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1659229

registered interest
date	07/09/2023
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Shipping: Isles of Scilly
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what factors they will take into account in accepting a recommendation from the Council of the Isles of Scilly to accept a bid for new vessels paid for by the Levelling Up Fund, in the absence of a competitive tendering process.
tabling member printed	Lord Berkeley
uin	HL9964
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/09/2023 answer text <p>The Council for the Isles of Scilly are required to obtain an approved Full Business Case to secure a levelling up fund grant in line with their bid to purchase vessels and harbour works that complies with the Treasury Green Book and the levelling up criteria.</p> answering member printed Baroness Vere of Norbiton question first answered 20/09/2023 13:38:13 answering member 4580 label Biography information for Baroness Vere of Norbiton
tabling member	3526 label Biography information for Lord Berkeley

1659230

registered interest
date	07/09/2023
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Airports: Safety
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the announcement on 7 September that the UK will re-join the EU's Horizon and Copernicus programmes, whether they will include the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) to facilitate early improvements in the reliability and air safety of small airports.
tabling member printed	Lord Berkeley
uin	HL9965
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/09/2023 answer text <p>The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) is separate to the Horizon and Copernicus Programmes. The DfT is working with other departments to understand the case for a UK Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS). As well as replacing the functionality of EGNOS, this system could offer benefits across transport and multiple Critical National Infrastructure sectors. To support this, the DfT is assessing the requirements following loss of access to EGNOS. The DfT is funding a UK SBAS testbed project to demonstrate the capabilities of such a system. This will inform the DfT’s consideration on next steps for this work.</p> answering member printed Baroness Vere of Norbiton question first answered 19/09/2023 11:42:48 answering member 4580 label Biography information for Baroness Vere of Norbiton
tabling member	3526 label Biography information for Lord Berkeley

1659231

registered interest
date	07/09/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Out-of-School Education
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what are the (1) mean, and (2) median, amounts spent by a school or local authority on an unregistered alternative provider place in England for (a) pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan, (b) pupils classified as a Child In Need, (c) Pupil Premium Pupils, and (d) pupils excluded from school.
tabling member printed	Baroness Blower
uin	HL9966
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/09/2023 answer text <p>The department does not hold information about the mean and median amounts spent by a school or local authority on an unregistered alternative provider place in England for (a) pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan, (b) pupils classified as a Child In Need, (c) Pupil Premium Pupils, and (d) pupils excluded from school. Commissioning arrangements are managed directly by schools and local authorities who require the provision, and they do not report their expenditure at the level of detail requested.</p><p>The department also does not routinely collect data on the number of safeguarding concerns that have taken place in unregistered APs. Commissioners are responsible for the AP they use and ensuring that it is safe.</p><p>The Alternative Provision (AP) statutory guidance is clear that AP, including unregistered AP, should be good quality, registered where appropriate, and delivered by high quality staff with suitable training, experience and safeguarding checks. The guidance can be found in the attached document. Responsibility for the AP used rests with the commissioner. The nature of the intervention, its objectives and the timeline to achieve these objectives should be agreed and clearly defined.</p><p>Some local authorities or partnerships of schools have developed a local directory of ‘approved’ provision, which meets clearly defined standards, including registration where necessary, safeguarding, health and safety, quality of accommodation, quality of education etc. These lists, where they exist, can provide a helpful starting point. However, prior to placement, commissioners should still assess whether the provision offers high quality education and is suitable for the pupil’s individual needs.</p><p>‘Keeping children safe in education’ is statutory guidance to which all schools and colleges must have regard when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, and can be found in the attached document. The guidance states that where a school places a pupil in AP, the school continues to be responsible for the safeguarding of that pupil and should be satisfied that the provider meets the needs of the pupil. Schools should obtain written confirmation from the AP that appropriate safeguarding checks have been carried out on individuals working at the establishment, for example, those checks that the school would otherwise perform in respect of its own staff.</p><p>Ofsted does not inspect individual unregistered AP settings unless they are part of a criminal investigation where there are concerns that the provider may be operating illegally as an independent school. Any provider of AP must be registered as an independent school if it caters full time for five or more pupils of compulsory school age, or one pupil who is looked after or has an education, health and care plan. Under Section 97 of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the Unregistered Schools Team does not inspect the quality of the provision or the safeguarding arrangements.</p><p>The School Inspection Handbook states that during school inspections, inspectors will evaluate how well a school continues to take responsibility for its pupils who attend AP, including in unregistered AP. The Handbook can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-handbook-eif/school-inspection-handbook-for-september-2023" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-handbook-eif/school-inspection-handbook-for-september-2023</a>. Inspectors will normally visit a sample of any part-time unregistered AP during the inspection. This is to assess the adequacy of the school’s quality assurance process. A school is likely to be judged inadequate for leadership and management if it is making ineffective or inappropriate use of AP, failing to ensure the suitability of a provision, being unaware of the number of their pupils attending AP or not taking responsibility for their pupils who attend AP.</p><p>From January 2023, Ofsted is inspecting the local authority commissioning of AP as part of Area Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) inspections. The Area SEND inspection Handbook states that in doing so inspectors will consider whether the local authority’s use of unregistered and online provision is lawful and appropriate to children and young people’s needs. The Handbook can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/area-send-framework-and-handbook/area-send-inspections-framework-and-handbook" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/area-send-framework-and-handbook/area-send-inspections-framework-and-handbook</a>.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran attachment 1 file name HL9966 et al_alternative_provision_statutory_guidance_accessible.pdf title HL9966_AP_guidance 2 file name HL9966 et al _Keeping_children_safe_in_education_2023.pdf title HL9966_Keeping_children_Safe_guidance grouped question UIN HL9967 HL9968 HL9969 HL9970 HL9971 question first answered 25/09/2023 14:19:14 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4724 label Biography information for Baroness Blower

1659232

registered interest
date	07/09/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Out-of-School Education
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how many safeguarding concerns have been recorded regarding unregistered alternative providers in England.
tabling member printed	Baroness Blower
uin	HL9967
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/09/2023 answer text <p>The department does not hold information about the mean and median amounts spent by a school or local authority on an unregistered alternative provider place in England for (a) pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan, (b) pupils classified as a Child In Need, (c) Pupil Premium Pupils, and (d) pupils excluded from school. Commissioning arrangements are managed directly by schools and local authorities who require the provision, and they do not report their expenditure at the level of detail requested.</p><p>The department also does not routinely collect data on the number of safeguarding concerns that have taken place in unregistered APs. Commissioners are responsible for the AP they use and ensuring that it is safe.</p><p>The Alternative Provision (AP) statutory guidance is clear that AP, including unregistered AP, should be good quality, registered where appropriate, and delivered by high quality staff with suitable training, experience and safeguarding checks. The guidance can be found in the attached document. Responsibility for the AP used rests with the commissioner. The nature of the intervention, its objectives and the timeline to achieve these objectives should be agreed and clearly defined.</p><p>Some local authorities or partnerships of schools have developed a local directory of ‘approved’ provision, which meets clearly defined standards, including registration where necessary, safeguarding, health and safety, quality of accommodation, quality of education etc. These lists, where they exist, can provide a helpful starting point. However, prior to placement, commissioners should still assess whether the provision offers high quality education and is suitable for the pupil’s individual needs.</p><p>‘Keeping children safe in education’ is statutory guidance to which all schools and colleges must have regard when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, and can be found in the attached document. The guidance states that where a school places a pupil in AP, the school continues to be responsible for the safeguarding of that pupil and should be satisfied that the provider meets the needs of the pupil. Schools should obtain written confirmation from the AP that appropriate safeguarding checks have been carried out on individuals working at the establishment, for example, those checks that the school would otherwise perform in respect of its own staff.</p><p>Ofsted does not inspect individual unregistered AP settings unless they are part of a criminal investigation where there are concerns that the provider may be operating illegally as an independent school. Any provider of AP must be registered as an independent school if it caters full time for five or more pupils of compulsory school age, or one pupil who is looked after or has an education, health and care plan. Under Section 97 of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the Unregistered Schools Team does not inspect the quality of the provision or the safeguarding arrangements.</p><p>The School Inspection Handbook states that during school inspections, inspectors will evaluate how well a school continues to take responsibility for its pupils who attend AP, including in unregistered AP. The Handbook can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-handbook-eif/school-inspection-handbook-for-september-2023" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-handbook-eif/school-inspection-handbook-for-september-2023</a>. Inspectors will normally visit a sample of any part-time unregistered AP during the inspection. This is to assess the adequacy of the school’s quality assurance process. A school is likely to be judged inadequate for leadership and management if it is making ineffective or inappropriate use of AP, failing to ensure the suitability of a provision, being unaware of the number of their pupils attending AP or not taking responsibility for their pupils who attend AP.</p><p>From January 2023, Ofsted is inspecting the local authority commissioning of AP as part of Area Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) inspections. The Area SEND inspection Handbook states that in doing so inspectors will consider whether the local authority’s use of unregistered and online provision is lawful and appropriate to children and young people’s needs. The Handbook can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/area-send-framework-and-handbook/area-send-inspections-framework-and-handbook" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/area-send-framework-and-handbook/area-send-inspections-framework-and-handbook</a>.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran attachment 1 file name HL9966 et al_alternative_provision_statutory_guidance_accessible.pdf title HL9966_AP_guidance 2 file name HL9966 et al _Keeping_children_safe_in_education_2023.pdf title HL9966_Keeping_children_Safe_guidance grouped question UIN HL9966 HL9968 HL9969 HL9970 HL9971 question first answered 25/09/2023 14:19:14 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4724 label Biography information for Baroness Blower

1659233

registered interest
date	07/09/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Out-of-School Education
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether there are any minimum standards for an unregistered alternative provider which provides education placements for school-aged pupils to operate in England.
tabling member printed	Baroness Blower
uin	HL9968
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/09/2023 answer text <p>The department does not hold information about the mean and median amounts spent by a school or local authority on an unregistered alternative provider place in England for (a) pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan, (b) pupils classified as a Child In Need, (c) Pupil Premium Pupils, and (d) pupils excluded from school. Commissioning arrangements are managed directly by schools and local authorities who require the provision, and they do not report their expenditure at the level of detail requested.</p><p>The department also does not routinely collect data on the number of safeguarding concerns that have taken place in unregistered APs. Commissioners are responsible for the AP they use and ensuring that it is safe.</p><p>The Alternative Provision (AP) statutory guidance is clear that AP, including unregistered AP, should be good quality, registered where appropriate, and delivered by high quality staff with suitable training, experience and safeguarding checks. The guidance can be found in the attached document. Responsibility for the AP used rests with the commissioner. The nature of the intervention, its objectives and the timeline to achieve these objectives should be agreed and clearly defined.</p><p>Some local authorities or partnerships of schools have developed a local directory of ‘approved’ provision, which meets clearly defined standards, including registration where necessary, safeguarding, health and safety, quality of accommodation, quality of education etc. These lists, where they exist, can provide a helpful starting point. However, prior to placement, commissioners should still assess whether the provision offers high quality education and is suitable for the pupil’s individual needs.</p><p>‘Keeping children safe in education’ is statutory guidance to which all schools and colleges must have regard when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, and can be found in the attached document. The guidance states that where a school places a pupil in AP, the school continues to be responsible for the safeguarding of that pupil and should be satisfied that the provider meets the needs of the pupil. Schools should obtain written confirmation from the AP that appropriate safeguarding checks have been carried out on individuals working at the establishment, for example, those checks that the school would otherwise perform in respect of its own staff.</p><p>Ofsted does not inspect individual unregistered AP settings unless they are part of a criminal investigation where there are concerns that the provider may be operating illegally as an independent school. Any provider of AP must be registered as an independent school if it caters full time for five or more pupils of compulsory school age, or one pupil who is looked after or has an education, health and care plan. Under Section 97 of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the Unregistered Schools Team does not inspect the quality of the provision or the safeguarding arrangements.</p><p>The School Inspection Handbook states that during school inspections, inspectors will evaluate how well a school continues to take responsibility for its pupils who attend AP, including in unregistered AP. The Handbook can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-handbook-eif/school-inspection-handbook-for-september-2023" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-handbook-eif/school-inspection-handbook-for-september-2023</a>. Inspectors will normally visit a sample of any part-time unregistered AP during the inspection. This is to assess the adequacy of the school’s quality assurance process. A school is likely to be judged inadequate for leadership and management if it is making ineffective or inappropriate use of AP, failing to ensure the suitability of a provision, being unaware of the number of their pupils attending AP or not taking responsibility for their pupils who attend AP.</p><p>From January 2023, Ofsted is inspecting the local authority commissioning of AP as part of Area Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) inspections. The Area SEND inspection Handbook states that in doing so inspectors will consider whether the local authority’s use of unregistered and online provision is lawful and appropriate to children and young people’s needs. The Handbook can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/area-send-framework-and-handbook/area-send-inspections-framework-and-handbook" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/area-send-framework-and-handbook/area-send-inspections-framework-and-handbook</a>.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran attachment 1 file name HL9966 et al_alternative_provision_statutory_guidance_accessible.pdf title HL9966_AP_guidance 2 file name HL9966 et al _Keeping_children_safe_in_education_2023.pdf title HL9966_Keeping_children_Safe_guidance grouped question UIN HL9966 HL9967 HL9969 HL9970 HL9971 question first answered 25/09/2023 14:19:14 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4724 label Biography information for Baroness Blower

1659234

registered interest
date	07/09/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Out-of-School Education
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether there are any safeguarding checks or requirements for an unregistered alternative provider that provides education placements for school-aged pupils in England.
tabling member printed	Baroness Blower
uin	HL9969
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/09/2023 answer text <p>The department does not hold information about the mean and median amounts spent by a school or local authority on an unregistered alternative provider place in England for (a) pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan, (b) pupils classified as a Child In Need, (c) Pupil Premium Pupils, and (d) pupils excluded from school. Commissioning arrangements are managed directly by schools and local authorities who require the provision, and they do not report their expenditure at the level of detail requested.</p><p>The department also does not routinely collect data on the number of safeguarding concerns that have taken place in unregistered APs. Commissioners are responsible for the AP they use and ensuring that it is safe.</p><p>The Alternative Provision (AP) statutory guidance is clear that AP, including unregistered AP, should be good quality, registered where appropriate, and delivered by high quality staff with suitable training, experience and safeguarding checks. The guidance can be found in the attached document. Responsibility for the AP used rests with the commissioner. The nature of the intervention, its objectives and the timeline to achieve these objectives should be agreed and clearly defined.</p><p>Some local authorities or partnerships of schools have developed a local directory of ‘approved’ provision, which meets clearly defined standards, including registration where necessary, safeguarding, health and safety, quality of accommodation, quality of education etc. These lists, where they exist, can provide a helpful starting point. However, prior to placement, commissioners should still assess whether the provision offers high quality education and is suitable for the pupil’s individual needs.</p><p>‘Keeping children safe in education’ is statutory guidance to which all schools and colleges must have regard when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, and can be found in the attached document. The guidance states that where a school places a pupil in AP, the school continues to be responsible for the safeguarding of that pupil and should be satisfied that the provider meets the needs of the pupil. Schools should obtain written confirmation from the AP that appropriate safeguarding checks have been carried out on individuals working at the establishment, for example, those checks that the school would otherwise perform in respect of its own staff.</p><p>Ofsted does not inspect individual unregistered AP settings unless they are part of a criminal investigation where there are concerns that the provider may be operating illegally as an independent school. Any provider of AP must be registered as an independent school if it caters full time for five or more pupils of compulsory school age, or one pupil who is looked after or has an education, health and care plan. Under Section 97 of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the Unregistered Schools Team does not inspect the quality of the provision or the safeguarding arrangements.</p><p>The School Inspection Handbook states that during school inspections, inspectors will evaluate how well a school continues to take responsibility for its pupils who attend AP, including in unregistered AP. The Handbook can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-handbook-eif/school-inspection-handbook-for-september-2023" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-handbook-eif/school-inspection-handbook-for-september-2023</a>. Inspectors will normally visit a sample of any part-time unregistered AP during the inspection. This is to assess the adequacy of the school’s quality assurance process. A school is likely to be judged inadequate for leadership and management if it is making ineffective or inappropriate use of AP, failing to ensure the suitability of a provision, being unaware of the number of their pupils attending AP or not taking responsibility for their pupils who attend AP.</p><p>From January 2023, Ofsted is inspecting the local authority commissioning of AP as part of Area Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) inspections. The Area SEND inspection Handbook states that in doing so inspectors will consider whether the local authority’s use of unregistered and online provision is lawful and appropriate to children and young people’s needs. The Handbook can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/area-send-framework-and-handbook/area-send-inspections-framework-and-handbook" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/area-send-framework-and-handbook/area-send-inspections-framework-and-handbook</a>.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran attachment 1 file name HL9966 et al_alternative_provision_statutory_guidance_accessible.pdf title HL9966_AP_guidance 2 file name HL9966 et al _Keeping_children_safe_in_education_2023.pdf title HL9966_Keeping_children_Safe_guidance grouped question UIN HL9966 HL9967 HL9968 HL9970 HL9971 question first answered 25/09/2023 14:19:14 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4724 label Biography information for Baroness Blower

1659235

registered interest
date	07/09/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Out-of-School Education
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how often Ofsted inspect unregistered alternative providers that provides education placements for school-aged pupils in England.
tabling member printed	Baroness Blower
uin	HL9970
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/09/2023 answer text <p>The department does not hold information about the mean and median amounts spent by a school or local authority on an unregistered alternative provider place in England for (a) pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan, (b) pupils classified as a Child In Need, (c) Pupil Premium Pupils, and (d) pupils excluded from school. Commissioning arrangements are managed directly by schools and local authorities who require the provision, and they do not report their expenditure at the level of detail requested.</p><p>The department also does not routinely collect data on the number of safeguarding concerns that have taken place in unregistered APs. Commissioners are responsible for the AP they use and ensuring that it is safe.</p><p>The Alternative Provision (AP) statutory guidance is clear that AP, including unregistered AP, should be good quality, registered where appropriate, and delivered by high quality staff with suitable training, experience and safeguarding checks. The guidance can be found in the attached document. Responsibility for the AP used rests with the commissioner. The nature of the intervention, its objectives and the timeline to achieve these objectives should be agreed and clearly defined.</p><p>Some local authorities or partnerships of schools have developed a local directory of ‘approved’ provision, which meets clearly defined standards, including registration where necessary, safeguarding, health and safety, quality of accommodation, quality of education etc. These lists, where they exist, can provide a helpful starting point. However, prior to placement, commissioners should still assess whether the provision offers high quality education and is suitable for the pupil’s individual needs.</p><p>‘Keeping children safe in education’ is statutory guidance to which all schools and colleges must have regard when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, and can be found in the attached document. The guidance states that where a school places a pupil in AP, the school continues to be responsible for the safeguarding of that pupil and should be satisfied that the provider meets the needs of the pupil. Schools should obtain written confirmation from the AP that appropriate safeguarding checks have been carried out on individuals working at the establishment, for example, those checks that the school would otherwise perform in respect of its own staff.</p><p>Ofsted does not inspect individual unregistered AP settings unless they are part of a criminal investigation where there are concerns that the provider may be operating illegally as an independent school. Any provider of AP must be registered as an independent school if it caters full time for five or more pupils of compulsory school age, or one pupil who is looked after or has an education, health and care plan. Under Section 97 of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the Unregistered Schools Team does not inspect the quality of the provision or the safeguarding arrangements.</p><p>The School Inspection Handbook states that during school inspections, inspectors will evaluate how well a school continues to take responsibility for its pupils who attend AP, including in unregistered AP. The Handbook can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-handbook-eif/school-inspection-handbook-for-september-2023" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-handbook-eif/school-inspection-handbook-for-september-2023</a>. Inspectors will normally visit a sample of any part-time unregistered AP during the inspection. This is to assess the adequacy of the school’s quality assurance process. A school is likely to be judged inadequate for leadership and management if it is making ineffective or inappropriate use of AP, failing to ensure the suitability of a provision, being unaware of the number of their pupils attending AP or not taking responsibility for their pupils who attend AP.</p><p>From January 2023, Ofsted is inspecting the local authority commissioning of AP as part of Area Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) inspections. The Area SEND inspection Handbook states that in doing so inspectors will consider whether the local authority’s use of unregistered and online provision is lawful and appropriate to children and young people’s needs. The Handbook can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/area-send-framework-and-handbook/area-send-inspections-framework-and-handbook" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/area-send-framework-and-handbook/area-send-inspections-framework-and-handbook</a>.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran attachment 1 file name HL9966 et al_alternative_provision_statutory_guidance_accessible.pdf title HL9966_AP_guidance 2 file name HL9966 et al _Keeping_children_safe_in_education_2023.pdf title HL9966_Keeping_children_Safe_guidance grouped question UIN HL9966 HL9967 HL9968 HL9969 HL9971 question first answered 25/09/2023 14:19:14 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4724 label Biography information for Baroness Blower

1659236

registered interest
date	07/09/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Out-of-School Education
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether schools or local authorities that commission unregistered alternative providers require checks on the proprietor and staff before placing pupils in their care.
tabling member printed	Baroness Blower
uin	HL9971
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/09/2023 answer text <p>The department does not hold information about the mean and median amounts spent by a school or local authority on an unregistered alternative provider place in England for (a) pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan, (b) pupils classified as a Child In Need, (c) Pupil Premium Pupils, and (d) pupils excluded from school. Commissioning arrangements are managed directly by schools and local authorities who require the provision, and they do not report their expenditure at the level of detail requested.</p><p>The department also does not routinely collect data on the number of safeguarding concerns that have taken place in unregistered APs. Commissioners are responsible for the AP they use and ensuring that it is safe.</p><p>The Alternative Provision (AP) statutory guidance is clear that AP, including unregistered AP, should be good quality, registered where appropriate, and delivered by high quality staff with suitable training, experience and safeguarding checks. The guidance can be found in the attached document. Responsibility for the AP used rests with the commissioner. The nature of the intervention, its objectives and the timeline to achieve these objectives should be agreed and clearly defined.</p><p>Some local authorities or partnerships of schools have developed a local directory of ‘approved’ provision, which meets clearly defined standards, including registration where necessary, safeguarding, health and safety, quality of accommodation, quality of education etc. These lists, where they exist, can provide a helpful starting point. However, prior to placement, commissioners should still assess whether the provision offers high quality education and is suitable for the pupil’s individual needs.</p><p>‘Keeping children safe in education’ is statutory guidance to which all schools and colleges must have regard when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, and can be found in the attached document. The guidance states that where a school places a pupil in AP, the school continues to be responsible for the safeguarding of that pupil and should be satisfied that the provider meets the needs of the pupil. Schools should obtain written confirmation from the AP that appropriate safeguarding checks have been carried out on individuals working at the establishment, for example, those checks that the school would otherwise perform in respect of its own staff.</p><p>Ofsted does not inspect individual unregistered AP settings unless they are part of a criminal investigation where there are concerns that the provider may be operating illegally as an independent school. Any provider of AP must be registered as an independent school if it caters full time for five or more pupils of compulsory school age, or one pupil who is looked after or has an education, health and care plan. Under Section 97 of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the Unregistered Schools Team does not inspect the quality of the provision or the safeguarding arrangements.</p><p>The School Inspection Handbook states that during school inspections, inspectors will evaluate how well a school continues to take responsibility for its pupils who attend AP, including in unregistered AP. The Handbook can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-handbook-eif/school-inspection-handbook-for-september-2023" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-handbook-eif/school-inspection-handbook-for-september-2023</a>. Inspectors will normally visit a sample of any part-time unregistered AP during the inspection. This is to assess the adequacy of the school’s quality assurance process. A school is likely to be judged inadequate for leadership and management if it is making ineffective or inappropriate use of AP, failing to ensure the suitability of a provision, being unaware of the number of their pupils attending AP or not taking responsibility for their pupils who attend AP.</p><p>From January 2023, Ofsted is inspecting the local authority commissioning of AP as part of Area Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) inspections. The Area SEND inspection Handbook states that in doing so inspectors will consider whether the local authority’s use of unregistered and online provision is lawful and appropriate to children and young people’s needs. The Handbook can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/area-send-framework-and-handbook/area-send-inspections-framework-and-handbook" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/area-send-framework-and-handbook/area-send-inspections-framework-and-handbook</a>.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran attachment 1 file name HL9966 et al_alternative_provision_statutory_guidance_accessible.pdf title HL9966_AP_guidance 2 file name HL9966 et al _Keeping_children_safe_in_education_2023.pdf title HL9966_Keeping_children_Safe_guidance grouped question UIN HL9966 HL9967 HL9968 HL9969 HL9970 question first answered 25/09/2023 14:19:14 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4724 label Biography information for Baroness Blower

1659237

registered interest
date	07/09/2023
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Railways: Ticket Offices
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect a decision to be announced regarding the closure of railway ticket offices.
tabling member printed	Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
uin	HL9972
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/09/2023 answer text <p>The consultation on ticket offices closed on 1 September. We are now in a period where the independent passenger bodies (Transport Focus and London TravelWatch) are engaging with train operators on the basis of the consultation responses they have received and the criteria they have set out. We expect train operators to work collaboratively with the passenger bodies in the coming weeks, to listen to the concerns raised and to refine their proposals accordingly.</p> answering member printed Baroness Vere of Norbiton question first answered 20/09/2023 13:46:32 answering member 4580 label Biography information for Baroness Vere of Norbiton
tabling member	4282 label Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

1659238

registered interest
date	07/09/2023
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Railways: Ticket Offices
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what reassurances regarding employment they are providing to railway station staff in advance of a decision about the closure of railway ticket offices.
tabling member printed	Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
uin	HL9973
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/09/2023 answer text <p>Whilst it is our expectation that no currently staffed station should be unstaffed as a result of industry changes, it is for train operators to decide on their staffing arrangements at each of the stations from which they operate services, so they can best meet the needs of passengers. As part of this train operators will discuss employment matters with trade unions as part of their own collective bargaining processes.</p> answering member printed Baroness Vere of Norbiton question first answered 20/09/2023 13:57:09 answering member 4580 label Biography information for Baroness Vere of Norbiton
tabling member	4282 label Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth