Asked by: Baroness McDonagh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether an independent individual, or individuals, will be engaged to prepare the Integrated Rail Plan for the Midlands and the north.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) will be led by Government and will be informed by independent assessments from the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA). The Integrated Rail Plan will be developed with input from Northern and Midlands leaders.
Asked by: Baroness McDonagh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much has been paid in housing benefit to those in private rented accommodation in each year since 2004.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
The information you have requested can be found in the following table:
Housing Benefit Expenditure | ||||
Private Rented Sector tenants (£ million, nominal terms) | ||||
2004/05 | 2005/06 | 2006/07 | 2007/08 | 2008/09 |
3,354 | 3,716 | 4,276 | 4,698 | 5,624 |
2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 |
7,572 | 8,672 | 9,216 | 9,272 | 9,275 |
2014/15 | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 | |
9,098 | 8,783 | 8,291 | 7,709 | |
Asked by: Baroness McDonagh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the closure of Sure Start centres.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
Since 18 September 2017, data on Sure Start children’s centres has been supplied by local authorities via the department’s Get Information about Schools database portal, which can be found at the following link: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.
Based on information supplied by local authorities as at 30 June 2019, 587 Sure Start children’s centres had closed since April 2010[1]. However, councils are reconfiguring services to deliver them more efficiently. If a council decides to close a Sure Start children’s centre, statutory guidance requires them to demonstrate that local children and families will not be adversely affected. There were more children's centres open in spring 2019 than at any time under Tony Blair's premiership.
Since 2010, the government has extended the entitlement to free early years education so that more children than ever can benefit from this. We introduced an entitlement to 15 hours a week of free early education for the most disadvantaged 2-year-olds (a programme that was not available before 2010). More than 850,000 disadvantaged 2-year-olds have benefitted from free early education places since the introduction of the programme in 2013. There are now more than 22,000 providers delivering places for disadvantaged 2-year-olds.
The department is already starting to see progress. Take-up of places for disadvantaged 2-year-olds has risen from 58% in 2015 to 68% in 2019. The department remains committed to increasing take up. In addition, the 2017/18 Early Years Foundation Stage Profile results show that the proportion of all children achieving a ‘good level of development’ improved in 2018, with 71.5% of children achieving a good level of development, up from 51.7% in 2013.
[1] Based on information supplied by local authorities as at 1 July 2019. These figures may be different to previous answers, and could change again in the future, as local authorities may update the database at any time.
Asked by: Baroness McDonagh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many midwives were employed in England in each year since 2004.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
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, local authorities or other providers.
The following table shows the number of nurses and health visitors and midwives who work in National Health Service trusts and CCGs in England, as at September each year since 2004 and March 2019 (latest available data), full time equivalent. Nurses and health visitors are recorded together so we are unable to provide data solely for nurses.
| Nurses and health visitors in NHS Trusts and CCGs | Midwives in NHS Trusts and CCGS |
September 2004 | 268,704 | 18,137 |
September 2005 | 276,086 | 18,326 |
September 2006 | 277,387 | 18,380 |
September 2007 | 275,211 | 18,751 |
September 2008 | 281,021 | 18,896 |
September 2009 | 278,470 | 18,959 |
September 2010 | 279,883 | 19,487 |
September 2011 | 277,047 | 19,878 |
September 2012 | 271,407 | 20,214 |
September 2013 | 274,627 | 20,537 |
September 2014 | 278,981 | 20,838 |
September 2015 | 281,474 | 20,934 |
September 2016 | 284,288 | 21,038 |
September 2017 | 283,853 | 21,206 |
September 2018 | 285,674 | 21,323 |
March 2019 | 290,010 | 21,870 |
Sources: Non-Medical Workforce Census, NHS Digital workforce statistics
The following table shows the number of nursing students commissioned by the Department/Health Education England (HEE) in each year since 2004 and the number of acceptances to nursing degree courses via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Following student finance reform, students starting courses after August 2017 were no longer directly commissioned by HEE.
