Asked by: Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many children with special educational needs and disabilities do not receive an education, health and care plan within the legal time limit of 20 weeks from the initial request; and what potential measures for improvement they have identified.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The department publishes information on education, health and care (EHC) plans annually at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans, which includes a section titled “Timeliness – EHC plans issued within 20 weeks”. Here and attached you can see information on how many EHC plans were issued within 20 weeks, both where this is the statutory time limit and where statutory exceptions to that time limit apply.
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) introduced a strengthened area special education needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection framework in January 2023, which led to a greater emphasis on the outcomes being achieved for children and young people. It is the primary tool to maintain a focus on high standards in the SEND system across all partners.
The department is working to monitor, support and challenge local authorities as needed, working closely with NHS England to tackle any weaknesses that sit with health partners. Where a council does not meet its duties, including the 20 week timeliness, the department will offer a range of universal, targeted and intensive support through managed programmes, such as the Sector Led Improvement Partners, which provides peer-to-peer tailored support. Councils identified as having issues with the 20 week timelines are subject to additional monitoring by the department. Where the department has concerns about their capacity to make the required improvements, it will secure specialist SEND advisor support to help identify barriers and improve the service.
The department does not hold data on how many children with SEND are currently not able to be placed in a suitable school.
Asked by: Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many children with special educational needs and disabilities are currently not able to be placed in a suitable school.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The department publishes information on education, health and care (EHC) plans annually at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans, which includes a section titled “Timeliness – EHC plans issued within 20 weeks”. Here and attached you can see information on how many EHC plans were issued within 20 weeks, both where this is the statutory time limit and where statutory exceptions to that time limit apply.
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) introduced a strengthened area special education needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection framework in January 2023, which led to a greater emphasis on the outcomes being achieved for children and young people. It is the primary tool to maintain a focus on high standards in the SEND system across all partners.
The department is working to monitor, support and challenge local authorities as needed, working closely with NHS England to tackle any weaknesses that sit with health partners. Where a council does not meet its duties, including the 20 week timeliness, the department will offer a range of universal, targeted and intensive support through managed programmes, such as the Sector Led Improvement Partners, which provides peer-to-peer tailored support. Councils identified as having issues with the 20 week timelines are subject to additional monitoring by the department. Where the department has concerns about their capacity to make the required improvements, it will secure specialist SEND advisor support to help identify barriers and improve the service.
The department does not hold data on how many children with SEND are currently not able to be placed in a suitable school.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards helping every child to learn to play a musical instrument.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The government believes that creative subjects like arts, music and drama are significant elements of the rounded and enriching education every child deserves to receive. Under this government, the arts and music will no longer be the preserve of a privileged few.
One of the aims of the existing National Curriculum programmes of study for music from age 5 to 14 is to ensure that all pupils in England have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. However, academies and free schools are not required to follow the National Curriculum. The government has established an independent review of the curriculum and assessment from ages 5 to 18, which will be led by Professor Becky Francis CBE, and one of the aims is to deliver a broader curriculum so that pupils do not miss out on subjects such as music. When the review has concluded, subject to parliament passing the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, the department will require all state-funded schools, including academies and free schools, to follow the National Curriculum.
The department additionally supports children to learn to play instruments through the Music Hubs programme which support instrumental teaching in schools, including whole class ensemble teaching, instrument tuition, an instrument hire service, continuing professional development for teachers and access to local, regional and national ensemble. In 2022/23, Music Hubs provided support to around 90% of schools across England.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the increasing number of pupils being educated at home.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The department has collected local authority data on electively home-educated children from local authorities in England since autumn 2022. The most recent published figures show an estimated 92,000 children in home education on the October 2023 census, which is an increase from 80,900 on the same day in the previous year.
The department knows that local authorities are concerned about rising numbers and the resulting implications on resources for their ongoing education and safeguarding duties. Data collection shows that mental health, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and dissatisfaction with schools are increasingly common reasons behind decisions to home-educate. The forthcoming SEND reforms will help more schools to meet the needs of children with SEND and may help to stem the flow of families who feel that schools are not able to appropriately support their child.
The government will legislate for statutory local authority registers of children who are not in school as part of the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, which will be introduced in due course. Parents will have a duty to provide information about their child for these registers. This will help to improve local authority and the department’s understanding of this cohort of children and enable local authorities to target resources and capacity to those children who need it most.
Asked by: Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many asylum seekers have arrived illegally in the UK by small boats since 5 July; and what is the breakdown of those arrivals by (1) nationality, (2) gender, and (3) age.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes daily small boat arrival figures in the ‘Small boat activity in the English Channel’ transparency release on gov.uk; however, this includes all small boat arrivals, not just those who have claimed asylum.
The Home Office also publishes statistics on small boat arrivals to the UK in the ‘Irregular migration to the UK statistics’ release on gov.uk. Data on asylum applications from small boat arrivals, by nationality, sex, and age, is published in table Irr_D02 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets’, with the latest data up to the end of June 2024. Data on asylum applications from small boat arrivals for July to September 2024 will be published in November 2024.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the urgent appeal submitted to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture on 12 September by the international legal team for British citizen Jimmy Lai; and what action they are taking to secure his release.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of the urgent appeal to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture with respect to British national Jimmy Lai and are deeply concerned by the allegations of torture and mistreatment it makes. The Foreign Secretary raised Jimmy Lai's case in his first meeting with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the ASEAN Summit on 26 July and his case remains a priority for this Government. We will continue to call on the Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecution and immediately release Jimmy Lai and we will continue to press for consular access.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to support children growing up in households where an adult is experiencing problem gambling.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We recognise the impact harmful gambling can have on individuals and their families. The National Gambling Clinic (NGC) supports people aged 13 - 18 years old in England who are experiencing harm from gambling, and offers a Family and Friends service which provides support to those impacted by someone else’s difficulty with gambling.
As stated in the Government’s manifesto, we are committed to strengthening protections for those at risk. We will consider the best available evidence in future decisions regarding the fulfilment of that important commitment.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to negotiate bilateral agreements for work permits with individual EU member states which do not currently offer cultural exemptions for work of up to 90 days.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to working collaboratively across departments to address the issue of musicians, performing artists and their support staff being able to tour across the EU. We will engage with the new European Commission and EU Member States, and explore how best to improve arrangements for touring across the European continent without a return to free movement. Our priority remains ensuring that UK artists can continue to thrive on the global stage.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to negotiate a visa-waiver agreement with the EU that allows UK artists and support staff to work in any part of the EU for up to 90 days in a period of 180 days.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to working collaboratively across departments to address the issue of musicians, performing artists and their support staff being able to tour across the EU. We will engage with the new European Commission and EU Member States, and explore how best to improve arrangements for touring across the European continent without a return to free movement. Our priority remains ensuring that UK artists can continue to thrive on the global stage.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to re-introduce the Football Governance Bill.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Football Governance Bill was announced as part of the King’s Speech on 17 July 2024. We will introduce this legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows.