its interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work and publish its final report with recommendations this autumn. We will take decisions on what changes to make to the curriculum in light of these recommendations.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what topics the additional lessons on Financial Education being produced by the Oak National Academy will cover.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
Oak National Academy’s forthcoming financial education resources will support teachers to deliver high quality lessons that prepare children to manage money sensibly and confidently. The resources will cover key stages 1-4, incrementally building pupils’ understanding of key financial concepts, such as saving and budgeting. They will focus on real life applications of mathematics and frame learning in specific, contemporary contexts that reflect the modern world. As well as covering personal finances, the resources will help children and young people consider the important role money plays in wider society.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken, if any, to bring about a resolution to the industrial action undertaken by teaching staff at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts Multi-academy Trust; and what assessment they have made of the Trust's decision not to recognise the trade union representing those teaching staff.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The department is working closely with Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) Multi-Academy Trust during the current industrial action taking place at LIPA Sixth Form College. The government cannot intervene in industrial action, but we will continue to liaise with the trust and remain hopeful that a resolution can be reached.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value of advertising revenue to websites hosting illegal content, as set out in the recent report by Adalytics.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government continually assesses the impact of online services’ activities on UK citizens from a wide range of sources.
The Online Safety Act establishes a new regulatory regime for online services including platforms and search engines. It gives these services duties to tackle illegal content and protect children from harmful content. Ofcom is the regulator for this regime. It has strong enforcement powers if platforms fail to comply. These include business disruption measures. Through these powers, third-party service providers can be required, with court approval, to withdraw services from a non-compliant platform. For example, this could include a requirement on advertising services to withdraw from a particular non-compliant platform.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, and according to what timetable, for the schools and colleges which are still affected by issues relating to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete to be repaired, or to be provided with new building.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The number of schools and colleges with confirmed reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in some of their buildings was 237.
All schools with identified RAAC have been made safe. The department has supported schools and colleges to put in place mitigations and the government is funding the removal of RAAC from schools and colleges in England.
The department has committed to resolving this problem as quickly as possible, permanently removing RAAC either through grant funding or the School Rebuilding Programme.
The requirements of each school or college will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. Permanently removing RAAC may involve refurbishment of existing buildings or rebuilding affected buildings.
For schools having RAAC removed through the School Rebuilding Programme, schools are prioritised for delivery according to the condition need of their buildings, readiness to proceed, and efficiency of delivery. We will also take into account the suitability and longevity of any temporary accommodation they are using. We have confirmed to responsible bodies when works are expected to start.
For schools and colleges receiving grants, it is for individual responsible bodies to develop project plans that suit their individual circumstances, drawing on support from the department as needed. The scope of each project will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. We are working with responsible bodies to support them as they take this forward.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many schools and colleges have been made safe after issues relating to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete have been identified in the past five years.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The number of schools and colleges with confirmed reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in some of their buildings was 237.
All schools with identified RAAC have been made safe. The department has supported schools and colleges to put in place mitigations and the government is funding the removal of RAAC from schools and colleges in England.
The department has committed to resolving this problem as quickly as possible, permanently removing RAAC either through grant funding or the School Rebuilding Programme.
The requirements of each school or college will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. Permanently removing RAAC may involve refurbishment of existing buildings or rebuilding affected buildings.
For schools having RAAC removed through the School Rebuilding Programme, schools are prioritised for delivery according to the condition need of their buildings, readiness to proceed, and efficiency of delivery. We will also take into account the suitability and longevity of any temporary accommodation they are using. We have confirmed to responsible bodies when works are expected to start.
For schools and colleges receiving grants, it is for individual responsible bodies to develop project plans that suit their individual circumstances, drawing on support from the department as needed. The scope of each project will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. We are working with responsible bodies to support them as they take this forward.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many schools and colleges have been affected by issues relating to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in the past five years.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The number of schools and colleges with confirmed reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in some of their buildings was 237.
All schools with identified RAAC have been made safe. The department has supported schools and colleges to put in place mitigations and the government is funding the removal of RAAC from schools and colleges in England.
The department has committed to resolving this problem as quickly as possible, permanently removing RAAC either through grant funding or the School Rebuilding Programme.
The requirements of each school or college will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. Permanently removing RAAC may involve refurbishment of existing buildings or rebuilding affected buildings.
For schools having RAAC removed through the School Rebuilding Programme, schools are prioritised for delivery according to the condition need of their buildings, readiness to proceed, and efficiency of delivery. We will also take into account the suitability and longevity of any temporary accommodation they are using. We have confirmed to responsible bodies when works are expected to start.
For schools and colleges receiving grants, it is for individual responsible bodies to develop project plans that suit their individual circumstances, drawing on support from the department as needed. The scope of each project will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. We are working with responsible bodies to support them as they take this forward.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of empty houses in each of the past three years.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Statistics on vacant dwellings in England, as reported for the purposes of council tax, for each of the past three years are shown in Table 1 below.
Table 1. All vacant dwellings1 and Long-Term vacant dwellings2 England, 2022 to 2024.
Date | All-Vacants | Long-Term Vacants |
|
3 Oct 2022 | 676,304 | 248,149 |
|
2 Oct 2023 | 699,126 | 261,474 |
|
7 Oct 2024 | 719,470 | 265,061 |
|
Source: Council Tax Base (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-taxbase-statistics) and also published in Live Table 615 (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants)
1 These are defined as empty properties as classified for council tax purposes and include all empty properties liable for council tax and properties that are empty but receive a council tax exemption. They do not include second homes as classified for council tax purposes.
2 These are defined as properties liable for council tax that have been empty for more than six months and that are not subject to Empty Homes Discount class D or empty due to specific flooding events.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 29 November (HL2588), how many prosecutions have been initiated in each of the past five years for operating an unregistered school.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
In total, five prosecutions have been initiated in the past five years against individuals suspected of conducting an unregistered school. The table below shows the number of prosecutions that have been initiated in each of those five years.
Year | Total number prosecutions |
2020 | 1 |
2021 | 2 |
2022 | 1 |
2023 | 0 |
2024 | 1 |
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to prevent large commercial food companies from delivering free breakfast clubs in primary schools in England.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
This government is committed to delivering new breakfast clubs in every primary school across England, providing children with a supportive start to the day so they are ready to learn. Rollout will start in up to 750 schools from April 2025.
The department is aware of existing offers provided directly to schools from food companies, which support schools to give pupils a healthy breakfast at the start of the day. Companies provide this support as charitable donations, offering direct grants to schools so they can provide breakfast food and buy equipment for their breakfast clubs. The department knows these donations are gratefully received by schools and that the companies provide valuable support to the sector. Any food served in schools must meet the School Food Standards.