Contributions
3,240 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDChildren’s Care Homes: Private EquityThe noble Lord will be aware that the Competition and Markets Authority has already done a great deal of work in this area and has made recommendations which are behind our…30 Jan 2024HANSARDChildren’s Care Homes: Private EquityMy noble friend pointed to a more fundamental question, namely: why have local authorities and charities, which used to provide these services, stepped back in a world where the…30 Jan 2024HANSARDChildren’s Care Homes: Private EquityI am not aware of the specific cases the noble Lord referred to, and it is dangerous to generalise in this area. We have seen disgraceful behaviour by some providers—noble Lords…30 Jan 2024HANSARDSchools: Persistent AbsenteeismThe Government look at both the impact of mental health support on students and the financial impacts. As the noble Baroness knows, we are working with the Department of Health…24 Jan 2024HANSARDSchools: Persistent AbsenteeismI cannot accept entirely my noble friend’s assertion, because persistent absence, which the noble Baroness’s Question points to, has more than doubled since the start of the…24 Jan 2024HANSARDSchools: Persistent AbsenteeismI share many of the noble Lord’s concerns and am more than happy to follow up on his points.24 Jan 2024HANSARDSchools: Persistent AbsenteeismI am interested by the right reverend Prelate’s suggestion and the suggestion from the charity she refers to. One of the things I hear a lot in schools is the importance of a…24 Jan 2024HANSARDSchools: Persistent AbsenteeismMy Lords, tackling attendance and persistent absence is a top priority for my right honourable friend the Secretary of State and all her ministerial team. We have a team of…24 Jan 2024HANSARDSchools: Persistent AbsenteeismI think we have to be careful: without question, mental health and anxiety have increased from the pandemic and the disruption that children experienced but, equally, a prolonged…24 Jan 2024HANSARDSchools: Persistent AbsenteeismDisadvantage has always been, and sadly continues to be, a major element in whether a child attends. However, we really need to look at those schools in areas of particular…24 Jan 2024HANSARDSchools: Persistent AbsenteeismI thank my noble friend for his question. The data that the department is now collecting daily from about 88% of schools in the country—we are shortly going to make that…24 Jan 2024HANSARDSchools: Persistent AbsenteeismI think the essence of the noble Baroness’s question is about funding for schools; I remind her that funding for schools is the highest it has been in real terms per pupil in…24 Jan 2024HANSARDChildcareI hear the concerns of the noble Baroness about space and staff, although I would point out that we believe the growth in demand for places will be at its greatest towards the…22 Jan 2024HANSARDChildcareI think the noble Baroness is aware of a number of the measures that we have announced. She raises the issue of too few providers, but she will be aware that last year the number…22 Jan 2024HANSARDChildcareMy Lords, I will now repeat the Answer given to an Urgent Question in another place. “My Lords, this Government are rolling out the single largest expansion in childcare in…22 Jan 2024HANSARDChildcareI could not agree more, but I stress, again, that the vast majority of local authorities have informed their providers and we are working closely with the remaining ones to urge…22 Jan 2024HANSARDChildcareWe will shortly be launching a new national campaign that will be broadcast across a number of different channels to try to boost interest in the early years sector. Having been…22 Jan 2024HANSARDChildcareThe noble Lord raises an important point, and he will be aware that, at the end of November 2023, we published the local authority-level hourly funding rates. Of course, it is up…22 Jan 2024HANSARDChildcareI addressed this in answer to the question from the noble Lord, Lord Kennedy. In November last year, we gave all local authorities their funding rates. It is for them then to…22 Jan 2024HANSARDChildcareI thank my noble friend for his question. I too have seen those reports, although our understanding in the department is that the vast majority of providers behave extremely…22 Jan 2024