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1461012

registered interest
date	10/05/2022
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Statutory Sick Pay
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the number of people unable to claim statutory sick pay from their employer because their earnings are below the lower earnings level; of these, what proportion are (1) male and (2) female; and what plans, if any, they have to remove the lower earnings limit.
tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
uin	HL1
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2022 answer text <p>As set out in the 2019 “Health is Everyone’s Business” consultation, it is estimated that there are around 2 million employees who earn below the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) and are therefore ineligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). Of those, approximately 30% are male and 70% are female.</p><p> </p><p>SSP reform, including extending SSP eligibility to those earning below the LEL, was part of the “Health is Everyone’s Business” consultation in 2019. In the response to the consultation published in 2021, Government stated the pandemic was not the right time to introduce changes to the rate of SSP or its eligibility criteria as this would have placed an immediate and direct cost on employers at a time where many were struggling.</p><p> </p><p>As we learn to live with Covid-19, the Government is continuing to take a broader look at the role of SSP and is keeping the system under review.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 24/05/2022 16:25:21 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

1461013

registered interest
date	10/05/2022
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 what assessment they have made of the reduction in (1) the percentage of apprentices under the age of 19, and (2) the number of entry level apprenticeships; and what plans they have to reverse this trend.
tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
uin	HL2
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2022 answer text <p>The government wants more young people to benefit from apprenticeships that offer high-quality training and opportunities for progression.</p><p>There have been 56,200 apprenticeship starts by people under 19 so far in the 2021/22 academic year, compared to 38,800 in the 2020/21 academic year, and 58,100 in the 2019/20 academic year. The proportion of apprenticeship starts in the under 19 age group have recovered, following the decrease seen this time last year, with under 19-year-olds now accounting for 27.6% of total starts.</p><p>Employers have developed 647 apprenticeship standards, 140 of which are at Level 2, which is equivalent to GCSE level, and 210 of which are at Level 3, which is equivalent to A level. The department continues to welcome the development of high-quality apprenticeship standards by employers at all levels. There have been 55,300 apprenticeship starts at Level 2 so far in the 2021/22 academic year, compared to 41,500 in the 2020/21 academic year, and 65,000 in the 2019/20 academic year. Starts at this level equate to 27.1% of total starts.</p><p>There have been 88,100 apprenticeship starts at Level 3 so far in the 2021/22 academic year compared to 69,100 in the 2020/21 academic year and 87,600 in the 2019/20 academic year. Starts at this level equate to 43.2% of total starts.</p><p>Starts at both Levels 2 and 3 still account for 70% of all apprenticeships. Further breakdowns on apprenticeship starts by age and level are published each month and are available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships-may-2022" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships-may-2022</a>.</p><p>The department is continuing to improve the apprenticeship system for employers. We are making apprenticeship training even more flexible, so that employers across all sectors can access apprenticeships. We are also helping employers choose more flexible training models like flexi-job, front-loaded, and accelerated apprenticeships.</p><p>The department has a range of work underway to ensure that young people can access apprenticeships more easily. This includes working on new ways to connect young people in schools and colleges with employers and providers much earlier in their final year, when they are considering their options. It also includes working with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education to identify and promote standards most suitable for those starting their careers. We are also working with employers and providers to highlight the benefits of hiring young apprentices, and increase their use of our free recruitment tools so that vacancies are accessible through our ‘find an apprenticeship’ service.</p><p>Additionally, the department is exploring options with the Office for Students to allocate up to £8 million from the strategic priorities grant to accelerate the growth of degree apprenticeships. Degree apprenticeships offer a high-quality alternative to traditional university study. They have a key role to play in ensuring that young people are doing courses that give them the skills and knowledge to move into high-value employment that benefits them and the economy.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 24/05/2022 16:08:30 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

1461014

registered interest
date	10/05/2022
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 what plans they have, if any, to devolve funding and responsibility for apprenticeships for 16–19-year-olds to Metro Mayors.
tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
uin	HL3
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2022 answer text <p>The department’s reforms have created an employer-led apprenticeship system. Employers across England are now empowered to design the apprenticeship standards which meet their skills needs and to choose the apprenticeship training they need from a range of high-quality providers.</p><p>In doing so, both employers who pay the apprenticeship levy and those who do not can directly access government funding for apprenticeships. As such, local employers are in control of an apprenticeship system which enables them to address local skills needs. As a result, the department currently has no plans to devolve any funding or responsibility for apprenticeships to mayors or other local partners.</p><p>The department has worked closely with employers and mayoral combined authorities to help them better address local skills needs through apprenticeships. We have improved the apprenticeship levy transfer system, so it is easier for large employers to transfer their unused funds to smaller employers, building on the work of the West Midlands combined authority.</p><p>In September 2021, the department introduced a new online service to enable large employers to pledge funds available for transfer, allowing a much wider range of businesses to browse and apply for available funds. Employers using the service can choose to pledge funds for a specific geographic area. To date, employers including Amazon UK, DPD, and HomeServe have pledged to transfer almost £9 million.</p><p>The government is increasing overall apprenticeship funding to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year. This funding will support apprenticeships in employers of all sizes, including small employers who do not pay the apprenticeship levy and for whom the government will continue to pay 95% of training costs.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 24/05/2022 16:07:07 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

1461015

registered interest
date	10/05/2022
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Apprentices
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to begin the review of the apprenticeship programme announced in the Spring Statement; and when they expect to publish a call for evidence.
tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
uin	HL4
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2022 answer text <p>The government’s ambition is to encourage greater levels of private sector investment in employee training, both for apprentices and for employees more generally.</p><p> </p><p>At the Spring Statement, the Chancellor announced that he would consider whether further intervention is needed to encourage employers to offer the high-quality training the UK needs. This will include examining whether the current tax system – including the operation of the Apprenticeship Levy – is doing enough to incentivise businesses to invest in the right kinds of training.</p><p>The Chancellor will update the House further in the Autumn.</p> answering member printed Baroness Penn question first answered 24/05/2022 14:32:05 answering member 4726 label Biography information for Baroness Penn
tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

1461016

registered interest
date	10/05/2022
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Yazidis
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to secure the safety of Yezidis in Sinjar following attacks by Turkish military; when they last discussed long-term security of the Yezidi people with (1) the Kurdish regional government, and (2) the government of Iraq; and what response they received.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL5
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2022 answer text <p>We are following closely the situation in northern Iraq. FCDO Ministers and senior officials regularly reiterate to the need for dialogue and cooperation between Turkey and Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, to combat terrorism, ensure regional security, and protect civilians. Our diplomatic missions are in regular contact with Turkish and Government of Iraq and Kurdistan regional Government authorities. Our focus is always on securing an end to violence and protecting civilians. The UK continues to champion on the rights of minorities, including Yazidis, in Iraq, including through working with a wide range of actors to ensure full implementation of the Yazidi Survivors Law.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 23/05/2022 12:37:22 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1461017

registered interest
date	10/05/2022
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Hikvision: Sanctions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) reports that the government of the USA is considering imposing sanctions on the Chinese company Hikvision, and (2) whether restrictions on Hikvision imposed by that government have any effect on that company’s operations in the UK.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL6
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2022 answer text <p>US sanctions are a matter for the US Government, and it remains our position not to speculate about future sanctions or their potential impact. We continue to make clear our deep concerns about the human rights violations occurring in Xinjiang, including the use of mass surveillance and the technology used to facilitate it.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 24/05/2022 14:31:43 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1461018

registered interest
date	10/05/2022
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	East Africa: Droughts
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 drought in the East and Horn of Africa; and what steps they are taking to increase humanitarian assistance for the region.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL7
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2022 answer text <p>East Africa is experiencing one of its most severe droughts in history with more than 15 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, according to the UN, assessed to be acutely food insecure. Needs are particularly grave in Somalia where an estimated 81,000 people are now experiencing catastrophic famine-like conditions. A fourth consecutive - and unprecedented - season of failed rains is pushing millions of people to the brink and is contributing to growing water scarcity, alarming rates of malnutrition and huge numbers of livestock deaths.</p><p>The UK is a major humanitarian donor to the East Africa region. In 2022 to support communities affected by drought plus flooding and conflict the UK has provided £72.25 million to Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan. Across the region UK funded humanitarian activities are making a difference and saving lives. For example, in Kenya to respond to the ongoing drought, 26,000 children will receive life-saving food assistance thanks to the UK's support. In Ethiopia a further 200,000 children and pregnant and lactating women in southern and eastern regions will receive similar urgent aid.</p><p>The UK also played a critical role in convening the recent 'UN Horn of Africa Drought Roundtable' which took place in late April in Geneva. This included working with states in the region and the UN to ensure appropriate levels of participation.It helped to bring much needed focus to the drought and importantly it mobilised roughly US$400 million in new funding.</p><p>Our response to the drought builds on long-established resilience building programmes in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. In Kenya this includes support to the Hunger Safety Programme, which has provided 600,000 people in drought prone areas with regular financial assistance. In Ethiopia, the UK funded Productive Safety Net Programme has benefitted some 8 million people via financial welfare provision and community public works projects. In Somalia the UK has been supporting over 220 rural communities in three large urban cities with durable solutions initiatives for internally displaced persons. These programmes, coupled with additional investments, have enabled the UK to reach nearly 8 million individuals as a part of its emergency humanitarian response.</p><p>The UK remains committed to promoting peace and security across the Horn of Africa.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 24/05/2022 14:33:54 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1461019

registered interest
date	10/05/2022
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	East Africa: Food
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 the rising global food prices caused by the war in Ukraine do not exacerbate food insecurity in the East and Horn of Africa.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL8
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2022 answer text <p>The UK is a major humanitarian donor to the East Africa region. In 2022 to support communities affected by drought plus flooding and conflict the UK has provided £72.25 million to Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan. Across the region UK funded humanitarian activities are making a difference and saving lives. For example, in Kenya to respond to the ongoing drought, 26,000 children will receive life-saving food assistance thanks to the UK's support. In Ethiopia a further 200,000 children and pregnant and lactating women in southern and eastern regions will receive similar urgent aid.</p><p>The UK also played a critical role in convening the recent 'UN Horn of Africa Drought Roundtable' which took place in late April in Geneva. This included working with states in the region and the UN to ensure appropriate levels of participation. It helped to bring much needed focus to the drought and importantly it mobilised roughly US$400 million in new funding.</p><p>Countries across the Horn of Africa will also be impacted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine due to the increase in the costs of food commodities and fuel on global markets. We are exploring how we can help lessen the impact of rising food prices caused by the war in Ukraine on vulnerable communities in East Africa. This includes assessing alternate markets for procurement of food supplies and working with UN partners to promote effective prioritisation so assistance reaches the neediest.</p><p>Our response to the drought builds on long-established resilience building programmes in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. In Kenya this includes support to the Hunger Safety Programme, which has provided 600,000 people in drought prone areas with regular financial assistance. In Ethiopia, the UK funded Productive Safety Net Programme has benefitted some 8 million people via financial welfare provision and community public works projects. In Somalia the UK has been supporting over 220 rural communities in three large urban cities with durable solutions initiatives for internally displaced persons. These programmes, coupled with additional investments, have enabled the UK to reach nearly 8 million individuals as a part of its emergency humanitarian response.</p><p>The UK remains committed to promoting peace and security across the Horn of Africa.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 24/05/2022 14:55:54 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1461020

registered interest
date	10/05/2022
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Horn of Africa: Droughts
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide humanitarian assistance to the 5.7 million children in the Horn of Africa who are expected to suffer acute malnourishment by June this year as a result of the ongoing drought.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL9
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2022 answer text <p>The UK is a major humanitarian donor to the East Africa region. In 2022 to support communities affected by drought plus flooding and conflict the UK has provided £72.25 million to Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan. Across the region UK funded humanitarian activities are making a difference and saving lives. For example, in Kenya to respond to the ongoing drought, 26,000 children will receive life-saving food assistance thanks to the UK's support. In Ethiopia a further 200,000 children and pregnant and lactating women in southern and eastern regions will receive similar urgent aid.</p><p>Countries across the Horn of Africa will also be impacted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine due to the increase in the costs of food commodities and fuel on global markets. We are exploring how we can help lessen the impact of rising food prices caused by the war in Ukraine on vulnerable communities in East Africa. This includes assessing alternate markets for procurement of food supplies and working with UN partners to promote effective prioritisation so assistance reaches the most needy.</p><p>The UK also played a critical role in convening the recent 'UN Horn of Africa Drought Roundtable' which took place in late April in Geneva. This included working with states in the region and the UN to ensure appropriate levels of participation. It helped to bring much needed focus to the drought and importantly it mobilised roughly US$400 million in new funding.</p><p>Our response to the drought builds on long-established resilience building programmes in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. In Kenya this includes support to the Hunger Safety Programme, which has provided 600,000 people in drought prone areas with regular financial assistance. In Ethiopia, the UK funded Productive Safety Net Programme has benefitted some 8 million people via financial welfare provision and community public works projects. In Somalia the UK has been supporting over 220 rural communities in three large urban cities with durable solutions initiatives for internally displaced persons. These programmes, coupled with additional investments, have enabled the UK to reach nearly 8 million individuals as a part of its emergency humanitarian response.</p><p>The UK remains committed to promoting peace and security across the Horn of Africa.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 24/05/2022 16:42:21 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1461021

registered interest
date	10/05/2022
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	East Africa: Droughts
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the East and Horn of Africa in preparing for future droughts by (1) building more resilient systems, and (2) ending exacerbating factors such as conflict.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL10
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2022 answer text <p>The UK is a major humanitarian donor to the East Africa region. In 2022 to support communities affected by drought plus flooding and conflict the UK has provided £72.25 million to Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan. Across the region UK funded humanitarian activities are making a difference and saving lives. For example, in Kenya to respond to the ongoing drought, 26,000 children will receive life-saving food assistance thanks to the UK's support. In Ethiopia a further 200,000 children and pregnant and lactating women in southern and eastern regions will receive similar urgent aid.</p><p>The UK also played a critical role in convening the recent 'UN Horn of Africa Drought Roundtable' which took place in late April in Geneva. This included working with states in the region and the UN to ensure appropriate levels of participation. It helped to bring much needed focus to the drought and importantly it mobilised roughly US$400 million in new funding.</p><p>Countries across the Horn of Africa will also be impacted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine due to the increase in the costs of food commodities and fuel on global markets. We are exploring how we can help lessen the impact of rising food prices caused by the war in Ukraine on vulnerable communities in East Africa. This includes assessing alternate markets for procurement of food supplies and working with UN partners to promote effective prioritisation so assistance reaches the most needy.</p><p>Our response to the drought builds on long-established resilience building programmes in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. In Kenya this includes support to the Hunger Safety Programme, which has provided 600,000 people in drought prone areas with regular financial assistance. In Ethiopia, the UK funded Productive Safety Net Programme has benefitted some 8 million people via financial welfare provision and community public works projects. In Somalia the UK has been supporting over 220 rural communities in three large urban cities with durable solutions initiatives for internally displaced persons. These programmes, coupled with additional investments, have enabled the UK to reach nearly 8 million individuals as a part of its emergency humanitarian response.</p><p>The UK remains committed to promoting peace and security across the Horn of Africa.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 24/05/2022 16:44:50 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool