Baroness Whitaker Portrait

Baroness Whitaker

Labour - Life peer

Became Member: 5th August 1999


Highgate Cemetery Bill [HL] Committee
15th Dec 2020 - 8th Mar 2021
Sentencing (Pre-consolidation Amendments) Bill [HL] Special Public Bill Committee
20th Jun 2019 - 23rd Jul 2019
Regenerating Seaside Towns and Communities Committee
17th May 2018 - 19th Mar 2019
Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 Committee
29th Jun 2017 - 13th Mar 2018
National Policy for the Built Environment Committee
11th Jun 2015 - 11th Feb 2016
Draft Bribery Bill (Joint Committee)
11th May 2009 - 16th Jul 2009
Intergovernmental Organisations Committee
15th Nov 2007 - 7th Jul 2008
Human Rights (Joint Committee)
3rd Jul 2001 - 20th Nov 2003
Draft Corruption Bill (Joint Committee)
24th Mar 2003 - 31st Jul 2003


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Baroness Whitaker has voted in 455 divisions, and 2 times against the majority of their Party.

17 Jan 2022 - Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill - View Vote Context
Baroness Whitaker voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 6 Labour Aye votes vs 96 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 163 Noes - 216
5 Jul 2022 - Sitting Times - View Vote Context
Baroness Whitaker voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 22 Labour Aye votes vs 44 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 158 Noes - 124
View All Baroness Whitaker Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Lord Callanan (Conservative)
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
(18 debate interactions)
Baroness Barran (Conservative)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
(16 debate interactions)
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative)
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
(14 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Home Office
(32 debate contributions)
Department for Education
(27 debate contributions)
Department for International Trade
(15 debate contributions)
Department of Health and Social Care
(14 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Baroness Whitaker's debates

Lords initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Baroness Whitaker, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.


Baroness Whitaker has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Baroness Whitaker has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
20th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to publish correspondence between Harold Wilson and Edward Heath about the Dhofar war which is due to be released this year.

The file containing these records was reviewed recently and it was concluded that, owing to their continuing sensitivity, they should remain closed for a further 10 years in accordance with the provisions of the Public Records Act 1958.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
16th Sep 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that (1) departments, and (2) other publicly-funded bodies, categorise Gypsies, Travellers and Roma as “white minority ethnic groups” for statistical and reporting purposes, rather than designating them either as “white British” or “minority ethnic”.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.

Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician

Baroness Whitaker

House of Lords

London
SW1A 0PW

22 September 2021

Dear Baroness Whitaker,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what steps have been taken to ensure that departments, and other publicly-funded bodies, categorise Gypsies, Travellers and Roma as ‘white minority ethnic groups’ for statistical and reporting purposes, rather than designating them either as ‘white British’ or ‘minority ethnic’ (HL2813).

A core principle of the UK Statistics Authority’s strategy Statistics for the Public Good[1] is inclusivity. I can assure you that we are taking steps towards ensuring our statistics reflect the experiences of everyone in our society so that everyone counts and is counted, and that no one is forgotten.

Following consultation, research, and testing by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), a new ‘Roma’ response option was added to the ethnic group question within the higher-level ‘White’ category for Census 2021 for England and Wales[2]. This was in addition to the ‘Gypsy or Irish Traveller’ response option, which has been included since the 2011 Census[3].

Our Census 2021 output and analysis plans[4] include separate tailored analysis on both the Gypsy and Irish Traveller communities and the Roma communities in England and Wales. As part of developing this analysis we are engaging with Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller community organisations, as well as other government and expert users, to better understand the data and analysis needs around these communities.

The GSS (Government Statistical Service) harmonised standards set out how to collect and report statistics to ensure comparability across different data collections in Government. For ethnicity[5], we suggest reporting with greater granularity, which has been recommended by the Minister for Equalities (‘Departments and other agencies should publish a statement on GOV.UK outlining their plans to move their data collections to the Government Statistical Service’s (GSS) harmonised ethnicity data standard’.[6]) Over the past 12 months these standards have been adopted as the GDS’s (Government Digital Service) design pattern[7] for equalities information, meaning that Government digital services collecting administrative information are recommended to adopt these standards.

In addition, the GSS Harmonisation Champions Network[8], which includes representatives from all departments across Government which publish National Statistics, also encourage their departments to adopt these harmonised standards.

Finally, I’d like to highlight the work of the Inclusive Data Taskforce (IDTF), a group of senior academics and civil society leaders with expertise on a range of equalities topics and research methods. In October 2020, I commissioned this group to develop recommendations on how to make a step-change in the inclusivity of UK data and evidence in a broad range of areas, including ethnicity. Their recommendations will be launched on 28 September and will form the basis of a programme of work to be taken forward across government and more widely to radically improve the UK’s inclusive data infrastructure, including in relation to different ethnic groups.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

[1] https://uksa.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/statistics-for-the-public-good/

[2]https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/censustransformationprogramme/questiondevelopment/nationalidentityethnicgrouplanguageandreligionquestiondevelopmentforcensus2021

[3]https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/census/2011census/howourcensusworks/howweplannedthe2011census/questionnairedevelopment/finalisingthe2011questionnaire/final-recommended-questions-2011-ethnic-group_tcm77-183998.pdf

[4]https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/censustransformationprogramme/census2021outputs/2021dataproducts/analysis/ethnicgroupnationalidentitylanguageandreligion

[5] https://gss.civilservice.gov.uk/policy-store/ethnicity/

[6] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/second-quarterly-report-on-progress-to-address-covid-19-health-inequalities

[7] https://design-system.service.gov.uk/patterns/equality-information/

[8] https://gss.civilservice.gov.uk/about-us/champion-networks/harmonisation-champions/

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
27th Apr 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what stage their negotiations have reached concerning the dispute resolution mechanism in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, especially with regard to secret courts.

The UK has substantially concluded negotiations on the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism in CPTPP allows for investors to seek legal redress from a member state for unfair treatment they have received when accessing, or operating in CPTPP markets, for example if they have been discriminated against because of their nationality, which has caused loss or damage to their investment.

CPTPP includes specific provisions on the transparency of ISDS proceedings, including for tribunal documents and hearings to be made public.

Lord Johnson of Lainston
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
5th Dec 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for establishing a separate contracts for difference funding pot for wave energy generation, so that its funding is no longer in competition with technologies which are closer to market.

The Government is developing auction parameters for the sixth allocation round of the Contracts for Difference scheme, including any for wave technologies. This will take into account several factors, including evidence of the pipeline of available projects. Final parameters, including the budget, will be published ahead of the round opening in March 2024.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
22nd Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that gypsy and traveller site residents have consumer choice of energy providers.

Electricity and gas suppliers generally provide energy to parks and traveller sites via a contract with the park or site owner, who then resells that energy to the tenants. Therefore, residents buy their energy from the park/site owner, not from an energy supplier.

Ofgem has put in place the Maximum Resale Price regulation which requires park or site owners to resell energy to tenants at the same price that they bought it from the supplier.

Whether a tenant can have a direct relationship with an energy supplier will be governed by the terms of the arrangement between the park or site owner and tenant, plus whether the local metering and cabling arrangements enable the residence to operate a direct connection to the distribution system.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
11th May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the development of wave energy technology.

Wave energy technologies have promise but they remain some way from commercial viability and are still at a pre-commercial stage.

The Government supports the development of wave energy technologies through research funding programmes operated both centrally and through UK Research and Innovation. Additionally, wave projects remain eligible to compete in the Contracts for Difference scheme.

The Government engages with industry as it seeks to cut costs, improve reliability and compete with other forms of low-carbon generation.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
26th Apr 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government on what timescales they expect a marine renewable consent can be achieved; and what specific steps they are taking to support a proportionate, streamlined and bespoke consenting process for marine renewables to accelerate the development and deployment of marine renewables within UK waters.

In February 2023 the Government published an Action Plan to deliver reforms to improve the planning system for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, which the Government is implementing. Five revised energy National Policy Statements, published in March 2023, are out for consultation.

Consenting time is around 20 months, although this varies depending on the specific circumstances. In the Action Plan, the Government outlined its intention to establish a fast-track consenting timeframe, which will be available for certain projects, where defined quality standards are met. Proposals for fast-track consenting, including for marine renewables, will be consulted on in spring 2023.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
27th Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how many officials are engaged in work to support marine energy reaching commercialisation.

There are four officials whose work is focussed on supporting marine energy commercialisation at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. They are supported by others across the Department who help deliver various renewable schemes and programmes.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
27th Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what support they intend to provide to innovative renewable deployment, such as combined wind and wave offshore sites.

The Government supports innovative renewable deployment through a suite of research funding programmes and the Contracts for Difference scheme. For example, research projects on combining offshore wind and wave sites can apply to UK Research and Innovation for funding.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
27th Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what funding they intend to make available within the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio for combined wind and wave energy generation.

The Net Zero Innovation Portfolio is investing up to £60m to support the development of state-of-the-art technologies in the future offshore wind industry.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
27th Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of introducing a ringfence for wave energy in future contract for difference auctions.

Through the Contracts for Difference scheme the Government can ringfence budgets for technologies where costs are comparatively higher than other technologies in the same pot, but show potential to make an important contribution to decarbonisation targets. In the upcoming Allocation Round 5 auction, tidal stream and wave technologies will be part of the emerging technologies pot, which has a £35m budget. Of this total, the Government has a ring-fenced budget of £10m to support tidal stream projects. Wave technology is costlier and at precommercial stage, which is several years behind tidal stream in development, hence the Government has not set a ring-fenced budget for this technology.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
27th Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that UK wave energy projects will continue to have access to EU funding through schemes such as the European Regional Development Fund and Horizon Europe.

Wave energy projects have been eligible for a suite of HMG research funding programmes. The UK welcomes the EU’s recent willingness to engage in discussions on UK association to EU programmes. HMG has acted to support UK researchers and businesses across the UK by introducing the Horizon Guarantee - now extended until end June 2023. In all circumstances, we are confident we’re going to have a compelling offer for international S&T collaboration, building on our global strengths.

Viscount Camrose
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
16th Nov 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 8 November (HL2795), whether their plans to develop the Electricity Networks Strategic Framework for ports will include projects to use wave energy.

Wave energy technologies show promise but remain at a pre-commercial stage and cannot displace better established renewables in our energy mix. The Government monitors the situation and will consider how best to integrate wave with the Electricity Networks Strategic Framework.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
3rd Nov 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had (1) internally, and (2) with industry, in the past 12 months on increasing (a) the production of wave and tidal energy, and (b) innovative funding mechanisms to increase such production; and further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 31 October (HL2667), what plans they have to put a copy of the analysis on the cost-effectiveness of marine energy in the Library of the House.

Last year the Government consulted on the draft energy National Policy Statements which include provisions for tidal energy. A response will be published in due course. The Government is also exploring options for increasing the production of tidal energy including innovative funding mechanisms.

The report on the role and value of Tidal Stream Generation in the Future UK Energy System is attached and is publicly available on the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult website.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
2nd Nov 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer from Lord Callanan on 31 October (HL2667), whether they will place a copy of the analysis referred to in the Library of the House; and what discussions they have had (1) internally, and (2) with industry, in the past 12 months on (a) increasing production of wave and tidal energy, and (b) innovative funding mechanisms for this.

A summary of the report’s findings, the role and value of Tidal Stream Generation in the Future UK Energy System is publicly available on the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult website.

The Government consulted last year on the draft energy National Policy Statements, which include a provision for tidal energy, and the Government will publish a response in due course.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
2nd Nov 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what meetings or correspondence they have had with firms and trade bodies in the fisheries industry in 2022 about (1) barriers to, and (2) benefits of, deployment of wave and tidal energy.

The Government has not recently corresponded with or met fisheries trade associations on the subject of tidal energy. The Government consulted last year on the draft energy National Policy Statements, which included a provision for tidal energy, and will publish a response in due course.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
24th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to The Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult’s report Cost Reduction Pathway of Tidal Stream Energy in the UK and France, published on 17 October, whether they will set a 2030 target for tidal stream energy as they have done for offshore wind, nuclear and hydrogen production.

The Government welcomes the Catapult’s report and will continue to work with the sector to promote deployment of tidal energy where feasible. Over 40MW of new tidal stream power has been secured in Scotland and Wales via the Contracts for Difference scheme this year. This was the first time that tidal stream power has been procured at this scale.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
24th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to The Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult’s report Cost Reduction Pathway of Tidal Stream Energy in the UK and France, published on 17 October, whether they plan to extend the proposed streamlining of planning legislation for offshore wind to tidal stream energy.

The energy National Policy Statements are being updated to include Tidal Stream generation. Details will be published in due course with an annex for Tidal Range which indicates what a well-developed project proposal entails, to aid developers in their planning process.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
17th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the CSIRO report Dispatchability and energy storage costs for complementary wave, wind, and solar PV systems, published on 27 September, and (2) the potential for wave energy to assist with maintaining grid stability in the UK as the share of renewable energy increases.

Analysis has confirmed the predictability, resilience and potential cost-effectiveness of marine energy, which could play a key role in delivering net zero, as noted in the cited report. The Government is pleased that, at the last contracts for difference auction, four tidal stream projects were successful. The Department continues to explore options to increase the production of wave and tidal energy, including innovative funding mechanisms.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
12th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to obtain agreement for climate change mitigation measures through the World Trade Organization.

The UK is working with international partners to help tackle climate change and champion the multilateral trading system through the World Trade Organisation, in line with our global ambition on climate change. The UK is actively engaged at the Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) and the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD) group to accelerate progress towards multilateral solutions, including to promote trade in environmental goods and services and find solutions to help mitigate carbon leakage risk.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
16th Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to compel companies to report their ethnicity pay gaps.

In 2018/19, the Government consulted on options for employer-level ethnicity pay reporting. Following the consultation, the Government met with businesses and representative organisations to understand the barriers to reporting and explore what information could be published to allow for meaningful action to be taken. We also ran a voluntary methodology testing exercise with a broad range of businesses to better understand the complexities outlined in the consultation using real payroll data. The Government is continuing to analyse this data and will respond in due course.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
15th Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the process for ensuring that all Departments’ policies comply with the overall aim of carbon reduction and monitoring their implementation.

The UK is a world leader in climate action and clean growth, having reduced emissions faster than any other G7 nation since 1990. Achieving our ambitious net zero target is a priority for the Government.

The UK’s Clean Growth Strategy, published in 2017, was informed by all relevant departments, and describes the policies and proposals that will decarbonise the entire UK economy through the 2020s and beyond. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister is chairing a new Cabinet committee focused on tackling climate change, discussing how departments can go further and faster in meeting our legally binding 2050 net zero target. We will be setting out further plans in key sectors such as transport, heat and buildings this year.

As policies and proposals are developed and implemented, their contribution to reducing emissions and helping us to meet our statutory emissions targets is quantified and published by BEIS in updated “Energy and Emissions Projections”. These projections enable us to monitor progress towards meeting the UK’s carbon budgets and are used to inform policy and analysis across government.

More broadly, all regulatory impact assessments for new policies include consideration of their impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
10th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Leeds Gypsy & Traveller Exchange and London Gypsies and Travellers, in collaboration with PIRC Media that Moves, published on 27 January; and what steps they are taking to support the recommendations in that report.

Her Majesty’s Government has noted the report and its findings.

Regarding the report's findings on press regulations, Her Majesty’s Government is committed to a free and independent media. It is not appropriate for Her Majesty’s Government to arbitrate on what should or should not be published or broadcast. Ofcom is the UK’s independent regulator of television services. The Ofcom Broadcasting Code covers standards in programmes and has rules to ensure that broadcast news is reported with due accuracy and impartiality. There exists an independent self regulatory regime to ensure that the press adheres to a wider set of clear and appropriate standards, and to offer individuals a means of redress where these are not met.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
23rd Jun 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which online advertisements promote discrimination against Traveller communities; what plans they have to ensure that digital media platforms do not carry adverts that include such discrimination; and what steps they intend to take against individuals or organisations that place adverts that discriminate against Traveller communities.

The regulation of online advertising in the UK is led by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The ASA is responsible for the day-to-day enforcement of the UK Code for Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (the CAP Code).

