Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 20 February (HL13570), whether the recommendations they made to the Office for Students to reduce the numbers of unconditional offers included reversing prior offers of places to students who already satisfied previously advertised admissions criteria.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Education has not made any recommendations to the Office for Students (OfS) to reverse prior offers of places to students who already satisfied previously advertised admissions criteria.
We have made clear to the OfS that they should use the full range of powers at their disposal to take action where an institution cannot justify their rising numbers of unconditional offers. However, we recognise that where a student already has relevant entry level qualifications, and for some creative arts subjects, unconditional offers may be justified. Admissions are a matter of institutional autonomy but we expect universities to make their admissions criteria fair, accessible and transparent.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by the Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation on 28 March 2018 (HC Deb, col 408WH) about unconditional university offers and autonomy over admissions, what data they hold on the number of students with offers for study at British universities with admission for deferred entry who were contacted by the Admissions and Access Service of those universities to indicate that they would no longer be offered their intended course; what assessment they have made of the cost implications that such decisions hold for each prospective student who as a result may be obliged to pursue their intended studies further afield; and what compensatory arrangements they consider to be appropriate for the failure to honour such places offered to students who satisfied previously advertised admissions criteria.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Higher Education institutions are independent, autonomous bodies. As such, they are responsible for their own admissions decisions.
Data on the number of applicants with offers for deferred entry who were no longer offered their intended course is not held centrally. Consequently, no assessment has been made of the cost implications to prospective students in this scenario.
We are concerned by the steep rise in the number of unconditional offers being made to students. Where institutions cannot justify the rising numbers being offered we have made clear to the Office for Students that they should use the full range of powers at their disposal to take action. We expect universities to act responsibly when setting admissions criteria and expect admissions to be fair, accessible and transparent.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding of the report by the Henry Jackson Society Extreme Speakers and Events: In the 2017–18 Academic Year, published on 21 January, that SOAS University of London has hosted 70 events that were addressed by extremist speakers; whether they have discussed that report with SOAS; if so, what was the outcome of any such discussions; and what steps they intend to take in response.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
There is no place for extremism in our society and extremist views should be exposed and challenged.
The Department for Education has not engaged with any institutions, including SOAS University of London, in relation to the Henry Jackson Society report.
The government believes that free speech should been encouraged, provided that it is within the law as it encourages debate and understanding. Challenging extremist speakers and events is an important part of tackling extremist narratives. However, this does not mean closing down lawful speech, but rather ensuring the right steps are taken to counter extremist narratives and make sure that those who wish to spread hatred do not go unchallenged.
The Prevent duty requires higher education institutions to ensure they have mitigated the risk of extremist speakers spreading harmful narratives before an event can go ahead.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is developing new guidance on freedom of speech in higher education, which will be published shortly.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children were in care in the last 12 months; how many were adopted during that period; what was the average waiting time for adoption applications to be processed; and what percentage of children currently awaiting adoption have been waiting for longer than 18 months.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
Figures showing the position for children looked after at 31 March 2018 will be published on the 15 November 2018.
The latest figures show that the number of children who were looked after as at 31 March 2017 was 72,670.
There were 4,350 looked after children adopted during the year ending 31 March 2017. In that period, the average time between the decision the child should be placed for adoption and the child being matched to adopters was eight months. These figures were published in 2017 in table A1, E1 and E2 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2016 to 2017 (SFR 50/2017)’ at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2016-to-2017.
Some 2,580 children had a placement order but had not been placed for adoption as at 31 March 2017. 18 per cent (or 460 children) had been waiting 18 months or more since the adoption decision. Figures on the number and percentage of children categorised by other waiting times are published in table E4 of the above statistical publication.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to commission a review of adoption and fostering policy.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
Since 2010 we have taken significant steps to review and reform the way that fostering and adoption services are delivered.
In 2016 ‘Adoption: a vision for change’ was published which set out the government’s plans to address challenges in the adoption system over the following four years.
In July 2018 we published ‘Fostering better outcomes’ which set out the government commitments to improve the fostering system, in response to the Education Select Committee report into fostering and ‘Foster care in England’, an independent review published in January 2018.
We are committed to delivering the commitments set out in these reports, in order to help us to drive improvements across children’s social care.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many full time teachers left the profession last year; and how many teachers were in service in each of the past ten years.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
Between November 2016 and November 2017, 34,340 full-time qualified teachers left service from state funded schools in England. Over the same period, there were 38,310 qualified entrants to teaching in state funded schools.
The attached table shows the number of full-time equivalent number of teachers and teaching assistants in service in state funded schools in England, 2007 to 2017. Please note that the data source changed in 2010 with the introduction of the School Workforce Census. Information for the years prior to this relate to the situation as at January each year, information for years 2010 onwards relate to November each year. For 2010, both data sources have been included. Figures are in thousands.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many further responses they received to their consultation Schools that work for everyone following the conclusion of the consultation period; how many of those responses related to the 50 per cent cap on faith school admissions; and how many of those responses were (1) in favour of retaining the cap, and (2) in favour of its removal.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The responses to the ‘Schools that work for everyone’ consultation remain under consideration. We will publish details of the responses to the consultation alongside our response in due course. This will cover any responses where special dispensation was made to accept them after the closing date.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many responses they received to their the Schools that Work for Everyone consultation; how many of these related to the 50 per cent cap on faith school admissions; how many of these were in favour of retaining the cap and how many were in favour of its removal.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The ‘Schools that work for everyone’ consultation closed on 6 December 2016. The responses to the consultation remain under consideration. The department plans to publish details of the responses and to respond on the proposal to remove the 50% cap on faith schools admissions in faith free schools in due course.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Schools that Work for Everyone consultation was concluded; when they intend to set out their response; and what assessment they have made of the 50 per cent cap on faith school admissions.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The ‘Schools that work for everyone’ consultation closed on 6 December 2016. The responses to the consultation remain under consideration. The department plans to publish details of the responses and to respond on the proposal to remove the 50% cap on faith schools admissions in faith free schools in due course.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of new free schools which would be opened if the 50 per cent cap on faith based schools were removed; and what discussions they have had with (1) representatives of the Catholic Church about the impact of that cap on faith-based admissions, and (2) representatives of non-religious interest groups.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The ‘Schools that work for everyone’ consultation document, available in the House Library, recognised that some faiths, including the Catholic Church, have felt unable to open new schools, subject to the 50% cap, through the free schools’ route because they say it contravenes religious rules.
Ministers and officials meet regularly and have discussions with a range of partners and stakeholders including representatives of the Catholic Church, such as the Catholic Education Service, and non-religious interest groups such as the British Humanist Association and National Secular Society. A range of issues, including the impact of the 50% cap on admissions, are regularly discussed in the context of general discussions. The department plans to respond on this in due course. We greatly value the important role Catholic schools play in our education system and that will continue.