Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool To ask Her Majesty’s
Government whether they intend to provide additional resources to
programmes for the teaching of English to refugees. The Minister of
State, Home Office (Baroness Williams of Trafford) (Con) My
Lords, the Government recognise the importance of the English
language for refugee integration. The...Request free trial
Asked by
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To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to
provide additional resources to programmes for the teaching
of English to refugees.
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The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Williams of
Trafford) (Con)
My Lords, the Government recognise the importance of the
English language for refugee integration. The Government
have provided additional funding of £10 million under the
vulnerable persons relocation scheme for more English
classes, childcare facilities and local co-ordination of
English language provision. English language tuition is
also available for refugees under the arrangements for
adult learners.
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(CB)
My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for that Answer and
for the very helpful meeting she had with me to discuss
this. Since that meeting, has she had the chance to reflect
on the 60% reduction in ESOL funding since 2010, the
desirability of extending the guaranteed eight hours a week
of teaching to all refugees, and the role that voluntary
projects can play alongside statutory provisions? Is it not
the case that language is the most important precondition
for full participation in British society, and that if
refugees are unable to speak English, it compromises their
ability to integrate, with negative social, employment and
security implications?
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I totally agree with the noble Lord about English language
skills being the key to employment, integration and
contributing to wider society in general. As I said, we
have made more than £10 million available over five years,
and local authorities are required to arrange a minimum of
eight hours’ formal tuition a week within a month of
arrival and for a period of 12 months, or until the
individual reaches ESOL entry level 3.
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(Lab
Co-op)
My Lords, there has been a huge cut in the funding of ESOL,
as the noble Lord, Lord Alton, said. Without being able to
speak English, refugees, having fled conflict, have to cope
with loneliness and isolation as well. Can the Minister
explain to the House the Government’s comprehensive
strategy for ESOL in England and how they will co-ordinate
it with the devolved institutions?
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For refugees, which is what the Question is about, our ESOL
strategy is that local authorities have to arrange a
minimum of eight hours’ formal language tuition a week
within a month of arrival and for a period of 12 months, or
until that person reaches ESOL entry level 3. ESOL is a
route to employment, and we want people who arrive here as
refugees to be able to access the labour market as quickly
as possible, because many of them will be quite highly
skilled.
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(Con)
My Lords, I support the comments of the noble Lord, Lord
Alton. Does my noble friend agree that, as well as
resourcing, it is important that in teaching English as a
second language the focus is on how we teach it, where we
teach it and when we teach it, to allow full access for
people coming into this country? Is she aware of a specific
Department for Communities and Local Government programme
which was put in place in 2013 to effectively expand the
way in which English as a second language is taught? Can
she tell us about the success of that programme and whether
there are any plans to extend it?
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If my noble friend is talking about the same programme I am
thinking of, Talk English, it was an excellent initiative,
of which I saw an example up in Manchester. The parents, in
particular the mothers, dropped their children off at
school and then went into the school and were taught
English. Things like that not only make women feel part of
their children’s environment but also make them feel part
of the community in which they live. I remember asking one
mother what it was about Manchester that she liked so much.
She said, “I love the rain”.
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(LD)
My Lords, the Minister has referred to £10 million of
funding over five years for additional ESOL teaching, and
that is very welcome. But is it not the case that this will
benefit only resettled Syrian refugees, meaning that the
great majority of refugees in the UK are locked out? On
investment for these programmes, the Minister should take
comfort from the fact that there is huge public support for
funding teaching English for all refugees.
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I certainly agree with the noble Baroness that refugees
generally should be able to learn English. What I am talking
about today is a £10 million fund for resettled refugees, but
tuition is available to refugees under arrangements for adult
learners as well.
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(Lab)
My Lords—
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(CB)
My Lords—
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The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Earl Howe)
(Con)
My Lords, it is the turn of the Cross Benches.
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My Lords, in 2016, Dame Louise Casey conducted a review on
extremism. She stressed the importance of integration, which
reduced the chances of extremism, and of course speaking
English increases the chances of integration. The £10 million
that the Minister referred to has certainly helped to assist
resettled Syrians, but could that same commitment to provide
eight hours of English training be provided to all other
refugees as well? That might enhance the strategy mentioned
by the Opposition.
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My Lords, as I explained to my noble friend Lady Warsi,
English language tuition is also available to refugees under
the adult learners scheme. But the noble Lord is absolutely
right: integration is the key to tackling extremism and the
English language is the key to enabling that integration.
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