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1433456

	registered interest
	date	21/02/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Nurseries
	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 impact of private for-profit groups acquiring nurseries in England on (1) the stability of the nursery sector, and (2) the quality of provision.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL6220
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2022 answer text <p>65% of early years childcare places in England are provided by private, voluntary, and independent group-based providers in a market-based system. The key measure of market health monitored by the department is whether the supply of available places is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents and children. This is monitored rather than whether changes occur in the number and type of providers, which is typically a feature of a healthy, competitive market.</p><p>The majority of eligible two, three, and four-year-olds have continued to access free childcare despite the challenges faced throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. Local authorities are not reporting any substantial sufficiency or place supply issues that they are unable to manage locally. The department has not seen a substantial number of parents saying that they cannot secure a childcare place, either this term or since early years environments re-opened fully on 1 June 2020.</p><p>97% of early years childcare providers are rated good or outstanding by Ofsted.</p><p>The department continues to evaluate the sufficiency and quality of childcare provision. It also endeavours to help local authorities, parents, and early years providers to ensure the sustainability of the sector.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 07/03/2022 15:23:19 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1491781

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	School Meals: Processed Food
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps, if any, they plan to take in response to the study in the journal Nutrients, published on 21 July, which found that ultraprocessed food consisted of 82 per cent of the calories in packed school lunches and 64 per cent in school meals, with calories provided by these foods being 61 per cent of primary pupils' diets and 77 per cent of secondary pupils'.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL1991
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/08/2022 answer text <p>A diet high in processed foods is often high in calories, salt, saturated fat and sugar and low in fibre, which is associated with an increased risk of developing chronic diseases. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) is delivering a range of measures to help address the exposure and consumption of food and drink products high in saturated fat, sugar or salt, including restricting the advertising and promotions of these products, and a sugar reduction and wider reformulation programme.</p><p> </p><p>Further to the work being done by OHID, the department encourages all schools to have a whole school approach to healthy eating, promoting healthy eating and providing healthy, tasty and nutritious food and drink. Compliance with the school food standards is mandatory for all maintained schools, including academies and free schools. The Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014 is available here: <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1603/contents/made" target="_blank">https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1603/contents/made</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Schools may use the school food standards as a guide when writing their packed lunch policies. For example, confectionery is banned throughout the school day and foods high in salt, sugar and fat are restricted. Schools can also confiscate items that are banned by the school rules. More information is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/searching-screening-and-confiscation" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/searching-screening-and-confiscation</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The department also wants to make it easier for parents to feel confident that they are preparing healthy, balanced lunches for their children. Further information such as recipes, tips and swap suggestions for parents are available on the Change4Life website, which is available here: <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/change4life-beta/healthier-lunchboxes" target="_blank">https://www.nhs.uk/change4life-beta/healthier-lunchboxes</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 01/08/2022 13:55:26 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1662214

	registered interest
	date	20/09/2023
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Buildings
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what is the minimum expected lifespan of new schools currently being constructed.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL10342
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2023 answer text <p>All new educational buildings delivered by the department are designed to a robust specification that includes minimum expected lifespan of all components of the building, both externally and internally, based on current construction industry standards.</p><p>The current specification requires the minimum building life expectancy to be 50 years for the key structural components. Most buildings however last much longer with regular maintenance and proper oversight. The school estate has many excellent functioning buildings performing well as education settings from the last 150 years.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 16/10/2023 09:46:08 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1259961

	registered interest
	date	09/12/2020
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Journalism: Public Interest
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to (1) promote, (2) encourage, and (3) support, charitable status for public interest journalism.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL11270
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/12/2020 answer text <p>As set out in the response to the Cairncross Review, published in January 2020, the government has concluded that the current Charities Act system accommodates appropriate options for public interest journalism. Therefore the government has worked with the Charity Commission which has published advice on when undertaking or funding public interest journalism can be charitable. This advice also raises awareness of the more detailed guidance available for those publishers in England and Wales interested in pursuing charitable status.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 22/12/2020 09:39:22 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1195934

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2020
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Culture: Coronavirus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to use the commissioning of public artworks as a mechanism to support the cultural sector during and after the COVID-19 pandemic; and if they have any such plans, how they intend to do so.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL4480
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2020 answer text <p>DCMS is working with partners to ensure all major programmes and policies support the national renewal. Festival 2022 will begin its commissioning phase this year through funded R&amp;D with the sectors, and the Government Art Collection, which directly supports emerging and established British artists and galleries in the visual arts sector through their annual acquisitions budget, is looking to ensure this year’s acquisitions respond to the current situation.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government has already announced an unprecedented package of measures in place to provide immediate and vital support to the cultural sector during this pandemic. These include the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Self Employment Support Scheme, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, business rates relief and cash grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>DCMS has also worked with various Arms Length Bodies to create tailored funding packages to support the cultural sector at this time. Arts Council England has announced a £160m emergency response package to complement the financial measures already announced by the Government and support the resilience of this vital sector. This funding package will support organisations and individuals who need the most support to see them through this crisis.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 22/05/2020 12:46:20 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1403684

	registered interest
	date	17/01/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Air Conditioning
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of classrooms that have windows that cannot be opened; what steps they are taking to address this; and what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of air filtration units in classrooms that do not have a source of fresh air.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL5415
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2022 answer text <p>During the autumn term, the department provided over 350,000 CO2 monitors to all state-funded education settings, including early years, schools, and further education providers, backed by £25 million in government funding. Feedback suggests that schools are finding the monitors helpful to manage ventilation and, in the majority of education providers, existing ventilation measures are sufficient.</p><p>Where an area of poor ventilation has been identified that cannot be resolved through simple measures such as opening doors and windows, schools are advised to explore what remedial works may be required to improve ventilation.</p><p>The department does not hold data on the number of classrooms that have windows that cannot be opened. Maintaining adequate ventilation remains the responsibility of individual education providers. The law says employers, including education and childcare providers, must make sure there is an adequate supply of fresh air (ventilation) in enclosed areas of the workplace. This has not changed during the COVID-19 outbreak. Health and Safety Executive provides more information at: <a href="https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/equipment-and-machinery/air-conditioning-and-ventilation/index.htm" target="_blank">https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/equipment-and-machinery/air-conditioning-and-ventilation/index.htm</a>. Schools, colleges, and universities are expected to plan and prioritise any necessary remedial works within existing budgets. For more substantial capital works, education providers and those responsible for buildings have access to funding to improve the condition of buildings through different routes depending on their size and type.</p><p>Where it is not possible to maintain adequate ventilation, it may be appropriate for education providers to consider the use of an air cleaning unit while the underlying ventilation issue is addressed.</p><p>On 2 January, we announced that we are supplying up to a total of 8,000 air cleaning units to providers. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, is making a new commitment to fulfil all eligible applications from education settings for air cleaning units, and will make up to an additional 1,000 units available to do so. Our decision to make air cleaning units available for poorly ventilated spaces in education providers was informed by advice from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and external consultation with specialists. We have closely monitored the evidence and reviewed the scientific literature, including evidence from SAGE and the Environmental Modelling Group on the application of air cleaning units to manage the transmission of COVID-19. This evidence is available here: <a title="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/939173/s0867_emg_potential_application_of_air_cleaning_devices_and_personal_decontamination_to_manage_transmission_of_covid-19.pdf" href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/939173/S0867_EMG_Potential_application_of_air_cleaning_devices_and_personal_decontamination_to_manage_transmission_of_COVID-19.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/939173/S0867_EMG_Potential_application_of_air_cleaning_devices_and_personal_decontamination_to_manage_transmission_of_COVID-19.pdf</a>.When used properly, air cleaning units can help reduce airborne contaminants in a poorly ventilated space, including viruses like COVID-19.  Air cleaning units are not a substitute for ventilation and should never be used as a reason to reduce ventilation. They are not necessary in spaces that are adequately ventilated. We will continue to develop our policy and guidance on ventilation in line with the latest scientific advice and in consultation with industry-wide experts.</p><p>Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, we have emphasised the importance of ventilation and provided guidance to schools, colleges and universities on ventilation requirements. In addition to our existing guidance on ventilation, we have provided education providers with guidance on how to use the air cleaning units, as well as how to order a unit via the online marketplace. This marketplace is available at: <a href="https://s107t01-webapp-v2-01.azurewebsites.net/list/air-cleaning" target="_blank">https://s107t01-webapp-v2-01.azurewebsites.net/list/air-cleaning</a>.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 26/01/2022 17:34:05 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1651485

	registered interest
	date	10/07/2023
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Ethnic Groups
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of schools with codes on hairstyles that adversely affect school participation among students from ethnic-minority backgrounds; and what plans they have to ensure that all such codes are abolished.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL9198
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2023 answer text <p>Every school in England has existing legal obligations not to discriminate unlawfully on the grounds of a protected characteristic. It is for the governing board of a school to decide whether there should be a school uniform policy and if so, what it should be.</p><p>The department has not made an assessment of the number of schools with codes on hairstyles.</p><p>The department has published non statutory guidance to help schools to consider their equalities responsibilities in relation to uniform policies. The guidance is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms</a>.</p><p>In addition, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, with support from the Race Disparity Unit in the Cabinet Office, have produced guidance, which can be found here: <a href="https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/advice-and-guidance/preventing-hair-discrimination-schools" target="_blank">https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/advice-and-guidance/preventing-hair-discrimination-schools</a>.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 24/07/2023 12:09:38 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1613043

	registered interest
	date	20/04/2023
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Teachers: Training
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what funds are specifically allocated to, or are available for, the training of industry specialists to become teachers and further education lecturers.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL7330
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/05/2023 answer text <p>For those starting initial teacher training (ITT) in the 2023/24 academic year, the department is offering bursaries worth up to £27,000 and scholarships worth up to £29,000 to encourage talented trainees to apply to train in key subjects such as chemistry, computing, mathematics, and physics.</p><p>The department is exploring new ways to recruit trainee teachers in subjects where there is a shortage. For example, we are introducing a new scholarship to attract the most talented language graduates to the profession.</p><p>Alongside our financial levers, the department is continuing to invest in attracting the best teachers where they are needed most. For example, we have rolled out a new ITT course designed to support more engineers to teach physics. The department also awarded a contract of approximately £3 million to Now Teach in 2021 for the delivery of a National Career Changer Programme. Now Teach supports experienced professionals with significant previous employment and industry experience, who may not otherwise consider teaching, to transfer their skills to the classroom during ITT and their first year as an Early Career Teacher.</p><p>Teachers in the further education (FE) sector are often ‘dual professionals’ who have valuable experience and expertise from industry and business. To support the recruitment of more such specialists into FE teaching roles, our flagship Taking Teaching Further Programme offers fully funded early career support, including a teacher training qualification, mentor support, and a reduced timetable in the first two years of teaching, worth up to £18,200 per trainee. In addition, the Taking Teaching Further Programme offer has been enhanced with the trialling of a new financial incentive, worth £6,000 per trainee, over two years, targeted at the most hard-to-fill vacancies. Backed by up to £15 million of investment across the next two years, 710 Taking Teaching Further places will be available, with up to half attracting the new financial incentive.</p><p>Bursaries worth up to £29,000 each, tax-free, are available to those training to teach in a range of priority subjects in the FE sector, including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Relevant professional experience is taken into account when assessing candidates’ eligibility for these bursaries, making them appropriate for people with industry expertise looking to retrain as teachers. The bursaries programme for the 2023/24 academic year is now open for applications.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 04/05/2023 15:45:14 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1688786

	registered interest
	date	12/02/2024
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Universities: Research
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any risk to the UK's status as a location for research presented by the planned closure of the anthropology department of the University of Kent, particularly with regard to ethnobotany; and what broader assessment they have made of any risk posed by the closure of significant numbers of departments and faculties at universities.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL2379
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2024 answer text <p>Higher education providers are independent, autonomous institutions and are best placed to make decisions about the future focus of their research and their institutional strategy. Where it is necessary to reshape their activities, it is important that universities carefully consider the impact of job losses on staff and students, and the overall sustainability of teaching and research in this country.</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><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 26/02/2024 12:30:13 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1668655

	registered interest
	date	08/11/2023
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Concrete
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will be providing funding to schools which identified safety issues relating to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete and which began or finished the relevant repair work before July to fully cover the cost of such work.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL91
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2023 answer text <p>It is the responsibility of those who run schools - academy trusts, local authorities and voluntary-aided school bodies - to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert the department if there is a serious concern with a building. It has always been the case that where the department is made aware a building may pose an immediate risk, immediate action is taken.</p><p>The department will spend what it takes to keep children safe. The department will fund emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary.</p><p>The department will fund refurbishment projects, or rebuilding projects where these are needed, to remove RAAC from the school estate. Schools and colleges will either be offered capital grants or rebuilding projects where these are needed, including through the School Rebuilding Programme. The department will set out further details for affected schools and colleges in due course.</p><p>The department will carefully consider claims submitted by responsible bodies for essential RAAC related works, taking into account the particular circumstances of each case.</p><p>The department recognises that some responsible bodies will already have carried out emergency mitigation works, where RAAC was deemed ‘critical,’ based on the advice of the department’s surveys or from other qualified professionals, and in most cases we will reimburse these costs.</p><p>Prior to 31 August 2023, the point at which the department’s advice on the risks of RAAC changed, some responsible bodies or schools may also have chosen to take action on RAAC in their buildings where it wasn’t deemed critical, and others may have chosen to go further and removed RAAC entirely. In these cases, as with any other capital works, the responsible bodies will have taken decisions as part of their own estate strategy, based on their assessment of any professional advice they'd received and the affordability of the project.</p><p>This work would typically have been funded through annual capital funding provided by the department to the sector, or from other sources of funding, such as a responsible body’s reserves. In these cases, the department is not providing additional funding to the funding the responsible bodies will have used to pay for the work.</p><p>In addition to the department’s support on RAAC, the department has committed £1.8 billion of capital funding for the 2023/24 financial year to improve the condition of school buildings, as part of over £15 billion allocated since 2015. Alongside this, the department will transform poor condition buildings at 500 schools and sixth form colleges over the coming decade through the School Rebuilding Programme.</p><p>The department will always put the safety and wellbeing of children and staff in schools and colleges at the heart of its policy decisions. The government has taken more proactive action to identify and mitigate RAAC in education settings than the devolved administrations in the UK, or indeed, governments overseas.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 22/11/2023 17:57:46 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle