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1052374

	registered interest
	date	31/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Standards
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Agnew of Oulton on 17 January (HL Deb, col 323), what specialist advice was taken in determining the “over 3,000 useless subjects”; what criteria were used in making that determination; and whether they will publish a full list of the “3000 useless subjects”.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
	uin	HL13319
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2019 answer text <p>Following a recommendation in Professor Alison Wolf’s review of technical education in 2011, the department has made improvements to school performance tables to ensure that they only recognise qualifications that meet stretching quality requirements. As a result, the number of non-GCSE qualifications included in performance tables for 14 to 16 year olds fell from 3,175 in the 2014 tables to 75 in the 2020 tables.</p><p>The department assesses qualifications submitted by awarding organisations against published criteria, including requirements for mandatory external assessment and support from employers or from higher education providers. As part of this process, the department seeks advice from independent and expert education advisors when deciding on whether to approve qualifications for inclusion in the technical and applied qualifications performance table lists.</p><p>The department publishes the list of those qualifications included in performance tables on an annual basis. The performance table list for 2020, attached, can also be accessed at the following link: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-4-qualifications-discount-codes-and-point-scores" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-4-qualifications-discount-codes-and-point-scores</a>.</p><p>The department’s section 96 list, which is attached, shows all of the qualifications that are approved for teaching to particular age groups and eligible for funding. This list, which can be found on the department’s website at the following link: <a href="https://section96.education.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://section96.education.gov.uk/</a>, is a wider list than the list of qualifications included in performance tables as it shows there are 5,338 qualifications approved for funding for 14 to 16 year olds.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton attachment 1 file name HL13318_HL13319_performance_table_list_for_2020.xls title HL13318_HL13319_performance_table_list_for_2020 2 file name HL13318_HL13319_section_96_list.xls title HL13318_HL13319_section_96_list grouped question UIN HL13318 question first answered 08/02/2019 12:33:42 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1051940

	registered interest
	date	30/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Exiting the European Union
	answering dept id	203
	answering dept short name	Exiting the European Union
	answering dept sort name	Exiting the European Union
	hansard heading	Borders: Northern Ireland
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government which technological solutions are currently under consideration, in the absence of a concluded EU withdrawal agreement, to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
	uin	HL13276
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/02/2019 answer text <p>The Political Declaration is clear that the UK and EU should work together and exchange information on facilitative arrangements and technologies. This sits alongside the UK and the EU’s existing commitment to developing alternative arrangements to replace the backstop. The Government plans to continue discussion with members from around the House and will finalise proposals to go back to the EU with.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 18/02/2019 16:33:28 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1051941

	registered interest
	date	30/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Exiting the European Union
	answering dept id	203
	answering dept short name	Exiting the European Union
	answering dept sort name	Exiting the European Union
	hansard heading	Borders: Northern Ireland
	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 length of time required to trial any technological solution to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland in order to ensure its veracity prior to full introduction; and how they might evaluate the effectiveness of any such solution.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
	uin	HL13277
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2019 answer text <p>The Political Declaration is clear that the UK and EU should work together and exchange information on facilitative arrangements and technologies. This sits alongside the UK and the EU’s existing commitment to developing alternative arrangements to replace the backstop. The Government plans to continue discussions with members from around the House in the coming days to finalise proposals with which to go back to the EU.</p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 13/02/2019 13:51:05 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1051942

	registered interest
	date	30/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Exiting the European Union
	answering dept id	203
	answering dept short name	Exiting the European Union
	answering dept sort name	Exiting the European Union
	hansard heading	Borders: Northern Ireland
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the current budgeting arrangements to cover Brexit arrangements provide sufficient resource to cover the introduction of a technological solution to the Irish border question; and how much they envisage that any such solution might cost on introduction.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
	uin	HL13278
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2019 answer text <p>The EU and the UK have agreed in the Political Declaration to work together to exchange information on facilitative arrangements and technologies. The Prime Minister will take the mandate of Parliament forward and seek legally binding changes to the Withdrawal Agreement that deal with concerns on the backstop, while guaranteeing no return to a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.</p><p>There are a number of ways to secure a backstop that Parliament can support. We are engaging constructively with the details of proposals.</p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 13/02/2019 15:06:21 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1049558

	registered interest
	date	28/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Universities: Admissions
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many unconditional offers have been made by universities to school and college leavers in each year since 2010; and in each of those years, what percentage of total offers were unconditional.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
	uin	HL13147
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2019 answer text <p>Applicants to full-time undergraduate degrees apply through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). UCAS have published data on the number of unconditional offers and the proportion of offers made that were unconditional since 2010. The data covers offers made to 18 year olds from England, Northern Ireland and Wales.</p><p>The table shows the number of unconditional offers made and the proportion of offers made that were unconditional to 18 year old applicants from England, Northern Ireland, and Wales.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of unconditional offers</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Proportion of offers made that were unconditional</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>5,105</p></td><td><p>0.6%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>3,355</p></td><td><p>0.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>2,605</p></td><td><p>0.3%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>2,985</p></td><td><p>0.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>12,115</p></td><td><p>1.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>23,410</p></td><td><p>2.5%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>36,825</p></td><td><p>3.9%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>51,615</p></td><td><p>5.3%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>67,915</p></td><td><p>7.1%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>Source: UCAS End of Cycle reports 2017 and 2018:</p><p><a href="https://www.ucas.com/file/196151/download?token=jzRAy4kS" target="_blank">https://www.ucas.com/file/196151/download?token=jzRAy4kS</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.ucas.com/file/140406/download?token=pfzLAKRe" target="_blank">https://www.ucas.com/file/140406/download?token=pfzLAKRe</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Notes</p><ol><li>UCAS defines an unconditional offer as a provider decision to grant a place to an applicant that is not subject to the applicant satisfying academic and/or other criteria.A conditional unconditional offer is an offer made by a provider which was originally conditional, but becomes unconditional if the applicant selects that offer as their firm (first) choice. By definition, conditional unconditional offers that are selected as a firm choice by the applicant become unconditional and are also included in the unconditional offers group.Offer with an unconditional component are defined as an offers showing as having an element of unconditional offer-making, that is, unconditional offers plus conditional unconditional offers that have not been selected as firm (and hence remain conditional unconditional).</li><li>Figures provided in the table are based on the offer status at the 30 June application deadline.</li><li>Data on conditional unconditional offers, and offers that had an unconditional component have not been included in the table due to data not being published prior to 2013.</li></ol><p> </p><p> </p><p>Information regarding which universities allocated places to applicants on an unconditional basis and for each of those universities, what percentage of total offers were unconditional in each of those years is not held centrally.</p><p>However, on 31 January UCAS published data on unconditional offers by each provider for the first time as part of their 2018 End of Cycle data releases. For each provider, UCAS have published data on the number and proportion of offers that were unconditional, conditional unconditional, and offers that had an unconditional component since 2013. Further information can be found at: <a href="https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-reports/2018-ucas-undergraduate-unconditional-offer-making-provider-reports" target="_blank">https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-reports/2018-ucas-undergraduate-unconditional-offer-making-provider-reports</a> – then select ‘Individual 2018 provider level unconditional offer-making CSVs’.</p><p> </p><p>The government are concerned by the increase in unconditional offers, and have asked the higher education (HE) regulator, the Office for Students (OfS), to monitor and review how they are being used by HE providers. Where institutions cannot justify the rising numbers being offered we have made clear to the OfS that they should use the full range of powers at their disposal to take action.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie grouped question UIN HL13148 question first answered 11/02/2019 14:01:28 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1049559

	registered interest
	date	28/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Universities: Admissions
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government which universities allocated places to applicants on an unconditional basis in each year since 2010; and for each of those universities, what percentage of total offers were unconditional in each of those years.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
	uin	HL13148
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2019 answer text <p>Applicants to full-time undergraduate degrees apply through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). UCAS have published data on the number of unconditional offers and the proportion of offers made that were unconditional since 2010. The data covers offers made to 18 year olds from England, Northern Ireland and Wales.</p><p>The table shows the number of unconditional offers made and the proportion of offers made that were unconditional to 18 year old applicants from England, Northern Ireland, and Wales.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of unconditional offers</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Proportion of offers made that were unconditional</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>5,105</p></td><td><p>0.6%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>3,355</p></td><td><p>0.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>2,605</p></td><td><p>0.3%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>2,985</p></td><td><p>0.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>12,115</p></td><td><p>1.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>23,410</p></td><td><p>2.5%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>36,825</p></td><td><p>3.9%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>51,615</p></td><td><p>5.3%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>67,915</p></td><td><p>7.1%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>Source: UCAS End of Cycle reports 2017 and 2018:</p><p><a href="https://www.ucas.com/file/196151/download?token=jzRAy4kS" target="_blank">https://www.ucas.com/file/196151/download?token=jzRAy4kS</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.ucas.com/file/140406/download?token=pfzLAKRe" target="_blank">https://www.ucas.com/file/140406/download?token=pfzLAKRe</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Notes</p><ol><li>UCAS defines an unconditional offer as a provider decision to grant a place to an applicant that is not subject to the applicant satisfying academic and/or other criteria.A conditional unconditional offer is an offer made by a provider which was originally conditional, but becomes unconditional if the applicant selects that offer as their firm (first) choice. By definition, conditional unconditional offers that are selected as a firm choice by the applicant become unconditional and are also included in the unconditional offers group.Offer with an unconditional component are defined as an offers showing as having an element of unconditional offer-making, that is, unconditional offers plus conditional unconditional offers that have not been selected as firm (and hence remain conditional unconditional).</li><li>Figures provided in the table are based on the offer status at the 30 June application deadline.</li><li>Data on conditional unconditional offers, and offers that had an unconditional component have not been included in the table due to data not being published prior to 2013.</li></ol><p> </p><p> </p><p>Information regarding which universities allocated places to applicants on an unconditional basis and for each of those universities, what percentage of total offers were unconditional in each of those years is not held centrally.</p><p>However, on 31 January UCAS published data on unconditional offers by each provider for the first time as part of their 2018 End of Cycle data releases. For each provider, UCAS have published data on the number and proportion of offers that were unconditional, conditional unconditional, and offers that had an unconditional component since 2013. Further information can be found at: <a href="https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-reports/2018-ucas-undergraduate-unconditional-offer-making-provider-reports" target="_blank">https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-reports/2018-ucas-undergraduate-unconditional-offer-making-provider-reports</a> – then select ‘Individual 2018 provider level unconditional offer-making CSVs’.</p><p> </p><p>The government are concerned by the increase in unconditional offers, and have asked the higher education (HE) regulator, the Office for Students (OfS), to monitor and review how they are being used by HE providers. Where institutions cannot justify the rising numbers being offered we have made clear to the OfS that they should use the full range of powers at their disposal to take action.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie grouped question UIN HL13147 question first answered 11/02/2019 14:01:28 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1047815

	registered interest
	date	24/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Free School Meals
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the implications of their decision to delay the roll out of Universal Credit for the implementation of the changes to free school meals entitlement.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
	uin	HL13093
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/02/2019 answer text <p>The continuing provision of free school meals (FSM) to children from out of work families or those on low incomes is of the utmost importance to this government and we are committed to ensuring that disadvantaged children and young people benefit from FSM. We estimate that under the new eligibility criteria introduced last April, the number of pupils eligible for FSM will increase by 2022 when compared to the old system.</p><p>Further to this, we expect many more pupils to be receiving FSM due to the generous protections that we have put in place. The department will continue to publish statistics on FSM as part of its annual publication ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’<em>, </em>and the latest version is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2018</a>.</p><p>Following the change to FSM eligibility criteria under Universal Credit in April 2018, we published a technical note that set out the methodology for our analysis. This highlighted the uncertainty within the analysis and how outputs might change where we received revised economic forecasts, for example. The technical note is attached, and can also be found at: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/707466/Additional_free_school_meal_pupils_under_Universal_Credit.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/707466/Additional_free_school_meal_pupils_under_Universal_Credit.pdf</a>.</p><p>The department has provided guidance, attached, to schools and local authorities to support them in implementing the change to FSM criteria. We will continue to communicate with local authorities, schools, and parents, including when any changes are made to the guidance.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton attachment 1 file name HL13093_HL13094_Technical_note.pdf title HL13093_HL13094_Technical_note 2 file name HL13093_HL13094_Free_school_meals_guidance.pdf title HL13093_HL13094_Free_school_meals_guidance grouped question UIN HL13094 question first answered 06/02/2019 14:14:42 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1047816

