Baroness Lister of Burtersett Portrait

Baroness Lister of Burtersett

Labour - Life peer

Became Member: 31st January 2011


Citizenship and Civic Engagement Committee
29th Jun 2017 - 28th Mar 2018
Human Rights (Joint Committee)
16th May 2012 - 30th Mar 2015


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Baroness Lister of Burtersett has voted in 439 divisions, and 1 time against the majority of their Party.

8 Dec 2021 - Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill - View Vote Context
Baroness Lister of Burtersett voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 6 Labour No votes vs 59 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 211 Noes - 82
View All Baroness Lister of Burtersett Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Baroness Williams of Trafford (Conservative)
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
(63 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Home Office
(208 debate contributions)
Department for Work and Pensions
(48 debate contributions)
Ministry of Justice
(37 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Nationality and Borders Act 2022
(24,735 words contributed)
Illegal Migration Act 2023
(18,580 words contributed)
Domestic Abuse Bill 2019-21
(10,231 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Baroness Lister of Burtersett's debates

Lords initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Baroness Lister of Burtersett, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.


1 Bill introduced by Baroness Lister of Burtersett


A bill to introduce a minimum period of 56 days before an asylum claim is considered to be determined for the purpose of ending asylum support

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Thursday 9th January 2020
(Read Debate)

Baroness Lister of Burtersett has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
1st Feb 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have considered taking steps to reduce the single tiered registration fee to the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists for small consultant lobbyists or businesses working with charities below the level levied on larger companies working with profit making organisations; and, if not, why.

The Government believes it is right that registrants contribute to the costs of administering the lobbying register and we continue to keep the registration fee level under review. There are currently no plans to introduce a banded fee structure.

We look forward to the findings of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on the operation of the Lobbying Act 2014 and will respond in due course.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
3rd Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, for statistical collaboration between the UK and the EU as set out in the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, with regard to data related to (1) poverty, and (2) living standards.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the noble peer’s Parliamentary Question of 03 March is attached.

Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician

Baroness Lister of Burtersett
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW

14 March 2022

Dear Lady Lister,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking about plans for arrangements for statistical cooperation between the UK and EU, as set out in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, in regard to data on poverty and living standards (HL6621).


The UK Statistics Authority has been engaging with Eurostat on arrangements for statistical cooperation that would fulfil the role set out in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. It is our ambition that a future arrangement on statistical cooperation will cover a range of areas of mutual interest, though further engagement will be needed before the scope of any arrangement can be confirmed. The details of any arrangement will be made available once discussions conclude.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
20th Oct 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many men have (1) worked for their current employer for less than 26 weeks, (2) become unemployed, or (3) become self-employed, for each month (a) this year and (b) last year; and what estimate they have made of the equivalent figures for each month of 2021.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

Dear Lady Lister,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking how many men have (1) worked for their current employer for less than 26 weeks, (2) become unemployed, or (3) become self-employed, for each month (a) this year and (b) last year; and what estimate they have made of the equivalent figures for each month of 2021 (HL9375).

Labour market estimates are available from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), which is a survey of people resident in households in the UK. The LFS asks respondents which year and month they started working continuously for their current employer. For the purposes of answering this question, we are therefore defining 26 weeks as 6 months.

In the LFS, respondents are interviewed for five consecutive quarters over a 12-month period, which allows us to track respondents’ labour market status over their time in the survey. By comparing the labour market status reported by respondents in two consecutive calendar quarters, we can estimate the number of people who become unemployed or self-employed. Unemployed people are those without a job who have been actively seeking work within the last four weeks and are available to start work within the next two weeks.

The LFS only provides these estimates for three-month periods, rather than single months, and so estimates for the number of men who have worked for their current employer for less than 6 months are presented on a rolling quarter basis. It is not best practice to make direct comparisons between adjacent rolling quarters due to sample overlap. However, these estimates still provide an indication of recent trends in the data. Estimates of the number of men becoming unemployed or self-employed are only available for calendar quarters. All estimates are not seasonally adjusted.

Unfortunately, as we do not produce forecasts, we cannot provide estimates for 2021.

Table 1 contains estimates of the number of male employees, aged 16 years and over, who have been working continuously with their current employer for less than 6 months. These estimates are provided for each rolling quarter from January to March 2019 to June to August 2020, which is the most recent data available. Table 2 contains estimates of the number of men, aged between 16 and 64 years, who have become unemployed or self-employed since the previous quarter. These are provided for each calendar quarter from January to March 2019 through to April to June 2020, the latest estimates available. Note that, as with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a level of uncertainty.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

Table 1: Estimated number of men who are employees, aged 16 years and over, who have been working continuously with their current employer for less than 6 months prior to their interview, January to March 2019 to June to August 2020[1]

UK, thousands, not seasonally adjusted

Period

Thousands

Jan-Mar 2019

1,090

Feb-Apr 2019

1,002

Mar-May 2019

933

Apr-Jun 2019

1,016

May-Jul 2019

1,065

Jun-Aug 2019

1,095

Jul-Sep 2019

1,099

Aug-Oct 2019

1,132

Sep-Nov 2019

1,189

Oct-Dec 2019

1,209

Nov-Jan 2020

1,207

Dec-Feb 2020

1,169

Jan-Mar 2020

1,082

Feb-Apr 2020

992

Mar-May 2020

881

Apr-Jun 2020

846

May-Jul 2020

831

Jun-Aug 2020

809

Source: ONS Labour Force Survey

Table 2: Estimated number of men, aged between 16 and 64 years, who have become unemployed or self-employed since the previous quarter, January to March 2019 to April to June 2020

UK, thousands, not seasonally adjusted

Period

Unemployed

Self-employed

Jan-Mar 2019

311

198

Apr-Jun 2019

347

210

Jul-Sep 2019

381

179

Oct-Dec 2019

311

248

Jan-Mar 2020

342

168

Apr-Jun 2020

351

167

Source: ONS Labour Force Survey

[1]Quality indicator

Shaded estimates are based on a small sample size. This may result in less precise estimates, which should be used with caution.

