Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Livermore on 8 July (HL1794), what is the source of the data provided, including a direct link to where it is published; and what is the quarterly breakdown of the annualised data provided from Q1 2016 to Q1 2026.
Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Real household disposable income (RHDI) is reported by the ONS as part of the UK Economic Accounts, available here: UK Economic Accounts - Office for National Statistics. Due to quarterly volatility, RHDI per capita is best suited to annual comparisons. The previous response noted that RHDI per capita was £26,159 in 2019 (Q1 2019 to Q4 2019), compared to £26,187 in the year to Q1 2026 (Q2 2025 to Q1 2026).
The quarterly data is provided in the table below:
Quarter | RHDI per capita |
Q1 2016 | 6,336 |
Q2 2016 | 6,340 |
Q3 2016 | 6,286 |
Q4 2016 | 6,235 |
Q1 2017 | 6,208 |
Q2 2017 | 6,347 |
Q3 2017 | 6,359 |
Q4 2017 | 6,381 |
Q1 2018 | 6,424 |
Q2 2018 | 6,374 |
Q3 2018 | 6,389 |
Q4 2018 | 6,475 |
Q1 2019 | 6,459 |
Q2 2019 | 6,542 |
Q3 2019 | 6,554 |
Q4 2019 | 6,604 |
Q1 2020 | 6,488 |
Q2 2020 | 6,368 |
Q3 2020 | 6,540 |
Q4 2020 | 6,562 |
Q1 2021 | 6,618 |
Q2 2021 | 6,634 |
Q3 2021 | 6,577 |
Q4 2021 | 6,449 |
Q1 2022 | 6,465 |
Q2 2022 | 6,311 |
Q3 2022 | 6,299 |
Q4 2022 | 6,386 |
Q1 2023 | 6,305 |
Q2 2023 | 6,363 |
Q3 2023 | 6,338 |
Q4 2023 | 6,356 |
Q1 2024 | 6,448 |
Q2 2024 | 6,455 |
Q3 2024 | 6,559 |
Q4 2024 | 6,649 |
Q1 2025 | 6,610 |
Q2 2025 | 6,562 |
Q3 2025 | 6,513 |
Q4 2025 | 6,584 |
Q1 2026 | 6,529 |
Notes on the data: RHDI per capita is calculated by dividing real household disposable income (ONS variable NRJR) by total population (ONS variable EBAQ).
Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proportion of computing capacity located in the UK that could not be remotely disabled, restricted, or otherwise rendered unavailable by a supplier, government, or other entity based outside the UK.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government works closely with industry partners to strengthen the resilience of critical digital infrastructure and to reduce vulnerabilities that could arise from supply chain dependencies, cyber risks or single points of failure. This includes promoting robust cybersecurity practices, business continuity planning and risk management measures across critical sectors.
Through the National Cyber Security Centre and other relevant authorities, the Government continues to assess risks to the UK's digital infrastructure and, where necessary, takes action to protect national security and the continuity of essential services.
Asked by: Lord Murphy of Torfaen (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will extend non-payment of inheritance tax on personal estates from six to 12 months because of severe delays to the obtaining of probate.
Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Inheritance tax is due at the end of the sixth month after the date of death. After this point, late payment interest will begin to accrue on the outstanding tax. The Government has no plans to change the existing, longstanding deadlines.
The most recent Family Court Statistics Bulletin published by the Ministry of Justice shows that probate grants took approximately 5 weeks to be issued after the application was submitted during January to March 2026.
Asked by: Baroness Foster of Oxton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the £4.7 billion of uncommitted funding in the Defence Investment Plan will be met at the next Budget.
Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Defence Investment Plan allocates a further £15 billion to defence spending over the next four years, funded by reprioritising public spending, with £10.3 billion already identified and a further £4.7 billion to be confirmed at Budget 2026 in a fair and balanced way.
A Defence Investment Plan Funding Explainer can be found on the government website.
Asked by: Baroness Caine of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) secondary schools, and (2) Further Education colleges, offer (a) GCSEs in film and media, (b) A levels in film and media, and (c) Level 3 Qualifications in film and media, broken down by region; what percentage of the total numbers of each institution this represents; and how this is broken down by region.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department does not hold data on the subjects offered by schools and colleges.
School and college data on the number of entries in each subject is published in the ‘Qualification and subject data’ found on the Compare school and college performance website, available on GOV.UK.
This includes schools and colleges which had entries in GCSE, A level and Level 3 film and media qualifications, their institution type and local authority.
The number of schools and colleges with entries in film and media subjects by region and institution type are provided in the tables below.
Number of schools and colleges with entries in GCSE film and media subjects:
| State-funded secondary schools | % of state-funded secondary schools | Independent schools | % of all independent schools |
East Midlands | 107 | 34.5% | 3 | 3.7% |
East of England | 157 | 38.2% | 9 | 7.8% |
London | 178 | 31.7% | 16 | 8.4% |
North East | 26 | 15.0% | 0 | 0% |
North West | 94 | 17.9% | 5 | 3.5% |
South East | 209 | 37.0% | 26 | 10.1% |
South West | 90 | 25.0% | 8 | 6.5% |
West Midlands | 93 | 21.5% | 4 | 2.9% |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 63 | 18.1% | 3 | 3.7% |
England | 1,017 | 27.6% | 74 | 6.3% |
Number of schools and colleges with entries in A level film and media subjects:
| State-funded secondary schools | % of state-funded secondary schools | Independent schools | % of all independent schools | Further Education colleges | % of all Further Education colleges |
East Midlands | 92 | 49.5% | 2 | 6.9% | 7 | 58.3% |
East of England | 151 | 63.4% | 13 | 20.3% | 9 | 45.0% |
London | 183 | 44.4% | 16 | 16.5% | 11 | 45.8% |
North East | 33 | 45.2% | 1 | 9.1% | 7 | 53.8% |
North West | 78 | 43.1% | 0 | - | 24 | 60.0% |
South East | 201 | 61.7% | 20 | 14.2% | 17 | 54.8% |
South West | 103 | 55.4% | 5 | 7.9% | 11 | 55.0% |
West Midlands | 89 | 37.2% | 3 | 6.1% | 9 | 42.9% |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 68 | 46.9% | 2 | 5.7% | 13 | 52.0% |
England | 998 | 50.3% | 62 | 11.6% | 108 | 52.4% |
Number of schools and colleges with entries in all Level 3 qualifications in film and media subjects:
| State-funded secondary schools | % of state-funded secondary schools | Independent schools | % of all independent schools | Further Education colleges | % of all Further Education colleges |
East Midlands | 110 | 59.1% | 5 | 17.2% | 7 | 58.3% |
East of England | 170 | 71.4% | 20 | 31.2% | 10 | 50.0% |
London | 224 | 54.4% | 17 | 17.5% | 11 | 45.8% |
North East | 46 | 63.0% | 4 | 36.4% | 8 | 61.5% |
North West | 109 | 60.2% | 2 | 4.4% | 26 | 65.0% |
South East | 234 | 71.8% | 33 | 23.4% | 18 | 58.1% |
South West | 118 | 63.4% | 11 | 17.5% | 11 | 55.0% |
West Midlands | 123 | 51.5% | 7 | 14.3% | 11 | 52.4% |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 88 | 60.7% | 5 | 14.3% | 13 | 52.0% |
England | 1,222 | 61.5% | 104 | 19.5% | 115 | 55.8% |
GCSE figures relate to entries in ‘Film Studies’ and ‘Media/Film/TV Studies’ GCSEs by pupils at the end of key stage 4. A level figures relate to entries in ‘Film Studies’ and ‘Media/Film/TV Studies’ A levels by students at the end of 16 to 19 study.
Level 3 qualifications include entries in ‘Film Studies’ and ‘Media/Film/TV Studies’ A levels, AS levels, and other Level 3 academic qualifications, and ‘Multimedia’ and “Film/Video/Television Production” Applied General and Tech Level qualifications by students at the end of 16 to 19 study. Each school and college are counted once only, regardless of whether they offer multiple courses.
Teaching began on the ‘Media, Broadcast and Production’ T Level pathway in September 2024. Provider level data will be published for the first time in spring 2027.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Ofsted inspection Regulation 44; and what assessment they have made of how to remove incentives which discourage registered children’s homes from accepting high-needs children.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government is clear that inspection and regulation should not discourage providers from caring for children with high levels of need where this can be done safely.
Regulation 44 provides independent scrutiny of children’s homes to help ensure children are effectively safeguarded and their wellbeing is promoted. Reports are shared with Ofsted, who use them to develop lines of enquiry for inspection and regulatory activity and take urgent action if children are at risk.
In 2025, Ofsted amended its inspection framework to support placement stability for vulnerable children and is now consulting on how inspection can better support providers to care for the children who have the most complex lives.
The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 establishes a new statutory framework to authorise the deprivation of liberty of children in provision other than a secure children’s home. This will facilitate different types of community-based placements to achieve better stability and improve long term outcomes for children requiring a higher level of support.
The department has recently announced £18.5 million for our Home Again programme which will improve the lives of children with complex needs by helping services work together more effectively, providing earlier intervention, reducing crisis situations and supporting children in the most appropriate settings.
Asked by: Baroness Caine of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether Media, Journalism and Publishing courses identified by Skills England as the key route to filling priority growth occupations in the creative industries in the 2026 Annual Sector Skills Assessment of the Creative Industries, published on 1 June, are now eligible to apply for the 2026–2027 Strategic Priorities Grant for HE funding, after having been made ineligible in 2005–2006.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We recognise the cultural and economic value of media, journalism and publishing courses. However, given the fiscal constraints, our approach is to continue to prioritise funding for subjects with the highest delivery costs (and hence Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) funding) and where there is stronger evidence of current and future skills shortages.
Media, journalism and publishing were subjects that previously attracted lower rates of funding than the science and technology subjects in price groups A & B, with SPG funding representing only a relatively small proportion of their overall funding when fees are taken into account. For 2024/25, the SPG funding rate for these courses was £130.54 per student full time equivalent. This was just over 1% of the total funding for these courses including tuition fees (that are supported by subsidised student loans).
Media, journalism and publishing courses will, like other subjects, benefit from future inflationary increases to tuition fees.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether evidence from the operation of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund during 2025–26, including effects of the introduction in April 2025 of the £3,000 Fair Access Limit and the timing of the fund's launch, will inform the Adoption Support: A System That Works for All consultation, published in February.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department routinely reviews data relating to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF). The average amount of funding per recipient increased from £2,336 in 2017/18 to £3,090 in 2024/25, reflecting changes in demand and the cost of therapeutic support over time. In 2025/26, the average amount approved per recipient was £2,537.
The decision to set the Fair Access Limit at £3,000 from April 2025 was taken to ensure that the available budget could support the maximum number of eligible children whilst remaining within the budget. The department has previously assessed that £3,000 could fund an average of approximately 19 to 20 hours of therapy, based on median therapeutic costs and associated expenses. During 2025/26, the average approved therapy cost was £2,537, below the Fair Access Limit.
The department is currently considering responses to its consultation on the future of Adoption Support. Evidence from the operation of the fund during 2025/26 will contribute to the department’s consideration of future adoption support arrangements.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what analysis they have undertaken of the average amount awarded per recipient through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund in each financial year since 2015–16; and what assessment they have made of trends in the average level of support required by recipients.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department routinely reviews data relating to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF). The average amount of funding per recipient increased from £2,336 in 2017/18 to £3,090 in 2024/25, reflecting changes in demand and the cost of therapeutic support over time. In 2025/26, the average amount approved per recipient was £2,537.
The decision to set the Fair Access Limit at £3,000 from April 2025 was taken to ensure that the available budget could support the maximum number of eligible children whilst remaining within the budget. The department has previously assessed that £3,000 could fund an average of approximately 19 to 20 hours of therapy, based on median therapeutic costs and associated expenses. During 2025/26, the average approved therapy cost was £2,537, below the Fair Access Limit.
The department is currently considering responses to its consultation on the future of Adoption Support. Evidence from the operation of the fund during 2025/26 will contribute to the department’s consideration of future adoption support arrangements.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what analysis underpinned their decision to reduce the Fair Access Limit under the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund from £5,000 to £3,000; and whether that analysis considered the potential impact of the delayed commencement of the 2025–26 scheme on average spend per recipient.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department routinely reviews data relating to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF). The average amount of funding per recipient increased from £2,336 in 2017/18 to £3,090 in 2024/25, reflecting changes in demand and the cost of therapeutic support over time. In 2025/26, the average amount approved per recipient was £2,537.
The decision to set the Fair Access Limit at £3,000 from April 2025 was taken to ensure that the available budget could support the maximum number of eligible children whilst remaining within the budget. The department has previously assessed that £3,000 could fund an average of approximately 19 to 20 hours of therapy, based on median therapeutic costs and associated expenses. During 2025/26, the average approved therapy cost was £2,537, below the Fair Access Limit.
The department is currently considering responses to its consultation on the future of Adoption Support. Evidence from the operation of the fund during 2025/26 will contribute to the department’s consideration of future adoption support arrangements.