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1721329

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2024
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Parkfield School Christchurch
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to reject the application by Reach South Academy Trust to close Parkfield School.
	tabling member constituency	Christchurch
	tabling member printed	Sir Christopher Chope
	uin	10
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2024 answer text <p>My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, will not make it her policy to reject the application by Reach South Academy Trust to close Parkfield School.</p><p> </p><p>Upon reviewing officials’ advice around this school closing, the department agrees that closing the school is in the best interests of children and young people and their education in this case.</p><p> </p><p>Parkfield School will be closing by mutual agreement with the Academy trust.</p> answering member constituency Newcastle upon Tyne North answering member printed Catherine McKinnell question first answered 22/07/2024 16:05:05 answering member 4125 label Biography information for Catherine McKinnell
	tabling member	242 label Biography information for Sir Christopher Chope

348297

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2015
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children in Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what figures her Department holds on the break-down rate of (a) adoption arrangements, (b) fostering arrangements and (c) family-based arrangements in each year since 2010.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	1000
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>Information on the break-down rate of adoption arrangements, fostering arrangements and family arrangements since 2010, is not held by the Department for Education.</p><p> </p><p>Information on the previous permanence placement of children entering care was collected in the SSDA903 data collection for the first time in the year ending 31 March 2014. Figures for 2013-14 are published in Table C1 here:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption--2" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption--2</a></p><p> </p><p>The research report ‘Beyond the Adoption Order: challenges, interventions and adoption disruption’ was published last year at the following link:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beyond-the-adoption-order-challenges-intervention-disruption" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beyond-the-adoption-order-challenges-intervention-disruption</a></p><p> </p><p>The study estimated that, over a 12-year period, the post order national disruption rate was 3.2%.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 10/06/2015 16:14:57 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1682854

	registered interest
	date	17/01/2024
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children in Care: Mental Health Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's planned update to the statutory guidance on Promoting the Health and Wellbeing of Looked After Children, if he will include a (a) specific focus on mental health services for that group as part of that update and (b) strategy for delivering those services in a culturally sensitive manner.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield South East
	tabling member printed	Mr Clive Betts
	uin	10002
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2024 answer text <p>The government gave a commitment to update the statutory guidance, ‘Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children’ and extend it to care leavers up to age 25, in the ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’ strategy for the reform of children’s social care. The update forms part of the wider mission in the strategy, to reduce the disparities in long-term mental and physical health outcomes and improve wellbeing for care-experienced people.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care are taking forward this update together, and work is underway to understand how the current guidance is working in practice and where changes are necessary. This includes consideration of whether there is a need to include further guidance regarding mental health support for looked-after children and care leavers, as well as consideration of whether there is a need to include further guidance relating to cohorts with particular characteristics.</p><p> </p><p>The department will work with a wide range of stakeholders with a diversity of professional and personal experience to ensure that the guidance is sensitive to the health and wellbeing needs of all looked-after children and care leavers, including those with protected characteristics as part of government’s duty under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 22/01/2024 17:44:08 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
	tabling member	394 label Biography information for Mr Clive Betts

418413

	registered interest
	date	11/09/2015
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Classroom Assistants
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to publish the findings of her Department's review into the status and professionalism of teaching assistants announced in October 2014.
	tabling member constituency	Cardiff West
	tabling member printed	Kevin Brennan
	uin	10004
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/10/2015 answer text <p>Ministers have considered the latest evidence on the effective deployment and professional development of teaching assistants, together with a summary of the call for evidence and the draft teaching assistant standards submitted by the expert panel.</p><p> </p><p>In the light of this evidence, the Government believes that schools are best placed to decide how they use and deploy teaching assistants, and to set standards for the teaching assistants they employ. The Secretary of State has therefore decided not to publish the draft standards.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 07/10/2015 09:40:42 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb previous answer version 21854 answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	1400 label Biography information for Kevin Brennan

1466426

	registered interest
	date	26/05/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Regional Planning and Development: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to ensure that children are integral to the Government's levelling up agenda.
	tabling member constituency	Southport
	tabling member printed	Damien Moore
	uin	10007
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2022 answer text <p>The government’s Levelling Up White Paper includes a specific education mission which states that by 2030, the number of primary school children achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and maths will have significantly increased. In England, this means 90% of children will achieve the expected standard, and the percentage of children meeting the expected standard in the worst performing areas will have increased by over a third. The Levelling Up White Paper can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/levelling-up-the-united-kingdom" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/levelling-up-the-united-kingdom</a>.</p><p>The department is committed to levelling up education standards. The recent Schools White Paper sets out our long-term vision for a school system that helps every child to fulfil their potential, by ensuring that they receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time founded on achieving world-class literacy and numeracy. The Schools White Paper can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/opportunity-for-all-strong-schools-with-great-teachers-for-your-child" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/opportunity-for-all-strong-schools-with-great-teachers-for-your-child</a>.</p><p>This is why the government is building capacity in the places that need this most. We are offering significant support for our 55 Education Investment Areas (EIAs) so that we can improve outcomes for pupils in these areas where attainment is weakest. The government will also be offering additional intensive investment in a subset of 24 Priority EIAs.</p><p>In all 55 EIAs, we will be taking steps to support underperforming schools to make the necessary improvements, build trust capacity, support improved digital connectivity in the schools that need this most and offer the Levelling Up premium, worth up to £3,000 tax-free, to eligible teachers.</p><p>In the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021, the government announced £82 million to create a network of family hubs in 75 areas. This is part of a wider £302 million package to transform services for parents, carers, babies, and children in half of council areas across England. The 75 local authorities eligible to receive the funding were announced on 2 April 2022. Information on support for vulnerable families can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/infants-children-and-families-to-benefit-from-boost-in-support" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/infants-children-and-families-to-benefit-from-boost-in-support</a>.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 10/06/2022 11:42:01 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4669 label Biography information for Damien Moore

418414

	registered interest
	date	11/09/2015
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Cheshire West and Chester
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the current status is of schools placed in special measures in (a) Ellesmere Port and Neston constituency and (b) Cheshire West and Chester local authority area.
	tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
	tabling member printed	Justin Madders
	uin	10014
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2015 answer text <p>Only one school within the relevant areas is currently in special measures; the University of Chester Academy Northwich.</p><p> </p><p>The recent Ofsted monitoring inspections of 4 March 2015 and 10 June 2015, both found the school to be making reasonable progress towards the removal of special measures.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 21/09/2015 09:21:30 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
	tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

1466489

	registered interest
	date	26/05/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Turing Scheme: Labour Mobility
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on the decision to exclude staff mobility from the Turing Scheme; and what assessment he has made of the impact of that decision on staff and participants under the scheme.
	tabling member constituency	North East Fife
	tabling member printed	Wendy Chamberlain
	uin	10015
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2022 answer text <p>Teaching and college staff mobility will not be funded as part of the Turing Scheme in the 2022/23 academic year, to maximise the amount of student, learner, and pupils’ access to life-changing mobilities. The department will continue to keep this decision under review and plans to assess the impact of the scheme following its first year of delivery.</p> answering member constituency Brentwood and Ongar answering member printed Alex Burghart question first answered 06/06/2022 12:06:42 answering member 4613 label Biography information for Alex Burghart
	tabling member	4765 label Biography information for Wendy Chamberlain

1466318

	registered interest
	date	26/05/2022
	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, if he will make it his policy to (a) require local authorities to ask parents who request an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) form whether or not English is their first language and (b) offer additional language support to parents throughout the EHCP process.
	tabling member constituency	St Albans
	tabling member printed	Daisy Cooper
	uin	10016
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2022 answer text <p>The Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to have regard to the importance of the child or young person, and the child’s parents, participating as fully as possible in decisions, and being provided with the information and support necessary to enable participation in those decisions. All local authorities must have arrangements for information and advice and should ensure that advice and guidance for children and young people is tailored appropriately for them. All local authorities must publish a local offer about all their services. One of the requirements of local offers is that they must be accessible to the local population, which does include ensuring access those for whom English is not their first language. The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice also makes clear that the format of an education, health and care (EHC) plan is agreed locally. Local authorities must decide on the languages that EHC plans are available in, depending on local need.</p><p>In addition, it is the department’s aim, through the proposals set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Green Paper to provide parents and carers with a clearer understanding of the support that should be available to meet their child’s needs. This includes a proposal to standardise the EHC plan process to drive consistency in how needs are identified and assessed. The public consultation for the Green Paper is due to close on 22 July 2022.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 10/06/2022 15:11:25 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4769 label Biography information for Daisy Cooper

1466319

	registered interest
	date	26/05/2022
	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, if he will make it his policy to require upper tier local authorities and clinical commissioning groups to provide parents of children with special educational needs or disabilities with a list of potential sources of financial support to which they might be entitled.
	tabling member constituency	St Albans
	tabling member printed	Daisy Cooper
	uin	10017
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2022 answer text <p>Local authorities must provide information on personal budgets as part of their local offer. This should include a policy on personal budgets that sets out a description of the services across education, health and social care that currently lend themselves to the use of personal budgets, how that funding will be made available, and clear and simple statements of eligibility criteria and the decision-making processes. Personal budgets are optional for the child’s parent or the young person, but local authorities are under a duty to prepare a budget when requested. Local authorities must provide information about organisations that may be able to provide advice and assistance to help parents and young people to make informed decisions about personal budgets.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 10/06/2022 16:56:34 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4769 label Biography information for Daisy Cooper

1466320

	registered interest
	date	26/05/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Special Educational Needs: Appeals
	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 (a) shortest, (b) average and (c) longest period of time between a pre-tribunal settlement for education, health and care provision being agreed and a settlement order being signed for each upper tier local authority.
	tabling member constituency	St Albans
	tabling member printed	Daisy Cooper
	uin	10018
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2022 answer text <p>The department does not hold or collect information on the period of time between a pre-tribunal settlement for education, health and care provision being agreed and a settlement order being signed.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 10/06/2022 10:11:17 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4769 label Biography information for Daisy Cooper

418415

	registered interest
	date	11/09/2015
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Personal, Social, Health and Economic 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 is taking to ensure pupils are able to share information about their backgrounds and cultures as part of personal, social and health education.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	10019
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2015 answer text <p>Education is a devolved power; as such, this reply concerns schools in England only.</p><p> </p><p>It is for schools to tailor their personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) programme to reflect the needs of their pupils. We expect teachers to understand how best to create a safe environment for PSHE, so that pupils feel able to discuss and reflect on issues that are important to them. We have provided funding to the PSHE Association to work with schools to advise them in developing their own PSHE curriculum and improve the quality of teaching. This includes signposting schools to high-quality resources.</p><p> </p><p>Department for Education guidance on promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils states that pupils must be encouraged to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance. The guidance for schools is found online at: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-fundamental-british-values-through-smsc" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-fundamental-british-values-through-smsc</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 21/09/2015 09:02:31 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

348299

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2015
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Adoption
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria must be met for her to direct one or more local authorities to have their adoption service functions carried out by another authority or agency.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	1002
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>The Department for Education will work with local authorities in order to deliver regional adoption agencies. The department will provide both financial and practical support to help form these new agencies.</p><p> </p><p>The Education and Adoption Bill seeks to drive a system-wide change and the department will use its powers where local authorities are unwilling to join regional adoption agencies.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 10/06/2015 16:08:21 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

759694

	registered interest
	date	12/09/2017
	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, when the Government plans to consult on statutory guidance on Relationships and Sex Education provided for in the Children and Social Work Act 2017.
	tabling member constituency	North East Hampshire
	tabling member printed	Mr Ranil Jayawardena
	uin	10022
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/09/2017 answer text <p>The Children and Social Work Act (2017) places a duty on the Secretary of State for Education to make Relationships Education mandatory in all primary schools, and Relationships and Sex Education mandatory in all secondary schools, in England.</p><p>As part of our next steps, the Department intends to conduct a thorough and wide ranging engagement on Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education. This will determine the content of the regulations and statutory guidance, covering subject content, school practice and quality of delivery. We will ensure the subjects are carefully designed to safeguard and support pupils whilst being deliverable for schools.</p><p>The Department is fully committed to this programme of work and will set out shortly more details about the engagement process, the timetable and the work to consider age appropriate subject content.</p><p>This will result in draft regulations and guidance on which we will consult. Following consultation, regulations will be laid in the House allowing for a full and considered debate.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 20/09/2017 14:58:52 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	4498 label Biography information for Mr Ranil Jayawardena

348300

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2015
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Adoption
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to assess the funding needs for the (a) measures relating to local authority adoption functions, (b) measures relating to joint arrangements and (c) other measures that her Department plans to include in the Education and Adoption Bill.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	1003
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>The move to regional adoption agencies will improve the efficiency of adoption services and increase the scale at which services operate. This is expected to lead to savings for local authorities through efficiency gains as they benefit from economies of scale and through improvements in the timeliness of adoptions. The Department for Education is working with local authorities to encourage voluntary consolidation. The department will assess and evaluate the costs and savings resulting from the measures as part of this work. The department will also provide some financial support for transition to regional adoption agencies.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Education and Adoption Bill also includes measures to improve the overall quality of education received by children in England. This includes streamlining the process by which failing schools become academies and introducing new powers to support and challenge coasting schools. The department is assessing the funding implications of wider intervention and meeting these costs will be considered as part of the Budget and Spending Review process.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 10/06/2015 15:57:45 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1241366

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Department for Education: Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the biggest pay rise given to someone in his Department was in (a) percentage and (b) cash terms in the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Shipley
	tabling member printed	Philip Davies
	uin	100317
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2020 answer text <p>The highest individual pay award in the last 12 months for an employee of the Department, including its Executive Agencies, in a) percentage and b) cash terms is:</p><p>a) 9.94% and</p><p>b) £6,250.</p><p>These figures relate to two different individuals and do not include staff who have received an increased salary following a promotion or change of role.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 16/10/2020 10:37:10 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies

1682882

	registered interest
	date	17/01/2024
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Universities: Transphobia
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will hold discussions with the Committee for Academic Freedom on its news story entitled Nine UK universities label gender-critical academics transphobes, investigation reveals, published on 15 January 2024.
	tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
	tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
	uin	10033
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/01/2024 answer text <p>Securing academic freedom is a high priority for this government. That is why the government introduced the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023.</p><p>The Act will ensure that universities in England are a place where academics, students and visiting speakers can express a diverse range of views without fear of repercussion. The main provisions of the Act will come into force on 1 August 2024.</p><p>This Act will require reasonably practicable steps to be taken to secure freedom of speech within the law. It will not change the current legal position on what speech is lawful and unlawful. The department wants academics to feel confident to express their lawful views and challenge received wisdom, even if their views are unpopular.</p><p>There are currently no plans to hold discussions with the Committee for Academic Freedom.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 24/01/2024 17:56:42 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
	tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

1241260

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Home Education: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2020 restricts children from gathering in groups of more than six for home-schooling; and if he will publish guidance on gatherings for home-schooling.
	tabling member constituency	Wimbledon
	tabling member printed	Stephen Hammond
	uin	100334
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2020 answer text <p>Guidance on protective measures for holiday and after-school clubs, and other out-of-school settings, during the COVID-19 outbreak was updated on 28 September 2020. This guidance also applies to home education and can be viewed here: <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>Parents, including guardians and foster carers, who have chosen to home educate their own child may wish to have their children attend group activities either in out-of-school settings or in the homes of others who have chosen to home educate. They will though need to take account of the Department’s, ‘Elective home education; guidance for parents’, which is published here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/elective-home-education" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/elective-home-education</a>.</p><p>Where a child who is home educated takes part in a group activity at the home of others who have chosen to home educate, the host should, as far as possible, follow the published guidance and also the guidance on working safely during coronavirus in other people’s homes which can be viewed here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/homes" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/homes</a>.</p><p>This applies only to group activities which have the principal purpose of education and should not be used to justify purely social activities beyond those recommended under the government’s general guidance on social distancing.</p><p>Multiple groups of 15 plus staff can use the same shared space, if that is necessary, with distancing between the groups. Where this is the case the other protective measures, within the guidance for providers, will be even more important to minimise the risk of infection and transmission of the virus. Where possible, those attending out-of-school settings should also practice social distancing in line with the government’s current staying alert and safe (social distancing) guidance: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2020, permits gatherings that are reasonably necessary for purposes of education or training.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 21/10/2020 16:48:58 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	1585 label Biography information for Stephen Hammond

1241346

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children in Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many looked after children were living in placements outside their local authority (a) from 1 April 2020 to 1 September 2020 and (b) in the same period in 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Gillingham and Rainham
	tabling member printed	Rehman Chishti
	uin	100353
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2020 answer text <p>This information is currently not available.</p><p>The latest figures on children looked after in England and on children missing from care or placed in out of area placements relates to the year ending 31 March 2019 are published in the statistical release, ‘Children Looked after in England including adoptions 2018-19’, which is available here:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2018-to-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2018-to-2019</a>.</p><p>Figures for the reporting year ending 31 March 2020 will be published later this year.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford grouped question UIN 100354 100355 100356 question first answered 15/10/2020 16:03:27 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
	tabling member	3987 label Biography information for Rehman Chishti

1241347

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children in Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many looked after children were living in placements outside their local authority area from 1 April 2020 to 1 September 2020 by (a) foster care, (b) registered children’s homes, (c) secure children’s homes and (d) other placement provision.
	tabling member constituency	Gillingham and Rainham
	tabling member printed	Rehman Chishti
	uin	100354
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2020 answer text <p>This information is currently not available.</p><p>The latest figures on children looked after in England and on children missing from care or placed in out of area placements relates to the year ending 31 March 2019 are published in the statistical release, ‘Children Looked after in England including adoptions 2018-19’, which is available here:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2018-to-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2018-to-2019</a>.</p><p>Figures for the reporting year ending 31 March 2020 will be published later this year.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford grouped question UIN 100353 100355 100356 question first answered 15/10/2020 16:03:27 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
	tabling member	3987 label Biography information for Rehman Chishti

1241351

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children in Care: Missing Persons
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many looked after children went missing from care placements in each month from 1 April to 1 September 2020; and how many missing episodes they had.
	tabling member constituency	Gillingham and Rainham
	tabling member printed	Rehman Chishti
	uin	100355
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2020 answer text <p>This information is currently not available.</p><p>The latest figures on children looked after in England and on children missing from care or placed in out of area placements relates to the year ending 31 March 2019 are published in the statistical release, ‘Children Looked after in England including adoptions 2018-19’, which is available here:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2018-to-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2018-to-2019</a>.</p><p>Figures for the reporting year ending 31 March 2020 will be published later this year.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford grouped question UIN 100353 100354 100356 question first answered 15/10/2020 16:03:27 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
	tabling member	3987 label Biography information for Rehman Chishti

1241353

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children in Care: Missing Persons
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many looked after children went missing from out of area care placements in each month from 1 April to 1 September 2020; and how many missing episodes each such child had.
	tabling member constituency	Gillingham and Rainham
	tabling member printed	Rehman Chishti
	uin	100356
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2020 answer text <p>This information is currently not available.</p><p>The latest figures on children looked after in England and on children missing from care or placed in out of area placements relates to the year ending 31 March 2019 are published in the statistical release, ‘Children Looked after in England including adoptions 2018-19’, which is available here:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2018-to-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2018-to-2019</a>.</p><p>Figures for the reporting year ending 31 March 2020 will be published later this year.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford grouped question UIN 100353 100354 100355 question first answered 15/10/2020 16:03:27 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
	tabling member	3987 label Biography information for Rehman Chishti

348301

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2015
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children in Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what figures her Department holds on the numbers of children in public care by permanence option.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	1004
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>Figures relating to children looked after in England are published in the annual Statistical First Release (SFR) at the following link: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption--2" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption--2</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 10/06/2015 15:59:59 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1401337

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Department for Education: Consultants
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has had any (a) financial contract and (b) meetings with (i) Clifford Chance LLP, (ii) FTI Consulting and (iii) Fenchurch Advisory Partners in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow West
	tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
	uin	100405
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2022 answer text <p>Officials searched the Department for Education commercial record system and I can confirm that no contracts have been recorded with suppliers (i) Clifford Chance LLP, (ii) FTI Consulting and (iii) Fenchurch Advisory Partners.</p><p> </p><p>Details of Government contracts above £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder: <a href="https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search" target="_blank">https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Officials are unable to check all electronic diaries across the department for meeting with (i) Clifford Chance LLP, (ii) FTI Consulting and (iii) Fenchurch Advisory Partner.</p><p> </p><p>Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 18/01/2022 12:41:54 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
	tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

1241322

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Apprentices: Taxation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will extend the clawback for the Apprenticeship Levy to 48 months from the existing 24 months to support companies that have been affected by the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Rotherham
	tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
	uin	100414
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2020 answer text <p>The apprenticeship levy underpins our reforms to raise apprenticeship quality and support employers to make a long-term, sustainable investment in the skills that they need to grow. Income from the levy is used to fund apprenticeships for all employers – both in employers who pay the levy and employers who do not. Funding from the levy is available to spend on apprenticeship training and assessment costs as outlined in the funding rules.</p><p>From the point at which funds enter an employer’s account, they have 24 months to spend them. Unused funds only begin to expire on a rolling, month-by-month basis 24 months after they enter an employer’s account. Levy-paying employers can transfer up to 25% of their annual funds to help support apprenticeship starts in their supply chain or to meet local skills needs.</p><p>The department believes that 24 months provides employers with a sufficient opportunity to make use of their levy funds. We currently have no plans to extend the expiry period for employers’ levy fund or to review what these funds can be spent on. We continue to engage closely with businesses, listening to their views about apprenticeships and the operation of the levy so it continues to deliver the skilled workforce that employers need.</p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan grouped question UIN 100415 question first answered 15/10/2020 16:51:43 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
	tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion

1401341

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	National School Breakfast Programme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on the level of pupil uptake of free school breakfasts in schools receiving support from the National School Breakfast Programme from September to December 2021.
	tabling member constituency	Mitcham and Morden
	tabling member printed	Siobhain McDonagh
	uin	100414
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2022 answer text <p>The government is committed to continuing support for school breakfast clubs and the department is investing up to £24 million to continue our national programme until the end of the summer term in 2023. This funding will support around 2,500 schools in disadvantaged areas meaning that thousands of children from low-income families will be offered free nutritious breakfasts to better support their attainment, wellbeing, and readiness to learn. The focus of the programme is to target the most disadvantaged areas of the country, including the department’s opportunity areas<em>.</em></p><p>The enrolment process for schools joining the programme is currently ongoing, and the department has seen a strong interest so far from eligible schools since we invited the expressions of interest.</p><p>Throughout the current contract the department will be working with our provider, Family Action, to monitor different aspects of the current programme, including data on pupil uptake. The department will consider the best opportunities to share information on the programme as it progresses.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 100415 question first answered 18/01/2022 12:56:08 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	193 label Biography information for Dame Siobhain McDonagh

1241324

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Apprentices: Taxation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to allow companies to spend the Apprenticeship Levy on (a) training equipment and (b) apprentices' salaries.
	tabling member constituency	Rotherham
	tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
	uin	100415
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2020 answer text <p>The apprenticeship levy underpins our reforms to raise apprenticeship quality and support employers to make a long-term, sustainable investment in the skills that they need to grow. Income from the levy is used to fund apprenticeships for all employers – both in employers who pay the levy and employers who do not. Funding from the levy is available to spend on apprenticeship training and assessment costs as outlined in the funding rules.</p><p>From the point at which funds enter an employer’s account, they have 24 months to spend them. Unused funds only begin to expire on a rolling, month-by-month basis 24 months after they enter an employer’s account. Levy-paying employers can transfer up to 25% of their annual funds to help support apprenticeship starts in their supply chain or to meet local skills needs.</p><p>The department believes that 24 months provides employers with a sufficient opportunity to make use of their levy funds. We currently have no plans to extend the expiry period for employers’ levy fund or to review what these funds can be spent on. We continue to engage closely with businesses, listening to their views about apprenticeships and the operation of the levy so it continues to deliver the skilled workforce that employers need.</p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan grouped question UIN 100414 question first answered 15/10/2020 16:51:43 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
	tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion

1401343

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	National School Breakfast Programme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has plans to (a) measure pupil uptake of free school breakfasts in each school as part of the National School Breakfast Programme and (b) publish the average pupil uptake across all schools involved in that programme.
	tabling member constituency	Mitcham and Morden
	tabling member printed	Siobhain McDonagh
	uin	100415
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2022 answer text <p>The government is committed to continuing support for school breakfast clubs and the department is investing up to £24 million to continue our national programme until the end of the summer term in 2023. This funding will support around 2,500 schools in disadvantaged areas meaning that thousands of children from low-income families will be offered free nutritious breakfasts to better support their attainment, wellbeing, and readiness to learn. The focus of the programme is to target the most disadvantaged areas of the country, including the department’s opportunity areas<em>.</em></p><p>The enrolment process for schools joining the programme is currently ongoing, and the department has seen a strong interest so far from eligible schools since we invited the expressions of interest.</p><p>Throughout the current contract the department will be working with our provider, Family Action, to monitor different aspects of the current programme, including data on pupil uptake. The department will consider the best opportunities to share information on the programme as it progresses.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 100414 question first answered 18/01/2022 12:56:08 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	193 label Biography information for Dame Siobhain McDonagh

1241326

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Training: Manufacturing Industries
	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 consult with the manufacturing industries on support for skills that will be required in those industries in the next 10 years.
	tabling member constituency	Rotherham
	tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
	uin	100417
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2020 answer text <p>We want to make the skills systems more responsive to employer skill needs both locally and nationally and we have been working with employers in all sectors including manufacturing to jointly design and deliver policies and programmes to do this.</p><p> </p><p>Labour market information is important to understand futures skills needs and to inform consultation and debate with business, providers, learners and local stakeholders. The department provides quantitative labour market and skills projections for the decade ahead in Working Futures 2017-27, which can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/labour-market-and-skills-projections-2017-to-2027" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/labour-market-and-skills-projections-2017-to-2027</a>.</p><p>Working Futures helps to identify future skills needs and informs debates about how they should be met by providing detailed forecasts of employment by sector, occupation and geography including local areas. It is one of the main sources of data used by Skills Advisory Panels (SAPs).</p><p> </p><p>SAPs will bring together employers, local authorities, universities, colleges and other training providers. These partners will work together to pool their knowledge and expertise and decide what skills are really needed across a sub-region. This will help ensure we match training to the jobs available in the local area.</p><p> </p><p>The government is providing £2.5 billion (£3 billion when including Barnett funding for devolved administrations) for the National Skills Fund.</p><p> </p><p>My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, as part of his Lifetime Skills Guarantee, announced that for adults who do not currently have a level 3 qualification, we will be fully funding their first full level 3, focusing on the valuable courses that will help them get ahead in the labour market. The offer will be funded from the National Skills Fund and offered from April 2021.</p><p> </p><p>The Prime Minister, also announced digital bootcamps to support local regions and employers to fill in-demand vacancies by providing valuable skills. Adults in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Lancashire, and Liverpool City Region can now register their interest to take part in the digital bootcamps. In early 2021 the digital bootcamps will also be available in Leeds City Region, Heart of the South West and Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. We are planning to expand the bootcamps to more of the country from spring 2021 and we want to extend this model to include other technical skills training.</p><p> </p><p>The government remains committed to consulting on aspects of the National Skills Fund to ensure that we develop a fund that helps adults learn valuable skills and prepare for the economy of the future. We are continuing to review the ongoing implications of the COVID-19 outbreak and we are considering the most appropriate time and approach we can take to launch the consultation, ensuring we have meaningful discussions with employers, providers and users.</p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan grouped question UIN 100418 question first answered 15/10/2020 16:37:07 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
	tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion

1241327

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Training
	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 with Cabinet colleagues to consult with (a) businesses and (b) local authorities on funding for employment skills needed in the future.
	tabling member constituency	Rotherham
	tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
	uin	100418
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2020 answer text <p>We want to make the skills systems more responsive to employer skill needs both locally and nationally and we have been working with employers in all sectors including manufacturing to jointly design and deliver policies and programmes to do this.</p><p> </p><p>Labour market information is important to understand futures skills needs and to inform consultation and debate with business, providers, learners and local stakeholders. The department provides quantitative labour market and skills projections for the decade ahead in Working Futures 2017-27, which can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/labour-market-and-skills-projections-2017-to-2027" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/labour-market-and-skills-projections-2017-to-2027</a>.</p><p>Working Futures helps to identify future skills needs and informs debates about how they should be met by providing detailed forecasts of employment by sector, occupation and geography including local areas. It is one of the main sources of data used by Skills Advisory Panels (SAPs).</p><p> </p><p>SAPs will bring together employers, local authorities, universities, colleges and other training providers. These partners will work together to pool their knowledge and expertise and decide what skills are really needed across a sub-region. This will help ensure we match training to the jobs available in the local area.</p><p> </p><p>The government is providing £2.5 billion (£3 billion when including Barnett funding for devolved administrations) for the National Skills Fund.</p><p> </p><p>My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, as part of his Lifetime Skills Guarantee, announced that for adults who do not currently have a level 3 qualification, we will be fully funding their first full level 3, focusing on the valuable courses that will help them get ahead in the labour market. The offer will be funded from the National Skills Fund and offered from April 2021.</p><p> </p><p>The Prime Minister, also announced digital bootcamps to support local regions and employers to fill in-demand vacancies by providing valuable skills. Adults in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Lancashire, and Liverpool City Region can now register their interest to take part in the digital bootcamps. In early 2021 the digital bootcamps will also be available in Leeds City Region, Heart of the South West and Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. We are planning to expand the bootcamps to more of the country from spring 2021 and we want to extend this model to include other technical skills training.</p><p> </p><p>The government remains committed to consulting on aspects of the National Skills Fund to ensure that we develop a fund that helps adults learn valuable skills and prepare for the economy of the future. We are continuing to review the ongoing implications of the COVID-19 outbreak and we are considering the most appropriate time and approach we can take to launch the consultation, ensuring we have meaningful discussions with employers, providers and users.</p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan grouped question UIN 100417 question first answered 15/10/2020 16:37:07 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
	tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion

1241321

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Foster Care: Key Workers
	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 potential merits of including foster carers in the list of critical workers.
	tabling member constituency	South Shields
	tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
	uin	100420
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2020 answer text <p>The department recognises that this is a very difficult time for foster families, who are caring for some of our most vulnerable children and play a vital role in caring for looked after children.</p><p>The government considers foster carers to be essential to the country’s response in tackling the COVID-19 outbreak, and as such, foster carers have been prioritised for access to COVID-19 testing where they are symptomatic. They are also able to access personal protective equipment supplies, via their fostering service, where they need them.</p><p>In some areas, fostering services have started to find ways to deliver respite to give foster families a break via household bubbles. We recognise that the government’s revised rules around social distancing and the experience of local lockdowns in some areas of the country may mean that respite is not available for all foster families. We would encourage respite carers to approach their agencies to see how they can be most useful and for fostering services to draw upon the experience and skills of respite carers when looking at how they can continue to best support children and their foster families.</p><p>The department remains committed to taking the necessary action to ensure that foster parents receive the respect and support that they need and deserve. We are considering options to help those services to boost their recruitment and maintain support for respite carers but have yet to publish plans. The role of foster parents is invaluable, especially now, and we want to drive forward change to empower them to care for our vulnerable children.</p><p>As both my right hon. Friends, the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer, have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19 outbreak.</p><p>Our latest guidance for fostering services is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-childrens-social-care-services/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-local-authorities-on-childrens-social-care" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-childrens-social-care-services/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-local-authorities-on-childrens-social-care</a>.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 12/10/2020 16:41:56 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
	tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

1241323

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Foster Care: 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 ensure that foster carers that normally offer (a) respite care and (b) short breaks placements but are unable to offer those services during the covid-19 outbreak are paid a retainer fee.
	tabling member constituency	South Shields
	tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
	uin	100421
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2020 answer text <p>The department recognises that this is a very difficult time for foster families, who are caring for some of our most vulnerable children and play a vital role in caring for looked after children.</p><p>The government considers foster carers to be essential to the country’s response in tackling the COVID-19 outbreak, and as such, foster carers have been prioritised for access to COVID-19 testing where they are symptomatic. They are also able to access personal protective equipment supplies, via their fostering service, where they need them.</p><p>In some areas, fostering services have started to find ways to deliver respite to give foster families a break via household bubbles. We recognise that the government’s revised rules around social distancing and the experience of local lockdowns in some areas of the country may mean that respite is not available for all foster families. We would encourage respite carers to approach their agencies to see how they can be most useful and for fostering services to draw upon the experience and skills of respite carers when looking at how they can continue to best support children and their foster families.</p><p>The department remains committed to taking the necessary action to ensure that foster parents receive the respect and support that they need and deserve. We are considering options to help those services to boost their recruitment and maintain support for respite carers but have yet to publish plans. The role of foster parents is invaluable, especially now, and we want to drive forward change to empower them to care for our vulnerable children.</p><p>As both my right hon. Friends, the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer, have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19 outbreak.</p><p>Our latest guidance for fostering services is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-childrens-social-care-services/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-local-authorities-on-childrens-social-care" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-childrens-social-care-services/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-local-authorities-on-childrens-social-care</a>.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 13/10/2020 15:26:58 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
	tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

1241296

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Teachers: Training
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to improve the provision of mental health training for (a) schoolteachers and (b) university lecturers.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry North East
	tabling member printed	Colleen Fletcher
	uin	100429
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2020 answer text <p>The government is committed to promoting and supporting the mental health of children, young people and the school, college and university staff who support them.</p><p>School, college and university staff cannot act as mental health experts, and they should not try to diagnose conditions. However, it is important that they are able to identify possible mental health problems, so they are able to put appropriate support in place. It is up to schools and colleges to decide what training to offer their staff, but we have put in place a range of training for them to draw on.</p><p>Training has been particularly important to give schools confidence to deal with issues that will have arisen during the COVID-19 outbreak. To ensure that staff are equipped to support wellbeing as children and young people returned to schools and colleges, we made it a central part of our guidance both on remote education and on the return to school. We supported this with a range of training and materials, including webinars which have been accessed by thousands of education staff. We have also accelerated training on how to teach about mental health as part of the new relationships, sex and health curriculum, so that all pupils can benefit from this long-term requirement.</p><p>To provide further support during the autumn and spring terms the department has worked with our partners, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Health Education England, Public Health England and key voluntary sector organisations, to launch Wellbeing for Education Return. This project, backed by £8 million, will train local experts to provide additional training, advice and resources to schools and colleges, to help support pupil and student wellbeing, resilience and recovery. It will give staff the confidence to support pupils and students, their parents, carers and their own colleagues, and know how and where to access appropriate specialist support where needed.</p><p>This specific support is building on our longer-term activity to help support teacher knowledge. As part of this, the government has successfully delivered on the 2017 commitment of my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, to make mental health awareness training available to all eligible secondary schools by March 2020. To help embed knowledge and practice in schools, we are now in the process of developing a bespoke senior mental health lead training programme. The training will equip senior mental health leads with the knowledge to introduce or develop their whole school and college approach to mental health, implement effective processes for ensuring pupils and students with mental health problems receive appropriate support and to promote positive mental health within the school or college so that it becomes a key part of how schools and colleges operate. The knowledge requirements and expected outcomes for the training closely align to Public Health England’s ‘Promoting children and young people’s emotional health and wellbeing. A whole school and college approach’, which is available here:<br><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/414908/Final_EHWB_draft_20_03_15.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/414908/Final_EHWB_draft_20_03_15.pdf</a>.</p><p>We also remain committed to our major joint green paper delivery programme with DHSC and NHS England, including introducing new mental health support teams linked to schools and colleges, and testing approaches to faster access to NHS specialist support.</p><p>We also recognise the importance of supporting staff with their own mental health and wellbeing. This is why we are funding a £95,000 pilot project with the Education Support Partnership, to focus on leaders’ mental health, providing online peer-support and telephone supervision from experts to around 250 school leaders. This is in addition to funding of £45,000 we provided to Timewise, to provide practical support and resources on flexible working, in light of new arrangements for schools responding to the COVID-19 outbreak.</p><p>It is up to higher education institutions to decide how to support their students and what training to offer to staff. The government strongly supports the University Mental Health Charter, which aims to drive up standards in promoting student and staff mental health and wellbeing. We are also working closely with Universities UK on embedding the Step Change: Mentally Healthy Universities framework, calling on higher education leaders to adopt mental health as a strategic priority and take a whole-institution approach, embedding it across all policies, cultures, curricula and practice.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 12/10/2020 16:41:37 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
	tabling member	4378 label Biography information for Colleen Fletcher

1241169

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Care Leavers: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of funding available to young people leaving care announced in 2019 has been allocated to initiatives which provide dedicated support for girls and young women as a named group; and what steps he is taking to monitor and evaluate the effect of that funding on girls and young women leaving care and experiencing poor mental health.
	tabling member constituency	Lancaster and Fleetwood
	tabling member printed	Cat Smith
	uin	100445
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2020 answer text <p>In October 2019, during care leavers week, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced £19 million additional funding in financial year 2020-21 to support care leavers.</p><p>Of the additional funding, £10 million was allocated to local authorities to increase the resources available to them to implement Staying Put, which enables young people in foster care at age 18 to remain with their former foster carers until age 21. In total, £33 million will be allocated to local authorities to implement Staying Put this financial year.</p><p>Although Staying Close supports both young men and young women, some of the pilots are working with particular cohorts. For example, one of the pilots is supporting young women leaving a specialist children’s home that accommodates young women who have been victims of child sexual exploitation, and a number of Staying Close participants are young parents. As well as the core Staying Close offer, a number of pilots also provide access to specialist mental health services.</p><p>The final £3 million funding was to provide extra funding for Virtual School Heads to enable them to provide additional support to care leavers in further education. Again, this funding will support all care leavers in further education and is not targeted at young women specifically.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 16/10/2020 08:24:45 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
	tabling member	4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith

1241394

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Day Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of Sate for Education, what assessment she has made of (a) the level of childcare provision available during the covid-19 outbreak; and what assessment she has made of the effect of available childcare on the number of mothers taking redundancy since March 2020 to date.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol South
	tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
	uin	100458
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2020 answer text <p>Since April 2020, we have been collecting weekly data from all English local authorities to monitor the availability of early years childcare. We collect and publish information on the number of open and closed early years providers as well as the number of children attending. This information contributes to our regular publication, ‘Attendance in education and early years settings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak’, which is available here:<br> <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>Term-time attendance at early years settings has been increasing since September. On a typical day in the autumn term, we estimate attendance to be around 887,000 children, due to different and part-time patterns of childcare during the week. We estimate that 753,000 children attended early years settings on 8 October, which is approximately 85% of the usual daily level, and an increase of almost 340,000 from at the end of the summer term. 80% of early years settings were estimated to be open on 8 October.</p><p>From 4 July, wraparound childcare providers and other providers of out-of-school activities have been able to care for all children, with protective measures in place. We have published further updated guidance for providers who run before and after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school settings for children on the protective measures that should be put in place to ensure they are operating as safely as possible. This is also to ensure that with the introduction of our new local COVID-19 alert levels, that wraparound childcare is able to remain open, to support parents to continue to work. The guidance is available here:<br> <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>We also know that many schools operate their own breakfast and after school clubs, and they should be working to resume this provision, if they have not already. As part of our guidance to schools on full opening, we have provided schools with guidance to support them in reopening this valuable provision. The guidance is available here:<br> <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>The department does not hold information on the reasons for redundancy. However, the poll of 1000 parents of 0-4 year old children in May 2020 showed only 7% of critical worker families disagree that ‘the hours their child(ren) can access childcare or school at the time of the poll fits with the working hours of the adults in the household’. Of all parents surveyed who previously used childcare and were not intending to return to formal childcare after the wider reopening on 1 June, only 6% said this was because their usual provider or school was remaining closed and 4% stated their child’s usual provider is only open for some children and their child is not eligible. More details on the poll are available here:<br> <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/parents-0-4-year-olds-and-childcare-1st-june-2020" target="_blank">https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/parents-0-4-year-olds-and-childcare-1st-june-2020</a>.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 16/10/2020 15:30:22 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
	tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

1241398

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Pre-school Education: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the adequacy of the level of funding announced for early years' provision on (a) nurseries, (b) pre-schools and (c) childminders.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol South
	tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
	uin	100461
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2020 answer text <p>My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and ministers at the department, meet regularly with colleagues across government, including HM Treasury, to discuss the Department for Education's agenda. Future funding for the early years is being considered as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review process, alongside wider public expenditure.</p><p>The survey published by Coram is part of the evidence base available for consideration in the Spending Review and is one of several pieces of research on the provider market. We continue to monitor the market closely through a range of research projects which provide insight into various aspects of the childcare and provider market.</p><p>The department carries out its own regular research on the cost of delivering childcare. The 2018 provider finances report is published here:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/provider-finances-evidence-from-early-years-providers" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/provider-finances-evidence-from-early-years-providers</a>.</p><p>The Department for Education is due to publish a 2019 provider finances report in the autumn.</p><p>The provider finances reports include data on the total coast and total income of delivering childcare, the variation in unit costs (an approximate measure of the average cost per child per hour for all children in the setting) and staff hourly pay, and patterns in parent-paid hourly fees for parents.</p><p>The 2019 Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers includes information on the costs of providing childcare and is available here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/845080/SCEYP_2019_Main_Report_Nov19.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/845080/SCEYP_2019_Main_Report_Nov19.pdf</a>.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford grouped question UIN 100462 100472 question first answered 15/10/2020 15:36:50 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
	tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

1241400

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Day Care
	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 his policies on the introduction of the 30 hour childcare extended entitlement of the Childcare survey 2020, published by Coram.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol South
	tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
	uin	100462
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2020 answer text <p>My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and ministers at the department, meet regularly with colleagues across government, including HM Treasury, to discuss the Department for Education's agenda. Future funding for the early years is being considered as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review process, alongside wider public expenditure.</p><p>The survey published by Coram is part of the evidence base available for consideration in the Spending Review and is one of several pieces of research on the provider market. We continue to monitor the market closely through a range of research projects which provide insight into various aspects of the childcare and provider market.</p><p>The department carries out its own regular research on the cost of delivering childcare. The 2018 provider finances report is published here:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/provider-finances-evidence-from-early-years-providers" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/provider-finances-evidence-from-early-years-providers</a>.</p><p>The Department for Education is due to publish a 2019 provider finances report in the autumn.</p><p>The provider finances reports include data on the total coast and total income of delivering childcare, the variation in unit costs (an approximate measure of the average cost per child per hour for all children in the setting) and staff hourly pay, and patterns in parent-paid hourly fees for parents.</p><p>The 2019 Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers includes information on the costs of providing childcare and is available here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/845080/SCEYP_2019_Main_Report_Nov19.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/845080/SCEYP_2019_Main_Report_Nov19.pdf</a>.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford grouped question UIN 100461 100472 question first answered 15/10/2020 15:36:50 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
	tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

1241401

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Apprentices
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many new apprentices (a) aged under 25 and (b) aged over 25 were taken on in (i) August and (ii) September 2020 where the employer benefitted from the Government payment announced in its Plan for Jobs.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol South
	tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
	uin	100463
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2020 answer text <p>Apprenticeships will be more important than ever in helping businesses to recruit the right people and develop the skills they need to recover and grow. To help support employers to offer new apprenticeships, employers are now able to claim £2,000 for every new apprentice they hire under the age of 25, and £1,500 for those aged 25 and over until 31 January 2021. The new payment means it is a great time for employers to offer new apprenticeship opportunities and take advantage of existing flexibilities to train their apprentices in a way that suits their needs.</p><p>We are in the very early stages of monitoring the take-up of the new payment to employers, and its impact on apprenticeship starts. The first payment is made 90 days from the apprentice’s start date and as such no payments have yet been made.</p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan grouped question UIN 100464 question first answered 15/10/2020 15:50:31 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
	tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

1241403

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Apprentices
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many new apprentices in (a) SMEs and (b) large employers taken on in (i) August and (ii) September 2020 are in placements where the employer benefitted from the Government payment announced in its Plan for Jobs.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol South
	tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
	uin	100464
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2020 answer text <p>Apprenticeships will be more important than ever in helping businesses to recruit the right people and develop the skills they need to recover and grow. To help support employers to offer new apprenticeships, employers are now able to claim £2,000 for every new apprentice they hire under the age of 25, and £1,500 for those aged 25 and over until 31 January 2021. The new payment means it is a great time for employers to offer new apprenticeship opportunities and take advantage of existing flexibilities to train their apprentices in a way that suits their needs.</p><p>We are in the very early stages of monitoring the take-up of the new payment to employers, and its impact on apprenticeship starts. The first payment is made 90 days from the apprentice’s start date and as such no payments have yet been made.</p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan grouped question UIN 100463 question first answered 15/10/2020 15:50:31 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
	tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

1241404

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Apprentices
	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 trends in the level of intermediate level apprenticeship starts for young people under the age of 19 between May 2019 and May 2020; and what steps his Department is taking to increase support for apprentices under 19 at that level.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol South
	tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
	uin	100465
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2020 answer text <p>Apprenticeship starts across all levels and across all ages have reduced between May 2019 and May 2020, by 58% overall. Starts at Intermediate level have reduced by 73% on average but the reduction has been more pronounced amongst the 16-18 year-old group at 80%, compared to 75% for 19-24 year-olds and 68% for those over the age of 25. The reduction is starts at advanced and higher levels is 61% and 21% respectively.</p><p>Data from March 2020 onwards includes the period affected by COVID-19 and the nationwide lockdown, therefore, extra care must be taken in comparing and interpreting data from this period to earlier months as the COVID-19 outbreak has affected provider behaviour in terms of the reporting of FE and apprenticeship learning during the affected period, and this could vary by provider.</p><p>This change in intermediate starts has largely occurred where apprenticeships were struggling to meet the minimum quality standards required by our reforms. We have replaced old-style frameworks, which apprentices and employers told us were not providing the skills they needed, with new employer-designed standards. All new apprentices now start on high-quality standards, following the withdrawal of frameworks in July.</p><p>Apprenticeship standards and frameworks are different products. It was previously possible to undertake a framework for the same job at different levels, but on standards there is just one level per occupation. The level of the standard refers to the level an apprentice reaches at the end of the apprenticeship once they are occupationally competent not at the beginning, and this is determined by employers.</p><p>Traineeships can help young people build the skills they need to undertake an apprenticeship or other job, and we are tripling the number of places in the 2020/21 academic year so that more young people have access to high-quality training.</p><p>Apprenticeships are more important than ever in helping people of all ages develop the skills they need and supporting our economic recovery. To encourage employers to offer new apprenticeship opportunities, to people of all ages and at all levels, we have introduced incentive payments. Employers are now able to claim £2,000 for every new apprentice they hire under the age of 25 between 1 August 2020 and 31 January 2021, and £1,500 for those 25 and over.</p><p>We are working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to enable Kickstart placements to turn into apprenticeships where that is the right thing for the employer and the individual. Employers offering apprenticeships to young people on the placements will be able to claim the new incentive.</p><p>We want to expand apprenticeship opportunities and are exploring with employers how we can make apprenticeships work better in certain sectors, for example those with more flexible and short-term models of employment. We also want to ensure we grow the number of small and medium-sized enterprisess offering apprenticeships and are continuing to work with smaller employers to give them the confidence and support to take on new apprentices.</p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan grouped question UIN 100466 question first answered 12/10/2020 16:12:52 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
	tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

1241405

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Apprentices
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's statistical data on apprenticeships and traineeships, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the change in the number of apprenticeships starts in all age groups at intermediate level between May 2019 and May 2020; and what steps his Department is taking to improve the take-up of apprenticeships at that level.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol South
	tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
	uin	100466
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2020 answer text <p>Apprenticeship starts across all levels and across all ages have reduced between May 2019 and May 2020, by 58% overall. Starts at Intermediate level have reduced by 73% on average but the reduction has been more pronounced amongst the 16-18 year-old group at 80%, compared to 75% for 19-24 year-olds and 68% for those over the age of 25. The reduction is starts at advanced and higher levels is 61% and 21% respectively.</p><p>Data from March 2020 onwards includes the period affected by COVID-19 and the nationwide lockdown, therefore, extra care must be taken in comparing and interpreting data from this period to earlier months as the COVID-19 outbreak has affected provider behaviour in terms of the reporting of FE and apprenticeship learning during the affected period, and this could vary by provider.</p><p>This change in intermediate starts has largely occurred where apprenticeships were struggling to meet the minimum quality standards required by our reforms. We have replaced old-style frameworks, which apprentices and employers told us were not providing the skills they needed, with new employer-designed standards. All new apprentices now start on high-quality standards, following the withdrawal of frameworks in July.</p><p>Apprenticeship standards and frameworks are different products. It was previously possible to undertake a framework for the same job at different levels, but on standards there is just one level per occupation. The level of the standard refers to the level an apprentice reaches at the end of the apprenticeship once they are occupationally competent not at the beginning, and this is determined by employers.</p><p>Traineeships can help young people build the skills they need to undertake an apprenticeship or other job, and we are tripling the number of places in the 2020/21 academic year so that more young people have access to high-quality training.</p><p>Apprenticeships are more important than ever in helping people of all ages develop the skills they need and supporting our economic recovery. To encourage employers to offer new apprenticeship opportunities, to people of all ages and at all levels, we have introduced incentive payments. Employers are now able to claim £2,000 for every new apprentice they hire under the age of 25 between 1 August 2020 and 31 January 2021, and £1,500 for those 25 and over.</p><p>We are working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to enable Kickstart placements to turn into apprenticeships where that is the right thing for the employer and the individual. Employers offering apprenticeships to young people on the placements will be able to claim the new incentive.</p><p>We want to expand apprenticeship opportunities and are exploring with employers how we can make apprenticeships work better in certain sectors, for example those with more flexible and short-term models of employment. We also want to ensure we grow the number of small and medium-sized enterprisess offering apprenticeships and are continuing to work with smaller employers to give them the confidence and support to take on new apprentices.</p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan grouped question UIN 100465 question first answered 12/10/2020 16:12:52 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
	tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

1241407

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Apprentices: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his Department's ring-fenced annual apprenticeship budget was for the 2019-20 academic year; how much of that budget was spent on training and assessment; and whether there was an underspend in that academic year.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol South
	tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
	uin	100467
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2020 answer text <p>The department’s ring-fenced apprenticeship budget is set to fund apprenticeships in England only. This budget is used to fund training for new apprenticeship starts in levy and non-levy paying employers and to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training.</p><p>It is also used to cover the cost of end-point assessment and any additional payments made to employers and providers. This means that employers of all sizes, across England, can provide apprenticeship opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds.</p><p>In the 2020-21 financial year, funding available for investment in apprenticeships in England is almost £2.5 billion – double what was spent in 2010-11. Similarly, the ring-fenced apprenticeship budget for the 2019-20 financial year was almost £2.5 billion.</p><p>The total spend in the 2019-20 financial year, inclusive of spend on training and assessment, was £1.9 billion, leading to an underspend against the budget of approximately £600 million.</p><p>Details of actual spend against the apprenticeships budget are published in the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s annual report and accounts.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan question first answered 12/10/2020 15:50:57 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
	tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

1241408

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Apprentices: Taxation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much was (a) raised by the Apprenticeship Levy and (b) spent by employers on apprenticeships in 2019-2020.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol South
	tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
	uin	100468
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2020 answer text <p>The department does not hold information on total levy collected. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for collecting the levy on behalf of the government. This information is held by HMRC and is published in their annual report and accounts, which can be found at HMRC Annual Report and Accounts. More information is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrcs-annual-report-and-accounts" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrcs-annual-report-and-accounts</a>.</p><p>In the 2019-20 financial year, £2.5 billion was paid into levy paying employer’s accounts, this includes a 10% top-up and accounts for the English fraction adjustment.</p><p>Levy paying employers spent £950 million of funds on apprenticeship training from their apprentice service accounts in the 2019-20 financial year. Payments made out of accounts relate to the apprenticeships learning element only and exclude any other items that are not funded from employers’ funds in their accounts, such as English and Maths training.</p><p>Apprenticeship ringfenced budget covers the cost of training that started pre-reforms as well as training of levy and non-levy employers. In the 2019-20 financial year this amounted to £1.9 billion.</p><p>Levy employers have 24 months to spend the levy paid into accounts, after which the funds will expire. We continue to work with large employers to improve the transfer process, making it easier for them to find smaller employers to transfer levy funds to, thus helping them maximise the amount of funding they will be able to transfer.</p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan question first answered 15/10/2020 17:10:34 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
	tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

1241409

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Apprentices: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Association of Education and Learning Providers on a stand-alone apprenticeships budget for SMEs.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol South
	tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
	uin	100469
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2020 answer text <p>In the 2020-21 financial year funding available for investment in apprenticeships in England is around £2.5 billion - double the amount spent in the 2010-11 financial year. The department wants to ensure that we grow the number of small and medium sized entreprises (SMEs) offering apprenticeships supported by funding, given that they are vital to the UK economy. We continue to work with smaller employers to give them the confidence and support to take on new apprentices.</p><p>We are also working with large employers to improve the transfer process, making it easier for them to find smaller employers to transfer levy funds to, thus helping them maximise the amount of funding they will be able to transfer.</p><p>We continue to listen to and work with the Association of Education and Learning Providers and other stakeholders on how best to support SMEs to make the most of apprenticeships.</p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan question first answered 15/10/2020 16:03:10 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
	tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

759693

	registered interest
	date	12/09/2017
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Department for Education: Redundancy Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much has been paid to (a) men and (b) women who left her Department under exit schemes since 31 March 2016.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	10047
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/09/2017 answer text <p>When numbers are so small that individuals could be identified, identifying details are masked to protect their privacy. Since 31 March 2016, fewer than five individuals have left the Department for Education under an exit scheme and a total of £95,000 has been paid.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 19/09/2017 14:13:56 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1241411

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Redundancy: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on ensuring that people who are made redundant are able to access suitable education and training between October 2020 and when the lifetime skills allowance is rolled out.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol South
	tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
	uin	100470
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2020 answer text <p>My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has worked closely with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that a robust package of support is available for adults to learn and reach their potential in the labour market.</p><p>The government is providing £2.5 billion (£3 billion when including Barnett funding for devolved administrations) for the National Skills Fund.</p><p>My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, as part of his Lifetime Skills Guarantee, announced that for adults who do not currently have a level 3 qualification, we will be fully funding their first full level 3, focusing on the valuable courses that will help them get ahead in the labour market. The offer will be funded from the National Skills Fund and offered from April 2021.</p><p>The Prime Minister also announced digital bootcamps to support local regions and employers to fill in-demand vacancies by providing valuable skills. Adults in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Lancashire, and Liverpool City Region can now register their interest to take part in the digital bootcamps. In early 2021 the digital bootcamps will also be available in Leeds City Region, Heart of the South West and Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. We are planning to expand the bootcamps to more of the country from spring 2021 and we want to extend this model to include other technical skills training.</p><p>Alongside the National Skills Fund, the department has been working to provide further support in response to the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak. In his Summer Economic Update, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced investment of over £500 million to deliver a package of support for people to access the training and develop the skills they will need to go on to high-quality, secure and fulfilling employment. The Skills Recovery Package included:</p><ul><li>Apprenticeships: A new payment of £2,000 to employers in England for each new apprentice they hire who is aged 24 or below, and a £1,500 payment for each new apprentice they hire who is aged 25 and over, from 1 August 2020 to 31 January 2021.</li><li>Traineeships: £111 million to triple the scale and reform traineeships for those aged 16 - 24 (25 with an Education, Health and Care plan): with additional funding available to providers in 2020-21 to support 30,000 new places. We have also introduced, for the first time, payments of £1,000 per trainee for employers who offer new or additional work placements (up to 10 trainees).</li><li>Careers information, advice and guidance: £32 million over 2 years to help 269,000 more people of all ages receive advice from the National Careers Service.</li><li>Sector-based work academy programme (SWAP): £17 million to triple the number of SWAP placements in the 2020/21 financial year, enough funding to support an extra 40,000 job seekers with additional training opportunities and the chance of a job.</li><li>£101 million for school / college leavers to study high value courses when there are not employment opportunities available to them.</li></ul><p>In addition, the recently announced expansion of The Skills Toolkit means that people can now choose from over 70 courses, covering digital, adult numeracy, employability and work readiness skills, which have been identified as the skills employers need the most. These courses will help people stay in work, or take up new jobs and opportunities.</p><p>In response to COVID-19, the Department for Work and Pensions has also established an alternative service to their usual face to face offer. People will be able to access redundancy help and job search advice on the department’s new Job Help campaign website. There is also information on GOV.UK and updated information packs provided to employers to help them signpost employees to the support that is available. The support available includes:</p><ul><li>Connecting people to jobs in the labour market though our Find a Job website, virtual jobs fairs, sector-based work academy programmes and mentoring circle opportunities.</li><li>Help with job search including CV writing, interview skills, where to find jobs and how to apply for them.</li><li>Help to identify transferable skills and skills gaps (linked to the local labour market).</li></ul><p>In addition to this, the new Kickstart scheme is underway. This is a £2 billion programme which will create thousands of new jobs for young people aged between 16-24 who will be offered 6 month work placements with wages paid by the UK government.</p><p>The government appreciates the importance of adult education to improving people’s life chances. We will continue to explore options within adult education to aid the post COVID-19 recovery.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan question first answered 16/10/2020 11:25:41 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
	tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

1241412

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Secondary Education: Vocational Guidance
	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 careers advice in secondary education; and what assessment he has made of the effect of that advice on the social mobility of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol South
	tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
	uin	100471
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2020 answer text <p>Evidence shows that careers education is improving, as young people are benefitting from a new world-class approach to careers guidance. The department has invested in a careers infrastructure which is proven to accelerate schools and colleges' progress against the eight Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance. The average number of benchmarks achieved by schools and colleges in Careers Hubs was 3.9, compared to 2.0 for those not in a Careers Hub and outside of the Enterprise Adviser Network. There is more progress to be made and we will continue to support schools and colleges to improve their performance against the benchmarks.</p><p>Schools and colleges serving disadvantaged communities are among the highest performers. For example, schools and colleges in the Tees Valley Local Enterprise Partnership achieved 4.2 benchmarks on average in academic year 2018-19.</p><p>Careers education is effective in driving social mobility. From a survey carried out in 2018-19, 73% of young people who have taken part in careers guidance activities said that they are more aware of different careers and 69% said they were clearer about what they need to do to achieve their ambitions.</p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan question first answered 16/10/2020 13:13:46 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
	tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

1241414

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Pre-school Education: Expenditure
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2019 to Question 6463 on Children: Day Care, what research the Government has carried out since 2018 to ensure that the evidence base on the costs of providing early years education is kept up to date.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol South
	tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
	uin	100472
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2020 answer text <p>My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and ministers at the department, meet regularly with colleagues across government, including HM Treasury, to discuss the Department for Education's agenda. Future funding for the early years is being considered as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review process, alongside wider public expenditure.</p><p>The survey published by Coram is part of the evidence base available for consideration in the Spending Review and is one of several pieces of research on the provider market. We continue to monitor the market closely through a range of research projects which provide insight into various aspects of the childcare and provider market.</p><p>The department carries out its own regular research on the cost of delivering childcare. The 2018 provider finances report is published here:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/provider-finances-evidence-from-early-years-providers" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/provider-finances-evidence-from-early-years-providers</a>.</p><p>The Department for Education is due to publish a 2019 provider finances report in the autumn.</p><p>The provider finances reports include data on the total coast and total income of delivering childcare, the variation in unit costs (an approximate measure of the average cost per child per hour for all children in the setting) and staff hourly pay, and patterns in parent-paid hourly fees for parents.</p><p>The 2019 Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers includes information on the costs of providing childcare and is available here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/845080/SCEYP_2019_Main_Report_Nov19.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/845080/SCEYP_2019_Main_Report_Nov19.pdf</a>.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford grouped question UIN 100461 100462 question first answered 15/10/2020 15:36:50 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
	tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

1401511

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Apprentices
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of apprenticeship starts in (a) Quarter 1 of 2021, (b) Quarter 2 of 2021 and (c) Quarter 3 of 2021.
	tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Toby Perkins
	uin	100488
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/01/2022 answer text <p>The latest published apprenticeship starts data covers the 2020/21 academic year and was published in November 2021 in the Apprenticeships and traineeships statistics publication: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships/2020-21" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships/2020-21</a>.</p><p>Quarterly apprenticeship starts breakdowns for the 2021 calendar year show:</p><ul><li>83,500 starts in the first quarter (January to March).</li><li>65,900 starts in the second quarter of the 2021 academic year (April to June).</li><li>So far, for the third quarter (only July), 21,300 starts have been reported so far.</li></ul><p> </p><p>The attached file contains monthly breakdowns of starts for the entire 2020/21 academic year.</p><p>The first in-year apprenticeship starts data for the 2021/22 academic year (covering August to October 2021) will be published in January 2022.</p> answering member constituency Brentwood and Ongar answering member printed Alex Burghart question first answered 13/01/2022 12:36:49 answering member 4613 label Biography information for Alex Burghart attachment 1 file name 100488_apprenticeship_starts_table.xlsx title 100488_table
	tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

1401515

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Adult Education: Finance
	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 financial effect of the adult education clawback for the academic year 2021- 22 on affected further education colleges.
	tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Toby Perkins
	uin	100489
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/01/2022 answer text <p>We monitor college financial health on a regular basis and use this information to determine where support and intervention from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and Further Education Commissioner can help colleges to improve their position.</p><p>Where colleges are at risk of running out of cash, emergency funding is considered on a case-by-case basis and based on a thorough assessment of each college's circumstances and the minimum funding needed to minimise disruption to learners.</p><p>The financial impact on further education (FE) colleges who did not meet the Adult Education Budget (AEB) Reconciliation threshold for 2020 to 2021 funding year was assessed using information in the College Financial Forecasting Return (CFFR) submitted to the ESFA in July 2021. In addition, eligible FE colleges were able to submit an AEB Reconciliation business case with an updated CFFR or additional financial information, where clawback of funds meant this had a material financial impact on their cashflow in 2021-22 financial year.</p> answering member constituency Brentwood and Ongar answering member printed Alex Burghart question first answered 13/01/2022 12:15:57 answering member 4613 label Biography information for Alex Burghart
	tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

1401517

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	BTEC Qualifications
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has (a) sought and (b) received representations from employers about the value that they place on BTEC qualifications.
	tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Toby Perkins
	uin	100490
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/01/2022 answer text <p>The department has consulted in two stages on reforms to level 3 qualifications. For both consultations the department sought responses from employers and their representative bodies about our proposals for the range of qualifications that will be funded alongside T Levels and A levels in future. The review has engaged with employer groups representing a range of industry, including construction, digital, engineering, hair and beauty, as well as bodies representing both small and large employers.</p><p>We published our plans for reform in July 2021 alongside a summary of the responses received to the most recent consultation. This summary did not separate the responses by employers and their representatives from wider respondents.</p><p>We continue to work with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute) to ensure that employers remain at the heart of our reforms. The Institute works extensively with employers to make certain that qualifications are grounded in the needs of the workplace.</p> answering member constituency Brentwood and Ongar answering member printed Alex Burghart question first answered 13/01/2022 12:21:28 answering member 4613 label Biography information for Alex Burghart
	tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins