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173573

registered interest
date	14/01/2015
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	Winter Fuel Payment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the revenues which would be realised by applying income tax to Winter Fuel Payments.
tabling member printed	Lord Tyler
uin	HL4133
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2015 answer text <p>Eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments is based on female State Pension age. The latest estimates we have show that there are currently around 600,000 higher and additional rate taxpayers in Great Britain in 2014/15 who are above the female State Pension age and therefore qualify for Winter Fuel Payments<sup>1</sup>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We ask people who want to return their payment to do so by post so that it can be dealt with securely under existing Departmental financial processes and recorded against their Winter Fuel Payment account. We also ask for a covering letter indicating whether or not they wish us to continue to issue payments in future years.</p><p> </p><p>Returned payments should be sent to the address on the issuing letter or to the office that pays the claimant’s benefit.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The latest estimates we have show that treating Winter Fuel Payments as taxable income would bring in around £250 million a year of additional revenue<sup>2</sup>.</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p>1. This estimate is based on the 2011/12 Survey of Personal Incomes using economic assumptions consistent with the OBR’s November 2014 economic and fiscal outlook.</p><p>The estimate uses ONS population projections at mid year 2012 adjusted for financial years.</p><p>The estimate is rounded to the nearest 100,000.</p><p> </p><p>2. This estimate is based on DWP modelling using HMRC taxpayer data from November 2012 and Winter Fuel Payment caseload data from Winter 2013.</p><p>This takes into account revenue from Basic, Higher and Additional rate taxpayers.</p><p>Winter Fuel Payment rates are assumed to be £200 per year for recipients under 80 and £300 a year for recipients aged 80 and over.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL4131 HL4132 question first answered 26/01/2015 12:13:05 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	225 label Biography information for Lord Tyler

173574

registered interest
date	14/01/2015
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	National Savings Bonds: Pensioners
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to enable Pensioner Bonds to be taken out by an eligible pensioner in the name of a grandchild.
tabling member printed	Lord Tyler
uin	HL4134
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2015 answer text <p>There are no plans to enable eligible pensioners to take out the bonds in the name of a grandchild. These new market-leading savings bonds and are designed to help support those who rely on their savings in retirement. Low interest rates have played an important part in stimulating the recovery. But there are those – especially pensioners – who rely on a reasonable rate of interest on their savings.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Deighton question first answered 29/01/2015 15:36:50 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	225 label Biography information for Lord Tyler

173575

registered interest
date	14/01/2015
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Students: Loans
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered any scheme to provide inheritance tax relief on bequests which are specifically and solely in respect of paying off student loans; and, if so, what assessment they have made of the impact such a scheme might have on the overall amount of student debt which remains unpaid after 30 years.
tabling member printed	Lord Tyler
uin	HL4135
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2015 answer text <p>The Government has no plans to provide a targeted inheritance tax relief in respect of paying off student loans. The current inheritance tax nil rate band and rules for lifetime gifts means the vast majority of individuals are able to make bequests or gifts for this purpose without inheritance tax being a consideration.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government keeps all taxes under review.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Deighton question first answered 26/01/2015 16:49:48 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	225 label Biography information for Lord Tyler

173576

registered interest
date	14/01/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	English Language: Education
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to increase the attention paid to vocabulary building within literacy syllabuses in the national curriculum from pre-school onwards.
tabling member printed	Lord Storey
uin	HL4136
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/01/2015 answer text <p>The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets out that literacy development during the early years involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Both the reading and writing literacy goals in the Statutory Framework set out the skills that most children should meet by the end of the foundation stage. Children must also be given access to a wide range of reading materials to ignite their interest.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The importance of vocabulary development is emphasised and integrated throughout the National Curriculum framework. This covers both general vocabulary development and the subject-specific language that pupils need to be able to use to progress in, for example, mathematics and science. Both the reading and writing domains of the English programmes of study emphasise the importance of building pupils’ vocabulary, so they understand and can use a wide range of words.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The approach to developing vocabulary is first through securing word reading and comprehension and secondly through pupils developing an understanding of how words and meaning can be created using prefixes and suffixes. Morphology and etymology are emphasised at key stage 2 to further develop pupils’ capacity for understanding and developing vocabulary. This is brought together in the appendix to the English programmes of study covering vocabulary, grammar and punctuation, which also sets out the terminology that pupils should be taught to use to discuss their writing.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 20/01/2015 16:49:49 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

173577

registered interest
date	14/01/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupils: Disadvantaged
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans the Department for Education have to increase funding for summer schools.
tabling member printed	Lord Storey
uin	HL4137
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/01/2015 answer text <p>Since 2012, the Department for Education has provided funding to enable secondary schools to run a summer school for their new pupils who are classed as disadvantaged. These events provide an excellent opportunity for secondary schools to help disadvantaged pupils understand what and how they will be studying in key stage 3, and also to help those who are behind in key areas such as literacy and numeracy to catch up with their peers.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The 2015 summer schools programme opened for registrations on Monday 19 January 2015. As in previous years, schools will receive £250 (if running a one-week summer school) or £500 (if running a two-week summer school) for every eligible pupil who confirms they want to attend the summer school.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Any decision on the future of the summer schools programme would be made as part of the next Spending Review.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 20/01/2015 14:16:53 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

173578

registered interest
date	14/01/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	ICT: Education
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to encourage the teaching of computer coding in schools.
tabling member printed	Lord Storey
uin	HL4138
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/01/2015 answer text <p>The new national curriculum in computing is now being taught in maintained schools. It is a compulsory subject in all key stages and the programmes of study include coding from key stage 1. Primary school pupils will be taught about algorithms and how to design and write programs, while at secondary school pupils will be taught to use at least two programming languages. The Government has made £3.5 million available to provide training and support to existing teachers to ensure they are fully prepared to teach computing and have the skills to engage and enthuse their pupils.</p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 20/01/2015 16:43:26 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

173579

registered interest
date	14/01/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Internet: Bullying
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Ariel Trust’s recent pilot scheme to teach every primary school pupil how to tackle cyberbullying within Liverpool, what plans they have to tackle cyberbullying in schools across England.
tabling member printed	Lord Storey
uin	HL4139
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2015 answer text <p>The Government believes that schools, internet providers and parents all have a role to play in keeping children and young people safe online.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>All schools must have a behaviour policy with measures to tackle bullying, including cyberbullying, and they are held closely to account by Ofsted. The Department for Education has issued advice to schools on preventing and tackling bullying and on supporting bullied children which includes cyberbullying. We have also recently issued advice aimed at parents on how to keep children safe online, spot the signs that a child may be being cyberbullied and what to do if it happens.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In addition, e-safety is being taught at all four key stages of the curriculum and covers responsible, respectful and secure use of technology. Pupils are also taught age-appropriate ways of reporting any concerns they may have about what they see or encounter online.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department is also providing around £4 million in funding to various anti-bullying organisations, such as the Diana Award, Kidscape and the National Children's Bureau (NCB), who work in schools to combat bullying, including cyberbullying. The NCB has produced a guide for schools on preventing and tackling cyberbullying of children with a special educational need or disability who are especially vulnerable to this form of bullying.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, we are currently considering bids through a £25 million voluntary and community sector grant programme to extend the work being done by anti-bullying charities in schools. A £2 million grant is being offered in conjunction with the Government Equalities Office to support projects which tackle specifically homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in schools.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>More widely, the Government continues to work to protect children online through the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) which brings together representatives from government, industry, law enforcement, academia, charities and parenting groups.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 27/01/2015 12:25:19 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

173580

registered interest
date	14/01/2015
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Training
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what future plans they have to increase the provisions for free training linked to the Employer Skills Fund to eligible small and medium-sized businesses.
tabling member printed	Lord Storey
uin	HL4140
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2015 answer text <p>The Employer Skills Fund is a project run in the Liverpool City Region under a consortium led by Wirral Metropolitan College co-funded by the Skills Funding Agency and the European Social Fund. Support will come to an end on 31 July 2015 when the current European Structural and Innovation Funds programme expires.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The new European Structural and Innovation Funds programme which will run to 2020 is currently being finalised. The Skills Funding Agency is working with Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership to determine whether any programmes similar to the Employer Skills Fund will be established depending on local priorities.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>More generally, we are reforming the skills system so that it is increasingly responsive to local communities and businesses. Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), through initiatives such as City Deals and Local Growth Deals, have increasing influence over the delivery of skills that support the priorities described in their Strategic Economic Plans. This includes LEPs taking the lead role in determining the use of European Social Fund allocations in the next round (2014-2020).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 26/01/2015 12:45:29 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

173581

registered interest
date	14/01/2015
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Overseas Students
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the fact that the average United Kingdom graduate starting salary ranges from £18,000 to £24,000, what assessment they have made of the impact of policy that allows international students to stay in the United Kingdom upon the condition that they find a graduate-level job paying £24,000 a year.
tabling member printed	Lord Storey
uin	HL4141
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2015 answer text <p>The Government recognises that there should be opportunities for the brightest and best international students to undertake skilled work in the UK after their studies. International students who graduate in the UK may switch into skilled work providing they have an offer of graduate-level job from a sponsoring employer, paying at least £20,500 per year or the appropriate salary for the particular occupation, whichever is higher.</p><p>The Government closed the previous Tier 1 (Post-Study Work) route in April 2012. This route granted free access to the UK labour market for two years after graduation in the UK. Too many individuals in the route were unemployed or competing with resident workers for low-skilled jobs, and too many were using the student route merely as a means to work in the UK, without any real intention of study. We also saw a large number of fraudulent applications. This undermined our work routes and damaged the reputation of our education system.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 22/01/2015 15:29:58 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

173582

registered interest
date	14/01/2015
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Iraq Committee of Inquiry
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will provide a detailed breakdown of the costs of the Chilcot Inquiry to date.
tabling member printed	Lord Truscott
uin	HL4142
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/01/2015 answer text <p>I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave to Lord West of Spithead on 3 November 2014, Official Report, Column 1425. A detailed breakdown of these costs is available on the Inquiry’s website.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Wallace of Saltaire question first answered 19/01/2015 16:56:38 answering member 1816 label Biography information for Lord Wallace of Saltaire
tabling member	3682 label Biography information for Lord Truscott