International Financial Fraud
Debate between Baroness Whitaker and Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent(3 weeks, 6 days ago)
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Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)
I will have to take the noble Lord’s word for it on whether the lobster is any good; being Jewish, it is not really something I would have tried. However, the noble Lord is absolutely right. Where our Crown dependencies require our support, they will get it. Where it is not appropriate for them to operate in that space, it would seem a tad illogical for us to deploy resources in that way.
Baroness Whitaker (Lab)
My Lords, will my noble friend encourage positive engagement with the draft international anti-corruption treaty during our presidency?
Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)
How could I say anything other to my noble friend than yes, of course?
Schools: Music and Drama Access
Debate between Baroness Whitaker and Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent
Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)
I thank the noble Lord for his question. This is a devolved matter, but it is something that we work closely with the Senedd on. To reassure the noble Lord, there are challenges with recruiting music teachers in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Last year, under the previous Government, we managed to meet only 21.8% of the recruitment target for arts teachers and music teachers. That is why this Government have announced an increase in teacher trainer incentives for 2025-26 and will be paying a £10,000 tax-free bursary to teachers who sign up to teach art. We look forward to engaging with our colleagues across all the nations to see how we can share best practice.
Baroness Whitaker (Lab)
My Lords, not only does exposure to music—and there is evidence of this—improve children’s well-being, as my noble friend Lady Ramsey says, but it has a direct effect on their ability to learn other subjects. It is really crucial to their education.
Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)
I thank my noble friend and completely agree with her. I live in Stoke-on-Trent and engage actively with my local schools. Fundamentally, we have to ensure that any curriculum and extracurricular activities, and our investment in arts and culture, allow children to dream, and that they are rounded students who can engage properly in society afterwards.