Asked by: Lord Cashman (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to attract international students to UK institutions who are unable to enrol at US universities due to recent US policy changes.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The UK is a highly attractive study destination for international students with 4 universities in the top 10 and 15 in the top 100, alongside a wide array of high quality institutions which can offer a fulfilling and enjoyable experience to international students from around the world.
As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has made clear in her video message last year, this government welcomes international students who enrich our university campuses, forge lifelong friendships with our domestic students and become global ambassadors for the UK.
As set out in the Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May, the department will retain our competitive post-study work offer for international students, principally through the graduate visa that will remain available for a reduced duration so that graduates move more quickly into skilled work. This will maintain our attractiveness as a study destination while ensuring individuals granted a graduate visa obtain employment in graduate level roles and contribute to the country’s skills needs. We will issue further details on implementation of the White Paper measures in due course.
Asked by: Lord Cashman (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the National Audit Office report The Effectiveness of Government in Tackling Homelessness, published on 23 July 2024, what plans they have to update the housing benefit subsidy regime for temporary accommodation.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP pays local authorities a Housing Benefit subsidy for temporary accommodation cases. There are restrictions on the amount paid, including a subsidy cap which is £500 per week in certain areas of London or £375 elsewhere.
We recognise the financial pressures which local authorities are experiencing. MHCLG are increasing funding for homelessness services this year by an extra £233 million compared to last year (2024/25).
We continue to keep the rates used for Housing Benefit subsidy under review and are working closely with MHCLG and the Inter-Ministerial Group on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping to explore the impacts of subsidy rates on local authorities.
Any future decisions on subsidy rates will be taken at the appropriate fiscal event in the context of the Government’s missions, goals on housing and the current challenging financial environment.
Asked by: Lord Cashman (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help London boroughs address the estimated £330 million overspend in their homeless services’ budgets.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This Government has inherited record levels of homelessness, and we recognise the cost pressures this has put on councils. That is why we have increased funding for homelessness services in 2025/26 by £233 million to nearly £1 billion, alongside a local government finance settlement for 2025/26 which makes available over £69bn for local government, a 6.8% cash terms increase on 2024/25.
The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness.
Allocations for London boroughs for the Homelessness Prevention Grant can be found here Homelessness Prevention Grant allocations: 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Lord Cashman (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish in full the evidence behind their decision of 11 December 2024 to ban puberty blockers for patients over the age of 18 for the treatment of gender incongruence or gender dysphoria under the care of private or non-United Kingdom prescribers.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 1 January 2025, indefinite restrictions preventing new patients aged under 18 years old from being supplied with puberty blockers for the purposes of gender incongruence and/or gender dysphoria, under the care of private or non-United Kingdom prescribers, took effect.
The Government is committed to transparency and accountability in its decision-making and understands people will wish to understand how this decision was reached. Further to my response on 7 January 2025 to the Noble Lord’s question, HL3426 tabled on 12 December 2024, I can confirm that the Government will publish shortly the full independent report by the Commission on Human Medicines on the indefinite banning order of puberty blockers for gender dysphoria and/or incongruence. I will gladly write to the Noble Lord when this it is published.
Asked by: Lord Cashman (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the evidence behind their decision to ban puberty blocker medication from all providers; and what meetings the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has had with the parents of trans children or teenagers, their representatives or organisations representing their concerns.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 11 December 2024, the Government published its response to the consultation on whether to introduce indefinite restrictions to prevent new patients aged under 18 years old from being supplied with puberty blockers for the purposes of gender incongruence and/or gender dysphoria, under the care of private or non-United Kingdom prescribers. This response included recommendations from a report by an expert clinical committee, the Commission on Human Medicines. This decision has been further informed by the evidence gathered by Baroness Cass as part of her independent review of gender identity services for children and young people, The Cass Review, which is publicly available.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has held constructive, open, and honest roundtable discussions, including with children and young people, and their parents, with lived experience of gender dysphoria and incongruence. The Government remains committed to listening to the LGBT+ community.
Asked by: Lord Cashman (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care plans to meet with parents of trans children, as requested in correspondence from Lord Cashman to his office since July.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has held constructive roundtable discussions with a group of children and young people, and their parents, with lived experience of gender dysphoria and incongruence.
The Government remains committed to listening to the LGBT+ community. Department officials will write to you on how best to take forward your request.
Asked by: Lord Cashman (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Leader of the House what is the maximum period within which members of the House of Lords can expect to receive answers to correspondence sent to the office of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The guidance states that members of the House of Lords should expect answers to correspondence from Government Ministers and the Prime Minister within 20 working days. Where correspondence has to be transferred to another department for answer or advice it may take longer.
Asked by: Lord Cashman (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Leader of the House what is the maximum period within which members of the House of Lords can expect to receive answers to correspondence sent to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The guidance states that members of the House of Lords should expect answers to correspondence from Government Ministers and the Prime Minister within 20 working days. Where correspondence has to be transferred to another department for answer or advice it may take longer.
Asked by: Lord Cashman (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in view of the advancing mpox epidemic, especially clade Ib, and given that a recent study has found that the effect of Imvanex wanes to undetectable levels after one year, to what extent His Majesty's Government hold a mixed stockpile of the three globally approved vaccines.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Of the three vaccines, Imvanex is the only one licensed in the United Kingdom by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and in the European Union by the European Medicines Agency, for active immunisation against smallpox, Mpox, and other diseases caused by the vaccinia virus in adults.
Imvanex is the only currently available vaccine with real world evidence of protection against Mpox. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has agreed that the evidence it has reviewed is consistent with protection from Imvanex being maintained for approximately 10 years.
Asked by: Lord Cashman (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether, since the PALM007 study has shown the antiviral ingredient tecovirimat does not always reduce the duration of mpox lesions, a mixed stockpile of antiviral agents for mpox is being considered.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In addition to the ongoing efforts to control Mpox clade IIb in the United Kingdom, there is widespread planning underway across the Government, including work by the Department, the UK Health Security Agency, and the National Health Service, to prepare for any potential cases of the high consequence infectious disease clades Ia or Ib of Mpox in the UK, and to help prevent onward transmission should any cases be imported.
An established clinical countermeasures programme is a core component of our pandemic preparedness and response capability. These clinical countermeasures include personal protective equipment and hygiene consumables, vaccines, and therapeutics, such as antivirals. The programme, including the balance of antivirals stockpiled, is informed by scientific and clinical assessment of the evidence base and is kept under review, building on lessons learned from previous outbreaks and emerging evidence on efficacy from ongoing clinical trials in epidemic hotspots.
The Department has noted the recent PALM007 study. The NHS in England has a duty to make available to patients in England any treatment or product recommended as clinically and cost effective by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.