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1195931

registered interest
date	14/05/2020
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	Health and Safety: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what extra resources they plan to provide to (1) the Health and Safety Executive, and (2) local councils, to ensure that any responsibilities to make workplaces safe from COVID-19 are met. [T]
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4477
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2020 answer text <p>The Government have announced additional funding of up to £14 million has been made available to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to support their advice and regulatory activity as businesses implement the new guidance on working safely. HSE’s plans will develop as more businesses return to work and this will include checks that appropriate measures are in place to protect workers from COVID-19.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has also announced a total of £3.2 billion of funding for councils to support their response to the pandemic. This is a significant package of support which responds to the range of pressures councils have told us they are facing and will support them to protect vital services.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 21/05/2020 17:01:18 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1193968

registered interest
date	06/05/2020
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Nutrition
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether meals provided for asylum seekers in temporary accommodation must meet the guidelines set out in the NHS Eatwell Guide.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4160
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2020 answer text <p>Meals provided in all catered asylum accommodation facilities meet the NHS Eatwell guide.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 20/05/2020 16:24:37 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1193969

registered interest
date	06/05/2020
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	Children: Housing
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children in families receiving housing benefit or the Universal Credit housing costs element share a bedroom with a sibling or parent.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4161
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2020 answer text <p>The information requested in not available.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 21/05/2020 16:24:53 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1193970

registered interest
date	06/05/2020
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	Social Security Benefits
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many households currently have had their Housing Benefit or Universal Credit housing costs element reduced by (1) 14 per cent of the ‘eligible rent’ for one spare bedroom, and (2) 25 per cent of the ‘eligible rent’ for two or more spare bedrooms.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4162
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2020 answer text <p>Figures on the number of households receiving Housing Benefit affected by the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy are publically available through the DWP Stat Xplore website:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml</a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance for users is available at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html</a></p><p> </p><p>Figures on DWP Stat Xplore do not include claimants on Universal Credit with a Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy deduction, as this data is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 21/05/2020 16:04:33 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1193971

registered interest
date	06/05/2020
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Utilities: Billing
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that households unable to pay utility bills will not face disconnection from their utilities for non-payment between 1 October 2020 and 1 March 2021.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4163
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2020 answer text <p>The utilities are taking measures to support customers whose ability to pay their bills is being impacted.</p><p> </p><p>In energy, all domestic energy suppliers have agreed to a set of principles to support energy customers impacted by Covid-19. These principles include the suspension of energy credit meter disconnections and support for prepayment meter customers to stay on supply.</p><p> </p><p>All of the UK's major internet service and mobile providers have committed to working with customers who find it difficult to pay their bill as a result of Covid-19 to ensure that they are treated fairly and are appropriately supported.</p><p> </p><p>In the water sector, existing legislation means water companies cannot disconnect household water supply if consumers are unable to pay their bills.</p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 21/05/2020 10:40:29 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1193313

registered interest
date	05/05/2020
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Refugees: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, during the COVID-19 pandemic, they will suspend the return of refugees arriving on UK territory to northern France.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL3854
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK does not return those refugees who have been granted refugee status in the UK to France or elsewhere. We do, however, return asylum seekers who are yet to have a decision on their asylum claim in the UK to ensure their claim is considered in the right place. This may be to France or other states who participate in the Dublin Regulation.</p><p>During the Covid-19 pandemic, we continue to comply with the Dublin Regulation and remain committed to ensuring transfers continue to and from the UK. This is a fast-changing situation and we, along with other countries across Europe, will be subject to wider Government decisions and travel restrictions.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 22/05/2020 10:19:08 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1191409

registered interest
date	28/04/2020
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: Screening
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of drive-in COVID-19 testing sites in England are operated by (1) the NHS directly and (2) private contractors; what percentage of tests for each such site involves (1) swabbing of the nose and throat by trained staff, or (2) instructions being given in writing or verbally for participants to swab themselves; and what data is available on the relative accuracy of the two forms of test. [T]
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL3589
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2020 answer text <p>Regional Test Sites are overseen by the Department as part of the COVID-19 National Testing Programme. These sites have been commissioned by the Department and operated by a range of commercial organisations. As of 29 April, 43 regional tests were open across the United Kingdom. Of these, 11 deliver assisted testing, 14 sites operate the self-administered approach and 18 operate a hybrid model where both options are offered.</p><p>The test is reliable and effective. There are different tests in use under this programme and all have been assessed as performing to manufacturers specifications before being used.</p> answering member printed Lord Bethell question first answered 20/05/2020 12:53:49 answering member 4708 label Biography information for Lord Bethell
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