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65184

registered interest
date	01/07/2014
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	Further Education: Finance
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 adequate funds are allocated to further education colleges.
tabling member printed	Lord Storey
uin	HL720
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Further Education colleges receive funding in respect of both young people aged 16-19 and adult learners aged 19 and over. We set out government priorities for adult skills provision annually in the Skills Funding Statement<sup><sup>[1]</sup></sup>, with the Department for Education setting out its priorities in a letter to the Sector<sup><sup>[2]</sup></sup>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As independent autonomous organisations it is for college governing bodies to ensure value for money by designing an appropriate local offer that employers and learners value and are prepared to invest in.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In the last Spending Review, the Government looked to protect overall levels of adult Further education (FE) funding. The funding for adult Teaching and Learning in 2014-15 is broadly the same as 2012-13. Over this parliament the Government has undertaken a radical reform programme enabling FE colleges to use their freedoms and flexibilities to provide the high quality skills their learners, local economy and businesses need. In line with government policies there is an increased drive for employer ownership of skills funding, a continuing growth, and reform of, the Apprenticeships programme and an opportunity for individuals aged 24 and over studying at Level 3 and 4 to have access to Loans to help meet up-front course fees.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and their operational arm, the Skills Funding Agency, are clear that FE colleges operating in the skills landscape must have robust sustainable business models, good financial controls and be resilient to change.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><br /><p>[1] The latest Skills Funding Statement is available at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/278529/bis-14-p172a-skills-funding-statement-2013-2016.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/278529/bis-14-p172a-skills-funding-statement-2013-2016.pdf</a></p><p>2The letter to the sector is available at</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/293516/140318_March_letter_to_sector_FINAL__3_.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/293516/140318_March_letter_to_sector_FINAL__3_.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 10/07/2014 14:36:20 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

65185

registered interest
date	01/07/2014
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 assessment they have made of calls from Ofsted for employers to play a greater role in rating training providers.
tabling member printed	Lord Storey
uin	HL721
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills is committed to securing greater involvement of employers in all aspects of Further Education. We therefore welcome any measures introduced by Ofsted to improve the quality of inspections by arranging the involvement of employers. As the independent inspectorate acting on behalf of Parliament, it is for Ofsted to determine the exact nature of how this would operate within its inspection process.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 08/07/2014 15:24:11 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

65188

registered interest
date	01/07/2014
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	Apprentices
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will protect apprentices by introducing an official body to police the terms and conditions of apprenticeships.
tabling member printed	Lord Storey
uin	HL724
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>We do not believe there is a need for such a body. Under the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 (ASCL), apprentices are employed under an Apprenticeship Agreement, this ensures they are protected under the Employment Rights Act 1996. Apprentices' pay is covered under the National Minimum Wage regulations and HMRC is responsible for ensuring compliance with these regulations. HMRC provides comprehensive advice and guidance for employees through the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. This is available via the GOV.UK website at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/pay-and-work-rights-helpline" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/pay-and-work-rights-helpline</a> .</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 08/07/2014 15:24:38 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

65244

registered interest
date	02/07/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Regional Planning and Development
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how they plan to strengthen regional economic power.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL774
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Coalition Government has reversed years of centralisation to rebalance our economy so it can achieve strong, lasting growth that shares prosperity more widely across the country.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We have put power in the hands of local councils and businesses:</p><p> </p><p>• 39 Local Enterprise Partnerships bringing together business and civic leaders to drive their own economic development and fulfil growth potential.</p><p> </p><p>• City Deals and Growth Deals offering localities the opportunity for a deal with central government tailored to their local needs and circumstances – devolving power in exchange for local commitment and investment.</p><p> </p><p>• Introduced the general power of competence that enables councils to do anything that an individual might do, apart from that which is specifically prohibited.</p><p> </p><p>• Removed ring-fencing from local government grants to give councils the freedom and flexibility over the money they receive and allows them to work with their residents to decide how best to make their spending decisions to fit their local priority needs.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We have radically reformed the local government finance system by removing top-down national targets and strategies and replaced with powerful incentives for local areas to drive growth.</p><p> </p><p>• Business rates reform, New Homes Bonus and Community Infrastructure Levy will also ensure councils and communities feel real benefits from development and are incentivised to grow the local economy</p><p> </p><p>• Created 24 Enterprise Zones with the prospect of business rates discounts and planning simplification for businesses and business rates retention for the locality, and supported by £54 million from the Local Infrastructure Fund.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>And we are investing in local economies to unlock wider investment, jobs and housing through the Regional Growth Fund and the European Regional Development Fund.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Through Growth Deals we are devolving £12 billion of funding from 2015-16 to 2020-21 to local leaders and businesses to spend on local priorities. The first £6 billion of local projects to have been agreed under the first wave of Growth Deals were announced on the 7th July, and will see investment in local infrastructure, skills, housing, business support and innovation. These projects will provide thousands of new jobs and homes as well as improving infrastructure across the country.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Deals also mean that places will get additional powers to take greater control over the economic levers they need to unlock growth. More details on the Growth Deals can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-growth-deals</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are also for the first time putting £5 billion of European Structural Investment Funds for the 2014-20 period under the strategic direction of Local Enterprise Partnerships, bringing the total resource (including the Local Growth Fund) under the control of Local Enterprise Partnerships to over £17 billion up until 2020.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Taken together, these measures are empowering and strengthening local economies.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 24/07/2014 14:59:10 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

65931

registered interest
date	07/07/2014
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	Disabled Students' Allowances
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government which criteria they will use, under the proposed changes to the Disabled Students' Allowance, to distinguish between the need for higher specification or higher cost computers where a student needs one by virtue of their disability, as opposed to a need because of the way in which a course is delivered.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL858
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The criteria for determining when Disabled Student Allowances (DSAs) will contribute to the cost of higher specification or higher cost computers will be set out in guidance that will be published alongside the appropriate regulations in the autumn. Support under DSAs will continue to be available if the need for a higher specification or higher cost computer is by virtue of the student's disability, rather than how the course is being delivered by the Higher Education Institution (HEI). If access to a higher specification or higher cost computer is essential to all students on that course, regardless of whether they are disabled or not, then provision of such computers would be a matter for the HEI.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 14/07/2014 14:49:11 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

65932

registered interest
date	07/07/2014
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	Disabled Students' Allowances
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to ensure that disabled students do not suffer discrimination as a result of the proposed changes to the Disabled Students' Allowance, due to Higher Education Institutions failing to make the necessary changes to courses to accommodate their needs.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL859
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Higher education institutions are independent and autonomous organisations and are already subject to the strong legal requirements in the Equality Act 2010. They have clear duties to ensure that disabled students do not face discrimination whilst applying to, and studying in higher education. Where an individual believes they have been discriminated against and a dispute occurs, there are already well established processes in place for raising a formal complaint, initially through the university's internal complaints procedure and then, if unresolved after completing that process, the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA).</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 14/07/2014 14:50:01 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

65943

registered interest
date	07/07/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Housing: Disability
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to enable disabled people to locate suitable properties in their locality.
tabling member printed	Lord Swinfen
uin	HL870
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Government is committed to supporting disabled people to live safely in accommodation suitable to their needs.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>To facilitate the provision of suitable housing in England, the Government is providing £315 million over 5 years for the Care and Support Specialised Housing fund. The main aim of the fund is to support and accelerate the development of the specialised housing market for older people and disabled adults.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department for Communities and Local Government is providing £785 million between 2011-12 – 2014-15 for the Disabled Facilities Grant which is administered by local authorities in England and provides adaptations to the homes of disabled people to help them to live as independently as possible in their own home.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We have no plans to require local authorities to provide lists of homes suitable for disabled people. However a number of local authorities maintain 'accessible housing registers', and in London there is a city wide London Accessible Housing Register (<a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/housing-land/renting-home/london-accessible-housing-register" target="_blank">https://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/housing-land/renting-home/london-accessible-housing-register</a>).<br> <br></p><p><br></p><p>The Government believes it is important that people who require accessible housing are given the right level of priority under a council’s housing allocation scheme, and that councils and social landlords are able to make the best use of affordable housing in their area, including accommodation which is accessible or has been adapted. We have retained the statutory ‘reasonable preference’ requirements which ensure that priority for social housing is given to those who need to move on medical and welfare grounds (including grounds relating to a disability).</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>Around half of all disabled people are also older people, and the Department for Communities and Local Government supports FirstStop Advice, a national information and advice service that can help older people to locate more suitable properties to move to, or to access services to help them repair, adapt or improve their current homes to make them more suitable for older age.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL871 question first answered 18/07/2014 13:55:08 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	2235 label Biography information for Lord Swinfen

65944

registered interest
date	07/07/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Housing: Disability
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require local authorities to provide a list of suitable accessible homes for disabled people in their local area.
tabling member printed	Lord Swinfen
uin	HL871
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Government is committed to supporting disabled people to live safely in accommodation suitable to their needs.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>To facilitate the provision of suitable housing in England, the Government is providing £315 million over 5 years for the Care and Support Specialised Housing fund. The main aim of the fund is to support and accelerate the development of the specialised housing market for older people and disabled adults.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department for Communities and Local Government is providing £785 million between 2011-12 – 2014-15 for the Disabled Facilities Grant which is administered by local authorities in England and provides adaptations to the homes of disabled people to help them to live as independently as possible in their own home.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We have no plans to require local authorities to provide lists of homes suitable for disabled people. However a number of local authorities maintain 'accessible housing registers', and in London there is a city wide London Accessible Housing Register (<a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/housing-land/renting-home/london-accessible-housing-register" target="_blank">https://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/housing-land/renting-home/london-accessible-housing-register</a>).<br> <br></p><p><br></p><p>The Government believes it is important that people who require accessible housing are given the right level of priority under a council’s housing allocation scheme, and that councils and social landlords are able to make the best use of affordable housing in their area, including accommodation which is accessible or has been adapted. We have retained the statutory ‘reasonable preference’ requirements which ensure that priority for social housing is given to those who need to move on medical and welfare grounds (including grounds relating to a disability).</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>Around half of all disabled people are also older people, and the Department for Communities and Local Government supports FirstStop Advice, a national information and advice service that can help older people to locate more suitable properties to move to, or to access services to help them repair, adapt or improve their current homes to make them more suitable for older age.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL870 question first answered 18/07/2014 13:55:07 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	2235 label Biography information for Lord Swinfen

65947

registered interest
date	07/07/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Disabled Facilities Grants
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total amount of Disabilities Facilities Grant money that has been awarded to households (1) in each of the past three years, and (2) by each local authority.
tabling member printed	Lord Swinfen
uin	HL874
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>This Government has increased central funding to councils for Disabled Facilities Grant, as illustrated by the table below.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>2010-11</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2011-12</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2012-13</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2013-14</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014-15</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2015-16</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>£169m</p></td><td><p>£180m</p></td><td><p>£180m</p></td><td><p>£180m</p></td><td><p>£185m</p></td><td><p>£220m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>£20m*</p></td><td><p>£40m*</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>* Additional funding provided by the Department of Health</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A table showing figures for each local authority has been placed in the Library of the House.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The total amount of Disabled Facilities Grant expenditure by local authorities was £298 million in 2011-12 and £275 million in 2012-13; figures for 2013-14 will be available in the Autumn.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 21/07/2014 11:23:21 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	2235 label Biography information for Lord Swinfen

78287

registered interest
date	16/07/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Constituencies
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to receive reports from the Boundary Commissioners in relation to district and ward boundaries.
tabling member printed	Lord Storey
uin	HL1177
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Reports on ward boundaries are not made to the Government. The electoral arrangements of a local authority (number of councillors and the number and boundaries of electoral areas) are matters that are entirely the responsibility of the independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England which itself makes the statutory order, subject to Parliament not objecting to a draft of the proposed order, implementing any new electoral arrangements. Recommendations for changes to administrative (district and county) boundaries are required to be sent to the Secretary of State but the Commission has no such reviews in hand.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 23/07/2014 12:28:55 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey