Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government in how many (1) primary, and (2) secondary, schools in England is the Welsh language taught as an optional subject.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not collect this information. However, schools are free to teach whichever languages they choose to suit the needs of their pupils.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many schools in England currently have safety issues relating to asbestos, and by what date they expect all such asbestos to be removed.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Responsibility for keeping buildings safe and well-maintained lies with schools and their responsible bodies. Where the department is alerted to significant safety issues with a school building, that cannot be managed within local resources, it provides additional support on a case-by-case basis. The department provides immediate advisory support in all cases.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are responsible for setting the policy and regulations for schools on asbestos management and compliance.
The department follows the HSE’s advice that, provided asbestos-containing materials are in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed, it is generally safest to manage them in place. Where asbestos-containing materials are likely to be disturbed by maintenance works or daily use of the building and cannot be easily protected, schools should have them removed. The department has allocated over £15 billion since 2015 to support this work, including £1.8 billion committed for 2023/24
The department has published bespoke guidance on asbestos management for schools in 2020 and is working with HSE and the sector to look at further ways to help them and build on existing guidance and support.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much funding was received by (1) Wales and (2) Scotland, under the EU's Erasmus programme in each of the years 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Data published by British Council and Ecorys acting as the UK National Agency for the 2014/20 Erasmus+ Programme, is available at: https://erasmusplus.org.uk/results-and-statistics.html.
This data indicates that the amount of funding received by applicants in Wales in 2014, 2015 and 2016 was €5,134,268.50, €6,796,296.50, and €8,979,210 respectively. This funding covered Key Action 1: Learner and Staff Mobility in Higher education, Vocational education and training, Schools, Adult education, and Youth, as well as Key Action 2: Strategic Partnerships and Key Action 3: Youth Structured Dialogue.
Applicants in Scotland received €12,216,190 in 2014, €14,347,139 in 2015 and €15,099,037.80 in 2016 under the EU Erasmus+ Programme. This funding covered Key Action 1 and Key Action 2 only between 2014 and 2016 as no applicants from Scotland received funding for Key Action 3 during this period.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to enable the teaching of the Welsh language as a subject in state secondary schools in England.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
It is up to schools to decide which languages are taught as part of their curriculum at secondary phase.
The Welsh language is a valuable part of our nation’s heritage and is an important aspect in fostering UK wide cohesion. When deciding which languages to offer their pupils, state funded secondary schools in England are likely to consider the needs of the communities that they serve and may decide to offer Welsh.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Let Us Learn Too and Disabled Children's Partnership's The SEND Money Survey, published on 7 February; and what assessment they have made of the impact on (1) finance, (2) mental health, (3) physical wellbeing, and (4) families with disabled children, from having to pay for specialist support privately.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government recognises that the current special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system does not consistently deliver the outcomes we want and expect for children and young people with SEND, their families, or the people and services who support them. This was highlighted by a SEND Money Survey conducted by Let Us Learn Too and the Disabled Children’s Partnership.
The department is conducting a review of SEND provisions in England. This is to ensure that children and young people with SEND get the right support, in the right place, at the right time, to improve outcomes and experiences within a financially sustainable system. The department has met with representatives and organisations, including Let Us Learn Too and the Disabled Children’s Partnership.
On 1 February 2022, the government announced more than £45 million of continued targeted support for families and parents of children and young people with SEND over the next three financial years. Additionally, councils will be provided with £30 million to set up more than 10,000 additional respite placements, helping to provide positive opportunities for children and young people with SEND.
In March 2021, the government published the mental health recovery action plan. It is backed by an additional £500 million of targeted investment to ensure that there is support in place for this financial year. This support includes £79 million to expand support in children and young people’s mental health services.
Education policy is devolved. Therefore, arrangements covering SEND policy and provision in Wales are a matter for the Welsh Government.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to allow schools in England to resume overnight trips for their pupils to any location in the UK provided that such schools (1) carry out risk assessments, and (2) follow appropriate safeguarding guidelines.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The Department for Education continues to advise against both overnight and non-overnight domestic (UK) and overseas educational visits (trips). This advice is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-travel-advice-for-educational-settings/coronavirus-travel-guidance-for-educational-settings.
In the autumn term, schools can resume non-overnight domestic educational visits. Guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.
All such visits should be compliant with COVID-19 guidelines and subject to a thorough and ongoing assessment of the risks to ensure that they can be undertaken safely. Schools should consult the health and safety guidance on educational visits when considering any visit, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-and-safety-on-educational-visits/health-and-safety-on-educational-visits.
Schools should not resume overnight visits for the time-being. This is consistent with the latest government guidance on meeting people from outside your household, which advises that you should not stay overnight away from your home with members of more than 2 households: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/meeting-people-from-outside-your-household-from-4-july.
The above guidance will remain under review and will be updated in line with guidance from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for Transport and Public Health England.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Children's Commissioner We need to talk: Access to speech and language therapy, published on 11 June; and whether they intend to provide a response.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
On 20 June 2019, the government released a joint ministerial letter responding to the ‘Bercow: Ten Years On’ first anniversary update report. The letter reaffirmed our commitment to supporting more effective commissioning of communication support.
The NHS long-term plan recognises the importance of speech and language therapists (SLTs) and proposes that local areas design and implement models of care that are age appropriate, closer to home and bring together physical and mental health services.
Our national workforce group for allied health professionals (AHPs) will be making specific recommendations, in particular for those professionals in short supply, such as SLTs. The chief allied health professions officer will further develop the national AHP strategy into action to focus on the delivery of the NHS long-term plan.
We are aware of the concerns about the adequacy of funding for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in England, including those with speech, language and communication needs. On 3 May 2019, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced a call for evidence from schools, colleges and local authorities to consider how the SEND and alternative provision financial arrangements in England could be improved. The call for evidence is attached and can be accessed at the following link: https://consult.education.gov.uk/funding-policy-unit/funding-for-send-and-those-who-need-ap-call-for-ev/.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding from the apprenticeship levy was made available to Welsh police forces and the Welsh Government in the last financial year.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive their share of the apprenticeship levy calculated in line with the Barnett formula. This will be £460 million for the period 2019 to 2020. Wales received £128 million in the period 2017 to 2018.
Skills, including apprenticeships, is a devolved matter. Therefore, it will be for the devolved administrations to decide how funds raised from the levy should be used in their administrations.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultations they have held with teaching unions in Wales on the issue of teachers' pay.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State issued a written ministerial statement and published the ‘School Teachers’ Review Body’ report on 24 July 2018. Department officials wrote to all statutory consultees, including the teaching unions in Wales, to invite them to comment on the report, the government’s response to it, the revised ‘School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions’ document and accompanying pay order. The consultation lasted for six weeks, ending on 3 September 2018. Undeb Cenedlaethol Athrawon Cymru (UCAC) provided a response and evidence to the consultation on 3 September 2018. The department also invited all statutory consultees to meet Department for Education officials to discuss the report. UCAC did not take up that offer.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they give to state-maintained schools in England concerning the need to strip asbestos from school buildings.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The department takes the issue of asbestos in schools seriously, and is committed to supporting schools, local councils and academy trusts to fulfil their duty to manage asbestos safely.
The department’s advice to schools, local councils and academy trusts on management of asbestos is contained in the attached Asbestos Management in Schools guidance also published at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asbestos-management-in-schools--2.
The guidance provides information on the action duty holders should take in order to prevent pupils and staff being exposed to asbestos. The guidance makes clear that the removal of asbestos should take place only if asbestos containing materials are in poor condition and advises on the risks of unsafe removal. This is in line with the Health and Safety Executive advice that as long as asbestos-containing materials are undamaged, encapsulated and not in locations where they are vulnerable to damage, they should be managed in situ. The guidance also advises on actions that duty holders must take where work is carried out on the premises which might disturb asbestos containing materials (including asbestos removal).