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1651637

registered interest
date	10/07/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Sign Language: Adult Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many parents of deaf children participated in British sign language courses that were funded through the adult education budget in Greenwich and Bexley in each of the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
uin	193216
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2023 answer text <p>About 60% of the adult education budget (AEB) has been devolved to Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority, which includes Greenwich and Bexley. Devolved areas decide how to make best use of AEB provision to meet learner needs of their areas and decide which providers to contract with to deliver AEB-funded learning.</p><p>According to data held by the department on the Individualised Learner Record, there were 10 adult (19+) education and training learning aim enrolments in the 2021/22 academic year by learners living in the London Borough of Bexley or the London Borough of Greenwich with ‘British Sign Language’ or ‘BSL’ in their aim title. In 2020/21, there were 10 enrolments and in 2019/20 there were 20. The department does not hold information as to whether the learners taking these aims have deaf children. Further clarity on use of the AEB in London may be provided by the Greater London Authority.</p><p>These figures do not correspond to learners, as learners may enrol on multiple aims. Additionally, these are funded adult (19+) education and training aim enrolments, so they will include AEB-funded learning, as well as other funding provision, such as advanced learner loans.</p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 17/07/2023 15:36:38 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1651638

registered interest
date	10/07/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Sign Language: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to help parents of deaf children to be able to learn sign language; and if her Department is coordinating work with local authorities on this issue.
tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
uin	193217
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2023 answer text <p>The government understands the great importance of British Sign Language (BSL) for bridging barriers to communication between hearing and deaf people. The department appreciates the vital need for families with deaf children to be able to access BSL courses, as early access to language is essential to help children learn and thrive.</p><p>Funding is available through the adult education budget (AEB) for qualifications in or focussing on BSL up to and including level 2. These qualifications include, for example, the Level 1 Award in BSL, which allows learners to communicate in BSL on a range of topics that involve simple, everyday language use, thereby giving them the basic skills and confidence in production and reception of BSL. It will depend on an individual’s circumstances as to whether they are entitled to free provision or expected to meet part of the cost, through co-funding.</p><p>For some BSL courses, advanced learner loans (ALLs) are available, and parents can find more information about which qualifications are eligible at: <a href="https://www.qualifications.education.gov.uk/Search" target="_blank">https://www.qualifications.education.gov.uk/Search</a>. More general information about the provision of ALLs is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan</a>.</p><p>For parents learning BSL on an AEB-funded course, there is also additional support available. The AEB provides funding to colleges and providers to help adult learners overcome barriers preventing them from accessing learning. Providers have discretion to help learners meet costs such as transport, accommodation, books, equipment, and childcare. Learning support funding also helps colleges and training providers to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the costs of reasonable adjustments, as set out in the Equality Act 2010.</p><p>About 60% of the AEB has been devolved to nine Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Mayor of London, acting where appropriate through the Greater London Authority. These authorities determine which provision to fund for learners who live in their areas. The Education and Skills Funding Agency provides the remaining funding for learners who live in non-devolved areas. It is up to providers to decide what provision they offer. Where community learning providers offer BSL courses, those providers are responsible for determining the course fees, including levels of fee remission.</p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 17/07/2023 15:11:24 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1651161

registered interest
date	07/07/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupils: Bullying
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department has spent on anti-bullying initiatives for schools in England in the last 12 months.
tabling member constituency	Tooting
tabling member printed	Dr Rosena Allin-Khan
uin	193019
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2023 answer text <p>The department is providing over £3 million of funding, between 10 August 2021 and 31 March 2024, to five anti-bullying organisations to support both primary and secondary schools to tackle bullying. Over the last 12 months, £1.16 million in funding has been provided to the five organisations as part of year two of the programme. This three-year funding programme includes projects targeting bullying of particular groups, such as those who are victims of hate related bullying and homophobic, biphobic and transphobic based bullying.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 17/07/2023 15:07:49 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
tabling member	4573 label Biography information for Dr Rosena Allin-Khan

1650830

registered interest
date	06/07/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	British Sign Language: Adult Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the accessibility of British Sign Language classes for parents of (a) deaf children and (b) children with hearing loss who are ineligible for grants under the adult education budget; and what alternative steps the Government is taking to help support those parents to learn how to communicate with their children.
tabling member constituency	St Ives
tabling member printed	Derek Thomas
uin	192889
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2023 answer text <p>The government has not assessed the accessibility of British Sign Language (BSL) classes for those who are ineligible for the adult education budget (AEB). However, the AEB targets a wide range of individuals, including, but not limited to, UK nationals, other non-UK nationals, certain EU nationals and their family members, and individuals with certain types of immigration status (such as refugee status and those with indefinite leave to remain) and some asylum seekers.</p><p>Funding is available through the AEB for qualifications in or focussing on BSL up to and including level 2. About 60% of the AEB has been devolved to Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority, who determine which provision to fund for learners who live in their areas. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) provides the remaining funding for learners who live in non-devolved areas, which includes St Ives Constituency.</p><p>ESFA funded AEB qualifications include, for example, the Level 1 Award in BSL which allows learners to communicate in BSL on a range of topics that involve simple, everyday language use, thereby giving them the basic skills and confidence in production and reception of BSL. It will depend on an individual’s circumstances as to whether they are entitled to free provision or expected to meet part of the cost, through co-funding. Where community learning providers offer BSL courses, those providers are responsible for determining the course fees, including levels of fee remission.</p><p>For parents learning BSL on an AEB funded course, there is also additional support available. The AEB provides funding to colleges and providers to help adult learners overcome barriers preventing them from accessing learning. Providers have discretion to help learners meet costs such as transport, accommodation, books, equipment, and childcare. Learning support funding also helps colleges and training providers to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the costs of reasonable adjustments, as set out in the Equality Act 2010.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 12/07/2023 16:39:36 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
tabling member	4532 label Biography information for Derek Thomas

1650912

registered interest
date	06/07/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Care Proceedings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will review the time limit on determining care proceedings as set out by the Children and Families Act 2014.
tabling member constituency	North Herefordshire
tabling member printed	Sir Bill Wiggin
uin	192805
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2023 answer text <p>The government remains committed to meeting the 26-week timeframe for public law cases and has no plans to review this. Although there is a considerable amount of work taking place across the family justice system to improve timeliness, the government acknowledges there is more to be done. The Public Law Outline (PLO) introduced by the Children and Families Act 2014, of which the 26-week timeline is one aspect, brought about a renewed focused and statutory responsibility. In January 2023, the President of the Family Division reiterated his clear desire for the current time limits to be met by family courts in England and Wales through his re-launch of the PLO.</p><p>To measure the system’s progress in reducing delays and backlogs in the system, the national Family Justice Board, co-chaired by ministers from the Department for Education and the Ministry of Justice, have agreed a set of key performance indicators which are reviewed at every Board. The department is working closely with partners across the system to deliver several initiatives to ensure public family law timeliness returns to the 26-week statutory timeframe as quickly as possible. For example, we have launched a pilot to bring the child’s guardian and social worker together earlier than the case management hearing (first hearing), which should decrease delays caused at the earliest stage of proceedings. With HM Courts and Tribunals Service, we are piloting the use of two checklists to support engagement with the PLO principles and reduce last minute adjournments. We have also invested approximately £2.2 million to improve family justice pre-proceedings practice and data collection as a means of reducing court backlogs.</p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 14/07/2023 13:20:26 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
tabling member	1428 label Biography information for Sir Bill Wiggin

1650931

registered interest
date	06/07/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs: Unpaid Work
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to (a) engage with (i) national supermarkets and (ii) other parts of the retail sector to encourage them to offer Supported Internships to adults with learning difficulties and (b) increase the number of employers offering Supported Internships.
tabling member constituency	Nottingham East
tabling member printed	Nadia Whittome
uin	192929
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2023 answer text <p>Supported internships are personalised study programmes, specifically designed to support young people aged 16-24 with Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans, to prepare for and transition into sustained, paid employment. A variety of placements exist, including with high profile retailers such as Waitrose.</p><p>In February 2022, the department announced an investment of up to £18 million over the next three years to build capacity in the Supported Internships programme, aiming to double the number of Supported Internships to give more young people with an EHC plan the skills to secure and sustain paid employment.</p><p>The Internships Work consortium are the department’s contracted partner and deliver activities to expand and improve Supported Internships provision across the country. As part of this work, DFN Project Search are engaging and supporting a wide range of employers. By March 2025 they will identify and train 800 new employer champions, to strengthen the links between Supported Internships and employers across all sectors. DFN Project Search have provided local authorities with training on how to engage with Employer Champions and how local authorities can develop their local Supported Internship offer.</p><p>Finally, in the Spring Budget 2023, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced up to £3 million to pilot extending Supported Internships to young people without EHC plans. Through this pilot the department will seek to establish whether the Supported Internship model is an effective approach for learners with learning difficulties and disabilities without an EHC plan. We will identify the benefits and challenges of using the Supported Internship model to support this cohort and use learning from the pilot to consider if and how the approach could be rolled out more widely.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 12/07/2023 16:33:45 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
tabling member	4869 label Biography information for Nadia Whittome

1650338

registered interest
date	05/07/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Medicine: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate with Cabinet colleagues of the number of medical students who (a) work in addition to their studies and (b) have children under the age of five that will not be eligible to access the expansion of the 30 hours free childcare offer in 2024-2025.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	192587
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2023 answer text <p>The department does not hold data on the number of students who are ineligible for 30 hours free childcare.</p><p>In the Spring Budget 2023, the government announced a number of transformative reforms to childcare for parents, children and the economy. By 2027/28, the government will expect to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education, helping working families with their childcare costs. This represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever.</p><p>The announcement included the expansion of the 30 hours free childcare offer, through which eligible working parents in England will be able to access 30 hours of free childcare per week, for 38 weeks per year from when their child is 9 months old, to when they start school. The key objective of this measure is to support parental participation in the labour market, which is why the offer is conditional on work.</p><p>All students who work in addition to their studies and earn the equivalent of at least 16 hours a week at national minimum/living wage, and under £100,000 adjusted net income per year, will be eligible for this offer. If they are unable to meet this threshold, they will remain eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education, which is available to all 3 and 4 year olds regardless of family circumstances.</p><p>The department recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provide a range of support for students in further or higher education to support them with childcare.</p><p>Support available to full-time students with dependent children includes the Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance. Entitlement to these grants is based on a student’s household income.</p><p>For additional financial support, since September 2020, all eligible full-time nursing, midwifery, paramedic and other allied health profession students have been able to receive a non-repayable training grant through the NHS Learning Support Fund of £5,000 per academic year. Eligible full-time students with child dependants can also access a further £2,000 per academic year through the Learning and Support Fund. Eligible students studying part-time receive a pro-rated amount of support depending on their intensity of study compared to a full-time course.</p><p>Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be found at: <a href="https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk" target="_blank">https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk</a>.</p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho grouped question UIN 192588 192589 question first answered 11/07/2023 12:08:39 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1650339

registered interest
date	05/07/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	STEM Subjects: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate with Cabinet colleagues of the number of STEM degree students who (a) work in addition to their studies and (b) have children under the age of five that will not be eligible to access the expansion of the 30 hours free childcare offer in 2024-2025.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	192588
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2023 answer text <p>The department does not hold data on the number of students who are ineligible for 30 hours free childcare.</p><p>In the Spring Budget 2023, the government announced a number of transformative reforms to childcare for parents, children and the economy. By 2027/28, the government will expect to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education, helping working families with their childcare costs. This represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever.</p><p>The announcement included the expansion of the 30 hours free childcare offer, through which eligible working parents in England will be able to access 30 hours of free childcare per week, for 38 weeks per year from when their child is 9 months old, to when they start school. The key objective of this measure is to support parental participation in the labour market, which is why the offer is conditional on work.</p><p>All students who work in addition to their studies and earn the equivalent of at least 16 hours a week at national minimum/living wage, and under £100,000 adjusted net income per year, will be eligible for this offer. If they are unable to meet this threshold, they will remain eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education, which is available to all 3 and 4 year olds regardless of family circumstances.</p><p>The department recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provide a range of support for students in further or higher education to support them with childcare.</p><p>Support available to full-time students with dependent children includes the Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance. Entitlement to these grants is based on a student’s household income.</p><p>For additional financial support, since September 2020, all eligible full-time nursing, midwifery, paramedic and other allied health profession students have been able to receive a non-repayable training grant through the NHS Learning Support Fund of £5,000 per academic year. Eligible full-time students with child dependants can also access a further £2,000 per academic year through the Learning and Support Fund. Eligible students studying part-time receive a pro-rated amount of support depending on their intensity of study compared to a full-time course.</p><p>Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be found at: <a href="https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk" target="_blank">https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk</a>.</p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho grouped question UIN 192587 192589 question first answered 11/07/2023 12:08:39 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1650340

