Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the negative consequences for the existing public rights of way network arising from ending the cross-compliance requirement that recipients of Direct Payments keep paths open and accessible.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
Clear arrangements are already in place through the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to allow for the establishment, recording and appeal of rights of way to agreed standards, and local authorities have responsibility for their maintenance. Local authorities will continue to receive funding through the Revenue Support Grant for their various rights of way duties.
We will continue to pay for access and engagement through our existing environmental land management schemes and we will consider how to maintain investment in these areas as part of future schemes. Our ongoing commitment is visible through other funds and activities including through the Nature for Climate Fund, the Green Recovery Challenge Fund, our Farming in Protected Landscapes scheme and through Countryside Stewardship.
Alongside this ongoing support, as we continue to develop our new schemes throughout the transition and into the future, contact is being maintained with a range of stakeholders that represent a variety of interests including access, as well as with end users to determine the specific land management actions that will be paid for under our new schemes.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will set a date for the commencement of the provisions of the Deregulation Act 2015 which relate to public rights of way.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
As set out in my answer of 27 July 2021 the Government intends to lay legislation as soon as reasonably practicable including the relevant provisions in the Deregulation Act 2015. Deferring the 2026 cut-off date for registration of historic rights of way is still under consideration.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Benyon on 27 July 2021 (HL1956), what progress has been made by officials in reviewing the deferral of the cut-off date for the registration of historic rights of way.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
As set out in my answer of 27 July 2021 the Government intends to lay legislation as soon as reasonably practicable including the relevant provisions in the Deregulation Act 2015. Deferring the 2026 cut-off date for registration of historic rights of way is still under consideration.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which minister has cross-government responsibility for co-ordinating all matters relating to (1) citizenship, and (2) civic engagement.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
Minister Kevin Foster has overall responsibility for matters relating to citizenship in the United Kingdom in the Home Office. This portfolio includes the current and future visa system, as well as immigration casework and nationality.
DCMS is responsible for youth engagement across Government and provides grant funding for the UK Youth Parliament programme and Youth Engagement Grant. These are key programmes through which young people can engage with policy and decision-makers and have a say on issues that matter to them. The lead minister is Nigel Huddleston.
DCMS is responsible for youth volunteering and social action across government, and supports the #iwill movement and the #iwill Fund, both of which aim to get 10 to 20 year-olds involved in volunteering, fundraising and campaigning in local communities
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to update the Life in the UK test; and when the test was last updated.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
The Life in the UK test is based on the Life in the UK handbook, “Life in the UK: a guide for new residents”. An updated impression of the current edition of the handbook was published in early 2020.
Questions in the test are reviewed on an ongoing basis. New questions were added between October 2020 and January 2021.
The test is kept under review and will be updated further as needed.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which ministers sit on the Safe and Integrated Communities Inter-Ministerial Group; and how many times has the Group met in the last 12 months.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Government is committed to ensuring that our communities are both safe and well integrated. This is at the heart of our mission to level up communities across the whole of the UK. The specific inter-ministerial group last met in 2019. Ministers and officials continue to meet regularly, driving forward vital work across Government – and in local places - to create socially and economically stronger, more confident and integrated communities.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total amount of index-linked government stock; and what percentage of total government debt it represents.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The total amount of index-linked gilts (ILGs) in issue on close of business 05 July 2021 stood at £476.93 billion including inflation uplift (£357.60 billion nominal excluding inflation uplift). Therefore, ILGs represent 22.79% of the total amount of wholesale government debt outstanding (£2,092.42 billion as of 05 July 2021 including inflation uplift for ILGs). Further details on the ILGs in issue can be found on the Debt Management Office (DMO) website.
Following a revision to the DMO’s financing remit in April 2021, £29.4 billion of ILGs are planned to be sold in 2021-22. This accounts for 11.6% of all gilt financing plans in this fiscal year.
The Government considers the appropriate balance between index-linked and conventional gilts when setting its financing plans, taking account of the level of structural demand, the diversity of the investor base, and the Government’s desired inflation exposure. Decisions on precise levels of ILGs and conventional issuance continue to be taken annually through the financing remit, taking into account market and demand conditions as well as other factors.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many teachers self-identified as citizenship education teachers in (1) 2016, (2) 2017, (3) 2018, (4) 2019, (5) 2020, and (6) 2021.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The number of teachers in state funded secondary schools in England, who are recorded as teaching one or more lessons of citizenship per week, are shown in the table below. The latest information gives the situation in November 2019. Information for November 2020 will be published in June 2021. Information for 2021 will be collected via the School Workforce Census later this year.
As at November 2019 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
Headcount of teachers teaching citizenship | 4,826 | 4,451 | 4,241 | 4,257 |
As a % of all teachers in state funded secondary schools | 2.2% | 2.0% | 1.9% | 1.9% |
The majority of teachers of citizenship also teach other subjects.
The number of trainees who successfully completed training in citizenship education from the 2015/16 to the 2018/19 academic year inclusive is summarised in the table below:
Academic Year | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 |
Postgraduate trainees awarded qualified teacher status | 78 | 45 | 37 | 31 |
The data on numbers of postgraduate trainees awarded qualified teacher status, for the academic years 2019/20 and 2020/21 is not yet available. Due to a change in the recording of subjects in the Initial Teacher Training data, we will not be able to specifically identify Citizenship trainees for the academic year 2019/2020 onwards.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many teachers specialising in citizenship education completed their training in (1) 2016, (2) 2017, (3) 2018, (4) 2019, (5) 2020, and (6) 2021.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The number of teachers in state funded secondary schools in England, who are recorded as teaching one or more lessons of citizenship per week, are shown in the table below. The latest information gives the situation in November 2019. Information for November 2020 will be published in June 2021. Information for 2021 will be collected via the School Workforce Census later this year.
As at November 2019 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
Headcount of teachers teaching citizenship | 4,826 | 4,451 | 4,241 | 4,257 |
As a % of all teachers in state funded secondary schools | 2.2% | 2.0% | 1.9% | 1.9% |
The majority of teachers of citizenship also teach other subjects.
The number of trainees who successfully completed training in citizenship education from the 2015/16 to the 2018/19 academic year inclusive is summarised in the table below:
Academic Year | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 |
Postgraduate trainees awarded qualified teacher status | 78 | 45 | 37 | 31 |
The data on numbers of postgraduate trainees awarded qualified teacher status, for the academic years 2019/20 and 2020/21 is not yet available. Due to a change in the recording of subjects in the Initial Teacher Training data, we will not be able to specifically identify Citizenship trainees for the academic year 2019/2020 onwards.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will make a decision about the Charity Commission's request to refer the Royal Albert Hall to the charity tribunal.
Answered by Lord Stewart of Dirleton
The Charity Commission sought the previous Attorney General’s permission to refer a number of questions to the Tribunal concerning the Corporation of the Hall of Arts and Sciences – the Royal Albert Hall – which is a registered charity. While the Charity Commission has the power to refer questions to the Tribunal, it may only do so with the consent of the Attorney General, as set out in section 325 of the Charities Act 2011.
The issues concerned in this case are complex. The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has engaged with the parties since the original request was made in order to explore the issues, which involve both modern charity law and its application to an organisation established over 150 years ago. This engagement has helped to refine the issues.
Before taking a decision on whether to consent to the latest iteration of the Commission’s request, the previous Attorney General asked the Commission and the Corporation to try to find a way forward without recourse to litigation. The AGO is awaiting an indication from the parties regarding the outcome of that process.