Asked by: Earl of Dundee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the UK's performance in hosting (1) refugees, and (2) migrants, compared to other Council of Europe member states, particularly with reference to (a) education, (b) apprenticeships, (c) employment, and (d) levels of integration.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The UK has a long history of supporting refugees in need of protection. Our resettlement schemes have provided safe and legal routes for tens of thousands of people to start new lives in the UK.
The UK is a global leader in resettlement. Since 2015, we have resettled more than 200,000 people through safe and legal routes direct from regions of conflict and instability.
Additionally, data collected from UNHCR from 2017-2021 shows the UK has resettled the 4th largest number of refugees worldwide. And when compared to the EU, has resettled the second highest number of refugees (c.20,000 people over that period, behind Sweden which resettled c.22,000).
The Home Office publishes data on refugees and other migrants in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’, including international asylum comparisons in the chapter ‘How many people do we grant asylum or protection to?’. The ‘List of tables’ shows all the latest data tables available from the release. The latest data relates to March 2022. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
The Home Office published an ‘Indicators of Integration framework’ in 2019, which provides a framework to support local and national practitioners in developing strategies and in measuring progress in the integration of refugees and other groups.
The Indicators of Integration framework has underpinned our approach to evaluating the VPRS and VCRS refugee resettlement schemes, which involved quantitative and qualitative research, and we are now working with the Office of National Statistics to explore longer-term integration outcomes for refugees via administrative data collected by other government departments.
With the closure of VPRS and VCRS to new arrivals in February 2021, and the subsequent launch of new schemes (UKRS, ACRS and ARAP), we are building on our previous evaluation to develop an approach to evaluating ongoing refugee resettlement, which we expect to publish later this year.
Asked by: Earl of Dundee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many refugees from Ukraine they estimate will have come to the UK by the end of 2022; and what public and private partnerships they have encouraged to provide (1) homes, (2) apprenticeships, (3) jobs, and (4) school education, to such refugees.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Homes for Ukraine is an uncapped humanitarian sponsorship pathway, a route to the UK for Ukrainians who may not have family ties here but are matched with individuals who can provide accommodation for at least six months.
Data on arrivals can be found (attached) via www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukraine-family-scheme-application-data/ukraine-family-scheme-and-ukraine-sponsorship-scheme-homes-for-ukraine-visa-data--2
Guidance about the various support mechanisms and full access to public services including healthcare, education, work and benefits etc. can be found (attached) via https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-scheme-frequently-asked-questions#sponsors
and (attached) www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-guidance-for-councils#role-of-councils
The Homes for Ukraine scheme relies on close working between government, local government, the voluntary sector, and faith/Ukrainian representative organisations. We have been engaging with local government and other partners through a number of different conversations and working groups to date.
Asked by: Earl of Dundee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are seeking to co-operate with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on assisted voluntary return and reintegration of irregular migrants; and, if so, what form such co-operation would take.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Home Office works with a wide range of stakeholders on a co-operative basis, ensuring that they are aware of the Voluntary Returns Service (VRS) and its offer, and how to ensure interested members of the community can apply. IOM is one of many such organisations which we engage with on a regular basis.
Separate to the VRS, the Facilitated Return Scheme (FRS) offers all foreign national offenders with a determinate prison sentence the opportunity to volunteer to return to their country of origin. Under separate arrangements set out in policy, the Home Office also provides financial assistance to certain groups of migrants to assist with reintegration in their country of origin after departure from the UK. IOM assist in the capacity of some post-arrival reception services linked to and outside of the FRS scheme.
Asked by: Earl of Dundee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what incentives they will provide to (1) local government, and (2) private operators, to improve the quality of provision for refugees and migrants.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government provides funding to enable local authorities, schools, health partners and Strategic Migration Partnerships to provide vulnerable refugees with a safe environment in which to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into society. The support that we provide includes language training, skills development and work placements to help integration into UK society.
We expect the highest standards from our asylum accommodation providers, our Asylum Accommodation and Support Services contracts (AASC) have a robust performance management system, against which providers are expected to deliver.
Asked by: Earl of Dundee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the transfer of asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda could undermine efforts to establish bilateral return and readmission agreements with Council of Europe member states.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
We remain fully committed to the Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda. Any person who has arrived in the UK illegally, or by dangerous or unnecessary methods from safe countries since 1 January 2022, will be considered for relocation to Rwanda.
The Joint Political Declaration between the EU and UK agreed in December 2020 noted the UK’s intention to engage in bilateral discussions with the most concerned Member States to discuss suitable practical arrangements, including on asylum and illegal migration. These discussions are continuing and the partnership with Rwanda does not change this.
We are determined to send a clear signal that it is unacceptable for individuals to travel through multiple safe countries to claim asylum in the UK. Those who fear persecution should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – this is the fastest route to safety.
Asked by: Earl of Dundee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the education programmes provided by the Council of Europe, particularly those of the Ocean group; what Council of Europe education programmes they consider the most useful; and what plans, if any, they have to support their deployment internationally.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
While we have not made a formal assessment of education programmes provided by the Ocean group, the Department for Education actively participates in the Council of Europe education programme through its seat on the Council of Europe Education Steering Committee. The Government aims to support all young people to be happy, healthy and safe and to foster respect for other people and for difference. A high quality citizenship education provides a very effective pathway for schools to prepare pupils to play a full and active part in society. As with other areas of the curriculum, the Government does not prescribe how citizenship should be taught, but we expect schools to develop a curriculum that meets the need of their pupils, drawing on the expertise and support of subject associations and other organisations that produce and quality assure resources. This includes important content about human rights, the UK legal system and international law.
Asked by: Earl of Dundee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the efficacy of interactive learning programmes, including computer games, using the Socratic dialogue.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Education Endowment Fund's (EEF) metacognition and self-regulation guidance report includes 'Socratic talk' as a common teaching strategy. This can be accessed here: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/metacognition-and-self-regulation.
The EEF's teaching and learning toolkit highlights that for metacognition and self-regulation, "Studies that use digital technology, for example, intelligent tutoring systems that scaffold learning show particularly high impacts on pupil outcomes." This is based on the EEF's digital technology evidence review (2019), which can be accessed here: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/evidence-reviews/digital-technology-2019.
The department does not actively support or mandate individual digital products as we believe that it is up to schools and colleges to decide what technology they need to meet their requirements. Meta-analysis from the EEF shows that digital technologies have the best possible impact when embedded in good pedagogy. This can be accessed here: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit.
Asked by: Earl of Dundee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how academic qualifications are given online to students (1) internationally, and (2) in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The assessment of qualifications in England is managed differently depending on the sector.
As autonomous institutions, higher education (HE) providers are responsible for determining the content of their courses and the manner in which they are taught, supervised, assessed and awarded including determining how online methods are used.
All registered providers in England must meet all the Office for Students’ (OfS) revised registration conditions in relation to the quality and standards of HE, including on course design and delivery, and assessment and award, regardless of how or where teaching is delivered.
The department has made its expectation clear to HE providers in England that all students should be receiving a comparable amount of face-to-face teaching as before the COVID-19 pandemic. While virtual learning is a fantastic innovation, we are clear that it should only be used to complement and enhance a student’s learning experience, not detract from it, nor should not it be used as a cost cutting exercise.
In March 2022, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced he wanted to start carefully considering the potential opportunities greater digital assessment could bring in the qualifications regulated by Ofqual, the independent regulator of qualifications, examinations, and assessments in England.
Ofqual published a report into online assessment in 2020, which included reviewing international examples and identified the key barriers to greater adoption of online and on-screen assessments in high stakes qualifications such as GSCEs and A Levels. Ofqual has also recently announced it will look at whether greater use of technology in qualifications could deliver benefits for students and apprentices in the long term. Ofqual has said it will undertake research into a number of areas as part of its new corporate plan.
The department believes technology has the potential to deliver a range of benefits in the classroom and we plan to work closely with Ofqual as this early exploratory work is undertaken.
Asked by: Earl of Dundee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to form partnerships to support the delivery of global education programmes.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The new International Development Strategy and the 2021 Girls' Education Action Plan set out the FCDO's approach to achieving our global targets of 40 million more girls in school, and 20 million more girls reading by age ten, by 2026. This includes using our diplomatic network to scale up efforts to get girls into school and learning; maximising the effectiveness and accountability of international education funds; and delivering high-quality bilateral education programmes. In 2021, as G7 President and hosts of the Global Education Summit and COP26, we led the world in prioritising girls' education in the global COVID recovery.
This year we launched the Girls' Education Skills Partnership with the private sector to provide one million adolescent girls and young women with skills and training. We will use the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda in June to encourage more countries to sign the Heads of State declaration on education finance. We are working closely with partners ahead of the UN Secretary General's Transforming Education Summit in September to galvanise action for those most in need. We are building a new Coalition on Learning with like-minded partners to prioritise foundational learning for all as part of COVID recovery, and beyond.
Asked by: Earl of Dundee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to improve global access to education.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The new International Development Strategy and the 2021 Girls' Education Action Plan set out the FCDO's approach to achieving our global targets of 40 million more girls in school, and 20 million more girls reading by age ten, by 2026. This includes using our diplomatic network to scale up efforts to get girls into school and learning; maximising the effectiveness and accountability of international education funds; and delivering high-quality bilateral education programmes. In 2021, as G7 President and hosts of the Global Education Summit and COP26, we led the world in prioritising girls' education in the global COVID recovery.
This year we launched the Girls' Education Skills Partnership with the private sector to provide one million adolescent girls and young women with skills and training. We will use the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda in June to encourage more countries to sign the Heads of State declaration on education finance. We are working closely with partners ahead of the UN Secretary General's Transforming Education Summit in September to galvanise action for those most in need. We are building a new Coalition on Learning with like-minded partners to prioritise foundational learning for all as part of COVID recovery, and beyond.