Asked by: Baroness Berridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to introduce a Mental Health Bill, as proposed by the then Prime Minister in May 2017.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Baroness Berridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Bellamy on 28 March (HL Deb col 121), what options are being considered to properly support jurors adversely affected by sitting on a jury.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Jury service is one of the most important civic duties that anyone can be asked to undertake and we greatly value the contribution of jurors to the criminal justice system. We are currently looking at what more can be done to support jurors who may find their service distressing. Part of this work is to better understand the issue, including potentially commissioning research, so that we can identify how that need could be most appropriately met. Officials are working with HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and will consult as necessary with other stakeholders such as the judiciary on this matter. The Government is not yet in a position to indicate a definite timetable for this work.
In addition to this work, we are drawing up guidance to assist any courts that are looking to offer additional support to a jury panel, to ensure that whatever support is offered is appropriate and as consistent as possible across England and Wales. This guidance should be available by the summer.
Asked by: Baroness Berridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Bellamy on 28 March (HL Deb col 121), which stakeholders and other participants in criminal trials they are consulting on the options to offer better support to those taking part in such criminal trials.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Jury service is one of the most important civic duties that anyone can be asked to undertake and we greatly value the contribution of jurors to the criminal justice system. We are currently looking at what more can be done to support jurors who may find their service distressing. Part of this work is to better understand the issue, including potentially commissioning research, so that we can identify how that need could be most appropriately met. Officials are working with HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and will consult as necessary with other stakeholders such as the judiciary on this matter. The Government is not yet in a position to indicate a definite timetable for this work.
In addition to this work, we are drawing up guidance to assist any courts that are looking to offer additional support to a jury panel, to ensure that whatever support is offered is appropriate and as consistent as possible across England and Wales. This guidance should be available by the summer.
Asked by: Baroness Berridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Bellamy on 28 March (HL Deb col 121), how long the consideration of options to properly support jurors adversely affected by sitting on a jury will take.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Jury service is one of the most important civic duties that anyone can be asked to undertake and we greatly value the contribution of jurors to the criminal justice system. We are currently looking at what more can be done to support jurors who may find their service distressing. Part of this work is to better understand the issue, including potentially commissioning research, so that we can identify how that need could be most appropriately met. Officials are working with HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and will consult as necessary with other stakeholders such as the judiciary on this matter. The Government is not yet in a position to indicate a definite timetable for this work.
In addition to this work, we are drawing up guidance to assist any courts that are looking to offer additional support to a jury panel, to ensure that whatever support is offered is appropriate and as consistent as possible across England and Wales. This guidance should be available by the summer.
Asked by: Baroness Berridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Bellamy on 28 March (HL Deb col 121), what research they have commissioned on the psychological effects on jurors of their jury service.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Jury service is one of the most important civic duties that anyone can be asked to undertake and we greatly value the contribution of jurors to the criminal justice system. We are currently looking at what more can be done to support jurors who may find their service distressing. Part of this work is to better understand the issue, including potentially commissioning research, so that we can identify how that need could be most appropriately met. Officials are working with HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and will consult as necessary with other stakeholders such as the judiciary on this matter. The Government is not yet in a position to indicate a definite timetable for this work.
In addition to this work, we are drawing up guidance to assist any courts that are looking to offer additional support to a jury panel, to ensure that whatever support is offered is appropriate and as consistent as possible across England and Wales. This guidance should be available by the summer.
Asked by: Baroness Berridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many children entitled to free school meals were not provided with a meal or its equivalent when their school was closed due to adverse weather conditions in the last 12 months.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Schools have a duty to provide Free School Meals (FSM) for registered pupils, either on school premises or at any other place where education is being provided. If the school is closed due to extreme weather and/or extenuating circumstances, and education is not being provided for pupils elsewhere, then the school would not be expected to provide free school meals.
Where meals are provided, our guidance advises schools to work with their school catering team or food provider to provide good quality lunch parcels. Where this is not practicable, schools may make local arrangements to supply vouchers.
The Department does not keep records of which schools make meal or voucher provision during periods of closure, nor the number of pupils supported under such arrangements.
Around 1.9 million pupils are claiming FSM. Together with a further 1.25 million infants supported through UIFSM policy, over one third of school children are now provided with a free meal, at a cost of over £1 billion a year. The department currently has generous protections in place, ensuring that eligible pupils keep their FSM entitlement even if their household circumstances improve.
Asked by: Baroness Berridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many of the schools in England that had days of closure due to weather conditions in the last 12 months provided vouchers to replace Free School Meals to their pupils.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Schools have a duty to provide Free School Meals (FSM) for registered pupils, either on school premises or at any other place where education is being provided. If the school is closed due to extreme weather and/or extenuating circumstances, and education is not being provided for pupils elsewhere, then the school would not be expected to provide free school meals.
Where meals are provided, our guidance advises schools to work with their school catering team or food provider to provide good quality lunch parcels. Where this is not practicable, schools may make local arrangements to supply vouchers.
The Department does not keep records of which schools make meal or voucher provision during periods of closure, nor the number of pupils supported under such arrangements.
Around 1.9 million pupils are claiming FSM. Together with a further 1.25 million infants supported through UIFSM policy, over one third of school children are now provided with a free meal, at a cost of over £1 billion a year. The department currently has generous protections in place, ensuring that eligible pupils keep their FSM entitlement even if their household circumstances improve.
Asked by: Baroness Berridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many schools in England have a voucher system in operation that can be used to replace free school meals in the event of unexpected school closure.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Schools have a duty to provide Free School Meals (FSM) for registered pupils, either on school premises or at any other place where education is being provided. If the school is closed due to extreme weather and/or extenuating circumstances, and education is not being provided for pupils elsewhere, then the school would not be expected to provide free school meals.
Where meals are provided, our guidance advises schools to work with their school catering team or food provider to provide good quality lunch parcels. Where this is not practicable, schools may make local arrangements to supply vouchers.
The Department does not keep records of which schools make meal or voucher provision during periods of closure, nor the number of pupils supported under such arrangements.
Around 1.9 million pupils are claiming FSM. Together with a further 1.25 million infants supported through UIFSM policy, over one third of school children are now provided with a free meal, at a cost of over £1 billion a year. The department currently has generous protections in place, ensuring that eligible pupils keep their FSM entitlement even if their household circumstances improve.
Asked by: Baroness Berridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many school days in England were lost in the last 12 months due to school closures caused by adverse weather conditions.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The requested information is not held by the department. Data on sessions missed due to exceptional circumstances is collected, but it is not possible to determine which were missed as a result of adverse weather conditions.
Asked by: Baroness Berridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the “best interests of the children test” pursuant to section 55 of the Borders, Citizens and Immigration Act 2009 was applied in the cases where those having their citizenship revoked had British children in their care.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The duty in Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 to have regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children who are in the United Kingdom, applies to all immigration and nationality decisions.
This includes decisions taken to deprive an individual of British citizenship where it is conducive to the public good. Where a child is outside of the UK, the Home Secretary applies the spirit of the Act and therefore still takes into account the best interests of the child when making decisions which affect them.