Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce legislation to provide for a duty of candour for public bodies.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government has committed to implement a ‘Hillsborough Law’ which will place a legal duty of candour on public servants and authorities. The details of this Bill will be announced in due course.
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 Office for Students-registered theological colleges’ compliance with academic freedom and freedom of speech.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
As the independent regulator, it is the role of the Office for Students to monitor and assess registered providers’ compliance with all of its conditions of registration, including those relating to freedom of speech and academic freedom, and to take regulatory action where they have been breached. This includes theological colleges.
All higher education (HE) providers have longstanding duties to secure freedom of speech and academic freedom within the law which they must comply with. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education will shortly be making regulations to commence the expanded duties on HE providers in the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023. This will include new duties to promote freedom of speech and academic freedom, to put in place a free speech code of practice and a ban on non-disclosure agreements.
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 assessment they have made of requirements for local government officers to declare and publish any direct pecuniary interests they may have, particularly in relation to planning and awarding of contracts; and what guidance they have issued regarding good practice.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Local authorities are independent bodies and each is responsible for setting its own policies on declaration of pecuniary interests by its officers. This includes complying with the relevant legislation and ensuring appropriate governance and due diligence procedures are in place. It is for the sector to consider what best practice guidance might be required and there is no role for central government in issuing it.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether their reduction of funding for international aid will affect the funding given to the BBC.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
HM Government highly values the BBC World Service. That is why HM Government is providing the BBC World Service with a funding uplift of £32.6 million (31 per cent) in 2025/26, taking HM Government's total contribution to £137 million.
The Prime Minister announced on 25 February a commitment to increase spending on defence to 2.5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from April 2027, funded by reducing Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 0.5 per cent to 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI). Delivering this reduction will require hard choices. Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used, including for the BBC World Service, will be worked through, including as part of the ongoing Spending Review.
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.