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1,330 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDFree School MealsThe noble Baroness is talking about the changes to the transitional protections: as she knows, phase one has now come to an end. To reassure families, no pupil will feel any…02 Apr 2025HANSARDFree School MealsWe are already taking action, as I suggested, through widening the ability of people to use the eligibility checker, by ensuring that there is better sharing of data with local…02 Apr 2025HANSARDFree School MealsMy noble friend makes an important point about how we can smooth the process to ensure that people are able to gain their entitlement. We recognise—as my noble friend does—the…02 Apr 2025HANSARDFree School MealsI suspect that there are ways in which AI could help. As we talk to stakeholders and others who are involved in trying to encourage the full take-up of free school meal…02 Apr 2025HANSARDFree School MealsMy Lords, we want to ensure that all families who need it get the support they are entitled to, which is why we make claiming free school meals simple through the provision of an…02 Apr 2025HANSARDAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundI am sure that all noble Lords will recognise the very important role played by the adoption and special guardianship support fund, which provides valuable therapeutic support to…02 Apr 2025HANSARDAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundAs I pointed out, for individual children there was transitional support for therapy that they had got permission to receive from last year into this year. However, I concede that…02 Apr 2025HANSARDAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundThe noble Lord is right. As I say, I do regret the concern that there has been among adoptive parents and those with special guardianship orders about the certainty of the support…02 Apr 2025HANSARDAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundWe want to come forward quickly with information about how new applications can be made, and I will be happy to share details of that with the House. I understand that, when…02 Apr 2025HANSARDAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundI think the noble Baroness answered the question in her question. We have announced £50 million for this financial year and, as part of the coming spending review, we will look to…02 Apr 2025HANSARDAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundI am looking forward to 1 May, when we can start the adventure of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. I am undertaking to continue my learning about the provisions within…02 Apr 2025HANSARDUniversities: Free SpeechMy noble friend is exactly right: it is wholly possible to carry out the sort of important research that the noble Baroness referenced, including in the area of gender-critical…01 Apr 2025HANSARDUniversities: Free SpeechThe reason we have a world-leading higher education sector in this country is the excellence of the academic research and teaching that is carried out in the sector. It is…01 Apr 2025HANSARDUniversities: Free SpeechThe relationship between the functions that the noble Baroness outlines is not necessarily unusual for regulatory bodies. I am sure that the Office for Students in particular…01 Apr 2025HANSARDUniversities: Free SpeechIt is wholly wrong if those events are not able to take place on our campuses or if there is interference in the very important research that our universities are taking part in.…01 Apr 2025HANSARDUniversities: Free SpeechI was able to discuss that directly with Jewish students at a Friday evening dinner event hosted by the University of Birmingham’s Jewish Society, which I attended here at the…01 Apr 2025HANSARDUniversities: Free SpeechMy Lords, the regulatory case report to which the noble Baroness referred underlines the importance of good governance and academic freedom in higher education. The Office for…01 Apr 2025HANSARDUniversities: Free SpeechI have met with some of the signatories of that letter. The measures we are implementing as part of the wider freedom of speech Act will further strengthen protections from…01 Apr 2025HANSARDUniversities: Free SpeechThe noble Lord is right that part of the ruling was about the specifics of the University of Sussex’s trans and non-binary policy and its failure to recognise the requirements on…01 Apr 2025HANSARDUniversities: Free SpeechThe noble Baroness is right that we have robustly defended academic freedom. We believe that universities are places where academics need to be able to express and research…01 Apr 2025