Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will produce a formal response to The Times Education Commission's final report, published on 15 June.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We are very grateful for the work of the Times Education Commission, noting both the breadth of issues and the depth of evidence considered during its inquiry.
We remain committed to our ambitious programme of educational reforms. These include the bold measures set out in our 2021 Skills for Jobs White Paper, which will give people the opportunity to train, retrain and upskill flexibly throughout their lives, in order to get great jobs in the sectors that our economy needs and to boost productivity.
Through the changes set out in our 2022 Schools White Paper, we are also driving improved standards in schools with measures that will ensure an excellent teacher for every child, high standards of curriculum, attendance and behaviour, and targeted support for children who are behind in English or maths and a stronger and fairer school system that works for every child.
We remain focused on these and our other reform priorities and have no current plans to publish a formal response to the Commission.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 18 May that "a large proportion of the UK touring industry can continue to operate" (HL Deb col 449), whether a "large proportion" means the majority.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
In its recent consultation, held in February 2022, DfT sought views on possible measures, designed through close work with the specialist events haulage sector, to help this specific sector adapt to the rules under the UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement. The consultation received widespread support for the proposed dual registration measure and it was announced on 6 May 2022 that we would proceed with this approach.
The dual registration measure is open to all eligible specialist events haulage firms. Each operator will need to make its own business decisions on utilising the measure, based on their specific needs and resources; for some, this might include partnering with a company with a European operating base. Whether a “large proportion” or a “majority” of specialist events haulage firms utilise the measure as a means for continuing operation is a matter for individual operators.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 18 May that "the EU will not accept greater amounts of cabotage" (HL Deb col 447), what is the basis for those remarks.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
During negotiations on the UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement, the UK requested special arrangements, including cabotage easements, for the specialist events haulage sector, which includes UK-based performing arts organisations touring in the EU, but the EU did not agree to this.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish an independent expert panel to (1) deliberate, and (2) make recommendations, on (a) restitution, and (b) repatriation, claims on cultural objects (excepting Nazi-looted objects) held in public collections.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
HM Government has no plans to establish such a panel.
Museums and galleries in the UK operate independently of HM Government. Decisions relating to their collections are a matter for the trustees of each museum.
National museums are prevented by law from “deaccessioning” objects in their collections unless, broadly, they are duplicates or unfit for retention. The two exceptions to this are when the objects are human remains that are less than 1,000 years old, and objects that were spoliated during the Nazi era.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the use of a levy on streaming services to help fund a continuation of the Young Audiences Content Fund.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The full evaluation of the three-year pilot Young Audiences Content Fund will begin following the final determination of Year Three award funding; a timetable for the evaluation’s conclusion has not been set at this stage. The potential of further investment will be assessed following the conclusion of the evaluation and against future public service broadcasting needs.
HM Government has no current plans to put additional taxes on video-on-demand services or to introduce levies.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 17 March (HL Deb col 450), how long the evaluation of the Young Audiences Content Fund will take; and when they will decide whether to extend that fund.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The full evaluation of the three-year pilot Young Audiences Content Fund will begin following the final determination of Year Three award funding; a timetable for the evaluation’s conclusion has not been set at this stage. The potential of further investment will be assessed following the conclusion of the evaluation and against future public service broadcasting needs.
HM Government has no current plans to put additional taxes on video-on-demand services or to introduce levies.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the Churchill Lecture delivered by Lord Frost at the University of Zurich on 15 March; and in particular, his suggestion that "we should take another look at mobility issues" affecting the UK and the EU.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The Government has fulfilled its commitment to the British public to take back control of our borders and introduce a single global immigration system. We have clarified mobility arrangements under the new system when concerns have been raised, including in the case of musicians travelling between the UK and EU. On youth mobility, we remain open to negotiating reciprocal Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) arrangements with other countries and territories, including the EU or nations within it. The UK has 10 successful youth mobility schemes and we are looking to agree more.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the press release Fairer higher education system for students and taxpayers, published on 24 February, what courses they consider to be of low quality and not leading to a graduate job with a good wage.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is consulting openly on the introduction of student number controls to improve outcomes from higher education (HE) for students, society and the economy.
In response to this consultation, the government welcomes views on how we should identify the highest quality HE which offers the best outcomes, and such provision may be prioritised.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they are giving to Ukraine to help protect that country’s arts and cultural heritage; and how they are delivering that assistance.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for DCMS has written to the Ukrainian Minister of Culture, offering whatever practical support is feasible. We are working with UNESCO, Blue Shield International, the British Council and other allies to ensure Russia meets its obligations under the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. This requires Russia to avoid damaging significant heritage sites, monuments or other cultural property in Ukraine.
I commend all those in the UK cultural sector who have demonstrated their solidarity with the artists and people of Ukraine, from arranging performances in support of Ukraine to lighting their buildings in Ukrainian colours.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 21 February (HL Deb col 2), what options they are considering for own account operators regarding musicians touring the EU.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is continuing to support the touring sector to adapt to new arrangements with the EU. Under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), UK hauliers can undertake up to two additional laden journeys within the EU after a laden international journey from the UK, with a maximum of one cabotage movement outside Ireland. In its recent consultation, which closed on 18 February 2022, the Department sought views on possible measures to help this specific sector to adapt to the rules under the TCA.
‘Own-account’ operators (those carrying their own goods rather than using vehicles for hire-and-reward) are not exempt from the provisions in the TCA, as all vehicles carrying goods internationally for a commercial purpose – including own account operators – are subject to the market access provisions of the TCA, including rules on cabotage and cross-trade.
The TCA agreement has been concluded and there is no intention to reopen negotiations at this time. The Department for Transport continues to assess what, if anything, can be done regarding international market access for own account operators at this time.