Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for (1) issuing revised and streamlined guidance to schools about sponsoring visas for overseas teachers of modern foreign languages, and (2) making the process of sponsoring those visas cost-free for schools, colleges and other educational establishments.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department is continuing to look at how best to support schools to navigate the visa sponsorship processes to ensure that high quality international teachers can train and work as teachers in England. We have dedicated, school specific guidance to support schools that would like to employ international teachers. We regularly review this guidance to ensure it provides accurate, up to date and clear information. We have tested the content with schools and continue to engage with the sector for further feedback. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/recruit-teachers-from-overseas.
The costs of sponsoring a visa are charged at the same level across professions. There are no plans to introduce any new sector-based exemptions from these costs, or to provide funding to cover the cost of any processes related to domestic or international teacher recruitment, but there are lower rates for smaller employers.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what the basis was for the decision not to introduce an advanced languages premium to boost A level take-up.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In our response to the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review we made a commitment to work with the sector to understand successful approaches to supporting the languages pipeline, starting at primary by reforming the curriculum, increasing take up at GCSE, and boosting demand at A level and degree level, to meet future social and economic needs.
We also want to learn from successful approaches such as the ‘Languages for All’ programme in partnership with Royal Holloway University of London, which has doubled the number of students studying modern languages at A level, through their pilot in Hounslow.
The department will support teachers to implement changes to the curriculum, though continued investment in the National Consortium for Languages Education, which provides high quality professional development and wraparound support for language teachers, with national reach.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the introduction of the advanced maths premium on take-up of A level maths.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Introduced in 2018, the advanced maths premium (AMP) provides 16 to 19 providers with £900 extra funding per additional student, over a baseline year, studying AS or A level maths and further maths. The AMP, alongside other 16 to 19 provider premiums such as the high value course premium, focuses on subjects that lead to higher economic return, to enable a more productive economy. The AMP aims to support schools and colleges to increase the number of level 3 maths students. Provision of the AMP has coincided with a 23% increase in A level maths entries between academic years 2018/19 to 2024/25 (years since AMP introduction), although entries are driven by a range of factors such as student choice, and we cannot attribute causality.
More details on AMP can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-funding-advanced-maths-premium.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, they have had with the Office for Students about priorities and criteria for category C1 strategic funding for university courses.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) is one of our main higher education funding levers and provides support for high-cost subjects. Funding is allocated by the Office for Students (OfS) based on subject classifications. Subjects are grouped into price groups (A, B, C1.1, and C1.2), which reflect the cost of delivering those courses.
As set out in the 2025/26 SPG guidance letter from my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education to the OfS, we are working with the OfS to review and reform the high-cost subject funding, including price group C1, to ensure that it best aligns with the government’s growth mission and is targeted effectively towards provision that supports the industrial strategy and future skills needs.
We are working closely with the OfS to understand the impact of any changes to SPG funding, and the department will issue guidance to the OfS in due course setting out our funding priorities for 2026/27.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 8 January (HL Deb col 1407), what estimate they have made of the number of UK nationals training as modern foreign language teachers in the next five years, in the light of the reduction in university modern language courses.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In academic year 2025/26, there were 765 UK nationals starting postgraduate initial teacher training in modern foreign languages. The department has not made any estimate of the impact of a reduction in university modern languages courses on UK national modern foreign languages trainee teachers.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 8 January (HL Deb col 1408), when the research that showed that bursaries and scholarships are more important to overseas trainee modern foreign language teachers than the international relocation payment was carried out.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The research was commissioned by the department in 2024 with fieldwork taking place between March and November of the same year. The attached report was published in June 2025 and is also available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-teacher-recruitment.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions the British Embassy in Lima has had with civil society groups campaigning on, or individuals affected by, health hazards created by UK-listed mining companies operating in Peru.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK Government has consistently supported the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is carrying out a National Baseline Assessment (NBA) of the implementation of the UNGPs. The NBA will include a case study of the extractive sector in Peru and an exploration of UNGP implementation.
Our Embassy in Lima promotes environmental, social and governance standards through open dialogue with the Peruvian Government, mining companies, civil society and local communities. Our Embassy leads a UN Voluntary Principles group that brings together the international community and private sector to drive implementation on security and human rights, including commissioning a roadmap on promoting sustainable mining in Peru.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the compliance of UK-listed mining companies operations in Peru with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK Government has consistently supported the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is carrying out a National Baseline Assessment (NBA) of the implementation of the UNGPs. The NBA will include a case study of the extractive sector in Peru and an exploration of UNGP implementation.
Our Embassy in Lima promotes environmental, social and governance standards through open dialogue with the Peruvian Government, mining companies, civil society and local communities. Our Embassy leads a UN Voluntary Principles group that brings together the international community and private sector to drive implementation on security and human rights, including commissioning a roadmap on promoting sustainable mining in Peru.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to introduce legislation to mandate businesses to prevent human rights and environmental harms in their operations, subsidiaries and value chains.
Answered by Lord Stockwood - Minister of State (HM Treasury)
The Government launched a review in the Trade Strategy, into the UK's approach to responsible business conduct, focused on tackling human rights and labour abuses and environmental harms in global supply chains.
The review is still progressing, harnessing insights from a range of stakeholders, including businesses, investors, trade unions, academia, civil society, affected communities, and international trading partners; and will consider the effectiveness of the UK's current regime and the merits of alternative measures to support responsible business practices, including mandatory and non-mandatory options. We shall update the House when the review is complete.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Bellamy on 16 April 2024 (HL Deb col 972), whether they intend to issue a public consultation on revisions to the Victims Code including to specify the need for interpreters and translators to be qualified professionals.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
We will consult on a new Victims’ Code in due course in order to ensure that we get the information and support for victims right.