Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many pupils at independent schools which are inspected by Ofsted have places that are fully funded by local authorities.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
According to the register of independent schools, there are around 30,000 pupils with identified special educational needs either with or without an education health and care plan attending independent schools inspected by Ofsted, out of a total school population of 9,032,426. This data is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2024-25.
The matter of fully funded placements in independent schools is governed by contractual agreements between the individual independent schools and the commissioning local authorities. As such, the department does not collect or hold data on the number of places in independent schools that are fully funded by local authorities.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total number of pupils with special needs who are being educated at independent schools which are inspected by Ofsted.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
According to the register of independent schools, there are around 30,000 pupils with identified special educational needs either with or without an education health and care plan attending independent schools inspected by Ofsted, out of a total school population of 9,032,426. This data is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2024-25.
The matter of fully funded placements in independent schools is governed by contractual agreements between the individual independent schools and the commissioning local authorities. As such, the department does not collect or hold data on the number of places in independent schools that are fully funded by local authorities.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many of the independent schools inspected by Ofsted educate children with special needs.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
According to the register of independent schools, there are around 30,000 pupils with identified special educational needs either with or without an education health and care plan attending independent schools inspected by Ofsted, out of a total school population of 9,032,426. This data is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2024-25.
The matter of fully funded placements in independent schools is governed by contractual agreements between the individual independent schools and the commissioning local authorities. As such, the department does not collect or hold data on the number of places in independent schools that are fully funded by local authorities.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to change the role or functions of the Independent Schools Inspectorate.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There are currently no plans to change the role or functions of the Independent Schools Inspectorate.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total sum raised so far by the introduction of VAT on independent school fees, and how many extra teachers have been recruited as a result.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
HM Treasury published a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) on applying VAT to independent school fees.
The TIIN estimates that, accounting for the spending implications of any pupil movement into the state sector, the policy is expected to raise £1.7 billion per annum by 2029/30.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many claims have been made under the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme; how many of them were settled by 31 May; and what steps have been taken if any, to process claims more rapidly.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme (FRS) launched in December of last year, and as of 2 June 2025, the Scheme has received 1,054 applications, and 39claims have been settled. .
The first payments were made within 16 weeks of the Scheme opening and payments are continuing to be made. The Independent Panel and Appeals Board Members were both recruited on 13 May, and the Independent Panel had their first sitting on 21 May.
We are mindful of the need for timeliness, although it is a complex process, and the Scheme needs to be delivered effectively and correctly. The Scheme continues to make progress with applications, with process capacity expected to increase in the coming months. The FRS is continually looking for opportunities to automate processes where possible, to streamline processing and to work as efficiently as possible processing applications.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 27 January (HL3999), whether they have examined the evidence of the use of chemical weapons by Indonesian forces in West Papua included in the documentary film Frontier War recently released by Paradise Broadcasting.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to my response to Parliamentary Question HL3999 on the 27 January 2025.
The Noble Lord may be referring to allegations from 2018 of the use of white phosphorus by the Indonesian Armed Forces towards civilian population in Papua. While the use of white phosphorus as a weapon does not fall under the Chemical Weapons Convention and is not a matter for the OPCW, contemporary media reports suggested that it was used in a manner that may have violated international humanitarian law. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) monitored these allegations at the time and found no compelling evidence of white phosphorous being used in an illegal way.
The FCDO continues to monitor all reports of violent incidents in the Papua region. We regularly raise human rights issues, including the protection of civilians in Papua, with the Indonesian government.
The Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Catherine West, visited Indonesia in January 2025 and raised the human rights situation in Papua in her meeting with the Coordinating Minister for Law and Human Rights.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential financial savings achieved by the NHS resulting from their plans to provide universal access to fracture liaison services by 2030.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government and NHS England support the clinical case for services which help to prevent fragility fractures and support the patients who sustain them. According to the Fracture Liaison Service Database 2022, at least 60 trusts in England had access to a Fracture Liaison Service. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is committed to rolling out fracture liaison services across every part of the country by 2030.
Costs and benefits will be assessed taking into consideration the evidence gathered from the 60 services already in operation in England.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proportion of acute hospital beds occupied by patients with fragility fractures.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has not made a specific estimate or assessment of the acute hospital bed occupancy rates referenced in the question.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of allegations that Indonesian armed forces are using chemical weapons against the people of West Papua.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
HMG is not aware of any recent allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Indonesia.