Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label previous answer version answering member constituency answering member printed answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1047769

registered interest
date	24/01/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	English Baccalaureate: Disadvantaged
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of disadvantaged students who leave secondary education having completed the English Baccalaureate.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	212315
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2019 answer text <p>The revised GCSE performance tables[1], published on 24 January 2019, show that in 2018 26.4% of disadvantaged pupils were entered for the EBacc, the highest this figure has been since the measure was introduced in 2010. In 2011, just 8.6% of disadvantaged pupils were entered for the EBacc subject combination. An increase has also been seen this year in EBacc attainment amongst disadvantaged pupils. The gap between EBacc entry for disadvantaged pupils and their non-disadvantaged peers has closed by 1.2 percentage points since 2017. Schools such as Dixons Trinity Academy (which is in an area of high disadvantage) lead the way. They entered 86% of their pupils for the EBacc in 2018.</p><p>Overall, however, disadvantaged pupils remain less likely to be entered for the EBacc subjects as their non-disadvantaged peers, and the gap in EBacc subject entry persists, even among the most academically able disadvantaged pupils. The Department has said that it would like to see 90% of year 10 pupils starting to study GCSEs in the EBacc combination of subjects by 2025.</p><p> </p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/key-stage-4-and-multi-academy-trust-performance-2018-revised" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/key-stage-4-and-multi-academy-trust-performance-2018-revised</a>.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 29/01/2019 16:35:51 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1047034

registered interest
date	23/01/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	16-19 Bursary Fund
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of current funding for the 16 to 19 bursary.
tabling member constituency	Blackpool South
tabling member printed	Gordon Marsden
uin	211663
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2019 answer text <p>The department provides a number of financial support programmes for economically disadvantaged 16 to 19 year olds to help with the education-related costs associated with staying in post-16 education. The 16-19 Bursary Fund is the principal scheme. Under the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund, young people are eligible for awards of up to £1,200 per year (in particular, vulnerable groups that generally do not receive financial support from their families). Those not in these particular vulnerable groups, but who still need financial support, can apply to their education institution for discretionary bursary support. Each institution receives an allocation to make available these discretionary bursaries.</p><p>The department spoke with a sample of schools, colleges and other 16-19 education providers in 2018 to help us understand how the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund was being used and to assess the extent to which discretionary bursary allocations met the needs of students in the different institutions. Providers were using the available funds to support their most disadvantaged students, but there were different responses on the adequacy of funding. We are continuing to keep the use of the fund under review to inform our understanding of whether it is providing effective support to our most economically disadvantaged students.</p><p>With regard to its effectiveness in promoting social mobility, providers have the flexibility to target those young people in most need of financial support to stay on in further education and training. This flexibility helps to ensure that the poorest students get the same opportunities available to those with more financial support, for example, by purchasing equipment for technical courses, taking part in trips, purchasing books, participating in industry placements and getting support with UCAS fees. The majority of providers that the department spoke to in 2018 confirmed that this funding was making a significant impact on the ability of young people to access opportunities.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 29/01/2019 16:49:43 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton previous answer version 97554 answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	465 label Biography information for Gordon Marsden

1047035

registered interest
date	23/01/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	16-19 Bursary Fund: Social Mobility
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the 16 - 19 bursary in promoting social mobility.
tabling member constituency	Blackpool South
tabling member printed	Gordon Marsden
uin	211664
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2019 answer text <p>The department provides a number of financial support programmes for economically disadvantaged 16 to 19 year olds to help with the education-related costs associated with staying in post-16 education. The 16-19 Bursary Fund is the principal scheme. Under the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund, young people are eligible for awards of up to £1,200 per year (in particular, vulnerable groups that generally do not receive financial support from their families). Those not in these particular vulnerable groups, but who still need financial support, can apply to their education institution for discretionary bursary support. Each institution receives an allocation to make available these discretionary bursaries.</p><p>The department spoke with a sample of schools, colleges and other 16-19 education providers in 2018 to help us understand how the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund was being used and to assess the extent to which discretionary bursary allocations met the needs of students in the different institutions. Providers were using the available funds to support their most disadvantaged students, but there were different responses on the adequacy of funding. We are continuing to keep the use of the fund under review to inform our understanding of whether it is providing effective support to our most economically disadvantaged students.</p><p>With regard to its effectiveness in promoting social mobility, providers have the flexibility to target those young people in most need of financial support to stay on in further education and training. This flexibility helps to ensure that the poorest students get the same opportunities available to those with more financial support, for example, by purchasing equipment for technical courses, taking part in trips, purchasing books, participating in industry placements and getting support with UCAS fees. The majority of providers that the department spoke to in 2018 confirmed that this funding was making a significant impact on the ability of young people to access opportunities.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 29/01/2019 16:50:11 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton previous answer version 97893 answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	465 label Biography information for Gordon Marsden

1045527

registered interest
date	22/01/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals: Working Tax Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate he has made of the potential additional cost to the public purse of extending free school meals to households in receipt of working tax credit who meet the income threshold currently used to determine eligibility for households not in receipt of working tax credit.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	210458
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2019 answer text <p>We do not routinely collect or publish data on families in receipt of working tax credit with earnings below the threshold for free school meals eligibility,</p><p>The department does not have any plans to extend free school meals entitlement to families in receipt of working tax credit and therefore have not made an assessment of the potential additional costs or benefits of extending free school meals to those households in receipt of working tax credit who meet the earned income threshold.</p><p>​Working tax credit, alongside other legacy benefits are being phased out and replaced by Universal Credit. As families move from working tax credit onto Universal Credit, those with incomes below the earned income threshold of £7,400 per annum will benefit through becoming eligible to receive free school meals.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 210459 210460 question first answered 29/01/2019 16:44:25 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1045686

registered interest
date	22/01/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Technicians: Recruitment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to increase the supply of laboratory scientist technicians.
tabling member constituency	South Basildon and East Thurrock
tabling member printed	Stephen Metcalfe
uin	210634
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2019 answer text <p>The government wants to encourage more students into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and training at all stages from primary school to higher education, which will equip people with the skills needed for such roles. We are investing an additional £406 million in skills, including maths and digital. This includes the Advanced Maths Premium and an £84 million programme to improve the teaching of computing.</p><p>It is crucial we encourage more young people to consider STEM careers, including careers such as laboratory scientist technicians. We have committed to improving STEM careers advice in schools in the government’s careers strategy which ensures that STEM encounters, such as with employers and apprenticeships, are built into school career programmes by updating school and college statutory guidance.</p><p>The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy also funds a number of programmes that aim to inspire more young people to study science subjects, such as the STEM Ambassadors programme, and the CREST awards, which engage students in STEM-related projects.</p><p>T levels will also provide alternative routes into laboratory and science technical careers. T levels will be a new gold-standard in technical education, providing a distinctive and rigorous alternative to A levels and apprenticeships. T level panels of employers are defining the outline content for the new programmes and we recently announced that T levels in the Health and Science route, which includes Laboratory Sciences, will be taught by selected providers from 2021.</p><p>Apprenticeships are available in the sector across a range of levels including Laboratory scientist (degree); Laboratory scientist Level 5; and Laboratory technician Level 3. These standards are being developed by employer groups, including groups in the health and science sector such as Pfizer, GSK, Astra Zeneca, Sterling Pharma Solutions, 3M. A full list of standards is available on the Institute for Apprenticeships’ website at <a href="https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/" target="_blank">https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/</a>.</p><p>To stimulate apprenticeships growth across all sectors, we are first and foremost ensuring that apprenticeships are a quality product recognised by individuals and employers – setting individuals on a path to a to great career and providing employers with the home-grown skills they need to grow their businesses and increase productivity.</p><p>We are also currently carrying out a review of higher technical education, looking at how level 4 and 5 classroom based technical education meets the needs of learners and employers. This forms part of our commitment to support routes to higher-earning technical roles and address the skills needs of the economy. Our ambition is to reform higher level technical education so that it delivers the skills employers and the economy need and offers attractive routes to higher earning technical roles. We also intend to establish a system of employer-led national standards for higher technical education.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 29/01/2019 16:21:02 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	4092 label Biography information for Stephen Metcalfe

1045984

registered interest
date	22/01/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Department for Education: Cleaning Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which service providers are contracted to carry out third party cleaning contracts for his (a) Department and (b) executive agencies; if he will list all of the services delivered by third party contractors to his (i) Department and (ii) executive agencies; and how many people working for those third party contractors are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	211111
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2019 answer text <p>Cleaning services in buildings managed by the department are undertaken by outsourced providers, OCS and Sodexo, as part of large facilities management service contracts. The cleaning of Cheylesmore House, occupied by the Standards and Testing Agency and the Teaching Regulation Agency, is undertaken by Engie.</p><p>A list of all services delivered by third party contractors to the department is not held in a centralised location and the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p><p>Rates of pay for people working for third party contractors are determined by their respective employers and not held by the department. All outsourced providers are required to pay, as a minimum, either the National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 29/01/2019 13:21:07 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1045528

registered interest
date	21/01/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals: Working Tax Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending free school meal eligibility to children in households in receipt of working tax credit.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	210459
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2019 answer text <p>We do not routinely collect or publish data on families in receipt of working tax credit with earnings below the threshold for free school meals eligibility,</p><p>The department does not have any plans to extend free school meals entitlement to families in receipt of working tax credit and therefore have not made an assessment of the potential additional costs or benefits of extending free school meals to those households in receipt of working tax credit who meet the earned income threshold.</p><p>​Working tax credit, alongside other legacy benefits are being phased out and replaced by Universal Credit. As families move from working tax credit onto Universal Credit, those with incomes below the earned income threshold of £7,400 per annum will benefit through becoming eligible to receive free school meals.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 210458 210460 question first answered 29/01/2019 16:44:25 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1045529

registered interest
date	21/01/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals: Working Tax Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children are ineligible for free school meals as a result of their household, meeting the income threshold but is in receipt of working tax credit.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	210460
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2019 answer text <p>We do not routinely collect or publish data on families in receipt of working tax credit with earnings below the threshold for free school meals eligibility,</p><p>The department does not have any plans to extend free school meals entitlement to families in receipt of working tax credit and therefore have not made an assessment of the potential additional costs or benefits of extending free school meals to those households in receipt of working tax credit who meet the earned income threshold.</p><p>​Working tax credit, alongside other legacy benefits are being phased out and replaced by Universal Credit. As families move from working tax credit onto Universal Credit, those with incomes below the earned income threshold of £7,400 per annum will benefit through becoming eligible to receive free school meals.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 210458 210459 question first answered 29/01/2019 16:44:25 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1045684

registered interest
date	21/01/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	National FGM Centre
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the National FGM Centre.
tabling member constituency	Rotherham
tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
uin	210632
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2019 answer text <p>In July 2017, the department made over £1.6 million available from our Innovation Programme to Barnardo’s to run the National FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) Centre for three years. The proportion of the centre’s costs to be paid by the department reduces year by year, with the centre to be self-sustaining from April 2020. The University of Bedfordshire is evaluating the centre and the evaluation is due to be completed by July this year.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 210633 question first answered 29/01/2019 13:02:49 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion

1045685

registered interest
date	21/01/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	National FGM Centre: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has for the funding arrangements of the National FGM Centre after 2020.
tabling member constituency	Rotherham
tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
uin	210633
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2019 answer text <p>In July 2017, the department made over £1.6 million available from our Innovation Programme to Barnardo’s to run the National FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) Centre for three years. The proportion of the centre’s costs to be paid by the department reduces year by year, with the centre to be self-sustaining from April 2020. The University of Bedfordshire is evaluating the centre and the evaluation is due to be completed by July this year.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 210632 question first answered 29/01/2019 13:02:49 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion