Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Lord Woolley of Woodford, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
Lord Woolley of Woodford has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Lord Woolley of Woodford has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
In line with the government’s legal duties and its commitment to equalities, care has been taken to ensure that our proposed legislation is informed by assessments of their impacts for those from protected characteristics. The Impact Assessment of the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill was published on 18 May 2021 and includes an assessment of the impacts of its measures on those who share protected characteristics, including in reference to race. This is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skills-and-post-16-education-bill-impact-assessment-and-jchr-memorandum.
Draft statutory guidance makes clear that in carrying their reviews, the governing bodies of colleges will need to ensure that they comply with their existing statutory obligations, including those related to equality law, under the Equality Act 2010.
Draft statutory guidance makes clear that in carrying their reviews, the governing bodies of colleges will need to ensure that they comply with their existing statutory obligations, including those related to equality law, under the Equality Act 2010.
All schools must offer a balanced and broadly based curriculum, which promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, and prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.
In November 2018, the department published Respectful School Communities, a self-review and signposting tool to support schools to develop a whole-school approach which promotes respect and discipline: https://educateagainsthate.com/school-leaders/?filter=guidance-and-training-school-leaders. This can combat bullying, harassment and prejudice of any kind. It will help schools to identify the various elements that make up a whole school approach, consider gaps in their current practice, and get further support.
Citizenship education also plays an essential role in developing knowledge and understanding about the world today through teaching politics, democracy, power, the law, human rights, justice and the economy, as well as the changing nature of communities, identities, diversity in the UK and the UK’s relations with the wider world.
From September 2020, relationships education became compulsory for all primary school pupils, relationships and sex education compulsory for all secondary school pupils, and health education compulsory for pupils in all state-funded schools: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education. These subjects are designed to give pupils the knowledge they need to lead happy, safe and healthy lives and to foster respect for other people and for difference.
The teaching workforce has become steadily more racially and ethnically diverse over the last decade, which is the period for which we have comparable data, although we know there is further to go to attract and retain diverse teachers who are representative of the communities they serve: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england. Our recruitment campaigns are targeted at audiences of students/recent graduates and potential career changers of all ethnicities and characteristics.
Finally, it is important all children and young people are treated fairly and there is no place for discrimination in our education system. The Equality Act 2010 ensures that schools cannot unlawfully discriminate against pupils or staff because of their sex, race, age, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief. The department has published guidance on the Equality Act 2010 for schools, which includes advice on how they can meet their duties under the act: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/315587/Equality_Act_Advice_Final.pdf.
Air quality matters in London are devolved to the Mayor of London.
Air quality matters in London are devolved to the Mayor of London.
The Government has allocated £883 million of funding for local authorities under the 2017 UK Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Concentrations.
Defra also annually runs a Local Air Quality Grant to help local authorities across England reduce air pollution in their areas. This year we have committed to spending at least £6 million to fund projects targeting particulate matter, behavioural change campaigns and those aimed at reducing levels of NO2. The successful local authorities for this year will be announced in due course.
The Department is aware of the findings of the Mayor of London and the London Assembly on childhood asthma hospitalisations in London. NHS London’s Children and Young People’s Asthma programme run a yearly #AskAboutAsthma campaign to raise the awareness of asthma across the whole system. The focus in 2022 was on health inequalities and asthma care for all, and to support the work around implementing Core20plus5 for children. This included raising awareness amongst asthma clinicians and commissioners to improve the care for children and young people from specific ethnic minority groups. As part of Core20plus5, NHS England has also worked with integrated care systems and their paediatric asthma networks to focus on these groups.
While no specific assessment has been made, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are working with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs to review the Air Quality Information System to ensure members of the public, and vulnerable groups, have the information they need to protect themselves and understand their impact on air quality. UKHSA’s Cleaner Air Programme also aims to reduce people’s exposure to air pollution and achieve better outcomes for all, particularly for the most vulnerable populations including pregnant women and ethnic minority groups.
The New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) is an advisory group that advises on the threats posed by new and emerging respiratory virus threats and options for their management. Membership is decided by the Chair and signed off by the Chief Medical Officer.
Currently there is no specific dental expertise among NERVTAG membership, as the group cannot have representation from every occupation it covers. However, it frequently brings in experts for meetings on specific topics.
As part of the response to the pandemic, in April 2020 the Government introduced a temporary zero-rate of VAT from 1 May 2020 to 31 July 2020 on all sales and imports of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for protection from infection. This temporary zero-rate has now been extended to 31 October 2020, and benefits all users of PPE, including dentists. The Government has no plans to review the scope of this relief at this time.
The following information is provided to potential applicants, before they chose to ‘apply now’. This outlines information may be shared with other public organisations in the UK:
How we use your data
The Home Office will use the personal information you provide to decide whether to grant your application. We may also share your information with other public and private sector organisations in the UK and overseas. For more detail please see the Privacy Notice for the Border, Immigration and Citizenship system. This also sets out your rights under the Data Protection Act 2018 and explains how you can access your personal information and complain if you have concerns about how we are using it.
In addition to this, where highly skilled Tier 1 (general) applications had been refused, individuals were notified their information had been shared via their refusal notice.
Those applications we are considering post Balajigari (and others) v the Secretary of State of April 2019, also have concerns put to them in a minded to refuse letter.
Home Office Migration Statistics do not capture the number of highly skilled Tier 1 (general) migrants who have been refused indefinite leave to remain and have been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK.
The Home Office does publish data on how many Tier 1 applications have been refused or granted. These can be found in our published statistics under ‘Extensions’ at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/managed-migration-datasets