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1233670

registered interest
date	11/09/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupils: Coronavirus
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 ensure that pupils who are eligible for free school meals are still able to receive that support if they are required to self isolate at home as a result of covid-19.
tabling member constituency	Hampstead and Kilburn
tabling member printed	Tulip Siddiq
uin	88920
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2020 answer text <p>School kitchens have reopened and normal free school meal provision has resumed for the autumn term. Schools should provide meal options for all pupils who are in school. Meals should be available free of charge to all infant pupils and all pupils who meet the benefits-related free school meals eligibility criteria. We expect catering providers to support pupils eligible for benefits-related free school meals who are unable to attend school because they are self-isolating due to COVID-19 by providing food parcels should the need arise.</p><p>Our latest guidance for on providing school meals during the COVID-19 outbreak is available here:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools</a>.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 16/09/2020 10:40:41 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4518 label Biography information for Tulip Siddiq

1233674

registered interest
date	11/09/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Adult Education: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he has taken to help ensure the safety of adults with additional needs (a) travelling to and (b) taking part in activities at adult education centres during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	88897
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2020 answer text <p>It is our priority to make sure that all students return to education this September as this is the best place for their education, development and wellbeing. Colleges are making every effort to ensure students and staff are as safe as possible for face to face teaching and are confident they will achieve this.</p><p>The department has published guidance which sets out how further education colleges can reopen safely for all learners, including those that are older or vulnerable. The guidance has been developed in close consultation with sector and medical experts from Public Health England. It sets out in detail the steps colleges should take to protect their staff and learners with a requirement to undertake full health and safety COVID-19 risk assessments and implement the September reopening protective measures. The full guidance is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision/what-fe-colleges-and-providers-will-need-to-do-from-the-start-of-the-2020-autumn-term" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision/what-fe-colleges-and-providers-will-need-to-do-from-the-start-of-the-2020-autumn-term</a>.</p><p>In many areas, students make extensive use of the wider public transport system, particularly public buses, to travel to education. Students and staff using public transport should refer to the Department for Transport’s safer travel guidance for passengers which can be viewed here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-travel-guidance-for-passengers" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-travel-guidance-for-passengers</a>.</p><p>Further education providers are being advised to work with their local authority to consider the transport needs of students with special educational needs and disabilities and those with an education, health and care plan and to identify when it might be necessary to take steps to manage demand on public transport or to arrange additional transport. Local transport authorities have received additional funding for school and college dedicated transport to support students in their region return to further education providers. More information regarding this funding is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/multi-million-pound-funding-package-for-school-transport" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/multi-million-pound-funding-package-for-school-transport</a>.</p><p>The 16-19 bursary fund offers financial support for students who need additional support in a range of areas including accessing digital learning, and other forms of support. For adults we are introducing changes to the Adult Education Budget funding rules for the 2020 to 2021 academic year. This is to enable providers to use learner support funds to purchase IT devices for students aged 19 plus and to help them meet students’ IT connectivity costs, where these costs are a barrier to accessing or continuing in their training.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan question first answered 16/09/2020 15:41:35 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1233373

registered interest
date	10/09/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding his Department made available through exceptional costs during the covid-19 outbreak between March and July 2020.
tabling member constituency	Wirral West
tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
uin	88338
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2020 answer text <p>We are providing additional funding to schools, on top of existing budgets, to cover unavoidable costs incurred between March and July due to the COVID-19 outbreak that cannot be met from their existing resources.</p><p>Schools are eligible to claim for: increased premises related costs associated with keeping schools open over the Easter and summer half term holidays; support for free school meals for eligible children who are not in school, where schools are not using the national voucher scheme; and additional cleaning costs required due to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases, over and above the cost of existing cleaning arrangements.</p><p>The first claims window for the COVID-19 schools fund closed on 21 July. There will be a further opportunity in the autumn for schools to claim for exceptional costs that occurred between March and July. This second claims window will be for available for schools who were unable to claim in the summer and will be for the same eligible cost categories.</p><p>Schools have claimed £104 million against the standard expenditure categories in the fund, as set out above. Schools have already received payments of £58 million against the standard expenditure categories.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 88339 question first answered 15/09/2020 15:26:33 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood

1233374

registered interest
date	10/09/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the total value is of claims made by schools under the exceptional costs programme from March to July 2020.
tabling member constituency	Wirral West
tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
uin	88339
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2020 answer text <p>We are providing additional funding to schools, on top of existing budgets, to cover unavoidable costs incurred between March and July due to the COVID-19 outbreak that cannot be met from their existing resources.</p><p>Schools are eligible to claim for: increased premises related costs associated with keeping schools open over the Easter and summer half term holidays; support for free school meals for eligible children who are not in school, where schools are not using the national voucher scheme; and additional cleaning costs required due to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases, over and above the cost of existing cleaning arrangements.</p><p>The first claims window for the COVID-19 schools fund closed on 21 July. There will be a further opportunity in the autumn for schools to claim for exceptional costs that occurred between March and July. This second claims window will be for available for schools who were unable to claim in the summer and will be for the same eligible cost categories.</p><p>Schools have claimed £104 million against the standard expenditure categories in the fund, as set out above. Schools have already received payments of £58 million against the standard expenditure categories.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 88338 question first answered 15/09/2020 15:26:33 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood

1233435

registered interest
date	10/09/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Coronavirus
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 scientific evidence on wearing face coverings in communal areas in schools to reduce the risk of transmission of covid-19.
tabling member constituency	Wirral West
tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
uin	88340
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2020 answer text <p>On 21 August 2020, the World Health Organisation published a new statement advising that “children aged 12 and over should wear face coverings under the same conditions as adults, particularly when they cannot guarantee at least a 1 metre distance from others and there is widespread transmission in the area.” As a result, the Department has revised its guidance on face coverings in schools and colleges, which can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-in-education/face-coverings-in-education" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-in-education/face-coverings-in-education</a>.</p><p>The guidance outlines that in areas of national government intervention, in schools where year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn by staff, visitors and pupils when moving around indoors. This includes corridors and communal areas where social distancing is difficult to maintain.</p><p>Nationwide, the Government is not recommending that face coverings are necessary in schools generally because a system of controls provides additional mitigating measures. However, schools have the discretion to require face coverings in indoor communal areas where social distancing cannot be safely managed, if they believe that it is right in their particular circumstances.</p><p>In primary schools where social distancing is not possible in indoor areas outside of classrooms between members of staff or visitors, head teachers have the discretion to decide whether to ask staff or visitors to wear, or agree to them wearing, face coverings in these circumstances. However, children in primary school do not need to wear a face covering.</p><p>Based on current evidence, and in light of the mitigating measures schools are already putting in place, face coverings will not be necessary in the classroom. Face coverings would have a negative impact on teaching and their use in the classroom should be avoided.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 15/09/2020 15:38:44 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood

1233493

registered interest
date	10/09/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupil Premium: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department will bear additional costs associated with increases in the number of children eligible for the pupil premium due to the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Hampstead and Kilburn
tabling member printed	Tulip Siddiq
uin	88363
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2020 answer text <p>We are monitoring eligibility for free school meals and the pupil premium as part of the normal policy-making process. We will collect definitive information on the number of pupils eligible for free school meals at the October school census.</p><p>Allocations for pupil premium for 2020-21 were published in June, and the first quarterly instalments were paid out in June and July. The total value of pupil premium allocations in 2020-21 is estimated at £2.4 billion. Announcements on pupil premium funding for 2021-22 will follow later in the year, in line with the usual timetable.</p><p>In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the government has also announced a further £1 billion of funding to support children and young people. This includes a one-off universal £650 million catch-up premium for the 2020-21 academic year to ensure that schools have the support that they need to help all pupils make up for lost teaching time, available for all state-funded mainstream and special schools.</p><p>We will also spend up to £350 million on the National Tutoring Programme to provide targeted support for children and young people who been hardest hit from disruption to their education. Through the Tuition Partners strand, schools in all regions will be eligible to access heavily subsidised tuition from an approved list of tuition partners. Through our Academic Mentors strand, our most disadvantaged schools can apply for support to employ in-house Academic Mentor to provide small group and 1:1 tuition to their pupils.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford grouped question UIN 88364 question first answered 16/09/2020 10:56:15 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4518 label Biography information for Tulip Siddiq

1233494

registered interest
date	10/09/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals and Pupil Premium
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 implications for the number of pupils eligible for (a) free school meals and (b) the pupil premium of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s projection for unemployment over the next 12 months.
tabling member constituency	Hampstead and Kilburn
tabling member printed	Tulip Siddiq
uin	88364
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2020 answer text <p>We are monitoring eligibility for free school meals and the pupil premium as part of the normal policy-making process. We will collect definitive information on the number of pupils eligible for free school meals at the October school census.</p><p>Allocations for pupil premium for 2020-21 were published in June, and the first quarterly instalments were paid out in June and July. The total value of pupil premium allocations in 2020-21 is estimated at £2.4 billion. Announcements on pupil premium funding for 2021-22 will follow later in the year, in line with the usual timetable.</p><p>In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the government has also announced a further £1 billion of funding to support children and young people. This includes a one-off universal £650 million catch-up premium for the 2020-21 academic year to ensure that schools have the support that they need to help all pupils make up for lost teaching time, available for all state-funded mainstream and special schools.</p><p>We will also spend up to £350 million on the National Tutoring Programme to provide targeted support for children and young people who been hardest hit from disruption to their education. Through the Tuition Partners strand, schools in all regions will be eligible to access heavily subsidised tuition from an approved list of tuition partners. Through our Academic Mentors strand, our most disadvantaged schools can apply for support to employ in-house Academic Mentor to provide small group and 1:1 tuition to their pupils.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford grouped question UIN 88363 question first answered 16/09/2020 10:56:15 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4518 label Biography information for Tulip Siddiq

1233495

registered interest
date	10/09/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Nurseries: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the financial stability of the nursery sector of the end of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
tabling member constituency	Hampstead and Kilburn
tabling member printed	Tulip Siddiq
uin	88365
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2020 answer text <p>The early years sector has benefitted from continued entitlement funding during the COVID-19 outbreak, on which we are planning to spend over £3.6 billion in 2020-21. On 20 July, we announced our commitment to continue funding local authorities for childcare this autumn term, at the same levels as seen prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, regardless of whether fewer children are attending. If providers are open but caring for fewer children as a result of low demand, either from parents or due to public health reasons, they can continue to be funded for the autumn term at broadly the levels that they would have expected to see had there been no COVID-19 outbreak.</p><p>Early years providers have also been able to access a comprehensive package of business support, including a business rates holiday, a small business grant of £10,000, business loans and access to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. More details are available at:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures#funding" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures#funding</a>.</p><p>To provide additional support to businesses to retain employees as demand grows, we are introducing the Job Retention Bonus after the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme ends on 31 October 2020.</p><p>The Job Retention Bonus is a one-off payment of £1,000 to employers for each employee who was ever furloughed, has been continuously employed until 31 January 2021 and is still employed by the same employer as of 31 January 2021.</p><p>Employees must have been continuously employed, earn an average of more than £520 per month in November, December and January and have been furloughed and successfully claimed for under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme at any point to be eligible.</p><p>Further details about the Job Retention Bonus are available at:<br><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/job-retention-bonus" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/job-retention-bonus</a>.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 16/09/2020 11:08:50 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4518 label Biography information for Tulip Siddiq

1232781

registered interest
date	09/09/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	British Students Abroad: Coronavirus
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 in response to the situation of students planning to undertake a year abroad but who may be prevented from doing so as such travel is not classified as essential, thereby making insurance for universities invalid.
tabling member constituency	North West Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Richard Holden
uin	87707
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2020 answer text <p>The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FDCO) do not make a judgement on whether any travel is essential. Their guidance is that: “Whether travel is essential or not is your own decision”. This guidance is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/about-foreign-commonwealth-development-office-travel-advice" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/about-foreign-commonwealth-development-office-travel-advice</a>.</p><p>Before starting a placement, students, including Erasmus+ participants, should consult with their provider to confirm details and check the living in country guide <br>(<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/overseas-living-in-guides" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/overseas-living-in-guides</a>) and travel advice for the country they will be visiting, being conscious that their placement may not be able to continue as originally planned. To undertake a placement, participants should seek the agreement of their home provider and their host. There may be opportunities for it to start at a later date if the situation changes and this is feasible. Participants should be ready to comply with local isolation, testing or quarantine requirements, and will need to rely on the local health system.</p><p>We expect all higher education providers to explore alternative options for mobilities and study, whether blended or fully virtual, if appropriate, and to be flexible in their approach and be conscious of the potentially rapidly changing situation on a country by country basis. They should be ready to make quick changes to projects and mobilities, consider delaying mobilities and amending start and end dates, if feasible, as restrictions may change over time. We expect all universities, colleges, schools and other organisers managing international educational mobilities, to follow the relevant FDCO travel advice for the destination country and highlight this to their participants, being aware the situation can change rapidly.</p><p>While the government is in continual dialogue with the insurance sector, on its response to COVID-19, and is encouraging insurers to do all they can to support customers during this period, the position on the provision of COVID-19 insurance is that it is largely a commercial judgement for insurers. Cover for COVID-19 related cancellation is unlikely to be included in travel insurance policies bought or renewed after the pandemic was declared, e.g. in the event of the FCDO travel advice changing, as it is a known risk. This is in contrast to policies sold before the outbreak of COVID-19, which typically covered changes in FCDO advice.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 14/09/2020 15:11:58 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4813 label Biography information for Mr Richard Holden

1232789

registered interest
date	09/09/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress the Government has made in implementing each of the recommendations of the Education Select Committee's report entitled Special educational needs and disabilities, HC20, published 23 October 2019.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
uin	87689
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2020 answer text <p>Our response to the Education Committee’s report was published on 23 July.</p><p>The government is conducting a review of the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system. This is a fundamental, cross-government review considering measures to ensure the SEND system delivers high quality outcomes for children and young people, and that is consistent and sustainable into the future.</p><p>We will be providing a further update on our response to the Committee’s Inquiry later this year.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 15/09/2020 10:27:11 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana