Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of international students in subsidising domestic students in universities.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
International student fee income made up 43% of the overall UK higher education (HE) sector fee income in 2021/22 (£10.4 billion of £24.4 billion). The fee income from international students can be used by providers to subsidise the costs of delivering courses to domestic students for whom tuition fees are capped at £9,250.
Domestic students continue to make up the vast majority of students within universities. International students made up only 15% of all undergraduate entrants at UK providers in 2021/22.
It is important that the department promotes a sustainable HE funding system that responds to the needs of the economy and that is fair to students and to taxpayers. The government keeps the HE funding system under continuous review to ensure that this remains the case, and to provide many different opportunities for learners to acquire vital skills.
In 2022/23, the total income of the HE sector in England was £43.9 billion, up from £29.1 billion in 2015/16. Of the £43.9 billion, approximately £16.3 billion was provided by the government. Over the current Spending Review period, the government is investing £1.3 billion in capital funding to support teaching and research.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic contribution of international students.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The government recognises the significant economic and cultural contribution that international students make to the UK’s higher education sector.
Department statistics on education-related exports estimated that international students generated £20.65 billion to the UK economy in 2021 through their tuition fees and living expenditure.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they will maintain routes for international students to study and work in the UK.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The student route launched in 2020 and provides a way for international students to apply to study in the UK. Some students have work rights such as those studying at degree level and above at higher education institutions, who can work for up to 20 hours per week during term-time, and full-time during vacations. Upon course completion, students may apply to extend their leave in the UK, including under work routes, if relevant requirements are met.
We keep all our immigration policies under constant review to ensure they best serve the UK and reflect the public’s priorities.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to mitigate the current shortage of the psychotropic medication Olanzapine, Risperidone and Haloperidol following the sudden departure of two generic manufacturers from the UK market.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
We are aware that there have been supply constraints with olanzapine 210 milligram, 300 milligram, and 405 milligram powder and solvent for prolonged release suspension for injection. We worked with manufacturers to uplift production, and the issues were resolved in February 2024. We worked with NHS England to issue national communications containing advice on how to manage patients whilst there was a disruption to supply. We are not aware of any supply issues affecting oral presentations of olanzapine, or of any supply issues with any risperidone or haloperidol products.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the shortage of the psychotropic medication Olanzapine, and what steps they are taking to ensure that such shortages do not affect the health and safety of patients, and wider public safety.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
We are aware that there have been supply constraints with olanzapine 210 milligram, 300 milligram, and 405 milligram powder and solvent for prolonged release suspension for injection. We worked with manufacturers to uplift production, and the issues were resolved in February 2024. We worked with NHS England to issue national communications containing advice on how to manage patients whilst there was a disruption to supply. We are not aware of any supply issues affecting oral presentations of olanzapine, or of any supply issues with any risperidone or haloperidol products.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to permit the use of PAVA incapacitant spray in the children’s custodial estate; if so what is the timescale for its introduction; and what practical advice and instructions will be issued.
Answered by Lord Bellamy
The safety and welfare of children and young people in custody, and of our staff, is paramount. We are focused on improving safety in the youth estate, where we manage an increased risk of serious incidents, with higher rates of assault on young people and on staff than in other parts of the secure estate.
PAVA spray is currently available for use in the event of a serious incident in the youth estate, if the National Gold commander decides this is necessary. Consideration is being given to whether the criteria for its use in the youth estate require revision.
Following wide engagement on this issue, both with specialists across His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service, and externally, including with medical advisors and legal experts, we are in the process of examining all the evidence. This is taking time, owing to the complexity of the issues and the seriousness of the question to be decided.
The evaluation of the PAVA roll-out in the adult estate is currently being peer-reviewed prior to publication.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to publish an evidence-based assessment of the respective benefits and risks attached to the use of PAVA incapacitant spray in the children’s custodial estate.
Answered by Lord Bellamy
The safety and welfare of children and young people in custody, and of our staff, is paramount. We are focused on improving safety in the youth estate, where we manage an increased risk of serious incidents, with higher rates of assault on young people and on staff than in other parts of the secure estate.
PAVA spray is currently available for use in the event of a serious incident in the youth estate, if the National Gold commander decides this is necessary. Consideration is being given to whether the criteria for its use in the youth estate require revision.
Following wide engagement on this issue, both with specialists across His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service, and externally, including with medical advisors and legal experts, we are in the process of examining all the evidence. This is taking time, owing to the complexity of the issues and the seriousness of the question to be decided.
The evaluation of the PAVA roll-out in the adult estate is currently being peer-reviewed prior to publication.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they expect integrated care boards in England to be able to identify how much money they spend on children’s hospices; and, if not, what action they will take.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government does not hold information regarding the amount of money each integrated care board (ICB) spends on children’s hospices. There is currently no plan to take any action to ensure that ICBs can identify how much money they spend specifically on children’s hospices.
At a national level, NHS England supports palliative and end of life care for children and young people through the Children and Young People’s hospice grant. The grant provided approximately £17 million in 2021/22, £21 million in 2022/23 and £25 million in 2023/24 directly to children and young people’s hospices. NHS England has confirmed that it will be renewing the grant for 2024/25, once again allocating £25 million grant funding for children’s hospices using the same prevalence-based allocation approach as in 2022/23 and 2023/24. NHS England is reprioritising budgets for 2024/25, in light of the revised assessment of financial position and, whilst it is holding funding aside for the children and young people’s hospice sector, it cannot confirm further details, including the distribution mechanism, until 2024/25 financial planning is concluded.
Additionally, in line with the NHS Long Term Plan commitment, NHSE has provided approximately £8.5 million match-funding to participating ICBs and formerly clinical commissioning groups between 2022/23 and 2023/24 that committed to invest in children and young people’s palliative and end of life care, including hospices, giving a total investment of £17 million for that period.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will provide a timetable for updating the HM Prison & Probation Service Strategy for care-experienced people; and whether there will be a specific focus on race.
Answered by Lord Bellamy
We are updating our strategy for people with care experience in the criminal justice system, to ensure we are using their time in the criminal justice system to support them to lead crime-free lives.
This will include a focus on race and its role in shaping the experiences and outcomes of those with care experience in the criminal justice system, and will link to wider departmental efforts to address racial disproportionality in the criminal justice system.
We are aiming to publish this strategy in 2024.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their timetable for updating the Statutory Guidance on Promoting the Health and Well-being of Looked After Children, published in March 2015; whether there will be a specific focus on mental health services for this group; and how they plan to deliver updated guidance in a culturally sensitive way.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The government gave a commitment to update the statutory guidance, ‘Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children’ and extend it to care leavers up to the age of 25, in the ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’ strategy for the reform of children’s social care. The update forms part of the wider mission in the strategy, ‘to reduce the disparities in long-term mental and physical health outcomes and improve wellbeing for care-experienced people’.
This commitment was reaffirmed in September 2023, but a timeframe for completing the update has not been set. However, the department and the Department of Health and Social Care continue to work together on this update and will work with a wide range of stakeholders with a diversity of professional and lived experience to ensure that the guidance is sensitive to the health and wellbeing needs of all looked-after children and care leavers.