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1041199

registered interest
date	14/01/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupils: Sanitary Products
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 provide free menstrual products to all school children in England.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL12781
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Education published statistics in March 2018 which shows that while absence rates related to illness are slightly higher in girls than boys, the gap in absence rates between boys and girls is very similar regardless of disadvantage. This suggests period poverty does not have a significant, nation-wide impact on attendance. However, no girl should be held back from reaching her potential because of her gender or background and we are keeping this matter under close review.</p><p> </p><p>Schools are best placed to identify and address the needs of their pupils; have discretion over how they use their funding; and can make sanitary products available to disadvantaged pupils if they identify this as a barrier to attainment or attendance.</p><p> </p><p>We support schools in addressing the needs of disadvantaged pupils through the provision of the Pupil Premium, equivalent to more than £2.4 billion of additional funding this year alone.</p><p>Our guidance on ‘Sex and Relationship Education’ and the draft ‘Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education’ guidance (both attached) encourages schools to make sensitive arrangements to help girls cope with menstruation. Lastly, as a government, in the previous round of the Tampon Tax Fund we provided £1.68 million for the ‘Let’s Talk. Period’ project, which is distributing sanitary products to young women and girls in need across England.</p><p><strong><br> </strong></p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton attachment 1 file name HL12781_sex_and_relationship_education_guidance.pdf title HL12781_Sex_and_Relationship_Education_Guidance 2 file name HL12781_20170718_ Draft guidance for consultation.pdf title HL12781_Relationships_Education_&_Health_Education question first answered 23/01/2019 16:39:48 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1038899

registered interest
date	10/01/2019
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Electronic Publishing: VAT
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 26 November (HL11364), whether they have begun assessing the equalities impact of applying a zero VAT rate to e-publications; and whether any such assessments will include the impact on literacy rates in relation to children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL12736
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/01/2019 answer text <p>The Government keeps all taxes under review, including VAT on e-publications.</p><p>Any amendments to the VAT regime as it applies to physical publications and e-publications must be carefully assessed against policy, economic, and fiscal considerations.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 24/01/2019 12:28:38 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1027163

registered interest
date	17/12/2018
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 assessment they have made of the impact that the ending of the Supporting People programme has had on funding for floating support services for people recovering from, or at risk of, homelessness; and whether those services will be included in their planned review of housing-related support.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL12345
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2018 answer text <p>Supported housing is an invaluable service for vulnerable people across the country. In August, we announced that we will undertake a review of housing related-support, to help us better understand how housing and support fit together. The review will give us a fuller picture into how housing-related support is provided for supported housing across England.</p><p>The Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why this summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy. This sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period.</p> answering member printed Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth question first answered 21/12/2018 13:41:29 answering member 4282 label Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1017363

registered interest
date	29/11/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Further Education: Capital Investment
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 case for extending the £400 million of extra capital funding for schools, announced in this year's autumn statement, to further education colleges; and whether they have any plans to provide such funding in future.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL11923
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/12/2018 answer text <p>My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that £400 million will be made available to schools in 2018-19. This funding is not available to further education (FE) colleges, as these receive capital funding in a different way from schools.</p><p>FE colleges are eligible for capital funding via the £12 billion Local Growth Fund, of which £130 million is for skills capital. This is administered by Local Enterprise Partnerships. The government has also recently announced £38 million capital funding for the first providers of T levels. We understand the pressure FE colleges are facing and are considering future capital funding arrangements for FE colleges through the Spending Review in 2019.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 12/12/2018 17:36:35 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1005586

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
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	Universal Credit
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of people who are yet to be moved to Universal Credit as part of the natural migration process; and what support will be available for vulnerable claimants, including those who have disabilities, during this process.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL11357
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>We are unable to forecast the number of people who are yet to naturally migrate to Universal Credit. This is because Natural Migration claimants are those who have had a relevant change of circumstances that would cause a new claim to be made to a different legacy benefit, but they cannot make such a claim to legacy benefits because these have been replaced by UC.</p><p> </p><p>We take seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants moving to Universal Credit. Work Coaches provide continuous support for all claimants, including vulnerable claimants throughout their journey.</p><p>Additionally we have introduced a number of measures to assist claimants during the transition to Universal Credit including: the removal of waiting days; the UC Transitional Housing payment; Universal Support; 100 per cent advances and a longer repayment period.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 26/11/2018 15:21:39 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1005587

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
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	Government Departments: Procurement
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage more (1) social enterprises, (2) charities, (3) mutuals, and (4) co-operatives to apply for and win government contracts; and what consideration they have given to strengthening the provisions of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL11358
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>With the Cabinet Office, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is currently implementing a package of measures for the future of social value and procurement. This includes training for government commercial staff and will help unlock more opportunities for voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations. This work is part of government's long term ambition to grow social value commissioning and strengthen the Social Value Act as set out in the Civil Society Strategy.</p><p>Officials are working with Claire Dove, VCSE Crown Representative to ensure that VCSE’s have a powerful voice in both commissioner and supplier communities.</p> answering member printed Lord Ashton of Hyde question first answered 26/11/2018 12:10:22 answering member 4247 label Biography information for Lord Ashton of Hyde
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1005588

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
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
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 impact of public libraries on (1) inclusive economic growth, (2) learning and skills, (3) health and well-being, (4) digital literacy, (5) business support, and (6) poverty prevention.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL11359
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>Public libraries play an important role in giving everyone opportunities to improve their life chances and achieve their full potential. They support individuals, communities and society by providing access to books and information, bringing people together and providing them with support and guidance at every stage of their lives.</p><p> </p><p>The Libraries Taskforce, jointly established by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Local Government Association, published Libraries Deliver: Ambition for Public Libraries in England 2016-2021 in December 2016. This strategy sets out seven strategic outcomes that libraries support, along with information and evidence about the impact they have in relation to:</p><ul><li>cultural and creative enrichment</li><li>increased reading and literacy</li><li>improved digital access and literacy</li><li>helping everyone achieve their full potential</li><li>healthier and happier lives</li><li>greater prosperity</li><li>stronger, more resilient communities</li></ul><p> </p><p>The Taskforce reviews progress against the Ambition aspirations and action plan annually. DCMS continues to work with the Libraries Taskforce and its member organisations to support the libraries sector. This includes developing and strengthening the evidence base on the impact of public library services on the outcomes, and to encourage good practice and innovation in achieving these aims. DCMS also advocates the value and contribution of public libraries across central and local government.</p> answering member printed Lord Ashton of Hyde question first answered 26/11/2018 12:09:53 answering member 4247 label Biography information for Lord Ashton of Hyde
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1005589

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Tenants: Credit Rating
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that where tenants share the payment of rent, their individual payment histories will be taken into account by (1) credit reference agencies, and (2) credit service providers.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL11360
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>The Government believes it is right that a history of paying rent should be recognised in credit and affordability assessments carried out by credit reference agencies and credit service providers.</p><p> </p><p>That’s why, at Autumn Budget 2017, we announced the Rent Recognition Challenge: a £2million competition seeking technology solutions to enable tenants to record and share their rental data.</p><p> </p><p>The credit reference agency Experian recently announced that rental payments will now be reflected in their credit score reports, and has partnered with some of the Challenge’s participants, Credit Ladder and Canopy.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 26/11/2018 15:56:53 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1005590

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Future Generations Commissioner for Wales
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what lessons they have learned from measures to improve social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being undertaken by the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL11361
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>There are a number of similarities in what Wales are currently doing in relation to the Future Generations Act, and what the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) proposes to do within the Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill, which they will publish before Christmas. This includes setting out environmental principles in primary legislation and monitoring the application of the principles. However, the main focus of the Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill is to be broadly equivalent to the governance provided by Europe relating to the environment and this is wider than just considering principles.</p><p> </p><p>We have learnt a great deal from the good work that Wales has done on the Well-Being of Future Generations Act and will continue to do so as we develop our policy statement on the principles as well as wider considerations on environmental governance. This includes reflecting on how the legislative framework is set out and the outcomes that they seek to achieve.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Young of Cookham question first answered 26/11/2018 17:47:04 answering member 57 label Biography information for Lord Young of Cookham
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1005591

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Refugees: Children
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many unaccompanied minors (1) are permitted to resettle, and (2) have been resettled, in the United Kingdom in each month since the introduction of the Vulnerable Children's Resettlement Scheme announced in April 2016.
tabling member printed	Lord Bird
uin	HL11362
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>The Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme (VCRS) resettles ’at-risk’ refugee children from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, including their families. Our aim is to resettle up to 3,000 people (children and families, where the child at risk is part of a family unit) through the scheme by 2020.</p><p><br>The scheme does not solely target unaccompanied children, but on UNHCR’s advice also extends to vulnerable ‘children at risk’, such as those threatened with child labour, child marriage and other forms of abuse or exploitation. It is open to all at risk groups and nationalities within the region. There is therefore no specific quota on the number of unaccompanied children who may be referred to, or resettled through, the scheme.</p><p><br>The numbers resettled in a particular period depend on a range of factors in-cluding the flow of referrals from UNHCR in the field and the availability of suitable accommodation and care packages in the UK</p><p>The latest quarterly Immigration Statistics show that, as of June 2018, a total of 883 people had been resettled through the VCRS. The statistics are available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2018." target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2018.</a> (see table attached for futher information).</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 26/11/2018 17:38:54 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford attachment 1 file name sponsorship-jun-2018-tables.xls.xlsx title Sponsorship - June 2018 - Tables
tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird