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1202114

registered interest
date	09/06/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Legal Aid Scheme: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the risk of the restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic leading to a significant loss of income for legal aid firms, what assessment they have made of the impact of the Legal Aid Agency’s practice of (1) permitting only two claims a year for ongoing cases, and (2) only paying 75 per cent of such claims.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL5500
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2020 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice recently held a consultation on increasing the limits associated with claims for payment on account. This consultation closed on 16 June 2020.</p><p>Following this, the limit will be increased, allowing four such requests to be made in a twelve month period. This will be implemented once the necessary updates to infrastructure are completed, and the impact of this change will be kept under review.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 23/06/2020 16:40:53 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

1202115

registered interest
date	09/06/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Legal Aid Scheme: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on legal aid firms of (1) the stay on possession proceedings for tenants until the end of August, and (2) any subsequent substantial loss of income; and what steps they are taking to ensure that such firms are paid for their work in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Procurement Policy Note 02/20: Supplier relief due to COVID-19, published on 20 March.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL5501
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2020 answer text <p>MoJ is continuing to work closely with the Legal Aid Agency and HMCTS to assess the impact of Covid-19 on legal aid provision, and to support practitioners to work remotely when possible.</p><p>The Government have taken measures to support the sector include paying for virtual hearings in the same way as in-person hearings, halting pursuit of outstanding debts, relaxing some evidence requirements, and encouraging legal practitioners to use existing avenues of financial help, such as the ability to apply for early payment for work already done on a case. These measures will help Legal Aid providers adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.</p><p>PN 02/20, which has been updated in PPN 04/20, requires contracting authorities to determine whether a supplier is ‘at risk’. In making that determination, an authority will need to consider what steps have been taken by a public-sector provider to access other available support, because providers have no automatic entitlement to relief payments under the PPN and should not use them to supplement or duplicate the wider support measures that have been made available to UK businesses.</p><p>Data on legal aid expenditure on areas such as housing possession is released quarterly by the Legal Aid Agency, with the next release scheduled for September.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 23/06/2020 17:00:37 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

1199300

registered interest
date	02/06/2020
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Travellers: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to set up a task force to address the risks to health faced by Gypsies and Travellers living in caravans in camps without amenities such as running water and sanitation during the COVID-19 pandemic, on the lines of the task force for rough sleepers.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL5145
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2020 answer text <p>We currently have no plans to set up such a task force.</p><p>We have been in close contact with Gypsy and Traveller voluntary and community sector organisations and are working hard to support these communities through the pandemic.</p><p>Ministers have written to councils and caravan and campsite owners about the particular needs of some Gypsy and Traveller communities at this time but it is our view that local authorities are best placed to determine how to support vulnerable groups, in line with their public health responsibilities.</p> answering member printed Lord Bethell question first answered 10/06/2020 10:53:12 answering member 4708 label Biography information for Lord Bethell
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

1199301

registered interest
date	02/06/2020
answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Travellers: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Greenhalgh on 6 May (HL3366) stating that they were “holding regular discussions with representatives from the Gypsy and Traveller communities to understand the issues they are facing, including what guidance and support is needed locally”, what steps they are taking to ensure that local authorities reach vulnerable Gypsies and Travellers on the roadside without access to water or sanitation.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL5146
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government takes the welfare of all citizens seriously and we are working hard to ensure those most at risk are identified and supported including those in Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.</p><p>We have been in close contact with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Voluntary and Community Sector organisations and are doing everything we can to support them through the pandemic.</p><p>All local authorities should consider how best to support Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in their area. On 11 April, I wrote to all local authority chief executives to highlight that some such individuals may need specific support, including access to basic services such as water, sanitation and waste disposal (attached): <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fcovid-19-mitigating-impacts-on-gypsy-and-traveller-communities&amp;data=02%7C01%7CParliamentary%40communities.gov.uk%7C037147a8295b448a87a408d8112bdcc5%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637278227361442776&amp;sdata=DWzkuqP%2BYfMSChI5YwFwpmgyJDmEylgJxW3Y33QzSs4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-mitigating-impacts-on-gypsy-and-traveller-communities</a></p><p>Local authorities may conclude that some Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, especially those lacking basic amenities, require alternative places to stop where access to facilities such as water pipes, water bowsers and portable toilets is provided, or can be made temporarily available.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Greenhalgh question first answered 15/06/2020 16:16:13 answering member 4877 label Biography information for Lord Greenhalgh attachment 1 file name 200615 COVID-19_-_mitigating_impacts_on_gypsy___traveller_communities - HL5146.pdf title Letter to Local Authority
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

1199302

registered interest
date	02/06/2020
answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Sleeping Rough: Roma
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	Her Majesty's Government whether the task force on rough sleeping led by Dame Louise Casey will provide specific support for Roma rough sleepers to ensure that possible language barriers and concerns about dealing with officials are overcome.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL5147
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2020 answer text <p>We want to ensure local areas have the tools they need to meet the diverse needs of anyone who has been sleeping rough, regardless of their background.</p><p>The recently announced taskforce spearheaded by Dame Louise Casey will work with local government, charities, businesses, faith and community groups, and other public sector partners across the country, leading the next phase of the Government’s support for rough sleepers during the pandemic.</p><p>The Ministry of Housing, Communities &amp; Local Government maintains close contact with Roma stakeholder groups. Through this continued stakeholder engagement, we ensure all our policy approaches are informed by a wide range of considerations and meet the needs of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in the UK.</p> answering member printed Lord Greenhalgh question first answered 15/06/2020 16:16:38 answering member 4877 label Biography information for Lord Greenhalgh
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

1197269

registered interest
date	19/05/2020
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Coronavirus: Travellers
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the impact of COVID-19 on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities; and whether these communities have been included in their assessments of the effects of the virus on BAME individuals.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL4738
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/06/2020 answer text <p>There is emerging evidence of an association between ethnicity and COVID-19 incidence and adverse health outcomes. We are working hard to understand more about COVID-19 and establish robust data on the factors impacting the number of COVID-19 cases and health outcomes for different groups within the population.</p><p>As part of this, we have commissioned Public Health England to consider the impact of various factors such as ethnicity, obesity, age, gender and geographical location, where data is available.</p><p>The Minister of State for Home Affairs and Housing, Communities and Local Government (the noble Lord Greenhalgh) has written to councils outlining their responsibility to support all communities, including Gypsy and Traveller communities, and to ensure they have access to water, sanitation and waste collections. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Rough Sleeping and Housing (Luke Hall MP) has written to owners and managers of caravan sites making clear they should keep sites open to allow people to remain if they would otherwise have nowhere to live.</p> answering member printed Lord Bethell question first answered 01/06/2020 15:34:01 answering member 4708 label Biography information for Lord Bethell
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

1195998

registered interest
date	14/05/2020
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Coronavirus: Minority Groups
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 58 per cent of Roma, and 43 per cent of Travellers, who have been tested for COVID-19 in Ireland have had a positive result, and (2), plans by the government of the Republic of Ireland to set up a mobile unit to test and treat marginalised groups in inner cities, with rapid delivery of test results; and whether they have any plans to set up similar facilities in the UK.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL4544
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/07/2020 answer text <p>We are keen to learn from examples of best practice wherever they exist and the Department will continue to work with other countries throughout the crisis and beyond.</p><p>We are developing “prototypes” to pilot equal access to testing using existing local authority networks. The learning from these pilots will be disseminated to all local authorities in order to establish a national framework to support groups such as the Roma, Gypsy and Traveller communities.</p><p>We are also setting up a series of local testing sites to make testing easier to access for those without digital or vehicle access. 11 are operational as at 14 July 2020.</p> answering member printed Lord Bethell question first answered 30/07/2020 12:27:56 answering member 4708 label Biography information for Lord Bethell
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

1184512

registered interest
date	11/03/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care: Travellers
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 number of Irish Traveller and Gypsy and Roma children being looked after in care rising from 50 in total in 2009 to 540 in total in 2019; and what data they hold about (1) the reasons for referrals of such children, (2) the agencies making such referrals, and (3) whether such children have had prior contact with social care departments.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL2529
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2020 answer text <p>Working Together to Safeguard Children is clear that local areas should have a comprehensive range of effective, evidence-based services in place to address assessed needs. Local authorities have the freedom to decide these services based on local priorities and the needs of families in their area.</p><p>The department holds data on children who are looked after (CLA) by primary category of need, which is the main reason the child is looked after, but not necessarily the sole reason. More detail on the reason for referrals children to social services will have been obtained at the point of referral and assessment and this data is collected in the Children in Need (CIN) census. Information on 2) the agencies making referrals and on 3) whether children have had prior contact with social care departments is also collected within the CIN census.</p><p>The information requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Due to the way in which the data is held, the department would not be able to provide the detailed information on 1) above and the information requested for 2) and 3) above without exceeding the cost threshold applicable to central government. In order to provide the required data, we would need to create new datasets and methodologies for matching CIN assessment data to CLA data.</p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge question first answered 25/03/2020 17:52:34 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

1184513

registered interest
date	11/03/2020
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Religious Freedom
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 consistency with which the term “freedom of religion or belief” is used in their publications instead of “religious freedom”; and what steps they will take to ensure that only the term “freedom of religion or belief” is used.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL2530
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2020 answer text <p>The United Kingdom is committed to defending freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief as set out in international law. We attach great importance to referring to 'Freedom of Religion or Belief' in publications, as we assess this best captures the freedom to have a faith, belief, or no belief at all. On occasion, the British Government has referred to 'religious freedom' as a short-hand, but we strive to ensure that 'Freedom of Religion or Belief' is referred as often as practicable, particularly in formal publications.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 18/03/2020 17:32:09 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

1184514

registered interest
date	11/03/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupils: Travellers
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 report by the Traveller Movement Barriers in education—young Travellers in London, in particular of its findings that (1) 40 per cent of Traveller students experienced bullying by other pupils, and (2) 67 per cent of such students experienced bullying by teachers.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL2531
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2020 answer text <p>We welcome the report by the Traveller Movement, along with their contribution through the Department for Education’s Gypsy, Roma and Traveller stakeholder group, and recognise the issues the report raises.</p><p>Bullying of any kind, including that based on anti-Gypsyism, is unacceptable in any setting – the government is committed to eradicating it. Every young person deserves the opportunity to progress and fulfil their potential, regardless of their ethnic background, and to do so in an environment free from fear, prejudice or hate.</p><p>All schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy that outlines measures to encourage good behaviour and prevent all forms of bullying amongst pupils. A culture of good behaviour in school is critical to enabling pupils to fulfil their potential. We are continuing to support schools to create disciplined and safe environments.</p><p>Under the Equalities Act 2010, schools are under a duty take steps to eliminate harassment, foster good relations, and advance equality of opportunity. Ofsted looks at how a school complies with its statutory duties and promotes equality of opportunity, and holds schools to account for anti-Gypsyism or other behaviour issues.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge question first answered 25/03/2020 12:20:29 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker