Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how the revised international education strategy will measure the contribution of transnational education in relation to schools.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government is reviewing the UK’s International Education Strategy to ensure it continues to reflect the priorities of the entire education sector, including transnational education for schools. The International Education Strategy will continue to support the growth of exports across the education sector, including schools. The strategy will be published in the coming months.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the revised international education strategy will include an assessment of the overall contribution of overseas pupils studying at independent schools; and whether the strategy will aim to increase the number of pupils studying at independent schools in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government is reviewing the UK’s International Education Strategy to ensure it continues to reflect the priorities of the entire education sector, including schools. The International Education Strategy will continue to support the growth of exports across the education sector, including schools. The strategy will be published in the coming months.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish a revised international education strategy.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government is currently reviewing its International Education Strategy to ensure that it continues be an effective tool in increasing the value of education exports across the UK and reflects the priorities of the education sector. The strategy will be published in the coming months.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic impact of overseas pupils studying at independent schools in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department estimates that overseas pupils at UK independent schools contributed approximately £0.98 billion to the UK economy in 2022.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government for each of the past five years, how many prosecutions and convictions have been secured under section 69 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 relating to animal sexual abuse; how these figures compare with prosecutions and convictions for extreme pornographic images depicting animal sexual abuse; and what steps they are taking to address the disparity between the number of image-based cases and the number of associated perpetrators brought to justice.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions and convictions in criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool. This includes offences under section 69 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and section 63(7)(d) of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008. They can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.
The following tables provide the number of prosecutions and convictions for the offences under section 69 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and section 63(7)(d) of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008.
Table 1: Number of prosecutions and convictions for offences under section 69 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in criminal courts, England and Wales, year ending June 2021 to year ending June 2025[note 1][note 2]
| Year ending June 2021 | Year ending June 2022 | Year ending June 2023 | Year ending June 2024 | Year ending June 2025 |
Proceeded against | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Convicted | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
Source: Court Proceedings Database
Table 2: Number of prosecutions and convictions for Possession of extreme pornographic images - a person performing an act of intercourse or oral sex with an animal (whether dead or alive) (bestiality) in criminal courts, England and Wales, year ending June 2021 to year ending June 2025[note 1][note 2]
| Year ending June 2021 | Year ending June 2022 | Year ending June 2023 | Year ending June 2024 | Year ending June 2025 |
Proceeded against | 71 | 58 | 48 | 55 | 65 |
Convicted | 74 | 60 | 60 | 61 | 67 |
Source: Court Proceedings Database
Note 1: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
Note 2: These figures are presented on a principal-offence basis - ie. reporting information relating to the most serious offence that a defendant was dealt with for. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
There are arrangements in place for cross-agency information sharing in the criminal justice system. All offenders subject to Notification Requirements will be managed under Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). MAPPA is a process through which the Police, Probation and Prison Services work with other agencies to assess and manage the risks posed by individuals convicted of serious violent, sexual and terrorism offences living in the community. This can include those who have committed the section 69 offence.
Where there is a conviction that is domestic abuse related but does not automatically qualify for MAPPA, practitioners are required to consider discretionary MAPPA management.
The Government is committed to protecting animals and holding those who abuse animals to account.
We keep the criminal law under review, including reviewing relevant or emerging information, such as any evidence of correlation between animal sexual abuse, child sexual abuse and domestic abuse.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the correlation between animal sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, and domestic abuse; and what steps they are taking to ensure cross-agency information-sharing.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions and convictions in criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool. This includes offences under section 69 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and section 63(7)(d) of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008. They can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.
The following tables provide the number of prosecutions and convictions for the offences under section 69 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and section 63(7)(d) of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008.
Table 1: Number of prosecutions and convictions for offences under section 69 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in criminal courts, England and Wales, year ending June 2021 to year ending June 2025[note 1][note 2]
| Year ending June 2021 | Year ending June 2022 | Year ending June 2023 | Year ending June 2024 | Year ending June 2025 |
Proceeded against | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Convicted | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
Source: Court Proceedings Database
Table 2: Number of prosecutions and convictions for Possession of extreme pornographic images - a person performing an act of intercourse or oral sex with an animal (whether dead or alive) (bestiality) in criminal courts, England and Wales, year ending June 2021 to year ending June 2025[note 1][note 2]
| Year ending June 2021 | Year ending June 2022 | Year ending June 2023 | Year ending June 2024 | Year ending June 2025 |
Proceeded against | 71 | 58 | 48 | 55 | 65 |
Convicted | 74 | 60 | 60 | 61 | 67 |
Source: Court Proceedings Database
Note 1: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
Note 2: These figures are presented on a principal-offence basis - ie. reporting information relating to the most serious offence that a defendant was dealt with for. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
There are arrangements in place for cross-agency information sharing in the criminal justice system. All offenders subject to Notification Requirements will be managed under Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). MAPPA is a process through which the Police, Probation and Prison Services work with other agencies to assess and manage the risks posed by individuals convicted of serious violent, sexual and terrorism offences living in the community. This can include those who have committed the section 69 offence.
Where there is a conviction that is domestic abuse related but does not automatically qualify for MAPPA, practitioners are required to consider discretionary MAPPA management.
The Government is committed to protecting animals and holding those who abuse animals to account.
We keep the criminal law under review, including reviewing relevant or emerging information, such as any evidence of correlation between animal sexual abuse, child sexual abuse and domestic abuse.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have reviewed the effectiveness of disqualification orders made under section 34 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in cases involving sexual offences against animals.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to protecting animal welfare and ensuring those who abuse animals are held to account. Disqualification orders under section 34 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 were reviewed as part of the Post‑legislative assessment of the Act, which concluded it was operating as intended and strengthening enforcement powers. There are no plans to review their effectiveness specifically in cases involving sexual offences against animals
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Blake of Leeds on Thursday 16 October (HL Deb col 112GC), what options are being considered by officials in the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to ensure improved quality of and access to fracture liaison services; when the consideration of those options will be completed; and when they intend to publish a plan to implement the chosen option.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Fracture liaison services are commissioned by integrated care boards, which are well-placed to make decisions according to local need.
Officials continue to work closely with NHS England to explore a range of options to provide better quality and access to these important preventative services.
Our 10-Year Health Plan committed to rolling out fracture liaison services across every part of the country by 2030.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an impact assessment of proposals to increase charges payable by independent schools for Ofsted inspections; and if so, whether they will publish that assessment.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department launched an 8 week consultation on 25 September 2025 on the subject of reducing the subsidy for Ofsted inspection fees. The consultation document is publicly available and sets out how Ofsted-inspected private schools will be affected by the proposed fee increases.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on UK conservatoires of the proposal to introduce a levy on fees that higher education institutions charge overseas students, set out in the White Paper Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May (CP 1326).
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The international student levy will fund the reintroduction of targeted maintenance grants for disadvantaged students to break down the barriers to opportunity through the department’s Plan for Change.
We will set out further details on the international student levy and targeted means-tested maintenance grants at the Autumn Budget.
We are committed to engaging the sector on the design of the international student levy and want to understand specific concerns providers have as early as possible.
We have received representations from a group of specialist institutions regarding the impact of the levy on the creative industry, to which the government replied on 13 October.