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1059645

	registered interest
	date	12/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Academies: Pay
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of the salaries paid to heads or chief executives of academy chains; and whether there is any correlation between the salary levels of such heads or executives and improvements in standards of education in those chains.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ouseley
	uin	HL13664
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2019 answer text <p>Our reforms over the last 8 years show that autonomy and freedom in the hands of excellent leaders and outstanding teachers can deliver a world-class education. Academy status leads to a more dynamic and responsive education system by allowing schools to make decisions based on local need and the interests of their pupils. It allows high performing schools to consolidate success and share their good practice across their local area. This includes over 550,000 children studying in sponsored primary and secondary academies that are now rated good or outstanding, which typically replaced underperforming schools and that is, in part, down to our reforms.</p><p>There is no single performance measure that adequately captures the scale, breadth and challenge within the roles of academy chain heads. Many of the highest paid trust chief executives work in some of the most challenging areas of the country and cover a number of schools, and have been able to achieve significant improvements for the children in their trust.</p><p>We are clear that high pay in academy trusts must be justified with evidence of robust processes for setting salaries and reductions where appropriate. That is why we have already challenged 213 trusts paying either one person more than £150,000 or 2 or more people more than £100,000. Since this work began, 45 trusts have reduced salaries in their latest accounts return and this month I have written to 28 of the 213 trusts challenged in the previous round of high pay activity to further challenge where salaries have not been reduced. We remain fully committed to continuing and developing this challenge process.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 22/02/2019 15:00:54 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	2170 label Biography information for Lord Ouseley

942045

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Apprentices
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the numbers of apprenticeship starts have decreased since the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy; what factors have contributed to any such decrease; and what steps they are taking to increase the number of apprenticeship starts.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ouseley
	uin	HL9559
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/07/2018 answer text <p>The number of people starting apprenticeships has dropped. A key reason for this was because we have radically reformed what an apprenticeship is. The old apprenticeship frameworks were said by employers not to be equipping apprentices to do the job. Training was often of poor quality or was non-existent. Instead, we are asking employers to lead the design of new apprenticeship standards, putting them in the driving seat to give apprentices the skills that businesses need. The number of people starting on these new standards is growing fast. Over 40% of individuals completing an apprenticeship are now starting on new standards, compared to 2.5% this time last year.</p><p>We are creating quality apprenticeships that will change the lives of apprentices and the prospects of businesses and we are continuing to take steps to grow apprenticeships starts. The Institute for Apprenticeships have introduced their Faster and Better process to speed up and simplify standards development.</p><p>The apprenticeship levy is an important part of the changes to raise apprenticeship quality; creating long-term, sustainable investment in training. Only around 2% of employers pay the levy, but they have generated almost 50% of starts so far in 2017/18. We will continue to work closely with employers to help them take advantage of the levy and wider funding changes, to invest in the long-term skills needs of their business.</p><p>We recognise that employers want and need flexibility. We have already extended the amount of time employers have to spend their levy (from 18 to 24 months), and have introduced transfers, to make the system as effective as possible. We will avoid making any changes that could compromise the quality of apprenticeships. We will keep listening to employers’ feedback as the system develops further. We also meet regularly with business groups and individual employers to understand the impact of the changes and use their feedback to inform any further reforms.</p><p>The changes we have made to the apprenticeship system are transforming lives. Few countries can match the energy and range of reforms currently being pursued in England. We are helping employers to create high quality apprenticeships at all levels that give people of all ages and backgrounds the skills they need.</p><p>We are using the employer Diversity Champions, comprised of over 65 members including employers, local authorities and schools, has been developed to engage and inspire employers and communities to ensure apprenticeships are undertaken by people from a diverse range of backgrounds, reflecting the widest spectrum of our society.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 25/07/2018 15:40:35 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	2170 label Biography information for Lord Ouseley

942047

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Apprentices: Small Businesses
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received about the Education and Skills Agency considering bids with minimum contract award limits for the training of apprenticeships for small and medium-sized employers who are non-levy payers; and how they are responding to such representations.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ouseley
	uin	HL9561
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2018 answer text <p>A minimum contract value was set for awards under the non-levy apprenticeship procurement, which we concluded in December 2017.</p><p> </p><p>Following notification of initial award, we received 29 complaints from providers that were unsuccessful due to the application of the minimum contract value.</p><p> </p><p>The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) referred these providers back to the specific elements of the invitation to tender that explain the reasons for the application of the minimum contract level, as well as the process that was used to do so (attached). The ESFA directed them to guidance on the use of sub-contracting and levy transfers as further ways of supporting non-levy payer access to apprenticeship training.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 26/07/2018 13:11:34 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton attachment 1 file name HL9561_invitation_to_tender.pdf title Invitation_to_tender_for_apprenticeship_delivery
	tabling member	2170 label Biography information for Lord Ouseley

1081671

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Housing
	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 effectiveness of the asylum dispersal scheme, especially with regard to its impact on local social cohesion.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ouseley
	uin	HL14204
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2019 answer text <p>The Home Office engages closely with Local Authorities, through Strategic Migration Partnerships, on a regular basis to assess the effectiveness of asylum dispersal and discuss issues such as local cohesion. In addition, accommodation Providers must consult on every property that is to be used for asylum dispersal with Local Authorities who will assess its viability in relation to social cohesion, as well as a number of other factors.</p><p>A governance structure has been established to facilitate a joint review into asylum dispersal which will be co-designed and co-produced by Local Authorities and the Home Office.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 21/03/2019 17:37:55 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	2170 label Biography information for Lord Ouseley

968808

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2018
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Bus Services: Finance
	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 additional resources to support bus services in England so that some of the routes stopped since 2010 can be restored.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ouseley
	uin	HL10092
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2018 answer text <p>The bus market in England is deregulated. Any decision to cut bus routes lies with the commercial operator. In 2016/17 £2.21 billion was provided by the Government to support bus services in England. This support includes local authority payments for supported services, and £250 million of Bus Service Operators Grant payments with £43m of this being paid directly to local authorities to run services that are socially necessary. In 2017 the Government also introduced the Bus Services Act, providing a number of tools to help improve bus services for passengers, and are working with a number of interested local authorities to determine which of the powers provided in the Act are best able to support bus networks in their local areas.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Sugg question first answered 18/09/2018 13:13:25 answering member 4584 label Biography information for Baroness Sugg
	tabling member	2170 label Biography information for Lord Ouseley

968812

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children in Care
	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 increase in the number of children in care; and how they will ensure that sufficient funding is in place to support the provision of care places.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ouseley
	uin	HL10096
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2018 answer text <p>The government wants every child to be in a stable, loving home that is right for them. One of the key principles of the legislation which underpins the UK’s child protection system, is that children are best looked after within their families, but that is not always possible. As a last resort, local authorities may apply to the independent courts for a decision about removing a child from his or her family – for the child’s safety.</p><p>We regularly monitor and assess the number of children that come into contact with our child protection system and recognise that the number of children in care has risen. That is why, we are working across government to ensure that local authorities and the courts have the resources they need.</p><p>The 2015 Spending Review made available more than £200 billion until 2020 for councils to deliver the local services their communities want to see, including children’s services. In addition, we are improving children’s social care through our £200 million Innovation Programme. This aims to help local authorities learn from what works in order to design services that are as efficient and effective as possible. A number of local authorities implementing these programmes have successfully reduced the number of children in their care. We are also working to set up the new What Works Centre, to build evidence to help improve outcomes for vulnerable children, including a focus on reducing the number of children in care.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 12/09/2018 11:04:13 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	2170 label Biography information for Lord Ouseley

997091

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children in Care
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the number of children entering local authority care is increasing; what assessment they have made of the causes of any such increase; and what steps they are taking to reduce that number.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ouseley
	uin	HL11095
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2018 answer text <p>We monitor the number of children entering the care system on an ongoing basis and information showing the change in the number of children entering the care system for the period since 2010 is provided in the table below:</p><p><strong>Children who started to be looked </strong><strong>after<sup>1,2,3 </sup>for years ending 31 March 2010 to 2017. </strong></p><p><strong>Coverage: England. </strong></p><p><em>Source: SSDA903</em></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>2010</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2011</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2012</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2013</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2015</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>28,090</p></td><td><p>27,520</p></td><td><p>28,390</p></td><td><p>28,980</p></td><td><p>30,730</p></td><td><p>31,360</p></td><td><p>32,160</p></td><td><p>32,810</p></td></tr></tbody></table><ol><li>Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.</li><li>Only the first occasion on which a child started to be looked after in the year has been counted.</li><li>Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements, but include children who were previously looked after under an agreed series of short term placements, but have changed to become looked after under a different legal status (e.g. care order) in the year.</li></ol><p> </p><p> </p><p>Further breakdowns of children who started to be looked after can be found in Table C1 of the statistical first release ‘Children Looked After in England including Adoption: 2016 to 2017’ at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2016-to-2017" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2016-to-2017</a>.</p><p>The government wants every child to be in a stable, loving home that is right for them. One of the key principles of the legislation which underpins the UK’s child protection system, is that children are best looked after within their families. In July 2018, we revised the attached statutory guidance, ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’, to make this clear to practitioners. However, that is not always possible and, as a last resort, local authorities may apply to the independent courts for a decision about removing a child from his or her family – where there are concerns that the child is at risk of significant harm.</p><p>Our reform programme, Putting Children First, aims to ensure that all vulnerable children and families receive the highest quality care and support as soon as a need is identified. We have invested up to £200 million through the Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme to test and develop better practice, including testing approaches to help vulnerable children to remain safely at home. We have also established the What Works Centre, which is pressing ahead with its research programme, including what works in safely reducing the need for children to enter care.</p><p>At the Budget, on 29 October 2018, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the government is also investing £84 million of targeted funding, for a number of local authorities, to improve their social work practice and decision-making. This is to enable these local authorities to support vulnerable children to stay safely at home, thriving in stable family circumstances, where that is in their best interests.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 12/11/2018 15:08:48 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton attachment 1 file name HL11095_Working_Together_to_Safeguard_Children_2018.pdf title Working_Together_to_Safeguard_Children_2018
	tabling member	2170 label Biography information for Lord Ouseley

1045455

	registered interest
	date	21/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children in Care
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to reduce the number of children who are being (1) referred to, and (2) taken into, statutory care.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ouseley
	uin	HL12991
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/01/2019 answer text <p>The government wants every child to be in a stable, loving home that is right for them.</p><p>One of the key principles of the legislation that underpins the UK’s child protection system is that children are best looked after within their families.</p><p>However, as a last resort, after other steps have failed, local authorities may apply to the independent courts for a decision about removing a child from his or her family where there are concerns that the child is at risk of significant harm.</p><p>Where a child cannot live at home, we must make sure that they are safe and that they receive the highest quality care, which is why we are working hard to improve social care support for such children.</p><p>We recently announced an additional £410 million for adult and children’s social care in 2019-20. We are also investing £84 million over the next 5 years through the Strengthening Families, Protecting Children programme to build on three of our most promising Innovation Programme projects, with the aim of improving social work practice to enable children to stay safely at home in stable family circumstances, where that is in their best interests.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 30/01/2019 17:31:02 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	2170 label Biography information for Lord Ouseley

1007507

	registered interest
	date	14/11/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Care Homes
	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 quality of available residential care for vulnerable children; and what effect, if any, the withdrawal of grants to local authorities by 2020 will have on the quality of provision.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ouseley
	uin	HL11506
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>Ofsted, as the independent regulator, undertake regular inspections of all children’s homes in England to make sure homes are complying with statutory requirements. In 2017, 82% of all children’s homes were rated good or outstanding following their inspection, while only 3% received a judgement of inadequate. Homes that are judged to be inadequate are subject to twice-yearly inspections; if there is no improvement, the home may be removed from Ofsted’s register and required to close.</p><p>Local authorities have access to council tax, business rates and other funding to deliver their local services. Over the five-year period from 2015-16 to 2019-20, local authorities will have access to more than £200 billion to deliver these services, including children’s residential care.</p><p>Autumn Budget 2018 made an additional £410 million available to be spent on adult and children’s social care, and a further £84 million in targeted, evidence-based interventions to transform local services. These interventions will reduce demand, save money for councils, and most importantly, improve the quality of services for vulnerable children.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 26/11/2018 14:07:56 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	2170 label Biography information for Lord Ouseley

1005636

	registered interest
	date	12/11/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Crime Prevention
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what education programmes (1) are in place, and (2) they intend to put in place, to enable schools and families to engage with children to prevent their becoming involved in criminality, gangs and violent behaviour.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ouseley
	uin	HL11407
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>On 9 April 2018, the Home Office published a new ‘Serious Violence Strategy’, available in the Libraries of both Houses, including 61 recommendations spanning cross government departments to take action to address serious violence, and in particular, the recent increases in knife crime, gun crime and homicide. The strategy puts a stronger emphasis on steering young people away from violence, helping them to change their behaviour and actions before they reach the stage where they are at risk of entering the criminal justice system.</p><p>The Department for Education is making relationships education compulsory in all primary schools, relationships and sex education compulsory in all secondary schools and health education compulsory in all state-funded schools. Under the new reforms, the draft guidance, attached, sets out that pupils should develop positive, respectful relationships, including with their peers; and that violence is never acceptable. The draft guidance also covers awareness of violence and exploitation by gangs, as well as criminal exploitation, for example through gang involvement or ‘county lines’ drugs operations.</p><p> </p><p>Citizenship education also helps to provide pupils with knowledge, skills and understanding to prepare them to play a full and active part in society – including an understanding of the role of law and the justice system in our society and how laws are shaped and enforced.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ statutory guidance, attached, sets out the legal duties that all schools must have regard to when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton attachment 1 file name HL11407_draft_guidance_relationships_education.pdf title HL11407_draft_guidance_relationships_education 2 file name HL11407_Keeping_Children_Safe_in_Education__3_September_2018_14.09.18.pdf title HL11407_Keeping_Children_Safe_in_Education__3_Sept question first answered 26/11/2018 12:30:18 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	2170 label Biography information for Lord Ouseley