	registered interest
	date	24/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Free School Meals
	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 numbers of children in receipt of free school meals affected by their decision to delay the roll out of Universal Credit; and what information they intend to share with parents, local education authorities and schools affected.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
	uin	HL13094
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/02/2019 answer text <p>The continuing provision of free school meals (FSM) to children from out of work families or those on low incomes is of the utmost importance to this government and we are committed to ensuring that disadvantaged children and young people benefit from FSM. We estimate that under the new eligibility criteria introduced last April, the number of pupils eligible for FSM will increase by 2022 when compared to the old system.</p><p>Further to this, we expect many more pupils to be receiving FSM due to the generous protections that we have put in place. The department will continue to publish statistics on FSM as part of its annual publication ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’<em>, </em>and the latest version is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2018</a>.</p><p>Following the change to FSM eligibility criteria under Universal Credit in April 2018, we published a technical note that set out the methodology for our analysis. This highlighted the uncertainty within the analysis and how outputs might change where we received revised economic forecasts, for example. The technical note is attached, and can also be found at: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/707466/Additional_free_school_meal_pupils_under_Universal_Credit.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/707466/Additional_free_school_meal_pupils_under_Universal_Credit.pdf</a>.</p><p>The department has provided guidance, attached, to schools and local authorities to support them in implementing the change to FSM criteria. We will continue to communicate with local authorities, schools, and parents, including when any changes are made to the guidance.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton attachment 1 file name HL13093_HL13094_Technical_note.pdf title HL13093_HL13094_Technical_note 2 file name HL13093_HL13094_Free_school_meals_guidance.pdf title HL13093_HL13094_Free_school_meals_guidance grouped question UIN HL13093 question first answered 06/02/2019 14:14:43 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1047562

	registered interest
	date	23/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Exiting the European Union
	answering dept id	203
	answering dept short name	Exiting the European Union
	answering dept sort name	Exiting the European Union
	hansard heading	Brexit: Government Bills
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Callanan on 22 January (HL12635 and HL12636), how they will prioritise the remaining bills they consider need to be enacted before the UK leaves the EU on 29 March; and whether they will list them in that priority order.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
	uin	HL13055
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2019 answer text <p>The Government has undertaken extensive work to identify the primary legislation essential to deliver our exit from the EU in different scenarios. We are preparing for all potential outcomes and we are committed to legislate as needed to deliver our exit.</p><p>Much of this legislation is already in place, for example the Nuclear Safeguards Act and the Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Act, and a number of important statutory instruments.</p><p>The remaining legislation will be prioritised appropriately to ensure the measures needed are in place before the UK leaves the EU. As is always the case, Ministers will need to explain to each House the priority which should be accorded to each Bill as it is considered.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 05/02/2019 17:00:57 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1046302

	registered interest
	date	22/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Exiting the European Union
	answering dept id	203
	answering dept short name	Exiting the European Union
	answering dept sort name	Exiting the European Union
	hansard heading	Borders: Northern Ireland
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to erect a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit; and what costs have been incurred so far in preparation for such an outcome.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
	uin	HL13011
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2019 answer text <p>Delivering a deal with the EU remains the best way to guarantee no hard border. The UK Government is clear that, in the event of no deal, we will do everything in our power to prevent a return to a hard border.</p><p>The Government recognises that in a no deal scenario it would need to engage constructively with Ireland and the Commission to find the best way to avoid a hard border.</p><p>In all scenarios the UK will be unwavering in its commitment to the Belfast Agreement and the people of Northern Ireland.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 04/02/2019 15:19:23 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton