Asked by: Lord Rose of Monewden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government which universities are offering medical school places to overseas students only; and how many students are enrolled on those courses in the current academic year.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
Brunel University is the only university which exclusively offers medical places to overseas students. The information requested on enrolment is not collected centrally. The medical school at Brunel University is not required to report the intake data as it is a private and independent provider of undergraduate medical education and does not receive any funding from the Office for Students or Health Education England.
Asked by: Lord Rose of Monewden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Temporary Worker Seasonal Worker visa; and what plans they have, if any, to revise the scheme.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Home Office keeps all aspects of the Seasonal Worker route under close and ongoing review. There are no current plans to make substantive revisions to this route.
Asked by: Lord Rose of Monewden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will ask the Migration Advisory Committee (1) to review skills shortages in the retail and hospitality sectors, and (2) to make recommendations to Government about potential visa routes for overseas workers to fill vacancies in those sectors.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Government commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the Shortage Occupation List (SOL). We therefore expect the MAC to launch its call for evidence shortly for all sectors- including retail and hospitality – to engage with and respond to.
Asked by: Lord Rose of Monewden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will next ask the Migration Advisory Committee to update the Shortage Occupation List.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Government commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the Shortage Occupation List (SOL). We therefore expect the MAC to launch its call for evidence shortly for all sectors- including retail and hospitality – to engage with and respond to.
Asked by: Lord Rose of Monewden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to assist families further in relation to the rise in the cost of living; and whether any such plans include (1) introducing a lower rate of VAT for fuel, and (2) reducing the general rate of VAT.
Answered by Baroness Penn
To support households with the rising cost of living, the Government is providing over £15 billion of additional support, targeted particularly on those with the greatest need. This package builds on the over £22 billion announced previously, with Government support for the cost of living now totaling over £37 billion this year.
The Government intends VAT to remain a broad-based tax on consumption where the standard rate of 20 per cent applies to most goods and services, including road fuel. While there are exceptions to the standard rate, these have always been strictly limited by both legal and fiscal considerations.
Reducing VAT would impose additional pressure on the public finances, to which VAT makes a significant contribution. VAT raised around £130 billion in 2019-20 and, according to OBR forecasts, will have raised approximately £135 billion in 2021-22, helping to fund key spending priorities. Any reduction in tax paid is a reduction in the money available to support important public services, including the NHS and policing.
Asked by: Lord Rose of Monewden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the effectiveness of the Education and Skills Funding Agency in supporting the UK's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic; and what plans they have to bring the work of the Education and Skills Funding Agency back under direct ministerial control.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is an arm’s length body (ALB) of the Department for Education, responsible for administering and distributing funding of over £61 billion to deliver education and skills, from early years through to adulthood. It is accountable to ministers who make key decisions on the ESFA’s business, and it has played a key role in supporting the department’s response to COVID-19.
The COVID-19 outbreak has highlighted the importance of all government departments and ALBs being set up in the most efficient and effective way, ensuring the delivery of high-quality outcomes for all. In line with this, the department, including the ESFA, keep under constant review how the best possible outcomes for all learners can be ensured.