Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Barran on 24 February (HL Deb col 340), what plans they have to involve independent schools in the National Tutoring Programme.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The National Tutoring Programme is delivered using high-quality tutoring organisations that have been selected against a robust set of criteria, including ‘safeguarding’, ‘understanding schools working and challenges’, and ‘excellence in delivery’, following applications from hundreds of organisations. Further information on these criteria is available here: https://nationaltutoring.org.uk/tuition-partners/.
As well as working through established tutoring providers, the programme is happy to accept applications from other organisations, for example, associations of independent schools, who meet the necessary criteria.
Following feedback from schools, funding has also been provided directly to state-funded schools so that they can use their own staff for tutoring. Potential tutors are required to be qualified teachers or undertake bespoke training. Schools may engage tutors from their local networks, including from independent schools through new or pre-existing partnership arrangements.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what work they are undertaking under their Official History Programme; and when they intend to publish it.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
Volumes 4 and 5 of the Official History of the Criminal Justice system and volume 2 of the Official History of the Joint Intelligence Committee will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 2 February (HL Deb col 898), what progress they have made in implementing the recommendations of the Independent Office of Police Conduct’s report on the alleged misconduct of Mr Mike Veale.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Following an independent investigation conducted by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the then-Acting Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Cleveland carefully considered their report and determined that former Chief Constable Mike Veale had a case to answer for gross misconduct. This matter has been referred to an independent panel - with a Legally Qualified Chair - to hold a misconduct hearing in which relevant evidence will be considered and findings made as to Mr Veale’s conduct and any appropriate outcome. It would therefore be inappropriate to comment further whilst legal proceedings remain ongoing.
A previous IOPC investigation into allegations of misconduct by Mr Veale found that he had a case to answer for alleged misconduct while Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police. As Mr Veale was by then serving as Chief Constable of Cleveland, at the conclusion of the investigation, the IOPC report was sent to the then PCC for Cleveland (Barry Coppinger) following which it was agreed that he would be subject to a management action plan put in place by the PCC, including an ongoing programme of professional development.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 2 February (HL Deb col 898), what actions the Independent Office for Police Conduct have taken in response to remarks made by the Home Secretary on 15 June 2021 (HC Deb col 128), where she stated that "profound concerns exist about the handling of the IOPC’s investigation into Operation Midland".
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The IOPC’s Director General set out its own response to criticisms of its handling of the investigation into Operation Midland in his letter to Sir Richard Henriques of 31 March 2021. The letter is available on the gov.uk website. The IOPC publishes further information on its performance and plans on its website. As noted in the debate on 2 February (HL Deb col 898), a review of the IOPC by an independent reviewer (as announced by the Home Secretary on 15 June 2021) is due to start this year. This will consider the organisation’s effectiveness and efficiency, including its decision-making processes.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s report on police failures in investigating the murders committed by Stephen Port in 2014 and 2015.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is currently considering whether to re-open its investigation in light of the evidence provided to the Coroner during the course of the inquests into the deaths of Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor.
The IOPC will not publish the investigation report whilst consideration whether to re-open the investigation is ongoing so as not to prejudice any potential future proceedings.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to issue guidance to ensure that independent sixth-form colleges that lose their Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies accreditation are re-inspected without delay.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The requirement for Student sponsors, including independent sixth-form colleges which hold a sponsor license, to maintain Educational Oversight (EO) is a core principle of the sponsorship system for the Student and Child Student routes. This requirement ensures the quality of education offered to international students is of sufficiently high standard.
Institutions which do not meet the required rating following an inspection by the relevant Educational Oversight body will lose the ability to assign Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) to prospective students.
To facilitate sponsors regaining the ability to sponsor new students as soon as they have rectified the issues which led to them losing EO, a sponsor can regain EO following a partial reinspection, or monitoring review, which confirms those issues have been resolved satisfactorily rather than having to wait for a full reinspection. Sponsors which regain Educational Oversight will have the ability to assign CAS reinstated.
The Home Office does not set inspection schedules for independent EO bodies, beyond requiring those for private providers must take place at least once every 4 years.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Indonesia, if any, regarding the displacement of villagers in West Papua; and what response they received.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of reports of internal civilian displacement in the provinces of Papua and West Papua following recent violent clashes between separatists and Indonesian security forces. The UK fully respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia, including the provinces of Papua and West Papua. Within this framework, we strongly support the efforts of the Indonesian authorities and civil society to address the legitimate concerns of the people of Papua and West Papua provinces, including strengthening human rights protections, providing humanitarian assistance and ensuring that all Papuans benefit from the sustainable and equitable development of their province. We support the proposed visit of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to Papua and encourage both sides to agree on dates for a visit.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Indonesia in support of a visit to West Papua by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; and what response they have received.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of reports of internal civilian displacement in the provinces of Papua and West Papua following recent violent clashes between separatists and Indonesian security forces. The UK fully respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia, including the provinces of Papua and West Papua. Within this framework, we strongly support the efforts of the Indonesian authorities and civil society to address the legitimate concerns of the people of Papua and West Papua provinces, including strengthening human rights protections, providing humanitarian assistance and ensuring that all Papuans benefit from the sustainable and equitable development of their province. We support the proposed visit of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to Papua and encourage both sides to agree on dates for a visit.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 8 July (HL Deb, col 1429), what plans they have, if any, to establish an independent investigation of alleged misconduct during Operation Midland, including that of the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Following the receipt of responses by the Metropolitan Police Service and Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to the Home Secretary’s letter of 16 March, the Government is considering whether further steps are necessary to address concerns raised about Operation Midland, and the subsequent IOPC investigation.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 8 July (HL Deb, col 1429), when the inquiry by the Independent Office for Police Conduct into the alleged misconduct by former Chief Constable Mr Mike Veale will be concluded; and when it will publish its report.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Independent Office for Police Conduct’s investigation into the alleged misconduct by former Chief Constable Mike Veale was completed in February this year and their report has been shared with the Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Cleveland. It is now for the PCC to take forward any actions arising – after which the investigation report will be published.