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1716676

registered interest
date	08/05/2024
answering body	Women and Equalities
answering dept id	31
answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
hansard heading	Equal Pay: Gender
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports that the median gender pay gap narrowed to 9 per cent in 2023–24, what assessment they have made of the impact of wage pressures in different industries on the gender pay gap.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL4487
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2024 answer text <p>Under this government the gender pay gap has fallen significantly, having fallen from 19.8% to 14.3% over the last decade. In 2017, we introduced world-leading regulations requiring large employers to publish the differences in average salaries and bonuses for men and women every year. This has ensured that employers are aware of their gaps and are taking steps to close them.</p><p>We know that reporting is just the first step, but do not believe that setting arbitrary targets or a timetable will help to drive the changes that we all want to see. The causes of the gender pay gap are complex, and the wider societal shifts required to close it will take time.</p><p>Detailed gender pay gap information is published annually by the ONS, and this includes sector-specific data and analysis. ONS data shows that the gender pay gap has decreased across all major occupational groups between 2022 and 2023.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran grouped question UIN HL4465 question first answered 22/05/2024 15:52:51 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1679264

registered interest
date	19/12/2023
answering body	Women and Equalities
answering dept id	31
answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
hansard heading	Equal Pay
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) mitigate pay gaps, and (2) promote fair compensation practices, within large companies.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL1368
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2024 answer text <p>We are committed to reducing unfair pay disparities and ensuring everyone is able to succeed in their career.</p><p> </p><p>Under this Government the gender pay gap has narrowed significantly, having fallen by approximately a quarter in the last decade. In 2017, we introduced regulations requiring large employers to publish gender pay gap data every year, ensuring employers are aware of their gaps and take steps to close them.</p><p> </p><p>To accelerate progress we have supported legislation to: enhance flexible working, extend redundancy protection for those on maternity leave, introduce carers leave, and, strengthen the protections against harassment in the workplace.</p><p> </p><p>The Government published guidance for employers on ethnicity pay reporting in April 2023, which sets out best practice on measuring, analysing and reporting ethnicity pay gaps. We are supporting employers who wish to measure their pay gaps and are identifying examples of good practice.</p><p> </p><p>In terms of supporting fair compensation practices, the National Living Wage will be increasing by a record cash amount in April – from £10.42 to £11.44 an hour. Through this, the Government protects the lowest paid in society, with women and people from an ethnic minority background among those more likely to benefit.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 05/01/2024 11:19:56 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1674536

registered interest
date	30/11/2023
answering body	Women and Equalities
answering dept id	31
answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
hansard heading	Equal Pay: Ethnic Groups
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the ethnicity pay gap data published by the Office for National Statistics on 29 November, what steps they are taking to combat ethnicity pay gaps in the UK.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL781
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2023 answer text <p>The Government published guidance for employers on ethnicity pay reporting in April, which sets out best practice on measuring, analysing and reporting ethnicity pay gaps. Alongside this, we are supporting employers who wish to measure their pay gaps and are identifying examples of good practice.</p><p> </p><p>We also launched an Inclusion at Work Panel earlier this year. The Panel, made up of academics and practitioners in business, will develop and disseminate resources that can help employers achieve fairness and inclusion in the workplace.</p><p> </p><p>These actions are part of our ambitious Inclusive Britain strategy, published in March 2022, which set out 74 bold actions to tackle entrenched ethnic disparities in employment, education, health and criminal justice.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 14/12/2023 16:37:18 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1673805

registered interest
date	28/11/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Employment: Artificial Intelligence
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any potential benefits of using artificial intelligence to develop skills for the workplace.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL682
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/12/2023 answer text <p>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform society. The department wants to capitalise on the opportunities that technology, such as AI, presents for education, as well as addressing its risks and challenges.</p><p> </p><p>When used appropriately, technology (including generative AI), has the potential to reduce workload across the education sector, and free up teachers’ time, allowing them to focus on delivering excellent teaching.</p><p> </p><p>The department wants schools, colleges, universities and families to have digestible rigorous evidence on education technology products at their fingertips so that they can effectively choose and implement technology. This includes the use of generative AI in educational settings.</p><p> </p><p>The department is building the evidence base for how generative AI is best used in education and learning from the experience and expertise of the sector. The department published the response to our call for evidence on generative AI in education on 28 November 2023. The department is working with Faculty Science Ltd in partnership and the National Institute of Teaching to run a Generative AI Hackathons project. The department has endowed the Education Endowment Foundation, an independent charity, with a further £137 million to encourage innovative and effective evidence-based teaching, including using technology.</p><p> </p><p>The department is ensuring everyone has the essential digital skills they need to engage with modern technology. In August 2020, the department introduced a new digital entitlement to fully fund adults to study towards an essential digital skills qualification, up to Level 1, and from September 2023, digital functional skills qualifications. These qualifications give adults the essential digital skills they need to participate actively in modern day life, work and further study.</p><p> </p><p>To support the UK’s development of AI talent, the department are creating 1000 new AI PhDs through Centres for Doctoral Training, with £117 million of government investment.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 12/12/2023 12:52:07 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1660688

registered interest
date	13/09/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free Schools: Construction
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to provide detailed surveys to identify issues such as asbestos and unstable concrete before purchasing sites for free schools.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL10168
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/09/2023 answer text <p>LocatED is the government owned property company responsible for buying and developing free school sites. The department works closely with LocatED and remains committed to acquiring suitable, safe and affordable sites in order to deliver new school places.</p><p>Technical experts carry out due diligence prior to acquisition to make sure sites are safe. The risks associated with these sites are taken into full consideration as part of the acquisition process. This is in line with standard industry practice.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 25/09/2023 13:48:59 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1658891

registered interest
date	06/09/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Buildings
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 potential risks of schools in England that have been built using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL9957
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/09/2023 answer text <p>Nothing is more important than the safety of children and staff. It has always been the case that where we are made aware of a building that may pose an immediate risk, the Department takes immediate action.</p><p>It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, Local Authorities, and voluntary-aided school bodies – who work with their schools on a day-to-day basis, to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert us if there is a concern with a building.</p><p>The Department has acted decisively and proactively to tackle this issue. This Government has taken more proactive action on RAAC than any other in the UK. The Department issued comprehensive guidance in 2018, and subsequent years, to all responsible bodies highlighting the potential risks associated with RAAC and supporting them to identify this within their buildings, as well as to take appropriate steps in meeting their obligations to keep buildings safe. The most recent guidance is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-estates-guidance" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-estates-guidance</a>.</p><p>There are over 22,000 schools and colleges in England, and the vast majority are unaffected. A significant proportion of the estate was built outside the period where RAAC was used, with around one third of the estate built since 2001, therefore, the Department has focused efforts on buildings built in the post-war decades.</p><p>The Department issued a questionnaire in March 2022, asking responsible bodies to inform the Department of any suspected RAAC identified in their estates. Responsible bodies have submitted questionnaires for over 98% of schools with blocks built in the target era, of which there are 14,900. We are pressing all remaining schools to get checks completed, to determine which schools require surveys.</p><p>The Department is contacting responsible bodies to help them respond to this request and to advise on what needs to be done, so that they can establish whether they believe they have RAAC. This work will continue until we have a response for all target era schools.</p><p>Schools and colleges where RAAC is suspected are being fast tracked for surveying, which is used to confirm whether RAAC is actually present. All schools and colleges that have already told us they suspect they might have RAAC will be surveyed within a matter of weeks, in many cases in a matter of days.</p><p>All schools where RAAC is confirmed are provided with a dedicated caseworker to support them and help implement a mitigation plan and minimise the disruption to children’s learning.</p><p>Across Government, Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC in their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out. The Department for Education published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September, and committed to providing further updates.</p><p>Schools will contact parents where RAAC is identified and inform them of any impacts on their child. The vast majority of schools are unaffected. Any parents that are unsure if their child’s school is affected should contact their school directly.</p><p>While some short term disruption is inevitable, all available measures will be taken to minimise disruption to pupil learning and ensure that pupils continue to receive face-to-face teaching. Where there is any disturbance to face-to-face education, schools will prioritise attendance for vulnerable children and young people and children of key workers. The guidance published by the Department in August also includes guidance on provision for pupils with SEND and sets out expectations that schools continue to provide free school meals to eligible pupils.</p><p>The Department will fund emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, like transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, the department will provide that support for all reasonable requests. The Department will also fund longer term refurbishment projects, or rebuilding projects where these are needed, to rectify the RAAC issue in the long term.</p><p>All previously confirmed School Rebuilding Programme projects announced in 2021 and 2022 will continue to go ahead. A full list of confirmed projects can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme</a>.</p><p>Further information on RAAC in education settings is available on the Education Hub: <a href="https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/09/06/new-guidance-on-raac-in-education-settings/" target="_blank">https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/09/06/new-guidance-on-raac-in-education-settings/</a><a href="https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/09/04/new-guidance-on-raac-in-education-settings/" target="_blank">.</a></p> answering member printed Baroness Barran grouped question UIN HL9996 question first answered 19/09/2023 11:36:06 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1642421

registered interest
date	06/06/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Fees and Charges
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to review the cost of tuition fees.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL8258
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2023 answer text <p>The student finance and funding system must provide value for money for all of society at a time of rising costs. It is important that a sustainable student finance system is in place, that is both fair to students and fair to taxpayers. The department is freezing maximum tuition fees for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years. By 2024/25, maximum fees will have been frozen for seven years.</p><p>Maximum tuition fees, and the subsidised loans available from the government to pay them, remain at £9,250 for the current 2022/23 academic year in respect of standard full-time courses.</p><p>We believe a continued fee freeze achieves the best balance between ensuring that the system remains financially sustainable, offering good value for the taxpayer, and reducing debt levels for students in real terms.</p><p>Higher Education providers are autonomous and responsible for setting their own fees under this level. In deciding to keep charging full fees, providers will want to ensure that they can continue to deliver courses which are fit for purpose and that help students progress their qualifications.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 19/06/2023 11:59:27 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1639914

registered interest
date	23/05/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Artificial Intelligence
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect students from the risks of artificial intelligence.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL8062
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/06/2023 answer text <p>Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform society. The department will need to explore how AI can support teaching, as well as addressing its risks.</p><p>The department published a ‘Generative artificial intelligence in education’ policy paper which sets out our position on the use of generative AI in the education sector. The paper outlines the potential impact of generative AI on the education sector, including the opportunities for reducing teacher workload, risks to assessment and steps the education sector should take to protect its data, resources, staff and students. The paper is attached and can also be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/generative-artificial-intelligence-in-education" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/generative-artificial-intelligence-in-education</a>. On 8 May 2023, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, also addressed the Education World Forum on the benefits of embracing AI in education settings.</p><p>There are huge opportunities for AI as it becomes more sophisticated, but there are also challenges in how the higher education (HE) sector incorporates AI, particularly for teaching, learning and assessment.</p><p>Schools, colleges, and universities, as well as awarding organisations, need to continue to take reasonable steps where applicable to prevent malpractice, including malpractice involving the use of generative AI and other emerging technologies. Ultimately, it is a matter for the HE sector itself to determine how best to fully harness the potential benefits and to effectively mitigate the risks associated with AI.</p><p>The department will keep our programme of measures under review to ensure we identify the best ways to address the risks to and opportunities AI presents, including continuing to establish a strong evidence base for technology in education.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 07/06/2023 12:49:28 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran attachment 1 file name Generative_artificial_intelligence_in_education_.pdf title Generative artificial intelligence in education
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1625849

registered interest
date	03/05/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Educational Institutions: Strikes
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide additional support to educational institutions to prevent strikes in pay dispute in summer 2023.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL7661
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/05/2023 answer text <p>The government and the education trade unions took part in a period of intensive talks between 17 March and 23 March, when an in-principle offer of a 4.5% pay award for 2023/24 was made by the government, alongside a range of non-pay offers, and a one-off payment of £1,000 for this year.</p><p>It is disappointing that the education trade unions have rejected this offer, and that the National Education Union (NEU) has since organised two strike days in April and May, and has said three more will happen in June or July. Decisions on teachers‘ pay for next year will be made following the independent pay review process. The department has published guidance, which sets out its expectations of school leaders and governing bodies to minimise disruption to the education of children and young people and, where disruption is unavoidable, ensure the impact is minimised. The guidance includes:</p><ul><li>Taking all reasonable steps to keep the school open for as many pupils as possible.</li><li>Adopting flexible staffing models and merging classes where necessary to maximise on site attendance.</li></ul><p>Only restricting attendance when they have no other option, and where they do so prioritising vulnerable children and young people, children of critical workers, and pupils due to sit public exams and other formal assessments. The department has seen that most schools, over 90% across the different strike days, have managed to stay open for pupils, either fully or prioritising attendance, with the latest strike day on 2 May seeing the lowest rate of full-school closures in any of the strike dates at 4.9%, meaning 95% of our schools were open.</p><p>The NEU and National Association of Head Teachers have confirmed that they would re-ballot members for further strike action from 15 May. The Association of School and College Leaders and the Teachers’ Union, NASUWT, have indicated they will also re-ballot members. This is disappointing, as any further strike action will only cause further disruption for students and parents.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 16/05/2023 15:43:40 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1608446

registered interest
date	28/03/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Training
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what programmes they have in place to support the retraining of workers to enable them to access work in new sectors.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL6956
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/04/2023 answer text <p>The government is investing £3.8 billion more in further education and skills over this Parliament. The department’s skills reforms provide a ladder of opportunity that enables young people and adults to attain good jobs, retrain, and progress in their careers or different careers.</p><p>In the 2023 Spring Budget, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced a new initiative called Returnerships. This programme is designed to raise awareness of three different skills pathways, apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps, and sector-based work academies programmes. This will provide a clear route back into work and encourage employers to hire older workers.</p><p>Apprenticeships are available for everyone over the age of 16, from those starting their career, to experienced workers looking to upskill or retrain in a new profession. There are high-quality apprenticeship routes into more than 660 occupations, from entry to expert roles.</p><p>As part of our investment in re-skilling and up-skilling opportunities to ensure adults, at any age, can upskill to reach their potential, transforming lives, Skills Bootcamps were introduced at the end of 2020. They deliver short, free, flexible training courses, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills, with an offer of a job interview with an employer on completion.</p><p>Skills Bootcamps are still a relatively new training offer, but they are already delivering positive outcomes for adult learners and employers, and are available right across the country. Following the recent Budget announcement, the department will target making 64,000 training places a year available by the 2024/25 financial year to ensure that learners across all areas of the country can access Skills Bootcamps.</p><p>We have also introduced the Free Courses for Jobs scheme, which gives eligible adults in England without an existing full level 3 qualification or who are unemployed or meet the low wage criteria, the chance to access over 400 Level 3 qualifications for free.</p><p>The offer has seen over 35,000 enrolments reported between April 2021 and October 2022. This means that enrolments are 82% higher for adults without a full level 3 compared uptake of the same qualifications in 2018/19.</p><p>We are continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB), with an investment of £1.34 billion in the 2022/23 academic year. The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship, or further learning.</p><p>The National Careers Service provides free, up-to-date, impartial information, advice and guidance on careers, skills, and the labour market in England. It offers intensive support for low skilled adults without a qualification at level 3, as one of six priority groups for the Service. Professionally qualified careers advisers can support customers to explore the range of learning routes to determine the best route for them and to develop a careers action plan.</p><p>Community-based National Careers Service contractors are co-located in most Jobcentre Plus offices, as well as a range of other community settings. They work closely with work coaches at a local level, encouraging work coaches to refer customers in need of careers advice and guidance to the Service.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 06/04/2023 12:58:50 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick