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1245692

registered interest
date	21/10/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Training: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to facilitate the mass retraining and upskilling of people to enable them to work in COVID-19-proof industries.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL9406
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2020 answer text <p>The department wants to make the skills systems more responsive to employer skills needs in all sectors and will do whatever it takes to support businesses and people affected by COVID-19, which is why we offer a variety of programmes that businesses and individuals can use to retrain and upskill.</p><p>Adult skills are key in supporting the economy and tackling disadvantage. We are continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) (£1.34 billion in the 2020/21 financial year). The principal purpose of the AEB is to engage adults and provide the skills and learning they need to equip them for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. This includes fully funded courses in English and maths for adults who need to improve their literacy and numeracy, fully funded first full level 2 and/or level 3 for learners aged 19 to 23 and from 1 August 2020, fully funded specified digital skills qualifications for adults with no/low digital skills. The AEB also funds learning in the workplace, where a learner has a statutory entitlement to full funding.</p><p>Employers can offer apprenticeships to new recruits and existing staff, supporting the creation of new jobs as well as opportunities to upskill. They can choose between more than 580 apprenticeship standards that have been designed by employers to deliver the skills they need.</p><p>The government is also providing £2.5 billion (£3 billion when including Barnett funding for devolved administrations), for the National Skills Fund.</p><p>The fund aims to boost productivity and ensure more people and places can share in the rewards that improved productivity can bring. It also presents a great opportunity to create a more coherent and simpler system that learners, providers, local areas and employers can more easily understand and navigate.</p><p>My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister recently announced that for adults who do not currently have a level 3 qualification, the government will be fully funding their first full level 3 through the National Skills Fund. We will target this level 3 entitlement at subjects and qualifications with economic value and the strongest alignment with government priorities, to ensure the best possible returns for individuals, employers and the nation.</p><p>The Prime Minister also announced the launch of our new digital bootcamps, in 6 areas, to support local regions and employers to fill in-demand vacancies. The bootcamp training courses will provide valuable skills based on employer demand and will offer a fast track to a job interview on completion. Pending the success of the initial bootcamps, we are planning to expand the digital bootcamps to more of the country from Spring 2021 and we also want to extend this model to include other technical skills training.</p><p>Further plans for the National Skills Fund will be communicated in due course.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge question first answered 03/11/2020 13:57:23 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1245695

registered interest
date	21/10/2020
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	Homelessness
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial support they plan to give to local councils to provide permanent accommodation to those at risk of homelessness.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL9409
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2020 answer text <p>As part of the Government’s investment of £433 million to deliver 6,000 new homes for rough sleepers by the end of this Parliament, on 29 October we announced that more than 3,300 new long-term homes for rough sleepers and other vulnerable people have been approved, subject to due diligence and contracting.</p><p>Backed by Government investment of more than £150 million the new homes will be made available in every region of England. This will enable people who sleep rough, or at risk of sleeping rough, to be rehoused in secure, long-term accommodation, providing some of the most vulnerable in society with a permanent place to live and help to rebuild their lives.</p><p>This funding is in addition to the £91.5 million allocated to 274 councils in September to fund their individual local plans for rough sleepers over the coming months, and to help provide short-term and interim accommodation for vulnerable people, as well as the £10 million Cold Weather Payment for councils to help to keep rough sleepers safe this winter.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Greenhalgh question first answered 03/11/2020 17:09:51 answering member 4877 label Biography information for Lord Greenhalgh
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1191952

registered interest
date	30/04/2020
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Public Libraries: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to assist libraries to loan more audio books and e-books during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what conversations, if any, they have had with the publishing industry about that issue.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL3749
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2020 answer text <p>Libraries across England have responded swiftly to the COVID-19 pandemic, adapting to meet their users’ needs. Although the physical doors are closed, library services have developed innovative and exciting digital ways to continue to provide services. This has included repurposing stock budgets to meet the increase in demand for e-books and e-audiobooks.</p><p><strong><br></strong>Arts Council England has provided £151,000 (around £1,000 per library authority) to supplement existing e-book funding. Publishers and aggregators have also responded positively. Two aggregators have offered to match the ACE investment where money is spent on e-audio items. Through conversations with the sector we also know that publishers are lifting restrictions to enable remote storytelling so that library Rhyme Times can continue online.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 13/05/2020 15:07:21 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1191953

registered interest
date	30/04/2020
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Public Libraries: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to prioritise libraries for early re-opening as lockdown restrictions are lifted; and what discussions they have had with the Local Government Association on this issue.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL3750
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/05/2020 answer text <p>Although physical library locations have closed, library services continue to provide and deliver services to its users. This includes online services such as access to e-books and e-audiobooks, where there has been a significant increase in demand, as well as developing innovative and exciting digital ways to provide services such as Rhyme Time and Storytimes, often reaching far more people than before.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Ministers and officials have held regular calls with public library stakeholders, including the Local Government Association (LGA) since the announcement on 23 March that libraries were to close. These now include discussions related to the re-opening of library services and how this can be achieved in a safe way for both staff and users.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>DCMS is working with the library sector and the LGA to identify issues, and to develop guidance, around the measures that public libraries will need to take to enable physical library buildings to reopen and for services to begin to be restored in a phased manner in due course.</p><p><strong><p><p></strong></p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 18/05/2020 11:14:42 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1191471

registered interest
date	28/04/2020
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	Temporary Accommodation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, under the Everyone In initiative, local authorities should continue to support people into self-contained emergency accommodation regardless of priority need, local connection or immigration status.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL3651
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2020 answer text <p>Over 90% of those on the streets at the beginning of the crisis known to local authorities have now been made offers of safe accommodation – ensuring some of the most vulnerable in society are protected from the pandemic. This includes those rough sleeping or who have been living in accommodation with communal sleeping spaces such as night shelters.</p><p>We are ensuring local authorities are supported, with £3.2 million in targeted funding to help support individuals who are sleeping rough off the streets, and an additional £3.2 billion provided to local authorities as part of the wider Government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding has been provided to help local authorities to reduce risks to public health and to support individuals on the basis of need.</p><p>The Government is aware of concerns about those with no recourse to public funds experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 crisis. The legal position on those with no recourse to public funds has not been amended. The Government recognises that these are unprecedented times, and expects local authorities to support people who are sleeping rough, and also to minimise unnecessary risks to public health, acting within the law.</p> answering member printed Lord Greenhalgh question first answered 13/05/2020 14:59:52 answering member 4877 label Biography information for Lord Greenhalgh
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1191472

registered interest
date	28/04/2020
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	Temporary Accommodation: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) amount, and (2) percentage, of the £3.2 billion funding announced for local authorities during the COVID-19 outbreak will be dedicated to support local authorities to secure self-contained accommodation and provide assistance to people sleeping rough and in night shelters.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL3652
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2020 answer text <p>The £3.2 billion of funding provided to local government is paid through a grant that is not ring-fenced, recognising that local authorities are best placed to decide how this funding is spent. This funding will enable local authorities to respond to COVID-19 pressures across all the services they deliver, stepping up support for services helping the most vulnerable, including homeless people. This is in addition to £3.2 million in targeted funding for councils to support vulnerable rough sleepers.</p><p>More than 5,400 rough sleepers – over 90% of those on the streets at the beginning of the crisis known to local authorities have now been made offers of safe accommodation – ensuring some of the most vulnerable in society are protected from the pandemic. This includes those rough sleeping or who have been living in accommodation with communal sleeping spaces such as night shelters.</p> answering member printed Lord Greenhalgh question first answered 13/05/2020 15:00:26 answering member 4877 label Biography information for Lord Greenhalgh
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1191473

registered interest
date	28/04/2020
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	Sleeping Rough
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make permanent housing and support, including the Housing First model, the default option for people with complex needs who had previously been sleeping rough and who have been supported under the Everyone In initiative.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL3653
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2020 answer text <p>More than 5,400 rough sleepers – over 90% of those on the streets at the beginning of the crisis known to local authorities have now been made offers of safe accommodation – ensuring some of the most vulnerable in society are protected from the pandemic. This includes those rough sleeping or who have been living in accommodation with communal sleeping spaces such as night shelters.</p><p>The Government allocated £28 million to pilot Housing First at scale in Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and West Midlands combined authorities in May 2018. Our independent contractors for the evaluation, ICF, are making progress and the first interim process report is due to be published later this year. We will use this to inform any potential future decisions on roll out.</p><p>This funding is alongside significant investment including £112m across England in 2020/21 for the Rough Sleeping Initiative to help around 270 areas tackle rough sleeping across 2020/21. The funding is a 30% increase on the previous year and will be used to introduce and expand a range of measures, including housing support and housing-led solutions, as well as specialist support workers.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Greenhalgh question first answered 13/05/2020 15:00:55 answering member 4877 label Biography information for Lord Greenhalgh
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1169247

registered interest
date	07/01/2020
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	Children: Disadvantaged
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to prevent any increase in childhood deprivation.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL103
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to delivering a sustainable, long-term solution to poverty in all its forms. This requires an approach that goes beyond a focus on income and tackles the root causes of poverty and disadvantage, to improve long-term outcomes for families and children.</p><p>The evidence is clear about the importance of work, in particular full time work, in tackling child poverty and improving children’s educational outcomes. The absolute poverty rate (BHC) of a child, where both parents work full-time is only 4%, compared to 44% where one or more parents are in part-time work. Universal Credit helps by incentivising entry into work, offering smooth incentives to increase hours. We will therefore continue with our reforms to the welfare system so that it works with the tax system and the labour market to support employment and higher pay.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 15/01/2020 14:59:37 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1156553

registered interest
date	28/10/2019
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Politics and Government
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to (1) formally recognise, and (2) protect, the interests of future generations.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL433
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2019 answer text <p>I refer my noble friend to the answer given to him on 28 October 2019 in response to Question HL10.</p> answering member printed The Earl of Courtown question first answered 05/11/2019 12:58:22 answering member 3359 label Biography information for The Earl of Courtown
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1149715

registered interest
date	14/10/2019
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Cultural Investment Fund: Public Libraries
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion, and what amount, of the £250 million Culture Investment Fund will be allocated specifically to libraries
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL8
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2019 answer text <p>Over £125m of this new funding will be invested in regional museums and libraries around the country over five years from 2020/21. The funding will be used to upgrade buildings and technology so public libraries across England are better placed to respond to the changing ways people are using them. Details of investment plans will be set out in due course.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 25/10/2019 10:19:55 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird