Lord Forsyth of Drumlean

The Clerk of the Parliaments is accountable to the House of Lords as a whole but, in practice, this is primarily channelled through the Commission and other domestic committees. These arrangements were established by the House following the recommendations of the Leader’s Group on Governance in 2016: Governance of Domestic Committees in the House of Lords (2015–16, HL Paper 81).

The Commission provides high-level strategic and political direction to the Clerk of the Parliaments and Management Board; requires that decisions on the management of the House are taken at the appropriate governance level; and monitors the performance of the House of Lords Administration and bicameral teams that are co-funded by the Lords but not directly controlled by the Clerk of the Parliaments (such as the Parliamentary Security Department, Parliamentary Digital Service, and Strategic Estates) against agreed targets. It also scrutinises and agrees financial and corporate plans proposed by the Administration. The Clerk of the Parliaments provides updates at each Commission meeting, and meets the Chair of the Commission, the Deputy Chair, and other members, on a regular basis. The Chief Operating Officer and Clerk Assistant also attend each Commission meeting, and other members of the Management Board attend when items relevant to their responsibilities arise.

The Commission, sitting with the House of Commons Commission as the Restoration and Renewal Client Board, scrutinises work undertaken as part of the R&R programme. The Clerk of the Parliaments and Chief Operating Officer are members of the Client Board.

The Commission appoints the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee to provide advice to the Clerk of the Parliaments (as Accounting Officer) and senior management on the effectiveness of internal controls. The Committee considers internal and external audit reports covering Lords operational areas and bicameral teams that are co-funded by the Lords and management responses thereto; evaluates the adequacy of the Administration’s risk management system and assurance processes in place; and evaluates and advises on the suitability of financial practices, internal controls, and effective governance processes throughout the administration of the House. It also works with the House of Commons Administration Estimate Audit and Risk Assurance Committee to monitor areas of joint interest to both Houses. The Clerk of the Parliaments, Chief Operating Officer and Finance Director attend each meeting of the Committee, and other members of the Management Board and other senior managers attend when agenda items relevant to their responsibilities arise.

The Services Committee is appointed by the House and has delegated authority from the Commission to provide advice on strategic policy decisions on member-facing services, and oversee consequential delivery and implementation. The Committee regularly examines, amongst other things, updates on major projects being undertaken by the administration and bicameral teams. The Clerk of the Parliaments and Chief Operating Officer attend each meeting, and other members of the Management Board and other senior managers attend when agenda items relevant to their responsibilities arise.

The Finance Committee is appointed by the House and has delegated authority from the Commission to consider expenditure on services provided from the Estimate for the House of Lords; report to the Commission on the forecast outturn, Estimate and financial plan submitted by the Management Board; monitor the financial performance of the House Administration, and bicameral teams that are co-funded by the Lords; and report to the Commission on the financial implications of significant proposals. The Clerk of the Parliaments, Chief Operating Officer and Finance Director attend each meeting of the Committee, and other members of the Management Board and other senior managers attend when agenda items relevant to their responsibilities arise.

Agendas, minutes, and some papers, for all of the domestic committees referenced above, are available to members online and in the Printed Paper Office.

In common with other Accounting Officers in the public sector, the Clerk of the Parliaments may be held to account by the Public Accounts Committee in the House of Commons.

The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf. There are currently no plans to cease using farmed salmon in restaurants within the House of Lords. The salmon currently used at the House of Lords, Scottish Wester Ross Artisan Salmon, is responsibly farmed and sustainable. The Head of Catering Services is happy to provide any more background on the procurement of salmon if required.

The role of the House of Lords Commission is to provide high-level strategic and political direction for the House of Lords Administration. Matters of executive management are the responsibility of the Clerk of the Parliaments. In this role he is supported by the Management Board. Accordingly, appointments to the Board are made by him.

External non-executive directors have been appointed by the Clerk of the Parliaments to the Management Board for several years, with the first appointment made in 2017. The recent recruitment campaign of the non-executive directors was approved and conducted by the Clerk of the Parliaments, in consultation with other senior administration officials. Non-executive members are used across the administrations of both Houses to provide independent advice, support and challenge about the management and delivery of services, and the practice is also adopted across the wider Civil Service.

I refer the noble Lord to the previous answer of 18th September by Baroness Twycross. A full list of government ministers is on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers). The list indicates if the minister is paid or unpaid.

The Government does not hold records of daily allowances paid as this is a matter for the House of Lords.

The Ministerial and Other Salaries Act 1975 sets out the terms on which salaries can be paid to government ministers. The salaries claimed by ministers and whips in the House of Lords are available on gov.uk at the following address:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-salary-data/salaries-of-members-of-his-majestys-government-april-2022-html#ministers-who-are-members-of-the-house-of-lords

A list of all government ministers, which indicates whether each minister receives a salary or is unpaid, is available on gov.uk at the following address:

https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers.

In addition, ministers who are members of the House of Lords are entitled under the Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 to receive the Lords Office-Holders Allowance (LOHA). It has been long-standing government policy over successive administrations for ministers whose main residence is in Greater London to waive their entitlement to claim this allowance and instead claim it at a reduced rate equivalent to the London Area Living Payment set annually by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority; details are available at the following address:

https://assets.ctfassets.net/nc7h1cs4q6ic/5j9dlpZsDtyFgqi43bBB91/7eaea5bcc329496878b420bf2e511586/Seventeenth_edition_of_the_Scheme_2024-25.pdf.

Ministers who are members of the House of Lords who do not receive a salary may choose between claiming LOHA or the Lords Daily Attendance Allowance.

The department publishes forecasts annually for higher education and further education student loans in England. Student loan forecasts for England in the 2023/24 financial year can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/student-loan-forecasts-for-england.

The requested figures can be found in supplementary Table 8 here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/5dd0bbff-ff5d-4387-a0a8-08dcfae39e23.

In five years, in the 2029/30 financial year, the nominal cumulative total of student loan debt is forecast to be £383.7 billion. In 2034/35 it is forecast to be £539.9 billion. In 2049/50 it is forecast to be £869.4 billion.

These published forecasts use a range of assumptions, including annual inflationary increases in maintenance loans and fee caps by the Retail Prices Index excluding mortgage interest payments.

The department publishes annual figures on pupils with special educational needs (SEN) based on the January school census data. The most recent published figures, for January 2024, are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england. The publication includes a breakdown of SEN by school type which is attached and available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/df44ab22-0874-49af-b4bb-08dccb80a395.

Pupils with SEN may have an education, health and care (EHC) plan or have SEN support in school without an EHC plan. The total number of pupils with SEN is the sum of these two groups.

The government has not proposed to remove charitable status from independent schools.

This government is committed to ending the VAT exemption that private schools enjoy. While the impact of this policy is being fully considered, projections by the Institute for Fiscal Studies indicate that the number of pupils who may switch schools as a result of these changes is likely to represent a very small proportion of overall pupil numbers in the state sector, less than 0.5%, with any displacement expected to take place over several years. This research can be found here: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/tax-private-school-fees-and-state-school-spending and in the attached report.

The department will be monitoring demand and capacity using our normal processes and working with local authorities to meet any pressures.

On 29 July, the Government announced that, as of 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by a private school in the UK for a charge will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent. This will also apply to boarding services provided by private schools.

Whilst developing this policy, the Government has carefully considered the impact it will have on pupils and their families across both the state and private sector, as well as the impact it will have on state and private schools. Following scrutiny of the Government’s costing by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, the Government will confirm its approach to these reforms at the Budget on 30 October, and set out its assessment of the expected impacts of this policy in a Tax Information and Impact Note in the usual way.

On 29 July, the Government announced that, as of 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by a private school in the UK for a charge will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent. This will also apply to boarding services provided by private schools.

The Government will confirm the introduction of these tax policy changes at the Budget on 30 October. Details of the Government’s assessment of the expected impacts of these policy changes will be published at the Budget in the usual way.

The Government does not expect fees to go up by 20 per cent as a result of this policy change, and the Government expects private schools to take steps to minimise fee increases.

Recognising the enormous sacrifices our military families make, the Ministry of Defence provide the Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) to eligible Service Personnel. The Government will monitor closely the impact of these policy changes on affected military families, with any changes to this scheme considered at the upcoming Spending Review.

The Government has considered the policy’s interaction with Human Rights law, and is confident that it is compatible with all of the UK’s human rights obligations.

On 29 July, the Government announced that, as of 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by a private school in the UK for a charge will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent. This will also apply to boarding services provided by private schools.

The Government will confirm the introduction of these tax policy changes at the Budget on 30 October. Details of the Government’s assessment of the expected impacts of these policy changes will be published at the Budget in the usual way.

The Government does not expect fees to go up by 20 per cent as a result of this policy change, and the Government expects private schools to take steps to minimise fee increases.

Recognising the enormous sacrifices our military families make, the Ministry of Defence provide the Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) to eligible Service Personnel. The Government will monitor closely the impact of these policy changes on affected military families, with any changes to this scheme considered at the upcoming Spending Review.

The Government has considered the policy’s interaction with Human Rights law, and is confident that it is compatible with all of the UK’s human rights obligations.

On 29 July, the Government announced that, as of 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by a private school in the UK for a charge will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent. This will also apply to boarding services provided by private schools.

The Government will confirm the introduction of these tax policy changes at the Budget on 30 October. Details of the Government’s assessment of the expected impacts of these policy changes will be published at the Budget in the usual way.

The Government does not expect fees to go up by 20 per cent as a result of this policy change, and the Government expects private schools to take steps to minimise fee increases.

Recognising the enormous sacrifices our military families make, the Ministry of Defence provide the Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) to eligible Service Personnel. The Government will monitor closely the impact of these policy changes on affected military families, with any changes to this scheme considered at the upcoming Spending Review.

The Government has considered the policy’s interaction with Human Rights law, and is confident that it is compatible with all of the UK’s human rights obligations.