| Nursing students commissioned by the Department/HEE | Number of acceptances to nursing degree courses via UCAS |
2004/05 | 22,933 | N/A |
2005/06 | 20,183 | N/A |
2006/07 | 20,917 | N/A |
2007/08 | 19,147 | N/A |
2008/09 | 20,323 | N/A |
2009/10 | 20,366 | N/A |
2010/11 | 19,908 | N/A |
2011/12 | 17,633 | N/A |
2012/13 | 17,115 | N/A |
2013/14 | 17,568 | N/A |
2014/15 | 19,147 | N/A |
2015/16 | 19,951 | N/A |
2016/17 | 20,888 | N/A |
2017/18 | N/A | 19,515 |
2018/19 | N/A | 19,035 |
Sources: HEE-Education Commissioning Dataset, UCAS end of cycle data 2018
Asked by: Baroness McDonagh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many student nurses there have been in England in each year since 2004.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
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, local authorities or other providers.
The following table shows the number of nurses and health visitors and midwives who work in National Health Service trusts and CCGs in England, as at September each year since 2004 and March 2019 (latest available data), full time equivalent. Nurses and health visitors are recorded together so we are unable to provide data solely for nurses.
| Nurses and health visitors in NHS Trusts and CCGs | Midwives in NHS Trusts and CCGS |
September 2004 | 268,704 | 18,137 |
September 2005 | 276,086 | 18,326 |
September 2006 | 277,387 | 18,380 |
September 2007 | 275,211 | 18,751 |
September 2008 | 281,021 | 18,896 |
September 2009 | 278,470 | 18,959 |
September 2010 | 279,883 | 19,487 |
September 2011 | 277,047 | 19,878 |
September 2012 | 271,407 | 20,214 |
September 2013 | 274,627 | 20,537 |
September 2014 | 278,981 | 20,838 |
September 2015 | 281,474 | 20,934 |
September 2016 | 284,288 | 21,038 |
September 2017 | 283,853 | 21,206 |
September 2018 | 285,674 | 21,323 |
March 2019 | 290,010 | 21,870 |
Sources: Non-Medical Workforce Census, NHS Digital workforce statistics
The following table shows the number of nursing students commissioned by the Department/Health Education England (HEE) in each year since 2004 and the number of acceptances to nursing degree courses via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Following student finance reform, students starting courses after August 2017 were no longer directly commissioned by HEE.
| Nursing students commissioned by the Department/HEE | Number of acceptances to nursing degree courses via UCAS |
2004/05 | 22,933 | N/A |
2005/06 | 20,183 | N/A |
2006/07 | 20,917 | N/A |
2007/08 | 19,147 | N/A |
2008/09 | 20,323 | N/A |
2009/10 | 20,366 | N/A |
2010/11 | 19,908 | N/A |
2011/12 | 17,633 | N/A |
2012/13 | 17,115 | N/A |
2013/14 | 17,568 | N/A |
2014/15 | 19,147 | N/A |
2015/16 | 19,951 | N/A |
2016/17 | 20,888 | N/A |
2017/18 | N/A | 19,515 |
2018/19 | N/A | 19,035 |
Sources: HEE-Education Commissioning Dataset, UCAS end of cycle data 2018
Asked by: Baroness McDonagh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many nurses were employed by the NHS in England in each year since 2004.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
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, local authorities or other providers.
The following table shows the number of nurses and health visitors and midwives who work in National Health Service trusts and CCGs in England, as at September each year since 2004 and March 2019 (latest available data), full time equivalent. Nurses and health visitors are recorded together so we are unable to provide data solely for nurses.
| Nurses and health visitors in NHS Trusts and CCGs | Midwives in NHS Trusts and CCGS |
September 2004 | 268,704 | 18,137 |
September 2005 | 276,086 | 18,326 |
September 2006 | 277,387 | 18,380 |
September 2007 | 275,211 | 18,751 |
September 2008 | 281,021 | 18,896 |
September 2009 | 278,470 | 18,959 |
September 2010 | 279,883 | 19,487 |
September 2011 | 277,047 | 19,878 |
September 2012 | 271,407 | 20,214 |
September 2013 | 274,627 | 20,537 |
September 2014 | 278,981 | 20,838 |
September 2015 | 281,474 | 20,934 |
September 2016 | 284,288 | 21,038 |
September 2017 | 283,853 | 21,206 |
September 2018 | 285,674 | 21,323 |
March 2019 | 290,010 | 21,870 |
Sources: Non-Medical Workforce Census, NHS Digital workforce statistics
The following table shows the number of nursing students commissioned by the Department/Health Education England (HEE) in each year since 2004 and the number of acceptances to nursing degree courses via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Following student finance reform, students starting courses after August 2017 were no longer directly commissioned by HEE.
| Nursing students commissioned by the Department/HEE | Number of acceptances to nursing degree courses via UCAS |
2004/05 | 22,933 | N/A |
2005/06 | 20,183 | N/A |
2006/07 | 20,917 | N/A |
2007/08 | 19,147 | N/A |
2008/09 | 20,323 | N/A |
2009/10 | 20,366 | N/A |
2010/11 | 19,908 | N/A |
2011/12 | 17,633 | N/A |
2012/13 | 17,115 | N/A |
2013/14 | 17,568 | N/A |
2014/15 | 19,147 | N/A |
2015/16 | 19,951 | N/A |
2016/17 | 20,888 | N/A |
2017/18 | N/A | 19,515 |
2018/19 | N/A | 19,035 |
Sources: HEE-Education Commissioning Dataset, UCAS end of cycle data 2018
Asked by: Baroness McDonagh (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Leader of the House why dates for the committee stage of the Trade Bill in the House of Lords were not scheduled more quickly after the bill's second reading.
Answered by Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
The committee stage of the Trade bill has been arranged in the usual way, having been subject to ongoing discussions in the Usual Channels. So far the three of an anticipated four dates for Committee stage are 21, 23 and 30 January and they have been advertised in Forthcoming Business. The remaining day will be rescheduled as a day had to be set aside for for the House to have a further debate under section 13 of the EU (Withdrawal) Act, which is now scheduled for 28 January. The recommended intervals between Bill stages are minimums, and it is not unusual for there to be a longer pause between stages than the recommended minimum interval.
Asked by: Baroness McDonagh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the announcement that HMRC will become a preferred creditor in UK insolvencies, what (1) calculations were used, and (2) issues were considered when they concluded that the policy would create an additional £605 million in tax revenue between 2019–20 and 2023–24.
Answered by Lord Bates
The tax base for this measure consists of company insolvencies with gains resulting from tax avoidance, evasion and phoenixism, in addition to the amount HMRC currently writes off every year due to insolvencies.
This is estimated from HMRC operational and administrative data and is grown in line with the Budget 2018 OBR determinant for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at market prices deflator.
The costing is the tax recovered from insolvencies that HMRC would not otherwise have collected before the policy was implemented. Adjustments are made for tax and payment timing.
The costing accounts for a behavioural response whereby the measure has a deterrent effect on future insolvency as some taxpayers become compliant.
At Budget 2018, the Government published a full assessment of the exchequer impacts which is attached.
Asked by: Baroness McDonagh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget announcement that a new Private Finance Initiative unit will be established within the Department of Health and Social Care, how many staff will work in that unit; whether additional resources are being made available for that unit; and how many contracts that unit will be responsible for monitoring.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The Chancellor announced in the 2018 Budget that the Department would be establishing a Centre of Best Practice to improve the management of existing Private Finance Initiative contracts in the National Health Service. The Department and Her Majesty’s Treasury are currently discussing the configuration and resourcing of the Centre of Best Practice.
Asked by: Baroness McDonagh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the speech given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster at the Business Services Association Annual Chairman’s Dinner on 19 November, what "key information’ would have "smoothed the management of liquidation" following the collapse of Carillion.
Answered by Lord Young of Cookham
The Government maintained the continuity of key public services after Carillion announced its decision to initiate insolvency proceedings in January 2018. The Official Receiver was appointed by the court as liquidator, along with PwC as Special Managers.
The Government took immediate action to minimise the impact on employees and employers by providing reassurance that those working on public sector contracts would continue to be paid and providing the necessary funding required to maintain public services while Carillion’s public sector contracts were transferred to alternative providers.
In future we will require, all providers of critical services to provide sufficient management information, for example, corporate structure, intra-group trading arrangements and dependencies (including details of shared services), key subcontractor and workforce information.