Unshaded estimates are based on a larger sample size. This is likely to result in estimates of higher precision, although they will still be subject to some sampling variability.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
22nd Jul 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the intersection between relevant dimensions of inequality and the impact of COVID-19.

This Government is learning as much and as quickly as possible about this virus, who it affects and how best to keep everyone safe and protect those who may be more vulnerable to COVID-19.

The Government is committed to supporting all people affected by COVID-19, including those that are disproportionately affected by it. All equality and discrimination laws and obligations continue to apply during the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to monitor the virus’ impact using existing and new data sources.

The Government commissioned Public Health England to review how different factors - including ethnicity, gender and obesity - can impact on people’s health outcomes from COVID-19. The review was published on 2 June, and the Prime Minister has asked the Minister for Equalities, Kemi Badenoch, to act on its findings. On 4 June, the Minister for Equalities set out the Terms of Reference for this work, which include commissioning further data, research and analytical work to clarify the scale, and drivers, of the gaps in evidence highlighted by the report.

15th Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government why there is a lower age limit of 18 on members of the public allowed to ask a question at the daily coronavirus briefing.

We are mindful of the value of young people being able to contribute their views on policy matters, including those relating to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, members of the public who ask questions, particularly those filmed, are placed in the public eye to a significant extent on television, and are subsequently subject to comment on social media.

There are practical issues with children being subjected to such scrutiny, without parental consent and involvement. As it stands, parents and carers can ask questions on behalf of under-18s as a way for them to raise issues in the daily press conferences.

The Government continues to actively consider alternative options for under-18s to submit questions to ministers. For example, the Prime Minister met with students aged 10 – 11 on Friday 19 June to answer their questions on coronavirus and returning to school.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
21st Apr 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish data on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the UK’s working population, broken down by gender.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

Dear Baroness Lister,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what plans have been made to publish data on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the UK’s working population, broken down by gender (HL3269).

Labour market statistics are produced every month and include analysis of the working population by sex. The main source for these statistics is the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The LFS’s latest estimates[1] were published on 21 April 2020 and cover the period prior to the implementation of the coronavirus (COVID-19) social distancing measure (December 2019 to February 2020). The next publication is scheduled for 19 May 2020 and will cover the period from January to March 2020.

In addition to scheduled publications, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has a dedicated page[2] on the COVID-19 pandemic and any additional analysis is published there. We have also included some specific questions relating to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the LFS from April 2020 and launched an online Labour Market Survey from April, as announced in a statement[3] from the ONS. Both these sources will provide information by sex. We aim to publish as much as possible, as data becomes available, to aid understanding of the impact of the pandemic on the working population.

Our Business Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Survey (BICS) asks firms a number of questions about employment, including whether they had laid off staff, their employment expectations, and take-up of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Latest survey estimates are available here[4]. Although the data does not enable a breakdown by sex, the sectoral information does show the variation across female-dominated versus male-dominated industries. We have recently published an article on furloughed workers, based on BICS data[5]:

In addition, the weekly Opinions and Lifestyle Survey publishes survey responses by sex[6].

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/april2020.

[2]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases

[3]https://www.ons.gov.uk/news/statementsandletters/ensuringthebestpossibleinformationduringcovid19throughsafedatacollection

[4]https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/business/businessservices/bulletins/coronavirusandtheeconomicimpactsontheuk/23april2020

[5]https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/furloughingofworkersacrossukbusinesses/23march2020to5april2020

[6]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandwellbeing/datasets/coronavirusandthesocialimpactsongreatbritaindata

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
17th Apr 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of employers who have been named under the Employment Tribunal naming scheme established in December 2018.

As stated in the answer to HL6685, data held on Employment Tribunal Penalties is derived from a live case management system used for internal purposes which has not been subject to sufficient validation that would be required for us to release this to Parliament at this time.

We will consider what data we may be able to publish on this subject in the future.

Linked to this, the Government is also currently reviewing at what point it is appropriate to start to use the powers that we have to name employers who do not pay relevant awards.

Lord Johnson of Lainston
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
17th Apr 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Johnson of Lainston on 4 April (HL6685), how many previously unpaid Employment Tribunal awards have been recovered for claimants under the section 150 penalty regime since April 2016; and what is the total value of those awards.

As stated in the answer to HL6685, data held on Employment Tribunal Penalties is derived from a live case management system used for internal purposes which has not been subject to sufficient validation that would be required for us to release this to Parliament at this time.

We will consider what data we may be able to publish on this subject in the future.

Linked to this, the Government is also currently reviewing at what point it is appropriate to start to use the powers that we have to name employers who do not pay relevant awards.

Lord Johnson of Lainston
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
21st Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) warning notices, and (2) financial penalty notices, were issued to respondent employers under section 150 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 for failure to pay an employment tribunal award in each year since 2016–17, including 2022–23 to date; how many of those financial penalties (a) have been paid, and (b) remain unpaid; how many previously unpaid awards have been recovered following (i) the issuing of a warning notice only, and (ii) the issuing of both a warning notice and a financial penalty notice; and how much money has been recovered for claimants in total in each category.

While we do hold data on Employment Tribunal Penalties, this is derived from a live case management system and has not been subject to sufficient validation that would be required for us to release this to Parliament at this time. We will give consideration to what data we may be able to publish on this subject in the future.

Lord Johnson of Lainston
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
13th Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Stedman-Scott on 8 March (HL Deb col 793), when they expect to publish (1) the report of the evaluation of the Shared Parental Leave and Pay scheme that they initiated in early 2018, and (2) the findings of the Parental Rights Study 2019.

Evaluating Shared Parental Leave and Pay is an important part of the policymaking process. As part of the evaluation, we commissioned surveys which asked about a range of parental leave and pay entitlements as well as about Shared Parental Leave specifically. We are currently considering this information and will publish our findings in due course.

In 2019 the Government consulted on high-level options for reforming parental leave and pay. We are currently considering responses to the consultation and will respond in due course.

Lord Johnson of Lainston
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
13th Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Scott of Bybrook on 8 March (HL Deb col 793), where she stated that "the number of couples taking up shared parental leave and pay is increasing year on year; last year it was at 13,000", what was the total number of claimants of Statutory Shared Parental Pay in each year since 2015–16, broken down by gender.

Information provided by employers to HM Revenue and Customs show the number of individuals in receipt of Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP). This data provides a broad indication of Shared Parental Leave (SPL) take-up but does not include anyone taking unpaid Shared Parental Leave.

Table 1: Individuals in receipt of ShPP by gender, 2015/16 to 2021/22

Year (April to March)

No. of individuals in receipt of ShPP

Women

Men

Total

2015-16

1,100

5,100

6,200

2016-17

1,600

7,100

8,600

2017-18

1,700

7,500

9,200

2018-19

2,200

8,500

10,700

2019-20

2,600

9,900

12,600

2020-21

2,600

8,600

11,200

2021-22

3,200

9,800

13,000

  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
  2. Figures are based on the total number of individuals in a given year, irrespective of when the payment first started. Some individuals will be counted across two years.
  3. For 2015-16, those receiving Additional Statutory Paternity Pay cannot be distinguished from those claiming ShPP.

Lord Johnson of Lainston
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
25th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that replacing the Energy Bill Relief Scheme with the Energy Bill Discount Scheme will have on the hospice sector.

The new Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) will run from April until March 2024 and continue to provide a discount to eligible non-domestic customers including hospices. An HMT-led review into the operation of the current Energy Bill Relief Schemes was conducted with the objective of significantly reducing the overall burden on the taxpayer/public finances, and ensuring support is targeted at those most in need and unable to adjust to recent energy price rises. The review considered a range of qualitative and quantitative evidence, including input from businesses and stakeholders. The new scheme strikes a balance between supporting non-domestic customers and limiting taxpayer’s exposure to volatile energy markets, with a cap set at £5.5 billion.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
21st Feb 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of a shorter working week.

Individuals and employers working together should be able to decide what flexible working arrangements work best for them.

The Government’s consultation and accompanying impact assessment on “making flexible working the default” showed there are benefits associated with all kinds of flexible working arrangements. These benefits include reduced vacancy costs; increased skill retention; enhanced business performance; and reduced staff absenteeism rates.

Our consultation closed on 1st December 2021. We are currently reviewing the responses and will respond in due course.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
14th Jun 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government when their response to the consultations on (1) shared parental leave, and (2) carers’ leave, will be published.

The Government is committed to delivering our manifesto commitments to make it easier for fathers to take Paternity Leave and to introduce a new employment right to one week of unpaid leave for carers. Information collected through public consultation will inform policy development in both areas.

We are currently assessing the responses to the consultation on high-level options for reforming parental leave and pay. Separate to this, we are also conducting a formal evaluation of the Shared Parental Leave and Pay scheme, which has included large-scale, representative, surveys of employers and parents which looked at a broad range of parental leave and pay entitlements.

Together, the consultation and the evaluation will give us a fuller picture of how well the current system of parental leave and pay is working for parents and employers. We intend to publish the Government Response to the consultation and the findings of the evaluation later this year.

The consultation on Carer’s Leave set out detailed policy proposals to create a new employment right for one week’s unpaid leave. The consultation received a significant number of responses, demonstrating the importance of this issue.

The Government response to the consultation will be published in due course, setting out the way forward.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st Jul 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what sanctions employers face if they breach the guidance set out in Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19), published on 11 June, in relation to (1) people with caring responsibilities, and (2) new and expectant mothers.

The Government first published the safer workplaces guidance on 11 May setting out businesses can reopen safely. This guidance forms part of employers’ normal health and safety practice. Health and safety legislation is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive and by local authorities.

This guidance does not change employers’ responsibilities towards new or expectant mothers. Workers who are pregnant are part of the “clinically vulnerable” group who are at higher risk of coronavirus. If clinically vulnerable individuals, such as those who are pregnant, cannot work from home, they should be offered the safest available on-site roles. Employers need to assess whether this involves an acceptable level of risk. As part of this they should take into account their specific duties towards those with protected characteristics, including new or expectant mothers – who are ultimately entitled to suspension on full pay if a suitable role cannot be found.

If the enforcing authority finds that an employer is not taking action to properly manage workplace risk, a range of actions are open to them including specific advice or issuing enforcement notices. Employers should consult with unions and employees when carrying out their risk assessment. If employees continue to have concerns, they can raise them with their employer, any union safety representatives, or ultimately with the enforcing organisation - the Health and Safety Executive or their local authority.

Depending on the business, HSE and local authorities enforce health and safety in these workplaces and will monitor compliance including through inspections and following up on concerns raised by individuals with them. Local authorities enforce health and safety in workplaces, such as offices, shops, warehouses, and consumer services. They take action against any business who isn’t complying with their legal health and safety obligations, including providing guidance and issuing enforcement notices to require them to take the necessary action or taking tougher action like fines and jail sentences if they continue to not comply.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
15th Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what tailored guidance they have made available to (1) businesses, and (2) service providers, on how to make social distancing accessible for people with sight loss.

The Government considered people with disabilities when developing the safer workplace guidance for businesses.

Our guidance does not replace existing employment, health and safety or equalities legislation. It provides information to employers on how best to meet these responsibilities in the context of COVID-19.

The safer workplaces guidance provides some suggestions to help employers make their workplaces COVID-19 secure for their employees, visitors and customers. We expect all businesses to approach reopening in a sensible way, taking account of the Government’s guidance and discussing with neighbouring businesses and their local authorities where applicable.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
14th Jan 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the entitlement to one week’s leave for unpaid carers included in the Queen's Speech December 2019: background briefing notes, published on 19 December 2019, refers to paid or unpaid leave.

This Government is determined to make Britain the best place in the world to work. That is why we are bringing forward an Employment Bill which will represent the largest upgrade to workers' rights in a generation.

The Government’s proposal is to introduce a week of unpaid Carer’s Leave. This will be complementary to other employment rights, such as the right to request flexible working, annual leave and the right to time off for family and dependants which help employees balance work with caring responsibilities.

21st Jun 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Barran on 7 June (HL511), whether they will state on which dates the Creative Industries Council has held quarterly meetings since 6 July 2020; whether they intend to publish the minutes of such meetings; and if so, when.

The Creative Industries Council has met twice since 6th July 2020: on 27 October 2020 and 24 February 2021. Minutes for these meetings are being finalised for publication on the Gov.uk website shortly.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
24th May 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to regularly engage with representatives of the creative workforce to discuss the best route to recovery for the creative sector.

Throughout the pandemic, DCMS ministers and officials have been regularly engaging with stakeholders representing the workforce across the creative industries to ensure their concerns are understood.

Regular forums for engagement include quarterly meetings with the Creative Industries Council, which includes representatives from across the creative sector and is co-chaired by the Secretaries of State for DCMS and Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. At the outset of the Covid pandemic, the Council developed a plan on transition and recovery that has been useful for helping shape our policy response. We are now looking to the future, and continue to work with the Council to consider further recovery and growth opportunities for the sector.

DCMS officials are also in regular contact with other stakeholders including ScreenSkills, Arts Council England, the Creative Industries Federation and the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
24th May 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the All Party Parliamentary Writers Group Supporting Writers through the COVID-19 Crisis, published on 11 May, what plans they have to engage with writers’ organisations to discuss the recommendations relating to maintaining diversity of talent in the creative industries following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Literature contributes greatly to the richness and diversity of our cultural environment, and we welcome the report by the All Party Parliamentary Writers Group.

The government is clear that it expects the cultural sectors to represent our diverse society in their artistic talent, workforce and audiences. As the national development agency for art and culture, Arts Council England (ACE) has a responsibility to ensure that public money benefits all of the public.

ACE supports a network of Writer Development Agents, which between them cover every one of the five regions in which ACE operates, all of which have an explicit remit to support writers that represent the diversity of our country. ACE has also focused additional funding on organisations whose work promotes diversity, most prominently via an Ambition for Excellence award to The Good Literary Agency, based in Bristol, which develops and then markets authors from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds, and via our support of a pair of reports (by BookTrust and the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education) into the diversity and inclusivity of the children’s literature sector.

We hope that this ongoing support and engagement will help to nurture the next generation of writers to build on the success of today’s sector.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
25th Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Charity Finance Group’s proposal to allow charities to furlough staff and enable them to volunteer at their own organisation, to help charities to mobilise during the winter period.

The Government remains committed to supporting charitable organisations and enterprises across the country. In March, the Government announced the unprecedented Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), designed to help employers to keep millions of people in employment. The CJRS was set to close on 31 October 2020 but, in light of the path of the virus, the CJRS has now been extended until the end of March 2021.

A furloughed employee can volunteer for another employer or organisation subject to public health guidance and agreement from their employer. However, employees are not permitted to volunteer for their own employer or an organisation linked or associated to their employer where the volunteering either makes money for, or provides services to, their employer or such an organisation. This is to prevent fraudulent claims and to protect individuals. If the Government allowed workers to volunteer for their employer or a linked organisation, the employer could ask them to effectively work full-time whilst only paying them 80% of their wages.

As part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to supporting charitable organisations and social enterprises, the Spending Review confirmed a £750m support package for charities supporting vulnerable people during the COVID-19 crisis. The Government also matched public donations to the BBC’s “Big Night In” charity appeal, with over £37 million being distributed by Comic Relief, Children In Need and the National Emergencies Trust to charities on the frontline.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
20th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will amend the residency requirement for the Skills Bootcamp programme so that newly arrived citizens from the British overseas territories under the BOTC (F), BOTC (M), and the BIOT (Chagossian) routes can take advantage of the programme to help them settle into employment in the UK.

Adults are eligible to apply for a Skills Bootcamp if they are aged 19 or over, have the right to work in the UK, live in England and meet residency requirements.

Skills Bootcamps follow the same residency eligibility criteria as other funding streams for further education for adults aged 19+, including the Adult Education Budget. The government has to prioritise which learners to support within the finite resources available.

Learners who have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least the previous three years on the first day of learning are eligible for funding, irrespective of citizenship or nationality. Eligibility also extends to those with a right of abode in the UK, who have been residing in British Overseas Territories for at least the previous three years on the first day of learning.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
2nd May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that living more than 20 miles from home has on (1) the mental health and wellbeing, and (2) educational outcomes, of children in the care system in England.

Local authorities have a statutory duty set out in Section 22(3) of the Children’s Act 1989 to make sure that there is sufficient provision in their area to meet the needs of children in their care.

The department recognises that there are not enough of the right homes in the right places for children in care to live in. The way that local authorities currently plan for, commission and provide homes for children is at times not sufficient. This can result in some children living far from where they consider home and can have a negative impact on their wellbeing and outcomes. We want to reduce out of area placements, but sometimes circumstances mean it is the right decision for a child to be placed outside their home authority.

Information on placements, distance from the home placement and the location of the placement can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2022.

In response to the urgent calls from the Competition and Markets Authority and the Care Review to transform the way care is provided to children, the government is working to drive forward improvements at a national, regional and local level to increase sufficiency and improve standards of care and regulations.

By 2027, we will see an increase in the availability of high-quality, stable and loving homes for every child in care local to where they are from. To achieve this, the department is supporting local authorities to increase care placements and ensure they meet children’s needs, with £259 million of capital funding for secure and open children’s homes. We will also review legislation, regulations and standards of care to ensure the needs of all children in care are met.

We are also investing £10 million to develop Regional Care Co-operatives (RCCs) to plan, commission and deliver children’s social care placements. Through operating on a larger scale and developing specialist capabilities, the RCCs will be able to develop a wide range of places to better meet children’s needs. This, in turn, should lead to improved placement stability and fewer out of area placements.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
30th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of multiple placement moves on the well-being and mental health of children in the care system in England.

All placement decisions are subject to the duty set out in Section 22(3) of the Children’s Act 1989, which requires the placement decision to be the most appropriate way to safeguard and promote the child’s welfare. The welfare of children must always be paramount and local authorities have a duty to safeguard all children in their care. When the difficult decision is made to change a child’s placement, it must be in the best interest of the child. The department believes that social workers and the courts are best placed to make decisions for vulnerable children, in consideration of all the factors involved in often complex cases. Every child should experience a stable and loving home during their time in care.

Recognising the urgency of action in placement sufficiency, the department is prioritising working with local authorities to recruit more foster carers. This will include pathfinder local recruitment campaigns that build towards a national programme to help ensure those carers approved are the right match for children coming into care, and children have access to the right placements at the right time, including supporting those children who have suffered complex trauma.

Figures on the number of looked after children who moved more than once (three or more placements during the year) were published for the year ending 31 March 2018 to the year ending 31 March 2022 in the table ‘CLA on 31 March with three or more placements during the year – LA’ in the annual statistical release ‘Children looked after in England, including adoptions, 2022’. The table can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/fast-track/53b32118-528e-4015-777b-08dab100bfc2.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
30th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the charity Become Home for Christmas, published on 2 January; and in particular, the finding that, on average, 150 children in the care system in England were moved each day in 2021–22.

All placement decisions are subject to the duty set out in Section 22(3) of the Children’s Act 1989, which requires the placement decision to be the most appropriate way to safeguard and promote the child’s welfare. The welfare of children must always be paramount and local authorities have a duty to safeguard all children in their care. When the difficult decision is made to change a child’s placement, it must be in the best interest of the child. The department believes that social workers and the courts are best placed to make decisions for vulnerable children, in consideration of all the factors involved in often complex cases. Every child should experience a stable and loving home during their time in care.

Recognising the urgency of action in placement sufficiency, the department is prioritising working with local authorities to recruit more foster carers. This will include pathfinder local recruitment campaigns that build towards a national programme to help ensure those carers approved are the right match for children coming into care, and children have access to the right placements at the right time, including supporting those children who have suffered complex trauma.

Figures on the number of looked after children who moved more than once (three or more placements during the year) were published for the year ending 31 March 2018 to the year ending 31 March 2022 in the table ‘CLA on 31 March with three or more placements during the year – LA’ in the annual statistical release ‘Children looked after in England, including adoptions, 2022’. The table can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/fast-track/53b32118-528e-4015-777b-08dab100bfc2.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
2nd Nov 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure all schools are aware of the extension of the right to free school meals to children in all families subject to the 'no recourse to public funds' rule.

The permanent extension of free school meal (FSM) eligibility to families with no recourse to public funds has been in place since the start of the 2021/22 summer term. The department updated its FSM guidance page at that time to reflect this change. The current guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools-and-local-authorities.

On 20 April 2022, an article on the expansion of FSM eligibility was included in the Education and Skills Funding Agency Update, which was emailed to academies and local authorities directly. The article can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-update-20-april-2022.

On 26 April 2022, the department issued a notice to all schools and local authorities through its sector bulletin that this change had come into effect.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
24th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect on the level of support for (1) disabled children, and (2) families, of the proposed policy change in the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) review to decide the services disabled young people receive on the basis of a new national banding system.

The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Green Paper sets out the department’s proposals to improve the outcomes and experiences of children and young people with SEND and their families, so that they can fulfil their potential and lead happy, healthy, and productive adult lives. The proposals aim to drive national consistency in how needs are assessed, identified, and met across education, health, and care, through the introduction of national standards.

The department wants to ensure the most effective use of the investment in high needs funding and the proposal for a national framework of funding bands is to allow far greater consistency in funding arrangements throughout the system. We are consulting on how best to develop a national framework for funding bands and tariffs, to make it easier for children and young people, and their families, to understand not only the provision they can access locally, but also the funding levels that provision would attract, giving them greater assurance that their child’s needs will be met appropriately.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
30th Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families on 24 March (HCWS714) regarding children with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF), whether the reference to "all families with NRPF" means that no family that meets the income and capital rules will be excluded from entitlement to free school meals; and what steps they are taking to inform schools of the decision to extend eligibility for free school meals permanently.

All children from families with no recourse to public funds will be entitled to free school meals. This is subject to income thresholds where appropriate.

This change will come into effect for the start of the summer term, commencing in April 2022. The department will shortly be providing updated guidance which will be communicated to relevant stakeholders.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
1st Dec 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what review they are undertaking, if any, into the long-term provision of free school meals to children in families with no recourse to public funds; and when the outcome of any such review will be announced.

We are working with departments across government to evaluate access to free school meals for families with no recourse to public funds. In the meantime, the extension of eligibility will continue with the current income threshold until a decision on long-term eligibility is made.

Once the review is complete, we will update our guidance accordingly. Our current guidance regarding the extension can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance/guidance-for-the-temporary-extension-of-free-school-meals-eligibility-to-nrpf-groups.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
25th Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Benyon on 17 November (HL Deb, col 282), what plans they have to make arrangements for the long-term provision of free school meals to children in families with no recourse to public funds; and when they intend to publish any such plans.

The department has temporarily extended free school meal eligibility to include some children of groups who have no recourse to public funds in light of the current unique circumstances many families face at this time.

We are currently working with departments across government to evaluate access to free school meals for families with no recourse to public funds.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
6th Sep 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to publish the statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms under the Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Act 2021.

The Department plans to publish the statutory guidance in Autumn 2021.

Schools do not need to make any changes before the guidance is released. The Department want schools to implement changes in a timely and considered manner to ensure that parents do not incur additional costs from sudden uniform changes.

Once the guidance is published, all schools will need to review their uniform policies and make necessary changes as soon as possible to ensure that parents see the benefits of the guidance.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
13th Jul 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Berridge on 11 June (HL 660), what assessment they have made of the report School Uniform: Dressing Girls to Fail, published on 5 July; and whether they took into account the finding in that report that uniforms are more expensive for girls than boys when drawing up the statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms.

The department has reviewed the findings of the report ‘School Uniform: Dressing Girls to Fail’ and is engaging with stakeholders, including the authors of the report, ahead of publishing statutory guidance under the Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Act 2021. This statutory guidance will be limited in scope to the cost aspects of uniform. Schools have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 not to discriminate unlawfully due to the protected characteristics of sex and gender reassignment.

Where a school has different dress codes for male and female pupils, they will need to carefully consider their obligations under equalities legislation not to discriminate unlawfully on the grounds of any protected characteristic.

The department published guidance to help schools understand how to fulfil their duties under the Equality Act 2010, this guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools. The department has also published non-statutory best practice guidance on school uniform which is clear that, “In formulating its school uniform policy, a school will need to consider its obligations not to discriminate unlawfully. For example, it is not expected that the cost of girls’ uniform is significantly more expensive than boys.”. This guidance is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/514978/School_Uniform_Guidance.pdf.

27th May 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the proposal by the 'Let Clothes be Clothes' campaign for unisex school uniforms in finalising the statutory guidance on the costs of school uniforms.

It is for the governing body of a school to determine uniform policy. In making decisions about its school uniform policy, and all other school policies, a school must have regard to its obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty. Where a school has different dress codes for male and female pupils, they will need to carefully consider their obligations under equalities legislation not to discriminate unlawfully on the grounds of any protected characteristic. The department publishes guidance to help schools understand how the Equality Act affects them and how to fulfil their duties under the Act: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools. This includes a duty on schools not to discriminate unlawfully due to the protected characteristics of sex and gender reassignment. The department also publishes non-statutory best practice guidance on school uniform which is clear that “in formulating its school uniform policy, a school will need to consider its obligations not to discriminate unlawfully”: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/514978/School_Uniform_Guidance.pdf. For example, it is not expected that the cost of girls’ uniform is significantly more expensive than boys.

Under the Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Act 2021, the forthcoming statutory guidance will be limited in scope to the cost aspects of uniform, but we will continue to make our non-statutory guidance available to schools alongside it.

18th Jan 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the letter from Baroness Williams of Trafford to all peers on 22 October 2020 on issues raised during the Report stage of the Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill, whether the Department for Education’s review of how immigration status and restrictions interact with free school meal and other educational entitlements was completed during the autumn term; if so, (1) whether, and (2) when, this review will be published; and if not, when this review will be completed.

We are working with departments across government to evaluate access to free school meals for families with no recourse to public funds. This review has not been formally concluded at present. In the meantime, the extension of eligibility will continue with the current income threshold until a decision on long-term eligibility is made.

Once the review is complete, we will update our guidance accordingly. Our current guidance regarding the extension is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance/guidance-for-the-temporary-extension-of-free-school-meals-eligibility-to-nrpf-groups.

9th Dec 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the review on how immigration (1) status, and (2) restrictions, in particular no recourse to public funds, interact with free school meals and other educational entitlements will be (a) completed, and (b) published.

We are working with departments across government to evaluate access to free school meals for families with no recourse to public funds. In the meantime, the extension of eligibility will continue with the current income threshold until a decision on long-term eligibility is made.

Once the review is complete, we will update our guidance accordingly. Our current guidance regarding the extension can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance/guidance-for-the-temporary-extension-of-free-school-meals-eligibility-to-nrpf-groups.

9th Dec 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of mindfulness teaching in (1) schools, (2) colleges, and (3) universities.

The Department for Education remains committed to long term improvements to support children and young people’s mental health, set out in the government’s response to its Green Paper and NHS Long Term Plan. This includes the roll-out of mental health support teams and the provision of training for Senior Leads for Mental Health in schools and colleges.

As part of this, we are producing evidence about what works to support mental health and wellbeing in schools, so that they can make evidence-based decisions about how to best support their pupils’ mental health and wellbeing. The department is funding a large-scale programme of randomised control trials of mental health interventions in schools. The aim of this programme is to provide robust evidence on what works to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing and whether programmes can be delivered effectively in a school setting.

The programme is testing the effectiveness of 5 different approaches to supporting pupil mental health and wellbeing in primary and secondary schools across England. It includes a programme of brief mindfulness-based exercises to be run by teachers in the classroom, which provides teachers with a short training session and materials to run brief mindfulness-based exercises with their classes.

The government has not made an assessment of the effectiveness of mindfulness in colleges and universities. It is for higher education providers as autonomous bodies to identify and address the needs of their student body and decide what mental health and wellbeing support to put in place.

29th Jul 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation in the National Food Strategy Part One report, published on 20 July, that free school meals should be extended to all children in families receiving Universal Credit.

The government will carefully consider the findings of the National Food Strategy Part One?report and will be responding fully in due course.

Free school meals are an integral part of our provision for families on low incomes and our wider actions to promote social mobility. We are supporting around 1.4 million of the most disadvantaged children through free school meals, saving families around £400 a year. It is right that we are targeting our support towards those families that are most in need of it.

1st Jul 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the call coordinated by Action for Children, Barnardo’s, National Children’s Bureau, NSPCC and The Children’s Society of more than 150 children's organisations to put the needs of children at the centre of their COVID-19 recovery plans, what steps they are taking to do so.

Children have been and remain at the heart of our recovery planning. Supporting children and young people to recover from the COVID-19 outbreak means encouraging school attendance and helping them to catch up on lost learning, but also ensuring they are safe and well. We look forward to continuing our close work with children’s charities and benefitting from their insights and experience to inform our long-term recovery plans to support the continued safety and wellbeing of vulnerable children and young people.

Our guidance published on 2 July provides schools, colleges and nurseries with the details needed to plan for a full return, as well as reassuring parents about what to expect for their children. We know that school is a vital point of contact for public health and safeguarding services that are critical to the wellbeing of children and families. The guidance has been developed in close consultation with the sector and medical experts from Public Health England to ensure that both staff and students are as safe as possible.

Pupils in England will also benefit from a £1 billion COVID-19 catch-up package to directly tackle the impact of lost teaching time over the 2020-21 academic year. This includes £650 million to be shared across state primary and secondary schools and a National Tutoring Programme, worth £350 million to increase access to high quality tuition for the most disadvantaged young people.

Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, we have prioritised vulnerable children and young people’s attendance in early years, schools and colleges and supported local areas to improve attendance rates.

As well as working in collaboration with children’s charities, we have also supported those that provide vital services that are helping vulnerable children and young people.

In April, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out the £750 million COVID-19 funding for frontline charities. The Department for Education and the Home Office were allocated a total of £34.15 million specifically for vulnerable children’s charities. As part of this, on 10 June, the two departments launched the £7.6 million Vulnerable Children National Charities Strategic Relief Fund to provide support to national children’s charities operating in England and Wales which offer services to safeguard vulnerable children, and which have suffered financially owing to the impact of COVID-19. The strategic aim of this funding is to ensure that large charities can continue to sustain their existing services.

As part of this funding, the department also announced £7.27 million for a consortium led by Barnardo’s, which will support their new See, Hear, Respond service supporting vulnerable children, young people and families affected by COVID-19. The department has also provided funding to other charities working with vulnerable children, including Grandparents Plus, Family Rights Group and FosterTalk. This adds to investment in the NSPCC’s Childline service, while some £10 million has already been committed to the Family Fund, helping families with children who have complex needs and disabilities through grants for equipment which makes their lives easier.

As well as charities, we are supporting local authorities during this outbreak by providing a package of support totalling £4.3 billion to help meet the immediate COVID-19 related pressures, including in Children’s Social Care and in delivering services for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

22nd Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether working parents are now permitted to use paid childcare providers but are not permitted to ask family members or friends to provide childcare while they are at work.

From 1 June, early years settings have been able to welcome back all children. Guidance for parents and carers about opening from 1 June is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.

My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, has announced that from 13 June, single adult households can form a ‘support bubble’ with one other household. This will mean that lone parent households may form a support bubble with another household to provide informal childcare, so long as no members of either household are shielding. This will enable grandparents and other family members to provide childcare support to lone parents, or for grandparents living on their own to look after grandchildren from one other household. The guidance is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing.

On 23 June, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, announced that from 4 July, two households will be able to meet up in any setting subject to social distancing measures. Friends and family members providing informal childcare from that date will need to adhere to guidance on social distancing. The guidance is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing-after-4-july.

10th Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of providing the current free school meals voucher scheme during the upcoming summer holidays. [T]

Provision for free school meals is ordinarily term time only. However, owing to the COVID-19 outbreak, the government fully understands that children and parents face an entirely unprecedented situation over the summer. To reflect this, we will be providing additional funding for a Covid Summer Food Fund which will enable children who are eligible for free school meals to receive food vouchers covering the 6-week holiday period. This is a specific measure to reflect the unique circumstances of the outbreak.

The government has made significant wider support available for children and families at this time. On 10 June, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, confirmed an additional £63 million to be distributed to local authorities in England to help those who are struggling to afford food and other essentials due to COVID-19. In addition, the government has introduced an uplift to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit by around £1,000 a year for the next 12 months as part of an injection of over £6.5 billion by the government into the welfare system.

Additional support has been pledged by various departments across government with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announcing the provision of £16 million for food support through charities, including FareShare and WRAP. DEFRA have also issued 2 million food packages to those who are shielding.

The Department for Education’s Holiday Activities and Food programme ensures that thousands of disadvantaged children have access to enriching activities and nutritious healthy meals over the summer, and is receiving £9 million this year.

More widely, the government has supported families to cope with the impact of coronavirus by introducing a range of support measures, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme. Support has also been provided to help families pay their rent or mortgage, access sick pay, and delay tax payments.

In relation to free school meals, this response applies to educational settings in England only. Education is a devolved matter and it will be for each administration to determine the actions they wish to take.

18th May 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to continue to provide support for the National School Breakfast Programme over the May half-term holiday and summer holidays.

As both my right hon. Friends, the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer, have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.

Our latest guidance for schools is set out below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-schools-and-other-educational-settings.

Alongside our national approach to supporting free school meal pupils, we are committed to supporting schools and children who benefit from our breakfast club programme. Our suppliers, Family Action along with Magic Breakfast, are in contact with schools on the programme, where possible, and are working closely with them to target the children most in need to continue to provide them with a healthy breakfast.

Schools on the programme can choose to support target children in the way which works best for them. This may include parents collecting food parcels from open schools or breakfast food ‘drop offs’ to target families. This should be arranged alongside the school’s wider support for children on free school meals, and schools must follow Public Health England’s advice on social distancing at all times.

This programme operates during term time, and we would not expect provision to continue through schools during the May half term holiday week. We continue to work flexibly with Family Action and Magic Breakfast on the best ways to support schools during the COVID-19 outbreak.

These are rapidly developing circumstances. We continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

5th May 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the proportion of school children living in poverty who fall into the vulnerable category for the purposes of their education policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our latest guidance on vulnerable children is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-schools-and-other-educational-settings.


During the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, for the purposes of continued attendance at educational settings, vulnerable children and young people are defined as those who:

  • are assessed as being in need under section 17 of the Children Act 1989, including children who have a child in need plan, a child protection plan or who are a looked-after child
  • have an education, health and care (EHC) plan whose needs cannot be met safely in the home environment
  • have been assessed as otherwise vulnerable by educational providers or local authorities (including children’s social care services), and who are therefore in need of continued education provision. This might include children on the edge of receiving support from children’s social care services, adopted children, or those who are young carers, and others at the provider and local authority discretion

The official statistics on the number of children in poverty is based on the Annual Households Below Average Income Survey. It is not possible to separately identify children defined as ‘vulnerable’ from the survey data.

The department’s analysis of deprivation and low income in education uses free school meal eligibility as an indicator of children living in families that need additional support. Detail on free school meal eligibility is available at: https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals.

We do not hold data on the overlap between the numbers of children and young people included in the total of the three categories of vulnerable children and children eligible for free school meals.

Our published ‘characteristics of children in need: 2018 to 2019’ data shows that 54.1% of Children in Need at 31 March 2019 (aged 5-16, excluding those who were looked after at any point during the year unless they were also on a child protection plan) were eligible for free school meals. This data is available in Table 1 of the ‘Children in need outcomes national tables: 2019’ available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/characteristics-of-children-in-need-2018-to-2019.

Our published information on children with Special Educational Needs from the 2019 school census shows that, in January 2019, 32.7% of pupils with EHC plans were eligible for free school meals. This is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england-january-2019.

Educational providers and local authorities have the discretion to offer support to children and young people who they consider to be vulnerable, where the child or young person does not fall into either of the categories above.

Educational providers and local authorities may therefore choose to offer support to children and young people where their individual circumstances, including the impact of poverty, may suggest that they would benefit from this support and continued provision.

As this is based on ongoing, locally made decisions, we do not hold data on the number of children and young people that have been identified as otherwise vulnerable or the overlap between this cohort and their eligibility for free school meals.

These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

28th Apr 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support families who have lost access to free school breakfasts; whether such breakfasts are provided elsewhere whilst schools are shut down; and if so, where.

Alongside our national approach to supporting pupils to continue to access free school meals, we are also committed to supporting schools and children who benefit from our breakfast club programme.

Our suppliers, Family Action along with Magic Breakfast, are in contact with schools on the programme, where possible, and are working closely with them to target the children most in need to continue to provide them with a healthy breakfast.

Schools on the programme can choose to support target children in the way which works best for them; this may include parents collecting food parcels from open schools or breakfast food ‘drop offs’ to target families. This should be arranged alongside the school’s wider support for children on free school meals, and schools must follow Public Health England’s advice on social distancing at all times.

Family Action have reported that more than 880 schools in disadvantaged areas are registered to receive breakfast deliveries from this programme during the coronavirus outbreak. These schools are located nationwide across England.

22nd Apr 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria will be applied to decide which disadvantaged school pupils will qualify for free laptops and broadband routers.

Devices have been ordered for the most disadvantaged children who would otherwise not have access and are preparing for exams in Year 10, receive support from a social worker, or are a care leaver.

Where care leavers, children with a social worker at secondary school, and disadvantaged children in Year 10 do not have an internet connection, we will be providing 4G connectivity access to them.

Local authorities, trusts and other relevant organisations overseeing schools will be given guidance on how to request government-funded and allocated devices. We recognise that local authorities and academy trusts are best placed to identify and prioritise children and young people who need devices.

1st Jul 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 29 June (HL5692), when they intend to issue guidance to local authorities on the use of money for local welfare assistance schemes.

We are allocating the funding according to the size of a local authority’s population and the level of deprivation. The exact amounts will be published on the GOV.UK website in due course. We issued guidance to local authorities on Friday 10 July, which is available to view at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-local-authority-emergency-assistance-grant-for-food-and-essential-supplies.

22nd Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether local authorities that no longer operate a welfare assistance scheme will receive a share of the funding uplift announced on 11 June; what plans they have to monitor (1) the allocation by, and (2) the number of applications to, and grants made by, local authorities in regard to those funds; and what plans they have to publish that information.

Local authorities which no longer operate a welfare assistance scheme may receive a share of the funding, the proportion of which will be based on the agreed allocation model. We are taking a proportionate approach to monitoring. Details of this approach will be outlined in the guidance which we will issue to local authorities in receipt of this funding. We plan to publish monitoring and evaluation evidence in line with Government guidance and subject to approval by all relevant parties.

15th Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the £63 million announced for local authority welfare assistance schemes will be ring-fenced; and what guidance they plan to publish as to how it should be spent including with regard to cash versus in-kind help.

The £63 million announced for local authority welfare assistance schemes will not be ring-fenced. It will be administered by local authorities, who will retain discretion on the type of support that best meets local conditions and needs.

The strategic objective of the grant is to support individuals and families who are unable to afford food and other essential items during the Covid-19 pandemic. Central guidance will be issued to reinforce the stated outcomes of the scheme.