registered interest
date	05/07/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Teachers: Training
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate with Cabinet colleagues of the number of PGCE students who (a) work in addition to their studies and (b) have children under the age of five that will not be eligible to access the expansion of the 30 hours free childcare offer in 2024-2025.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	192589
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2023 answer text <p>The department does not hold data on the number of students who are ineligible for 30 hours free childcare.</p><p>In the Spring Budget 2023, the government announced a number of transformative reforms to childcare for parents, children and the economy. By 2027/28, the government will expect to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education, helping working families with their childcare costs. This represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever.</p><p>The announcement included the expansion of the 30 hours free childcare offer, through which eligible working parents in England will be able to access 30 hours of free childcare per week, for 38 weeks per year from when their child is 9 months old, to when they start school. The key objective of this measure is to support parental participation in the labour market, which is why the offer is conditional on work.</p><p>All students who work in addition to their studies and earn the equivalent of at least 16 hours a week at national minimum/living wage, and under £100,000 adjusted net income per year, will be eligible for this offer. If they are unable to meet this threshold, they will remain eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education, which is available to all 3 and 4 year olds regardless of family circumstances.</p><p>The department recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provide a range of support for students in further or higher education to support them with childcare.</p><p>Support available to full-time students with dependent children includes the Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance. Entitlement to these grants is based on a student’s household income.</p><p>For additional financial support, since September 2020, all eligible full-time nursing, midwifery, paramedic and other allied health profession students have been able to receive a non-repayable training grant through the NHS Learning Support Fund of £5,000 per academic year. Eligible full-time students with child dependants can also access a further £2,000 per academic year through the Learning and Support Fund. Eligible students studying part-time receive a pro-rated amount of support depending on their intensity of study compared to a full-time course.</p><p>Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be found at: <a href="https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk" target="_blank">https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk</a>.</p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho grouped question UIN 192587 192588 question first answered 11/07/2023 12:08:39 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1650341

registered interest
date	05/07/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Carers: Childcare
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate with Cabinet colleagues of the number of unpaid carers who have children under the age of five that will not be eligible to access the expansion of the 30 hours free childcare offer in 2024-2025.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	192590
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2023 answer text <p>The department does not hold data on the number of unpaid carers with children under the age of five.</p><p>Unpaid carers would not be eligible for the 30 hours offer unless they meet the minimum income criteria. A two-parent household may still be able to meet the criteria for 30 hours free childcare where one parent is working, and meeting the above income criteria, and the other is receiving one of certain benefits. The eligibility criteria is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/30-hours-free-childcare?step-by-step-nav=f517cd57-3c18-4bb9-aa8b-1b907e279bf9" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/30-hours-free-childcare?step-by-step-nav=f517cd57-3c18-4bb9-aa8b-1b907e279bf9</a>. Those receiving Carer’s Allowance are included.</p><p>All three and four year-olds are eligible for the 15-hour free entitlement regardless of their parents’ circumstances. This is available the term after a child turns three and is available for 38 weeks a year during term time, or across more weeks of the year if they use fewer hours per week.</p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 14/07/2023 12:39:37 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes