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 question first ministerially corrected answering member label previous answer version answering member constituency answering member printed answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1253227

	registered interest
	date	18/11/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Educational Institutions: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to improve the quality of information available on the rates of infection and transmission of covid-19 in educational settings.
	tabling member constituency	Hayes and Harlington
	tabling member printed	John McDonnell
	uin	117169
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/11/2020 answer text <p>The Department regularly reviews advice from Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), Public Health England, the Office for National Statistics and other sources to ensure our policies are guided by the most up to date scientific evidence. SAGE have committed to publishing minutes and papers following meetings on a regular basis and we will continue to work closely with them, keeping the guidance under review as we continue to monitor the situation over the winter. The Department will adjust and adapt our approach as necessary if more evidence becomes available.</p><p>The Department collects daily data on the open status of schools, the number of schools that have indicated they have sent children home due to COVID-19 containment, the number of pupils absent because they have suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19, and the number of pupils asked to isolate due to contact with a potential case.</p><p>The data from this collection is published at a national level as part of the official statistics series. The publication can be found here: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak</a>.</p><p>Public Health England also collects data on infection, incidence, and COVID-19 cases overall and publishes weekly data on COVID-19 incidents by institution, including educational settings. This can be found here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/936672/Weekly_COVID-19_and_Influenza_Surveillance_Graphs_w47.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/936672/Weekly_COVID-19_and_Influenza_Surveillance_Graphs_w47.pdf</a>. It shows COVID-19 clusters or outbreaks by educational setting, including colleges and universities. Age-range data is also available from the Office for National Statistics here: <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveypilot/20november2020" target="_blank">https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveypilot/20november2020</a>. This shows age-range positive test rates, including for academic school Year 12 to age 24.</p><p><ins class="ministerial">The department intends to publish school workforce attendance data from the new year. This data will be included as part of the publication ‘Attendance in education and early years settings during the coronavirus (Covid 19) outbreak’.</ins></p><p>The Department is continuing to review what we publish in our weekly dataset, alongside the quality of data we collect.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 25/11/2020 17:33:33 question first ministerially corrected 01/12/2020 12:05:02 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb previous answer version 64402 answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	178 label Biography information for John McDonnell

1274181

	registered interest
	date	06/01/2021
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Educational Institutions: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the latest rate of infection with covid-19 of (a) teachers, (b) teaching assistants, (c) non teaching school staff, (d) staff in registered childcare settings, (e) college staff and (f) university staff.
	tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
	tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
	uin	133815
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2021 answer text <p>The Department does not hold data on infection rates amongst (a) teachers, (b) teaching assistants, (c) non teaching school staff, (d) staff in registered childcare settings,<ins class="ministerial"> and</ins> (e) college staff<ins class="ministerial">.</ins> <del class="ministerial">and (f) university staff.</del></p><p> </p><p><ins class="ministerial">For (f) university staff, the department has asked higher education (HE) providers to share information on their staff numbers and the number of staff COVID-19 cases that have been reported to them. For the 183 HE providers which provided this information to us for the 7 days between 10 and 16 December, our estimate is that there were 56.7 confirmed cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 non-academic and academic staff in HE providers for that period.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">Estimates for more recent weeks are not available due to: i) a pause in data collection over the winter break and ii) inconsistencies arising from the effect of the national lockdown that began this month.</ins></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Advice from the Children's Task and Finish group is that children are at very low risk of serious illness from the virus, and there is also no current evidence that staff<ins class="ministerial"> in schools and colleges</ins> are at higher risk of infection than those working in other sectors. This advice can be accessed here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/948617/s0998-tfc-update-to-4-november-2020-paper-on-children-schools-transmission.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/948617/s0998-tfc-update-to-4-november-2020-paper-on-children-schools-transmission.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The safety and wellbeing of staff, pupils and students in education settings is always our priority. The Government is doing all it can to minimise the risks to those working and studying in our nurseries, schools, colleges, and universities in this unprecedented situation, while mitigating the impact on education.</p><p> </p><p>On 7 January, the Department published guidance to universities and students returning to higher education in the spring term. This guidance sets out how we will support higher education providers to enable students to return as safely as possible following the winter break, by staggering this process following the period of national lockdown and to facilitate testing for all. The guidance is available here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/950367/Students_returning_to_and_starting_higher_education_in_Spring_Term_2021.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/950367/Students_returning_to_and_starting_higher_education_in_Spring_Term_2021.pdf</a>.</p><p>The Department also published ‘guidance: Actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak’, which sets out what all schools will need to do during the COVID-19 outbreak from January 2021. The guidance is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak</a>.</p><p> </p><p>On 7 January, the Department published guidance for all early years settings and local authorities in England, which provides information on how the national lockdown restrictions to control the spread of COVID-19 will impact early years and childcare settings. This guidance is available here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/950653/Education_and_childcare_settings_-_national_lockdown_from_5_January_2021_.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/950653/Education_and_childcare_settings_-_national_lockdown_from_5_January_2021_.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p><p>On 8 January, the Department published guidance on actions for further education colleges and providers during the COVID-19 outbreak: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The Department will continue to keep our plans under review and ensure our position is informed by the latest evidence.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 11/01/2021 17:32:00 question first ministerially corrected 25/01/2021 18:30:13 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb previous answer version 71906 answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1544421

	registered interest
	date	22/11/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Teachers: Workplace Pensions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) independent and (b) state schools have left the Teachers' Pension Scheme in the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Brent North
	tabling member printed	Barry Gardiner
	uin	93408
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2022 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">324 independent schools have left the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) between August 2019, when this information started to be compiled, and November 2022. 22 independent schools have joined the Scheme between January 2018 and November 2022.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">State schools and academies cannot choose to leave the TPS. The records show that 1,008 academies have ceased to be registered as scheme employers and 4,383 new academy employers have been registered in the TPS between January 2018 and November 2022. This is a result of state schools converting to academies and some single academy trusts joining multi-academy trusts.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">463 independent schools have left the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) between January 2018 and November 2022. 37 independent schools have joined the Scheme between January 2018 and November 2022. </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">State schools and academies cannot choose to leave the TPS. The records show that 814 state schools have closed and so have ceased to be registered as scheme employers since January 2018. This is largely as a result of state schools converting to academies. 79 new state schools have been registered in the TPS since January 2018.</ins></p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 28/11/2022 18:14:08 question first ministerially corrected 20/12/2022 19:15:23 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb previous answer version 37093 answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	146 label Biography information for Barry Gardiner

1645655

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2023
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	School Rebuilding Programme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on the number of school rebuilding programme projects that have experienced construction delays of more than one month in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	190025
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2023 answer text <p>The Department is transforming buildings at 500 schools over the next decade as part of its School Rebuilding Programme. The construction programmes of building projects in all Department programmes is monitored by the Department through programme management and project delivery teams.</p><p>In the four school rebuilding projects which have been completed, three were delayed more than a month against initial forecasts. These initial programme forecasts were made ahead of the impact of significant events that could not have been reasonably predicted and that affected the global market.</p><p>The Department has continuously improved its approach to building schools since the Sebastian James’ review. This identified that the Building Schools for the Future programme, introduced under the last Government in 2004, was overly bureaucratic and not designed to target poor condition, did not support high and consistent quality, did not use standardised specifications that work for education, and did not deliver value for money and economies of scale from central procurement and delivery, which are all things that are now prioritised when building schools.</p><p>Under the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP) this Government launched in 2014, whole schools were built<del class="ministerial"> at</del> one third <ins class="ministerial">cheaper</ins><del class="ministerial"> of the cost</del> per square metre on average than schools built under the Building Schools for the Future Programme. The Department has further built on this success in its School Rebuilding Programme, which is exceeding delivery timescales compared to PSBP, while delivering schools that will be net zero in operation. The Infrastructure and Project Authority has highlighted that our progress is very good.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 27/06/2023 16:39:14 question first ministerially corrected 10/07/2023 11:59:26 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb previous answer version 83604 answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

1253228

	registered interest
	date	18/11/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Performing Arts: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations he has received from youth arts companies on bringing into line with the covid-19 regulations for boarding schools out-of-school arts activities that are run as residential courses.
	tabling member constituency	Cardiff West
	tabling member printed	Kevin Brennan
	uin	117189
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2020 answer text <p>The Department has been in close communication with various stakeholders, including some with connections to youth arts, since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak with respect to residential trips. We will continue this communication over the coming months.</p><p>The guidance for full opening of schools and the guidance for holiday and after school clubs, and other out-of-school settings, set out the Department’s current position in relation to educational visits. They can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools</a> and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak</a>.</p><p>At present, schools and out-of-school settings can undertake COVID-19 secure day visits within the UK but are advised against the resumption of domestic and overseas residential educational visits. This is because, unlike boarding schools, residential settings have a transient population with different groups rotating in and out of the centre on a weekly basis. This constant change of population serves to increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission.</p><p>This decision has not been taken lightly and is taken in the context of the Government announcing new national restrictions to address rising cases of COVID-19 in England. This position will be reviewed again before the end of November 2020.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 23/11/2020 16:06:48 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	1400 label Biography information for Kevin Brennan

1253290

	registered interest
	date	18/11/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Assessments: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish contingency plans for 2021 GCSE and A Level examinations to ensure that schools can be adequately prepared and take account of lost learning time.
	tabling member constituency	Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
	tabling member printed	Dr Dan Poulter
	uin	117231
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2020 answer text <p>The changes to assessments in certain subjects that were announced by Ofqual in the summer, alongside the later starting date for examinations in summer 2021, will give schools and colleges extra time to plan teaching, and pupils extra time to study. Combined with the Department’s £1 billion catch-up package, including a catch-up premium worth a total of £650 million, these changes give young people the best chance of being ready for their examinations without undermining the value of the qualifications they receive.</p><p>The Department is working with Ofqual and engaging widely with the education sector to identify any risks to examinations at a national, local, and individual pupil level, and to consider measures needed to address any potential disruption. This could be a pupil unable to sit examinations due to illness or self isolation, or schools affected by a local COVID-19 outbreak during the examination season resulting in examination centres not being able to open. More details will be published later in the autumn.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 27/11/2020 17:09:15 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	3932 label Biography information for Dr Dan Poulter

1253291

	registered interest
	date	18/11/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Inspections
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will (a) postpone Ofsted visits to schools to 2022 and (b) ensure that Ofsted focus on promoting covid-19 best practice in schools during visits during 2021.
	tabling member constituency	Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
	tabling member printed	Dr Dan Poulter
	uin	117232
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2020 answer text <p>It is important for school inspections to start up again in the new year, at the right time and in the right way. The Department is carefully considering with Ofsted and the sector how this can be achieved sensitively and gradually, with a clear focus on provision for pupils, whether in the classroom or remotely. Further details of the plans for 2021 will be made available soon.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 27/11/2020 17:12:17 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	3932 label Biography information for Dr Dan Poulter

1253304

	registered interest
	date	18/11/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Educational Institutions: Coronavirus
	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 financial implications of covid-19 related expenditure for (a) schools and (b) colleges.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	117347
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2020 answer text <p>The Department appreciates the continued and significant efforts by schools and their staff to keep schools open this term. Returning to school full time has been vital for children’s education and wellbeing, and has rightly been a national priority. The latest published figures show that over 99% of state-funded schools are open. The Department published guidance to support schools to welcome back all children full-time. The guidance can be viewed at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools</a>.</p><p>On 27 November, the Department announced a new COVID-19 workforce fund for schools and colleges to help them remain open. It will fund the costs of teacher absences over a threshold in schools and colleges, for those with high staff absences that are also facing significant financial pressures. The fund will help schools and colleges to meet the cost of absences experienced during the period from the beginning of November until the end of this term. More information is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-funding-to-support-schools-and-colleges-during-covid-pandemic" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-funding-to-support-schools-and-colleges-during-covid-pandemic</a>.</p><p>Schools have also continued to receive their core funding allocations throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. Following last year’s Spending Round, school budgets are rising by £2.6 billion in the 2020-21 financial year, £4.8 billion in 2021-22, and £7.1 billion in 2022-23, compared to 2019-20. This includes an additional £780 million this year and £730 million next year for high needs, taking total high needs funding to over £8 billion.</p><p>As stated in our guidance, schools should use their existing resources, including these funding increases, when making arrangements to support children this term. Ministers and officials continue to engage regularly with school leaders and their representatives on a wide range of issues around COVID-19, including discussions in relation to costs faced by schools at this time. The Department will continue to review the pressures schools are facing into next term.</p><p>The Department appreciates the continued and significant efforts by further education (FE) colleges and all staff to keep colleges open this term. We recognise the financial impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on FE colleges and have protected grant funding to the FE sector, worth over £3 billion for a full year, through paying scheduled monthly profiled payments for the remainder of the 2019-20 financial year and paying allocations for 2020-21 in line with the national profile. This year, the Department has increased investment in education and training of 16 to 19 year olds by £400 million, including an increased base rate, and more funding for high cost and high value subjects. We have also brought forward £200 million of the £1.5 billion for capital funding in colleges. For other providers with contracts with the Education and Skills Funding Agency, we set up a Provider Relief Scheme.</p><p>For colleges in significant financial difficulties, the existing support arrangements remain in place, including short-term emergency funding. The Department has also adapted and opened the College Collaboration Fund to support colleges to respond to current challenges, and we have announced the 20 colleges whose bids were successful.</p><p>My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced an extensive and unprecedented package of support measures for businesses and employees. FE colleges can apply to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for non-grant-funded employees, which has been extended until March 2021.</p><p>The Department is working closely with colleges to monitor the financial impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak and ensure that any colleges facing financial difficulties are able to access relevant support. Financial forecasts for the current year were submitted by colleges in July, and updated cashflow projections are due to be provided this month.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 01/12/2020 18:53:52 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1253306

	registered interest
	date	18/11/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Remote Education: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which companies supplied dongles and mifi devices to his Department as part of the scheme to help children and families access remote education during the covid-19 outbreak; and what the cost to the Department was of that equipment.
	tabling member constituency	Mitcham and Morden
	tabling member printed	Siobhain McDonagh
	uin	117170
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2020 answer text <p>As part of over £195 million invested to support access to remote education and social care, the Department has already provided over 51,000 4G wireless routers, with free data for the academic year, to support disadvantaged children. The Department continues to provide 4G wireless routers, with free data, where schools experience disruption to face to face education and pupils need to access remote education.</p><p> </p><p>To date, the Department has invested over £6 million in connectivity, including hardware (4G wireless routers) and data (SIM cards and data roaming). The current contract is held by Computacenter.</p><p> </p><p>In partnership with mobile network operators, the Department is also providing access to free additional mobile data for the academic year. Schools can request free mobile data uplifts, via the Get Help with Technology service, when they experience disruption to face to face education or for clinically extremely vulnerable children.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 117171 question first answered 27/11/2020 17:01:09 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	193 label Biography information for Dame Siobhain McDonagh

1253307

	registered interest
	date	18/11/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Remote Education: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which companies supplied SIMs to provide connectivity to the MiFi devices supplied as part of his Department's remote education support; and what the total cost was of that supply.
	tabling member constituency	Mitcham and Morden
	tabling member printed	Siobhain McDonagh
	uin	117171
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2020 answer text <p>As part of over £195 million invested to support access to remote education and social care, the Department has already provided over 51,000 4G wireless routers, with free data for the academic year, to support disadvantaged children. The Department continues to provide 4G wireless routers, with free data, where schools experience disruption to face to face education and pupils need to access remote education.</p><p> </p><p>To date, the Department has invested over £6 million in connectivity, including hardware (4G wireless routers) and data (SIM cards and data roaming). The current contract is held by Computacenter.</p><p> </p><p>In partnership with mobile network operators, the Department is also providing access to free additional mobile data for the academic year. Schools can request free mobile data uplifts, via the Get Help with Technology service, when they experience disruption to face to face education or for clinically extremely vulnerable children.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 117170 question first answered 27/11/2020 17:01:09 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	193 label Biography information for Dame Siobhain McDonagh