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1727493

registered interest
date	04/09/2024
answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Housing: Costs
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of increasing housing costs.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL770
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2024 answer text <p>While the pricing of mortgages is a commercial decision for lenders, we recognise that many home owners have been faced with higher mortgage rates in recent years. That is why we are committed to delivering economic stability to grow the economy and keep taxes, inflation and mortgage rates as low as possible.</p><p>Higher mortgage rates, along with the general increase in the cost of living have in particular created significant challenges for first-time buyers. In 2023 there were 235,000 first-time buyers, compared to 334,000 in 2021, a fall of nearly 30%. Too many people are now locked out of homeownership. Our aim to build 1.5m homes will help tackle this. We have also committed to introducing a permanent, comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme and to giving first-time buyers the first chance to buy homes.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Taylor of Stevenage question first answered 18/09/2024 13:21:43 answering member 4956 label Biography information for Baroness Taylor of Stevenage
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1727494

registered interest
date	04/09/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Teachers: Vacancies
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address teacher shortages.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL771
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2024 answer text <p>​​​​​​​High quality teaching is the factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education. There are now 468,693 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state-funded schools in England, but we must do more to ensure we have the workforce needed to provide the best possible education for every child in all parts of the country, which is why the government has set out the ambition to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers with a focus on key shortage subjects.</p><p>​The first crucial step towards achieving this is to ensure teachers get the pay they deserve, which is why the department has accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools from this September.</p><p>​The department wants to ensure teaching is once again an attractive and respected profession. It is committed to resetting the relationship with the teaching profession. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has already spoken to various stakeholders and teachers working at the front end and continues to do so. The department is now developing the Social Partnership to work more closely with the sector unions to ensure they have a stronger voice on policies that affect their work.</p><p>​Alongside teacher pay, financial incentives are one of the most effective ways to increase teacher supply, and we are continuing to support teacher trainees with tax-free bursaries of up to £28,000 and scholarships of up to £30,000 in shortage subjects. For 2024/25 and 2025/26, we are also offering a Targeted Retention Incentive worth up to £6,000 after tax for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools.</p><p>​Recruiting more teachers is a key part of the department’s Opportunity Mission. This government is also committed to tackling long standing retention challenges to ensure teachers stay and thrive in the profession, including by addressing teacher workload and wellbeing, and supporting schools to introduce flexible working practices. The department has made key resources available to help teachers better manage their workload.</p> answering member printed Baroness Smith of Malvern question first answered 18/09/2024 13:20:48 answering member 269 label Biography information for Baroness Smith of Malvern
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1727495

registered interest
date	04/09/2024
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Undocumented Migrants: English Channel
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the increasing number of migrant deaths when attempting to cross the English Channel.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL772
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2024 answer text <p>Channel crossing attempts by migrants in small boats have always been lethally dangerous, with the Channel being a very busy shipping lane. The first recorded fatalities occurred in August 2019. Since the start of 2024, there have been 12 fatal incidents involving the deaths of 37 people. Crossings are getting more and more dangerous as time goes on, with the danger and the risk rising as quality of boats deteriorates and more people are crammed on board.</p><p>The ‘vessels’ used to make these crossings are not of commercial manufacture. They are poorly constructed, from cheap and flimsy materials, are unseaworthy, underpowered, and lack safety equipment. They founder frequently, and for each fatal incident there are plenty of other near misses where boats have begun to deflate and people have gone in the water.</p><p>The criminal gangs who facilitate these crossings have no interest in the welfare of their clients, only in the pursuit of profit. It is for this reason that boats are increasingly seen to be overcrowded, with the most vulnerable packed into the middle of the boat where crushing and other injuries, such as fuel burns, become more likely.</p><p>We are working closely with the French to reduce the risk to life from these crossings and with partners across Europe to bring the evil people smuggling gangs to justice.</p> answering member printed Lord Hanson of Flint question first answered 18/09/2024 10:26:51 answering member 533 label Biography information for Lord Hanson of Flint
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1727798

registered interest
date	05/09/2024
answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept id	216
answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
hansard heading	Artificial Intelligence: Regulation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that new regulations on the use of artificial intelligence (1) avoid hindering innovation, (2) adapt to a growing industry, and (3) prevent domestic companies from being at a disadvantage internationally.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL823
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2024 answer text <p>In the King’s Speech, the Government set out its intention to legislate to place binding requirements on those developing most powerful AI models. These proposals will be highly targeted and will support growth and innovation by providing clarity to developers and boosting public trust and business confidence.</p><p> </p><p>The government will be consulting on these proposals to ensure they support UK competitiveness in AI while ensuring its safe development. In addition, the AI Opportunities Action Plan, chaired by Matt Clifford, will set out how the Government can support the growth of the AI sector and compete on the global stage.</p> answering member printed Baroness Jones of Whitchurch question first answered 18/09/2024 11:32:24 answering member 3792 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1727992

registered interest
date	09/09/2024
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Employment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Britain’s labour market, particularly in relation to (1) the decrease in job placements, and (2) the decline in pay growth.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL916
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2024 answer text <p>Job placements, as measured by employment, are currently at 33.2m. These have increased by 265,000 on the quarter and 150,000 on the year. The employment rate remains lower than it was immediately pre-COVID by 1.4 percentage points. This has been driven almost entirely by increased economic inactivity, including long term sickness which is at a near-record high.</p><p> </p><p>Regular pay growth (excluding bonuses) is currently at 5.1% on the year without accounting for inflation. This rate of pay growth has slowed since June 2023 when it reached 7.9%. Regular pay growth after inflation is currently at 2.2% on the year, following falls in real pay in 2022 and 2023 due to high inflation. Regular earnings after inflation are currently only 3% or £15 a week higher in the latest three months than the start of 2008, 16 years ago.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sherlock question first answered 18/09/2024 12:53:25 answering member 4147 label Biography information for Baroness Sherlock
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1727213

registered interest
date	03/09/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children and Families: Protection
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the protection of families and young children, particularly in light of (1) the decrease in local authority spending on early intervention services, and (2) the rising number of children in residential care.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL732
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/09/2024 answer text <p>The department recognises that there is a strong evidence base for early intervention to support families stay together and thrive. This will be at the heart of this government’s system reform of children’s social care.</p><p>Through the £45 million Families First for Children Pathfinder and Family Network Pilot, the department is testing the implementation of intensive whole-family support in 10 pathfinder local authorities, where multi-disciplinary teams are providing targeted support to help families overcome challenges at the earliest opportunity, to prevent escalation, to keep children safe and help families to overcome challenges, stay together and thrive. The pathfinder is being independently evaluated. Early evaluation findings are expected in spring 2025.</p><p>The department recognises that there are increasing numbers of children in high cost, residential placements. Whilst many children benefit from high quality children’s homes, for too many children, residential placements do not meet their needs and are putting significant pressures on local authority budgets. This is why the department is committed to supporting alternatives to care for children who cannot stay with their birth parents, such as kinship arrangements. Through the Family’s First for Children pathfinder and Family Network Pilot, the department aims to make greater use of family networks, involving them in decision-making at an earlier stage, and providing practical and financial support via family network support packages to help keep children safe at home.</p><p>Furthermore, foster carers play a vital role in the care system, offering stable, nurturing, and loving family environments. However, in recent years the number of people applying to be foster carers has dropped significantly. The department is addressing this through a suite of measures. Key among these is the creation of a regional approach where 99 local authorities are working in 10 regional clusters, collaborating to recruit and retain foster carers.</p><p>This government is introducing a Children’s Wellbeing Bill to support these reforms, including through a strengthened multi-agency response. The department will also take targeted action on specific harms such as child criminal and sexual exploitation.</p> answering member printed Baroness Smith of Malvern question first answered 17/09/2024 15:27:02 answering member 269 label Biography information for Baroness Smith of Malvern
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1727214

registered interest
date	03/09/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Universities: Finance
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that universities remain and do not close down despite financial difficulties.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL733
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/09/2024 answer text <p>The department is committed to creating a secure future for our world-leading universities so they can deliver for students, taxpayers, workers and the economy. The government has already started reviewing options to deliver a more robust higher education (HE) sector but it will take time to get it right.</p><p> </p><p>Sir David Behan has been appointed as interim Chair of the Office for Students (OfS) to oversee the important work of refocusing their role to concentrate on key priorities, including prioritising the financial stability of the HE sector.</p><p> </p><p>However, the government recognises the immediate financial strain that some providers are under and is working closely with the OfS to monitor any risks and to ensure students' best interests are protected.</p><p> </p><p>Ultimately, HE providers are independent from the government and therefore it is their responsibility to ensure they have a sustainable business model.</p> answering member printed Baroness Smith of Malvern question first answered 17/09/2024 14:28:47 answering member 269 label Biography information for Baroness Smith of Malvern
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1727215

registered interest
date	03/09/2024
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Small Businesses
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decline in confidence among small businesses following (1) rises in energy prices, (2) the increase in material costs, and (3) the anticipated rise in employment costs.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL734
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/09/2024 answer text <p>We recognise that recent times have been challenging for business. The Government is committed to support small businesses. Our Plan for Small Business set out nine pledges, including a pledge to reduce the cost of energy bills. We will be setting out further detail over the coming months.</p> answering member printed Baroness Jones of Whitchurch question first answered 17/09/2024 14:59:06 answering member 3792 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1727799

registered interest
date	05/09/2024
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Trade Competitiveness
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the UK remains an attractive destination for businesses.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL824
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/09/2024 answer text <p>We are committed to ensuring the UK remains a leading destination for companies to invest and do business. The International Investment Summit in October will showcase our commitment to partnering with global businesses to secure the investment we need for growth. We are answering investors’ calls for stability and predictability with our new Industrial Strategy, providing long-term confidence to invest. The National Wealth Fund will bring together key institutions to offer compelling propositions to investors.</p> answering member printed Baroness Jones of Whitchurch question first answered 17/09/2024 14:53:05 answering member 3792 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1726614

registered interest
date	02/09/2024
answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept id	216
answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
hansard heading	Artificial Intelligence: Investment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure Britain remains competitive in AI innovation following cuts to AI investment.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL696
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2024 answer text <p>The government is committed to bringing the AI Research Resource supercomputers in Bristol and Cambridge online, which will increase our AI compute capacity by 30 times. In addition, AI entrepreneur Matt Clifford has been appointed to lead the government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan. This will set out recommendations to grow our AI sector and ensure AI can be deployed across the economy to improve people’s lives.</p> answering member printed Lord Vallance of Balham question first answered 16/09/2024 15:39:32 answering member 5363 label Biography information for Lord Vallance of Balham
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick