House of Lords Written Answers and Statements
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Session 2019-21 Tuesday No. 181 2 February 2021 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS WRITTEN STATEMENTS AND WRITTEN ANSWERS Written Statements ................................ ................ 1 Written Answers ................................ ..................... 2 [I] indicates that the member concerned has a relevant registered interest. The full register of interests can be found at http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/standards-and-interests/register-of-lords-interests/ Members who want a printed copy of Written Answers and Written Statements should notify the Printed Paper Office. This printed edition is a reproduction of the original text of Answers and Statements, which can be found on the internet at http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/. Ministers and others who make Statements or answer Questions are referred to only by name, not their ministerial or other title. The current list of ministerial and other responsibilities is as follows. Minister Responsibilities Baroness Evans of Bowes Park Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal Earl Howe Deputy Leader of the House of Lords Lord Agnew of Oulton Minister of State, Treasury and Cabinet Office Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Lord Ashton of Hyde Chief Whip Baroness Barran Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Baroness Berridge Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Department for International Trade Lord Bethell Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Whip Waldrist Lord Callanan Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Earl of Courtown Deputy Chief Whip Lord Gardiner of Kimble Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Baroness Goldie Minister of State, Ministry of Defence Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Lord Greenhalgh Minister of State, Home Office and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Lord Grimstone of Boscobel Minister of State, Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Department for International Trade Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay Whip Baroness Penn Whip Baroness Scott of Bybrook Whip Baroness Stedman-Scott Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions Lord Stewart of Dirleton Advocate-General for Scotland Lord True Minister of State, Cabinet Office Baroness Vere of Norbiton Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport Baroness Williams of Trafford Minister of State, Home Office Lord Wolfson of Tredegar Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Justice Viscount Younger of Leckie Whip © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2021 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/ Written Statements 2 February 2021 Page 1 will allow providers to build on measures that are already Written Statements in place. Tuesday, 2 February 2021 I welcome the news that a number of universities and large accommodation providers have already offered rent Higher Education: Student Hardship refunds for students who have been asked to stay away from their accommodation. Whilst universities and Funding private accommodation providers are autonomous and [HLWS748] responsible for setting their own rental agreements, the Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: My honourable government is encouraging universities and large-scale friend the Minister of State for Universities (Michelle private accommodation providers that have not yet done Donelan) has made the following Written Ministerial so to offer refunds or other financial compensation. The Statement. government is also encouraging all providers of student accommodation to make sure their accommodation The government recognises that this academic year has policies have students’ best interests at heart. We also been incredibly difficult for students. We asked most urge them to communicate their policies clearly and to be students not to return to campus at the beginning of this fair. term because of the need to reduce the transmission of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and because of concern about I realise that this year has been incredibly difficult for the effect of the coronavirus variant. This has prevented students, staff and their families, and I want to assure many students from reoccupying their term-time them that their welfare is our top priority. The measures accommodation following the Christmas break. Many set out here aim to target support at those students with students remain at their non-term-time locations and are the greatest need and we will continue to monitor the accessing their teaching online at present. As a result of situation to look at what impact this funding is having. I these exceptional circumstances, some students are facing want to thank universities for their tireless work to ensure financial hardship, with some now incurring additional that students do not have to put their lives or academic costs at their alternative address. These challenges were journeys on hold. acknowledged by the Prime Minister on 7 January. I have now announced that we will be making available Publication of “The Economics of an additional £50m of hardship funding this financial Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review” year. In total we have made £70m of funding available for [HLWS749] student hardship given the £20m made available to higher Lord Agnew of Oulton: My honourable friend the education providers in December. The funding will be Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Kemi Badenoch) distributed by the Office for Students to universities, who has today made the following Written Ministerial will have flexibility in how they award the funding to Statement. students, including international students, in a way that will best prioritise those in greatest need. Providers are At Spring Statement 2019, the government best placed to assess student hardship locally. As an commissioned an independent, global review on the example, support might include assistance for students economics of biodiversity. Today, The Economics of facing additional costs arising from having to maintain Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review, has been published. accommodation in more than one location, or an inability At the start of an important year for global action to to maintain their employment – potentially in a job based tackle biodiversity loss and climate change, the close to their term-time accommodation – if they are not government thanks Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta for his able to access the Coronavirus Job Retention Support independent Review and welcomes its publication as a Scheme (CJRS). Alternatively, support may include help strong example of UK thought leadership on an important for students to access teaching remotely, or for students environmental issue with clear – but often overlooked – who have already applied for hardship funding previously economic consequences. The government will examine but now need additional support. We are working with the the Review’s findings and respond formally in due Office for Students to allocate these funds and further course. detail will be set out in due course. The Review is published on I am extremely grateful for the work universities and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/final-report- other higher education providers are doing to support the-economics-of-biodiversity-the-dasgupta-review and a students during these unprecedented times. This funding copy will be placed in the House Libraries. Page 2 2 February 2021 Written Answers Written Answers Apprentices: Remote Education Asked by Lord Watson of Invergowrie Tuesday, 2 February 2021 To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to ensure that any apprentices from Aircraft Carriers disadvantaged backgrounds receive access to any (1) laptops, and (2) broadband connections, required for Asked by Lord West of Spithead them to complete assessments and functional skills tests To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remotely. [HL12320] Written Answer by Baroness Goldie on 19 January Baroness Berridge: We are committed to supporting (HL12039), whether any of those witnesses have ever apprentices and employers to safely continue with, and served in the British Armed Forces on a (1) carrier, complete, their programmes during the COVID-19 or (2) warship, conducting military operations. outbreak. [HL12326] Following the announcement of a new national Baroness Goldie: The witnesses of the Carrier Strike lockdown on 4 January 2021, employers and training oral evidence hearing to the Public Accounts Committee providers must ensure that training and assessment takes on 28 September 2020, have not served in the British place remotely. Face-to-face training and assessment can Armed Forces on a carrier, or warship, conducting continue for vulnerable young apprentices – which military operations. includes 16- to 18-year-olds who may have difficulty engaging with remote training and assessment at home due to a lack of IT equipment or connectivity – and in Apprentices: Assessments employers’ COVID-secure settings where it is essential for workers to attend their workplace, and where it is safe Asked