Contributions
1,330 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDErasmus+My Lords, the Government have not proposed any plans for rejoining the Erasmus+ programme. However, we will work to reset the relationship with our European friends, strengthen…12 Sept 2024HANSARDHigher Education FundingMy Lords, I too am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Krebs, for bringing to the House’s attention today the important matter of higher education funding. I also very much welcome…12 Sept 2024HANSARDErasmus+I can reassure the noble Baroness that the resetting of our relationship with our European friends has been very clearly identified by the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary…12 Sept 2024HANSARDIndependent Review of Children’s Social CareMy noble friend has certainly identified a challenge, where providers of placements and homes for children focus more on profit than on the quality that is being provided to those…09 Sept 2024HANSARDIndependent Review of Children’s Social CareThe noble Baroness makes a very important point. The Local Government Association also found that, whereas in 2022-23 91% of councils that responded spent at least £10,000 per…09 Sept 2024HANSARDIndependent Review of Children’s Social CareThe noble Baroness is right. I have recently been in a position to talk to children in social care in Sandwell and she is absolutely right, as one of their top concerns is not…09 Sept 2024HANSARDIndependent Review of Children’s Social CareGiven the noble Lord’s enormously distinguished career in this area and his contribution to ensuring that children are kept safe, I think the whole House will listen to what he…09 Sept 2024HANSARDIndependent Review of Children’s Social CareMy Lords, reforming children’s social care is critical to giving hundreds of thousands of children and young people the best start in life. It is also necessary to achieve…09 Sept 2024HANSARDIndependent Review of Children’s Social CareMy noble friend is right, I am afraid, in his description of the enormous challenge in children’s social care at the moment, particularly by identifying the role of Ofsted. As I…09 Sept 2024HANSARDIndependent Review of Children’s Social CareThe noble Lord is right: for many children the stability that comes from being in a loving family with foster care is absolutely appropriate for them. Therefore, it is…09 Sept 2024HANSARDIndependent Schools: VAT ExemptionI apologise to the noble and learned Baroness: with respect, I was showing my inexperience in this House and asking my Whip about the situation. If the House will allow, could the…05 Sept 2024HANSARDIndependent Schools: VAT ExemptionI explained that, to improve state education—where 93% of our pupils are educated—and meet the aspirations of the parents who send their children to those schools, we need to find…05 Sept 2024HANSARDIndependent Schools: VAT ExemptionI think I covered that point in talking about the arguments for introducing this in January, while also making it clear that it is the Government’s view that introducing the VAT…05 Sept 2024HANSARDOfstedThe noble Lord is right to outline the comments made by the coroner in the case of the tragic death of Ruth Perry and by the Education Select Committee in another place about the…05 Sept 2024HANSARDOfstedI strongly agree with my noble friend, particularly on the points about how very good existing school leaders can support school improvement more widely and about learning from…05 Sept 2024HANSARDOfstedThe noble Lord is absolutely right, and I suspect Members of this House understand the danger of being messed up by too many words. This is the beginning of a process, so the…05 Sept 2024HANSARDIndependent Schools: VAT ExemptionNo—the noble Lord has had the opportunity to have his say, and I want to respond to as many of the points that have been made as possible. Private education is not an option for…05 Sept 2024HANSARDIndependent Schools: VAT ExemptionI have sat down.05 Sept 2024HANSARDIndependent Schools: VAT ExemptionMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Lexden, for opening this debate, and I am grateful for the many contributions. I will do my best to respond to as many as I can in the time…05 Sept 2024HANSARDIndependent Schools: VAT ExemptionMy noble friend is right, and I am very proud of that. Our position, as I said, has been tested in the legal advice in the consideration of these changes. Our view is that being…05 Sept 2024