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1549819

registered interest
date	08/12/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to analysis by Child Poverty Action Group, published in June 2022, what steps he is taking to help ensure that all children defined as living in poverty are guaranteed access to healthy meals at school.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, West Derby
tabling member printed	Ian Byrne
uin	106544
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2022 answer text <p>The Department continues to monitor the consequences of the rising cost of living and is working with other Government Departments to provide support.</p><p>The Department will continue to keep Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility under review, ensuring that these meals are supporting those who need them most. The Department believes that the current threshold is the right one, which enables pupils to benefit from FSM, while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools.</p><p>The latest published statistics show that around 1.9 million pupils are claiming FSM. This equates to 22.5% of all pupils, up from 20.8% in 2021. Together with a further 1.25 million infants supported through the Universal Infant Free School Meal policy, 37.5% of school children are now provided with FSM.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 13/12/2022 17:44:22 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4831 label Biography information for Ian Byrne

1549821

registered interest
date	08/12/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Social Services: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the funding available for children's social care services.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	106418
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/12/2022 answer text <p>My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and the department discuss and work with other government departments on a regular basis, including HM Treasury, on a range of issues.</p><p>Local government fund their children’s social care services from their core spending power. This is principally made up of council tax, retained business rates and central government grants. This year, as agreed in the 2021 Spending Review, councils have access to £54.1 billion core spending power for their services – an increase of £3.7 billion on 2021/22.</p><p>The government announced in the 2022 Autumn Statement that £1.3 billion in 2023/24 and £1.9 billion in 2024/25 will be distributed to local authorities through the Social Care Grant for adult and children’s social care. This is in addition to the funding agreed in the the 2021 Spending Review.</p><p>Further details of the total funding available to local authorities in 2023/24 will be provided in the provisional local government finance settlement as soon as is reasonably possible this winter.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 16/12/2022 10:54:27 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1549828

registered interest
date	08/12/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Finance
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 real-terms changes in school budgets due to the impact of inflation.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	106424
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2022 answer text <p>The 2022 Autumn Statement announced significant additional investment in schools. The core schools budget will increase by £2 billion in both 2023/24 and 2024/25. This is over and above totals announced at Spending Review 2021. This year, schools' funding is £4 billion higher than last year, rising by another £3.5 billion in 2023. Taken together, that means a 15% increase in funding in two years. The Institute for Fiscal Studies have said that this additional funding will fully cover expected increases in school costs up to 2024, and will take per pupil spending back to at least 2010 levels in real terms.</p><p>The additional funding will enable head teachers to continue to concentrate funding in the areas that the Department knows has a positive effect on educational attainment, including high quality teaching and targeted support to the children who need it most, as well as help schools to manage higher costs, including higher energy bills and staff pay awards</p><p>The Department also provides a range of school resource management tools, designed to help schools get the best value from their resources, and help direct funding towards improving outcomes for their pupils.</p><p>The Department understands that each school’s circumstances are different. Where schools are in serious financial difficulty, they should contact their Local Authority or the Education and Skills Funding Agency.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 13/12/2022 17:43:26 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1549872

registered interest
date	08/12/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	University of Huddersfield: Pay and Working Conditions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with representatives of the University of Huddersfield on (a) staff pay and (b) working conditions in the last 12 months.
tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
uin	106322
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2022 answer text <p>Whilst the department has not met specifically with the University of Huddersfield, we have regular meetings with representatives of trade unions that have members in the higher education sector, including the University and College Union, as well as with Universities UK and the Universities and Colleges Employers Association.</p><p>These discussions include matters related to industrial disputes, such as use of fixed-term and casual contracts, the health of the Universities Superannuation Scheme pension fund and data on impacts of strikes on students and their learning, but not the industrial disputes themselves.</p><p>Universities are autonomous and responsible for the pay and pension provision of their staff.  While the government plays no role in such disputes, we hope all parties can reach an agreement that delivers good value for students, staff and the universities, so that industrial action can be avoided.</p><p>The department hopes that all sides can work together so that students do not suffer with further learning loss. Any students worried about the impact of strikes on their education are encouraged to raise this with their university.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 19/12/2022 13:03:31 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1549876

registered interest
date	08/12/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Relationships and Sex Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken since the Women’s Health Strategy to ensure that girls and boys receive high quality, evidence based education from an early age on (a) fertility, (b) contraception and (c) pregnancy planning, maternity care and pregnancy loss.
tabling member constituency	Enfield North
tabling member printed	Feryal Clark
uin	106555
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/12/2022 answer text <p>The Department of Health and Social Care published the first ever government-led Women’s Health Strategy for England in Summer 2022. This sets out a 10 year ambition for boosting the health and wellbeing of women and girls.</p><p>To support women’s health, in September 2020 the Government made relationships education compulsory for primary school pupils, relationships and sex education compulsory for secondary school pupils, and health education compulsory for all pupils in state funded schools.</p><p>The relationships, sex and health education statutory guidance states that pupils should be taught factual knowledge around sex, sexual health, and sexuality, set firmly within the context of relationships. This statutory guidance can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education</a>.</p><p>Within the topic ‘intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health’, pupils should learn about human fertility and reproduction, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and contraception and sexual health advice. Schools have the flexibility to teach about a wide range of topical subjects, including maternity care and pregnancy loss.</p><p>To support teachers to deliver these topics safely and with confidence, the Department has produced relationships, sex and health education teacher training modules that are free to download. These are available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-relationships-sex-and-health" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-relationships-sex-and-health</a>. The content of the intimate and sexual relationships module was informed by subject experts, including the National Children’s Bureau and Public Health England, now the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 16/12/2022 11:13:16 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4822 label Biography information for Feryal Clark

1549932

registered interest
date	08/12/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Primary Education: Mental Health Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data his Department holds on the number of Primary Schools in England that currently employ a play or creative arts therapist.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	106340
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/12/2022 answer text <p>The roles of staff employed by schools are collected as part of the annual School Workforce Census each November. This includes the wider role of therapists, but does not specify roles of play or creative art therapists. The census report can be found here: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england</a>.</p><p>The 2022 Schools White Paper outlines the Government’s plan for all schools to provide safe, calm and supportive environments, with targeted academic, pastoral and specialist support, helping children and young people to fulfil their potential. More information can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/schools-white-paper-delivers-real-action-to-level-up-education" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/schools-white-paper-delivers-real-action-to-level-up-education</a>. It is for schools to decide the support they provide, while considering the needs of their pupils.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 16/12/2022 09:58:10 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1549933

registered interest
date	08/12/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Loans
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of inflation on student loan repayments.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	106341
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2022 answer text <p>The student loan repayment system incorporates a number of protections for those making loan repayments. Repayments are calculated as a fixed percentage of earnings above the relevant repayment threshold, currently £27,295 for a post 2012 undergraduate plan and £21,000 for a post graduate loan. These do not change as a result of the interest rate charged or the amount borrowed. If a borrower’s income drops, so does the amount they repay. If income is below the relevant repayment threshold, or a borrower is not earning, then they do not have to make repayments at all. Any outstanding debt, including interest accrued, is written off after the loan term ends, or in case of death or disability, at no detriment to the borrower. There are no commercial loans that offer this level of protection.</p><p>To further protect borrowers, the government, by law, must cap maximum student loan rates to ensure the interest rate charged on the loan is in line with market rates for comparable unsecured personal loans. The government monitors student loan rates against the Bank of England’s data series for the effective interest rates on new and existing unsecured personal loans.</p><p>The government recognises the additional cost of living pressures that have arisen this year. We have taken action to support people with the cost of living, including through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, which provides a price reduction over the winter period. This is alongside the Energy Price Guarantee which is saving the average household over £900.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 20/12/2022 14:58:22 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1550005

registered interest
date	08/12/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Out-of-school 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 regulation of independent tuition centres.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	106488
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/12/2022 answer text <p>Independent tuition centres would generally be considered to be out-of-school settings. Out-of-school settings are currently defined by the Department as “any institution providing tuition, training, instruction or activities to children in England, without their parents’ or carers’ supervision, that is not a school, college, 16-19 academy or providers caring for children that are registered with Ofsted or a childminder agency”. This definition covers a wide range of settings, which includes settings offering part-time or supplementary education to support mainstream or home education, extra-curricular clubs and activities (such as dance classes, sports tuition, instrumental music tuition), and uniformed youth organisations (such as Scouts and Brownies).</p><p>In many cases, these settings are already eligible to register with Ofsted on the General Childcare Register and can be subject to inspection. There are many existing powers in place to protect children in out-of-school settings, and the Department knows that they provide enriching education in a safe environment.</p><p>While the Department has not ruled out further regulation, it is important that the Department ensures any future system appropriately targets those settings exposing children to harmful practices, without causing undue burdens on the sector as a whole. Any future system introduced should also build on, and complement, the existing legal powers already in place, making the current system more effective.</p><p>The Department has provided over £3 million of targeted funding to selected Local Authorities to examine ways to boost local capacity to identify and intervene in settings of concern, and test the utility of existing powers. The Department is working closely with key safeguarding partners and stakeholders to consider the findings in the report and set out the Department’s next steps on the policy, with the aim of launching a consultation next year on how to best ensure these settings are as safe as possible.</p><p>The Department has also published a code of practice for out-of-school settings. This can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/keeping-children-safe-in-out-of-school-settings" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/keeping-children-safe-in-out-of-school-settings</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 16/12/2022 09:51:58 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1550079

registered interest
date	08/12/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Overseas Students: Ukraine
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on supporting Ukrainian students studying full-time at Ukrainian institutions remotely from the UK.
tabling member constituency	Wirral West
tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
uin	106534
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2022 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">The department has worked alongside colleagues at the Home Office to explore what support can be made available for both Ukrainian students continuing their study remotely from the UK, and those studying at UK institutions.</del></p><p>Universities in Ukraine are striving to maintain the education of their students under extremely challenging conditions. This includes through the provision of online distance learning for students enrolled at Ukrainian universities who now live in another country, including in the UK. The department encourages these students to speak with their education provider in Ukraine to understand what support is available for them to continue their studies at their Ukrainian provider. This includes those studying through the UK twinning programme, of which the government announced funding to support in June 2022. Information about this can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-uk-package-offers-a-lifeline-to-ukrainian-researchers-and-entrepreneurs" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-uk-package-offers-a-lifeline-to-ukrainian-researchers-and-entrepreneurs</a>. The programme provides support to Ukrainian universities by establishing partnerships with those in the UK.</p><p>Student finance is available only for eligible students studying a course provided predominantly in the UK by a UK higher education provider, including Ukrainian students who have enrolled at UK universities. In England, those studying via distance learning are, in general, not eligible to receive student loans to cover maintenance costs. This is also the case for Ukrainian students in England, who are studying via distance learning.</p><p>The department does not hold data on the number of Ukrainians who are studying online at Ukrainian institutions via distance learning in the UK.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 19/12/2022 12:35:35 question first ministerially corrected 30/12/2022 10:27:41 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon previous answer version 41109 answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood

1550080

registered interest
date	08/12/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Overseas Students: Ukraine
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has plans to provide financial support to Ukrainian students studying full-time at Ukrainian institutions remotely from the UK.
tabling member constituency	Wirral West
tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
uin	106535
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2022 answer text <p>The department has worked alongside colleagues at the Home Office to explore what support can be made available for both Ukrainian students continuing their study remotely from the UK, and those studying at UK institutions.</p><p>Universities in Ukraine are striving to maintain the education of their students under extremely challenging conditions. This includes through the provision of online distance learning for students enrolled at Ukrainian universities who now live in another country, including in the UK. The department encourages these students to speak with their education provider in Ukraine to understand what support is available for them to continue their studies at their Ukrainian provider. This includes those studying through the UK twinning programme, of which the government announced funding to support in June 2022. Information about this can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-uk-package-offers-a-lifeline-to-ukrainian-researchers-and-entrepreneurs" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-uk-package-offers-a-lifeline-to-ukrainian-researchers-and-entrepreneurs</a>. The programme provides support to Ukrainian universities by establishing partnerships with those in the UK.</p><p>Student finance is available only for eligible students studying a course provided predominantly in the UK by a UK higher education provider, including Ukrainian students who have enrolled at UK universities. In England, those studying via distance learning are, in general, not eligible to receive student loans to cover maintenance costs. This is also the case for Ukrainian students in England, who are studying via distance learning.</p><p>The department does not hold data on the number of Ukrainians who are studying online at Ukrainian institutions via distance learning in the UK.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon grouped question UIN 106534 106536 question first answered 19/12/2022 12:35:35 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood