Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the new Energy Bills Discount Scheme on the number of public swimming pools that will remain open.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
During the review of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, analysis of a large number of contributions from different individual companies in the private sector in addition to trade associations, the voluntary sector and other types of organisations were assessed. These included leisure centres and swimming pools.
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have received from organisations about the energy usage in (1) leisure centres, and (2) swimming pools, ahead of the announcement of the Energy Bills Discount Scheme.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
During the review of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, analysis of a large number of contributions from different individual companies in the private sector in addition to trade associations, the voluntary sector and other types of organisations were assessed. These included leisure centres and swimming pools.
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are able to make a pay award to teachers in maintained schools outside the review conducted by the Schools Teachers’ Review Body.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
A pay award to teachers in maintained schools outside a review conducted by the School Teachers Review Body (STRB) is possible via an order under section 122 of the Education Act 2022, giving effect to a modified School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD).
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the proposed reduction in training hours for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators by 525 hours, whether the resources previously allocated to training will be used to provide more specialist support in schools.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In March 2022, the Department published the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Green Paper. This included the proposal to replace the current mandatory qualification for Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs), the National Award for SEN Co-ordination (NASENCO), with a new leadership level National Professional Qualification (NPQ). The NASENCO is a Level 7 postgraduate qualification funded from school budgets, typically equivalent to a third of a full Masters’ degree, taking approximately 225 hours to complete. The time commitment required for leadership NPQs varies between courses and providers.
The proposal seeks to improve the level of expertise and leadership amongst SENCOs and ensure they have the knowledge and skills for the role at the earliest opportunity, enabling them to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND. NPQs are underpinned by the latest and best evidence. This would bring the SENCO qualification in line with wider teacher development reforms, with content and delivery quality assured by the Education Endowment Foundation and Ofsted.
The Department is now carefully considering the feedback received through the 16-week consultation period. The Department is committed to publishing a full response to the SEND and AP Green Paper, including the proposals on SENCOs, in an Improvement Plan early in the new year. If the proposed SENCO NPQ is to be introduced, the Department will communicate the arrangements around the funding for NPQs in due course.
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the advantage for pupils of moving from the current qualification for a Special Educational Needs Coordinator requiring 600 hours training and a Masters qualification, to the proposed 75 hour National Professional Qualification.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In March 2022, the Department published the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Green Paper. This included the proposal to replace the current mandatory qualification for Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs), the National Award for SEN Co-ordination (NASENCO), with a new leadership level National Professional Qualification (NPQ). The NASENCO is a Level 7 postgraduate qualification funded from school budgets, typically equivalent to a third of a full Masters’ degree, taking approximately 225 hours to complete. The time commitment required for leadership NPQs varies between courses and providers.
The proposal seeks to improve the level of expertise and leadership amongst SENCOs and ensure they have the knowledge and skills for the role at the earliest opportunity, enabling them to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND. NPQs are underpinned by the latest and best evidence. This would bring the SENCO qualification in line with wider teacher development reforms, with content and delivery quality assured by the Education Endowment Foundation and Ofsted.
The Department is now carefully considering the feedback received through the 16-week consultation period. The Department is committed to publishing a full response to the SEND and AP Green Paper, including the proposals on SENCOs, in an Improvement Plan early in the new year. If the proposed SENCO NPQ is to be introduced, the Department will communicate the arrangements around the funding for NPQs in due course.
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what facility has been created to assist any competing country at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games to ensure that their (1) athletes, (2) potential athletes, and (3) support staff, are vaccinated against COVID-19 before the start of the games.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee has been in regular contact with Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) through monthly briefings and the recent Chefs de Mission seminar and will soon meet each association’s Chief Medical Officer to discuss all aspects of Covid-19 planning for the Games.
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any Commonwealth countries sending competitors to the Birmingham Commonwealth Games have asked for assistance with vaccinating their (1) competitors, and (2) officials, against COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
DCMS and the UK Health Security Agency are working closely with the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee and Commonwealth Games Federation on Covid planning. To date, we are not aware of any Commonwealth Games Associations asking for assistance with vaccinations.
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any campaign encouraging COVID-19 vaccination has been linked to the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Answered by Lord Kamall
While there are no current plans for a specific campaign linked to the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, we will keep this under review.
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide (1) Olympic athletes, and (2) Olympic officials, of any nation with COVID-19 vaccines after all vulnerable groups in the UK have been offered the vaccine.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We have no plans to do so.
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide surplus COVID-19 vaccines to athletes from Commonwealth countries to ensure that they are vaccinated in time for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We have no plans to do so.