Contributions
793 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDEducation: Special Educational Needs BudgetMy Lords, I cannot answer that specific question but I am happy to write to my noble friend on the matter. As I mentioned earlier, we are carrying out a review of the SEN code of…17 Oct 2019HANSARDEducation: Special Educational Needs BudgetMy Lords, I strongly object to the policy of the very limited number of schools that are doing this. There is absolutely no need for it; any school that feels the need to do it…17 Oct 2019HANSARDEducation: Special Educational Needs BudgetI respectfully disagree with the noble Lord, because while local authorities lose a proportion of these appeals, they do not lose the entirety of each appeal. For example, a…17 Oct 2019HANSARDEducation: Special Educational Needs BudgetMy Lords, it is absolutely a priority for this Government; that is why we have just announced a very substantial 8% increase per head of population for those aged between two and…17 Oct 2019HANSARDEducation: Special Educational Needs BudgetMy Lords, we allow transfers of up to 0.5% from local authorities’ mainstream school budgets to pay for special needs education. This requires agreement from the local schools…17 Oct 2019HANSARDEducation: Special Educational Needs BudgetMy Lords, part of the reason for the very substantial increase in funding we have just announced is to provide more resources. I certainly cannot promise unlimited resources for…17 Oct 2019HANSARDEducation: Special Educational Needs BudgetMy Lords, I am very happy to accede to the request of the noble Lord, Lord Blunkett, to do that, and I will carry out some inquiries.17 Oct 2019HANSARDEducation: Special Educational Needs BudgetMy noble friend is correct that local authorities should not impede parents who want particular solutions. That is why, when the EHC legislation came through in 2014, we put…17 Oct 2019HANSARDNewcastle Upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland Combined Authority (Adult Education Functions) Order 2019My Lords, I thank all noble Lords for their contributions to this discussion on the statutory instrument. I will endeavour to answer as many of the questions as I can. The noble…01 Oct 2019HANSARDNewcastle Upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland Combined Authority (Adult Education Functions) Order 2019I am afraid I am going to have to disappoint the noble Lord. Those decisions were taken above my pay grade. I can assure him that the further education brief is given full support…01 Oct 2019HANSARDNewcastle Upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland Combined Authority (Adult Education Functions) Order 2019That the draft Order laid before the House on 22 July be approved.01 Oct 2019HANSARDNewcastle Upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland Combined Authority (Adult Education Functions) Order 2019My Lords, this order will provide for the transfer of certain adult education functions and associated adult education budget to the combined authority and provides an opportunity…01 Oct 2019HANSARDNational School Breakfast ProgrammeI come back to my answer to an earlier question. As I said, there is the top line and the micro line. Why are these families struggling? I disagree with the noble Lord opposite…05 Sept 2019HANSARDNational School Breakfast ProgrammeThe noble Baroness makes important points. There is both a macro and a micro issue here. For example, today I looked at the LIFFE futures price for wheat: it is £130 a tonne. When…05 Sept 2019HANSARDNational School Breakfast ProgrammeThe noble Lord is quite right. I should perhaps declare my own interest as someone who grows 3,500 tonnes of sugar beet every year. Of course, a lot of that sugar does not go to…05 Sept 2019HANSARDNational School Breakfast ProgrammeMy Lords, first, we very much look forward to the general election and at the moment it is the Labour Opposition who are blocking it. Let us deal with the core issues. We know…05 Sept 2019HANSARDNational School Breakfast ProgrammeI completely agree with the noble Lord on the importance of a healthy breakfast for children—there is masses of evidence to support the benefits. It improves concentration and…05 Sept 2019HANSARDNational School Breakfast ProgrammeMy Lords, as I said, any decision to renew the contract for this national school breakfast programme will be part of this year’s spending round, of which headline details were…05 Sept 2019HANSARDNational School Breakfast ProgrammeMy Lords, the department is investing up to £26 million in a breakfast club programme, using funds from the soft drinks industry levy. This money will kick-start or improve…05 Sept 2019HANSARDEducation FundingThe noble Baroness raises important points. It may be worth summarising some of the specific funding coming into the FE sector, because I know that she is a passionate supporter…03 Sept 2019