Within the CAP code, section 4.1, covers rules around discrimination, stating that “particular care must be taken to avoid offence on the grounds of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age.” Marketers should be particularly aware of their depictions of these characteristics, and ensure that their ads do not contain anything which may be likely to cause serious or widespread offence on any grounds.” More information can be found here: https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-online/offence-use-of-stereotypes.html

In investigating a possible breach of advertising rules, the ASA will use the CAP code to determine the course of action. If the advertisement is deemed to be offensive or discriminatory, the advertiser will be asked to take down the ad.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
14th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish their evaluation of their pilot education funding programme for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children and proposed next steps; and what assessment they have made of the connection between (1) the adequacy of educational provision and funding for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children, and (2) their statistics for children missing education for the academic year 2022─23, which show that 10 per cent of children missing from education are from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller families.

The £1 million Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) Gypsy Roma and Traveller (GRT) Education Areas programme enabled five local authorities and a Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise organisation to deliver tailored support to improve GRT attendance and attainment. Whilst the programme was a one year pilot, the delivery of some of the targeted support carried on beyond that timeline. The close monitoring of the projects helped DLUHC to pick up issues quickly, facilitated the setting up of a buddying system, and improved cross agency relationships and knowledge sharing.

The department has no plans to commission a government evaluation of the programme. The department’s expectation is that participant local authorities will carry out their own evaluation of their projects, build lessons learnt into wider services, and share learning with other local authorities.

The government is committed to ensuring that all children are safe and have access to an excellent education. The department is currently running a call for evidence on ‘Improving support for children missing education’ to seek views on challenges in identifying and supporting children missing from education and how to address those challenges. The call for evidence is open until 20 July and will be used to inform policy future policy thinking. The open consultation is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/improving-support-for-children-missing-education.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
13th Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that targeted careers advice and the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme reaches Gypsy and Traveller young people, including those who are being educated at home.

The government is committed to ensuring that all young people and adults can access high-quality careers information, advice, and guidance, regardless of their background.

The department is currently developing a Get the Jump communications pack to help Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) stakeholders share information about post-16 and post-18 education and training choices with GRT parents and young people. We will share the pack with members of the department’s GRT stakeholder group at its next meeting and will discuss how we can effectively support GRT young people.

The National Careers Service also provides free, up to date, impartial information, advice and guidance on careers, skills and the Labour Market in England.  It is delivered by over 750 careers advisers who help customers to make informed choices about their career options, whatever their age, ethnic group, and background.

Working with the Careers and Enterprise Company, Youth Employment UK have developed a free, new online programme designed to support home-educated young people. This project aims to engage young people with trusted, self-directed learning and high-quality signposting to information about pathways, online experiences of the workplace, sector information, and transitions support. Resources are being developed to be used by multi-agency frontline workers, local authorities, and support staff working with young people being educated outside of mainstream education.

The Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) programme is raising awareness of apprenticeships and T Levels to young people in schools and colleges. Since September 2022, it has worked with over 380,000 young people from across all regions and demographics.

In addition to working with schools that request support across the country, ASK targets selected levelling-up areas and works closely with schools with students identified as requiring additional support through its development school programme.

ASK works closely with local authorities to identify young people who are not in education employment or training (NEET), or at risk of being NEET to provide additional support. The programme also works with local authorities and a variety of supporting stakeholders to provide the service to young people outside of education.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
27th Feb 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Education Policy Institute report COVID-19 and Disadvantage Gaps in England 2021, published in December 2022, which found that Gypsy and Traveller pupils were the only ethnic groups whose attainment fell further behind in 2021, whether they will extend the Pupil Premium to cover all Gypsy and Traveller pupils.

Pupil premium eligibility will be kept under review, to ensure that funding is targeted at those who most need it.

The department is committed to helping children and young people, including those from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, to catch-up and recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In England, the primary and secondary school attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has grown between 2019 and 2022, having narrowed between 2011 and 2019. The disruption to education caused by the pandemic has affected disadvantaged students more than their peers.

We are supporting the most disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils, including those from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller groups, through pupil premium funding, which is increasing to almost £2.9 billion in the 2023/24 financial year. In addition, the department has made available almost £5 billion of funding to support education recovery, including through the recovery premium, National Tutoring Programme and the 16-19 Tuition Fund. The department does not design education policy that exclusively targets certain groups of pupils based on ethnicity.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
13th Dec 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Traveller Movement Disrupting the School to Prison Pipeline, published in July; and what steps they intend to take in response to the recommendations made in that report.

The department recognises the issues faced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children and young people and how education can make a positive difference. The report contained seven recommendations for the department and the following sets out how we are responding to those recommendations.

The report recommended that the clear disaggregation of Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller identities as adopted by the Office for National Statistics for the 2021 Census, should be implemented across the education sector. As the report references Gypsy, Roma and Traveller data was collected in Census 2021 and phase one of the data has now been released: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/ethnicity/bulletins/ethnicgroupenglandandwales/census2021. We are currently reviewing the harmonised standard for ethnicity, with any potential question changes being released in early 2024.

The report recommended that the department must ensure a race equality & diversity policy is made a statutory element of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) for all schools. Already the PSED requires public bodies, including maintained schools and academies, to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010.

Schools have specific legal duties to publish information to demonstrate how they are complying with the PSED, and to prepare and publish equality objectives. Schools are also required to publish information relating to those who share a relevant protected characteristic and who are affected by their policies and practices. It is for schools to develop their own strategies for meeting their duties, however, the Department has published guidance for schools on how to ensure they comply with their duties under the Equality Act.

In regard to Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans, the report recommended that all schools must have the ability and resources to provide assessment of them when requested by a parent or guardian, including annual reviews. Also, local authorities should consider providing base-level EHC Plans funding to all schools. The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Green Paper, published in March 2022 sets out our vision to create a more inclusive education system with excellent local mainstream provision which will improve the experience and outcomes for children and young people who need more intensive support. Amongst those consulted was the department’s GRT Stakeholder Group and we are committed to publishing a full response to the consultation through an improvement plan early in 2023.

The report also recommended that the department should require all school and academy trusts to establish an On-Site Inclusion Unit (OSIU). In July 2022 we published updated guidance on Behaviour in Schools and Suspension and Permanent Exclusion statutory guidance. The Behaviour guidance makes clear some schools can choose to have pupil support units (sometimes called ‘in-school units’) which should be used for two main reasons: to provide planned pastoral support for vulnerable pupils and as a last resort measure to support pupils at risk of exclusion.

Additionally, the report recommended that expert headteacher panels should be established to provide final assessments for proposed permanent exclusions and the department should develop standardised reporting guidelines for monitoring the use of In-School exclusionary practices, and also develop guidance for best practice and use of in-school exclusionary practices.

The updated Exclusion guidance is clear that, in all cases, schools should consider initial intervention to address underlying causes of disruptive behaviour which may minimise the need for permanent exclusion. Whilst a permanent exclusion may still be an appropriate sanction, schools should take account of any contributing factors.

The statutory process to review school exclusions is clear that governing boards have a role to review the decision of the headteacher to permanently exclude and if the governing board decides to uphold the permanent exclusion, the parents will have the right to an Independent Review Panel.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
26th Oct 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the provisions in Part 4 of the Schools Bill (independent educational institutions) remains their policy.

The department’s position on the Schools Bill will be confirmed in due course. The policies support the department’s objective of ensuring that all children receive a safe and suitable education, and the department remains fully committed to taking forward these measures, including through legislation where this is necessary.

Part 3 of the Schools Bill would place a duty on local authorities in England to establish and maintain Children Not in School registers, to provide support to home educators when requested, and update the process for School Attendance Orders to improve efficacy. Part 3 also includes measures on school attendance, which would place the Department’s recently published school attendance guidance ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ on a statutory footing, introduce a national framework for the issuing of fixed penalty notices pertaining to attendance, and bring consistency in how all state funded schools grant leaves of absence in extenuating circumstances.

Part 4 of the Schools Bill seeks to improve safeguarding for children who do not attend state funded schools. It would extend the school registration requirement so that all settings serving children of compulsory school age full time are required to provide a safe and suitably broad education. It strengthens the powers allowing Ofsted and the Department to investigate and take action against illegal unregistered schools. It would also improve the regulation of registered independent schools by ensuring that school registrations correctly reflect each schools safe capacity, age range and other characteristics, and includes measures to improve enforcement powers to better address the needs of children at failing and unsafe schools.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
17th Mar 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the percentage of apprentices required to complete Functional Skills Level 2 qualifications in (1) Maths, (2) English, and (3) Information and Communication Technology, during the course of their apprenticeship; and how this figure varies by ethnicity.

We publish data which shows the number of apprentices enrolling on funded level 2 functional skills qualifications during their apprenticeship. We cannot determine if these qualifications are required in order to achieve the overall apprenticeship. We do not publish breakdowns of this data by ethnicity.

Not all apprentices are required to achieve level 2 functional skills by the end of their apprenticeship. An apprentice may have already obtained the required level of English and maths for the apprenticeship either via GCSEs, functional skills qualifications, or accepted equivalent qualifications, prior to starting their apprenticeship. The current and prior qualifications accepted as meeting the minimum English and maths requirements for apprenticeships can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/english-and-maths-requirements-in-apprenticeship-standards-at-level-2-and-above.

In general, level 2 apprentices without the required level of English and maths will need to achieve level 1 functional skills, and apprentices at level 3 and above will need to achieve level 2 functional skills. There are exceptions to the regular English and maths minimum requirements for people with special educational needs, learning difficulties or disabilities. These are set out in the apprenticeship funding rules: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apprenticeship-funding-rules. The achievement of information and communication technology functional skills is only a requirement of some apprenticeships.

16th Mar 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their white paper Skills for jobs: lifelong learning for opportunity and growth, published on 21 January, what steps they are taking (1) to ensure equality of opportunities for Gypsy, Traveller and Roma children and young people of compulsory education age who are out of school or not in education, employment or training to gain the Maths and English Level 2 qualifications required to access further education and training, including apprenticeships, and (2) to ensure that careers advice and guidance is accessible to Gypsy, Traveller and Roma students who have missed out on schooling; and what plans they have to ensure that all Government-backed careers advisors receive training on Gypsy, Traveller and Roma culture.

The participation age has been raised so that young people are now required to continue in education or training until their 18th birthday. Young people can do this through full-time education, a job or volunteering combined with part-time study, or by undertaking an apprenticeship or traineeship. The government has invested nearly £7 billion during the academic year 2020/21, to ensure there is a place in education or training for every 16 to 19 year old.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to identify and track the participation of 16 and 17 year olds, supporting those who are not participating to do so and making sure that there is sufficient and suitable education and training provision to meet their needs.

The September Guarantee places a further duty on local authorities to ensure that all year 11 pupils (and year 12 pupils on one year courses) receive an offer of a place in education or training for the following September. It aims to ensure that all young people, regardless of what they achieved in school, understand that there are opportunities that will help them to progress, and to ensure that they get the advice and support they need to find a suitable place.

A range of provision is available for young people aged 16 to 24 to equip them with the skills and experience they need to progress. This includes traineeships, which provide unemployed young people with employability training, work experience and English and maths, and Supported Internships which offer tailored support for young people aged 16 to 25 who have special educational needs and disabilities.

We know students who leave school with a good grasp of English and maths increase their chances of securing a job or going on to further education, which is why students who do not achieve a GCSE grade 4 at age 16 must continue to study these subjects in Post-16 (it is also known as the ‘condition of funding’). Students who just missed out on a GCSE grade 4 are given the opportunity to achieve a GCSE. We recognise that for students with prior attainment of a GCSE grade 2 or below, a level 2 Functional Skills qualification may be more appropriate.

Alongside this, English and maths are crucial elements of a T Level and apprenticeship. Each T Level student and apprentice must ensure they have achieved a prescribed level of English and maths in order to successfully complete their programme.

The government is committed to ensuring that young people and adults are provided with high-quality careers information, advice, and guidance, regardless of their background.

We have provided specific support for pupils from disadvantaged groups such as Gypsy, Traveller and Roma, special educational needs, and looked after children. This includes investing over £1.7 million to test new approaches to broaden aspirations and raise awareness of pathways into training and work.

Our statutory guidance, first introduced in September 2012, requires that schools secure independent and impartial careers guidance on the full range of education and training options.

Members of the careers profession, including careers advisers are trained to give impartial careers, information, advice and guidance. They work closely with school leaders to develop careers plans that reflect a pupil’s personal circumstance. They also take into account a pupil’s background and aspirations when giving them impartial careers advice. We will continue working with members of the careers profession, including the Careers Development Institute, to ensure careers advisers and other professionals receive adequate training to enable them to deal with pupils from all backgrounds, including those from the traveller community.

22nd Feb 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the objectives of the new appointee to the post of Education Recovery Commissioner; and how they intend to take account of the educational deprivation of Gypsy, Traveller and Roma children.

The government is committed to helping children and young people regardless of background to make up learning lost as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

In January 2021, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, committed to work with parents, teachers and pupils to develop a long-term plan to help pupils make up their learning over the course of this Parliament. As an immediate step to support early years settings, schools and colleges, on 24 February, we committed an additional £700 million to support summer schools, tutoring, early language interventions and additional support to schools to help pupils make up their learning.

We have appointed Sir Kevan Collins as the Education Recovery Commissioner to advise on this broader plan. The objectives of the Education Recovery Commissioner as outlined in the terms of reference are to advise on the design and implementation of potential interventions that will help students catch up learning lost due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Education Recovery Commissioner will also consider how schools and the system can more effectively target resources and support at pupils and areas in greatest need, regardless of background.

The terms of reference for the Education Recovery Commissioner are published here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/960070/Terms_of_reference.pdf#:~:text=Education%20Recovery%20Commissioner%3A%20role%20specification%20and%20terms%20of,approach%20for%20education%20recovery%2C%20with%20a%20particular%20focus.

26th Jan 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their report Interim Conclusion of the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding, published on 21 January, what equality assessment they have carried out into the impact of introducing minimum entry requirements to higher education institutions on (1) Gypsies, Travellers and Roma, (2) care-leavers, (3) refugees, and (4) other under-represented groups; and what steps they are taking to ensure that such groups have equitable access to higher education.

The government is committed to social mobility – putting students, their needs, and their career ambitions first, be that in higher education, further education, or apprenticeships.

It is more crucial than ever that we tap into the brilliant talent that our country has to offer, and make sure that university places are available to all who are qualified by ability and attainment to pursue them, and who wish to do so.

We plan to consult on reforms to the higher education system, including consideration of minimum entry requirements, in spring 2021 before setting out a full response to the report and conclusion to the review of post-18 education and funding alongside the next Comprehensive Spending Review.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
15th Dec 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by Ofsted COVID-19 series: briefing on early years, October 2020, published on 10 November, what plans they have to support children in early years settings whose communication and language skills have fallen behind since the first COVID-19 national lockdown.

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we are spending up to £9 million of the National Tutoring Programme fund, in the 2020/21 academic year, on the Nuffield Early Language Intervention, a robustly evidenced programme proven to improve oral language skills in the reception year.

The recent Spending Review has confirmed that the department will fund further expansion of an evidence-based reception year early language programme in the 2021/22 academic year.

We are also investing £20 million in a high-quality professional development programme for early years practitioners to drive up standards in maths, early language, and literacy amongst pre-reception children in disadvantaged areas of 51 local authorities.

Additionally, over 3,000 early adopter schools are implementing the reforms to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) from September 2020, ahead of statutory roll out in September 2021. One of the main aims of the revised framework is to improve early years outcomes for all children, particularly disadvantaged children, in the critical areas that build the foundation for later success, such as language development.

As part of the reforms, we have revised the educational programmes to strengthen teaching practice in communication and language, providing a deeper focus on building vocabulary to address the word gap between disadvantaged children and their peers. Further information on the early adopter EYFS framework can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/896810/EYFS_Early_Adopter_Framework.pdf.

6th Jul 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their expected timetable for implementing the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers’ recommendation of 1 July that the governments of Member States should include Roma and Travellers’ history in school curricula and teaching materials.

The history curriculum gives teachers and schools the freedom to use specific examples from history to teach pupils about the history of Britain and the wider world.

Gypsy, Roma and Travellers’ history can already be taught as part of schools offering a broad and balanced curriculum. Resources are available from experts in the communities themselves and bodies such as the Historical Association.

As part of Holocaust education, a wide array of resources are available to help teachers explain the persecution by the Nazis of different groups of people. The Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz programme and the knowledge and training provided by the Centre for Holocaust Education include information and resources to support an understanding of the Holocaust and the Nazi’s persecution of other non-Jewish groups including the genocide of the Roma.

29th Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to apply the findings and recommendations of the report by the Social Mobility Commission Apprenticeships and social mobility: fulfilling potential, published on 24 June, to members of Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities.

Apprenticeships are an excellent way to access a wide range of rewarding careers and offer considerable value to individuals. We welcome the Social Mobility Commission’s finding that apprenticeships boost employment and reduce the gap in earnings between people from disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged backgrounds.

We are supporting employers, apprentices and training providers during this challenging time, and we remain committed to ensuring that high-quality apprenticeship opportunities are as accessible as possible to all people from all backgrounds, including young people from Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities. We have worked with some of the country’s most influential employers through our Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network to promote best practice in recruiting and supporting apprentices from diverse backgrounds. Our Apprenticeships Support and Knowledge programme also supports schools across England to provide disadvantaged students with information on apprenticeships.

We are committed to levelling up opportunity across the country. We are focused on how we can make sure more people and businesses can take advantage of apprenticeships in the future, especially small and medium sized businesses in disadvantaged areas. We continue to listen to employers, providers and apprentices, to see how we can build on our reforms so that they continue to support people from all backgrounds and the economy more broadly.

11th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of Irish Traveller and Gypsy and Roma children being looked after in care rising from 50 in total in 2009 to 540 in total in 2019; and what data they hold about (1) the reasons for referrals of such children, (2) the agencies making such referrals, and (3) whether such children have had prior contact with social care departments.

Working Together to Safeguard Children is clear that local areas should have a comprehensive range of effective, evidence-based services in place to address assessed needs. Local authorities have the freedom to decide these services based on local priorities and the needs of families in their area.

The department holds data on children who are looked after (CLA) by primary category of need, which is the main reason the child is looked after, but not necessarily the sole reason. More detail on the reason for referrals children to social services will have been obtained at the point of referral and assessment and this data is collected in the Children in Need (CIN) census. Information on 2) the agencies making referrals and on 3) whether children have had prior contact with social care departments is also collected within the CIN census.

The information requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Due to the way in which the data is held, the department would not be able to provide the detailed information on 1) above and the information requested for 2) and 3) above without exceeding the cost threshold applicable to central government. In order to provide the required data, we would need to create new datasets and methodologies for matching CIN assessment data to CLA data.

11th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Traveller Movement Barriers in education—young Travellers in London, in particular of its findings that (1) 40 per cent of Traveller students experienced bullying by other pupils, and (2) 67 per cent of such students experienced bullying by teachers.

We welcome the report by the Traveller Movement, along with their contribution through the Department for Education’s Gypsy, Roma and Traveller stakeholder group, and recognise the issues the report raises.

Bullying of any kind, including that based on anti-Gypsyism, is unacceptable in any setting – the government is committed to eradicating it. Every young person deserves the opportunity to progress and fulfil their potential, regardless of their ethnic background, and to do so in an environment free from fear, prejudice or hate.

All schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy that outlines measures to encourage good behaviour and prevent all forms of bullying amongst pupils. A culture of good behaviour in school is critical to enabling pupils to fulfil their potential. We are continuing to support schools to create disciplined and safe environments.

Under the Equalities Act 2010, schools are under a duty take steps to eliminate harassment, foster good relations, and advance equality of opportunity. Ofsted looks at how a school complies with its statutory duties and promotes equality of opportunity, and holds schools to account for anti-Gypsyism or other behaviour issues.

24th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on the commitment to legislate to strengthen Ofsted's powers in relation to unregistered schools made in their Integrated Communities Action Plan, published in February 2019.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, remains committed to legislate in order to strengthen Ofsted’s powers in relation to its investigation of unregistered independent schools. We are working closely with Ofsted to clarify what those enhanced powers will look like so that anyone found to be running an illegal school complies with the law or is prosecuted and that these settings close.

On 14 February, we announced that we would be increasing our funding to Ofsted to build upon and expand its work in tackling and investigating unregistered independent schools successfully and preparing cases for prosecution. In 2016, we established a joint team with Ofsted to tackle unregistered schools. Between 1 January 2016 and 31 August 2019, Ofsted has undertaken 362 inspections of 293 suspected unregistered independent schools – 83 settings were issued with a warning notice and Ofsted made sure 72 of these stopped operating illegally. There have also been three successful prosecutions.

We have recently issued two section 128 barring directions to individuals convicted of operating an unregistered independent school and will continue to pursue further barring directions where it is deemed appropriate.

24th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what powers they intend to give Ofsted to support inspectors to (1) investigate, (2) prosecute, and (3) close, unregistered schools.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, remains committed to legislate in order to strengthen Ofsted’s powers in relation to its investigation of unregistered independent schools. We are working closely with Ofsted to clarify what those enhanced powers will look like so that anyone found to be running an illegal school complies with the law or is prosecuted and that these settings close.

On 14 February, we announced that we would be increasing our funding to Ofsted to build upon and expand its work in tackling and investigating unregistered independent schools successfully and preparing cases for prosecution. In 2016, we established a joint team with Ofsted to tackle unregistered schools. Between 1 January 2016 and 31 August 2019, Ofsted has undertaken 362 inspections of 293 suspected unregistered independent schools – 83 settings were issued with a warning notice and Ofsted made sure 72 of these stopped operating illegally. There have also been three successful prosecutions.

We have recently issued two section 128 barring directions to individuals convicted of operating an unregistered independent school and will continue to pursue further barring directions where it is deemed appropriate.

24th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will legislate to strengthen Ofsted's powers to (1) investigate, (2) prosecute, and (3) close, unregistered schools.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, remains committed to legislate in order to strengthen Ofsted’s powers in relation to its investigation of unregistered independent schools. We are working closely with Ofsted to clarify what those enhanced powers will look like so that anyone found to be running an illegal school complies with the law or is prosecuted and that these settings close.

On 14 February, we announced that we would be increasing our funding to Ofsted to build upon and expand its work in tackling and investigating unregistered independent schools successfully and preparing cases for prosecution. In 2016, we established a joint team with Ofsted to tackle unregistered schools. Between 1 January 2016 and 31 August 2019, Ofsted has undertaken 362 inspections of 293 suspected unregistered independent schools – 83 settings were issued with a warning notice and Ofsted made sure 72 of these stopped operating illegally. There have also been three successful prosecutions.

We have recently issued two section 128 barring directions to individuals convicted of operating an unregistered independent school and will continue to pursue further barring directions where it is deemed appropriate.

24th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will ensure that providers found guilty of running unregistered schools are prevented from doing so again in future.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, remains committed to legislate in order to strengthen Ofsted’s powers in relation to its investigation of unregistered independent schools. We are working closely with Ofsted to clarify what those enhanced powers will look like so that anyone found to be running an illegal school complies with the law or is prosecuted and that these settings close.

On 14 February, we announced that we would be increasing our funding to Ofsted to build upon and expand its work in tackling and investigating unregistered independent schools successfully and preparing cases for prosecution. In 2016, we established a joint team with Ofsted to tackle unregistered schools. Between 1 January 2016 and 31 August 2019, Ofsted has undertaken 362 inspections of 293 suspected unregistered independent schools – 83 settings were issued with a warning notice and Ofsted made sure 72 of these stopped operating illegally. There have also been three successful prosecutions.

We have recently issued two section 128 barring directions to individuals convicted of operating an unregistered independent school and will continue to pursue further barring directions where it is deemed appropriate.

15th Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they now plan to ratify the Aarhus Convention.

The UK ratified the Aarhus Convention in 2005 and we remain a party in our own right. Our exit from the EU does not change our commitment to respect, protect and fulfil the obligations contained in this important international agreement.

6th Apr 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make the release of Mubarak Bala, President of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, a requirement for any future trade deals between the UK and Nigeria.

HM Government is clear that more trade need not come at the expense of our values. We will continue to work constructively with the Government of Nigeria on trade and other matters.

HM Government is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has raised, and will continue to raise, Mr Bala’s case with the Nigerian authorities.

26th Feb 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to request that Ipsos includes a category of "Speech, Language, and Communication Difficulties” in the annual GP Patient Survey.

The 2024 GP Patient Survey includes a question on long-term conditions, which currently lists 15 such conditions. ‘Speech, Language, and Communication Difficulties’ is not one of the specific options listed in this question in the 2024 survey.

We appreciate that there are many people in England who are living with speech, language, and communication difficulties. We must strike a careful balance between breadth of coverage and the availability of space in the questionnaire. Anyone who is living with a long-term condition which is not listed is able to select ‘Another long-term condition’.

However, we record all questionnaire feedback given to us and take it into account when we review the survey every year.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Jul 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 15 June (HL8295), how they are targeting the extra funds for suicide prevention among the minority ethnic groups with a higher than average prevalence of suicide, including the Gypsy and Traveller communities; and whether they treat Gypsy and Traveller men as a high risk category.

As part of the Spring 2023 Budget, an additional £10 million was announced for a Suicide Prevention Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Grant Fund to support people experiencing suicidal thoughts or approaching a mental health crisis. Further information about the fund will be set out in due course.

We also announced on 9 May 2022 that 113 suicide prevention voluntary, community and social enterprises received a share of £5.4 million funding in 2021/22, distributed through the Suicide Prevention Grant Fund, to prevent suicide in high-risk groups, including people from minority ethnic groups.

Whilst Gypsy and Traveller men are not named as a high-risk group within the current national suicide prevention strategy of 2012 or subsequent progress reports, we are aware of research indicating increased risk in Gypsy and Traveller groups. Every local authority has a multi-agency suicide prevention plan in place and we have published a resource to support local suicide prevention planning, a copy of which is attached. The resource emphasises that local demographics need to be considered when developing plans, and that this includes considering the needs of people from minority ethnic groups, such as Gypsies and Travellers.

We have committed to publish a new national suicide prevention strategy later this year and have been engaging widely across the sector to understand what further action we can take to reduce cases of suicides. The new strategy will reflect new evidence and national priorities for preventing suicides across England.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
14th Nov 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of immunocompromised people in England who could potentially benefit from Evusheld if it is found to be appropriate for prescription on the NHS.

The National Health Service estimates approximately 500,000 patients in England are immunosuppressed. A minority of these patients may not respond adequately to vaccines and could potentially benefit from pre-exposure prophylaxis. The OCTAVE study found that 11% of immunocompromised patients fail to generate antibodies following vaccination and 40% mounted a low serological response. The use of antibody testing could potentially identify which patients have lower levels of protection and should be prioritised for treatment.

This data is approximate and the Department has commissioned additional advice from independent experts to refine its understanding of vaccine response and the patient cohorts which could be prioritised for prophylaxis and for other interventions. If the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) ascertains that Evusheld as a pre-exposure prophylaxis is clinically and cost effective, the National Health Service will make Evusheld available as appropriate. NICE’s appraisal will also consider suitable patient cohorts.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)