Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many looked-after children are non-UK EU nationals.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The department does not hold information on the nationality of looked-after children in England. However, estimates suggest that there may be around 5,000 children in care who are non-UK EU nationals.
We recognise that looked-after children who are non-UK EU nationals will require support with immigration issues. It is important that local authorities offer the necessary support by addressing these issues early as part of any assessment and care plan. In doing so, local authorities can seek legal advice about the appropriate action based on the circumstances of the individual looked-after child.
Legislation will also be introduced to bring immigration matters for separated migrant children into the scope of legal aid, meaning that this group will get support in securing their immigration rights. Legal aid may also be available through the Exceptional Case Funding scheme where a failure to provide legal aid would breach, or risk breaching, European Court of Human Rights law rights or enforceable EU law rights.
Ensuring that looked-after children are supported to obtain a status under the European Union Settlement Scheme is a core element in the delivery of the scheme.
Local authorities are expected to make applications on behalf of all eligible looked-after children for whom they have parental responsibility and to raise awareness of the scheme and offer support as required for looked-after children for whom they do not hold parental responsibility.
Guidance has been issued to local authorities to help them with these responsibilities.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support local authorities give to looked-after children who are non-UK EU nationals to apply for (1) residency, (2) citizenship, and (3) settled status.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The department does not hold information on the nationality of looked-after children in England. However, estimates suggest that there may be around 5,000 children in care who are non-UK EU nationals.
We recognise that looked-after children who are non-UK EU nationals will require support with immigration issues. It is important that local authorities offer the necessary support by addressing these issues early as part of any assessment and care plan. In doing so, local authorities can seek legal advice about the appropriate action based on the circumstances of the individual looked-after child.
Legislation will also be introduced to bring immigration matters for separated migrant children into the scope of legal aid, meaning that this group will get support in securing their immigration rights. Legal aid may also be available through the Exceptional Case Funding scheme where a failure to provide legal aid would breach, or risk breaching, European Court of Human Rights law rights or enforceable EU law rights.
Ensuring that looked-after children are supported to obtain a status under the European Union Settlement Scheme is a core element in the delivery of the scheme.
Local authorities are expected to make applications on behalf of all eligible looked-after children for whom they have parental responsibility and to raise awareness of the scheme and offer support as required for looked-after children for whom they do not hold parental responsibility.
Guidance has been issued to local authorities to help them with these responsibilities.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of uprating the salaries of (1) NHS nurses, and (2) those working in the social care sector in England to £30,000 or more.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Department has made no estimate of the costs of uprating the salaries of National Health Service nurses and those working in the social care sector in England to £30,000 or more.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many NHS nurses in England earn less than £30,000 per year; and what proportion of all NHS nurses in England this represents.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce statistics for England. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), but not staff working in primary care or in general practitioner surgeries, local authorities or other providers.
Nurses’ earnings are made up of basic pay plus, where applicable, unsocial hours payments, on call payments and high cost area supplements.
The latest figures at June 2018 show that almost 60% of nurses receive unsocial hours payments in addition to their basic pay.
The following table shows nurses and health visitors whose total annual earnings is under £30,000, in National Health Service trusts, CCGs, support organisations and central bodies in England, between 31 July 2017 and 30 June 2018, headcount and percentage:
All nurses and health visitors | Nurses and health visitors whose total annual earnings are under £30,000 | Proportion of nurses and health visitors whose total annual earnings are under £30,000 |
258,676 | 107,715 | 41.6% |
These figures use the total annual earnings of staff which includes basic pay and non-basic pay elements. These total figures include staff working on a part time basis, who tend to have lower annual earnings than those on full time contracts.
Basic pay data has been extracted at a point in time, whereas total earnings include data from staff working throughout the period. This explains the discrepancies in the total number of nurses and health visitors.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how many of those working in the social care sector in England earn less than £30,000 per year; and what proportion of all those working in that sector in England this represents.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The data is not available in the format requested.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to negotiate with the EU an offer to UK citizens living outside of Northern Ireland but in Great Britain the opportunity to become EU citizens.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
EU treaty provisions make clear that only citizens of EU Member States are able to hold EU citizenship. Therefore, when the UK ceases to be a member of the European Union, British nationals will no longer hold EU citizenship, unless they hold dual nationality with another EU Member State.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 5 January (HL3922), whether they have given any further consideration to systematically finding out the views of the British population on the nature of a negotiated Brexit, such as through citizens' assemblies.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As stated by the Prime Minister and again in my answer on 5th July, the Government is committed to securing the best possible deal for the United Kingdom - a deal that works for all parts of the UK and the UK economy. The British people voted to leave the EU and we will deliver on their instruction. However, we will continue to engage on EU exit issues with a wide range of organisations from all sectors including academia, businesses and industry bodies, as well as the public, in order to inform our negotiations with the EU.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how many children of the Windrush generation who had been in local authority care now have an uncertain legal residency status; and what steps they are taking to clarify the status of such people.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Information about children of the Windrush generation who had been in local authority care is not automatically reported to the Home Office.
We are fully committed to helping all members of the Windrush generation who have faced difficulties to evidence their status in the UK and are making that process as straightforward as possible. A dedicated Home Office taskforce has been set up to help them and other long-term residents to evidence their right to be in the UK and to access the necessary services and benefits. Individuals can contact the Home Office, by telephone on 0800 678 1925 or by emailing commonwealthtaskforce@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk.
We have also put in place additional protection for landlords, employers and others conducting checks in order to ensure we are not denying work, housing, benefits and services to Commonwealth migrants who have been long-term residents of the UK.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to provide funding for citizens' assemblies on Brexit to consider the public's views on the nature of the UK's future relationship with the EU; and if not, why not.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Stakeholder engagement is a central element of our plan to build a national consensus around our negotiating position. Ministers from across Government have carried out extensive engagement on EU exit - with local authorities, businesses and industry bodies from all sectors of the economy and all regions of the UK, and with civil society groups including consumer bodies, trade unions, charities and academia. This dialogue will continue as the UK prepares to leave the EU.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the University College London Constitution Unit report Citizens' Assembly on Brexit.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government notes the report published by University College London Constitution Unit Citizens' Assembly on Brexit.
As the PM has stated on many occasions, the Government is committed to securing the best possible deal for the United Kingdom - a deal that works for all parts of the UK and UK economy. We are engaging on EU exit issues with a wide range of organisations from all sectors including academia, businesses and industry bodies, as well as the public, in order to inform our negotiations with the EU.