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1200268

registered interest
date	03/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupils: ICT
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	Her Majesty's Government how many (1) computers or tablets, and (2) WiFi routers they have supplied to (a) pupils in care, (b) Year 10 pupils, and (c) those being supported by social workers, in line with their announcement of plans to do so on 19 April.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL5158
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2020 answer text <p>The government is providing laptops and tablets to vulnerable and disadvantaged children who would otherwise not have access and are preparing for examinations in year 10, receiving support from a social worker, including pre-school children, or are a care leaver. The government is also providing over 50,000 4G wireless routers to care leavers, children with a social worker at secondary school and disadvantaged children in year 10 who do not have internet connections.</p><p>The department has also partnered with BT to give 10,000 young people free access to BT WiFi hotspots, who do not have access to good internet by other means.</p><p>Local authorities and academy trusts are best placed to identify and distribute the laptops and tablets to children and young people who need devices. The Department invited local authorities to order devices for the most vulnerable children first - children with a social worker and care leavers.</p><p>Devices are being delivered to local authorities daily and will continue to be distributed throughout June as planned.</p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge question first answered 17/06/2020 10:58:02 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1195932

registered interest
date	14/05/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Coronavirus
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 potential health benefits of using outdoor spaces to teach; and what plans they have to (1) support, and (2) encourage, schools to make increased use of outdoor spaces as learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4478
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/05/2020 answer text <p>We recognise that outdoor education can be beneficial for the health and wellbeing of children and young people, and that outdoor space offers additional benefits to allow for distance between people during the coronavirus outbreak. Our guidance to help schools and other education settings prepare for wider opening to more pupils from 1 June, explicitly encourages the use of outdoor space and outdoor education where possible. In particular, we are asking schools to consider which lessons or activities could take place outdoors as part of a range of approaches they can take to help reduce transmission. We are also asking schools to use their outside space for exercise and breaks.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge question first answered 29/05/2020 13:46:49 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1195933

registered interest
date	14/05/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how long they plan to postpone Ofsted inspections during the COVID-19 pandemic.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4479
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/05/2020 answer text <p>The Government recognises that this is an extremely challenging time for staff in school and care settings.</p><p>In the current circumstances, it is right that routine Ofsted inspections in the school, further education, early years, local authority, and care sectors are suspended. Ofsted retains the power to inspect in all these areas and will use its powers if it has significant concerns. Ofsted also continues to register and regulate children’s social care, childminding and nurseries.</p><p>No date has been set for a return to routine inspection at this time. We will continue to work closely with HM Chief Inspector, and the sectors Ofsted inspects, in determining when it will be appropriate to re-start routine inspections.</p><p>We continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge question first answered 29/05/2020 13:47:24 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1191410

registered interest
date	28/04/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Housing
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many students are currently living in on-campus accommodation at (1) colleges and (2) universities; of these, how many are (a) UK students (b) EU students, and (c) non-EU international students; how many are minors; and whether those students are housed in adequately maintained conditions and have access to the basic facilities they require.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL3590
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2020 answer text <p>As both my right hon. Friends, the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.</p><p>Statistics on the numbers of further and higher education (HE) students resident in on-campus accommodation following 23 March’s lockdown are not held centrally.</p><p>However, Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data show that approximately 360,000 students at UK higher education institutions in 2018/19 were resident in provider-maintained property, including some 117,000 international students, of which 31,000 were from the EU.</p><p>Levels of current occupancy of accommodation vary widely between different institutions with those students still resident likely to include care leavers, students estranged from their families and international students for whom there is no alternative accommodation easily available or who are not able to get home because of travel restrictions.</p><p>HE providers have been asked to aim to ensure staff (catering, cleaning and laundry staff, for instance) are available to support on halls management. Counselling staff should also be available to support on isolating students’ mental health. This support could be provided virtually.</p><p>We have worked to improve joint continuity planning between HE providers and Local Resilience Forums to consider how to ensure availability of supply of food and medicines.</p><p>College campus accommodation where children are resident is inspected by Ofsted against national minimum standards. The inspections are conducted on an age basis and include international students.</p><p>Ofsted holds a record of ratings for further education accommodation.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge question first answered 19/05/2020 11:07:15 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1191411

registered interest
date	28/04/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Housing
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their plans to assist A-level and university students who are at risk of homelessness due to their on-campus accommodation contracts being terminated, and how they will ensure these students are neither rendered homeless nor forced into debt.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL3591
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2020 answer text <p>As my right hon. Friends, the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have both made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.</p><p>My hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Universities, has written to all higher education (HE) providers to explain the importance of HE institutions operating a non-eviction policy so that no student is required to leave halls if their contract has ended, if their rental agreement does not cover holiday periods or if they are unable to pay their rent. This is particularly important in the case of international students, care leavers and students estranged from their families.</p><p>In her letters, my hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Universities, also emphasised the need for HE providers to consider practical support to ensure that students who remain on campus can access sufficient food, medical and cleaning supplies, along with mental health support.</p><p>Students will continue to receive scheduled payments of loans towards their living costs for the remainder of the current 2019/20 academic year.</p><p>We have worked closely with the Office for Students to enable providers to draw upon existing funding to increase hardship funds and support disadvantaged students impacted by COVID-19. As a result, providers will be able to use the funding, worth around £23 million per month for April and May, towards student hardship funds.</p><p>Students with a part-time employment contract should speak to their employer about the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which has been set up to help pay staff wages and keep people in employment. This can be accessed from: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses</a>.</p><p>We have also asked that HE providers pay particular attention to the additional financial hardships that are being faced by student staff who have been reliant on income from campus-based jobs at this time.</p><p>The government encourages universities and private hall providers to be fair in their decisions about rent charges for this period.</p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge question first answered 19/05/2020 11:19:06 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1191412

registered interest
date	28/04/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Overseas Students: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what provision they are making to ensure international students can return to the UK to resume their studies who left the UK to return home for the duration of the lockdown, and what support they will provide to international students who are no longer in a position to return to the UK to complete their studies due to financial losses as a result of the crisis.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL3592
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2020 answer text <p>The government is applying discretion under current circumstances to ensure that international students are not negatively impacted due to COVID-19. We have published bespoke Tier 4 visa guidance for students and sponsors affected by changes to UK immigration and borders due to COVID-19. This guidance includes the latest information for those who might have questions around visa expiry, switching visa category within the UK and distance learning – it also specifically confirms that sponsors do not need to withdraw sponsorship if a student is unable to attend for more than 60 days due to COVID-19 but intends to resume their studies eventually.</p><p>We are working closely with universities and are pleased to see that the sector is making every effort to enable students to continue their studies – including moving learning online either in the UK or in student's home country – so that their teaching and assessment can proceed. Students experiencing financial hardship as a result of COVID-19 should contact their higher education provider. Many providers have hardship funds which students can apply to for assistance.</p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge question first answered 15/05/2020 13:49:12 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1151163

registered interest
date	21/10/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	School Meals
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of food served in English schools is (a) organic, and (b) locally sourced; and what plans they have, if any, to increase that percentage.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL240
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2019 answer text <p>Schools are responsible for their school meals service and how and where they choose to buy their produce. The department does not hold the information on what percentage of food is organic and locally sourced. Schools may use the guidance launched alongside the government’s 'Plan for Public Procurement: Food and Catering Services'.</p><p> </p><p>The guidance provides a methodology which helps contracting parties balance a range of criteria when procuring food and catering services. These include production standards, health and wellbeing, resource efficiency, socio-economic factors, quality of service and price.</p><p> </p><p>The guidance has been attached and is available from:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-plan-for-public-procurement-food-and-catering" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-plan-for-public-procurement-food-and-catering</a>.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 31/10/2019 17:17:53 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton attachment 1 file name HL240_guidance_plan_for_public_procurement .pdf title HL240_guidance
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle